#Pensacola News Journal

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Florida schools have approved the use of “supplemental curriculum” created by PragerU, an unaccredited right-wing advocacy group that seeks to offer an alternative to “dominant left-wing ideologies,” in classrooms days after the state Department of Education approved new, controversial academic standards for Black history curriculum.

PragerU CEO Marissa Streit announced that Florida approved the nonprofit as an official vendor, allowing teachers to incorporate its educational entertainment videos, self-described as “edutainment,” as supplemental materials in classrooms.

“We have seen that our schools have been hijacked by the left. They have been politicized, they have been used by union bosses, they have been doing everything under the sun not for our children,” Streit said.

“And so we have launched PragerU Kids and we started providing great 'edutainment,' educational entertainment for children across America. But we didn’t just stop there. Now we’re actually making turnkey curriculum. Content for your schools. And the state of Florida just announced that we are now becoming an official vendor. This means that if you are a teacher in Florida, you cannot be fired for using PragerU content.”

The Miami New Times confirmed that the Florida Board of Education approved the materials, saying that it aligned with the state's revised civics and government standards.

WHAT IS PRAGERU?

Prager University Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates educational videos that it says promote American values. PragerU’s website says that it “offers a free alternative to dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media and education.”

The driving force behind much of PragerU’s growing popularity stems from its series title “5-Minute Videos,” which boils down everything from economic and political science topics to life lessons and cultural topics into bite-sized, 5-minute videos.

Many of the most popular videos tackle controversial topics. As of this writing, the five videos showcased under the “Most Popular 5-Minute Videos” tag include “Do You Understand the Electoral College,” “Was the Civil War About Slavery,” “The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party,” “Why I Left the Left” and “War on Boys.”

WHO FOUNDED PRAGERU? PragerU was founded in 2009 by Allen Estrin and conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager.

WHAT DOES PRAGERU’S CURRICULUM TEACH?

PragerU believes that American schools are “indoctrinating” students who are being taught “radical ideas” about critical race theory, systemic racism, gender fluidity, anti-Americanism and that math is racist. It says it has designed its curriculum to provide “both sides of the argument” and help kids understand history, economics, foreign affairs and philosophy.

PragerU’s website provides users with access to its educational videos but does little to shed light on what specific key concepts it hopes to instill through its curriculum.

Examples of lesson plans can also be found on the website, but they only provide basic, surface-level views of what will be taught. A lesson plan regarding the Federalist Papers only has four learning objectives:

• Identify who wrote the Federalist Papers • Explain why the Federalist Papers were written • Recognize why the framers of the Constitution created a federal government with checks and balances • Appreciate the system of government established by the Founding Fathers

The full lesson can be learned in about 50 minutes, according to the site.

WHY CRITICS PUSH BACK AGAINST PRAGERU CURRICULUM

PragerU has a long history of experts rebuking ideas presented in many of its videos.

Joseph McCarthy of The Weather Channel in 2016 wrote an entire feature on PragerU’s video called "Fossil Fuels: The Greenest Energy," which had garnered 1.5 million views at that time. McCarthy wrote that the video was presented by a proponent of fossil fuel, Alex Epstein, and that the video “flubs a major date and soberly transitions between obvious inaccuracies and out-of-context claims."

Paul Gottfried in 2017 wrote pinned a story in The American Conservative lambasting PragerU presenter Dinesh D’Souza for claiming that fascism was a left-wing idea. D’Souza claimed that it could be proven that it was a “leftist” idea by examining the political writings of Mussolini’s court philosopher Giovanni Gentile.

Gottfried, a paleoconservative scholar, wrote that “their judgment also clashes with that of almost all scholars of Gentile’s work, from across the political spectrum, who view him, as I do in my study of fascism, as the most distinguished intellectual of the revolutionary right.”

These are just the tip of the iceberg, however. The Daily Beast points out that PragerU videos have claimed there’s no wage gap between men and women and that it has praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee for crushing an attempted slave rebellion.

