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Lowe’s Follows Comcast in Making a Terrible Choice for Customers

January 3, 2023 Published by Daniel Kline

TheStreet

The home improvement retailer has been using a customer service strategy that consumers hate because it doesn’t work.

Robots make decent pizzas, acceptable lattes and, as I’ve experienced on multiple cruise ships, damn fine martinis.

You can automate recipes, repetitive tasks, and really anything that follows specific parameters every time.

But you can’t automate customer service, especially when a customer has a problem.

This, of course, has not stopped companies from using artificial intelligence chatbots in ways that are especially maddening.

Comcast (CMCSA) – Get Free Report has a virtual chatbot that acts as a gatekeeper for its human customer service personnel. You might be able to get some very basic info from the chatbot — like how much you owe — but any request for useful information gets you nowhere.

Typing “person” does eventually get you to a human being (who is often equally unhelpful), the AI chatbot very clearly does not work and it’s hard to believe that Comcast does not fully understand this.

Lowe’s (LOW) – Get Free Report has similar issues, but they actually go deeper than its AI chatbot. The home-improvement giant has a very frustrating system full of broken technology that’s supposed to communicate to customers when their orders will be delivered.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Lowe’s Has a Customer Service Problem

I ordered a Weber (WEBR) – Get Free Report two-burner gas grill on New Year’s Eve with no expectations of delivery. Lowe’s sent me an email and a text telling me that my delivery was scheduled for Jan. 2. That seemed unlikely given that that day was a federal holiday, so it did not surprise me when Jan. 2 passed with no delivery.

On the evening of that day, however, I got a text from Lowe’s telling me my grill would arrive on Jan. 3 between 1:30 and 5:30. That’s a fairly large window of time, but I assume I’d get more information the next day.

Lowe’s texted me on Jan. 3 at 7:14 a.m. telling me that my order was “out for delivery.” That’s a hopeful sign, but given that I need to communicate with the guard desk at our complex so the truck can enter, it wasn’t really enough information. Fortunately, there was a helpful link in the text. Or so I thought.

Clicking that link took me to a generic web page for a Lowe’s that was not the one from which I ordered my grill. And it had no information about my delivery.

There was, however, a chat icon on the page, which I made the mistake of clicking.

The chatbot responder, which identified itself as “MyLo,” seemed as if it would be helpful. But it routed me to a series of choices that never resulted in an actual answer. I gave it my email, then my order number, and all it told me was that my order had “shipped.”

Asking any additional questions simply sent me back to the beginning.

Lowe’s, Like Comcast, Must Fix Its Customer Service

Once Lowe’s had my email and order number but could not tell me anything about my delivery, it was very clear the system was broken.

Tracking my order via its website also simply told me that it was “shipped,” until about 11:15 a.m. when that method showed me that my grill was on a truck and set for a 1:30-5:30 p.m. delivery.

That’s an improvement, but the overall experience was full of broken processes. No company should send you a link that takes you nowhere, and chats should visibly and easily offer the option to speak to a real person.

But Lowe’s, like Comcast, has little competition on many items it sells. In this case Home Depot (HD) – Get Free Report offered the same grill; so did Amazon (AMZN) – Get Free Report, but the online giant did not offer free assembly (which Lowe’s did, while Home Depot didn’t but had a lower item price).

As a customer, I had very little choice and Lowe’s knows that — just as it knows that its chatbot and overall customer service are frustrating at best.

The company, like Comcast, appears to have decided not to invest in delivering good customer service. It may say otherwise, but using AI chatbots that don’t work and making it hard for customers to reach actual customer-service staff is a choice Lowe’s has made. It needs to fix this.

Watch live: White House press briefing

January 3, 2023 Published by

Just In | The Hill

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will hold a briefing with reporters Monday.

The White House is starting 2023 aiming for the kind of bipartisan support that brought about the passage of last year’s CHIPS Act to boost U.S. production of microchips.

Later this week, Biden is slated to appear with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) at an event highlighting the recently announced replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge between Covington, Ky., and Cincinnati. The work will receive $1 billion in funding from 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law.

However, Biden is facing a likely adversarial relationship with the new GOP-led House.

Congressional Republicans’ stated plans include investigating actions by the president’s son Hunter Biden and impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Watch the live video above.

