New Ohio law notifies parents of child’s gender identity changes
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed 30 bills into law Wednesday, Jan. 8. One of those bills was legislation that requires schools to notify parents if their child’s gender identity does not align with their sex.
The new law also allows parents to opt their child out of instruction related to sexuality and gender. It further bans lessons on sexuality for students in kindergarten through third grade.
The legislation defines “sexuality content” as “any oral or written instruction, presentation, image or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology provided in a classroom setting.”
The bill emphasizes that “a parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent’s child.”
“If you’re a parent, you want to be informed with what’s going on in your child’s life,” DeWine said. “The parents are the best teachers, they’re the first teachers, the best teachers.”
Critics of the bill have dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, drawing comparisons to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, passed and signed into law in 2022.
LGBTQ+ advocates in Ohio warn this law could put transgender children in danger if they come from unsupportive families.
Equality Ohio Executive Director Dwayne Steward expressed his disappointment in a statement: “It’s deeply disappointing that Gov. DeWine has signed HB 8 when it was opposed by educators and the LGBTQ+ community alike because it punishes teachers and staff for supporting LGBTQ+ students who are already targets of bullying and harassment. We will continue to fight for an Ohio that makes all students feel safe and secure in their schools.”
Civil rights advocates are planning to file a lawsuit, according to reports from WEWS News.
In addition to the gender identity provisions, the new law also mandates that public schools allow students to leave class for religious instruction.
Federal judge tosses Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis
A federal judge threw out Walt Disney Company’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the secretary of Florida’s Commerce Department. Disney sued DeSantis, alleging that he retaliated against the company after it criticized the Parental Rights in Education Act, known to critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law backed by DeSantis.
Last year, Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature changed the district, renaming it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, with its board members now selected by Gov. DeSantis and then must be confirmed by the state Senate.
Shortly after its creation, the district voted to throw out a development agreement between Disney and the previous board known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney also canceled its plans to build a $1 billion campus in Orlando.
In its lawsuit, Disney alleged DeSantis is punishing the company for exercising its First Amendment rights. Disney said it would appeal Judge Winsor’s ruling.
A spokesperson for DeSantis said the ruling said, “The federal court’s decision made it clear that Governor DeSantis was correct: Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state, and they do not have a right to their own special government.”
The federal lawsuit is separate from Disney’s state lawsuit against the new tourism district for terminating its previous agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
YouTube facing questions after beheading video remained online for hours: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 1, 2024
Questions about YouTube’s policies are being raised after a graphic video related to a murder case in Pennsylvania is left up for hours. And three people are killed and several more injured when a building collapses near an airport in Idaho. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024.
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YouTube video connected to PA murder remained online for hours
YouTube’s policies are being questioned after it was discovered that a graphic video involving a case of a son accused of beheading his father was left on the video-sharing site for hours. Police in Pennsylvania charged 32-year-old Justin Mohn on Wednesday, Jan. 31, with first-degree murder and abusing a corpse.
Authorities said Mohn killed his father and then posted a graphic 14-minute video about the murder on YouTube, showing the severed head. Police said the video was uploaded about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, and remained online for anyone to see for about five hours.
The graphic video was viewed more than 5,000 times before it was eventually taken down. A social media advocacy group told the Associated Press this is “another example of the blatant failure of these companies to protect us.”
Critics have accused YouTube and other social media platforms of not investing in their trust and safety teams. YouTube’s policies were put under the microscope while five social media CEOs were questioned during a Congressional hearing about child safety online.
Representatives for YouTube and its parent company, Google, were not in attendance. YouTube responded to the criticism.
“YouTube has strict policies prohibiting graphic violence and violent extremism. The video was removed for violating our graphic violence policy, and Justin Mohn’s channel was terminated in line with our violent extremism policies,” the company said in a statement. “Our teams are closely tracking to remove any re-uploads of the video.”
YouTube said it uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human moderators to monitor its platform.
Zuckerberg apologizes to families at online child safety hearing
CEOs from five social media companies testified at a Congressional hearing concerning online child safety measures on Wednesday, Jan. 31. CEOs from Meta, TikTok, X, Snapchat, and Discord answered questions from lawmakers about the role their platforms play in the lives of young users, and how social media has led to children suicides and exploitation.