And others have noted inaccuracies in videos claiming that Europe is “committing suicide” by allowing mass migration, that “whiteness and conservatism” are under attack and more.

Civic groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have also criticized PragerU’s videos, describing some as a “dog whistle to the extreme right” and “filled with anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric.”

#us politics #news #Pensacola News Journal #2023 #florida #republicans #conservatives #gov. ron desantis #florida department of education #dennis prager #prager u #Marissa Streit #PragerU Kids #Miami New Times #Allen Estrin #alt right #alt right jihad #Federalist Papers #Joseph McCarthy #the weather channel #Paul Gottfried #The American Conservative #Dinesh D’Souza #Giovanni Gentile #Southern Poverty Law Center #Anti-Defamation League

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Andrew Marlette, Pensacola News Journal  ::  [Scott Horton]

* * * * *

Moral hazards.  September 19, 2022

Robert B. Hubbell

         “Moral hazard” is an evocative phrase that recognizes the moral dimension of economic and political decisions. An easy example is Trump’s promise to pardon January 6th insurrectionists if he is elected as president in 2024. In that scenario, insurrectionists are encouraged to engage in more insurrection. Moreover, some voters are encouraged to support an aspiring dictator, which in turn encourages the aspiring dictator to take even more lawless positions. In that example of cascading hazards, Trump’s behavior seduces and corrupts people to support a dictatorial regime that is the antithesis of their native beliefs in law, order, and personal liberty.

         Trump is a moral hazard to the Republican Party. In six years, he has convinced the party faithful to support and engage in increasingly corrupt, cruel, and reckless practices that undermine their morality and ethics—while posing a danger to our republic. Ron DeSantis’s callous abuse of refugees to make a political point (and gain a few votes) is an example of the GOP’s willingness to engage in increasingly cruel and reckless behavior to regain political control.

         After the widespread condemnation of DeSantis, one would think that DeSantis would back off the offending behavior. On the contrary, DeSantis has followed Trump’s model by doubling down on the cruel behavior—because many Trump voters supported the heartless trafficking of refugees. See CBS Miami, More migrant flights likely; Gov. DeSantis: “The legislature gave me $12 million.”

         Many commentators say that “The cruelty is the point.” What does that mean? It means that extremist Republicans take perverse glee in seeing the moral indignation of decent people shocked at the sight of gratuitous cruelty. They call it “Owning the libs”—an immature game that comes at a steep cost. By applauding political stunts that treat humans as stage props, extremist Republicans are debasing their humanity, morality, and decency. As Jennifer Rubin wrote over the weekend, “Republicans are wearing cruelty as a badge of honor.” That is the moral hazard of supporting Trump, DeSantis, and their acolytes.

         The cost is particularly steep for those who—like DeSantis—somehow rationalize their cruelty in the name of Christianity. DeSantis has begun spouting the cri de guerre of Christian nationalism, i.e., “Put on the full armor of God,” and Trump has engineered a hostile takeover of large swaths of the evangelical Christian church.

         The PEW Research Center recently released a report modeling the future of religion in America. The report's primary finding is that “[i]f recent trends in religious switching continue, Christians could make up less than half of the US population within a few decades.” Christians currently comprise 64% of the US population, a decrease from 90% in 1970.

         It would be foolish to assert that the substantial decline in Christianity is caused by the increasing political activism in the church. But it would also be foolish to pretend that the increasing political activism of the Christian church is unrelated to its rapid decline in America. When “going to church” feels like “going to a political rally,” the obvious question arises: Why not just go to the political rally?

         The current hatred of immigrants by Christian nationalists hollows the soul of an institution that has welcomed and cared for immigrants since its founding, e.g., the Nativity Narrative and the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is too much to expect that Christian nationalists will recognize their hypocrisy. But it is not too much to expect that other Christians will condemn those who have perverted a founding principle of the Christian church. Until the voices of Christian charity and love drown out the hate-filled rhetoric of Christian nationalism, it is up to the media and concerned Americans to highlight the hypocrisy and cruelty of the Republican Party.  

