Mario Kart Mussolini isn't doing too hot these days

Wednesday, May 17, 2023
BY JULIA CLAIRE & CROOKED MEDIA

- Sean Hannity ([link removed]) , new spokesperson for Defund the Police

Signs are emerging that Floridians are (finally) fighting back against the rising tide of fascism in their state.

* On Tuesday night, the Republican mayoral candidate in Jacksonville, FL—the largest city in the state—lost to his Democratic opponent, despite the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). ([link removed]) Jacksonville has had Republican mayors for most of the past three decades, and DeSantis is widely viewed as a kingmaker in the state. DeSantis has used that cache to exact a reign of terror over non-right-wing Floridians, all to feed his looming presidential campaign. He’s signed numerous hyper-conservative bills into law and made the state a haven for some of the worst political characters in the United States. But his singular influence may be starting to run dry.

* As DeSantis’s national profile has grown, he’s crumbled under public scrutiny, which has happily captured all of his attempts to initiate his hard drive’s “laughter” protocol. He’s made some laughably bad political calls that have reduced his esteem, even within the Republican Party. DeSantis offered a last-minute endorsement to Kentucky GOP gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft, a former U.N. Ambassador under disgraced former president Trump ([link removed]) , and opponent of the favored GOP candidate, state attorney general Daniel Cameron, a close ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and an official who received Trump’s endorsement almost one year ago. Cameron handily defeated Craft last night, leaving DeSantis yet another L in his many proxy battles with Trump.

* Under DeSantis, Florida leads the nation in book bans. But on Wednesday, Penguin Random House, authors, parents, and a free-speech advocacy group filed a lawsuit against a Florida school district for removing 10 books ([link removed]) related to race and LGBTQ+ identities after a high-school teacher complained. The lawsuit argues that the decisions made by the district violate the First Amendment, because they constitute illegal viewpoint discrimination, as well as the 14th amendment, “because the books being singled-out for possible removal are disproportionately books by non-white and/or LGBTQ authors.” The plaintiffs have asked the court to return the books to the shelves and prohibit the school district from removing or further restricting access to them.

So what else has ol’ Ron been up to? It’s not good, I’ll tell you that much!

* DeSantis had made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a central part of his gubernatorial agenda, choosing to inflame GOP culture war issues rather than improving the lives of his constituents. On Wednesday, he signed a series of bills banning gender-affirming care for minors, in the appropriate setting of a Christian school in Tampa ([link removed]) . He claimed that the new laws will prevent “mutilation” of minors, “protect” children from “sexually explicit” entertainment, and stop what he calls the “pronoun Olympics,” in Florida. One of the most horrifying bills he signed will allow the state to take transgender minors away from their families if they are found to be receiving gender-affirming care ([link removed]) . At the signing, he even trotted out the old chestnut “God does not make mistakes with our children.” (Explain the exist
ence of Ben Shapiro, then, eh Ron?). The GOP supermajorities in the Florida legislature have rubber stamped this agenda.


* Speaking of the presidential campaign, DeSantis seems determined to out-fascist disgraced former president Trump, the GOP’s current 2024 frontrunner. Trump told an online new outlet on Monday that, “many people within the pro-life movement feel that [DeSantis’s six-week ban] was too harsh.” DeSantis shot back that the legislation is something that “99 percent of pro-lifers support,” ([link removed]) which, yikes. Trump has been going on a “dance with the one who brung you” campaign on his own, including by claiming direct credit for overturning Roe vs. Wade in a Tuesday interview with Newsmax. He’s not wrong!

Ron DeSantis’s ultimate political goal, to remake the United States in Florida’s image, won’t be as easy as he initially thought. That’s a great thing for the rest of us, and a testament to the Floridians working tirelessly to restore some sanity to their state.

At the current rate of Trump’s legal troubles, every New Yorker is probably going to be put on a Trump jury sooner or later. Just remember to check your mail and Grab a Totally Impartial Potential Juror tee, now available at the Crooked Store. For the non-New Yorkers, you might not be able to establish a New York residency in time but if you miss this one at least you’ll have this shirt until you can catch the next one.

