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☆ Disney CEO Iger Calls DeSantis’s Moves Antibusiness, Anti-Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Robbie Whelan | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger called Florida’s actions against Disney over the past year “antibusiness” and “anti-Florida” in his first in-depth comments about the company’s ongoing battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis . “While the company may have not handled the position that it took very well, a company has the right to freedom of speech just like individuals do,” Mr. Iger said at Disney’s annual meeting of shareholders, in response to a question about the dispute.

☆ Arkansas City Surveys Tornado’s Wreckage After Direct Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Adolfo Flores | Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WYNNE, Ark.—Mike Ellis saw one tornado in Little Rock from his father’s ninth-floor hospital room and worried about his mom, who uses a walker and was home alone in Wynne, so he rushed to her house Friday in time for a second tornado. He and his 18-year-old son had barely pulled into the driveway when the sirens started to go off. Mr. Ellis helped his mother into a bathroom closet before grabbing a mattress to shield his son and himself as they took cover in a hallway. In a few minutes the tornado was over them.

☆ Arkansas Town Surveys Tornado’s Wreckage After Direct Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Adolfo Flores | Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WYNNE, Ark.—As Danielle Russell drove back into her neighborhood Friday night after a tornado tore through this small city, she said she saw a white shape in the dark and hoped it wasn’t the roof of her house. Moments later she pulled up and saw that powerful winds had peeled off much of a metal layer of her roof, which now hung down, covering the house’s front. The damage forced Ms. Russell, 38 years old, to spend Friday night with her two children in their car, worried that the house wasn’t safe.

☆ Storm System Kills at Least 22 People Across Central U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—A powerful storm system barreled across the central U.S. Friday, killing at least 22 people and unleashing reports of at least 69 tornadoes recorded across at least eight states. Fueled by a series of so-called supercells, the rotating thunderstorms that can spawn tornadoes, the system battered homes, downed trees and power lines and flipped cars and RV campers, with some landing in the Mississippi River.

On a recent day in the Miami area, conservative activist Charlie Kirk shared morning coffee with commentator Dave Rubin before meeting with Republican donors who relocated to Florida from the Northeast. He recorded his radio show and hosted an event for the former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , then capped the night off at dinner with conservative influencers who recently moved in-state. “I feel like how I used to feel in New York,” said Mr. Kirk, who splits his time between Arizona and Florida. “I can just keep myself busy all day long.”

☆ Texas will play an outsized role in selecting the next GOP presidential nominee. So Trump isn't leaving anything to chance.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Trump has previously indicated that he wouldn't leave the 2024 presidential race if he was indicted. Among the bold-named Texas figures who have signed on to Trump's 2024 campaign are Lt. Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been floated as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, was also not on the list. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won his home state in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Cruz took home the lion's share of Texas' GOP delegates in what is a winner-takes-most system.

☆ How Disney Dodged Ron DeSantis and Kept Control of Its Florida Land
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Robbie Whelan | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Walt Disney Co. for now has outmaneuvered Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the battle for control over the more than 24,000-acre parcel of land near Orlando where Walt Disney World Resort is located. In February, Disney went before a local board 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, giving the company an advantage that has become clearer in recent days.

The Vatican on Thursday said Pope Francis' health was improving and that he has resumed working while treatment continues. In the Flores neighborhood, many people reminisced about the pope, who has not been back to his homeland in the decade since he was chosen as pontiff. In the Buenos Aires Cathedral on Thursday morning, prayers were held for Pope Francis too, though his illness was cast as a just a "slight halt." Back in the neighborhood of Flores, 50-year-old housewife Marcela Borda said everyone was praying for his "speedy recovery". "It's good to pray for him, to ask for the strength he always had, and health, health for him and for everyone.