         And as Christian nationalists follow Trump over a moral precipice, he may be leading them to a freshly minted circle of hell. Trump is now using QAnon imagery and slogans at his rallies. See APNews, Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories. Will Christian evangelicals follow Trump as he promotes a fringe conspiracy theory with religious overtones, e.g., an apocalyptic “Storm” that will end the reign of Satan-worshipping pedophiles? They already are. See CNN, How QAnon uses religion to lure unsuspecting Christians. Such is the moral hazard of supporting and excusing Trump’s politics of hate and cruelty. After a while, nothing seems too outrageous or hateful to believe.

         Finally, DeSantis’s effort to engage in human trafficking poses a legal hazard to DeSantis. He is currently unconcerned, but when Ted Cruz says that a fellow Republican is engaged in illegal behavior, you should worry. See The Independent, Ted Cruz forced to admit trafficking migrants to Martha’s Vineyard is illegal in Sean Hannity interview. An attorney for thirty of the refugees trafficked by DeSantis is demanding a DOJ investigation. See The Independent, Migrants’ lawyers call for criminal investigation into DeSantis’ Martha’s Vineyard stunt.

         And while the political fallout may be the least important consideration, Spanish-language radio stations in Florida were harshly critical of DeSantis’s virtual kidnapping of the Venezuelan refugees. See Politico, ‘Huge mistake’: DeSantis’ migrant transports could undercut support in South Florida. As noted in Politico,

“Florida Republicans in recent years have made it a priority to court Venezuelan Americans, many of whom fled their home country in the past decade amid the political and economic turmoil under Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez. It’s a story that has parallels to Cuban Americans — a crucial bloc of support for the GOP — who left their country to escape communism.”

#Andrew Marlette #Pensacola News Journal #Scott Horton #political Cartoon #migrants #sanctuary #refugees #Robert B. Hubbel Newsletter #Robert B. Hubbell #Moral Hazard

[yeoldenews]

"I am sure glad I don't live in that old town."

(source: The Pensacola News Journal, December 24, 1914.)

#dear santa #wwi #kids #history #1910s #florida

[thepro-lifemovement]

Florida health authorities officially revoked the license of a Pensacola abortion facility Tuesday after state health authorities said three women nearly died from botched abortions.

The American Family Planning has been closed since May when the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration suspended its license for “endangering the health, safety and welfare” of its patients. State health officials said the abortion facility had hundreds of safety violations, the worst involving nearly killing three women in botched abortions within a span of nine months.

The new order from the Division of Administrative Hearings permanently revokes its license and stops anyone with direct or indirect ownership of the abortion facility from ever applying for another abortion license in Florida.

Additionally, health officials fined the abortion facility $343,200, according to the Tampa Free Press.

Initially, the abortion facility appealed its license suspension; however, the two parties reached an agreement and a judge dismissed the case Jan. 6, according to the News Journal.

The abortion facility is connected to notorious abortionist Steven Chase Brigham, who has lost his license to practice medicine in several states. Operation Rescue reported seeing Brigham at the facility as recently as May 2020. It is not clear if Brigham was the one who performed the three recent botched abortions.

Within a nine-month period, state health officials said three women nearly died from abortion complications at the facility: one required resuscitation, another had parts of her colon removed and a third needed an emergency hysterectomy, the News Journal reported last year.

The three women’s cases are disturbing. State health officials said one woman had to be hospitalized in August 2021 and had parts of her colon removed after her uterus was perforated in a botched abortion. Another woman was found with “pools of blood on the floor” around her, according to their investigation.

In the case of the third woman, the abortion facility failed to monitor her vital signs when it gave her drugs and told her to wait in her car until the abortion procedure, according to the state health officials. Mid-abortion, the abortionist lacerated her cervix and possibly ruptured her uterus and had to stop the procedure, the report continues.

