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☆ Opinion: How to respond to anti-LGBTQ hate this Pride month
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I promise there are some simple and immensely helpful ways in which LGBTQ people and allies can take action in June and every month. Don Arnold/Getty ImagesIf you don’t know where to begin with lobbying, look to an LGBTQ or civil rights group doing the hard work on the ground. Commit to learning and teaching: Even members and strong allies of the LGBTQ community can benefit from fresh learning. After all, the LGBTQ community is anything but a monolith — there are so many diverse forms of representation and a landscape that is quickly evolving. It’s also not a bad time to support brands that are supportive of the LGBTQ community.

Persons: Allison Hope, Read, Allison, ”, isn’t, ” Melanie Willingham, “, they’re, Octavio Jones, allyship, —, Don Arnold, Virginia Woolf’s, Orlando ”, Dorian Gray ”, Oscar Wilde, Janet Mock’s, ” Young, Maia Kobabe’s, Juno Dawson, Jessica Love, Wilhelmina ”, Joseph Belisle, It’s, Ron DeSantis, intersectionality, let’s Organizations: New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Slate, Allison Hope, Tampa Pride, Getty, Progress, Florida Capitol, Sydney Opera House, Volunteer, Reading, Florida Gov, Twitter, Facebook Locations: New, Florida, Tampa, Tallahassee, Australia, Virginia, Paisley, America

☆ Ron DeSantis is drawing from the Trump Supreme Court playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appeared for the first time before the Florida Federalist Society in January 2020, Florida Gov. Some of DeSantis’ state court appointees became Trump federal court appointees, and their entire approach to the bench is fueled by Federalist Society figures like Leo. WaPo: Supreme Court justice's wife received thousands in 'hidden payments' 01:49 - Source: CNNUsing the Trump playbookBy using Leo for advice on state judicial appointments, DeSantis already is following a Trump playbook. He has filled a majority of the seats on the seven-member Florida Supreme Court, some twice over. Midway through his term, he wrote on Twitter, “The Supreme Court was one of the main reasons I got elected President.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Ron DeSantis, Thomas, Leonard Leo, Leo, Donald Trump’s, DeSantis, “, ” Leo, Ginni Thomas, ”, ProPublica’s, Thomas ’, Harlan Crow, Octavio Jones, Roe, Wade, Sullivan, Don McGahn, Gregory Katsas, Trump, ” DeSantis, ” Thomas, Katsas, WaPo, DeSantis ’, Jesse Panuccio, ” Panuccio, Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lagoa, Amy Coney Barrett, “ I’ve, Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Barack Obama’s, Antonin Scalia Organizations: CNN, Florida Federalist Society, Florida Gov, Disney, Federalist Society, White, Harvard Law School, Politico, Representatives, Trump White House, Republican, Trump, Republicans, DeSantis, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Press, GOP, New York Times, US, DC Circuit, Gov, Orlando Federalist Society, Appeals, Circuit, Florida Supreme, Twitter Locations: Florida, Iowa, ’, Washington, Georgia, America, New Hampshire

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said over 70 bills it considers anti-LGBTQ were passed in statehouses this legislative session, double last year's previous record. The number of such bills introduced has steadily increased in recent years, growing from 115 in 2015, HRC said. HRC President Kelley Robinson named Florida, Tennessee and Texas as the most hostile states, saying Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had "weaponized his position." Twenty states now ban gender-affirming care, and 32 states introduced such legislation this year, HRC said. HRC praised Michigan and Minnesota for expanding LGBTQ rights in 2022-23.

