Outrage Grows after ‘Chilling Call for Genocide’ by Florida Republican

THE GUARDIAN: Calls to censure Michelle Salzman, who said, ‘All of them’ when Democrat asked: ‘How many [dead Palestinians] will be enough?’

Michelle Salzman, a Florida state representative, in Tallahassee last year. Photograph: Phelan M Ebenhack/AP
Outrage continues to grow over a public comment made by a Florida state Republican lawmaker calling for all Palestinians to die.

The remarks came during a debate in the state legislature about calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, many of whom are children. The assault came after Hamas fighters attacked Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage.

In the speech in support of the ceasefire resolution, the Democratic Florida state representative Angie Nixon said: “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?”

“All of them,” Michelle Salzman called in reply. » | Erum Salam | Friday, November 10, 2023

The Observer View on Ron DeSantis, Shakespeare and Sex: ‘Man, Proud Man… Most Ignorant of What He’s Most Assur’d’

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: Application of the Florida governor’s ‘don’t say gay’ law has led to the banning of plays such as Romeo and Juliet in some schools

You imagine that Shakespeare might have had some fun with Ronald Dion DeSantis. The Florida governor is attempting to win the Republican nomination for the US presidency by first stoking nasty and divisive “culture wars”. His campaign would no doubt have been fertile ground for a writer who delighted in dramatising the self-destructive fallout of “vaulting ambition” and in ruthlessly exposing the “smile and smile and be a villain” strategies of grinning populists.

The latest application of the governor’s homophobic 2022 “Parental Rights in Education Act” – widely known as the “don’t say gay” law because it prohibits discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms – has led some Florida school boards to remove Shakespeare plays from the curriculum and the library, in order to avoid anything “racy or sexual”. Romeo and Juliet has been deemed beyond the pale in this regard (and don’t get the governor and his book-banning minions started on the non-binary shenanigans in Twelfth Night and As You Like It). Floridian students will therefore no longer be free to spend enlightening afternoons pondering the textual notes to Mercutio’s various pieces of amorous advice to his pal, Romeo: “If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking and you beat love down”; or, that favourite of school students down the ages: “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark. /Now will he sit under a medlar tree,/ And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit/ as maids call medlars when they laugh alone./ Romeo that she were, O, that she were/ An open-arse, or thou a popp’rin pear.” » | Observer editorial | Sunday, August 13, 2023

A Ticket Sold in Florida Has Won the $1.58 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot

CNN: One ticket sold in Florida has won Tuesday night’s estimated $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot – expected to be the largest in the lottery’s history – according to the lottery’s website. The winning numbers were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33 with a gold Mega Ball of 14.

The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida, according to the state’s lottery.

A $1.58 billion jackpot – if the prize is confirmed at that level – would exceed the Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018, the lottery said. (+ video explainer) » | Jamiel Lynch, CNN | Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Related article here.

The Lincoln Project: VP Harris’ Speech on Revisionist History in Florida (FL)

Jul 22, 2023 | “Our history as a nation is borne out of tragedy and triumph. That’s who we are. Part of that is what gives us our grit: knowing from where we came, knowing the struggles we have come through & being stronger in our dedication to saying no more & not again.” - VP Kamala Harris

Florida Suffers Consequences of DeSantis Political Games with Public Health

Jul 7, 2023 | Alex Wagner shares exclusive NBC News reporting on the resignation of two key Florida state health officials who have yet to be replaced as the state is facing the first instances of native malaria transmission in decades and DeSantis has installed a scientifically dubious state surgeon general in a bid to curry favor with the anti-vaccine radicals he hopes will support him over Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

Donald Trump Set to Appear in Court in Miami - BBC News

Jun 13, 2023 | Donald Trump is due to surrender to authorities in Miami to face charges that he mishandled classified documents. The first former president ever to face federal charges, he is accused of 37 criminal counts of unauthorised possession of classified material, obstruction of justice and making false statements to law enforcement. Mr Trump's court appearance is his second in less than three months.

Inside Miami’s Deadly Plastic Surgery Industry | Fault Lines Documentary

Jun 7, 2023 | In this episode of Fault Lines, we look into Florida’s cosmetic surgery industry, which has made national headlines for its high incidence of patient death and disfigurement, especially with regard to the extremely popular Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgeries.

The Florida Board of Medicine has spent years trying to place guardrails on the industry, particularly with regard to BBL surgeries, but our investigation reveals a pattern of surgeons engaging in unsafe practices and lobbying lawmakers to allow them to continue doing so.

Producer: Nicolas Pollock
Correspondent: Natasha Del Toro
Director of Photography: Jeremy Raff
Editor: Warwick Meade
Executive Producer: Laila Al-Arian
Fact Checker: Abdulai Bah
Sound Mixer: Linus Bergman
Production Manager: Anabelle Rojas
Archivist: Shelley Simpson
Legal: Mike Abed, Eithar Abu Taha
Special Thanks: Diarmuid Jeffreys, Rafi Mustafa

Is Florida a Preview of America's Dystopian Future? | DW News

Jun 7, 2023 | Florida's Governor, who's in the running for the Republican presidential nomination, has repeatedly t

Yes, We’re in an L.G.B.T.Q. State of Emergency: This year there is a pall over Pride. »

Ron DeSantis’ Pastor Says Gay People Should Be “Put to Death”

LGBTQNATION: The pastor tweeted in support of Uganda's new "Kill the Gays" law.

