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April 26 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to control the Walt Disney World theme parks and intensifying a battle between a global entertainment giant and a potential White House contender. A DeSantis spokesman called Disney's action "an unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of Florida voters." Disney also argues it was denied its First Amendment rights to free speech. State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis. But before the takeover by DeSantis' appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board's action for decades.

☆ 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.

Disney alleges that DeSantis tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. It alleges that DeSantis' continued action against Disney "threatens Disney's business operations." Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging that he tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. As retaliation to the Disney executives' pledges, DeSantis took aim at a decades-long provision that gives Disney special self-governing privileges in Florida. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

☆ Disney's Bob Iger is going nuclear on Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's Bob Iger escalated the conflict between the company and Florida's Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. It's the latest move in a feud that began last year over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Buckle up for a roller coaster ride, because the feud between Disney's CEO Bob Iger and Florida's Ron DeSantis just got bumpier. This is the latest — and most drastic — move in the clash between DeSantis and Iger, who inherited the battle with Disney from his predecessor Bob Chapek. Spokespeople for both Disney and DeSantis declined to give any additional comment.

☆ Democrats warn large tech firms could evade competition policies under new trade rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's not the first time Democrats have raised concerns about tech provisions being included in trade agreements. The group urged Tai and Raimondo "not to put up for negotiation or discussion any digital trade text that conflicts" with the agenda set by the whole-of-government effort. "Big Tech wants to include an overly broad provision that would help large tech firms evade competition policies by claiming that such policies subject these firms to 'illegal trade discrimination,'" the Democrats wrote. "Tech companies could also weaponize these digital trade rules to undermine similar efforts by our trading partners." The letter cited a U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog post about a trade group coalition note advocating for strong digital trade provisions in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

☆ Disney and DeSantis have been in a yearlong feud that began after the company spoke out against a controversial bill. Here's a timeline of the events.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

After a yearlong feud, Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging that the Florida governor tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. The state Board of Education voted on Wednesday to expand that law to cover grades four to 12. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, our state has seen record growth in jobs, GDP, and net domestic in-migration. It was the first time the board met since the revelation of the agreement between the prior district board members and Disney. On April 19, the state board approved a ban on classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for all grades, including grades four through 12.

☆ A South Carolina business owner was threatened with 'ruinous fines and jail time' after zoning laws were changed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Changes to zoning laws forced a South Carolina business owner to lay off three of his five workers. Rafael Chinchilla, the owner of Tires 2 Go, a tire retailer in Simpsonville, South Carolina, was told in August 2022 to stop offering U-Haul rentals or face "ruinous fines and jail time." But under South Carolina law, "a property owner has a vested right to continue a nonconforming use in existence when his property is rezoned, barring a factual showing that continuing the use would harm the public health, safety, or welfare." The order forced the business owner to lay off three of his five employees as it had "drastically reduced the income from his business," the nonprofit wrote in its letter to the city Friday. It added that "his use as a U-Haul rental business was grandfathered in, and the City should not violate South Carolina law to destroy it."

☆ Republican Sen. Tim Scott launches 2024 presidential exploratory committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched an exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday, taking a major step toward a Republican primary arena that former President Donald Trump has dominated so far. "This is personal to me," Scott, 57, said in a video announcing the committee. Scott's move toward a White House run puts him on track to collide with fellow South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley, the former governor and United Nations ambassador who launched her own presidential campaign in February. Trump has dominated early Republican primary polling, while DeSantis has usually held the second spot. The senator, who has been touring key primary states, is planning another swing this week through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, his committee said.

☆ The resilient job market is finally showing signs of cooling off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The job market is clearly starting to slow down. Mohamed El-Erian said March's jobs report was a win-win for both the stock market and the Fed. "We are making this transition where the stock market was obsessed with interest-rate risk to one that is concerned about credit risk." What's your take on the latest job data? In other news:Traders works on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 5, 2020.