Persons: Florida's, Octavio Jones, Kelley Robinson, Ron DeSantis, " Robinson, Jeremy Tedesco, Jeremy Redfern, Daniel Trotta, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Tuesday, Rights, HRC, Republican, Alliance Defending, Heritage Foundation, Family, Promoters, Michigan, Thomson Locations: Tallahassee , Florida, U.S, United States, statehouses, Florida , Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Minnesota

[1/2] People gather ahead of the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. Lawyers for DeSantis, who is being sued for allegedly targeting Disney for company leadership's political views, filed a motion on Friday in Tallahassee, Florida, asking U.S. District Judge Mark Walker be recused in the case. Disney sued DeSantis in April for allegedly "weaponizing" state government in retaliation for the company's criticism of a law that banned classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. DeSantis' lawyers argued on Friday that the judge overseeing that case demonstrated potential partiality while handling separate cases in which the judge mentioned Disney as an example of state retaliation. Considering Walker's statements, "the court's impartiality in this matter might reasonably be questioned," DeSantis' lawyers said in the their motion.

The company plans to expand its streaming offerings by the end of the year with a new app that combines Disney+ and Hulu, Chief Executive Bob Iger said. Total subscribers to the flagship Disney+ service dropped by 4 million from the previous quarter to 157.8 million. Most of the defections came from the Disney+ Hotstar offering in India after it lost streaming rights to Indian Premier League cricket matches. "Striking a fine balance between customer acquisition versus financial performance is no easy feat." As Disney tries to build streaming, its traditional television business faces hurdles.

☆ Florida board picked by DeSantis countersues Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | Tom Hals | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

(Reuters) - A district board appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oversee development around Walt Disney Co’s Florida theme parks sued the company on Monday to void “backroom deals” favorable to the entertainment giant. The state court lawsuit escalates tensions between Disney and the Republican governor and likely presidential candidate. It comes in response to a case Disney filed last week in federal district court against DeSantis and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight district board. DeSantis who is expected to soon declare his candidacy for U.S. president, has repeatedly attacked “woke Disney” in public remarks. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board maintained that Disney rushed through the agreement before the new board assumed oversight of municipal services and development within the 25,000 acres of land in and around Walt Disney World.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year. "Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment," the company said. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in Florida, had been enjoying unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight body on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday to block a state law that created an oversight board that Disney said will interfere with billions of dollars of planned development. Disney alleges a law that imposed an oversight board was punishment for voicing opposition to DeSantis' classroom instruction law known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. The gender-education statute, derided by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law, survived challenges in federal court before a different judge. Free speech has been central to several rulings by Walker against DeSantis, although the judge has also at times sided with the governor. Walker said Florida had become a place where the First Amendment allowed, rather than prevented, the state to limit speech.

☆ Disney to Cut Employees From ESPN, Parks in Second Round of Layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Walt Disney said it plans to reach its target of cutting 7,000 employees after a third round of layoffs before the summer. Photo: OCTAVIO JONES/REUTERSWalt Disney Co. said Monday it is beginning its second round of layoffs as part of its previously unveiled plan to cut 7,000 jobs, with employees this round being let go from divisions including ESPN. The company said several thousand U.S. employees would be cut this week from multiple business areas, including its entertainment arm and its parks, experiences and product division.

☆ Americans Escaping Pricey Cities Bring Higher Housing Costs, Inflation With Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Gabriel T. Rubin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Tampa area has one of the highest inflation rates in the nation. Photo: Octavio Jones for The Wall Street JournalTampa, Fla., residents face some of the hottest inflation in the country, but when excluding sizzling housing costs, price increases are nearly as cool as in Minneapolis. The disparity shows regional inflation is heavily influenced by home prices and rent costs. The Tampa area has one of the highest inflation rates in the nation, 7.7% in March, according to the Labor Department. But when shelter costs are removed from the index, the Florida metro’s rate was 3.8%—putting it in line with the Minneapolis area, where inflation excluding housing was 3.6%.

☆ Florida education board to vote on extending ban on gender identity lessons
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Hillsborough High School students protest a Republican-backed bill dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, a measure Democrats denounced as being anti-LGBTQ, in Tampa, Florida, U.S., March 3, 2022. The state board of education, whose members are appointed by the governor, will vote on the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, according to the agenda. Critics, including LGBTQ advocates and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, have termed it the "Don't Say Gay" law and said it marginalizes LGBTQ students. Brandon Wolf, a spokesperson for Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said DeSantis is targeting LGBTQ students to boost his national political fortunes. A spokesperson for DeSantis referred questions to the state department of education.