Tom Ascol | Photo: YouTube screenshot
The pastor who delivered the invocation at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R) second inauguration has said that gay people should be put to death.

Tom Ascol — senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida — made his comment on Twitter while criticizing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). On Monday, Cruz issued a tweet criticizing Uganda’s new “Anti-Homosexuality Act,” a law that punishes “aggravated homosexuality” with death.

Cruz’s tweet called the law “horrific & wrong,” adding, “Any law criminalizing homosexuality or imposing the death penalty for ‘aggravated homosexuality’ is grotesque & an abomination. ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse.”

Ascol disagreed, writing on Tuesday, “Tell it to God, Ted.” » | Daniel Villarreal | Friday, June 2, 2023

This "dude" is supposed to be a 'man of the cloth'. But, to put it into disgusting American jargon, he's "kinda" ignorant and "kinda" stupid. He needs to go back to seminary (if he ever attended one) in order to re-learn the theology and lessons of true Christianity.

I've got news for this ignorant, cruel dude. Jesus never spoke of putting anyone to death. On the contrary, Jesus spoke of compassion and mercy, saying:

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. KJV: King James Version, John 8:7

You, Sir, are a disgrace! An embarrassment to the Christian world. – © Mark Alexander

DeSantis Joins 2024 Presidential Race

May 24, 2023 | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has entered the 2024 presidential race. He’s stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test his national appeal as a cultural conservative firebrand and the party’s willingness to move on from former President Donald Trump.

What is there about Americans that so many of them find themselves incapable of embracing moderate politics? – © Mark Alexander

All hat, no cattle’: Ron DeSantis, the ‘anti-woke’ Florida governor running for president: The rightwing culture warrior has been called ‘Trump 2.0’ – but what, if anything, is driving him to attain the highest office in the land? »

LIRE AUSSI :

Ron DeSantis, gouverneur républicain de Floride, annonce sa candidature à l’élection présidentielle américaine de 2024 : Quelques heures avant un échange prévu avec Elon Musk sur Twitter, le gouverneur de Floride a déclaré qu’il se portait candidat au scrutin présidentiel en 2024. »

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Republikaner Ron DeSantis will bei US-Präsidentenwahl antreten: Floridas Gouverneur Ron DeSantis will Präsident von Amerika werden – und gegen Trump antreten. Seine Unterlagen hat er bereits bei der Bundeswahlkommission eingereicht. »

Disney Scraps $867m Florida Plan amid Ron DeSantis Feud – BBC News

May 18, 2023 | The Walt Disney Company has scrapped a plan to invest nearly (£806m) to build a new corporate campus in Florida, it announced. The company made the decision amid an escalating legal battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney and Florida have both sued each other in recent weeks.

Florida: Refugium für Bolsonaro und Trump

Jan 12, 2023 | Den früheren US-Präsidenten Donald Trump und Brasiliens Ex-Staatschef trennt politisch wenig – nun wohnen beide Polit-Rentner auch noch in Florida. Ob Bolsonaro in Florida weilen dürfe oder ausgewiesen werden sollte, wird in den USA gestritten. © AFP

Trump warnt DeSantis vor Kandidatur

Donald Trump am 9. November am Wahltag in Palm Beach | Bild: DPA
GEGEN FLORIDAS GOUVERNEUR
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump warnt Floridas Gouverneur DeSantis davor, für das Präsidentenamt zu kandidieren. Er wisse mehr über den Republikaner als jeder andere – „mit Ausnahme vielleicht seiner Frau“.

Der frühere Präsident Donald Trump hat Floridas Gouverneur Ron DeSantis mit unangenehmen Enthüllungen gedroht, wenn dieser 2024 ins Rennen ums Weiße Haus gehen sollte. Er könne über DeSantis „Dinge erzählen, die nicht besonders schmeichelhaft sind“, sagte Trump am Dienstag Fox News Digital. „Ich weiß mehr über ihn als jeder andere – mit Ausnahme vielleicht seiner Frau.“ » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 9. November 2022

DeSantis Launches New Ad Claiming He Was Anointed by God

Nov 7, 2022 | With just a few days left before the midterm election, Florida governor Ron DeSantis released the cringiest new ad that proclaims that he was anointed by God to "be a protector" of the people. The ad is about as sacrilegious as you can get, but it will certainly move the faux Christians that make up the base of the Republican Party. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins discusses the new ad.

Moral Panic, Culture Wars and Ron DeSantis: Will Florida Stay Red in 2022? | Anywhere But Washington

Oliver Laughland travels to Walt Disney World, Florida, to see how a law restricting the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues is affecting voters in the run-up to the midterm elections.

