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☆ A former Florida GOP state lawmaker says many people in the state capital are 'terrified' of Ron DeSantis and his political enforcers: 'They just chop off heads and move on'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-Florida lawmaker told WaPo that many in Tallahassee are "terrified" of DeSantis and his team. "There's no inner circle because they just chop off heads and move on," the former lawmaker said. This year, boosted by a GOP supermajority, DeSantis ramped up his conservative policymaking agenda. DeSantis has earned the endorsements of 100 of the 113 Republican state lawmakers in Florida, with 12 remaining neutral and only one backing former President Donald Trump. A former Republican state lawmaker told The Post that people are "terrified" of DeSantis and his political operation.

Persons: WaPo, DeSantis, DeSantis ramped, —, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, deriding, they're Organizations: Service, Sunshine State, The Washington Post, Florida Republicans, Republican, Post, GOP, Growth Locations: Florida, Tallahassee

☆ As Casey DeSantis prepared to become the first lady of Florida, she sought to model herself after Melania Trump: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Casey DeSantis sought to model herself after Melania Trump as she prepared to become Florida's first lady, per WaPo. DeSantis inquired with an aide about the sort of clothes that Melania Trump wore, per the report. Casey DeSantis, a former television journalist, was known by her colleagues for skillfully preparing for assignments and interviews during her professional career. But Casey DeSantis also made it clear that she wanted to pursue a different course than Florida's previous first ladies. Throughout her husband's political career, Casey DeSantis has been a huge force that has helped guide him.

Persons: Casey DeSantis, Melania Trump, DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis —, readying, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Florida Gov, The Washington Post, The, Sunshine State, Republican Party of Florida, GOP Locations: Florida, Tallahassee

☆ Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, blasts Ron DeSantis over his endorsement struggles with Fla. GOP members of Congress: 'Not particularly a relationship guy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Friday said Gov. Suarez made the comment as he critiqued the governor's endorsement record among Florida Republicans. While on "Fox & Friends," Suarez said that he was a "people person" who could connect with voters. Ron DeSantis isn't "a relationship guy" as he sought to explain the governor's struggles with securing endorsements among the Sunshine State's plethora of GOP House members. "You know, the governor is not particularly a relationship guy," Suarez said on the program.

Persons: Francis Suarez, DeSantis, Suarez, —, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, DeSantis —, doesn't, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Byron Donalds — DeSantis, Laurel Lee, that's Organizations: Miami, Friday, Florida Republicans, Fox &, Service, Miami Mayor, White, Florida Gov, House, Republican, White House, Fox News, Trump, GOP, Republicans, Sunshine State, Fox Locations: Miami, Florida, I'm

☆ Coming of Age in the Sunshine State
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Carl Hiaasen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

THROUGH THE GROVES, by Anne HullWhatever it meant to be a Floridian while I was growing up is no longer accessible as an identity. Too many beautiful places have been drained dry, or buried beneath concrete. That’s what happens when the population of your home state explodes almost sevenfold in your lifetime. Anne Hull conveys the loss starkly in “Through the Groves,” her new memoir: “Almost nothing in Florida stays the way it was. It was Central Florida in the ’60s, when Disney’s bulldozers were gassing up on the horizon.

Persons: Anne Hull, Groves, ”, It’s, Hull Organizations: THE Locations: THE GROVES, Florida, Central Florida

☆ Disney's parks division is driving big profits, a bright spot as the streaming biz struggles and ESPN's future is unclear. Here's how that could factor into Bob Iger's CEO succession plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger has reorganized the company into 3 core units: entertainment, ESPN, and parks. Parks' growing prominence comes as the company faces looming decisions over Iger's CEO. Travel bans "dramatically impacted" results for Disney Parks during the intense early years of the coronavirus pandemic, Heger noted, adding that parks are now generating more revenue and operating profit than they did in pre-COVID times. The parks' success is "helping to offset" losses from Disney's "DTC," or direct-to-consumer streaming business, Heger added. Josh D'Amaro, the current chairman for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, would be a likely figure appearing on any shortlist of CEO contenders.