In one key moment in the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg if he apologized to the victims and their families.
“Let me ask you this. There are families of victims here today. Have you apologized to the victims? Would you like to do so now? They’re here, you’re on national television,” Hawley said. “Would you like now to apologize to the victims who’ve been harmed by your product? Show him the pictures. Would you like to apologize for what you’ve done to these good people?”
“No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered. And this is why we’ve invested so much and are going to continue doing industry-leading efforts to make sure no one has to go through the types of things that your families have had to suffer,” Zuckerberg said.
If you’re waiting on the social media industry to regulate itself, you’ll die waiting.
It is unclear if the hearing will lead to any type of legislation, though lawmakers are working on bipartisan bills. You can find Lauren Taylor’s full report on the hearing here.
House passes $78 billion bipartisan tax bill increasing child tax credit
In a bipartisan vote on Wednesday evening, Jan. 31, the House overwhelmingly approved a $78 billion tax cut package, increasing the child tax credit for millions of lower-income families. The bill passed 357-70 and now moves on to the Senate.
Along with expanding the child tax credit, the package also restores business tax breaks related to research and development. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the bill “important” legislation and added that this was “a good example of how Congress is supposed to make law.”
I voted against tonight’s tax bill that balloons our already out-of-control welfare system.
While Republicans and Democrats came together on the bill, not everyone got what they hoped for. Several New York Republicans were looking for it to include state and local tax deduction limits. And while some Republicans said the bill expanded the child tax credit too much, some Democrats said it did not.
Five of the injured were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Officials said the building’s collapse caused a crane to fall but did not impact the airport. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
Judge throws out Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis and Florida’s Commerce Dept.
A federal judge threw out Walt Disney Company’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the secretary of Florida’s Commerce Department. Disney sued DeSantis, alleging that he retaliated against the company after it criticized the Parental Rights in Education Act, known to critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law backed by DeSantis.
Last year, Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature changed the district, renaming it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, with its board members now selected by Gov. DeSantis and then must be confirmed by the state Senate.
We have consistently fought — and won — the big fights on behalf of the people.
When Disney went after our kids, I stood strong in defense of the rights of parents.
Donald Trump and Nikki Haley sided with Disney. Haley even invited them to her state.
Shortly after its creation, the district voted to throw out a development agreement between Disney and the previous board known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney also canceled its plans to build a $1 billion campus in Orlando.
In its lawsuit, Disney alleged DeSantis is punishing the company for exercising its First Amendment rights. Disney said it would appeal Judge Winsor’s ruling.
— The Walt Disney Company (@WaltDisneyCo) March 28, 2022
A spokesperson for DeSantis said the ruling said, “The federal court’s decision made it clear that Governor DeSantis was correct: Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state, and they do not have a right to their own special government.”
The federal lawsuit is separate from Disney’s state lawsuit against the new tourism district for terminating its previous agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Donations pour in to replace stolen Jackie Robinson statue
There has been an outpouring of support to replace a symbol honoring one of baseball’s greats. On what would have been Jackie Robinson’s 105th birthday, donations poured in Wednesday, Jan. 31, to replace a statue of the baseball hall of famer who broke the major league’s color barrier in 1947.
One online fundraiser has raised over $156,000, surpassing the statue’s estimated value of $75,000. Major League Baseball has announced it will replace the statue and provide funding for a local youth baseball league called “League 42,” named after Robinson’s uniform number.
College Board: Florida ‘effectively banned AP psychology’ in state
The College Board released a statement saying the state of Florida has “effectively banned AP Psychology in the state.” The board took issue with the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s classrooms.
“The AP course asks students to ‘describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.’ This element of the framework is not new: gender and sexual orientation have been part of AP Psychology since the course launched 30 years ago,” the College Board said in its statement. “To be clear, any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either Florida law or college requirements. Therefore, we advise Florida districts not to offer AP Psychology until Florida reverses their decision and allows parents and students to choose to take the full course.”