April 17 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday fired another shot in his battle with Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), saying the state's Republican legislature would take steps to nullify the company's effort to circumvent state oversight of Walt Disney World. DeSantis said the new bill, announced on Monday, would return control of the special district that is home to Disney World to a state oversight board run by the governor's appointees. [1/2] People gather ahead of the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. Before the takeover by DeSantis appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board's action for decades. It also ensures that future boards would honor a commitment to $527 million in planned capital improvements to support Walt Disney World’s growth over the next decade.

☆ Three U.S. banks have reported 'very solid' results, says management consultancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThree U.S. banks have reported 'very solid' results, says management consultancyOctavio Marenzi, CEO of Opimas, discusses recently released earnings by JPMorgan, Citi and Wells Fargo, and the areas of weakness.

☆ What the Boston Marathon Finish Line Means Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Talya Minsberg | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

The Boston Marathon is arguably the most elusive finish line of all, and not just anyone can cross it. In 2013, on a cool, partly sunny day, this ebullient scene was shattered when two bombs exploded near the finish line. On Monday, nearly 30,000 runners will journey, down and up and down, toward the finish line of the 127th Boston Marathon. Volunteer, runner I used to volunteer at the finish line, reading information about runners as they finished for the announcer. It means something so different crossing that finish line compared to other marathon majors.

Wells Fargo executives detailed the bank's exposure to CRE at length during a conference call with analysts. Deposits at Wells Fargo fell 2% to $1.36 trillion at the end of March, compared with $1.38 trillion at the end of last year. "Both Wells Fargo and JP Morgan delivered very, very solid results, blowing past the expected earnings. Reuters GraphicsAverage loans in the bank's commercial banking division rose 15%, while commercial loans rose roughly 7% from a year earlier. Wells Fargo is also still working to contain the fallout from a scandal over its sales practices that led to hefty fines and an asset cap imposed by the Fed.

☆ Florida Governor Desantis signs 6-week abortion ban law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida," DeSantis said in a statement. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Wednesday found that about 50% of Americans strongly or somewhat oppose a national six-week abortion ban, including 44% of Republicans. The fate of the ban will depend on the outcome of a court challenge to the state's 15-week abortion ban, which abortion providers have argued violates the state constitutional right to privacy. If the Florida Supreme Court rules that the 15-week ban is constitutional, the six-week ban would take effect 30 days later. Patients from across the U.S. Southeast have been traveling to Florida to end their pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted federal abortion rights.

☆ Tellurian asks shareholders to approve doubling of authorized shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Tellurian Inc FollowHOUSTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Tellurian (TELL.A) on Thursday asked its shareholders to vote on a proposal to double its share count as the liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer seeks to finance its multi-billion-dollar export terminal. The proposal - to increase authorized shares to 1.6 billion - if approved would provide additional financial flexibility while diluting the stakes of existing shareholders, the filing said. Shareholders will vote on the proposal on June 7, the company said in a proxy filing. Its Driftwood LNG export project received a U.S. export permit in March 2017, but has not achieved a financial go-ahead. The company's proxy filing shows executive pay fell last year as contracts with potential customers fell through and Tellurian began initial construction using its own cash.

☆ DeSantis seeks to void Disney's Florida board agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Walt Disney World photographer holds a Pride rainbow-coloured Mickey Mouse cutout before the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio JonesApril 8 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ramped up his fight against Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), seeking to void an agreement that Disney passed to limit the power of a board appointed by DeSantis to oversee its Florida theme park property. On Thursday in remarks made at Hillsdale College in Michigan, DeSantis said the legislature would void changes Disney made shortly before it lost control of the board. Florida lawmakers 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. "What Disney has tried to do is they have tried to say that they should be able to operate outside the context of our constitutional system in Florida," DeSantis said on Thursday.