Persons: Bob Iger, Parks, It's, Dave Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, AECOM, Iger, Josh D'Amaro, Christine McCarthy —, Iger's, Bob Chapek, Ron DeSantis, Chapek, Hollywood creatives, Tom Staggs, Iger —, —, Chapek's, it's, you've, Jeffery Merola, he'd, DeSantis, Reed Alexander Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Disney Parks, Walt Disney, Disneyland, Products, Florida Gov, Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Sunshine State Locations: Tokyo, Shanghai, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, execs, Chapek, Syracuse , New York, Orlando

☆ News organizations are preparing to cover Trump’s historic arraignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The high-stakes indictment puts news organizations, and the nation as a whole, in uncharted territory. News outlets have been preparing in haste for this moment since last week, when the charges were formally unveiled against Trump. Anchors, correspondents, reporters, and photographers from every major national — and international — outlet have descended on Florida to cover the historic proceeding. Other outlets set the stage in their own ways. The move — once again — puts newsrooms in a not unfamiliar position: to take Trump live or not?

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, newsrooms, — Organizations: CNN, Trump, Television, Sunshine State, Authorities, playbook Locations: Florida, New Jersey, Miami, South Florida, York, Bedminster

☆ The US has the second-highest number of endangered species. California, Florida, and Arizona lead the nation in threatened creatures.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is second behind Indonesia for the number of endangered species, according to a new report. Among US states, California, Florida, and Arizona have the most threatened species. The report draws its data from a conservation group's Red List of Threatened Species. California, Florida, and Arizona held the top spots in the US for most endangered species: The Golden State had 18, followed by 13 in the Sunshine State, and seven in the Grand Canyon State. The US total of 1,178 endangered species includes 43 mammals and 284 types of fish.

Persons: —, Jane Smart, Smart Organizations: Service, State, Sunshine State, International Union for Conservation of, International Union for Conservation, IUCN's Centre for Science, Associated Press, AP Locations: Indonesia, , California, Florida, Arizona, California , Florida, Nations

☆ Target and Disney trip up on the Pride divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A shopping cart is seen in a Target store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoNEW YORK, May 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Target (TGT.N) and Walt Disney (DIS.N) are fighting different battles over a similar social issue. Of the two, retailer Target has the harder balancing act. The $62 billion retailer run by Brian Cornell last week decided to pull some items from its 2023 collection celebrating Pride Month. Some of Disney’s employees were upset by the regulation and Iger took a stand on their behalf.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Walt Disney, Brian Cornell, ”, Bob Iger, Ron DeSantis, Iger, Marjorie Taylor Greene, John Foley, Sharon Lam Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Target, Pride, Disney, Sunshine, Cornell, Walt Disney, Fox News, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, New York, U.S, Florida, Orlando, UK

☆ Trump has already shattered the lead DeSantis seemingly held in polling: Monmouth
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis led all listed Republican candidates in a Monmouth University poll. New polling from Monmouth University shows that Trump now leads the governor by 24 percentage points. Ron DeSantis in polling in recent months, shattering the lead held by the leader of the Sunshine State, according to a recent Monmouth University poll. In December 2022, DeSantis was the leading candidate among Republican and Republican-leaning respondents to Monmouth University's poll, drawing in 39% support to Trump's 26%. While DeSantis took his time to announce his run for president, Trump picked up a bevy of GOP endorsements including more than 50 representatives, 11 senators, and two governors.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump's, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, David Sacks, FiveThirtyEight, who've, Byron Donalds, Doug Steube Organizations: Florida Gov, Monmouth University, Service, Sunshine State, Elon, GOP, Republican, Trump, DeSantis, Rep, Representatives, Disney Locations: Florida, Monmouth

☆ What to do if you see an alligator and how to survive an attack, according to a wildlife expert who keeps pet gators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Graham Flanagan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If an alligator bites you, don't try to pry its jaws open. But, in reality, alligators don't often attack humans. Alligators don't eat peopleAlligators have been lurking in Earth's waters for tens of millions of years. Don't try to run in a zig-zag pattern, as that'll just take you longer to go farther. Don't try to pry open the jaws.

