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☆ Ron DeSantis’s Disney Oversight Board to Consider Nullifying Agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: APAn oversight board named by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to meet Wednesday and consider a proposal to declare null and void agreements struck by Walt Disney Co. in February that retained much of the company’s control over the land near Orlando that houses its theme parks. At its meeting last week, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors, which oversees a special tax district that includes Walt Disney World Resort, criticized agreements cemented by the company shortly before the new board, aligned with Mr. DeSantis, took over. Disney went before the board’s prior leadership, which it essentially handpicked under a previous structure that the state Legislature and Mr. DeSantis overhauled, and secured approvals for the next 30 years on zoning, infrastructure and air rights that the company might need if it chooses to expand Disney World.

It will not work,” said Martin Garcia, chairman of the DeSantis-picked Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors. Wednesday’s moves are the latest escalation in the fight between DeSantis and Disney as DeSantis moves toward a 2024 presidential bid. Disney responded by suing DeSantis, the board and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity acting secretary Meredith Ivey, seeking to block the board’s moves. But the special district also freed Disney from bureaucratic red tape and made it cheaper to borrow to finance infrastructure projects around its theme parks, among other significant advantages. DeSantis then targeted Disney’s special governing powers.

☆ Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleges political effort to hurt its business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walt Disney Co. sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging the Republican governor has waged a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power" against the company amid a protracted fight over a controversial classroom bill. The federal lawsuit alleges that DeSantis "orchestrated at every step" a campaign to punish Disney that now threatens the company's business. Soon after, the governor and his allies targeted the special tax district that has allowed Disney to essentially self-govern its Florida operations since the 1960s. "The government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional," Disney alleged in the civil complaint in U.S. District Court in northern Florida.

☆ DeSantis-Allied Board Plans to Nullify Disney’s Prior Development Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Associated PressAn oversight board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advanced plans to nullify agreements Walt Disney Co. made under prior leadership, which allowed it to retain significant control over the land near Orlando where its theme parks are located. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors, who met Wednesday, criticized the agreements cemented by Disney in February, shortly before the new board took over. The agreements included a 30-year land-development contract locking in zoning, infrastructure and air-rights approvals that the company might need if it seeks to expand its Walt Disney World Resort.

☆ DeSantis and allies ramp up Disney fight as more Republicans criticize his tactics
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DeSantis ripped Disney repeatedly this week over its recent maneuvers to thwart the governor's efforts to seize some control of the company's Orlando parks and properties. Meanwhile, his handpicked board of supervisors overseeing Disney World's special tax district increased the pressure on Disney. The board took that step two days after DeSantis floated a range of possible actions against Disney World, including developing land nearby. That legislation, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, "should never have been signed" by DeSantis, Disney said in a March 2022 statement. The state's Republican governor and GOP-held legislature targeted the special tax district that has allowed Disney to essentially govern itself for decades.

☆ Ron DeSantis allies on Disney oversight board threaten company with taxes, rate hikes and affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It really is shameful what Disney tried to do,” board chairman Martin Garcia said. However, Disney in February reached agreements with the outgoing board that seemed to render the body powerless to control the entertainment giant. Garcia said that the agreements went unmentioned by a representative for Disney when the two sides met soon after DeSantis appointed the new board. “Our board truly wished to work with Disney,” Garcia said. The board plans to vote at its April 26 meeting to void the previous agreements reached with Disney.

☆ Suspect arrested in stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 13 (Reuters) - San Francisco police arrested a man on Thursday morning in connection with the fatal stabbing of Bob Lee, according to local media reports, just over a week after the tech executive succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The San Francisco Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for further information. Lee, who founded Block Inc-owned (SQ.N) Cash App, is believed to have known the suspect. The two reportedly were driving in downtown San Francisco in Momeni's car when an alleged confrontation led to Lee's April 4 stabbing. The San Francisco Chronicle also reported news of an arrest, citing San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and other city officials, without disclosing a name.

☆ Arrest made in murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, city official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kevin Flower | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —San Francisco Police have made an arrest in the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, according to a tweet from San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey. CNN has reached out to San Francisco Police and the Mayor’s office for comment. Lee was stabbed to death in Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco early in the morning of April 4th. Many in the tech world and beyond responded to news of Lee’s death with an outpouring of shock and grief. Lee was the former chief technology officer of Square who helped launch Cash App.

