A rebellion in Florida
(podcast) by Jason Garcia ~ substack.com ~ Aug. 23 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2048
The most important result to come out of the primary elections in Florida was the rejection of culture-warring School Board candidates in races around the state. But the most interesting result came in Manatee County, where, in one fell swoop, residents completely overhauled a local county commission that many believed was in the pocket of a few influential real-estate developers. Liv Coleman, a political science professor at the University of Tampa and resident of Manatee County, joins the show to talk about how it all went down.
From the frontlines of the MAGA war on higher education: The Ms. Q&A with New College of Florida professor Amy Reid
by Carrie N. Baker ~ Ms. Magazine ~ Aug. 15 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2053
In January of 2023, New College of Florida in Sarasota was the state’s only public liberal honors arts college, with a motto of “educating free thinkers, risk takers and trailblazers.” But a right-wing takeover has led to a mass exodus of professors and students, and violations of academic freedom and potentially state laws. The takeover of New College of Florida began on Jan. 6, 2023, when Governor Ron DeSantis appointed six new board members to vacant positions on the 13-member governing board of trustees of New College. The new members were right-wing activists in culture wars over education. Most had no connections to the college or even to the state of Florida. One was Christopher Rufo, best known as the architect of the anti-“critical race theory” movement. In an interview, professor Amy Reid, director of gender studies at New College of Florida said, “New College is a flashpoint for what’s going on. We’re a cautionary tale.”
The mainstream press is failing America — and people are understandably upset
by Rebecca Solnit ~ The Guardian ~ Sept. 6 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2054
The media is still pursing the appearance of fairness by treating true and false, normal and outrageous, as equally valid. Trump’s jibberish gets translated into English and his past crimes and present-day lies and threats get glossed over. The mainstream US media has failed, repeatedly, determinedly, spectacularly to do their job, which is to maintain their independence, inform the eletorate, and speak truth to power. While the left has long had reasons to dismiss centrist media, and the right has loathed it most when it did do its job well, the moderates who are furious at it now seem to be something new. Former editors, media experts and independent journalists are speaking out.
Union firefighters greet JD Vance with boos after ‘most pro-worker’ claim
by Brett Wilkins ~ Common Dreams ~ Aug. 29 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2055
A day after warmly welcoming Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, attendees of a firefighters’ union convention in Boston booed the Minnesota governor’s GOP opponent, U.S. Sen. JD Vance—who claimed that he and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, are the “most pro-worker Republican ticket in history.” Vance, who represents Ohio, endured multiple rounds of boos, starting from the moment he thanked members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union just after taking the stage. “Donald Trump and JD Vance are scabs and the audience knows it,” said one observer.
UF senior staffers racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel costs after Sasse allowed them to work remotely
by Vivienne Serret ~ WUFT ~ Aug. 30 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2052
New figures add to mounting questions about unusually high expenditures of public money by the University of Florida’s president’s office under Ben Sasse, including over $100,000 for airfare or train tickets and $50,000 for hotels for six senior UF hires. Some expense reports didn’t even indicate a destination, citing costs for “trip” with no other details about locations. The expenses were many times the amount professors and administrative staff at the university are limited to spending. It wasn’t clear who at UF approved each expense item. This story has been getting all kinds of national coverage, even Esquire magazine had something to say (tinyurl.com/Iguana2050).
University of Florida student journalists lead on breaking big stories about former President Ben Sasse
by Gabrielle Russon ~ Poynter. ~ Aug. 28 ~ tinyurl.com/Iguana2056
A University of Florida senior, Garrett Shanley, broke a scoop that went viral and was recognized by some of the biggest newspapers across the state. UF’s student-run newspaper reported that spending under Sasse’s office tripled to $17.3 million in his first year as president. The former Republican U.S. Senator from Nebraska gave contracts to his GOP allies who worked remotely from Washington D.C., the Independent Florida Alligator reported. Shanley’s work was based on “old-school bootstrap reporting, using publilcly available data and record requests to get contracts.” The story was a fully student-led effort — no UF faculty or outside professional journalists helped in the process.