News, Joe Biden Read More

Over one-third of military health care beneficiaries have limited access to psychiatrists: study

January 3, 2023 Published by Gianna Melillo

Just In | The Hill

Story at a glance

Researchers analyzed psychiatrist shortages in communities with beneficiaries of the U.S. military health care system, TRICARE.

The military personnel and dependents who faced shortages from 2016 to 2020 tended to live in economically disadvantaged or rural communities.

Those living in low-income communities with higher income inequality were most likely to live in provider shortage areas.

Thirty-five percent of TRICARE beneficiaries lived in areas with shortages of both military and civilian psychiatrists between 2016 and 2020, new study results show, while six percent of all beneficiaries had no psychiatrists available within a 30 minute drive from their community.

TRICARE, the U.S. military’s health care system, offers coverage to active military personnel, retirees and their dependents. Many active duty service members and their families use military treatment facilities (MTFs) for medical care, though less than 500 of these provide psychiatric care. Others choose to rely on civilian medical services, authors wrote.

Previous research has shown military service members and their families have greater mental health care needs than civilians, and can face unique barriers when it comes to seeking care, including deployments and frequent relocations, researchers explained.

Although the suicide rate among active duty service members declined more than 15 percent from 2020 to 2021, veteran suicide rates continue to increase at a greater rate than the general U.S. population.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

Researchers analyzed over 39,000 zip code communities between 2016 and 2020 to better understand the availability of military and civilian psychiatrists within a 30-minute drive of beneficiaries.

Data showed beneficiaries living in low-income communities with high income inequality were most likely to experience a provider shortage, along with those living in rural communities.

Compared with urban communities, rural areas were more than 6 times as likely to have a shortage of both military and civilian psychiatrists. These areas were more than five times as likely to have no psychiatrist within a 30 minute drive compared with urban communities.

Findings underscore the need for targeted strategies in these areas, as residents cannot rely on civilian psychiatrists to meet their needs, authors wrote.

Psychiatrist shortage areas were based on the Health Resources and Services Administration definition, where the population-to-psychiatrist ratio was greater than 20,000 to 1.

The majority of shortage areas were located in the South, Midwest, and interior West regions of the United States. Just 13 percent of the TRICARE beneficiary population lived in a region with an adequate number of military and civilian psychiatrists.

Alaska and Hawaii were the states most likely to have no psychiatrists within a 30 minute drive of beneficiaries’ communities.

Data also showed communities with a higher presence of retirees had greater risks of experiencing psychiatrist shortages, or no access at all.

Although the access gap identified for military retirees may be partially filled by services from the Veterans Association (VA), researchers note “only 60 [percent] of veterans are eligible for VA health care under the current policy and only 50 [percent] of eligible veterans use VA health benefits.”

“As the military health system considers realignment of its psychiatric capacity, it would be important to develop targeted strategies for shortage areas, since it cannot rely on civilian mental health care professionals to care for the military population in many communities,” they concluded.

Mental Health, Changing America, Well-Being Read More

LeBron James: From Akron to NBA superstardom

January 3, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

LeBron James was born on Dec. 30, 1984. He is the son of Gloria James, who had him when she was just 16 years old and raised him in a single-parent household. James played high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, graduating in 2003. He decided to skip college and put his name into the 2003 NBA Draft. James was drafted number one overall by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As of 2022, James made it to the finals five total times with the Cavaliers and won one title in two separate stints with the team. He also won two titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Off the court, LeBron James is a businessman. He invested in Blaze Pizza when it was a small operation. He also started the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, in 2018, to give underprivileged kids in his hometown a chance at a good education for free.

James has starred in multiple movies, including “Space Jam 2: A New Legacy,” “More than a Game,” and “Trainwreck.”

McConnell breaks Senate record for longest-serving leader

January 3, 2023 Published by Marianne LeVine

Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories

Mitch McConnell officially broke the record for longest-serving Senate leader on Tuesday.

In his floor remarks to open the new Congress, McConnell paid tribute to the last Senate leader to hold the record: Democratic Sen. Mike Mansfield of Montana, who served as Majority Leader for 16 years.

“This scholarly Montanan was not an exciting idealist who transformed our national discourse, nor a policy entrepreneur who brought to the leader’s role his own sweeping wish list of federal programs,” McConnell said. “Mansfield made a huge impact through a different road: by viewing the role of leader as serving others.”

