U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost pulled no punches in criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for hiring private companies to distribute migrant relocation flyers at an Orlando-area church that serves immigrants. Titled “Welcome to my bright horizon,” the brochures promised immigrants of…
Florida bill would allow parents to sue for wrongful death in cases of abortion
A Florida bill that would allow parents to file wrongful death lawsuits in cases involving fetuses is little more than an effort to punish abortion providers, according to some of the state’s leading abortion-rights advocates. House Bill 651 would create…
Governors of 15 states opt out of summer food program for children
Governors of 15 U.S. states are putting politics ahead of the needs of hungry children by opting out of a new federal food assistance program that launches this year, critics say. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the remaining…
Three educators push back against Florida law targeting trans and nonbinary teachers
Three educators have filed suit against Florida over a 2023 law permitting the decertification and termination of nonbinary and transgender teachers who use preferred pronouns and titles in the performance of their jobs. The Southern Poverty Law Center and its…
Florida’s Latino community prefers Biden over DeSantis but Trump over Biden
Most Hispanics in Florida would vote for Joe Biden over Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 election but would switch to Donald Trump if he ends up as the Republican presidential candidate, according to a new survey by Unidos US….
Supreme Court declines to reinstate Florida ban on drag shows
“Pro-family” groups that hoped the U.S. Supreme Court would defend a Florida law banning drag shows were disappointed by a decision announced a week before Thanksgiving that leaves the law unenforceable while a legal battle continues over its constitutionality. The…
First Fresh Expressions United Methodist gathering won’t go to Florida
The first national gathering of Fresh Expressions United Methodist has moved its site from Florida to North Carolina after potential attendees raised concerns they would not feel safe in the “anti-woke” atmosphere of the Sunshine State. Michael Beck, director Fresh…
Evangelical leaders condemn DeSantis for politicizing state executions
The presidential aspirations of Gov. Ron DeSantis have exacerbated the challenges facing Florida’s Death Row inmates and the activists trying to help them, said one of the state’s leading opponents of capital punishment. “Florida is a very dark place for…
Oklahoma joins Florida in allowing PragerU content in public schools
Oklahoma’s controversial new state superintendent of public education has launched a statewide partnership with a private faith-based video-education firm criticized for dealing loosely with history while advancing conservative talking points. “I am thrilled to announce this partnership with PragerU,” said…
14 dangerous words
Never underestimate the power of words or a string of words. A news story about the Florida Board of Education — not a local school board but the state board — adopting new standards for teaching American history for children…
I was thirsty and you made me work in the heat without water
This morning, I took my dogs for a walk because it was the coolest time of the day when their paws wouldn’t be scorched on pavement in our multiple days of temperatures that feel like it’s 100+ degrees. Living in…
To the mother who complained about Amanda Gorman’s poem
Dear Concerned Mother, You were astute to signal the potential problems the published poem, “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, might cause for your own two children and other elementary school readers at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami…