Republicans were emboldened in the 23 states where they control the governorship and both houses of the legislature. Other factors include a newly conservative U.S. Supreme Court, GOP backlash over former President Donald Trump’s reelection loss and a tidal wave of social media campaigns and commentary aimed at galvanizing conservatives by playing up divisive cultural issues.
Backgrounders
Debunking the Bogus Claim that Face Masks Harm Children
Facial masks may be one of the most cost-effective strategies to prevent the diffusion of Covid 19 infection. Nevertheless, fake news is spreading, scaring parents about dangerous but false side effects of masks in children.
Shrugging Off Science, Physicians’ Pleas and Overrun Hospitals, DeSantis Bans Mask Requirements in Schools
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will issue an executive order to prohibit school districts from imposing mask-wearing requirements as students return to classes in August. The order contradicts the recommendations of physicians, public health officials and the CDC and is issued as Florida is again the epicenter of the covid pandemic and its hospitals are being overrun.
‘Absolutely’: Health Chief Calls for Masks in Flagler Schools as AdventHealth Goes to Unprecedented ‘Black Status’
Flagler County Health Department Administrator Bob Snyder on Thursday said that whether vaccinated or not, students indoors should be wearing masks. Snyder’s unequivocal declaration stresses similar recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and physicians at AdventHealth.
Behind Ben & Jerry’s West Bank Decision: Israel Is Losing the Battle for Public Opinion
Ben & Jerry’s said selling ice cream in the West Bank and Gaza “is inconsistent with our values.” The move is emblematic of a larger trend: public sentiment among a group of U.S. voters – including many American Jews – who used to be stalwart supporters of Israel has shifted, and they are increasingly turning their backs on the Jewish state.
Cautionary Tale for Coastal Towns: What Miami’s Sea Wall Will Not Protect
The sea wall the Army Corps is proposing – protecting only 6 miles of downtown and the financial district from a storm surge – can’t save Miami and Dade County. Most of the city will be outside the wall, unprotected; the wall will still trap water inside; and the Corps hasn’t closely studied what the construction of a high sea wall would do to water quality.
Domestic Violence 911 Calls Increased During Lockdown, but Police Reports and Arrests Declined
Stay-at-home orders disrupted traditional abuse-detection processes and support systems. A real increase in domestic violence indicates that this disruption occurred at a particularly damaging time. Better measures need to be put in place in order to protect victims during future outbreaks and keep everyone safe during lockdowns.
Year-Long Cabal of Claims Against Holland Comes Down to Wrist-Slap Over 2 Errant Emails as Ethics Commission Rules
A 15-month drumbeat of sound and fury over allegations of corruption, cover-ups, cabals and criminal acts, a drumbeat that influenced two elections, a city manager’s career and the mayor’s own, among others, tarnishing the reputation of a leading private company in the county, came down to a minor rebuke over an email misuse Holland long ago acknowledged and apologized for. Nothing else.
Tina-Marie Schultz and Robert Barnes Appointed to Bunnell City Commission for Next 8 Months
The Bunnell City Commission Monday evening appointed Robert Barnes and Tina-Marie Schultz to the commission for the next eight months to complete the terms of two commissioners, Bill Baxley and Donnie Nobles, who resigned in quick succession earlier this month.
Can We Cancel ‘Cancel Culture’?
At its worst, cancel culture curtails speech. It threatens this longstanding fundamental freedom. If we limit speech by cancelling those we disagree with, other societal pillars also face peril. When expression is compromised, which freedom is next? Freedom of assembly? Freedom from fear?