McConnell’s standing as the longest serving Senate party leader stood in stark contrast to the situation of GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, who on the same day failed to attain the necessary votes to become speaker on a first House ballot. McConnell, meanwhile, achieved his record after beating back his first leadership challenge in November. Ten senators instead voted for Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), following a disappointing midterm performance for the GOP.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a close McConnell adviser, said Tuesday he’s not “surprised at all” about McConnell breaking Mansfield’s record.

“If you’ve read [McConnell’s] book, ‘The Long Game,’ this is something he’s wanted to do his whole life,” Cornyn said.

McConnell also commemorated other Senate leaders, including former Senate Republican Leader Henry Cabot Lodge, former Senate Democratic Leader Robert Byrd and former Senate Democratic Leader Lyndon B. Johnson. Mansfield succeeded Johnson as Senate leader.

McConnell said under Mansfield’s management of the Senate, “proceedings became more orderly and less theatrical.” And he highlighted Mansfield’s interest in Asia, describing him as a “trusted foreign policy hand.”

“Mansfield was a canny strategist who knew how to rally his conference. He knew when to go to battle, and when to coordinate with his counterpart Everett Dirksen,” McConnell said. “In short, he knew how to work the Senate.”

The 80-year-old McConnell, first elected Senate GOP leader in 2006, was majority leader from 2015 to the beginning of 2021. During that period, McConnell drew Democratic ire for blocking former President Barack Obama’s 2016 Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland from Senate consideration, in addition to Obama’s other judicial nominees. Under former President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans proceeded to confirm three Supreme Court justices, shifting the ideological balance of the court, along with 231 district, circuit court and U.S. Court of International Trade judges.

While McConnell worked closely with the Trump White House on judicial nominees and the 2017 GOP tax cuts, his relationship with the former president soured after the 2020 presidential election. After the Jan. 6 attack, McConnell described Trump as “practically and morally responsible,” but declined to convict him during his second impeachment trial. The Kentucky Republican has since avoided talking about the former president directly.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer congratulated McConnell on breaking the record, during his own floor speech.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us, so I hope we can find some ways to come together and not succumb to gridlock,” Schumer said. “For the good of this chamber and for the good of our country.”

McConnell became the longest serving GOP leader in June 2018, beating out former Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.). He is also the longest serving senator from Kentucky, first elected in 1984.

Josh Brown warns we could break the October lows, but has stocks to buy for second half

January 3, 2023 Published by Sarah Min

US Top News and Analysis

Josh Brown issued a warning for investors on Tuesday, noting that new bear market lows could soon be reached. “You could divide up everyone on Wall Street right now in one of two camps. Do we break the October lows or do we not? I think we break the October lows,” Brown, the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, said Tuesday on CNBC’s ” Halftime Report .” Stocks dropped to their bear market lows in October 2022, with the S & P 500 dipping below the key 3,500 level, as investors weighed the likelihood of further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve to fight persistent inflation. Some better-than-expected corporate reports helped markets rebound to close the month nearly 8% higher. Brown pointed to one view held among even bullish strategists on Wall Street that stocks will sell off in the first half of 2023, before rebounding in the second half of the year. “It’s so much more rational to be in that camp, given all the headwinds, all of the negativity,” Brown added. “And then you have the second half of the year, if you missed out on the bottom or whatever, to do whatever you need to do to catch up.” Still, he said there are buying opportunities in names such as insurance group Chubb , beauty retailer Ulta Beauty and electric utility company NextEra Energy . Not only does property and casualty insurance company Chubb have pricing power in 2023, the stock is also one of just 11 stocks trading in the S & P 500 that are currently within 5% of their all-time highs, according to Brown. “This stock is on the verge of breaking out,” Brown said. The entire property casualty group looks great. I talked to insurance brokers, they tell me what they’re hearing from the carriers. Expect huge increases in 2023 on premiums. And guess what, doesn’t matter what they are, people are going to pay them, because what choice do you have?” Meanwhile, Ulta Beauty is a “raging bull stock” that could continue to reach new highs in 2023 even after outperforming last year, Brown said. Shares of Ulta gained more than 13% in 2022, outpacing the S & P 500’s roughly 19% decline, as investors piled into what is considered a recession resistant business. Lastly, NextEra Energy is a beneficiary of the Inflation Reduction Act that has an “incredible growth engine,” while also offering a 2% dividend yield, according to FactSet. Brown named aerospace and defense as his favorite sector for 2023, saying equities in the sector will serve as an hedge for growing geopolitical risks this year. Other members of the panel named their top picks for this year. Hightower’s Stephanie Link considers General Electric, Broadcom and Starbucks her favorite names for 2023. Virtus Investment Partners’ Joe Terranova named Microsoft, Prologis, Texas Instruments his top buys.

