Tag Archives: Florida

DeSantis Defends Anti-LGBTQ Ad: “Totally Fair Game”

NBC News reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended a controversial video Wednesday that went after former President Donald Trump over LGBTQ rights and was shared by his campaign. They were his first public comments on the video. “Identifying Donald Trump as really being a pioneer in injecting gender ideology into the mainstream, where he was having men compete against women …

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UK Producers: DeSantis Stole Our Footage For His Ad

Variety reports: After Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign shared a bizarre and wildly homophobic video that includes footage of Cillian Murphy’s character in “Peaky Blinders,” the team behind the British crime drama has denounced the video, adding that the footage of the show was “obtained without permission or official license.” The video, shared by DeSantis’ campaign on Twitter, slams rival 2024 …

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Huckabee On DeSantis Ad: He Needs Course Correction

“It probably wasn’t the best idea for an ad, in part because you win elections when you add people to your voting rolls, you don’t win elections when you keep subtracting them. “But the fact is there are many people in that community who are conservative and vote Republican. You want those voters and just in the same way that …

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Scott Prays Against Hurricanes At Israel’s Western Wall

Via press release from Sen. Rick Scott: Today, I had the great honor to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, government officials and members of the U.S. military to discuss our work together to advance our shared national security and economic interests, and reinforce our commitment to promote and protect America’s valuable relationships with our partners across the Middle East. …

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NBC News: DeSantis Is Most Secretive Florida Governor

NBC News reports: In the four years since DeSantis took office, his administration has routinely stonewalled the release of public records, approved a slew of new legal exceptions aimed at keeping more information out of the public eye, and waged legal battles against open government advocates, the press and other watchdogs. DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer and former U.S. attorney, is …

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Federal Judge Blocks Florida Voter Registration Law

CNN reports: A federal judge on Monday blocked a Florida election law that would have set limits on voter registration in the state. Chief US District Judge for the Northern District of Florida Mark E. Walker said while it’s correct for the state to “seek integrity” in its electoral system, “Florida’s solutions for preserving election integrity are too far removed …

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DeSantis: I Don’t Know What DeSanctimonious Means

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor says he is still flummoxed by a long-standing nickname Donald Trump gave him. During an interview conducted by supporter and surrogate Josh Kimbrell of South Carolina, Ron DeSantis said he still didn’t know what Trump means when he refers to him as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” “I still haven’t figured out what it actually means,” DeSantis said …

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Casey DeSantis To Launch “Mamas For DeSantis” Group

The Des Moines Register reports: Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is hitting the Iowa campaign trail next week on behalf of her husband, presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She’ll launch the “Mamas for DeSantis” grassroots organization alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds July 6 in Johnston. “As the mom and dad of young children, Gov. DeSantis and First Lady …

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Questions Grow Over Miami Mayor’s Exploding Income

The Miami Herald reports: In his first term as mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez increased his personal net worth five-fold as he used his public office to court technology and real estate companies eyeing business opportunities in the Magic City. Financial disclosures filed annually with the city and state show Suarez’s net worth increased from $245,015 to $1,338,551 between mid-2017 …

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First Troops Graduate For DeSantis’s “Private Army”

Jacksonville’s CBS affiliate reports: The first official class of the newly established Florida State Guard graduated from boot camp at Camp Blanding Friday morning. A total of 120 men and women earned their patches and certificate of completion, joining the ranks of the Florida State Guard in the first graduation ceremony. Among them, guardsman and State Representative Tom Fabricio (R-Miami), …

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Mexico Condemns New Florida Anti-Immigrant Law

Reuters reports: Mexico’s government on Saturday slammed a tough new state immigration law in Florida spearheaded by Republican Governor and U.S. presidential contender Ron DeSantis, and the country vowed to help protect undocumented Mexicans in that state. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry in a statement said the provisions could prompt discrimination and racial profiling, and give rise to hostile environments, intimidation and …

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Activists March Tomorrow Against DeSantis’ “Tyranny”

Florida Politics reports: Fort Lauderdale will be the main stage for a multi-city event demonstrating against what advocates are calling “the slate of hate” they see Gov. Ron DeSantis chiefly promoting and importing to legislative bodies across the country. Among the well-known faces expected to be marching into that battleground of the nation’s soul: David Hogg, gun rights activist and …

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Legal As Of Today In Florida: Bathroom Bill, K-8 “Don’t Say Gay,” Refusal Of LGBTQ Patients, Concealed Carry

A recap of what’s legal as of today in DeSantis’s Florida: In public facilities, including prisons and schools, a new requirement will go into place requiring designated bathrooms for men and women, and individuals will be required to utilize facilities based on their gender as assigned at birth. It has no exceptions even for those who have fully transitioned through …

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Miami Herald: DeSantis Keeps Losing LGBTQ Cases

The Miami Herald reports: Multiple federal court decisions have frozen key portions of Ron DeSantis’ campaign against LGBTQ rights in recent weeks, complicating the Florida governor’s efforts to present himself as a conservative champion with a track record of winning cultural battles over LGBTQ causes. In the last week alone, the DeSantis administration faced setbacks in three legal battles over …

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Florida’s Anti-Immigrant Bill Goes Into Effect Tomorrow

The Florida Phoenix reports: Florida’s sweeping anti-immigration bill is set to go into effect this Saturday, and critics of the law warned Wednesday that it will impact far more than the undocumented immigrant population. “Floridians will see higher costs for our groceries due to worker shortages, longer waits at restaurants, struggles to keep employees, less housing options as construction workforces …

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Parkland Security Guard Found Not Guilty Of Neglect

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Former School Resource Officer Scot Peterson, the only person other than the gunman to face charges in the 2018 Parkland massacre when he was accused of failing to rush into the building to confront the mass shooter, has been found not guilty on all charges. After the first not guilty verdict was read, Peterson placed …

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DeSantis Signs GOP Ban On Zoning Referendums

Florida Politics reports: Voters will soon have little say in how the areas around them change through construction large and small, due to legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis just approved. The measure (SB 718), which goes into effect Saturday, prohibits voter referendums or ballot initiatives on land development regulation. That means all decisions over zoning, building approval, annexations and various other …

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Orlando Paper: Stand Up To DeSantis On LGBTQ Rights

From the editorial board of the Orlando Sentinel: Orlando’s first gay nightclub, The Palace Club, opened the same year as the Stonewall riots. When Disney’s Magic Kingdom opened its gates, the City Beautiful took on added allure as a safer — though still not safe — space for non-heterosexual Americans to love and live their lives. It still took decades …

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DeSantis Directed $92 Million In COVID Stimulus Funds To Highway Project That Benefits Top Donor/Developer

The Washington Post reports: The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) steered $92 million last year in leftover federal coronavirus stimulus money to a controversial highway interchange project that directly benefits a top political donor, according to state records. The decision by the Florida Department of Transportation to use money from the 2021 American Rescue Plan for the I-95 …

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DeSantis: I’ll Eliminate The Department Of Education

The Hill reports: Ron DeSantis suggested that he would eliminate a number of government agencies during an interview on Wednesday. “Are you in favor of eliminating any agencies? I know conservatives in the past have talked about closing the Department of Education, would you do that?” Fox News’s Martha MacCallum asked. DeSantis responded with a list of federal departments he …

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