Rather than take her to the local hospital in Pensacola, the abortion staff told the woman’s husband to drive to a hospital in Mobile, Alabama, the health officials found. At the Mobile hospital, the woman had to be resuscitated after emergency room doctors found that she did not have a pulse, the state report continues. She also received a blood transfusion to “replace egregious blood loss,” according to the state health officials.

The Florida health agency also reported hundreds of other violations, including failing to document patients’ consent or follow the 24-hour waiting period.

#botched abortion #good riddance #abortion clinics #abortion clinic closures #prolife news #this place sounds like a horror movie #pro-life #pro life #prolife #anti abortion #abortion #florida

[iridescentmarzz]

Assorted tkam headcanons

Atticus-

Libra; born September 30th 1885

Full name is Atticus James Finch

Autistic (i could make an entire post about this)

bisexual

gives great hugs

Writes calligraphy! all of the kids birthday cards and other cards are handwritten from him

Has attempted to cook, but almost burnt the house down so Cal doesn't allow him in the kitchen anymore. for being as smart as he is, he is awful in the kitchen

Is very in control of his emotions, but when he does get emotional, his emotions are very big

he copes with negative emotions by reading or listening to the radio

He usually only listens to the news on the radio, but sometimes he enjoys listening to music

really likes swing music

Cracks his knuckles a lot

Not very religious, goes to church every sunday but as he got older began to question religion more. When he was younger he was very religious because his family was religious

Always had plans to get a dog with his wife, but because of having two kids and then Miss Grahams death, it never happened. He still thinks about getting a dog after both of the kids are out of the house

Wakes up at 5 am everyday without fail, then spends the first few hours of his morning reading before he gets ready for the day

Scout-

Aries; born April 12th 1927

Autistic

If she knew what being trans was, would identify as transmasc

but considering she lives in Alabama in the 1930s, she likely has never and will never hear the term transgender or know its meaning

Accident prone- often comes to Cal with little cuts and scrapes. Cal always tells her to be more careful but takes care of her injuries no matter what

Keeps a journal, though she didn't take it very seriously until she was a teen and then would make sure she journals daily

Hates Halloween after the incident. the year after the incident she stays inside for the entire evening of Halloween and snuggles with Atticus

Very artsy. Loves writing and drawing and fills her journal with little doodles relating to her day

Jem-

Taurus; born May 14th, 1923

Almost always angry about something

Just an angry little guy

Needs glasses but doesn't get them until he's around 18

Absolutely adores Scout, more than he will ever admit, but he'd do anything for her (usually. they still bicker a lot)

After Halloween, the first thing he said when he woke up in the morning was "is Scout okay?"

Jem used to love Halloween, but is cautious of it after the incident. it takes him a few years to enjoy the holiday again

Takes after Atticus in his love for reading. as he gets older, Atticus lets him barrow books with increasingly mature themes and they'd bond by discussing them

Ends up playing football in highschool but gets injured. he plays all throughout highschool despite his injury, but once he's in college he stops playing and decides he prefers watching the sport instead

Keeps the things him and Scout found in the knothole for his entire life

Maudie-

Gemini; June 19th, 1891

Lesbian

No one knows except for Atticus and her late husband

Her husband was a gay man and they married mainly for protection

despite not loving each other romantically, they were incredibly close friends and Maudie mourned the loss of him for a long time

She sees Scout and Jem and even Dill as children

She was friends with Nathan Radley when they were younger, but once Nathan moved to Pensacola they lost contact, and even when he returned they just never reconnected

Boo/Arthur-

Virgo; September 12th, 1897

Autistic

Always stimming in some way, most common stim in scrunching up his face or full body twitches

Scrapbooks and uses his scrapbook as a journal of sorts

Not very close with Nathan and often avoids him as well as he can, considering they're both in the house pretty often