Secure 2.0 changes 3 key rules around required withdrawals from retirement accounts

January 3, 2023 Published by Greg Iacurci

US Top News and Analysis

President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion legislative package on Dec. 29, 2022 that has several updates for retirement savers.

Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images

A new law is changing rules governing how and when certain retirement savers can withdraw money from their nest eggs.

Tax-advantaged accounts earmarked for people’s golden years — like individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans — carry required minimum distribution rules.

RMDs force people to pull money from such accounts after a certain age, aiming to raise income-tax revenue and prevent savers from using their accounts as tax shelters. Failing to do so carries tax penalties.

President Biden signed a $1.7 trillion legislative package on Thursday with a slew of measures affecting retirement savers, dubbed Secure 2.0. The provisions include updates to RMD rules: raising the RMD age, reducing tax penalties and eliminating required distributions from Roth 401(k) plans.

Here’s what you need to know about the changes.

1. Raising the RMD age to 73 (and eventually 75)

Currently, savers have to start taking RMDs at age 72. The withdrawal amount is based on a calculation dictated by factors like account value and longevity.

The new law raises the RMD starting age in two tranches: to 73, starting in 2023, and to 75, starting in 2033.

In other words, individuals who turn 73 this year must take their first distribution no later than April 1, 2024. The distribution for subsequent years would need to be made by Dec. 31 of that year.

Note that people who delay their first withdrawal until early 2024 would need to take two distributions next year — one for 2023 and one for 2024.

VIDEO2:1402:14

Retirement plan changes in the omnibus spending bill

The Exchange

Delaying the RMD starting age “overwhelmingly” benefits the wealthy, said Jeffrey Levine, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant based in St. Louis. Such savers are disproportionately the ones who can afford not to tap their retirement accounts to fund their lifestyles.

Yet deferring the RMD age can benefit many savers from a financial-planning perspective, too.

For example, it may help temporarily reduce premiums for Medicare Part B and D, Levine said. Medicare premiums are tied to income, and distributions from pre-tax retirement accounts raise a taxpayer’s income; delaying that bump to annual income can therefore keep premiums lower for longer.

2. Eliminating RMDs from a Roth 401(k)

Starting in 2024, investors in employer retirement plans likes Roth 401(k) accounts will no longer have to take RMDs.

This change aligns Roth 401(k) with Roth IRAs, which don’t require distributions during one’s lifetime.

That discrepancy was a big reason for Roth 401(k) owners to roll money out of their workplace retirement plan to a Roth IRA — thereby avoiding RMDs and allowing retirement funds to continue growing tax-free.

However, there are other considerations relative to keeping your money in a 401(k) or rolling it over. For example, investment options, fees and service level may be better in one versus the other, Levine said, depending on the quality of your workplace retirement plan.

And there may be more Roth assets in workplace plans going forward due to another change allowing employers to pay a matching contribution to a Roth versus pre-tax account.

3. Reducing RMD tax penalties

Withdrawal rules can be complicated — and making a mistake can be expensive.

The IRS assesses a tax penalty on account owners who fail to withdraw the full amount of their RMD or who don’t take a distribution by the annual deadline.

The new law reduces the tax penalty to 25% — from 50% — on the RMD amount that wasn’t withdrawn. If a taxpayer corrects their mistake in a timely fashion, the penalty falls further, to 10%.

The IRS can waive penalties if savers can demonstrate the shortfall was “due to reasonable error and that reasonable steps are being taken” to remedy it, according to the agency.

While many people miss their required withdrawals each year, this particular rule change may not have a large impact since the IRS often waives penalties in such situations, Levine said. However, it could prove especially useful if the IRS were to crack down, he added.

To qualify for relief, taxpayers must file Form 5329 and attach a letter of explanation.

LA police launch homicide probe after homeless man found dead inside burning RV

January 3, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

The Los Angeles Police Department launched a homicide investigation Tuesday after a homeless man was found dead inside a burning RV near Exposition Park overnight.

The RV fire was first reported around 11:30 p.m. Monday in the 1100 block of Browning Boulevard, near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.

Police and Los Angeles city firefighters responded, and once flames engulfing the RV were knocked down, a 65-year-old man was found dead inside.

