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The Florida Department of Education has yanked down an anti-bullying portal on its website following questions about content designed for LGBTQ students. They say the information is under review.

The department removed links to a state anti-bullying policy, bullying prevention efforts, ways to support minority students, and LGBTQ advocacy groups during the purge of life-saving information. It is unclear what information needed to be reviewed.

Related: 7th grader dies by suicide after classmates told him hed go to Hell for being gay

The information was pulled down after a right-wing news service with ties to Steve Bannon and Donald Trump inquired whether or not the site was in violation of the states Parents Bill of Rights.

The law, passed earlier this year, says public schools cannot infringe upon parents fundamental rights to raise their child according to their beliefs. The law, a nod to the culture wars over LGBTQ rights and examinations of Americas racist history, covers healthcare, education, and mental health.

The portal had recommended to administrators that they should be careful when discussing a students actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity with parents so they didnt accidentally out the student. Following guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the department instructed teachers to protect childrens privacy.

Critics say this guidance runs afoul of the new law that gives parents total control over their kids.

The portal was designed after the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. The state established the Office of Safe Schools to fight student bullying and provide safe learning environments.

Originally posted here:
Florida Dept. of Education yanks anti-bullying resources from website - LGBTQ Nation

First it was statues, then it was footballers taking the knee, now the new culture war is about a woke blob apparently trying to cancel Christmas.

Barely a week goes by without a politically charged row about woke civil servants, human rights lawyers or young people.

This week has been no exception, with the culture secretary declaring her own children are lefty snowflakes.

Nadine Dorries is seen as the government lead in the so-called woke wars - having previously railed against the BBC and called Mirror journalists bottom feeding scum.

Some Tory MPs similarly criticise what they describe as woke madness but others have told HuffPost UK they feel uncomfortable with the culture wars.

Even former prime minister Tony Blair got in on the action this week, urging Labour to emphatically reject wokeism.

One headteacher has grown so fed-up with it, she called on adults to stop mocking young people by calling them woke for standing up for things they believe in.

The term woke was meant to signify awareness of social issues but some have weaponised it as an insult.

Here, HuffPost UK runs you through the latest rows - some of which critics say are manufactured and nonsense.

The Blob

The Mail on Sunday front page headline screams: NOW THE WOKE BLOB TRIES TO BAN CHRISTMAS.

Versions of this story traditionally come around every Christmas, but this year it manages to shoehorn in the term woke.

This one claims that civil servants blocked the word Christmas from efforts to avert a winter Covid crisis, as they fear it would offend minority religions.

However, as some critics pointed out, the blob appears to refer to the Cabinet Office which is run by former Brexit secretary Steve Barclay.

And the civil servants in question were just discussing making an anti-Covid campaign relevant to those who do not celebrate Christmas.

The story has been heavily criticised online, with one Twitter user saying: Im Muslim and was in the nativity play at school. My mum said I was a cute sheep. We dont care. Weve never cared.

Another described it as unhinged and nonsense, while Labour MP Louise Haigh joked: The generic festive holidays come round earlier and earlier every year.

Speakers Silenced

Another story has a go at civil servants who have apparently been banned from inviting woke speakers who criticise Boris Johnsons policies to address internal events in Whitehall.

An email circulated across Whitehall warns that invitations should not be issued to individuals who have spoken against key government policies, according to The Telegraph.

It comes after speakers critical of the government were apparently invited to address Whitehall social or networking events.

Barrister and director of the Good Law Project Jo Maugham hit back saying it was the conduct of a government fearful of challenge that responds to it by trying to silence the speaker. Others criticised the move as being North Korean.

Dave Penman from the FDA civil servants union added: If the intention is to protect impartiality, this presumably means those who have spoken in support of government policy will also be banned from speaking. Its going to leave a very short list of suitable speakers.

Human Rights

Priti Patel has come under fire for her approach to the channel crossings this week after 27 people died trying to make the journey.

Among the many reports in todays Sunday papers, she apparently dropped plans to restrict the use of human rights laws to block deportations, due to concerns in Whitehall that the move would be too controversial.

The Telegraph claims the plans were blocked by other departments over concerns it could rub up against the European Convention on Human Rights.

They quote John Hayes, a former Home Office minister, who said parliament had to wrestle back control from courts, adding: We think of wokes as weird people in academia but unfortunately woke influence extends even into Whitehall. The champions of the people have to push back against it.

