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July 31, 2022

DeSantis Files Complaint Over “Disturbing Trend”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) filed a complaint this week against a restaurant after a viral video showed children attending a drag show at the establishment.

The complaint alleges that R House in Miami violated state law, citing a 1947 state Supreme Court ruling that “men impersonating women” in a “suggestive and indecent” manner constitutes a public nuisance.

“The video shows what appears to be a transgender dancer leading a young girl by the hand and walking through Respondent’s dining area,” the complaint reads.

“The dancer’s buttocks were fully exposed, and his ‘g-string’-style bikini bottom was stuffed with dollar bills — a practice that is commonly known to occur at strip clubs. The dancer’s breasts — unmistakably female in appearance — were also fully exposed except for the nipple and areola, which were covered with adhesive ‘pasties.’”

“Having kids involved in this is wrong,” DeSantis said during a press conference this week. “That is not consistent with our law and policy in the state of Florida, and it is a disturbing trend in our society to try to sexualize these young people.”

“That is not the way you look out for our children,” he continued. “You do not expose them to things that are inappropriate.”

If the complaint is successful, R House could lose its liquor license.

R House ownership provided a statement to the Miami Herald, saying the incident was a “misunderstanding” and they were working to “rectify the situation.”

“We are hopeful that Gov. DeSantis, a vociferous supporter and champion of Florida’s hospitality industry and small businesses, will see this as what it is, a misunderstanding,” the owners said.

By T. Thompson
July 18, 2022

Elected Official Rebuked for “Attacking” Cop Who Pulled Her Over [Video]

An elected official in Florida was rebuked for using profanity and speeding away from a police officer who pulled her over.

Body camera footage shows Pompano Beach Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins (D) snap at a police officer during a traffic stop. The officer tells her she was “driving crazy” violating the nearby speed limits and asks for her driver’s license.

When he returns from his squad car, the officer tells Perkins that he’s letting her off with a warning.

“Ms. Perkins, you need to slow down, OK?” he says, adding that he’s issuing “a warning about speeding, OK?”

Perkins doesn’t respond or indicate she heard the officer. “Did you hear what I said?” he asks.

“Did you hear what I said?” the officer says. “You’ve got to slow down. I’m writing you a warning for speeding tonight, OK?”

As the officer begins to walk away, Perkins asks for his name.

“I am Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins from the city of Pompano Beach. Y’all need to find something better to f—ing do,” she says before briskly driving off in her white Audi.

After the video was released, Perkins offered a half-hearted apology.

“If any exchange on my part, the conversation with the police officer, is perceived as being disrespectful, then I do apologize,” she said.

But attorney Barbara Stern, who represents the Fort Lauderdale police union, wasn’t having it.

“You were not gracious. You were not apologetic,” Stern said. “You were rude, unprofessional and disrespectful.”

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department issued a statement, condemning Perkins for “attacking” the police officer.

“Madam Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins, instead of attacking the hard-working Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officers and resorting to using profanity, we suggest you apologize and then sign up for some ride alongs to see what they do every day to protect the citizens of our great city,” the department said.

“As an elected official, you too are held to a higher standard and should know better. If that is not something you can bring yourself to do, we suggest you obey the speed limit and seek anger management.”

By T. Thompson
July 17, 2022

DeSantis Blasts Disney’s “Stupid Activism”

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1945: Potsdam Conference – Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill hold 1st post-World War II meeting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) decried Disney’s “stupid activism” over his state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“What we’ve done, maybe better than any other state in the country, is we have drawn a very clear line in the sand that says our school system is for educating kids, not indoctrinating kids,” DeSantis said during remarks at the Moms for Liberty National Summit.

“We’ve also drawn a clear line in the sand that says parents have a fundamental role in the education of their kids.”

DeSantis said he was a bit surprised by the backlash from the Walt Disney Company following the bill’s enactment. He thought “the left would have their spasm,” but he “honestly didn’t think that companies were going to say anything again.”

“All I’m doing is trying to defend parents,” DeSantis said. “The reality is Americans are sick of some of these companies and their stupid activism.”

The governor continued, saying, “It’s one thing to advance things in the political arena, but when they can’t get things done through the ballot box, they use corporate power to do it and to impose a leftist agenda through corporate America.”

“You’ve got to be concerned about that.”

DeSantis also criticized President Joe Biden for record-breaking inflation and high gas prices.

