WEEKLY DEBRIEF: More than 100 new laws come into effect in Florida, but the flamingo is still not the state bird
Your selective summary of the top news from the previous week, plus a look ahead to coming events. And more.
That Was The Week That Was
While the nation roasted last week, frustrating Donald Trump’s big birthday bash on the National Mall, the Supreme Court handed down a batch of rulings that also made him hot under the collar.
Among them, the court refused to hear his appeal in the E. Jean Carroll case. She’s the writer who successfully sued Trump for sexual abuse and defamation. He owes her about $100 million.
The justices also ruled that Trump can’t block the counting of mail-in ballots that are postmarked on time even if they arrive late. They supported birthright citizenship over the president’s objections. And they wouldn’t let Trump fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board.
They did affirm Trump’s right to fire most agency heads, which is a huge disruption to decades of precedent, but that’s a ruling that works both ways. Trump’s successor will also have the ability to clean house when he or she arrives.
In addition to the stories listed later in this report that headlined last week’s Tropic Press newsletters, here are a few more you should be aware of:
More than 100 new laws come into effect in Florida
More than 200 bills passed by the Florida Legislature earlier this year have now been signed into law, and the majority of them took effect starting July 1.
Among them:
A wide-ranging education bill that requires students to learn cursive writing and for school districts to post pictures of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln at a “conspicuous place” in each public school.
Roads were named for Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump.
Local governments are now banned from enacting so-called net-zero policies that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Chiropractors may now charge more than $1,500 in advance payments for treatment.
Sex offenders may not live within 1,000 feet of a public swimming pool,
The state’s flagship has been replaced. It was the schooner Western Union. Now it is the S.S. American Victory.
it should be noted that not among the bills signed into law is one that makes the flamingo the state bird, an egregious oversight.
A pro-AI group spent $500K on ads for Byron Donalds
The Miami Herald reports that a pro-AI political committee backed by tech moguls has spent half a million dollars running TV ads promoting Naples U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
The right-leaning PAC, American Mission, spent at least $500,000 on roughly 1,700 TV ad spots promoting Donalds’ endorsement from President Donald Trump and targeting voters in the Tampa Bay and Tallahassee areas in March and April, according to Federal Communications Commission records.
Florida Is Teaching Children That Slavery Was Better Than Dying
In a Florida classroom, an animated Christopher Columbus is asked about slavery.
“Being taken as a slave is better than being killed, no?” Columbus says. “I don’t see the problem.”
This is not a fringe video from the internet. This is state-approved curriculum. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Department of Education made Florida the first state in the country to greenlight PragerU, a self-described conservative media organization, for use in public school classrooms.
Democrats, Haitian leaders say immigration ruling will hurt Floridians
Haitian American community advocates warn that the Supreme Court decision approving Trump’s efforts to end temporary protected status will inflict pain on people in South Florida.
Community and political leaders warned that the impact would be felt beyond the Haitian community, including by older Floridians who lose their caregivers and as the region loses a significant pool of workers.
“The decision to revoke temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians is more than an immigration issue, it is a moral issue. And it forces us to ask a simple question: How do we treat people who are our co-workers, our caregivers, our taxpayers, and our friends?” said Denise Brown, CEO of LifeNet4Families.
See the South Florida Sun Sentinel Story Here
Meme of the Week
Quote of the Week
"In the world's richest city, the minimum wage shouldn't mean living in poverty. When working people have more money in their pocket, the overall economy thrives."
— New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Letter of the Week
Funny, the U.S. is calmer and more secure when Democrats are in power. I’m tired of being scared and depressed daily. The red does that, so it’s become a theme how they ALL lie.
— Donna Nehrich
Looking Ahead
When I’m not writing this newsletter, I also scribble a current events column for Florida Weekly. This week, I’ve written about how July is the hottest month of the year—except near the beach. You should check it out. Here are some snippets from there and elsewhere to help guide your week ahead.
July 5. International Bikini Day. It was on this day in 1946 that French fashion designer Louis Reard introduced the two-piece bathing suit. He named it after the Bikini Atoll, a favorite target for atomic bomb testing.
July 6. International Kissing Day. This holiday started in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s and quickly spread like a contagious disease. It encourages kissing “for connections’ sake.” It’s also a great way to share mononucleosis.
July 7. The National Day of Rock and Roll was created in 2020 to celebrate the genre’s pioneers. Ringo Starr clearly tops that list in my book. What say you?
July 8. Body Painting Day. The best place to see body painting on display on this planet is at Key West’s annual Fantasy Fest, Oct. 16-25. This year’s theme is “Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals.”
July 9. World Cup quarter-finals begin today.
July 10. Florida’s annual Python Challenge begins today. The hunter who captures the most snakes gets $10,000.
July 11. World Population Day is an annual global observance to highlight the importance of family planning, gender equality, maternal health, human rights, and the impacts of human population growth. Snake population growth is addressed the day before.
Last Week’s Tropic Press headlines
In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that headlined Tropic Press this past week. Click on the headlines to read the stories.
Breaking News: Supreme Court hands defeats to Trump in three cases
Battle lines for the midterms firming up: Hope for the future versus fear and loathing
America’s richest president ever gets even wealthier while on the job
Breaking News: Trump loses bid before Supreme Court to end birthright citizenship
ICE agents, up to their old habits (pun intended), make an ungodly arrest only Lucifer could love
What price freedom in Florida? Lawsuits test limits of the state’s free speech crackdown
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J.C. Bruce
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"They did affirm Trump’s right to fire most agency heads, which is a huge disruption to decades of precedent," --- this had me depressed all week.
"but that’s a ruling that works both ways. Trump’s successor will also have the ability to clean house when he or she arrives." --- but this cheered me up! Why didn't I think of that? Thank you! ☺️
I see in the new laws they’re renaming SR-80:
SB 628 designates 124 miles of SR-80 stretching from SR-A1A in Palm Beach County to US-41 in Lee County as the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”
Guess we can also nickname it Corruption King Highway