☆ Ongoing supply shortages threaten U.S. infrastructure and war efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"One of the big issues as we're trying to ramp up the military industrial base is having enough electronic components," Miller said. Companies that make war weapons like shoulder-fired Javelin and Stinger missiles are awaiting U.S. funding before starting new production for Ukraine. "Any general shortage in semiconductors will affect defense," said Brad Martin, director of Rand Corp's National Security Supply Chain Institute. On the other hand, ongoing demand for auto and farm equipment has kept stocks of microchips that act as electronic brains in that machinery tight. "As we've moved through the past year or so, we have seen gradual improvement in our supply chain, including semiconductors ... Short-term disruptions will continue to happen," GM spokesman Dan Flores told Reuters in an email.

The supply chain woes that sent costs soaring and spurred shortages of everything from toilet paper to passenger cars are easing for retail-focused industries, but remain stubbornly persistent in important growth sectors like autos, machinery, defense and non-residential construction, experts said. "One of the big issues as we're trying to ramp up the military industrial base is having enough electronic components," Miller said. Companies that make war weapons like shoulder-fired Javelin and Stinger missiles are awaiting U.S. funding before starting new production for Ukraine. "Any general shortage in semiconductors will affect defense," said Brad Martin, director of Rand Corp's National Security Supply Chain Institute. "As we've moved through the past year or so, we have seen gradual improvement in our supply chain, including semiconductors ... Short-term disruptions will continue to happen," GM spokesman Dan Flores told Reuters in an email.

☆ Awaiting possible indictment, Trump rallies in Waco and vows to 'destroy the deep state'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump at first rally since announcing his 2024 presidential campaign, at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas. "Either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state," Trump said of the stakes of his bid for a return to the Oval Office. In comments to reporters on his plane after the rally, Trump further tore into DeSantis saying, "He's got no personality. Former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Waco, Texas, US, on Saturday, March 25, 2023. Former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Waco, Texas, US, on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

☆ Thousands Attend Trump Rally in Waco, Texas, as Potential Indictment Looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Adolfo Flores | Alex Leary | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump arrived at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida on Saturday to board a flight to the rally in Waco, Texas. WACO, Texas—Thousands of people showed up to rally for Donald Trump as he faces a potential indictment in New York, many criticizing the case against him as politically motivated and illustrating the former president’s hold on the GOP electorate as he accelerates his 2024 White House comeback bid. “If he’s arrested I think people will stand behind him even tighter,” said B.J. Apgar, 47 years old, who showed up hours ahead of the Saturday evening event in this central Texas city—Mr. Trump’s first traditional rally since launching his campaign in November.

BASTROP, TEXAS—Elon Musk’s companies are opening facilities across the country that come with promises of skilled jobs and economic growth. But some residents of this mostly rural area near Austin are watching with alarm as farmland turns into industrial development. Mr. Musk’s tunneling venture, the Boring Company , and space-transportation company known as SpaceX, are constructing massive buildings and digging tunnels on more than 200 acres of unincorporated land along the Colorado River. The billionaire’s ambitions there also include a company town, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

AMARILLO, Texas—A federal judge is set to hear arguments Wednesday on whether to block sales of a medication used in more than half of the abortions in the U.S., the first public hearing in a case that has drawn national attention. Antiabortion medical groups and individual physicians filed a lawsuit in November, arguing that the Food and Drug Administration exceeded its authority when it approved the sale of the abortion-inducing pill known as mifepristone under a process meant for treatments of serious or life-threatening illnesses. The judge is now weighing whether to issue a preliminary injunction blocking sales of the pill while litigation continues.

☆ States Look to Ease Some Child-Labor Laws Amid Tight Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Adolfo Flores | Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed off on a law loosening child-labor restrictions in the state. A new Arkansas law that makes it easier for minors as young as 14 to work without a permit is part of a nationwide effort by states to loosen child-labor restrictions. For a child to receive the permit, a parent or guardian also had to sign off. Employers had to tell the state how many days and hours the minor was going to be working.

