As Florida Bans Trans, Connecticut is Hellbent on Exonerating Witches
One state lawmaker questions whether clearing the names of women who have been dead for centuries is the best use of the legislature's time. Plus: Trump loses in court. And: Blue checks for Gmail?
Thanks for rising up this morning, and May the Fourth Be with You, on this Thursday, May 4, 2023.
On this day in 1776, Rhode Island announced its independence from Great Britain, the first American colony to do so. Don’t be so congratulatory, though; Rhode Island was a key trafficker in human slaves and molasses, and dragged its feet in 1790 over its aversion to paying import tariffs on its lucrative trade. The smallest state was the last state to ratify the Constitution.
This is also the day Chicago recalls the deadly Haymarket Square Riot of 1886.
And on this day in 1970, 28 National Guardsmen opened fire on 2,000 anti-war demonstrators violating a ban on protests on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. They killed four, wounded eight and permanently paralyzed one protester. The students had refused to disperse and some threw rocks. The Kent State Massacre became a watershed movement for protests against the war in Vietnam.
Here Now the News:
RUSSIA ACCUSES U.S. OF SUPPORTING DRONE ATTACK ON KREMLIN: NBC News
U.S. SAYS KREMLIN IS LYING: Politico
GRISLY NEW DETAILS IN OKLAHOMA’S “SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE:” The Independent
WISCONSIN CAMPUS IN UPROAR OVER WHITE STUDENT’S RACIST SLURS IN SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO: WKOW
KENTUCKY DERBY DEATHS: Investigation underway into why two horses died. Two more had to be euthanized, just days before Derby Day. —CBS News
NEW YORK STATE IS THE FIRST STATE TO BAN NATURAL GAS IN NEW BUILDINGS: BBC
BILLIONAIRE PAID FOR EDUCATION OF CLARENCE THOMAS’ “SON”: Pro Publica
Politicukoos
TEXAS SCHOOLS CANCEL TRIP TO SEE “JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH” IN BACKLASH AGAINST DRAG AND NONBINARY IDENTITY: PinkNews reports officials at the Spring Branch Independent School District west of Houston scrapped field trips to see the play based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book over concerns it is not “age appropriate” and it contained “movements that could be perceived as suggestive”.
The school district claims their objection is to the small cast cross-dressing to play different roles and one character, an insect, using gender-neutral pronouns. WHAT WILL THE CHILDREN THINK?!?
FLORIDA LAWMAKERS SEND GOV. DeSANTIS BILLS BANNING PRONOUNS IN SCHOOLS, ELIMINATING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS AND MORE: Associated Press
READ THE TEXT OF THE BILL BANNING WOMEN LIKE ME FROM USING PUBLIC BATHROOMS FOR WOMEN: Click here
WHY DO THIS? DeSANTIS WANTS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT: CBS News
WHAT ARE BUSINESSES DOING IN RESPONSE? N O T H I N G. —Axios
EDITORIAL: FLORIDIANS WILL LOOK BACK IN SHAME —Orlando Sentinel
FLORIDA GOP ALSO OK BILL THAT WILL LIKELY RAISE SEWER AND WATER COSTS FOR HOMEOWNERS: Florida Phoenix
ONCE AGAIN, DONALD TRUMP IS A LOSER: A judge dismissed the former president’s lawsuit against The New York Times.
Justice Robert R. Reed of the state Supreme Court in New York County said Trump’s claims against the Times and three of its journalists for their Pulitzer-winning series on his undisclosed finances in 2018 “fail as a matter of constitutional law.”
Judge Reed, a Democrat, also ordered that Trump pay the paper and its journalists’ attorneys’ fees, legal expenses and costs. —CNBC
FEAR OF RIGHT-WING OUTRAGE MAKES US ALL WORSE-OFF: A must-read essay by journalist Parker Molloy, in her The Present Age Substack.
TransWorld
NEW ORGANIZATION FOR TRANSGENDER VETERANS: Transgender and Diverse Veterans of America announce the launch of its organization Thursday, and unveiled the officers elected by members.
“TDVA is a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization founded by veterans for veterans.
“TDVA’s mission is to support all our veterans.