Dorries Does It Again

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has provided a lot of content for the woke wars this week.

Not only did she call her children lefty snowflakes at a Commons committee hearing, but she also made controversial comments in an interview to the Daily Mail.

She used both to criticise a decision by the Brit awards to abolish separate award categories for men and women.

The Mail said she was horrified at the creep of wokeism across Britain today as she vowed no statues would not be getting knocked down on her watch.

Also in her interview, Dorries dismissed fellow Tory MP Caroline Nokes allegations of inappropriate touching by the prime ministers father.

Dorries said she had known Stanley Johnson for 15 years and described him as a gentleman.

She rejected Nokess claim that he had smacked her on the backside at the Conservative party conference in 2003 and added: I dont believe it happened. I have known Stanley for 15 years. He is a gentleman. It never happened to me. Maybe there is something wrong with me.

A source close to the culture secretary tried to defuse her comments in the Guardian today, saying: Nadine knows she should have been clearer in her answer. Having known Stanley for so long she found it hard to believe he had been inappropriate.

Nokes said she was very sorry the secretary of state had used her influence and power in the media to denounce me in this way.

Notre Damned

It turns out our friends in France are not immune from accusations of wokeism from the British press.

Notre Dame cathedral is facing a woke Disney revamp according to an exclusive by The Telegraph.

They report that Paris iconic fire-ravaged cathedral will be turned into an experimental showroom with confessional boxes, altars and classical sculptures replaced with modern art murals and sound and light effects to create emotional spaces.

One social media user responded: Apparently the word woke has now taken on a new meaning to refer to any kind of modernist architectural design!

See the article here:
Tory Woke Wars: 5 New 'Nonsense' Culture Rows Whipped Up This Week - HuffPost UK

The attention of the political world is beginning to shift to the midterm elections, now less than one year away.

President BidenJoe BidenGOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips Five House members meet with Taiwanese president despite Chinese objections Sunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variant emerges; supply chain issues and inflation persist MORE and the Democrats face an uphill climb to hold on to their tiny majorities in Congress. The party that holds the White House usually loses seats in the first midterm elections and Bidens approval ratings are poor.

But a lot can happen in almost 12 months. Here are five big issues that will reverberate between now and Election Day 2022.

COVID-19

The pandemic is still the most important issue facing the nation, because of both its direct health effects and the way it ripples through other areas, notably the economy.

COVID-19 cases have begun to rise again but they are nowhere close to their all-time high, which occurred early this year.

During the worst of the pandemic in January, around 250,000 new cases of COVID-19 were being diagnosed every day. Now, the figure is closer to 90,000, according to New York Times data.

The Biden administration had made huge progress with vaccinations and the presidents handling of COVID-19 has consistently been the issue on which he polls most strongly.

In aWashington Post/ABC News poll earlier this month, 47 percent of Americans approved of Bidens conduct of the battle against COVID-19, by comparison with the 41 percent who approved of his overall job performance.

But the pandemic has been characterized by its unpredictability something that has been underlined yet again by the emergence of the omicron variant.

The U.S. will restrict travel from South Africa and seven other African nations starting Monday. The UK, the European Union, Canada and Israel are also imposing restrictions.

The electorate already appears frustrated by the sheer length of the battle against the pandemic and the massive disruptions it has caused to work, schooling and other aspects of daily life.

If the nation is definitively moving past the pandemic by spring, it would be great political news for Biden and his party. But serioussetbacks, from omicron or future variants, would likely spell doom.

Inflation

Inflation hit its highest level in more than 30 years in October, coming in at a startling 6.2 percent. Everything from gas prices to grocery costs has spiked and the rise has exacted a significant toll on Bidens popularity.

ACBS News/YouGov pollreleased last Sunday found that 67 percent of Americans disapprove of Bidens handling of inflation. Eighty-two percent report that the items they usually buy have grown more expensive.

Biden is at pains to avoid appearing detached from the issue.

His last public speech before the Thanksgiving break, on Tuesday, announced the largest-ever release from the nations Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a move intended to ease gas prices. In a Saturday tweet, the president highlighted action that has eased congestion at ports. Earlier in November, Biden declared that taming inflation was a top priority for him.

But the problem is at least twofold: First, inflation is an inherently difficult problem to tackle without undercutting the economic recovery; second, the main tool in the fight the capacity to adjust interest rates is in the hands of the Federal Reserve, not the White House.

