Republican senator warns people with left-wing political views not to travel to Florida
Senator Rick Scott posted a video of himself on Tuesday warning “socialists” and “communists” not to travel or move to his home state of Florida. “Let me give you a travel warning: if you’re a Socialist, Communist, somebody that believes in big government, I would think twice – think twice – if you’re thinking about taking a vacation or moving to Florida,” Mr Scott said at the start of his 35-second video message. Mr Scott’s “travel warning” is a play on the travel advisories civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign have issued warning immigrants, LGBT+ people, and people of colour to reconsider travel to the state after it passed a number of laws targeting those communities in recent months. It’s also not the first time Mr Scott, an ambitious first-term senator and former governor, has used the gimmick of issuing his own advisory to draw attention to himself. The senator also issued a press release last month warning people with left-wing views to stay away from the state. “We’re the free state of Florida,” Mr Scott continued in his video. “We actually don’t believe in socialism. We actually know people – some people in our state lived under it, we know people lived under socialism, it’s not good. It’s not good for anybody. So, if you’re thinking about it, if you’re thinking about coming to Florida and you’re a socialist or communist, think twice. We like freedom, liberty, capitalism, things like that.” Mr Scott is reportedly considering running for president, where he would be one of a number of longshot candidates attempting to wrest the nomination away from former president Donald Trump. Along with Mr Trump, two other Floridians are already in the race – Ron DeSantis, Mr Scott’s successor as governor, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Of those candidates, it’s Mr DeSantis who can claim the most credit for turning Florida into a state that has become a symbol for far right governance. In Mr DeSantis’s tenure as governor, the state has moved to severely limit abortion rights, limit free speech in schools, end the state’s tenure system, limit gender-affirming care, and more. Mr Scott, a billionaire former hospital executive who unsuccessfully challenged senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for leadership of the Republican Senate caucus at the start of the current Congress, has reportedly had a strained relationship with Mr DeSantis. He is currently running for re-election to the Senate. Read More Florida senator issues travel warning against ‘socialists’ after NAACP advisory
2023-06-28 11:47
Exclusive: Rudy Giuliani interviewed in special counsel's 2020 election interference probe
Former Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has been interviewed by federal investigators as part of the special counsel's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.
2023-06-28 11:20
South Koreans become a year younger under new age-counting law
Seoul scraps a centuries-old age-counting system in favour of international standards.
2023-06-28 10:26
Mexico proposes handing control of capital airport to its navy
By Kylie Madry MEXICO CITY Mexico is likely to hand over control of the capital's main airport -
2023-06-28 08:25
US sanctions gold companies suspected of supporting Wagner mercenaries in Russia
The United States moved on Tuesday to punish companies accused of doing business with the infamous Russian mercenary army known as the Wagner Group, following the group’s insurrection attempt within Russia’s borders. The move is not thought to be specifically related to the coup, however, instead being a response to Wagner’s participation in some of the bloodiest fighting taking place within Ukraine, where Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion last year. A statement from the Treasury Department faulted companies in Africa and the Middle East for participating in a gold-selling scheme in violation of US sanctions to fund the Wagner Group’s ongoing activities. One executive at Wagner, Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov, was also slapped with individual sanctions on his financial dealings. “The targeted entities in the Central African Republic (CAR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have engaged in illicit gold dealings to fund the Wagner Group to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and Africa, while the targeted individual has been central to activities of Wagner Group units in Mali,” reads Treasury’s press release. The companies are even accused of working with rebel militant groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) as part of the operation. Consequently, an inter-agency task force has issued an advisory highlighting risks for participants in the African gold trade. “Treasury’s sanctions disrupt key actors in the Wagner Group’s financial network and international structure,” added Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson in a statement. “The Wagner Group funds its brutal operations in part by exploiting natural resources in countries like the Central African Republic and Mali. The United States will continue to target the Wagner Group’s revenue streams to degrade its expansion and violence in Africa, Ukraine, and anywhere else,” he said. Wagner Group’s prominence exploded over the weekend after the mercenary soldiers ripped through Russia and seized control of a major city, Rostov, where much of the country’s defence sector is centred. The lightning-fast coup ended as quickly as it began, with leader Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently accepting a deal negotiated by the president of Belarus which saw him exiled to that country. In exchange, participants in the insurrection were granted immunity deals — and other, unknown concessions were thought by many to have been extended to Mr Prigozhin as well. It’s unclear what the insurrection means for the future of Wagner, however, given Mr Prigozhin’s apparent banishment and the souring of his ties with Russia’s leader. Many of the private army’s troops are still deployed in Ukraine, where they are engaged in some of the fiercest combat taking place across the country’s southeast. Read More UN urges Israel and Palestinians to halt West Bank violence in statement backed by US and Russia Fox News host suggests White House ‘drummed up’ Russia coup to distract from Hunter Biden Wagner chief walks free after armed revolt. Other Russians defying the Kremlin aren’t so lucky NATO warns not to underestimate Russian forces, and tells Moscow it has increased preparedness Putin admits Moscow paid Wagner mercenaries £800m in wages in a year – and that his forces ‘stopped civil war’ Pope's peace envoy arrives in Moscow after the short-lived Wagner rebellion
2023-06-28 06:19
Trump's version of US election law rejected once and for all
The news Tuesday is that the US Supreme Court squarely rejected the fringe legal theory by which far-right activists and supporters of former President Donald Trump hoped to be able to ignore election outcomes.
2023-06-28 05:21
When Miss World's arrival in India ignited protests
The competition is being held in India for the first time since 1996 - when it sparked uproar.
2023-06-28 05:17
How the 'independent state legislature' theory, now rejected by SCOTUS, fueled chaos in 2020 and could influence 2024
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a controversial legal theory that would've given partisan state lawmakers nearly unchecked power over US elections.
2023-06-28 03:47
Siemens and UCLA say data compromised in MOVEit data breach
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Siemens Energy and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) said on Tuesday they were among victims of
2023-06-28 01:56
Is It Illegal to Falsely Shout 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater?
Back in 1919, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. sort of made it seem like it was against the law to yell “fire“ while in a crowded theater, so we understand if you’re confused.
2023-06-28 00:55
Supreme Court clarifies when online harassment can be prosecuted
The Supreme Court on Tuesday wiped away a lower court decision upholding the stalking conviction of a Colorado man who sent hundreds of messages to a woman over Facebook.
2023-06-27 22:27
Supreme Court rejects controversial Trump-backed election law theory
The Supreme Court said Tuesday that the North Carolina Supreme Court did not violate the elections clause of the US Constitution when it invalidated the state's 2022 congressional map
2023-06-27 22:19