DeSantis targets ‘ideological’ programs in proposed university changes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a slate of changes to Florida’s university system on Tuesday that could shake up diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as faculty tenure at campuses across the state.

The Republican governor is asking the Legislature in the upcoming session to eliminate all state funding toward those programs, which he deems “ideological,” and pass a measure that would give university officials the power to launch a tenure review at any time. These proposals could prove to be banner higher education legislation in 2023 as Florida Republicans seize on colleges in their push to eliminate “woke” lessons in schools.

“People want to see true academics and they want to get rid of some of the political window dressing that seems to accompany all this,” DeSantis said Tuesday at an event in Bradenton, Fla.

DeSantis earlier this month laid the groundwork for this proposal by launching an initial probe for data on how much state funding flows to diversity, equity and inclusion programs — as well as critical race theory — at state colleges and universities, giving the first indication that these services could be on the chopping block this year. Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, encompasses a breadth of policies and programs promoting the representation and participation of different groups in schools, which can include ages, ethnicities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations.

After universities responded to his request and spelled out at least $34.5 million in spending toward diversity and similar programs, DeSantis pledged to “eliminate all DEI and CRT bureaucracies” statewide. That appears to put at risk positions at colleges such as the University of Florida’s chief diversity office, which develops and coordinates “inclusive excellence” strategy and initiatives across UF and supports compliance with federal Affirmative Action regulations.

“No funding, and that will wither on the vine,” DeSantis said Tuesday.

Officials alongside DeSantis claimed Tuesday that DEI programs are a “lie” that are harming students by limiting discourse and restricting debate among students. They criticized universities in other states such as California and Illinois that require applicants to sign diversity and equity statements as a commitment to those principles.

“We are rejecting mistakes that other states are making,” said State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues.

DeSantis has sought to reshape Florida’s colleges and universities into more conservative-leaning institutions. He recently appointed six new trustees to the board of the Sarasota-based New College, a small liberal arts college, and last year, his chief of staff helped former Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse navigate the University of Florida application process to become the flagship university’s new president.

DeSantis also wants Florida lawmakers to give university presidents and trustee boards power to call for a review of a tenured faculty member at any time. The Legislature in 2022 passed a law clearing a path for the state university system’s Board of Governors to adopt rules requiring tenured faculty to take part in a “comprehensive” review every five years. Now, DeSantis wants to expand that policy.

Additionally, DeSantis is pushing to give university presidents more authority in faculty hiring decisions. The Republican governor also suggested spending $100 million in state cash to recruit “highly qualified” faculty at universities.

DeSantis also said that the state is preparing to send more funding toward New College of Florida, which is could soon be getting a curriculum and faculty overhaul. He said that Florida lawmakers are set to consider a $15 million budget allocation for new faculty and scholarships at the school in the coming weeks. He also wants a recurring $10 million to bring in faculty at New College.

“You’re not spending the money on DEI bureaucracies, you’re spending the money on bringing really good people in that are going to be able to teach our university students,” DeSantis said. “I think that makes much more sense from a financial perspective and it’s much more mission-oriented in terms of what we’re trying to do.”

The union representing higher education faculty in Florida said it will fully oppose the governor's proposals.

"The United Faculty of Florida stand in lock-step opposition to any and all so-called 'reforms' that will actually destroy our state's world-class degree programs and their ability to serve our students," said UFF President Andrew Gothard in a statement. "We will not allow Florida's future to be sacrificed for cheap political points."

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/Nkxpwgh
via IFTTT

Read More

N.Y. AG's office: Trump and kids 'falsely deny facts they have admitted'

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James says former President Donald Trump and three of his adult children lied in the answers they submitted to the court in response to James’ $250 million lawsuit accusing them and the Trump Organization of large-scale financial fraud.

