Rhode Island Senate poised to approve expanded abortion access
The Rhode Island Senate is set to vote on a measure that would allow state funds to be used to pay for health plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions
2023-05-19 04:18
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
Federal judge dismisses another lawsuit against Ed Sheeran in the legal battle over 'Thinking Out Loud'
In a second legal victory for Ed Sheeran this month, a federal district judge dismissed another lawsuit that claimed Sheeran's hit "Thinking Out Loud" copied the 1973 Marvin Gaye hit "Let's Get It On."
2023-05-19 04:17
This Watermelon Feta Salad Is Your New Go-To Picnic Dish
Got invited to a last-minute potluck? This watermelon feta salad recipe is here to help.
2023-05-19 03:45
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
50 films we can't wait to see this summer
Summer is on its way. And with it comes kids clamoring for activities, the thirst
2023-05-19 03:21
U-Haul, Quartz Health Solutions, and 70+ Other Major Payers Partner with Virta Health to Fight Back Against Obesity Epidemic
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2023--
2023-05-19 02:58
George Goldhoff's new job: Keep Atlantic City's Hard Rock casino running fast
The new president of Atlantic City's Hard Rock casino got his start in the hospitality industry washing dishes at an upstate New York restaurant at age 15
2023-05-19 02:29
Incredible shrinking lakes: Humans, climate change, diversion costs trillions of gallons annually
A new study says climate change’s hotter temperatures and society’s diversion of water have been shrinking the world’s lakes by trillions of gallons of water a year since the early 1990s
2023-05-19 02:27
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
Will dashboard AM radio be saved? Bipartisan bill would require automakers to keep it in new cars
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to keep AM radio in the nation’s cars
2023-05-19 02:20
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