Zorro
Zorro's JournalMuch of Florida under state of emergency as possible tropical storm forms in Gulf of Mexico
Source: AP News
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday for most of the state’s Gulf coast as forecasters say a weather system off the coast of Mexico could soon become a tropical storm and start moving toward the area.
DeSantis’ declaration covers the Gulf coast from the southwestern city of Fort Myers north through Panama City in the Panhandle. Thirty-three of the state’s 67 counties are covered in the declaration.
The National Hurricane Center says there’s a 70% chance the system will become a tropical storm by Monday and a 90% chance overall. Currently, it would be named “Idalia” if no other tropical storm form before it. Forecast models do not show the storm’s center approaching the areas of southwest Florida where deadly Hurricane Ian struck last year.
It not immediately clear if the storm would reach hurricane strength or exactly where it will go. Still, any storm of this nature can cause massive flooding, power outages, coastal storm surge and tornadoes.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/florida-tropical-storm-desantis-emergency-7e94c35ac7c599f7463dcc2c9d40ae3f
For DeSantis and America, myths have consequences
These falsehoods about the past distort the present and serve to undermine national unity and stifle progressive change toward racial equality. History is under attack.Politicians consistently spin history to support ideological agendas. What are often seen as “harmless” exaggerations can unfortunately create a false national “common sense” narrative with devastating consequences. Successful public policies have been sabotaged by these falsifications. It can take decades to overcome misleading historical depictions. Myths have consequences. Examine the following: (1) the distortion of The New Deal and the Great Society and (2) the whitewashing of America’s “Founding Fathers.”
The New Deal and the Great Society:
Republicans for decades have argued against government-run programs designed to achieve full employment and an enhanced “safety net” for all citizens. To achieve this objective, these politicians consistently trash Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” with cherry-picked statistics and misleading analysis.
For example, in arguing against a Democratic proposal for a “Green New Deal,” Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa told his fellow senators that “The New Deal of the 1930s didn’t work. It didn’t get us out of the Depression. The Depression didn’t end until we entered World War II.” He further argued any modern New Deal-type program would only, “like the original … dampen economic growth and will hurt jobs.” According to historian Eric Rauchway, a group of leading historians evaluated Grassley’s statements on the New Deal as “more or less false” and close to “all bunk.” An examination of the business cycles during the FDR administration reveals that “not only did the U.S. economy begin to grow during the New Deal; it grew rapidly.” Economist Christina D. Romer, former chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers, notes that the rates of growth in the American economy during Roosevelts first few years in office were “spectacular, even for an economy pulling out of a severe depression.” The New Deal policies contributed to our recovery by stabilizing the banks and providing public-works jobs which allowed people to buy more goods which increased demand and stimulated production.
To discredit LBJ’s “Great Society,” Ronald Reagan produced effective and entertaining one-line quips that were often false. Reagan, for example, claimed: “Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, and poverty won.” Yet, as historian Joshua Zeitz documents, this statement is untrue and misleading. According to Zeitz, “The national poverty rate declined from 20% to 12% under LBJ’s watch. By contrast, it stood at 13% when Reagan was elected president, and it remained at 13% when he left office.”
These inaccurate myths about the New Deal and the Great Society have consequences in real world politics today. These distortions serve to discredit current public policy proposals, including the Child Tax Credit, which for three years helped to significantly reduce child poverty throughout America. This false history is promoted as “evidence” against an enlarged governmental role in the provision of public goods, such as basic medical care, child care, food and housing.
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2023/08/26/desantis-america-myths-have-consequences-column/
DeSantis reinstates Florida's suspended affordable housing director
His office said Mike DiNapoli never should have been placed on paid leave.Gov. Ron DeSantis reinstated Florida’s affordable housing director on Friday, a month after he was suspended pending the outcome of an inspector general investigation.
Starting Monday, Mike DiNapoli will be back in charge of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing projects across the state each year.
DiNapoli, 54, was DeSantis’ pick to lead the corporation after its previous leader abruptly resigned in January, following the governor’s re-election.
DiNapoli was placed on paid administrative leave on July 21 pending the outcome of an inspector general investigation into allegations that he created a hostile work environment, according to current and former employees. While on leave, he was not allowed to access emails or enter the corporation’s headquarters in downtown Tallahassee.
The status of that investigation is unknown. Neither the corporation nor the governor’s office has confirmed his placement on leave or given any other statement on the subject to the Times/Herald. DeSantis’ office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/08/26/desantis-affordable-housing-director-suspended-dinapoli/
Disney firefighters are distraught by DeSantis' 'disturbing' move to strip them of free park passes
Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district on Wednesday confronted new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis over a decision to eliminate their access to free passes and discounts to the theme park resort, saying it makes park visits unaffordable.
