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DeSantis pushes ban on gender studies at Florida colleges and universities [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By William McClain
In [Popular Information]
February 27, 2023
457 views
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  • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is championing legislation that would ban Women’s and Gender Studies and other academic majors and minors from public colleges and universities in Florida.
  • DeSantis claims his proposal is an effort to support “intellectual freedom in higher education”, but groups dedicated to preserving intellectual freedom in education disagree, calling the proposal “the most draconian and censorious restrictions on public colleges and universities in the country.”
  • The proposal would also centralize the hiring of faculty, giving political appointees control over the process, and weaken the tenure system, allowing a politically-controlled board of trustees to “initiate a post-tenure review of a faculty member at any time.”
  • The bill contains a slew of undefined terms with no clear definition, creating an environment of self-censorship and fear, maximizing the control that DeSantis and his allies can exert over these institutions.
  • The DeSantis administration and the legislature are seeking to put faculty involved in disfavored activities on notice, requesting each Florida public college and university provide a list of all employees involved in “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and all related emails, text messages, and social media messages.

Published February 27, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post DeSantis pushes ban on gender studies at Florida colleges and universities

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Florida school board bans three books at the request of allegedly racist and homophobic teacher [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By William McClain
In [Popular Information]
February 22, 2023
266 views
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  • Vicki Baggett, a high school teacher in Escambia County, Florida, requested the school board to ban three books from public schools. In each case, the school board sided with Baggett over the recommendation of committees comprised of teachers, administrators, librarians, parents, and community members.
  • One of the books banned by the school board is ‘And Tango Makes Three’, a true story of two male Penguins, Roy and Silo. Baggett argued the book promotes the “”LGBTQ agenda using penguins””, and is inappropriate for all grade levels.
  • Baggett also faces accusations of being openly homophobic and racist in class. For example, Baggett allegedly told a 10th-grade student her sister was “”faking being a lesbian for attention”” and that she was only gay because she hadn’t found the right man.
  • In spite of public comments encouraging the board to keep the book, the school board voted 3 to 2 to ban ‘And Tango Makes Three’. The school board also voted to ban ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’, a young adult book about growing up black and gay.
  • The school board also banned ‘When Aidan Became a Brother’, a story about a trans boy. The materials review committee voted 4 to 1 to keep the book in elementary, middle, and high school libraries.
  • Despite facing serious accusations of homophobia and racism, Baggett is still able to persuade the school board to take her side. This has encouraged Baggett to challenge more books, and she has challenged over 160 titles to date.
  • The school board faces civil liability for removing the books. Sara Latshaw of the Florida ACLU stated the board “”cannot remove a book from the library simply because it has a transgender character.””

Published February 22, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post Florida school board bans three books at the request of allegedly racist and homophobic teacher

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Florida teacher fired for video of empty bookshelves after DeSantis complaint [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By William McClain
In [Popular Information]
February 22, 2023
238 views
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  • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a “”Curriculum Transparency”” bill into law in March 2021 that requires all library books to be chosen by a certified media specialist.
  • Brian Covey was a full-time substitute teacher in Duval County, Florida. He posted a video of empty bookshelves at his school to social media, which was seen by millions.
  • Covey was fired the day after DeSantis called his video a “”fake narrative”” and “”not true.””
  • Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) interpreted the law to apply to library books and classroom instruction, and has only approved 6,000 books out of 1.6 million titles.
  • Media specialists are now reviewing books to determine if they comply with the STOP Woke Act and Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the “”Don’t Say Gay”” law.
  • The Best Man, a novel for children, has been reviewed and banned from schools in Duval County for featuring two men marrying and having a ring bearer, which DiBias determined was “”portraying sexual excitement and is damaging to students.””
  • In August 2021, DeSantis announced an effort to address the teacher shortage in Florida by allowing military veterans to receive a teaching certification without a college degree, which has resulted in the hiring of 10 teachers statewide.

Published February 21, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post Florida teacher fired for video of empty bookshelves after DeSantis complaint

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UPDATE: College Board scrubs website to cover up deceptions about AP African American Studies course [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By William McClain
In [Popular Information]
February 17, 2023
290 views
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  • The College Board recently deleted a statement from their website defending revisions to the AP African American Studies course.
  • The revisions removed lessons on Black queer studies, Black feminism, mass incarceration, reparations, and the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as important Black writers such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and bell hooks.
  • The revisions tracked concerns expressed weeks earlier by the Florida Department of Education and Governor Ron DeSantis (R) who said the pilot version of the course was “political” and “lack[ed] educational value.”
  • The College Board initially lied about when the revisions were made and then again in a February 11 press release, claiming there were “”no negotiations about the content of this course with Florida.””
  • The College Board’s revisions appear to be politically motivated to appease right-wing critics, which has backfired as DeSantis has used the issue as a political cudgel.

Published February 16, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post UPDATE: College Board scrubs website to cover up deceptions about AP African American Studies course

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The environmental awakening of Tucker Carlson [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 15, 2023
283 views
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• On February 3, a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in Ohio near the small town of East Palestine, releasing toxic fumes and causing a massive fire.
• Residents were ordered to evacuate and there are ongoing concerns about the safety of their air, soil, and water.
• Far-right pundit Tucker Carlson expressed concern that the EPA was not aggressive enough in exercising its regulatory authority to protect residents.
• It would take regulations and reining in corporate greed to minimize the risk of train derailments and protect communities from environmental disasters.
• Rail companies have vehemently opposed federal safety initiatives for years, especially when it comes to the transport of hazardous materials.
• The Trump administration authorized the transport of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by rail and the Biden administration has yet to reinstate the brake rule or expand the kinds of trains subjected to tougher safety regulations.
• Freight rail has become more dangerous due to cost-cutting systems like Precision Scheduled Railroading, which has resulted in job cuts and reduced inspection times.
• Norfolk Southern has used the higher profits from Precision Scheduled Railroading to repurchase shares of its own stock, benefiting executives and investors.

