By Anthony Izaguirre
The Florida Board of Education approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades on Wednesday, expanding the law critics call “Don't Say Gay” at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he gears up for an expected presidential run.
The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.
The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity through 12th grade, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. Florida currently bans such lessons in kindergarten through third grade.
The DeSantis administration put forward the proposal last month as part of the Republican's aggressive conservative agenda, as DeSantis leans heavily into cultural divides ahead of his looming White House candidacy.
DeSantis has not commented on the proposal. He previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said it is meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.
“We’re not removing anything here,” Diaz Jr. said on Wednesday. “All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards.”
The prohibition, which began last year with the law banning sexual orientation and gender identity lessons in kindergarten through third grade, has drawn intense backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people.
“Let’s put it plainly: This is part of the governor’s assault on freedom,” Joe Saunders, senior political director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, said in a statement. The policy will “further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support now more than ever.”
Opponents say the rule change doesn't improve vague terminology in the law. They say phrases such as “classroom instruction,” “age appropriate” and “developmentally appropriate," could be broadly interpreted and lead to self-censorship by educators.
Educators have said they don't expect a major change in lesson plans given that teachers adhere to state education curriculums, fueling criticism that the policy is a culture war cudgel meant to satisfy conservative Republicans.
The current law also provoked an ongoing feud with Disney, one of the state’s largest employers.
The entertainment giant publicly opposed the legislation last year, and as punishment, DeSantis pushed lawmakers to give him control of a self-governing district Disney has run for decades to oversee its theme park properties.
Before a set of new DeSantis appointees could assume control of the district, Disney’s board passed restrictive covenants that strip the incoming members of most of their powers, blunting the governor’s retaliation.
DeSantis then directed Florida's chief inspector general to investigate the Disney board’s move, and has vowed to take additional revenge against the company through legislation.
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