During a monthly board meeting, several current and former district firefighters spoke emotionally about how the free passes to Disney parks were a benefit for them and their families that played a major role in their decision to work for the 56-year-old district, which provides municipal services like mosquito control, drainage, wastewater treatment, planning and firefighting to Disney World.
“The removal of this benefit takes away, for some, their entire reason for working here,” said firefighter Pete Simon.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District earlier this week said that $2.5 million in season passes and discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided the district’s 400 employees amounted to unethical perks that benefited the company, with the district footing the bill. The district on Monday submitted a complaint to a state Inspector General, which investigates fraud, mismanagement, waste and abuse.
https://fortune.com/2023/08/24/disney-firefighters-ron-desantis-free-park-passes-benefits-orlando/
More from the article:
In its place, the district was offering employees more than $1,400 in a wage increase, he said.
The new board really knows how to take care of the people that work for them...
And then there's this:
Disney World’s Reedy Creek firefighters endorse DeSantis despite law to abolish district
https://www.firerescue1.com/politics/articles/disney-worlds-reedy-creek-firefighters-endorse-desantis-despite-law-to-abolish-district-cDZcCt6fPkLwlx0V/
Their hands don't lie: Republican candidates trash the trial by jury
There were two surrenders this week — one by Donald Trump, and one to Donald Trump.
The second, by almost every Republican presidential candidate, was more important, more predictable and far more terrifying.
The signature moment of Wednesday’s debate was the raising of hands to pledge fealty to Trump over the rule of law, and if the ritual has become unsurprising at this point in Trump’s reign over the GOP, this particular manifestation bears noting.
Because the formulation put to the candidates — would you support Trump even if he were convicted by a jury? — was so stark, and the response so appalling. Every candidate on the stage — with the exception of former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson and, depending on how you interpret his hand gestures, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie — effectively declared that a trial by jury is just another American institution that must yield to the demands of Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/25/gop-candidates-trash-jury-trials/
Tucker Pretty Scared 'They're' Gonna De-Plane Trump, Just Like 'They' Did To Prigozhin
All of Putin's oligarchs had a big day yesterday!Some big events happened in Vladimir Putin’s life yesterday. It is being alleged that he may have perhaps in some way caused the private plane of poor old Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to clumsily fall out of the sky, turning the artist formerly known as “Putin’s chef” into “Putin’s flambé.”
Silly Russian pilots! Always flying their airplanes out of windows and making them bonk on the ground!
Anyway, either Putin did a(nother) murder, or this is another demonstration of that state-of-the-art Russian air traffic control and/or airplane construction, or it’s something else.
Meanwhile, back in America, two oligarchs who are still in Putin’s good graces, Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson, took a long bath together and put the whole sordid event on Twitter. It was bath time, and they splished and they splashed, and Trump and Tucker washed each other’s hair with the No More Tears shampoo, and they made devil horns with the shampoo in their hair and took funny pictures.
It was the Republican debate event of the century!
And during that long bath, Tucker looked at Trump and asked, “Don’t they have to kill you now?” Yes, it appears Tucker is scared Joe Biden and the Deep State are going to give a Putin Special to Donald Trump and throw him out a window. Or maybe Joe Biden will do the old “polonium in the wall ketchup” trick to Trump. After all, isn’t Joe Biden the REAL Vladimir Putin, Doer Of Murders?
https://www.wonkette.com/p/tucker-pretty-scared-theyre-gonna
Nikki Haley Is President Of Calling Vivek Ramaswamy A Little Bitch, BUT ONLY THAT
If the GOP was a real political party and not just a bunch of insurrectionists with severe psychosexual issues, she might have a chance at the nomination. But nah.This morning America is abuzz about the winners and losers of the first Republican debate. (Abuzz!) Winners like Donald Trump, who was not there, and Satan, who was, because he lives in each and every Republican candidate’s heart. Losers like Ron DeSantis, and Jesus, because Mike Pence wouldn’t stop chasing him like “GON GIT YEW, LORD!”
Republicans are too much of a deranged fascist personality cult to notice, but there was one candidate on the stage (1) who comported themselves (herself) like a vaguely sane person who could actually compete in a general election. It’s not that Nikki Haley was great or anything, she’s still a monster like the rest of them. For instance when it came time to bash transgender kids, she was right there with ‘em. (Haley has of course taken the lead on that issue.)