Funny enough, Boo was a nickname arthur was given as a teen by his friends

He was never really a bad kid. He was just an autistic kid who struggled to make connections and when he met his friend group, they'd goad him into stupid things and he'd do them because he'd never had friends like that before

The incident where he stabbed his father did happen, but he did it not out of nowhere, but because Mr Radley was drunk and acting aggressive and it scared and frustrated Arthur so he stabbed him

#to kill a mockingbird #tkam headcanons #tkam #atticus finch #scout finch #jem finch #maudie atkinson #boo radley #headcanons #will probably edit this as more little things come to me

[radicalreports]

Extremists Links: Neo-Nazi White Supremacists Fantasy of 'Ethnostate' in New England

The latest reporting on extremist groups within the Radical Right.

This New England neo-Nazi group is getting bigger and scarier, experts say. Most troubling: Military vets fill its ranks. [Boston.com]

These Nazis Want to Turn New England Into a White Ethnostate [Rolling Stone[

Lawmaker calls for crackdown on neo-Nazi training camp in northern Maine [Maine Beacon]

Neo-Nazi leader establishes training site in Maine [ABC News]

Extremist watchdog explains New England white supremacists galvanized by Trump [NPR]

The Synagogue Attack Stands Alone, but Experts Say Violent Rhetoric Is Spreading [The New York Times]

‘Begin to heal’: Pittsburgh reacts to the synagogue shooter’s death sentence [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

After USA TODAY investigation, watchdog report says military failed to screen extremist recruits [USA Today]

Recruiters skipped steps to screen out extremist enlistees, IG says [Army Times]

Watchdog Warns Recruits Are Not Being Properly Vetted for Extremism Ties [Military.com]

Pentagon watchdog finds lapses in screening of applicants connected to extremist groups [The Hill]

Texas extremist group Patriot Front sued over Boston attack of Black man [The Dallas Morning News]

Boston man files lawsuit seeking to bankrupt white supremacist group he says assaulted him [ABC News]

‘Patriot Front’ White Nationalists Sue Leftist Activist for IDing Them, Getting Them Fired [The Daily Beast]

Far-right Patriot Front members sue leftist activist for allegedly leaking their identities [The Daily Chronicle]

Patriot Front resurfaces in Birmingham [Alabama Political Reporter]

A new network of hate groups in the Pacific Northwest targets smaller Pride festivals [NPR]

Saratoga Springs public safety commissioner provides report on weekend Proud Boys march [The Daily Gazette]

New video believed to show Proud Boys in Saratoga Springs [NBC News]

White supremacist Robert Rundo extradited from Romania to US to face charges [The Guardian]

A new high tide of antisemitism in America [Axios]

Fatal stabbing of NYC gay man is being investigated as a possible hate crime [NBC News]

Teen suspect charged with hate crime murder of dancer at Brooklyn gas station [ABC News]

Oklahoma man given maximum sentence for Shawnee hate crime [NPR]

White supremacist banners appear in Louisiana’s capital city [Associated Press]

Banners promoting White nationalist group Patriot Front alarm Baton Rouge community [The Advocate]

White Supremacist Banners Removed in Predominately Black Baton Rouge [The Messenger]

White ex-officers in Mississippi plead guilty to racist assault on 2 Black men during raid [CBS News]

'We're going to find you': Pensacola police and FBI investigating antisemitic vandalism [Pensacola News Journal]

Pensacola police arrest 4 teens in connection to string of antisemitic vandalism [Pensacola News Journal]

Neo-nazi recruitment flyers found outside Middletown homes. LGBTQ+ organization notified. [Newport Daily News]

Read more here.

#radical reports #extremists links

[krispyweiss]

Original REO Speedwagon Bassist Gregg Philbin Dies at 75

Founding REO Speedwagon bassist Gregg Philbin has died, his wife, Linda, said.

Philbin died Oct. 24 of undisclosed causes. He was 75.

The bassist played with the band though six studio LPs and its first in-concert release, 1977’s Live: You Get What You Play For.