TDVA will work to foster support education and peer support for these veterans throughout the nation and for those who live overseas.”
TDVA’s officers are:
Trey-Shawn Perez, President
Dr. Amaya Deakins, Vice President
Renee Revoir, Secretary
Elizabeth Hardy, Treasurer
Sarah Colasanto, Chair of the TDVA Board
Angela Brightfeather Sheedy, Chair of the TDVA Action Group Board
Cassandra Williamson, Executive Director
For more information, visit their website at www.tdva-ag.org
LOVE IS IN THE AIR: Francesca Farago, who is best known for her stint on raunchy Netflix series Too Hot to Handle and Love is Blind has confirmed her engagement to trans fiancé Jesse Sullivan. —PinkNews
OMGnews
SURGEONS OPERATED ON HER BRAIN BEFORE SHE WAS BORN: CNN
THE LINK BETWEEN PROCESSED FOODS AND BRAIN HEALTH: NYT
STUDY: REGULAR INTERNET USE MAY BE RELATED TO LOWER RISK OF DEMENTIA! So subscribe to RiseUP and be sure to read every issue! —CNN
ANOTHER STUDY: WOMEN AT HIGH RISK OF RE-HOSPITALIZATION FOLLOWING HEART ATTACK: SciTechDaily and National Institutes of Health
A REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER ASKS: WHY SPEND TIME EXONERATING LONG-DEAD WOMEN ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT? State Rep. Doug Dubitsky wasn’t looking to make headlines when he took issue with the vague wording of a bill to exonerate Connecticut residents who were convicted of crimes relating to witchcraft in the 1600s.
Dubitsky told FiveThirtyEight he wanted more information about the crimes “related” to witchcraft and what exactly the legislature was going to exonerate them for.
Apparently this is also happening in other New England states, and Dubitsky isn’t the only one asking whether this kind of legislation is the best use of lawmakers’ time at a moment when living, breathing women still face real threats.
COLORADO TEACHERS UNION CONDEMNS CAPITALISM: The CEA passed a resolution that says it “believes that capitalism requires exploitation of children, public schools, land, labor, and/or resources.
“Capitalism is in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism (the school to prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy, (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality.”
And Fox News is mad about it, and even more mad about an earlier draft that called for a replacement of capitalism.
BizNews
GMAIL ROLLS OUT ITS OWN VERSION OF BLUE CHECKS: Engadget
THE FED RAISED INTEREST RATES AGAIN: What does that mean for you? NBC News
REGIONAL BANK STOCKS SLIDE: CNBC
WRITERS STRIKE LOOKS TO BE A LONG ONE: Associated Press
SCREENWRITERS WANT A.I. FROM TAKING THEIR JOBS; STUDIOS WANT TO SEE WHAT IT CAN DO: CBS News
CORD-CUTTING, STREAMING LOSSES, AND “TERRIFYING MATH” DRIVING THE WRITERS STRIKE: CNN
PRODUCERS WERE DELUGED WITH SCRIPTS JUST BEFORE STRIKE: The Hollywood Reporter
JON STEWART CANCELS HIS OWN SHOW IN SOLIDARITY: GiantFreakinRobot
Star Trek Corner
WIL WHEATON TOURS THE ENTERPRISE-D BRIDGE: This new video from Paramount+ is a deep, geeky dive into the amazing recreation of the starship set. The Ready Room host is accompanied by none other than the man whose designs for Star Trek: The Next Generation were painstakingly brought back to life for Star Trek Picard: Michael Okuda! —YouTube
STAR TREK VISIONARY MICHAEL OKUDA TO APPEAR AT UPSTATE NY TOS SET RECREATION IN JULY: TrekTours
PICARD SHOWRUNNER TERRY MATALAS EXPLAINS WHY WE DIDN’T SEE LARIS IN THE FINALE: RedShirtsAlwaysDie
HOW TO VIEW ALL THE SEASONS OF STAR TREK: Click here to subscribe to Paramount+ and look for the “first week free trial” offer!
That’s all for today! I’ll be back Sunday night with Bedtime Stories to prepare you to rise up and start your Monday right. Until then… May your news be good news!
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