Florida Department of Education spokesperson Cassandra Palelis denied that the state had banned the AP psychology course. She did not respond to a question about whether the state had advised superintendents that the course violated state law.
“Just one week before school starts, the College Board is attempting to force school districts to prevent students from taking the AP Psychology Course,” Palelis said. “We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly.”
According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the right. The Media Landscape indicates that while left-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer right-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.
The back-and-forth between Florida and the College Board over AP psychology comes after Florida blocked the AP African American studies course. The Department of Education said the classes “lacked educational value” and violated a state law that bans the teaching of critical race theory.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
DeSantis keeps up attacks on Disney as some GOPers balk
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., addressed a very supportive crowd at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Leadership Summit. In his speech, he promised not to back down from his fight with Disney.
“They were exempt from laws that virtually everybody else had to follow,” DeSantis said. “They had great tax breaks, they were even able to rack up debt. No single entity or individual in the state of Florida enjoyed such privileges. And, you know, that’s not good government, that’s not free enterprise.”
The DeSantis-Disney dispute has been going on for more than a year. It started with the Parental Rights in Education Act that prohibited instruction on gender and sexuality in schools. Critics call it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Disney spoke out against it and DeSantis is now threatening to impose higher taxes on the company or even build a state prison nearby its resort.
“It is wrong to teach a second grader that they may have been born in the wrong body. It is wrong to teach students that gender is a choice,” DeSantis said. “And we don’t allow that in Florida. And the Left didn’t like it, a lot of the media didn’t like it and Disney didn’t like it. But you know, we govern the state of Florida, not them.”
But this fight is starting to rub some Republicans the wrong way. Former President Donald Trump called DeSantis’ actions a political stunt and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie questioned whether the Florida governor is really a conservative.
“Where are we headed here now that, if you express disagreement in this country, the government is now going to punish you?” Christie said at a recent event hosted by Semafor.
Republican members of the Florida Legislature are also expressing dissatisfaction.
“We’re not the party of cancel culture. We can’t keep doing this tit-for-tat,” one legislator told Politico.
As DeSantis battles Disney and Trump fights criminal charges in New York, polls show Trump is pulling ahead in the 2024 GOP presidential primary race. According to FiveThirtyEight, the two were separated by 16 percentage points in March, now the gap has expanded to 25 points.
But the over a thousand attendees at the Heritage conference gave DeSantis a big standing ovation and really liked what they heard from the governor who is being encouraged to launch a presidential campaign.
“He is ready for primetime,” Heritage member Jeffrey Barrett said. “He’s definitely ready for a presidential run if he wants to run, but I’m not sure if he thinks this is the right time for him because he’s very young still.”
Barrett said when it comes to supporting a primary candidate, he’ll choose whoever he believes has the best chance of winning the general election. Right now, he thinks that’s DeSantis.
‘A new sheriff in town’: DeSantis could soon control Disney government
A battle for control over Disney’s self-governing zone in Orlando is heating up once again. Florida Republicans are taking center stage with a controversial bill that would give the governor control over the special tax Reedy Creek Improvement District, which operates Walt Disney World.
Gov. Ron DeSantis stated in a recent news conference with WESH, “Disney is no longer going to have self-government.” The bill, if passed, would change the district’s name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and allow the governor to appoint his own five-member oversight team to govern it.
While this push would largely leave the district and its powers intact, The Associated Press reports that the effort is the governor’s way of punishing Disney over its public opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Act – which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
“There’s a new sheriff in town and that’s just the way it’s gonna be,” DeSantis said at the news conference.
As DeSantis is widely expected to be launching a presidential run, Florida Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat representing parts of Broward and Miami-Dade, says Disney’s strategy is to just wait it out and resolve the battle when DeSantis leaves office.
“I think Disney anticipates having to litigate on this issue, to sue, hope to get a stay from the court to keep things status quo, and then basically just drag it out until DeSantis is gone and people need, or don’t care, about Disney,” Pizzo told reporters during a press conference in Tallahassee. However, Disney’s official response to this proposed bill remains unclear.
Disney is one of Florida’s biggest employers and political donors, with its theme park in the state attracting nearly 50 million people every year. DeSantis stated, “Disney’s gonna pay its debt.”