Republicans are blaming Democratic-led spending for inflation, while the president and his party colleagues insist it is a temporary problem caused by supply chain disruptions and the unique circumstances of the pandemic.

Much will depend on which of those explanations gets traction with the American public in the months ahead and whether inflation comes down anytime soon.

Trump

For all the tumult that former President TrumpDonald TrumpStowaway found in landing gear of plane after flight from Guatemala to Miami Kushner looking to Middle East for investors in new firm: report GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips MORE causes, the public view of him retains a remarkably consistent shape the Republican base adores him and much of the rest of the population detests him.

In a recentEconomist/YouGov poll, 84 percent of Republicans had a favorable view of Trump. Among the general population, that figure cratered to 39 percent, with 56 percent holding an unfavorable view.

The disapproval of Trump appears to be even more fervent than his support. In the Economist poll, 47 percent of the population said they had a very unfavorable view of him, more than twice as many as the 23 percent who had a very favorable perception.

The former president has stayed central to the political landscape, despite his incitement of the Jan. 6 insurrection an action that made him the only president in history to be twice impeached.

He is far and away the most popular politician in the country with Republican voters, and he would be the prohibitive favorite to become the 2024 GOP presidential nominee if he enters the race.

Trump also revels in using his muscle in internal GOP politics, backing primary candidates who have displayed their loyalty to him and these days disparaging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRepublicans seem set to win the midterms unless they defeat themselves Graham emerges as go-to ally for Biden's judicial picks Five reasons for Biden, GOP to be thankful this season MORE (R-Ky.) as an old crow on a regular basis.

Democrats believe Trumps prominence helps them, given that he is so broadly unpopular.

But there is a large question mark over whether fear of Trump is potent enough to motivate voters to turn out for Democrats especially when the former president is not on the ballot.

The strategy ostentatiously failed for Democrat Terry McAuliffeTerry McAuliffeFive reasons for Biden, GOP to be thankful this season BBB threatens the role of parents in raising and educating children Virginia's urgent lesson: Democrats' down-ballot enthusiasm gap MORE, who tried to get his old job back as governor of Virginia in November only to lose to GOP nominee Glenn YoungkinGlenn YoungkinFive reasons for Biden, GOP to be thankful this season Parnell exit threatens to hurt Trump's political clout Virginia's urgent lesson: Democrats' down-ballot enthusiasm gap MORE.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezGOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips Greene: McCarthy 'doesn't have the full support to be Speaker' Omar calls out Boebert over anti-Muslim remarks, denies Capitol incident took place MORE (D-N.Y.) told The New York Times in an interview published last weekend: This notion that saying 'We're not Trump' is enough this is such a deeply demoralizing message.

Immigration

The nation and its partisan media landscape increasingly appears cleaved into different universes, and immigration is one of the clearest examples.

The topic receives only passing mentions on liberal-leaning cable news channels, where the chief concern is often whether enough is being done to help unauthorized immigrants who are already here.

Meanwhile, in conservative media, immigration controls are portrayed as hopelessly lax, and the issue more broadly is seen as an ongoing, frightening crisis.

Liberals may be being too complacent, politically and substantively.

Encounters between unauthorized migrants and border patrol agentsat the southern border reached their highest level in 21 years in July, when there were more than 213,000 such interactions. The numbers have dropped slightly but only slightly since then. In September, they stood at roughly 192,000.

The perception that the administration is not in control of the borders is deepened by high-profile episodes like the chaos seen in southern Texas in September, when thousands of mostly Haitian migrants amassed under a bridge in squalid conditions.

On the other side of the coin, progressives within the Democratic Party are eager to preserve a legislative measure within Bidens Build Back Better plan that would give about seven million unauthorized immigrants the right to live and work in the United States for two five-year periods.

The progressives argue that Latino voters, in particular, will be demoralized if the Democrats dont do enough to help others in their community acquire legal status.

One way or another, Bidens performance on immigration is another weak spot. AnAssociated Press/NORC pollreleased at the start of October found just 35 percent of the overall population and an unusually low 60 percent of Democrats approving of how he is handling the topic.

The upshot: Its likely that the more salient immigration is to next years campaign, the worse for Democrats.

Wokeness

What does it even mean? Lots of people vehemently disagree about the answer and therein lies part of the problem.

Conservatives, in particular, have thrown together a loose collection of divisive social issues under the label.