Published February 15, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post The environmental awakening of Tucker Carlson

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The truth about Biden, the GOP, Social Security, and Medicare [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 14, 2023
250 views
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• President Joe Biden has been criticized by major media outlets and Republican officials for his claims that Republicans are proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
• The Republican Study Committee (RSC) proposed a 2023 budget that would cut Social Security and Medicare benefits by increasing the retirement age and changing the benefit formula.
• Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Senator John Thune (R-ND) have both called for cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
• Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) proposed a plan to “sunset” all programs after five years, including Social Security and Medicare.
• Biden’s real vulnerability on the issue stems from his own efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare years ago.
• However, Biden has since changed his position and proposed to increase Social Security benefits, not freeze them.

Published February 14, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post The truth about Biden, the GOP, Social Security, and Medicare

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Inside the push for a nationwide ban on abortion medication [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 13, 2023
273 views
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• Right-wing officials have been pushing to overturn Roe v. Wade, claiming it is an effort to respect states’ rights and the democratic process.
• Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) submitted an amicus brief in the Northern District of Texas in support of the plaintiffs in the case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, which seeks to ban mifepristone, a drug used to induce abortions.
• The lawsuit is about prohibiting the use of mifepristone in the 31 states where abortion remains mostly legal.
• The case is assigned to Matthew Kacsmaryk, a radical Trump-appointed federal judge who is an impassioned critic of the “”sexual revolution.””
• The plaintiffs are relying on the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that has been ignored or limited by federal courts for decades, to support their argument.
• Major corporations, including Comcast, AT&T, T-Mobile, Uber, Mastercard, and Bank of America, are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars backing the politicians bolstering the effort to ban abortion medication.

Published February 13, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post Inside the push for a nationwide ban on abortion medication

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“Apartheid” in Jackson, Mississippi [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 9, 2023
276 views
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• Mississippi House, dominated by white Republicans, voted to create a separate court system and police force for portions of Jackson, Mississippi, the second-Blackest city in the US.
• Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the proposal “reminds me of apartheid” and is an attempt to “colonize Jackson.”
• The bill would expand the Capitol Complex Improvement District, covering about 50,000 people, and divert 18.75% of sales tax that would otherwise go to Jackson to a Capitol Complex Improvement District project fund.
• The lead author of the bill is Representative Trey Lamar (R), who lives more than 150 miles north of Jackson.
• The Capitol Police force has faced criticism for being involved in multiple shootings and deploying “overzealous tactics” with “little accountability.”
• Mississippi’s bill parallels decades-long efforts to deny Washington D.C. statehood, which is rooted in a desire to limit the power of Black voters.
• Congress has taken control of D.C.’s finances, debts, courts, and prisons, and retains the right to review and nullify any legislation passed by the district’s local government.
• This exclusion of D.C. residents from a voice in Congress contributes to the underrepresentation of voters of color in the American political system.

Published February 9, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post “Apartheid” in Jackson, Mississippi

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This book is considered pornography in Ron DeSantis’ Florida [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 8, 2023
167 views
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• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and the Florida Department of Education have imposed sweeping new restrictions on books in public schools, both in libraries and in classrooms.
• Duval County Public Schools, which includes Jacksonville and the surrounding area, has enthusiastically embraced the task of complying with DeSantis’ new mandates.
• One book reviewed in Duval County and banned from school libraries was *The Best Man*, a book about a boy’s journey into the middle school years and the male role models in his life.
• The reviewer, Michelle DiBias, believes that, based on the book’s content, a teacher or librarian that made *The Best Man* available to students could be charged with a third-degree felony.
• Common Sense Media, an independent non-profit that evaluates books and other entertainment for parents and schools, gives *The Best Man* its lowest rating for “”Sex, Romance, & Nudity,”” meaning that reviewers found nothing objectionable.
• Duval County schools are also reviewing all books for compliance with the Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as “”Don’t Say Gay.””
• Books that have been rejected by Duval County schools, according to public records, include *Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation*, *My Name is Sally Little Song*, *Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag*, *Stonewall*, *10,000 Dresses*, and *The Flag of Childhood*.

Published February 8, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post This book is considered pornography in Ron DeSantis’ Florida

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How Koch manipulates the media [Judd Legum, Popular Information]

By Spencer Chen
In [Popular Information]
February 7, 2023
261 views
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• Charles Koch’s political organization, AFP Action, released a memo claiming that the Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles.
• The memo signals a break between the Koch political network and MAGA Republicans, particularly Trump.
• Despite Koch’s repeated announcements of reorienting his political strategy away from far-right Republicans, including Trump, he has quietly resumed business as usual.
• Koch has spent millions of dollars to legitimize Trump and his allies.
• After 147 Republican members of Congress voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, the Koch network announced that the vote would “”weigh heavy in our evaluation of future support.””
• However, over the next two years, AFP Action spent $63,401,608 supporting Republican candidates for federal office, $5,576,858 opposing Democratic candidates, and zero dollars supporting Democratic candidates.
• 86.7% of AFP Action’s spending bolstered candidates who were endorsed by Trump.
• In 2016, Koch generated headlines for saying he would not financially support Trump, who had secured the Republican nomination, but ended up providing critical financial support to Trump’s successful campaign.

Published February 7, 2023
Visit Popular Information to read Judd Legum’s original post How Koch manipulates the media

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