Both the former president his children “falsely deny facts they have admitted in other proceedings,” deny knowing things “ that are plainly within their knowledge,” and use defenses “repeatedly rejected by this Court as frivolous and without merit,” Kevin Wallace, senior enforcement counsel in the Attorney General’s office, said in a letter to New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron.

James’ office is seeking a pre-trial conference to work out fact from fiction and to “sanction Defendants and their counsel,” for the false claims, according to the letter.

Some of those claims include Trump’s denial that he served as the inactive president of the Trump Organization while in the White House, despite Trump’s own sworn testimony that he did so; an argument from from Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump that “they are being improperly targeted for investigation,” despite the court previously rejecting the “witch-hunt” argument; and Ivanka Trump’s inability to confirm the contents of her own emails, according the letter from James’ office.

The new accusations against Trump and his children are the latest in what has been a series of legal tiffs between the prominent New York attorney and the former president. Earlier this month, Trump’s attorneys withdrew a lawsuit filed against James in Florida that sought to block her access to a trust that holds a number of his business assets.

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/OqYcp5F
via IFTTT

Read More

Trump sues Woodward over audiobook recordings

Former President Donald Trump sued journalist Bob Woodward on Monday, alleging that an audiobook published using interview tapes from their conversations violated his rights and copyright interests.

The lawsuit accuses Woodward of “systematic usurpation, manipulation, and exploitation of audio,” by publishing “The Trump Tapes,” Woodward’s 2022 audio compilation of his conversations with Trump.

Trump’s copyright interests and “rights he holds as an interviewee” were violated by the audiobook, the lawsuit alleges. He is requesting damages and a declaration of his copyright interests, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Fla.

The lawsuit also named as defendants Simon & Schuster — the audiobook’s publisher — and Paramount, Simon & Schuster’s parent company.

“When it came to treating President Trump fairly, Mr. Woodward talked the talk, but he failed to walk the walk,” said the suit, filed in the Northern District of Florida.

Central to the lawsuit’s argument is the claim that Trump never agreed for his voice to be used in an audiobook when he was interviewed for Woodward’s 2021 book on his presidency, “Rage.” Woodward received Trump’s consent to be recorded and “repeatedly informed him that such interviews were for the sole purpose of a book,” the lawsuit said.

“The Trump Tapes” was released without Trump’s permission, according to the lawsuit.

When contacted, a representative from Simon & Schuster did not immediately provide comment on the suit. Robert Barnett, whom the representative identified as Woodward’s lawyer, could not immediately be reached.

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/q9WyKzf
via IFTTT

Read More

Peace Corps evacuates volunteers from Peru amid worsening political crisis

The Peace Corps has evacuated its volunteers from Peru amid a political crisis that has included deadly crackdowns by the government on its citizens.

Troy Blackwell, a spokesperson for the Peace Corps, confirmed the relocation but not the destination.

“Peace Corps/Peru has temporarily evacuated all volunteers to another Peace Corps post,” Blackwell said in an email. “The safety and well-being of Peace Corps volunteers is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the security situation with local partners on the ground and the U.S. Embassy in Lima.”

A person familiar with the move, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive withdrawal, said the volunteers are headed to the Peace Corps’ post in Ecuador.

The decision comes after weeks of popular unrest against a government that has taken over following a failed December coup attempt by a Peruvian president facing impeachment. The South American country has had a politically tumultuous few years, cycling through several presidents amid various corruption and other scandals.

Peace Corps volunteers often work in areas far from national capitals and with less immediate protections than U.S. diplomats — meaning they are sometimes the first group of U.S. workers to be evacuated when unrest hits.

Though the U.S. has issued some travel alerts for Peru, there’s no current indication that the U.S. Embassy in Peru, U.S. Agency for International Development officials or other government agents are leaving the country.

The Peace Corps has a long, though somewhat intermittent history in Peru. Hundreds of volunteers cycled through the country between 1962 and 1975, when the program closed due to political and economic instability. It returned to the country in 2002.

