ron-desantis

Disney Sues Ron DeSantis

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The battle between Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and entertainment behemoth Disney is one of the stranger political stories of the year. DeSantis, a vocal anti-LGBTQ advocate, has taken offense in recent months to the perceived “liberal indoctrination” of children at the hands of Disney. This is a common right-wing talking point that claims Disney is “grooming” children by being accepting of LGBTQ individuals.

DeSantis first took aim at Disney by creating a governor-appointed board that would control the specially exempt land Disney’s Florida theme park sits on. Disney responded by nullifying that board’s power in an 11th-hour agreement with the outgoing board. DeSantis responded by introducing legislation that would stymie Disney, while also making comments he might build a prison next door. Well, now Disney is hitting back once again

Disney Sues DeSantis On First Amendment Grounds

Disney’s latest move is to straight-up sue DeSantis in federal court. In a filing to the District Court of the Northern District of Florida, Disney is suing the governor for a “targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech.” Furthermore, Disney claims that they have been “forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment.” Disney’s suit also stated that it was suing because it had the resources to. “a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the State comes after them for expressing their own views. In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind.”

So what does this all mean? In short, Disney is suing DeSantis over the First Amendment. The claim is that Disney is allowed to say what they want without fear of retribution from the government. That’s because “the government can’t punish me for criticizing the government” is literally the First Amendment. Since DeSantis is actively targeting Disney for its views, he is violating the First Amendment. The move is not great for DeSantis, who at one time looked like a 2024 Presidential frontrunner. But now he’s watching his hypothetical polling numbers crater while being labeled as the guy fighting Disney. DeSantis, who is currently in Japan, is yet to respond to the lawsuit.

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Donald Trump Considering “Tiny D” As New Name For Ron DeSantis

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Donald Trump is reportedly workshopping several more nicknames for his upcoming primary opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. For now, the former President has been using the name, “Ron DeSanctimonious,” to attack his 2024 rival. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Trump has a list of frontrunners for a new nickname that includes “Tiny D,” “Ron Dishonest,” and “Ron DeEstablishment.”

It’s not the first time reports have surfaced about Trump working on a new nickname for DeSantis. Earlier this year, Trump replied to similar stories in a post on his site, Truth Social. “All of the Fake News is reporting that I spend large amounts of my time coming up with a good ‘nickname’ for Ron DeSanctimonious, who is obviously going to give the presidential ‘thing’ a shot. They are all 100% wrong, I don’t even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!” Trump wrote.

Donald Trump In 2018

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 09: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) presides over a meeting about immigration with Republican and Democrat members of Congress in the Cabinet Room at the White House January 9, 2018 in Washington, DC. In addition to seeking bipartisan solutions to immigration reform, Trump advocated for the reintroduction of earmarks as a way to break the legislative stalemate in Congress. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump has previously taken credit for DeSantis becoming Governor of Florida, a role that launched him into the national spotlight for 2024. Appearing on The Hugh Hewitt Show, last month, Trump remarked: “He was dead, he was leaving the race. He came over and he begged me, begged me, for an endorsement. He was getting ready to drop out. There were tears coming down from his eyes. He said: ‘If you endorse me, I’ll win.’ So I end up doing it, and he wins.”

The RealClearPolitics average of polls on the predicted GOP candidates currently places Trump at 45 percent while DeSantis remains significantly lower at 29 percent. Other candidates for the Republican primary include Nikki Haley, and likely Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, and Tim Scott, although they’ve yet to confirm. Pence is currently listed at 7 percent and Haley sits even lower at 5 percent.

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Questlove Fights Back Against ‘Black Erasure’ In Florida’s New African American Studies Guidelines

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questlove
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By now, you’ve probably seen a post on social media featuring a list of names of prominent Black authors, poets, and culture critics like Amiri Baraka, bell hooks, and Ta-Nehisi Coates with their names crossed out. (If you haven’t, I suggest you meet some Black people or at least start associating with people who care about Black people. You might not think we’re all that important, but in this country, we’ve been the canaries in the coal mine for 200 years.)

This list denotes recent changes being threatened by the Florida College Board to optional AP African American Studies classes as part of a wider effort in that state to suppress historical works or studies that paint the US in anything less than a flattering light when it comes to the government’s treatment of Black folks. You know, like how there were forcible, undisclosed medical studies performed on Black men at Tuskeegee, or how prominent Black towns were burned to the ground.

On Thursday, Questlove, whose directorial debut Summer Of Soul was one of those works that unearthed a vital piece of Black History, the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, after footage was shelved for over 40 years, called out the “Black erasure” that the changes represent on Instagram, warning followers that this changes could become widespread should Florida governor Ron DeSantis run for President. DeSantis has been described as a “sanitized” version of Donald Trump, but in actuality, he might be worse.

“For all of you kind folk who praised @SummerOfSoulMovie this is the exact kind of erasure that makes black erasure so easy to do,” Quest wrote. “It starts slow and benign….and before you know it—-it spreads and spreads & we ignore or hope it will fall on someone else’s hand to come with a solution. Then it’s too late. This is why local elections are important. This is why you can’t sleep for even a micro minute until the job is done.”

“If this is what is happening in Florida….what will happen when he runs for president?” he wondered. “Don’t wanna start the morning fear mongering but these are different times we living in. You can’t sleep for a second.”

You can see Questlove’s full post below.

Ben Crump to Announce Lawsuit Against FL Gov. Ron DeSantis Over AP African American Studies Course

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Ben Crump to Announce Lawsuit Against FL Gov. Ron DeSantis Over AP African American Studies Course

Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump will sue Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his ruling over the Advanced Placement African American Studies pilot program.

Crump will be flanked by leaders like the American Federation of Teachers and politicians to announce a lawsuit.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is standing firm in his decision, stating the course is a piece of a political agenda and as representatives of the state, they “want education, not indoctrination.”

According to NBC Miami, Gov. DeSantis sites the college course violates the Stop WOKE Act, which he signed last year. It forbids education that characterizes people as privileged or underprivileged depending on their race. At least some authors cited in the course believe that contemporary American society supports white supremacy while repressing racial minorities, homosexual people, and women.

“This course on Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda,” said DeSantis.

The African American Studies course is being tested by the College Board at 60 high schools across the country following a decade of development. Once it has begun to roll out, neither a state nor a school would be obligated to offer it.

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