15:04 BST 15:04
In Staten Island, New York, 1,518 warehouse workers have so far voted yes to forming a union, while 1,154 voted no, according to a count on Thursday night by the National Labor Council, which oversees both elections. The counting of ballots will continue on Friday. Read more here:
14:44 BST 14:44
Disney’s opposition to gender identity law infuriates DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron de Sandis’s awkward Republican threat threatens retaliation against the state’s largest private employer, Disney, after pledging to work to overturn the controversial new state law “Do not say homosexuals” ban sex in schools. DeSantis has received a huge backlash and mockery of the law critics say marginalizes the LGBTQ + community, including a harsh statement from theme park giant support groups seeking its repeal. In return, DeSantis says Disney has “exceeded the limits” and is now threatening to remove the company from the self-governing regime it has enjoyed for nearly 50 years, which has allowed it to expand its operations in central Florida almost uncontrollably. “Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” DeSantis told a news conference in West Palm Beach, citing CNN on Friday. “And so the political influence that they are used to exercising, I think, has eased. And the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in law? “And I do not think it should.” His comments followed a tweet earlier this week by Republican lawmaker Spencer Roach, saying talks were under way to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act of 1967, which gave Disney autonomy in its own affairs. SpencerRoach (@SpencerRoachFL) Yesterday was the second meeting in a week with fellow lawmakers to discuss repealing the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government. If Disney wants to embrace the ideology of vigilance, it seems right to be regulated by Orange County. pic.twitter.com/6sj29Gj6Wz March 30, 2022 As for Disney, which employs about 80,000 “cast members” in Florida, its opposition reflects something of a reversal after initially refusing to condemn the bill. Some Disney employees in California and Florida went on strike in protest. Equality advocates point to DeSantis’s story of opposition to the trans community, and on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging the law. Read more about Florida law here:
14:12 BST 14:12
Good morning to everyone. We’ve reached Friday, but a busy week in US politics is not over and we still have a lot to see on today ‘s live blog. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is threatening retaliation against Disney, the state’s largest private employer, for its opposition to a so-called “do not say homosexual law” that bans discussions about gender identity in schools. And in the Capitol, the House of Representatives is turning its attention to legalizing marijuana following a landslide vote Thursday to limit the price of insulin. A reminder that you can follow the developments in the Russia-Ukraine war in our main news blog here. See what else we watch in the US today: Updated at 14:25 BST
title: “Florida Governor Threatens To Retaliate Against Disney Over Don T Say Gay Law Live Us News " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Patricia Cox”
15:44 BST 15:44
The government of Joe Biden has secured the release of an American-Afghan humanitarian aid worker and naval reserve held captive in Afghanistan by the Taliban, CNN reports. Safi Rauf, 27, was arrested along with his brother Anees Khalil, a green card holder, in December. The two had formed an aid group called the Human First Coalition, helping those trying to flee Afghanistan after the US withdrew last summer after a 20-year war. Their release follows “100 days of intense negotiations between the Biden government and their captors,” CNN reported, citing Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. A statement from Safi Rauf was released by the Human First Coalition, thanking those who worked for his release. Human First Coalition (@HumanFirstAfg) Statement by our President Safi Rauf, who was released from Taliban custody today pic.twitter.com/tUTzXGNgzX April 1, 2022 “We have been liberated by the efforts of the US Government (mainly Political Officer JP Feldmayer, Special Representative Tom West and Lt. Col. Jason Hock), our family and loved ones, the Government of Qatar, the British Government, our team to the Human First Coalition and countless friends in the country, in the region and around the world. ” said the statement. Updated at 3:45 p.m. BST
15:20 BST 15:20
Democrats are outraged by Covid’s retreat
Ed Pilkington The U.S. Senate is close to reaching an agreement on a reduced $ 10 billion emergency package to deal with Covid amid anger that the deal appears likely to lose the most funding for critical global vaccine efforts. Senate leaders told reporters Friday that an agreement was possible, with a possible vote next week. But the package reflects the White House’s original request for $ 22 billion, deeply limiting even the most recent proposal to $ 15.6 billion. Much of the savings will likely be at the expense of vaccination advocacy efforts around the world. The Biden government had asked for $ 5 billion, but as final talks continued, it appeared that the amount of global aid could be reduced to just $ 1 billion. Leading Democrats have expressed frustration with the decline in planned global vaccination efforts. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of Parliament, described the latest proposal as “shameful”, noting that low vaccination rates in parts of the world run the risk of new variants of Covid. “We have said, we have stated, everyone knows: none of us is safe unless we are all safe,” Pelosi said. The whole story here:
15:04 BST 15:04
In Staten Island, New York, 1,518 warehouse workers have so far voted yes to forming a union, while 1,154 voted no, according to a count on Thursday night by the National Labor Council, which oversees both elections. The counting of ballots will continue on Friday. Read more here:
14:44 BST 14:44
Disney’s opposition to gender identity law infuriates DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron de Sandis’s awkward Republican threat threatens retaliation against the state’s largest private employer, Disney, after pledging to work to overturn the controversial new state law “Do not say homosexuals” ban sex in schools. DeSantis has received a huge backlash and mockery of the law critics say marginalizes the LGBTQ + community, including a harsh statement from theme park giant support groups seeking its repeal. In return, DeSantis says Disney has “exceeded the limits” and is now threatening to remove the company from the self-governing regime it has enjoyed for nearly 50 years, which has allowed it to expand its operations in central Florida almost uncontrollably. “Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” DeSantis told a news conference in West Palm Beach, citing CNN on Friday. “And so the political influence that they are used to exercising, I think, has eased. And the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in law? “And I do not think it should.” His comments followed a tweet earlier this week by Republican lawmaker Spencer Roach, saying talks were under way to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act of 1967, which gave Disney autonomy in its own affairs. SpencerRoach (@SpencerRoachFL) Yesterday was the second meeting in a week with fellow lawmakers to discuss repealing the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government. If Disney wants to embrace the ideology of vigilance, it seems right to be regulated by Orange County. pic.twitter.com/6sj29Gj6Wz March 30, 2022 As for Disney, which employs about 80,000 “cast members” in Florida, its opposition reflects something of a reversal after initially refusing to condemn the bill. Some Disney employees in California and Florida went on strike in protest. Equality advocates point to DeSantis’s story of opposition to the trans community, and on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging the law. Read more about Florida law here:
14:12 BST 14:12
Good morning to everyone. We’ve reached Friday, but a busy week in US politics is not over and we still have a lot to see on today ‘s live blog. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is threatening retaliation against Disney, the state’s largest private employer, for its opposition to a so-called “do not say homosexual law” that bans discussions about gender identity in schools. And in the Capitol, the House of Representatives is turning its attention to legalizing marijuana following a landslide vote Thursday to limit the price of insulin. A reminder that you can follow the developments in the Russia-Ukraine war in our main news blog here. See what else we watch in the US today: Updated at 14:25 BST