☆ Disney is seriously unpopular with GOP primary voters in key states, internal DeSantis 2024 campaign data and leaked audio show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But DeSantis 2024 campaign polling shows it could help him with Republican voters in a primary. Ryan Tyson, pollster for the campaign, found the company was deeply unpopular among Republicans primary, according to findings shared with The Messenger. "The campaign thinks this is a very good issue for primary voters," Dan Eberhart, CEO of drilling services company Canary, LLC, told Insider. Neither campaign responded to a query from Insider addressing whether they had polling that conflicted with the DeSantis campaign findings. When combining this week's calling efforts with online donations, the DeSantis campaign raised $8.2 million in the fist 24 hours of the campaign.

☆ Biden bets DeSantis’ ‘Florida blueprint’ will help him flip the Sunshine State and win reelection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Shevrin Jones, a Florida state senator and member of the Biden campaign’s advisory board of elected officials, said he’s eager to tell the country the story of what he’s seen under DeSantis’ leadership. Biden and DeSantis and their wives walk to meet with local residents affected by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 5, 2022. The voter registration advantage Florida Democrats had when President Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2012 has flipped to Republicans. An adviser to the former New York City mayor told CNN that so far, there has been no outreach to Bloomberg’s operation from either the Biden campaign or the DNC. There was also a fleeting belief that they could push Biden over the top in Florida – though Trump ended up carrying the state by 3 points.

☆ The NAACP has warned Black people planning to visit Gov. Ron DeSantis' Florida that they would be traveling to a 'hostile' environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Major civil rights organization issues a travel advisory for Black people planning to visit Florida. Ron DeSantis and his administration have overseen a swathe of controversial laws and policies. It took aim at "Governor Ron DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools." The travel advisory warns that those traveling to the state should be aware that "Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals." The advisory also described DeSantis and his Florida government as on a "seeming quest to silence African-American voices."

☆ Disney rocks DeSantis ahead of expected White House bid announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Disney did not specifically blame DeSantis for the move, partly citing “changing business conditions.” But the message was clear. In keeping with his bruising political persona, DeSantis reacted defiantly to Disney’s announcement that it would halt the office project. “Ron DeSantis’ failed war on Disney has done little for his limping shadow campaign and now is doing even less for Florida’s economy,” the Trump campaign said in a statement. Another possible GOP primary candidate, former Vice President Mike Pence, also leveraged the Disney announcement to jab DeSantis. Given his political exposure on Disney and the combative political image that is central to his White House hopes, DeSantis probably has no option but to further escalate the showdown.

☆ Breakingviews: Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) isn’t mickey-mousing around. Disney’s threatened retreat from the state is meaningful, and it can get worse for the state’s leader, Governor Ron DeSantis. But overall, Disney is one of the largest employers in Florida, and a massive contributor to the tourism economy. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSWalt Disney is cancelling plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus, according to an email to employees on Thursday. Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said "changing business conditions" prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees.

☆ Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Why Disney is stuck in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Disney World sued Ron DeSantis last month to keep control of its self-governing status in Florida. But a top Disney expert said the company is stuck in The Sunshine State. A leading expert on Disney World's history in Florida told Insider that the amusement park is tied to its Florida home, due to its expensive operations and sprawling size. "They're stuck there," Richard Foglesong, the author of the book "Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando," told Insider. Other Republicans are taking DeSantis to task for his dedication to fighting with DisneyRepublican presidential candidate Nikki Haley urged Walt Disney World to consider relocating from Florida to South Carolina.

☆ Hurricanes of Data: The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Porter Fox | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +35 min

The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea Shortly after dawn on Sept. 30, 2021, Richard Jenkins watched a Category 4 hurricane overrun his life’s work. That August, a sister ship, SD 1031, successfully entered Tropical Storm Henri, but only in its early stages. Hurricane research, modeling and forecasting requires many terabytes of data for every square mile the storm passes through, including vitally important sea-level data from inside a storm. The next day, the depression was upgraded to a tropical storm and officially given the name Sam. And four months later, Tropical Storm Megi killed more than 150, wiped out several villages with landslides and displaced more than a million people.

