Welcome to Friday, May 7th, hard- and soft-covers...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed an election reform bill into law that advocates say makes common-sense reforms to election laws and critics call an effort to suppress voter participation.

DeSantis said the law will “increase transparency and strengthen the security of our elections” and that “Floridians can rest assured that our state will remain a leader in ballot integrity. Elections should be free and fair, and these changes will ensure this continues to be the case in the Sunshine State.”

Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), a former governor who announced another gubernatorial run next year, likened the election law to “cruel and unusual punishment” for voters and accused DeSantis and his fellow Republicans of “trying to suppress the vote.”

Florida joins Georgia in states that have passed sweeping legislation to roll back voting rights, despite no evidence of widespread fraud in November's election. 

Do you support or oppose the Florida election law?

Animal Rights Groups Slam 'Horrific' Bear Stunt

Republican businessman John Cox provoked an outcry from animal rights groups when he launched his campaign against California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) with a 1,000-pound bear.

“We’re going to need big, beastly changes to be made in the state,” Cox told supporters as the Kodiak bear, named Tag, sat behind an electrified wire.

Animal rights groups and state Sen. Ben Hueso - who authored a state law banning most animals in circuses - condemned Cox's use of a bear as a campaign prop.

"It's unfortunate and shameful that Tag the Kodiak bear has been exploited in this way. Bears need to be left alone, not confined to a pen on asphalt and wheeled out for events," PETA tweeted.

Should animals be used for publicity stunts?

Merkel Pushes Back on Vaccine Patent Waiver

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her opposition to the Biden administration’s push for the waiver of patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines, which leaves the future prospects for the waiver up in the air.

A spokeswoman for the German government said in an email that the waiver would create “severe complications” for vaccine production and noted: 

“The limiting factor for the production of vaccines are manufacturing capacities and high quality standards, not the patents. The protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and this has to remain so in the future.”

For the waiver to be adopted, all 164 member nations of the WTO must unanimously agree to do so under the terms of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The TRIPS agreement governs intellectual property protections in international trade.

Do you support or oppose waiving intellectual property protections for COVID vaccines?

All The Memes Fit To Post
 

And, In The End...

Pop in Paul Simon's "Cool Papa Bell" for International Tuba Day.

Not an easy instrument to lug around, you tuba-ers earn my esteem,

—Josh Herman

Talk to us via email at editorial [at] causes.com. And don’t forget to keep in touch @Causes.