☆ Hawkish tech critics have labeled San Francisco 'lawless' following the stabbing death of Cash App creator Bob Lee. The city's crime rate tells a different tale.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The stabbing death of Cash App creator Bob Lee spurred fresh criticism of San Francisco crime. While critics call the progressive city "lawless" with "horrific" crime, violent offenses are down. Compared with cities of similar size, San Francisco has far fewer homicides per year. Michael Arrington, the founder of the industry blog TechCrunch, agreed, posting "I hate what San Francisco has become." Representatives for the San Francisco Police Department, as well as Ocko, Musk, Arrington, and Benedicto, did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ The judge overseeing Trump's case donated $15 to Biden. Legal experts say it likely won't get him thrown off the case, but it'll 'feed the Trump PR beast.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The NY judge handling Donald Trump's criminal case made a $15 donation to President Joe Biden's campaign in 2020. Legal experts told Insider that it likely won't get the judge thrown off the case. But it will "feed the Trump PR beast" and doesn't bode well for public perception, the experts said. Legal experts told Insider on Friday that the political donations likely won't get New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan thrown off of Trump's case, but that it will "feed the Trump PR beast" and doesn't bode well for public perception. "The Trump people will pounce on that"Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, on April 4, 2023 in New York.

☆ Trump may have looked through Mar-a-Lago documents after subpoena was delivered, new evidence suggests, pointing to a big potential difference between his documents case and Biden's: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump may have tried to keep documents after receiving a subpoena from DOJ. The evidence indicates a difference between Trump's investigation and the one into Biden's documents. In August, an FBI search found and seized more than 100 classified documents in Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, home — months after the initial subpoena in May. "When you find improperly stored classified documents, you immediately notify the government — and you turn it over immediately." Cheung pointed to classified documents found in Biden's home, and referenced Hillary Clinton's 2016 email investigation.

☆ Russia bid to 'weaponize energy' on Blinken agenda at NATO meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said on Thursday. A meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council will focus on joint efforts to "blunt Russia's attempts to weaponize energy ... (and) bolstering energy supplies for the coming winters," Dereck Hogan, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters. NATO has sent large amounts of weapons and other aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded, which has also spurred moves to expand the alliance. The top U.S. diplomat will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba in Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department said. Reporting by Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Florida Governor DeSantis did not say he would 'examine the legality of any extradition request' for Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not say that he would “examine the legality of any extradition request” made for former U.S. President Donald Trump, as suggested in a fabricated quote circulating online. Examples of the fabricated statement shared on social media can be seen (here) and (here). At the 22.52s timestamp DeSantis said: “And in terms of, we are not involved in this and won’t be involved in this. In a March 20 press briefing, DeSantis said that he had “no interest in getting involved” in a potential extradition of Trump to face charges in New York. The fabricated statement that he would “examine the legality of any extradition request” was first cast as hypothetical, but some have shared it as though it was made by the governor.

☆ Trump's legal troubles are threatening to upend the 2024 GOP race, and he's not even charged
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Former President Donald Trump faces possible criminal charges as he's running for president. "If it's a circus, there's only one ringmaster and that's Trump," said GOP pollster B.J. Operatives thinking of ways to land punches on Trump say GOP primary candidates could argue that he would lose the general election because of his legal troubles. Political insiders widely concede that a potential indictment — and how Trump responds — could still backfire on GOP challengers and strengthen Trump. While the circumstances surrounding the 2024 primary are uncharted territory, polling shows a cohort of GOP voters has grown weary of Trump and is seeking an alternative.

Politico reported that a grand jury was preparing to indict Trump, the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination. DeSantis has not declared a presidential run but is widely expected to do so and is by far Trump's most formidable Republican challenger. At a press conference DeSantis criticized Bragg but did not dismiss the case against Trump outright. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, I just, I can't speak to that," he said. Other than Pence and DeSantis, most major declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates have remained silent on the issue.

☆ A drag queen who survived the Orlando Pulse shooting says Florida's LGBTQ community is 'scared' of further hate following DeSantis' push to revoke a hotel's liquor license
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A drag queen who survived the 2016 Pulse club shooting said it only further demonizes LGBTQ people. "Not just in terms of limiting opportunities for drag entertainers, but by demonizing the art of drag as a whole," she wrote. Fine told Insider his motivation for pursuing the bill came after he found out a drag queen show was hosted in a public space in his district last year. However, the representative also said he would not support a bill that eliminates drag shows for consenting adults. In Florida, there have been at least nine demonstrations against the LGBTQ community, the organization found.

☆ Florida Gov. DeSantis attacks Manhattan DA over possible Trump charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis took aim at the Manhattan district attorney Monday over his expected prosecution of a hush money case against former President Donald Trump. The remarks came as some of Trump's allies and campaign surrogates have taken note of DeSantis' silence about the possibility of criminal charges being filed against the former president. Jason Miller, Trump's senior campaign advisor, grumbled in a tweet over the weekend about the "radio silence" from DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who launched her own presidential campaign last month. Trump slammed DeSantis over his record on ethanol at a campaign event in Iowa last week. "So DeSantis thinks that Dems weaponizing the law to indict President Trump is a 'manufactured circus' & isn't a 'real issue,'" Trump Jr. tweeted.