Head to Crooked.com/Store ([link removed]) now to shop!
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As the clock ticks toward a Republican default on the debt, Democrats have had to get creative. On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries circulated a “discharge petition,” would could force a vote to raise the debt ceiling ([link removed]) , among House Democrats. If a majority of representatives sign the discharge petition, it would clear the way for clean debt-limit legislation—no Republican poison pills. It’s a long-shot effort to bypass House GOP leaders, but it’s the 11th hour so long shots are essentially all we have left. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) called the petition a “break-the-glass” last-resort to avoid default ([link removed]) . Some Senate Democrats have circulated a letter of their own urging President Biden to prepare to invoke the 14th Amendment
([link removed]) . The letter reflects growing discontent among Democrats in Congress, who are rightly getting a little uncomfortable with President Biden’s reported willingness to pay the ransom of work requirements for food stamps, simply to disarm the GOP’s default threat. Wow it would be great if the Speaker of the House weren’t a raging lunatic right about now, wouldn’t it?

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) gave a troubling interview to Slate in which she claimed she had not been away from the Senate at all for the past three months ([link removed]) , and had been at the Capitol working and voting. Hooo boy. Not even gonna say it.


The GOP-controlled North Carolina legislature has voted a 12-week abortion ban into law ([link removed]) , overriding the Democratic governor’s veto.


Timothy Parlatore, a key lawyer for disgraced former president Donald Trump, announced that he will leave the Trump legal team ([link removed]) as the special-counsel investigation into Trump’s theft of classified documents intensifies.


An Idaho grand jury has indicted 28-year-old Bryan Kohnerger, who was responsible for killing four students at the University of Idaho last November ([link removed]) , bypassing the need for a preliminary hearing.


The embattled president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved the country’s legislature ([link removed]) on Wednesday (!) in a desperate attempt to avoid impeachment over embezzlement charges. Somewhere disgraced former president Trump is cursing that he didn't think to do that.


In order to impress upon everyone that he’s definitely not an antisemite after saying that Jewish billionaire George Soros “hates humanity,” son of apartheid and billionaire CEO Elon Musk decided to attack the Anti-Defamation League ([link removed]) . That’ll show ‘em!

State-Rep. Cherelle Parker (D-PA) won the Democratic mayoral primary in Philadelphia ([link removed]) , beating the progressive candidate Helen Gym and former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart. The city’s huge Democratic majority means Parker is shoo-in to win the general election.

Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) signed the first bill in the nation to outright bodyslam ban the social-media platform TikTok on Wednesday ([link removed]) , teeing up a legal battle that could determine the fate of the service, which the U.S. Congress has also considered banning. The ACLU has called the ban unconstitutional, as have other free-speech advocates, and the Chinese-owned company itself. The ban is set to take effect on January 1, 2024, and would prohibit TikTok from operating within the state of Montana, as well as forbid app stores from making TikTok available for download at all. TikTok and app stores would face fines of up to $10,000 per day if it’s found violating the law, but individual users would not face punishment. The ACLU’s local policy director Keegan Medrando was unequivocal: “With this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana legislature have trampled on the free
speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information, and run their small business, in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment.” The bill's authors noted that they expect it to be contested in the courts. Gianforte has also sought to broaden the legislation so that it would apply to all social media applications “that provide data to foreign adversaries.” TikTok has 150 million users in the United States, and the Biden administration recently asked the company to divorce itself from its Chinese owners or face a possible nationwide ban.
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The ACLU of Arizona asked a judge to find the city of Phoenix in contempt of court for violating the constitutional rights of unhoused people ([link removed]) during encampment sweeps.


Conservative stronghold Colorado Springs, CO elected its non-Republican mayor last night in over four decades ([link removed]) , Nigerian immigrant Yemi Mobolade, who will be the city’s first elected Black mayor.


Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been ordered to report to prison on May 30 ([link removed]) , after a judge denied her latest request to stay out.

The Supreme Court has (at least temporarily) declined to block an assault weapons ban in Illinois ([link removed]) .
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