☆ A man who may have known Cash App creator Bob Lee has been arrested in connection to the fatal stabbing, per reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The San Francisco Police Department arrested a man in its investigation into Bob Lee's death, per ABC7 News and Mission Local. The man appears to have known the Cash App creator, both publications reported. Lee was fatally stabbed on April 4 in downtown San Francisco. Matt Dorsey, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors confirmed the report on Twitter. Lee's former wife, Krista Lee, told KTVU Fox 2 that she believes the man who was arrested was an acquaintance of Lee's.

☆ Whole Foods closes San Francisco flagship store after one year, citing crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —An enormous Whole Foods in downtown San Francisco that opened just last year is temporarily closing. Heralded as a “flagship store” following its March 2022 opening, the Whole Foods was one of the largest supermarkets in downtown San Francisco. A San Francisco Whole Foods store is closing a year after it opened. San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey said on Twitter that he was “incredibly disappointed” by the closure. Meanwhile, violent crime statistics in San Francisco have remained relatively steady in recent years.

☆ Fed's Barr says regulators committed to ensuring 'all deposits' are safe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Pete Schroeder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In prepared testimony, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr added that the banking system is "strong and resilient." Barr said SVB's collapse was a "textbook case of mismanagement," citing the firm's concentrated business model, exceedingly fast growth, failure to manage its interest rate risk, and reliance on uninsured deposits. Supervisors told bank senior management in October 2022 of its concern with the bank's interest rate risk profile, Barr said. He added Fed leaders in Washington were briefed on the impact of rising interest rate on some banks' financials, and SVB was highlighted. The Fed is undertaking an internal review of its supervision of the bank, and Barr said he welcomes external reviews as well.

☆ San Francisco officials weigh giving Black residents $1 homes and $97,000 a year of as part of a massive reparations plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

San Francisco policymakers are considering reparations for many of its Black residents. Proposals include giving qualifying residents $5 million, $97,000 a year for 250 years, or $1 homes. Supervisors unanimously supported the presentation from the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee, but its proposals remain far from reality. If enacted, though, San Francisco's reparations plan stands to become one of the most substantial packages ever approved in the United States. "This conversation we're having in San Francisco is completely unserious," John Dennis, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party, told the AP.

☆ DeSantis' hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Octavio JonesMarch 8 (Reuters) - A new board controlling Walt Disney World's special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis' hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant's "corporate kingdom." Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) content. "The District board members are now in place and will be examining all of the needed actions to get back on track," Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said on Tuesday. Legislators in Florida passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. “Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted.

☆ Vanessa Bryant reaches $28.85 million settlement with L.A. County over helicopter crash photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Phil Helsel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has reached an almost $30 million settlement with Los Angeles County over photos taken of the scene of the deadly 2020 helicopter crash, an attorney for the county said. The settlement is for $28.85 million and resolves all claims involving the county, Mira Hashmall, lead trial counsel for Los Angeles County in the case, said in a statement. Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, 41; his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant; and seven other people died in the crash in Calabasas, near the Southern California coast, northwest of Los Angeles. The almost $30 million settlement includes the $15 million awarded to Vanessa Bryant by a jury in August, Hashmall said. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the settlement, she said.

☆ Dianne Feinstein won't run in 2024, opening up a California Senate seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California announced Tuesday that she will retire at the end of her current term, setting up a major Democratic competition for her coveted seat. "Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives," Feinstein said in a statement. The fight for the open Senate seat in the powerful, reliably blue state of California promises to be one of the most competitive — and expensive — races of the 2024 election cycle. While Feinstein's announcement officially puts her seat in play for the 2024 election cycle, multiple California Democrats had already launched Senate campaigns weeks earlier. More California Democrats, including Reps. Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna, are expected to announce their Senate campaign plans soon.

☆ 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein won't seek re-election in 2024 as Democrats launch bids for her seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California won't seek reelection in 2024. Feinstein, 89, is the oldest senator and longest-serving senator of California. The path is now cleared for California Senate hopefuls to fight for the open seat held by Feinstein since 1992. With a storied political career spanning five decades, Feinstein has broken records as the longest-serving senator of California and the longest-serving female senator in history. Before the Senate, Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco for a decade, and a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors prior to that.

☆ Disney Special Tax-District Bill Is Approved by Florida Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Florida Senate on Friday approved a bill that would dramatically alter the governance of a special-tax district near Orlando that has allowed Walt Disney Co. to self-govern the land that houses its theme parks, sending the measure to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis , who is expected to sign it into law. The bill would rename the Reedy Creek Improvement District—which houses Walt Disney World Resort and other parks and has existed for more than 50 years—the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The measure would give Mr. DeSantis the authority to appoint members to its governing body, the five-member board of supervisors, which under current law is essentially handpicked by Disney.