“When you see Brandon blundering around, bad energy policy you see every time you go fill up gas, and there’s the grocery bills — there’s a lot to be pessimistic about, particularly in terms of Washington, D.C.,” he said, noting that “in the state of Florida … [the] sun is rising.”

By T. Thompson
July 8, 2022

Florida Man Sentenced for Threatening Ilhan Omar

A Florida man was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $7,000 over a threatening email he sent to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in 2019.

Sarasota resident David Hannon, 67, apologized for his actions before U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle handed down the sentence, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

“I’m very, very sorry and very remorseful about my behavior that night,” Hannon told the judge. “I can’t believe I would do something as heinous as that.”

“I do have remorse that I did target Ms. Omar,” he said. “But I don’t have any hatred toward anyone, whether their race, creed, color, or nationality. This is the United States of America, and whatever people do and say, they have a right to do that. But I had no right to write that email.”

Hannon was intoxicated in July 2019 when he wrote an email to Omar with the subject line, “Your dead you radical Muslim.”

“We Are Ready To Carryout Mass Assassinations Against Alquida Radicals That Have Somehow Got Into Our American Political Parties,” the email read. “Your Already On The HIT LIST BY OUR AMERICAN PATRIOT ARMY AND THE MOUSAD!”

He also threatened other lawmakers affiliated with the so-called Squad — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).

“YOU WONT HEAR THE BULLET GOING THROUGH YOUR OR THEIR HEADS! ALL FOUR OF YOU CONGRESS WOMEN WILL DIE AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL CHEER! PATRIOTS AGAINST ISLAM! GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

In addition to the three years of probation and the $7,000 fine, the judge ordered Hannon to undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment and to refrain from contacting Omar.

Elizabeth Hannon Dillon, Hannon’s daughter, told the judge that her father’s email was former President Donald Trump’s fault.

“He was doing that because Trump told him to,” she said. “He was a Trump supporter, and now he regrets it.”

By T. Thompson
June 27, 2022

Man Arrested at Disney for Terrifying Reason

A Florida man was arrested at a Disney Springs parking garage after being found with ammunition, a gun, and two magazines in a backpack while trying to get through security, according to a report.

Police said Aaron Josue Lopez went through security at the parking garage around 10 p.m. when he was flagged for a second search.

Disney policy dictates that weapons are not allowed on any company property.

Lopez allegedly told Disney security that a folding knife was in his backpack. He reportedly turned around and walked away, telling the officer, “Oh, there’s something else in here besides a knife that I wanna put back in my car.”

At that point, another Disney employee stopped Lopez and took him to Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Lopez was arrested and booked on one count of carrying a concealed firearm.

By T. Thompson
June 24, 2022

DeSantis Reacts to Former Rival’s Arrest [Video]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called out the media for the favorable coverage outlets showered on Andrew Gillum, his former rival in the state’s 2018 gubernatorial race.

A conservative activist reportedly asked DeSantis on Thursday if he felt “vindicated” in the wake of Gillum’s 21-count indictment on federal fraud charges.

“Well, you know… I would ask a lot of the media that propped him up whether they have any type of mea culpa on that,” DeSantis responded.

“I mean, there were clearly a lot of issues there. If you looked under the hood, you saw it, but what was presented to the public was that this guy was like the second coming.”

The Florida governor continued, saying, “never has a candidate been elevated, I think, that way by media outlets, certainly in the last ten years or so. And I can tell you – if I had not won in 2018, this state would be in much worse shape, and that’s not even a question.”

By T. Thompson
June 23, 2022

Governor Candidate Charged with Fraud

Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate for the governor of Florida in 2018, was indicted in federal court on fraud charges, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, Gillum and Sharon Letterman-Hicks, his longtime adviser, “conspired to commit wire fraud by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”

Gillum and Letterman-Hicks are also accused of using “third parties to divert a portion of those funds to a company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use,” the DOJ said.

While both defendants are charged with 19 counts of wire fraud, Gillum also faces a charge of making false statements to the FBI.

Wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, and the maximum term of imprisonment for making false statements is five years.

Gillum, a former Tallahassee mayor, proclaimed his innocence in a statement to NBC News.

“I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people,” Gillum said.

“Every campaign I’ve run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power. There’s been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee. They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now.”

