Mountain View
Eric Niemietz
DeSantis Motivated by Race; Judge Keeps District Anyway
Governor DeSantis won the right to keep his redistricting plan following an Federal Court decision. Jordan, a judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote that “the evidence presented at trial convinces me that the governor did, in fact, act with race as a motivating factor.”
Children Banned from Social Media in Florida
Governor DeSantis signed into law a ban on social media accounts for children under 14, and requiring permission from parents if between 14 and 15 years old. The bill was less stringent thana bill DeSantis rejected last month, which would have banned acccounts under age 16.
Restoring Everglades: $20B for Ecological Redemption
This year Florida's fiscal budget will include $740 million for projects which are part of an ongoing environmental restoration of the Everglades. The aim is to undo the damage started by the Army Corps of Engineers' 1949 project to "Drain the Everglades."
Cargo Ship Destroys Key Bridge in Baltimore
A container ship smashed into a bridge support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Port of Baltimore at about 1:30 a.m., causing the bridge to break apart in just seconds. Several vehicles went into the 50 foot deep water, and authorities are searching for at least 7 people in the 47 degree water.
Botched K-9 Reinstatement: Homeless Woman Mistakenly Attacked
A Gainesville Police K-9 Team that was reinstated after a 10 month hiatus was looking for a domestic violence suspect and ended up attacking a homeless woman by mistake. Officers found a woman who seemed to be hiding in some bushes. "They attempted to give verbal warnings but were met with no response. The K-9 handler then instructed the dog to attack."
State Farm Won't Be There; Homeowners Insurance Cancellations
State Farm Insurance has announced it will be cancelling home and rental insurance for about 72,000 customers in California, nine months after announcing it will not be writing any new business for home insurance in the state.
Vacant Lake George Motel on Hold as Seasonal Worker Housing
The village of Lake George in New York's Adirondacks draws thousands of tourists every summer, and the businesses those tourists need workers, but only for a few months a year. A derelict vacant motel in the middle of town was slated to become temporary worker housing under a grant of $10 million dollars for a revitalization project.
USF Launches College of AI, Cybersecurity & Computing
The University of Florida has announced a new college will open in the fall of 2025, devoted to AI, cybersecurity and computing. The campus will be in the Tampa Bay area, already a hub of industries in the technology and defense arenas.
Gainesville GRU; Residents Should Have Vote on Board Members
Following a public comment section of the Gainesville Commission meeting, it was proposed to do away with Article 7, which give Governor DeSantis the power to appoint authority board members for GRU. (Gainesville Regional Utilities) "Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward is voicing his support for the city taking over the GRU Authority Board."
Biden $6B Student Loan Rescue for Public Service Workers
President Biden cancelled the student loan debt for almost 80,000 public service workers like firefighters, nurses, and teachers. A $6 billion dollar package will cancel loans which now totals over 870,000 people. thousands of other people will be notified by mail soon if their loans are within two years of being paid off.
GOP Budget Plan: Cut Social Security and Medicare, Raise Retirement Age
A far right MAGA Republican group the Republican Study Committee, which is affiliated with about 170 House Republicans has come up with a budget plan for 2025, It would end medicare as we know it and make it a self funding plan, like other private plans (many of which have failed) and raise the retirement age to 69.
Gainesville, Florida Downtown: Farewell Free Parking
Gainesville has announced it will follow the example of other municipalities an make parking for their downtown streets metered pay to park. City commissioners approved raising parking rates during yesterday’s city commission meeting.
Haiti Refugees; DeSantis Signs New Immigrant Blocks
Governor DeSantis is getting Florida ready for a possible "wave" of immigration from Haiti fleeing civil unrest. Tessa Petit, who was born and raised in Haiti, now directs the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which is an advocacy group. She said that "Governor DeSantis' response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti is to classify immigrants as the enemy."
Please Don't Feed the Bears
Game wardens are warning bird lovers to bring in their bird feeders in Vermont. As temperatures warm, bears are coming out of hibernation. Once they leave their dens, they stay out even if it gets cold again or snow falls. Bears, like everyone in the morning, are hungry.
Eric Niemietz
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Writer and Author. Travelled extensively in U.S. and abroad. Interests include history, natural history, outdoor activities, painting, and writing. C.P.C.U.
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