New College of Florida graduates hold alternative commencement ceremony in protest against Gov. DeSantis' conservative takeover of the college
Graduates at the New College of Florida held an alternative commencement ceremony Thursday evening in protest of Gov. Ron DeSantis' conservative takeover of the college earlier this year.
2023-05-19 11:57
Kitano returns to Cannes, 'indifferent' to success
Takeshi Kitano makes his comeback at Cannes next week with a new samurai epic, but the cult Japanese filmmaker told AFP that he strives...
2023-05-19 11:26
Tori Spelling says 'troubles are next level' with mold infestation in home 'slowly killing' family for 3 years, Internet asks 'why not just move?'
'Does anyone know how [to] find a Major Great MOLD lawyer in [California] that can help our family?' Tori Spelling wrote while updating about the mold infestation
2023-05-19 11:24
Harrison Ford 'very touched' to receive honorary award as 'Indiana Jones 5' premieres at Cannes
The nostalgic John Williams-composed score of the "Indiana Jones" movies played as Harrison Ford walked up to the stage at the Grand Theatre Lumière in Cannes to accept his honorary Palme d'Or on Thursday.
2023-05-19 08:52
Abortion: Pressure grows on Virginia as new bans arise in the south
Virginia could become the only southern state to allow abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
2023-05-19 07:51
AP analysis: Most beauty school programs would be in jeopardy under US proposal
Nearly two-thirds of for-profit cosmetology certificate programs would face a federal crackdown under new federal rules proposed by the Biden administration
2023-05-19 06:29
Feinstein's office details previously unknown complications from shingles illness
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office says she is suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a complication from the shingles virus that can paralyze part of the face
2023-05-19 06:15
Miley Cyrus wants you to know her album 'Endless Summer Vacation' is not all about Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus's 2023 single "Flowers" -- a track off her latest album "Endless Summer Vacation" -- became the fastest song to cross one billion streams on Spotify in May following its January release.
2023-05-19 05:49
1 Misconception About Each of the 50 States (and D.C.)
We debunk one myth about each state in the U.S., from the Rocky Mountain not-so-high of Colorado to New Mexico. That’s right, New Mexico.
2023-05-19 04:17
Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis
The Walt Disney Company has pulled the plug on a $1bn office complex in Orlando, following a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were on the line after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis escalated his feud with the company. The development scheduled for construction in the Orlando area was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to be relocated from southern California. In an email to employees on 18 May, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona Town Center project, according to The New York Times, which first reported the move. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with the state’s largest taxpayers, among the state’s largest employers, which has wielded enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and DeSantis allies are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. Moments after board appointed by Mr DeSantis voted to strip the company’s control of its Florida park, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for “expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit follows the governor’s state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of conservative activists and DeSantis loyalists, a move that followed Florida Republicans’ punitive measures against the company after its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Days later, the board voted to sue Disney in state court. In March, Disney slammed the governor’s “anti-business” approach to the company, which Mr DeSantis has accused of advancing a “woke agenda” while his administration targets LGBT+ people and their families with sweeping laws to control public school education, healthcare access and speech. The governor dissolved a decades-old municipal district that allowed Disney to control its own land use, zoning rules and public services, without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. In effect, Disney taxed itself to foot the district’s bill for its municipal needs. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts last week. A statement from Disney said the company has decided to pull out of the new campus construction “given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions.” The “Parental Rights in Education Act” – what opponents have called “Don’t Say Gay” – prohibits instruction of “sexual orientation or gender identity” from kindergarten through the third grade and any such discussion “that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students” in other grades. The governor recently expanded the law to explicitly extend such restrictions to all grades. Critics have warned that the broadly written law threatens to freeze classroom speech involving LGBT+ people and issues, from civil rights history lessons to discussion of LGBT+ students, school staff and their families. Following passage of the Florida law, lawmakers across the US and in Congress have introduced similar legislation, including more than two dozen measures in current legislative sessions. Read More DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse ‘We will not be erased’: Critics slam Ron DeSantis for unprecedented bills attacking LGBTQ+ people Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over ‘unconstitutional’ book bans Florida teacher under investigation for showing Disney movie with LGBT+ character speaks out
2023-05-19 03:45
Garth Brooks extends sold-out Las Vegas residency with 2024 dates
Country music star Garth Brooks has extended his new Las Vegas residency with 18 additional dates in 2024
2023-05-19 02:22
9 Explosive Facts About the Manhattan Project
America’s greatest physicists assembled under the Manhattan Project to create the deadliest weapon the world had ever seen—an atomic bomb.
2023-05-19 02:19