When the rest of the candidates discussed abortion — easily Republicans’ most losing-est issue, ever since their unqualified illegitimate partisan hack Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as evidenced by what happens every time Americans vote on it ever since — Haley was the only one who made a vague effort to find some semblance of common ground with the American people, as opposed to simply reminding them that God never did like a whore. It was bullshit, because Americans support abortion rights and that is why Republicans are going to lose on this issue until their party has been ground up like a stump.
But she tried to act as if she has human feelings about the issue.
And then there was Ukraine. It was unique because it was the only issue where a few of the candidates were legitimately good on something, as opposed to it being a contest between “bugfuck vs. slightly less bugfuck.” Two distinct wings still exist in the Republican Party: the one that at least still pays lip service to the truth that Russia is a worldwide menace, NATO is a ride-or-die alliance, and Vladimir Putin’s unilateral war of choice against Ukraine is pure evil; and the other wing, which is unfortunately stuck inside Putin’s butthole and says it’s not coming out because it’s warm.
And it was on Ukraine where Nikki Haley decided to call Vivek Ramaswamy a little bitch and stuff him in a locker and pull his pants down in front of the whole class and make him cry and then make fun of him because boys aren’t supposed to cry. Calling him by his first name, she explained to the disrespectful little child exactly how foreign policy works, you little libertarian tech bro know-nothing, shut your mouth, the former UN ambassador is speaking.
https://www.wonkette.com/p/nikki-haley-is-president-of-calling
Florida schools got hundreds of book complaints -- mostly from 2 people
A year’s worth of records suggest the state’s book banning movement is narrow in scope.The topics came up again and again in hundreds of book complaints received by Florida school districts over the last year.
Indoctrination. Pedophilia. The LGBTQ+ agenda.
Those who submitted the complaints say the books in question can harm children, and they want them removed from school libraries.
But while their movement has grabbed headlines, it may not be widespread. Most of Florida’s 67 school districts didn’t log a single formal complaint about a book. That’s based on a Tampa Bay Times analysis, the most comprehensive review of book complaints across the state.
Of the roughly 1,100 complaints recorded in Florida since July 2022, more than 700 came from two counties — Escambia in the western Panhandle and Clay near Jacksonville. Together the two districts make up less than 3% of the state’s total public school enrollment.
About 600 of the complaints came from two people — a Clay County dad and a Pensacola high school teacher.
The data illustrate how a tiny minority of activists across the state can overwhelm school districts while shaping the national conversation over what books belong on school library shelves.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/08/24/florida-school-book-complaints-library-challenges-ban-department-of-education-bruce-friedman-vicki-baggett-parental-rights-sold-patricia-mccormick/
Republican Presidential Candidates Undergo Mandatory Genital Checks Ahead Of First Debate
MILWAUKEE—Lining up in the hallway dressed in hospital gowns, Republican presidential candidates underwent mandatory genital checks ahead of their first debate Wednesday.
“Please state your name, date of birth, and gender,” said the Republican National Committee’s staff physician, who then put on glasses, snapped on gloves, and began feeling around the exposed groins of all eight candidates and noting any visual discrepancies.
“Ron DeSantis, you’re good to go. Tim Scott, you’re good to go. Nikki Haley, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Per GOP rules, you are not permitted to state your gender as ‘female’ and then enter the debate wearing a pantsuit.”
At press time, Donald Trump, who refused to participate in the debate, argued that as a former president of the United States, his genital inspection should remain classified.
https://www.theonion.com/republican-presidential-candidates-undergo-mandatory-ge-1850664942
Democrats and Republicans deeply divided on extreme weather, Post-UMD poll finds
Partisans remain split on climate change contributing to more weather disasters, and whether their weather is getting more extremeNearly 150 million Americans were under heat alerts Tuesday, after July marked the planet’s hottest month on record. Devastating downpours dumped two months of rain on Vermont in two days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires choked East Coast skies, causing the worst air quality on record for some locations. And Hawaii is reeling from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.
Yet while there is wide public concern over extreme weather, Americans are deeply divided — along partisan lines — on whether climate change is helping to drive these events, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.
The survey was conducted from mid- to late July, at the height of some of the hottest days the Earth has experienced in over 100,000 years. Not surprisingly, a large majority of U.S. adults — 74 percent — say they’ve experienced extremely hot days in the past five years.
But when asked if they think climate change is a major factor in those extremely hot days, 35 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say it is, compared with 85 percent of those who lean Democratic. Overall, 63 percent of Americans who experienced extremely hot days say climate change is a major factor.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/23/extreme-weather-climate-change-poll/
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