☆ 'You are loved,' White House press secretary tells LGBTQ youth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - A flurry of recent state bills targeting LGBTQ kids and gender affirming care for youth sets a dangerous precedent, the White House said Thursday, while encouraging protests. "We are so proud of the kids across this country who have organized protests and school walkouts to tell the politicians in their states to stop this legislative bullying," Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said at the White House podium on Thursday. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to let West Virginia enforce a state law banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools. Republican lawmakers in Kentucky overrode a governor's veto last week, banning transgender youths from gender-affirming healthcare and restricting which toilets they use in public schools. Indiana's governor this week signed a bill banning all gender-affirming care for minors, joining about a dozen others states that have passed similar laws.

☆ Gavin Newsom heckles Ron DeSantis over latest Disney power struggle, on the Florida governor's home turf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Gavin Newsom of California praised Walt Disney World for its "masterclass" of putting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida "back in his place" after the company created a loophole to maintain control of its land. News broke this week that a law giving the Florida governor power to take over Disney World's governing board is likely toothless. Democratic governors frequently criticize DeSantis' policies in Florida, and DeSantis last month mocked people who do so yet "end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing in Florida." As for a potential 2024 GOP nomination contest between the former president and DeSantis, Newsom predicted Trump would "clean his clock."

☆ No, Ron DeSantis can't stop Donald Trump's extradition from Florida to New York. Here's what happens now that he's been indicted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Ron DeSantis can't stop extradition from Trump's home in Florida, but he could slow the process. DeSantis can't stop Trump's extradition, but he could slow it downThe standard method of interstate extradition in Florida, according to Holder and Bachner, involves the governors of each state. DeSantis is then required to make sure the indictment is valid before ordering Trump's extradition from Florida. The Florida extradition statute describes the governor's role as simply making sure the extradition demand meets all the legal requirements. It's unlikely that DeSantis will look too closely under the hood of the indictment, Bachner told Insider before news of the grand jury vote Thursday.

☆ Disney's Florida surprise: an end run around DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People gather at the Magic Kingdom theme park before the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving Governor Ron DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. "It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern," board member Brian Aungst Jr. was quoted as saying. Disney's then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about it becoming law. In a move political observers viewed as retaliation for Disney's criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.

☆ Florida moves to expand teaching ban on sexual orientation, gender identity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hillsborough High School students protest a Republican-backed bill dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, a measure Democrats denounced as being anti-LGBTQ, in Tampa, Florida, U.S., March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File PhotoMarch 22 (Reuters) - Florida is looking to expand its ban on teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity issues to include all students in its public schools under a new rule set for a vote by the state Board of Education next month. Last year, DeSantis signed a Republican-backed measure that banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade. The Florida Department of Education's new proposal, which would not require legislative approval, would extend the ban through the 12th grade. "There is no reason for instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of K-12 public education.

European bank shares slumped, with an index of leading lenders (.SX7P) down 5.8%. Credit Suisse shares slumped 62%, reflecting the huge loss its shareholders will see in their investment in the bank. Monetary authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong, where Credit Suisse hosts large regional offices, separately said the Swiss bank's business continued without interruption. And Credit Suisse urged its staff to go to work, according to a memo to staff seen by Reuters. Credit Suisse staff arriving to work in Hong Kong and Singapore on Monday morning, however, fretted about retrenchments and retaining business.

[1/2] Logos of Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse are seen in Zurich, Switzerland March 19, 2023. UBS will buy rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) and agreed to assume up to $5.4 billion in losses as it winds down the smaller peer's investment bank after a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities. The U.S., UK and Swiss central banks are all scheduled to meet in the week ahead. Even after Sunday's news on Credit Suisse, optimism from analysts was laced with caution and some scepticism. Others drew attention to the losses likely to be suffered by Credit Suisse junior bondholders.

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