After that, Speedwagon turned to a poppier sound and “I was not interested,” Philbin told the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal in 2018.

Kevin Cronin eulogized Philbin by comparing him to John Entwistle, in that “they both played the bass as more of a lead instrument.”

“No one should underestimate the Philbin factor in the evolution of REO Speedwagon,” Cronin said in a statement.

“When Gregg left the band in 1977, he took with him the prog-leaning extended instrumental section aspect of the REO sound.”

10/24/22

#reo speedwagon #gregg philbin #john entwistle #the who

[kabillieu]

I’m turning 40 at the end of the month, so I just spent a half hour writing out a list of everything I’ve done in the past ten years. They have been years of extreme highs and lows. Everything significant I’ve accomplished artistically (so far) happened in my 30s. I’ve been extremely fortunate and have also had a lot of bad luck. I’ve worked hard to achieve a lot of my goals even under the most chaotic and upsetting conditions. Here’s a basic highlight reel:

I entered my 30s in a fog of postpartum depression and spent much of the first year and a half single-parenting our baby while Dominic was gone on deployments and work training trips. 

I bought another house (Dominic really managed this, but my name’s on the mortgage, so it counts).

I ran three half-marathons.

I lived in Omaha, Pensacola, Colorado Springs, Montgomery, and then in Omaha again.

I did adjunct work at two different colleges and writing center work at another college.

I started writing and publishing poetry again. All in all, I’ve published 70 poems in various literary journals over the past ten years.

I travelled to Mexico, Spain, Roatan, Belize, Portland, Tampa, San Antonio, New Orleans, Vermont, Boston, New York City, Cape Cod, and honestly several other places.

I euthanized one cat and adopted another.

I survived the first year after our kid was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. I learned how to be a better parent to him. Together with my spouse, various therapists, and teachers, we’ve worked with him on communication, impulse control, and managing his emotions. At ten he’s in such a better place than he was when he was diagnosed at six, but it’s a journey, and there are lots of ups and downs.

Speaking of ups and downs, we all survived a big regression my kid had at the beginning of the pandemic. It was scary and sad, but we made it through.

Also, ugh the pandemic the pandemic the pandemic.

I won a poetry prize through my press and published my first book of poems. I won a poetry prize through a literary journal. I won a poetry prize through my graduate department. One of my poems was anthologized in the 2019 Best American Nonrequired Reading.

I was awarded funding to attend the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the Vermont Studio Center.

I started doing editing work for the literary journal I volunteer for.

I attended three AWP conferences.

I was accepted to a PhD program in Creative Writing after applying to it three times over the course of about ten years.

My IUD failed and I got pregnant. That pregnancy ended tragically, just three weeks short of viability. 

I’ve done a lot of therapy the past two years.

I did life drawing sessions briefly but regularly just before the pandemic hit.

I met so many people, mostly other poets and writers and artists. Before the pandemic, I felt happy with my social life. Now, I feel isolated and sad and lonely, but I’m hopeful that eventually I’ll find more equilibrium. 

I twirled batons twice as a Leijorette in Chewbacchus, which is a Mardi Gras parade.

I finished the coursework portion of my PhD program. I mostly excelled as both a student and a teacher even though each semester brought a new crisis and unimaginable difficulty. 

I have grown creatively and empathetically. I still like to run and draw and write. I still haven’t had much of any kind of professional career, though I’m trying to establish the beginning of one through this PhD. I’m not the best spouse, but I’m a good spouse to Dominic (most times.) I’m not the best mom, but I’m a good mom to my kid (most times.) I’m not the best poet, but I work hard and write and publish good poems sometimes. I’m lucky to have the life I have; I’m also frustrated by how difficult my life has been at times during these past ten years. I’ve navigated a lot of hard stuff, but I’m still here, about to enter the next decade. 

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed the “Protections of Medical Conscience Act,” a law that allows healthcare providers or payors to deny service on the basis of “a conscience-based objection,” including any ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. The bill provides no definition for what constitutes a “moral” or “ethical” belief.