By T. Thompson
June 20, 2022

Convicted Felon Running for Congress

Former Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) has announced that she’s running for Congress again after her conviction on 18 counts stemming from fraud was overturned last year.

Although Brown’s conviction was overturned, she just pleaded guilty to one count of fraud last month as part of a plea deal. A federal judge sentenced Brown to time served — roughly two years and eight months.

“I’ve represented most of the people of the new 10th District during my 24 years in Congress and I always earned huge support in this region,” Brown said in a press release.

“Now I see our hard-won gains are being taken away from us. Minorities have lost opportunities to elect candidates of their choice because of the recent gerrymandering in the State of Florida.”

Also vying for Florida’s 10th District seat is civil rights lawyer Natalie Jackson, who served as Brown’s co-counsel during her trial.

“I helped the people of Orlando when the Pulse shooting happened. I helped when the hurricanes hit. I worked with the community by coordinating relief aid after an earthquake devastated Haiti. And I led the fight when Trayvon Martin was viciously gunned down,” Brown said.

“I carry the people of Orlando in my heart wherever I go. And they have responded with an outcry of support and prayer that has touched my heart. To them I say, thank you for your continued prayers and support! I will continue to fight to make sure your voice is heard. To God be the glory!”

By T. Thompson
March 10, 2022

Florida Lawmakers Pass Controversial Bill Amid Protests

The Florida Senate passed HB 117, the controversial legislature critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, despite protests and staunch criticism from Democratic lawmakers and LGBTQ advocates.

The “Parental Rights in Education” bill passed 22-17 and now makes its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

DeSantis has been a vocal supporter of the legislation, saying it will shield younger students from age-inappropriate information.

“We are going to make sure parents are able to send their kids to kindergarten without having some of this stuff injected into their school curriculum,” DeSantis said ahead of the vote.

Once DeSantis adds his signature, the bill will go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year.

“We want the focus to be on those basic, fundamental things,” said Republican State Representative Joe Harding, who sponsored the bill. “The reading, the writing, the math. And when discussions come up as a dad of four kids, children ask questions. Discussions are going to come up. We can’t ban a conversation. We can’t ban a discussion. That’s not what we’re doing.”

The bill has faced heavy criticism, including from President Joe Biden. He called the bill “hateful” to the LGBTQ community.

“Leaders in Florida are prioritizing hateful bills that hurt some of the students most in need,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. 

“The Department of Education has made clear that all schools receiving federal funding must follow federal civil rights law, including Title IX’s protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We stand with our LGBTQ+ students in Florida and across the country, and urge Florida leaders to make sure all their students are protected and supported.”

Here is the final version of the measure:

"Requires district school boards to adopt procedures that comport with certain provisions of law for notifying student's parent of specified information; requires such procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children; prohibits school district from adopting procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying parent about specified information or that encourage student to withhold from parent such information; prohibits school district personnel from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification & involvement in critical decisions affecting student's mental, emotional, or physical well-being; prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels; requires school districts to notify parents of healthcare services; authorizes parent to bring action against school district to obtain declaratory judgment; provides for additional award of injunctive relief, damages, & reasonable attorney fees & court costs to certain parents."

Source:

Florida Senate passes controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill despite protests

By T. Thompson
March 8, 2022

Florida Recommends Against COVID Shots for Healthy Kids

Florida’s Department of Health is recommending against COVID-19 vaccinations for “healthy children,” officially contradicting the official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

State surgeon general Joseph Ladapo said Florida “is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children.”

Ladapo’s comments came at the end of a roundtable discussion on the coronavirus response. He did not provide details on what qualifications would determine a healthy child.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was sitting next to Ladapo, added that there has been “a failure to weigh costs and benefits, whether that’s lockdowns, whether that’s school closures, or whether that’s even something about whether a healthy seven-year-old kid should get the COVID vaccines.”

The CDC recommends the coronavirus vaccine for everyone aged 5 and older.

Later, during a press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if the Biden administration considers Florida’s move sound policy.

“Absolutely not,” Psaki replied.

“Let me just note that we know the science. We know the data and what works and what the most effective steps are in protecting people of a range of ages from hospitalization and even death. The FDA and CDC have already weighed in on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for those 5 and older,” she said.

Source:

Florida to advise against COVID-19 vaccine for healthy kids, contradicting CDC

By T. Thompson
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