☆ Here's what's inside the nearly $125,000 gift bag given to Brendan Fraser, Steven Spielberg and other Oscar nominees
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But on top of critical acclaim and higher earning potential, there's another benefit to getting an Oscar nod: the gift bag. "There's nothing like a first time nominee's enthusiasm about getting this gift bag," Fary says. Because of the large quantity of products that is being gifted, Distinctive Assets delivers everything packed into two suitcases. What's included in this year's 'Everybody Wins' gift bag? Director Steven Spielberg has received numerous "Everybody Wins" gift bags for past Academy Award nominations.

March 10 (Reuters) - A California man was sentenced on Friday to 25 years to life in prison for his conviction on charges of murdering college classmate Kristin Smart, whose 1996 disappearance had long ranked as one of state's most sensational unsolved crimes. The sentence pronounced for Paul Flores, who was found guilty in October of first-degree murder in the case, was announced by the San Luis Obispo County district attorney on Twitter. It was the maximum penalty Flores faced in California. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dwarf elephants? Giant rats? Strange island creatures at high risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. They were examples of the "island effect," a rule in evolutionary biology describing how large-bodied species tend to downsize on islands while small-bodied species upsize. Extinction risk was seen highest among species that underwent more extreme body size shifts compared to mainland relatives. But small-bodied species, because there is a decreased risk from predators on islands, are emancipated from evolutionary constraints on their size. It once was home to a dwarf elephant relative, giant rats and a giant stork, as well as a dwarf human species - Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the "Hobbit," standing just 3-1/2 feet tall (106 cm) tall.

☆ In homeland of Pope Francis, long absence prompts prayers for return
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Lucila Sigal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Catholic faithfuls pray during a mass at the Basilica San Jose de Flores, where Pope Francis used to attend in his childhood, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 6, 2023. Some in Argentina claim Pope Francis as a Peronist, part of the powerful political movement forged by Juan Domingo Perón in the 1940s based on social justice values. She accused him of taking sides politically and once avoided him by shunning a traditional Mass in Buenos Aires. "We shouldn't rule out the possibility that (the pope) is concerned his presence will sharpen the political divide," De Vedia said. Bergoglio, he pointed out, had gained the nickname "Papa villero" - Pope of the villas - due to his closeness with the people.

☆ Recreational Marijuana Use to Be Decided by Oklahoma Voters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Voters in Oklahoma are set to decide on Tuesday whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, nearly five years after a decision to allow large-scale cultivation of the drug turned the state into a leading source of black-market weed. If State Question 820 passes, adults over 21 would be legally allowed to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six mature cannabis plants. The measure would also allow those convicted of low-level marijuana offenses to have their records expunged.

☆ Oklahoma Voters Strike Down Recreational Marijuana
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Voters in Oklahoma Tuesday rejected a bid to legalize marijuana for recreational use, according to the Associated Press, nearly five years after a decision to allow large-scale cultivation of the drug in the state turned it into a leading source of black-market weed. Roughly 62% of voters said “no” to State Question 820, with more than 99% of precincts reporting, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board’s unofficial results.

☆ Ron DeSantis, Florida GOP, Breathing New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and allies are taking aim at what they see as frivolous cases and excessive damage awards. MIAMI—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders in the state are pushing legislation to rein in what they say is excessive litigation that is hurting the state’s economy and imperiling its allure to businesses considering relocating here. At a time when tort-reform efforts around the U.S. have generally slowed from past decades, Florida GOP lawmakers are considering a bill in the legislative session starting this week aimed at reducing what proponents consider frivolous cases, excessive damage awards and high attorney fees.

☆ DeSantis, Florida GOP, Breathing New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, GOP Leaders, Breathe New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ruled that the NFL, the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans must face Flores' claims of systematic discrimination against Black coaches in the league. Caproni sent Flores' retaliation claim against the Dolphins to private arbitration, along with claims by two other coaches who joined Flores in the suit. Lawyers for the NFL and representatives of the other teams did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The NFL has denied claims of racial discrimination and said it is committed to diversity and equitable employment practices. The league has argued the case should be dismissed because the claims lacked merit, or be sent to arbitration pursuant to the coaches' employment contracts.

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