The victim, who was reportedly homeless and living out of the RV, has yet to be publicly named by the coroner’s office pending notification of his family.

NYC SEES SERIES OF UNRELATED SLASHINGS IN 3-HOUR SPAN IN WAKE OF NEW YEAR’S MACHETE ATTACK ON COPS

A witness told police a man approached the RV and threw an unknown object inside shortly before it became engulfed, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli.

IDAHO MURDER SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER SPOTTED FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ARREST

The suspect was spotted fleeing on foot and remains at large, police said.

The witness said the suspect also might have been in an earlier altercation with the victim.

According to FOX 11, the suspect might have been arrested as a result of that altercation but was later released before the alleged murder, though LAPD would not confirm investigators know who the suspect is.

Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to federal fraud charges in New York

January 3, 2023 Published by Rohan Goswami, MacKenzie Sigalos

US Top News and Analysis

In this article

BNB.CM=BTC.CM=

Former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried (C) arrives to enter a plea before US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in the Manhattan federal court, New York, January 3, 2023.

Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images

Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty in New York federal court Tuesday to eight charges related to the collapse of his former crypto exchange FTX and hedge fund Alameda Research.

The onetime crypto billionaire was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud, individual charges of securities fraud and wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to avoid campaign finance regulations.

Bankman-Fried arrived outside the courthouse in a black SUV and was swarmed with cameras from the moment his car arrived. The scrum grew so thick that Bankman-Fried’s mother was unable to exit the vehicle, falling onto the wet pavement as cameras scrambled to catch a glimpse of her son.

Bankman-Fried was hauled by security through the throng and into the courthouse in a matter of moments, with photographers scrambling to get out of the way.

Earlier in the day, attorneys for Bankman-Fried filed a motion to seal the names of two individuals who had guaranteed Bankman-Fried’s good behavior with a bond. They claimed that the visibility of the case and the defendant had already posed a risk to Bankman-Fried’s parents, and that the guarantors should not be subject to the same scrutiny. Judge Lewis Kaplan approved the motion in court.

Bankman-Fried returned to the U.S. from the Bahamas on Dec. 21, and the next day was released on a $250 million recognizance bond, secured by his family home in California.

Federal prosecutors also announced the launch of a new task force to recover victim assets as part of an ongoing investigation into Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX.

“The Southern District of New York is working around the clock to respond to the implosion of FTX,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDNY had argued that Bankman-Fried used $8 billion worth of customer assets for extravagant real estate purchases and vanity projects, including stadium naming rights and millions in political donations.

Federal prosecutors built the indictment against Bankman-Fried with unusual speed, packaging together the criminal charges against the 30-year-old in a matter of weeks. The federal charges came alongside complaints from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

They were assisted by two of Bankman-Fried’s closest allies, Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of his hedge fund Alameda Research, and Gary Wang, who co-founded FTX with Bankman-Fried.

Ellison, 28, and Wang, 29, pleaded guilty on Dec. 21. Their plea deals with prosecutors came after rampant speculation that Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s onetime romantic partner, was cooperating with federal probes.

Another former FTX executive, Ryan Salame, apparently first alerted regulators to alleged wrongdoing inside FTX. Salame, a former co-CEO at FTX, flagged “possible mishandling of clients’ assets” to Bahamian regulators two days before the crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy protection, according to a filing from the Securities Commission of the Bahamas.

Bankman-Fried was accused by federal law enforcement and financial regulators of perpetrating what the SEC called one of the largest and most “brazen” frauds in recent memory. His stunning fall was precipitated by reporting that raised questions on the nature of his hedge fund’s balance sheet.

In the weeks since FTX’s Nov. 11 Delaware bankruptcy filing, the extent of corporate malfeasance has been exposed. Replacement CEO John J. Ray said there was a “complete failure of corporate control.“

Bankman-Fried was indicted in New York federal court on Dec. 9, and was arrested by Bahamas law enforcement at the request of U.S. prosecutors on Dec. 12. Following his indictment, Bankman-Fried’s legal team in the Bahamas flip-flopped on whether or not their client would consent to extradition.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried arrives in court

VIDEO3:0703:07

Sam Bankman-Fried arrives for court appearance

Power Lunch

‘Great platform to run on’: DeSantis, with eye toward 2024, launches second term

January 3, 2023 Published by Matt Dixon and Gary Fineout

Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — After four years of building a national profile and cementing his place as the favorite governor for conservatives across the country, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday formally kicked off his second term in office as he looks to his political future.