The law seeks to protect health care providers and payers from the “threat of discrimination for providing conscience-based health care.” However, advocates worry it’ll be used to deny LGBTQ+ people gender-affirming care, HIV-prevention medication, and other essential and life-saving care.

The law allows any medical provider — including doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, pharmacists, mental health professionals, lab technicians, nursing home workers, and hospital administrators — as well as insurance companies and payment entities, the right to deny care on the basis of any conscientious objection. This care can include refusing to conduct research and recordkeeping or denying medical tests, diagnoses, referrals, medications, and therapy, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) notes.

The newly signed law says denial of care can’t be based on a patient’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, but it provides no protections on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, the law also allows healthcare employers to discriminate in hiring and bars medical boards from disciplining doctors for spreading misinformation, essentially forcing employers to keep workers who refuse to do their jobs, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) noted.

In a statement, the HRC said the newly signed law “creates a license to discriminate by allowing healthcare employers to discriminate in hiring, and it bars medical boards from disciplining doctors for spreading misinformation.”

Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel of the ACLU of Florida, wrote, “This bill is shocking in its breadth, vagueness, and government overreach into the private sector and regulated businesses. It goes far beyond any alleged claims of religious freedom.”

Gross notes that anyone in the medical field — including at public and private schools, colleges, and universities — could choose to deny service to someone they personally dislike. Medical workers could refuse to assist in an active medical emergency, such as helping an unwed mother to give birth. Medical office clerks could refuse to return patient calls, and pharmacists could refuse to dispense contraceptives or medications to heal sexually transmitted infections, citing their “ethical” or “moral” beliefs.

Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the LGBTQ+ organization Equality Florida, told the Pensacola News Journal, “This puts patients in harm’s way, is antithetical to the job of health care providers, and puts the most vulnerable Floridians in danger.”

“Our state should be in the business of increasing access to medical care, not giving providers and companies a sweeping carve out of nondiscrimination laws,” Wolf added. “Shame on the Governor for putting Floridians’ health at risk to score cheap, political points.”

DeSantis was joined at the signing ceremony for the new law by State Surgeon General and Department of Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo. He has spoken out against science-based federal guidelines that support gender-affirming care for transgender teens, citing debunked studies about transgender people.

In July 2020, Ladapo appeared in a viral video as part of a group called America’s Frontline Doctors. The video was organized by the Tea Party Patriots, a right-wing group backed by wealthy Republican donors.

The group in the video, which had no epidemiologists or immunologists, promoted the anti-malaria medication hydroxychloroquine as a “cure” for COVID-19, said that face masks don’t slow the virus’s spread, and that COVID-19 is less deadly than the flu — all three claims are untrue. Lapado has written numerous op-eds repeating the video’s false claims.

The video also featured Dr. Stella Immanuel, a pediatrician and religious minister who has said that “demonic seed” inserted into sleeping individuals causes endometriosis and ovarian cysts.

#us politics #news #lgbtq nation #lgbtqia+ rights #lgbtqia+ #lgbtqia+ representation #gender affirming healthcare #gender affirming care bans #gov. ron desantis #Florida #Protections of Medical Conscience Act #let them die act #American Civil Liberties Union #human rights campaign #ACLU of Florida #Kara Gross #Brandon Wolf #Equality Florida #Pensacola News Journal #Joseph Ladapo #2023 #transphobia #republican homophobia

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Andy Marlette, Pensacola News Journal :: [h/t Scott Horton]

* * * *

“Easier to fool a person than convince a person that they were fooled.“

#Andy Marlette #Pensacola News Journal #Scott Horton #political #January 6 Commission

[yeoldenews]

Step up your game Miss Higgins.

(source: The Pensacola News Journal Sun, December 17, 1911.)

#dear santa #letters to santa #1910s #florida #history #kids

[coochiequeens]

Maybe this place should have been investigated but now women along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Tallahassee are left with no place for abortion care.