☆ Florida to place leadership of Disney's special operating district under DeSantis' control
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One of those procedures concerns the district's ability to raise taxes and issue bonds to build and maintain infrastructure serving the Walt Disney World Resort. And the district will be renamed: From the Reedy Creek Special Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. "Until Governor DeSantis acted, the Walt Disney Company maintained sole control over the District," a spokesman for the governor said in a statement. Disney is monitoring the legislation, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement. But construction still appears to be progressing on a Disney office campus in Lake Nona, roughly 20 miles east of Disney World.

☆ Florida Lawmakers Move to Take Over Disney’s Special-Tax District
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Walt Disney Co.’s dominion over its magic kingdom in Florida may be coming to an end. The bill, sponsored by Orlando Rep. Fred Hawkins, would rename Reedy Creek as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and give Gov. Florida’s state Senate would have to approve any such appointments. Under the current state law, Reedy Creek’s board is essentially handpicked by Disney, which owns almost all the land and assets within the district. The district has wide latitude to approve new real-estate developments at Walt Disney World without having to seek approvals for environmental impact, drainage and other regulations from local authorities, as other landowners must.

☆ Mike Lindell says he wants to work with the RNC to run an election crimes unit — after getting only 4 votes for RNC chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell wants to work with the RNC to set up an "election crimes unit." "Later in the week, we're setting up the election crime unit, Steve. "Well, when you work with me, it's election crime, not a weak word like election integrity. It's called the election crime," Lindell said. It's unclear what Lindell's proposed election crime unit would do.

☆ Tyre Nichols video showed how ‘culture of policing’ and ‘ancient’ procedures were on display, ex-officers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Memphis authorities on Friday released videos from multiple vantage points showing the aftermath of the traffic stop. Five Memphis police officers were fired and charged with second-degree murder, and other crimes, including aggravated assault and kidnapping. Georgetown Law professor and NBC News legal analyst Paul Butler appeared on MSNBC Saturday to discuss the release of the Nichols video. Video shows Nichols escaped while on the ground and an officer shot a stun gun at him. “The bottom line is there were sufficient number of officers to do as such and to get him corralled and handcuffed at that traffic stop.

☆ California’s Recipe for More Homeless
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

La La Land really is paradise—at least for people who don’t want to pay rent. Los Angeles County this week extended its Covid eviction ban another two months. Meantime, the Los Angeles City Council has approved rules that will make it harder for landlords to evict tenants once (and if) the county moratorium ends. The Supreme Court struck down the Biden Administration’s Covid eviction ban in August 2021, but the counties and cities of Los Angeles have extended theirs again and again even as other pandemic restrictions have lifted. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors had last extended the ban to the end of January owing to a “respiratory illness trifecta.”

☆ We read the Biden administration's proposal to protect renters from discrimination and unwarranted rent hikes. Here are the 3 biggest takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Biden administration announced several new protections for renters on January 25. At the same time, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, an independent organization that helps regulate the mortgage market, will create new policies that encourage development of affordable-rental units. Insider reviewed the documents the White House released concerning the new initiatives. The idea comes as many renters continue to organize in order to combat what they see as unwarranted rent increases and evictions. Some home builders like Jerry Konter, the chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, disagreed with the new protections for renters.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to travel to her home state of California following a spate of mass shootings there that have left at least 19 people dead in the last several days. "Then on top of that, we see what’s happened in California, and what’s happened to the Asian American community has been devastating," he said. "The vice president is going to be going out," Biden said, without providing any details about her trip. Biden said he's been speaking with a number of California Democrats, including Gov. The president also mentioned that on Monday, a group of Senate Democrats, including California's Dianne Feinstein, reintroduced legislation to ban assault weapons.

[1/5] Police officers detain a man, believed by law enforcement to be the Half Moon Bay mass shooting suspect, in Half Moon Bay, California, U.S., January 23, 2023, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was visiting wounded survivors from Saturday night's massacre in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park when he was informed of Monday's killings in northern California. A semi-automatic handgun was found in his car, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus told an evening news conference. It ranked as the deadliest mass shooting ever in Los Angeles County, according to Hilda Solis, a member of the county Board of Supervisors. Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said investigators were looking into unconfirmed reports that the violence may have been precipitated by jealousy or relationship issues.

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