The big story: For several months, Florida has stood at the center of the national debate raging over LGBTQ student rights and school lessons about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure limiting how the issues may be taught in schools, and has gotten flak from LGBTQ activists and their allies, including Democrat politicians who have deplored what they have viewed as attempts to sideline and demonize an entire group of citizens.
DeSantis has taken shots at President Biden over the topic. On Wednesday, Biden returned fire.
The president’s latest move is an executive order countering laws like Florida’s. Read more from the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Palm Beach County School Board adopted a policy implementing provisions of the new law, WPTV reports. And the Florida Department of Education scheduled a June 29 rule making workshop to begin providing districts with more guidance about how to follow the requirements, the News Service of Florida reports.
DeSantis stressed what he saw as the importance of the law during a press conference, WFOR reports.
The discussion took a different turn in North Carolina. Lawmakers there indicated a similar measure might not make it to the finish line in the Republican-dominated Legislature, the Associated Press reports.
School mascots: Hillsborough County has two high schools with Native American mascots and logos. Students at one of them want a change.
School board elections: Gov....
Police say Nepal’s rescue fraud case is real, but claims that guides poisoned tourists remain unproven. Nepal’s mountain tourism industry is facing fresh scrutiny after a major investigation into f...