Pensacola's abortion clinic was ordered to close by the state of Florida after three women were hospitalized in the last nine months requiring major medical intervention to survive.

American Family Planning on Village Oaks Drive in Pensacola is the only operating abortion clinic on the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Tallahassee.

Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration issued an emergency order late Friday to suspend the clinic's operations until an administrative hearing can be held in Tallahassee.

The News Journal was unable to reach anyone at American Family Planning for comment on Saturday.

see rest of article. But it does discuss the injuries three women suffered.

#Pensacola #florida #another large area left without a place to access abortion care

[izafoodie]

Florida Michelin Guide restaurants will be announced Thursday. Why they're in Miami, Orlando - Pensacola News Journal

Florida Michelin Guide restaurants will be announced Thursday. Why they're in Miami, Orlando  Pensacola News Journal http://dlvr.it/T5cfxY

[oldpolicestories]

Last Request of Tom Brown

By Mike Simmons An article in the May 13, 1921, edition of the Pensacola News Journal reported that Deputy Sheriff Walker of Hillsborough County had been busy searching for the request of Tom Brown for his last dinner before hanging. Brown was tried and convicted for the murder of the aged merchant of Lutz, Captain Albert Chambers. Chambers, a well-known steamboat captain, was robbed and killed…

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[nelligekata]

Енді Марлетт (США) для The Pensacola News Journal

#russia terrorist state #ukraine

[bongaboi]

James Madison: 2024 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Champions

The old adage of "a tale of two halves" in a basketball game usually carries some sort of conotation.

That saying implies a team might've had a rough first half, finding itself down and out. Then, said team comes back to life in the second frame, erasing any deficit, and is victorious against its opponent.

But for the James Madison University men's basketball team, only one thing is certain: the Dukes were never going to lose that game. Though, it still was two different halves for James Madison, showing off some of its star-studded talent as well as a deep bench.

The Dukes ran by Arkansas State, 91-71, in the Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship on Monday at the Pensacola Bay Center, punching James Madison's automatic ticket to the NCAA Tournament. James Madison will learn its seed and opponent come Sunday during the Selection Show.

"When I took over the job, I didn’t know when, where or at what point. But I knew we were going to get it. It takes a special group like this to finish the deal," James Madison head coach Mark Byington said. "Just a great tournament. I’m more excited to take these guys to the next one. We don’t have to wait until Selection Sunday to see if we’re in. We know we’re in. And we’re dancing.”

The first half saw James Madison's Xavier Brown take over the game. He scored 21 of the Dukes' 42 first-half points, and Arkansas State still was hanging around a bit. James Madison took a 10-point lead into halftime.

A 3-pointer from Noah Freidel followed by a jump shot from Terrence Edwards seemed to throw Arkansas State out of rhythm. That's when the Dukes pounced, going on small bursts to coast to victory.

It was in the second frame where James Madison's depth came alive, and several players contributed.

"I thought we were playing basketball the right way. We were finding the guy who was hot in the first half. The second half, we had more assists. Noah made a shot in the second half and got us going," Byington said. "We started rolling after that. If you would’ve heard our guys in the huddle, it was a player-led team today. Their voices were strong and positive with belief in each other. There was no way we were going to let this game get away tonight. There was absolutely no way possible. We were going to win, no matter what.”

James Madison is now riding a 13-game win streak into the NCAA Tournament. However, it's not the longest of their season. The Dukes started the year off with a 14-game win streak.

Either way, James Madison is heading to the national stage with some confidence, having not lost since a tight 82-76 loss to App State on Jan 27.

“I felt like people forgot about us. We were on an incredible win streak, and we weren’t fading. We were battling and everything else. I knew we would take care of business down here," Byington said. "This was their mission. They were solely focused on this tournament. It’s not like we were asking for respect. But you can stamp it on us now."

This story will be updated.

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at [email protected].

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