Analysts are fearful that the situation in Peru — and the conditions that allowed Peace Corps volunteers to work there — aren’t set to improve.

“The government has doubled down on the crackdowns,” said Jo-Marie Burt, a professor of Latin America studies at George Mason University. “Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/WGZzM8E
via IFTTT

Read More

Federal judge blocks more of New Jersey's new gun carry law

A federal judge on Monday blocked more of New Jersey’s gun carry law from being enforced, less than a month after she blocked other sections of the newly-enacted law.

The order issued by U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb — an appointee of former President George W. Bush — temporarily lifts the blanket prohibition on carrying guns in public parks, on beaches and in casinos. A prior order Bumb issued earlier this month blocked sections of the law that prohibited guns from being carried in places where alcohol is served, in public libraries or museums, entertainment facilities and on private property where the owner does not give explicit permission. It also blocked restrictions on how guns are carried in vehicles.

The earlier order remains in effect.

The new law, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed in December, revamped the state’s gun carry application process and requirements, and established “sensitive places” where guns could not be carried. The law was in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June which drastically expanded the scope of who could carry guns outside the home.

A legal challenge was filed immediately after Murphy signed the measure into law.

New York enacted a similar law prohibiting where guns can be carried, but that law is also the subject of ongoing litigation.

Gun rights groups did not get everything they sought from Bumb. For example, the judge said the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge the prohibition of guns being carried in zoos, medical facilities, airports and on movie sets. Gun rights groups also wanted her to block the prohibition of carrying guns on playgrounds. Bumb denied that request, declaring that playgrounds were analogous to schools — area courts have suggested guns cannot be carried.

Challenges to those provisions of the law, however, are expected to resurface in later phases of the litigation.

"This marks the beginning of the end for Governor Murphy's blatantly unconstitutional new carry law, which is going down in flames,” Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, said in a statement. “Murphy has clearly demonstrated that constitutional issues are indeed above his pay grade."

In her 46-page opinion, Bumb, sitting in Camden, wrote that the state failed to provide evidence that some “sensitive places” defined in the law were analogous to “a historical tradition of firearm regulation,” the legal standard for bearing guns being carried somewhere.

Democratic leaders have insisted the new law is consistent with the constitution and the Supreme Court’s June ruling. Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, who played a key role in crafting the law, had their motion to intervene in the case to defend the law approved on Monday.

“Our law pursues common sense boundaries that keep dangerous weapons out of places of learning and recreation where there are children, families, and folks going about their lives in peace,” Coughlin said in a statement. “I am disappointed, but we have joined the lawsuit to ensure our voice is heard in the legal process and look forward to the full law taking effect to keep our communities safe.”

In separate statements, spokespeople for Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin also said they were “disappointed” by Bumb's ruling.

“We are disappointed that the court invalidated common-sense restrictions on the right to carry firearms in public, which are fully consistent with the Second Amendment,” Murphy spokesperson Tyler Jones said. “We look forward to being able to appeal the ruling and are confident that it will be reversed.”

“We are disappointed that the court has undermined important and longstanding protections against firearms violence in our public parks and in casinos,” Platkin said. “Today’s order is bad for public safety and inconsistent with the Second Amendment. But these orders remain temporary, and we look forward to pressing our case, including ultimately on appeal."

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/71twVln
via IFTTT

Read More

Bolsonaro wants to extend his stay in Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to be a Florida man for a little longer.

Bolsonaro is seeking to extend his stay in Florida as authorities in his home country investigate him for alleged wrongdoing, including whether he inspired his supporters to storm government buildings in Brasilia.

Felipe Alexandre, co-founder of the law firm AG Immigration, said in a statement that he’s representing Bolsonaro in his visa application and that the former Brazilian president wants to stay in the U.S. for at least another six months.

The Financial Times reports that Bolsonaro is on an A-1 diplomatic visa, which is reserved for diplomats and heads of state.

Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida in late December after he lost reelection to leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and has been staying at a home near Disney World in Orlando. Fans and supporters have frequently waited outside his Orlando-area residence to catch a glimpse or to greet him with food and words of praise. He was also spotted wandering around a local grocery store and eating at a KFC, sparking online jokes on Twitter.

But in early January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brazil to protest the country’s October election results. The scene was eerily similar to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

In the aftermath of the Brazilian protests, lawmakers in the U.S. called for Bolsonaro’s ouster from America.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D.-N.Y.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) both called on the Biden administration to kick Bolsonaro out of the country while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told POLITICO the U.S. should comply with any valid extradition request to return the former Brazilian president.

In a letter dated Jan. 12 to President Joe Biden, almost 50 U.S. House members called on the president to examine whether Bolsonaro can legitimately stay in the country. The lawmakers also asked Biden to prevent Bolsonaro from taking refuge here.

“His peddling of disinformation, his failure to call on supporters to accept the results of the election, and his active calls to mobilize against democratic institutions incited thousands of protestors to storm government buildings and to participate in the violent acts on January 8 against Brazil’s pillars of democracy,” the letter stated.

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/6DytVe3
via IFTTT

Read More

Florida weighs allowing concealed carry guns without permit

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is set to become the 26th state to allow citizens to carry firearms without a permit under legislation outlined Monday by Republican House Speaker Paul Renner.

Conservatives and gun rights groups in Florida have long pushed to give Florida residents to ability to carry firearms with a permit, known by supporters as “constitutional carry,” but past legislation has routinely gotten bogged down. This year’s efforts are bolstered by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has repeatedly said he would sign a permitless carry bill if lawmakers sent it to his desk.

As the 2023 legislative session approaches, though, the Renner-led House appears to be taking point on getting the bill through the Legislature.

“Florida led the nation in allowing for concealed carry, and that extends today as we remove the government permission slip to exercise a constitutional right,” Renner said Monday during a news conference, where he was flanked by a handful of county sheriffs.

Renner spearheaded the press conference, a signal it’s a clear top priority for the speaker, but the bill is being sponsored by state Rep.Chuck Brannan (R-Lake City) and state Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa). Lawmakers did not formally file a bill at the time of the news conference but are expected to by Monday afternoon.

Under the proposal, the state will no longer require individuals to get a permit from Florida to own a gun. The state also won’t mandate other provisions, including a training requirement needed to get a permit. Permits would still be an option for gun owners who want to get them, something needed to be able to legally carry a gun in states that do not have permitless carry.

The proposal does not address whether people will be allowed to openly carry firearms in public. Under current Florida law, gun owners are not allowed to carry guns in the open.

In 2021, Texas approved a similar “open carry” law that allows most gun owners 21 and over to carry a handgun in a holster without a permit. The Texas law allows citizens to carry the gun in the open or concealed.

Democrats blasted the bill that they say will flood the state with gun owners who are not properly trained. Shortly after Renner’s press conference, Democrats pledged to fight to defeat it during the 2023 session — but Republicans have supermajorities in both the House and Senate, giving them near unchecked power.

“We are united in opposition to this policy proposal,” said Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (D-Parkland), whose district includes the scene of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass school shooting that left 17 people dead.

Democrats also see the proposal as another in a long line of culture war-infused bills DeSantis will champion during the legislative session to further energize his conservative base as he prepares to run for president. In the past few week alone, DeSantis has asked lawmakers for a sweeping criminal justice bill packed with policies generally supported by conservatives, rejected an Advanced Placement course focused on African-American history, a move that has gotten him national criticism from those who think he is whitewashing American history and signaled he will push for legislation cracking down on teacher’s unions, which are the last bastion of reliable political support for Florida Democrats.

“This is another effort to appeal to his conservative base as he runs for president,” said state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando).

DeSantis was not at the Tallahassee press conference, instead holding his own at the same time in Orlando focused on transportation budget requests.

from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/uhFSL6d
via IFTTT

Read More