Florida Cinemas Shuttering As Hurricane Idalia Approaches

CBS Evening News, DeSantis defended the state from accusations that it is a hostile environment for Black people, other individuals of color, or the LGBTQ community.DeSantis defended his record on racial issues as governor, noting that unemployment among Blacks in Florida is lower than in liberal-leaning states, that record numbers of Blacks own their own businesses in Florida, and that the state has the highest number of Black students benefitting from school-choice programs.Responding to the NAACP’s issuance of a travel advisory declaring the state as adversarial toward Black Americans — a charge sparked by his administration’s various attempts to crack down on so-called “wokeness” and discussions of systemic racial inequality — a “stunt.” The racial advocacy organization previously called Florida “openly hostile for African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals.”DeSantis also blamed the media for fueling what he calls false narratives that the state is hostile to LGBTQ people.“When we had the fight with Disney over the elementary education about, should you have things about sex and gender identity telling a second grader that their gender’s fluid? We said, ‘Absolutely not.’ Parents in Florida agreed. And throughout — the country I think agreed with that,” he said.

Hindsight is 20/20. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who took considerable heat from constituents and a recall attempt over the state’s tough Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine rollout, acknowledges the criticism was valid.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that plans are still in the works for a debate with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but he told Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd that arrangements hit a snag over a “venue issue.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom says that it is time to “move on” from speculation that he would be a presidential aspirant if Joe Biden doesn’t run for president.

A 16-year-old boy is dead and his father stands accused of murdering him — with a “pretty heavy duty saw,” no less, according to Florida law enforcement officers. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

The Radford family love nothing more than going on family holidays, with parents Sue and Noel regularly whisking their brood off to lavish locations for a break. Sue, 48, and husband Noel, 52, who share 22 kids, most recently jetted off to Florida with some of their children and grandchildren - marking the family's 18th getaway in just 20 months. The Radford clan made sure to keep their fans and followers updated on their holiday on Instagram and YouTube as they continued to enjoy their jam-packed trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

The Walt Disney Company has been blocked again in the Florida courts in its battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis – – at least for the time being.

Canada’s new warning to its LGBTQ people is a “political” attack on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and not an “actual concern,” several Fox News hosts on Thursday delivered caustic commentary against the Canadian government and U.S. cities including LGBTQ-friendly San Francisco and New York.“Well, they’re talking about Florida, right? They’re aiming this at Ron DeSantis, and the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which is one of the most ridiculous interpretations of that bill that I’ve ever seen,” declared Fox News guest host Michele Tafoya, the former NBC Sports reporter who kicked off her political career with a “controversial stand on race relations.”After mentioning that the NAACP had issued a travel warning for LGBTQ people thinking of visiting Florida, Tafoya insisted, “this is all very much, this is very political, and it’s misdirected.”READ MORE: Governor Smacks Down GOP Lawmaker and Trump for ‘End Run’ Attempt to Derail Fani Willis’ RICO Prosecution“I think they need to be a little more concerned about countries in the Middle East who throw LGBTQ types off buildings and disrupt weddings and don’t even allow us to think about it,” she continued.

The Radford family have been forced to face medical bills after taking a family holiday to Florida, which has also been hit by a hurricane. Hurricane Idalia has been getting stronger throughout the week as it was measured as a Category 2 system on Tuesday and became a Category 3 on Wednesday, and has caused four states in the US to declare states of emergency.

Hurricane Idalia has been upgraded to a major Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph. At 11 p.m. PT, Idalia sat about 100 miles south of the Florida coast. It is expected to make landfall somewhere in the Big Bend region of the state with a storm surge between 12 and 16 feet.

With Hurricane Idalia projected to hit the Florida coast near the state capital of Tallahassee at or near major hurricane strength (Category 3 and above), Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort have taken the precautions of closing some attractions and modifying early opening hours, respectively.

Thania Garcia After enjoying a historic opening week on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs chart, Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” now spends a second week topping a list that also includes fresh releases from Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Gunna. The single first launched to No. 1 in the tracking week ending Aug.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony is speaking out to clear up his political beliefs amid the the success of his song, which has been adopted as an anthem for conservatives in America.

Ethan Shanfeld Oliver Anthony, the country-folk singer behind this year’s most surprising No. 1 hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” delivered a message to fans in a teary-eyed, 10-minute video posted to YouTube. In the video, Anthony addressed his viral song’s mention at Wednesday’s GOP debate.

Among the non-economic issues discussed by the eight candidates who appeared on stage Wednesday night for the first Republican Party 2024 presidential primary debate, abortion loomed larger than other topics including LGBTQ rights.

UPDATE: Debate moderator Martha MacCallum tried out the first raised hand question of the evening, asking the candidates, “Do you believe human behavior is causing climate change? Raise your hand if you do.”

Jumping the gun on Fox News’ GOP debate tonight, Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson made it clear to Rupert Murdoch that revenge is a dish best served online. Running like an incumbent with no desire to share the spotlight with Vice Presidents wannabes, Trump easily dominated the debate by never showing up.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The first debate consisting of Republicans competing for the 2024 presidential bid is finally here. This year’s primary Republican debate will take place tonight, Wednesday, Aug.

The first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential election primary cycle is Wednesday, August 23 beginning at 9 p.m. ET, airing live from Milwaukee, WI, exclusively on Fox News Channel and streaming on Fox Nation and Rumble.

A new study shows that nearly 40% of Florida residents have considered leaving the state since the passage of the “Don’t Say Gay” law, with local Republicans encouraging the law’s detractors to follow through on such plans. According to a new survey by the Williams Institute, an LGBTQ policy think tank at UCLA’s School of Law, half of the 40% considering leaving Florida claimed they “very much so” wished to leave the state.Overall, 11% of survey respondents said they would likely move within the next two years.