☆ Omaha man sails into Florida’s imperfect storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This imperfect storm suits the Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) CEO’s investing style. Underwriters in the state have been feverishly trying to offload risk following last year’s Category 5 hurricane that was Florida’s deadliest in nearly 90 years. The upside is several billion dollars, Jain said, if Mother Nature turns out to be more forgiving. “If the big hurricane happens in Florida, we could lose – across all the units, we could lose as much as $15 billion. And if there isn’t a loss, we’ll make several billion dollars as profit,” Jain said during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha.

☆ UBS shares its 5 top takeaways for investors from Berkshire Hathaway's 'best annual meeting in years' — including how Warren Buffett's successor will take over
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Berkshire Hathaway had a successful annual meeting following its Q1 earnings report. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had its "best annual meeting in years" over the weekend, according to UBS analyst Brian Meredith — and it wasn't just because of its strong earnings report. 5 top takeaways from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meetingStrong earnings results were just one impressive component from Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. "We viewed Berkshire's 2023 annual meeting as the best in several years with quality questions and insightful answers," Meredith wrote. After BNSF undershot on volumes and suffered from higher compensation costs, Berkshire investors may start to wonder if the company would reconsider its stance against PSR.

☆ Ron DeSantis is banning Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida, accusing China of taking up swathes of farmland: 'We don't want the CCP in the Sunshine State'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis has signed a new bill banning Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida. DeSantis cited concerns that Chinese investors have been buying up too much farmland in the state. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Monday that bans most Chinese citizens from purchasing land in his state. The new bill, SB 246, prevents Chinese nationals from buying land in Florida unless they are also American citizens or permanent residents. Investors from Canada own the most US land out of any foreign country, holding 12.8 million acres worth around $11.6 billion, per the department's 2021 report.

☆ An Australian politician told anti-LGBTQ+ protesters to move to Florida if they want to spread their 'hateful views'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Australian politician said that anti-LGBTQ+ protesters should take their hate speech to Florida. "Head over there, where your hateful views might be worth something," Daniel Andrews said. The protesters forced the shut down of a drag queen story-time at a local library. Andrews added, "It's not about free speech — this is hate speech plain and simple, plain and simple. The office of Republican Florida Gov.

☆ Airport blunder leads to Frontier Airlines passenger being flown to a foreign country 900 miles away with no passport
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Beverly Ellis-Hebard told ABC7 news that she was directed to the wrong plane and didn't have a passport with her. In the confusion, Ellis-Hebard had also cut her hand when she loaded her hand luggage, she told ABC7 News. Ellis-Hebard told ABC7, "I laughed. The woman at the gate did not do her job," Ellis-Hebard told ABC7. Frontier Airlines told ABC7: "We extend our utmost apologies to Beverly Ellis-Hebard for this unfortunate experience.

Florida lawmakers sent DeSantis a bill that would let him stay governor while running for president. "I don't think we have seen a six-month stretch that has ever been this productive in the history of our state," DeSantis said at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee on Friday. Should DeSantis be successful in a presidential run, he would follow in the footsteps of Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush. Ron DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. During a press conference in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, DeSantis continued to play coy about his intentions.

☆ DeSantis heaps compliments on 'Florida resident' Tucker Carlson, calling the ousted Fox host 'talented' and 'funny'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tucker Carlson was abruptly fired from Fox News on April 24. Ron DeSantis praised Tucker Carlson and his show at Fox News while criticizing the media company's abrupt decision to fire the popular conservative news host. I think it's terrible that he was fired," the Florida governor said. He also expressed pride to have Carlson as a fellow Florida resident, although he joked that Carlson might not love summers in the Sunshine State. "We're proud because he's a Florida resident, and he loves the state of Florida," he said.

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