DeSantis gave his inaugural address in front of the Florida historic Capitol building in downtown Tallahassee, but the event came with much grander trappings than traditional inaugural events — including DeSantis’ first one four years ago. Thousands of people filled the standing-room-only space, which had increased security and huge sets of bleachers that aren’t normally featured at such events.

The 44-year-old DeSantis focused much of his attention on national — not state — issues, and used a Bible he borrowed from Glenn Beck, a nationally-syndicated conservative radio host, for his swearing in.

It was, in a word, presidential.

The undeniable backdrop of DeSantis’ second term is his likely 2024 presidential bid, a move that would put him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump, who declared his candidacy in mid-November after Republicans, including his endorsed candidates, underperformed in the midterms. Trump’s endorsement catapulted DeSantis to victory in 2018, but the relationship between the two has soured as the likelihood of a White House-focused collision inches closer to reality.

Much of DeSantis’ 16-minute speech Tuesday focused on juxtaposing Florida during his first term with other states and the federal government. He did not mention President Joe Biden by name, but devoted much of his time criticizing the current president’s policies, including immigration, pandemic restrictions and inflation — themes not often found in state-level inauguration addresses.

“Florida’s success has been made more difficult by the floundering federal establishment in Washington, D.C.,” DeSantis said. “The federal government has gone on an inflationary spending binge that has left our nation weaker and our citizens poorer. It has enacted pandemic restrictions and mandates — based more on ideology and politics than on sound science — and this has eroded freedom and stunted commerce.”

DeSantis did not provide any details on his top priorities for his second term, and he didn’t mention gun rights or increased abortion restrictions, even though he has expressed interest in pushing ahead with legislation in both areas that could bolster a presidential bid.

“If he runs, he’ll be a great alternative, but I’m not going to prejudge whether he’s running or not,” said Jeb Bush, the only former Florida governor to attend the inauguration, and whose 2016 presidential campaign was ended by Trump. “He’s got a proven record as the governor of the greatest state.”

“That’s a great platform to run on,” he added.

For most of 2022, DeSantis was often ahead in early 2024 Republican presidential primary polls or running neck-and-neck with Trump. DeSantis has brushed off questions about whether he plans to run for president, but many Republicans are clamoring for his candidacy, especially those who have grown weary of the constant drama and legal fights surrounding Trump, or those who never supported him from the beginning.

DeSantis’ first term in office was defined, in part, by an evolving governing style. His first two years were marked by policies that earned him cautious bipartisan support and mid-60 percent approval ratings. Over the past few years, however, he has focused on issues that excite his right-wing base such as fighting against Covid-19 mandates or “woke” lessons in K-12 and higher education. Taking on those issues built his reputation nationally and turned him into one of the Democrat’s biggest political boogeymen.

His remarks Tuesday offered little doubt that his second term will be defined by a continued focus on culture war battles as he builds his national resume ahead of announcing a likely presidential bid, with many expecting him to declare sometime in spring.

“We reject this woke ideology. We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy. We will not allow reality, facts, and truth to become optional,” DeSantis said, tapping into the sort of partisan rhetoric that has become his calling card. “We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.”

DeSantis enters his second term with a huge political mandate. He won his reelection bid by a historic 19 points over Democrat Charlie Crist, in the process helping carry the GOP to huge wins up and down the midterm ballot win. It gives DeSantis significant momentum heading into the 2023 Florida legislative session, which functionally begins this month and is expected to set the stage for his presidential announcement.

“The governor’s overwhelming victory on election night combined with his national profile makes him the most powerful elected official in Florida’s history,” said Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist and co-chair for DeSantis’ inaugural committee. “With that much political capital, he is clearly in the driver’s seat to shape policy in Florida during his second term.”

Democrats have decried DeSantis’ rise because it has been fueled in large part by what they see as policies aimed at harming marginalized communities, and a focus and rewiring long-held norms, specifically the state’s education system. DeSantis, for instance, has championed civics training courses that some teachers have criticized as overly conservative-leaning and lacking opposing viewpoints.

“I listened to his speech, and I think we can expect more of the same with greater intensity,” said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa). “He put out a lot of dog-whistle stuff today. They will just continue to call anyone they don’t like. We heard more about parental rights, which will just be more attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.”

“He did not address any state-specific issues,” she added. “This was aimed at primary voters and donors.”