Republicans extended their majority in the state in 2020, and with far-right Governor Ron DeSantis up for re-election, will his divisive culture wars help him win a second term?

Aerial Footage Shows Destruction and Flooding Caused by Hurricane Ian

Drone footage from Florida, where Hurricane Ian has left a trail of destruction, shows widespread flooding of urban areas. The hurricane, considered one of the most powerful to have hit the US, made landfall on Wednesday and has left more than 2 million people without power. Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration, which makes federal money available to help state, tribal and local recovery efforts.

Florida rescue crews search for residents trapped by floods. DeSantis says ‘we’ve never seen a flood like this.’ Biden declares disaster

Conservative Activist Suggests Putting LGBTQ Youth in Special Education Classes

Aug 22, 2022 An activist with the far right Moms for Liberty group suggested during a recent interview that LGBTQ youth should be placed in "specialized classes" in school, and then suggested that it was like a student with autism or Down's Syndrome. This is how these people view LGBTQ individuals - as if they have something wrong with them, much like homosexuality used to be viewed decades ago. Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

There is little hope for America anymore. The Republicans have seen to that. America is falling into a New Dark Age. And it is all because of far-right, Republican loons. Never mind! At this rate, China will soon overtake America. Then, we in Europe will have another set of problems to deal with. By the way, the woman Farron described in this video sounds like an ignorant fool. – © Mark Alexander

Disney World zwischen Biederkeit und LGBTQ-Party

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Das berühmte Freizeitresort Disney World in Florida ist unter Beschuss der Republikaner geraten, die ihm vorwerfen, zu «woke» zu sein. Der Vergnügungspark ist künstlich, oberflächlich, klischeehaft, aber weder übermässig korrekt noch allzu brüskierend. Höchstens die permanente Fröhlichkeit kann einen deprimieren.

Angestellte des Disney-Konzerns demonstrieren gegen das «Don't say gay»-Gesetz in Florida. | Irfan Khan / Getty
Disney World in Florida hat ein Problem. Der Vergnügungspark bei Orlando, der sein fünfzigjähriges Bestehen feiert, wird von zwei Seiten angegriffen und ist mitten in den amerikanischen Kulturkampf hineingeraten. Seitens der politischen Linken wird behauptet, dass dort, wie auch in den Disney-Filmen, ein nicht mehr zeitgemässes Familien- und Menschenbild transportiert werde.

Kürzlich wagte der Konzern es jedoch, die neuen, konservativen Gesetze in Florida zu kritisieren, die sich gegen Homosexuelle und andere sexuelle Minderheiten richten. Das führte zu einer heftigen Gegenreaktion des republikanischen Gouverneurs Ron DeSantis, der Disney vorwarf, Kinder und Familien mit «woken» Ideen zu infiltrieren. Er drohte, dem riesigen Unterhaltungsparadies die bisherigen Steuerprivilegien zu entziehen.

Disney pflegte das gute alte Amerika

Machen wir also die Probe aufs Exempel. Ist Disney World nun altbacken, hinterwäldlerisch und voller rückständiger Klischees? Oder ist es «woke», übertrieben politisch korrekt, von subversiven Ideen unterwandert, die schon die Kleinen sexualisieren, politisieren und indoktrinieren? » | David Signer, Orlando | Donnerstag, 30. Juni 2022

Amazing Gay Wedding | Villa Vizcaya Museum & Garden Miami, FL | Hernan & William

May 27, 2016 • Same-sex wedding video @ Vizcaya Garden in Miami, FL Dream Light Visuals offers destination wedding photography & wedding videography, We also service all South Florida for Wedding Photography & Videography. For more information contact us at DreamLightVisuals.com Location: Villa Vizcaya | Miami, FL Email: info@dreamlightvisuals.com Tel # : 305.741.3693

Please note that this video, and others like it, are not paid ads. I am placing these videos up here on this website as a courtesy only. – Mark

Florida Pension Fund Sues Elon Musk and Twitter to Stop Buyout

THE GUARDIAN: The class-action lawsuit argues that the deal cannot close before 2025

Florida’s state pension fund invests in Twitter and stands to gain $15m to $20m from the buyout. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
Elon Musk and Twitter were sued on Friday by a Florida pension fund seeking to stop Musk from completing his $44bn takeover of the social media company before 2025.

In a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Delaware chancery court, the Orlando police pension fund said Delaware law forbade a quick merger because Musk had agreements with other big Twitter shareholders, including his financial adviser Morgan Stanley and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, to support the buyout.

The fund said those agreements made Musk, who owns 9.2% of Twitter, the effective “owner” of more than 15% of the company’s shares. It said that required delaying the merger by three years unless two-thirds of shares not “owned” by him granted approval.

Morgan Stanley owns about 8.8% of Twitter shares and Dorsey owns 2.4%.

Musk hopes to complete his $54.20 a share Twitter takeover this year, in one of the world’s largest leveraged buyouts. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Friday, May 6, 2022