Florida lawmaker who sponsored 'don't say gay' bill resigns after federal indictment for wire fraud
TAMPA, Fla. — One day after being indicted on charges of money laundering and wire fraud, state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Ocala, announced his resignation from Florida’s House of Representatives.
Harding was the sponsor of the Parental Rights in Education law, which opponents nicknamed the “don’t say gay” bill. The legislation prohibits classroom instruction and discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the measure and signed it into law in March.
In a statement Thursday, Harding said he was resigning because he wants what is best for Floridians “and I believe their leaders need not be encumbered by distractions that are mine alone.”
On Wednesday, an indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida accused Harding of falsely representing two dormant businesses of his as active to get coronavirus-related loans from the Small Business Administration.
—Tampa Bay Times
Texas parents push back on app that asks kids to pick an emoji reflecting their moods
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth school district now requires parental consent before teachers can ask students to pick an emoji reflecting how they feel.
The new policy came after parents pushed back on such efforts and demanded more say in what schools ask their children about their emotions or overall well-being.
Educators have said such tools help them gauge how their students are doing and identify challenges they might be experiencing. And they say that building relationships is a fundamental part of their job. Now, Fort Worth families must opt their children into using one particular app, but the policy varies for other surveys or questionnaires.
“Fort Worth ISD parents: we hear you, and we have created a process that gives you a greater say in the district surveys your child takes,” read a press release announcing the new process earlier this month.
—The Dallas Morning News
Narcan could be required at California schools after youth fentanyl overdoses
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Following spates of fentanyl overdoses among students, California public schools could be required to provide Narcan on campuses — a nasal spray that can reverse deadly effects of opioids.
The proposal is part of legislation introduced by both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers this week that aims to increase information about the presence of fentanyl on K-12 campuses, which can be fatal and consumed unknowingly when it's hidden in other drugs such as oxycodone and Adderall.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that at least seven teenagers overdosed from pills possibly containing fentanyl this year, including a 15-year-old girl who died in September.
In the opening week of the new legislative session, Assemblymember Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, introduced AB 19, which would require schools in California to have at least two doses of emergency naloxone such as Narcan on campus in case of an overdose.
—Los Angeles Times
Strikes in Russia leave Ukraine allies uneasy at Putin reply
While this week’s drone attacks on Russian airfields that the Kremlin blamed on Ukraine were of largely symbolic value, Kyiv’s apparent readiness to take the war to Russian President Vladimir Putin may be constrained by nervousness among its allies over his potential reaction.
The strikes at three airfields, including ones used on bombing missions against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, boosted morale among Ukrainians enduring electricity and water outages in winter under repeated missile barrages. Kremlin threats of escalation in response have proven empty, at least so far.
Yet U.S. and European sympathy for Ukraine in wanting to hit back at attempts to freeze its population into submission is matched by anxiety over Putin’s red lines for resorting to his nuclear arsenal if attacks on Russian soil continue. That makes them reluctant to offer encouragement to Kyiv, still less weaponry with a range permitting far-reaching strikes into Russia, even as Putin’s invasion increasingly falters on the battlefield.
“We have been very clear about our concerns over potential escalation,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday, in answer to a question on whether Washington was discouraging Ukraine from strikes inside Russia. “It’s their decision to make. We have not encouraged them to do that.”
—Bloomberg News