☆ Russia could weaponize metal exports next, Citi warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Russia has restricted exports of natural gas to Europe and announced it will temporarily slash oil output this month in response to Western sanctions. Next, it could weaponize exports of important metals such as aluminum and palladium, researchers at Citigroup have warned. For example, last year Russia made deep cuts to its natural gas exports to Europe, its top customer. Russia’s role in the global nuclear power industry is also under the microscope. The country is a key exporter of nuclear fuel and its nuclear sector has so far mostly escaped Western sanctions.

☆ House Democrats push back against GOP bill to abolish IRS, impose national sales tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Three Democrats in the U.S. House introduced a measure to push back against a controversial Republican tax proposal that would abolish the IRS, eliminate income taxes and impose a national sales tax. House Republicans introduced the Fair Tax Act in January shortly after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, was voted in as speaker. The three Democrats introduced a House resolution opposing a national sales tax on working families and, instead, supporting a tax cut to benefit middle-class families. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who introduced the Fair Tax Act, said it would simplify the tax code. Pettersen said the sales tax would hurt the most those who are unable to save, such as seniors and low-income families.

☆ Putin's KGB past is key to grasping what he might do next in his failing Ukraine war, ex-spies say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Putin's time in the KGB helps explain his worldview and brutal approach to warfare, ex-spies say. As Western intelligence agencies vie to stay two steps ahead of the Russian leader and get inside his head, peering into Putin's KGB past may offer clues on what he's thinking. "Putin's KGB background tells us a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the war. He is a creation of the KGB, and the KGB was a terrorist organization," John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, told Insider. The Ukraine war has seen Putin and his propagandists make a series of assertions — ranging from plausible to preposterous — to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Palo Alto Networks' earnings blowout spotlights the Club's newest stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Shares of Palo Alto Networks climbed roughly 8% in afterhours trading, to over $180 apiece. The need for vendors to consolidate their security budgets into fewer players is another trend working in Palo Alto Networks' favor. This quarter marked Palo Alto Networks' third consecutive quarter of GAAP profitability. Outlook For Palo Alto Networks' fiscal year 2023, management raised its outlook across several different metrics. Arora Nikesh, Palo Alto Networks CEO & Chairman at the WEF in Davos, Switzerland on May 23rd, 2022.

☆ U.S. Launches ‘Strike Force’ to Keep Disruptive Tech Away From Adversaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Export controls are a set of regulations that restrict the sale of technologies with both commercial and military uses. They are administered by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which can bring civil penalties against companies that allow such “dual use” items to fall into the wrong hands. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security last year said it was making several changes to give its rules sharper teeth. “Our goal is simple but essential: to strike back against adversaries trying to siphon our best technology,” Ms. Monaco said. The committee is also turning its gaze from inbound investment in physical assets to sensitive data and digital innovations that could be used to pose data and cybersecurity risks, she said.

☆ European natural gas prices hit 18-month low and near parity with crude oil as Vladimir Putin's energy war fizzles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alternative suppliers and a warm winter have brought European gas prices below 50 euros per megawatt hour. Natural gas prices are now equivalent to $85 per barrel, nearly on par with Brent crude oil at around $83. At the current level, natural gas prices are equivalent to $85 per barrel, nearly on par with Brent crude oil at around $83. In November, Germany signed a 15-year contract with Qatar, a major liquefied natural gas exporter. But further downside to gas prices may be limited as demand looks to pick up.

☆ Justice Department to Increase Scrutiny of Technology Exports, Investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

A senior Justice Department official on Thursday said the agency would intensify its efforts to block foreign adversaries such as China and Russia from obtaining sensitive data and technologies, including by launching a new partnership with the U.S. Commerce Department. Export controls are a set of regulations that restrict the sale of technologies with both commercial and military uses. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security last year said it was making several changes to give its rules sharper teeth. “Our goal is simple but essential: to strike back against adversaries trying to siphon our best technology,” Ms. Monaco said. Although many of the Justice Department’s export controls cases in recent years have focused on individuals, prosecutors in 2021 fined German software company SAP SE for violating export regulations by providing millions of dollars in software to Iran.

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