Broadly, wokeness has come to represent a set of attitudes that include a view of racism as systemic in the United States; strong backing for transgender rights; a hypersensitivity about language, especially as it pertains to minority groups; and a desire to fundamentally reform the police.

There are reasons conservatives like to fight on this battlefield.

The slogan Defund the Police polls catastrophically.

A backlash from conservative-minded parents over the perceived radicalism of school curricula helped Youngkin to win his gubernatorial race last month.

An Atlantic magazine/Leger surveyin October found 56 percent of Americans agreeing that the country is becoming too politically correct and only 15 percent disagreeing.

Democrats protest that the vast majority of their elected officials, including Biden, are staunchly opposed to defunding the police, and that the ultra-controversial critical race theory is rarely taught to anyone until college.

But the degree to which Democrats can rebut conservative attacks, and at least battle to a stalemate in the new culture wars, will be politically vital next November.

Continued here:
Five issues that will define the months until the midterms | TheHill - The Hill

When President BidenJoe BidenGOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips Five House members meet with Taiwanese president despite Chinese objections Sunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variant emerges; supply chain issues and inflation persist MORE visited a General Motors factory last week to test-drive one of the new electric Hummers, scheduled to debut next year, he wasnt just highlighting the comeback of the automaker. He was putting a personal stamp on his presidency.

These suckers are something else! Biden said as he took the SUV for a couple of laps, including a burnout.

Anyone wanna jump in the back? On the roof? he asked.

Biden is a self-proclaimed car guy who owns a 1967 Corvette Stingray and frequently shows it off, including on CNBC's "Jay Lenos Garage." Along with his tales of riding Amtrak to and from Wilmington Del., Biden has used cars to tell his own story.

Biden has got some serious automobile cred, said Robert Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. He took off with that thing like a 15-year-old with his learner's permit," he added of the Hummer joyride.

And cars, Thompson pointed out, are firmly implanted in the American heart and soul.

Cars are everything from the stability of the economy to romance and youth and independence, he said.

Bidens predecessors also tried to mark their time in the White House with their cultural interests. Former President ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaHow a biased filibuster hurts Democrats more than Republicans Stephen Sondheim, legendary Broadway songwriter, dies at 91 With extreme gerrymanders locking in, Biden needs to make democracy preservation job one MORE frequently reached into television, music and books to telegraph his persona. Each year, for example, he invited an ESPN crew to the White House to unveil his March Madness bracket.He and former first lady Michelle ObamaMichelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaPoll: Harris, Michelle Obama lead for 2024 if Biden doesn't run Son gives emotional tribute to Colin Powell at service Biden, ex-presidents gather for Colin Powell's funeral MORE also hosted hundreds of performers including Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Lin-Manuel Miranda to showcase the artsas well as their own stylistic choices.

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpStowaway found in landing gear of plane after flight from Guatemala to Miami Kushner looking to Middle East for investors in new firm: report GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips MORE, one of the most divisive public figures, puta stamp on the presidency in a way that others hadnt.

Trump reinvented presidential communication with his regular Twitter use and shunned White House traditions such asthe White House Correspondents Association dinner and daily press briefings.

Trumps presidency often involved inflaming the nations culture wars. The former president publicly battled with the NFL over players kneeling and rejected NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag. Trump also loved to create spectacles,including his July 4, 2019, salute to the armed forces at the Lincoln Memorial and his norm-busting 2020 Republican National Convention speech held on the White House lawn. He also memorably took the presidential limo for a spin around the Daytona 500 track in February 2020.

Former President George W. Bush, a lifelong fan of baseball and onetime owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, made it a point to incorporate the sport during his time in office. After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, wearingaNew York City Fire Department jacket, he threw out the first pitchof the 2001 World Seriesat Yankee Stadium as the crowd chanted, USA! USA! He also threw the first pitch at NationalsPark at the teams inaugural game.

The thing you learn about presidents when you spend time with them, when you work with them, is they're a lot like us, said Tony Fratto, who served as deputy press secretary to Bush. People want to feel like they have some personal connection to their president. It humanizes them.

And because presidents live in a so-called bubble, Fratto said, they are vulnerable to the criticism that they are out of touch, and they must find a way to reach out of the bubble.

Because of the nature of the job you are untouchable, he said. So seeing signs of those things that are very relatable to us is very important.

The test drive in Michigan earlier this month was just the latest example for Biden.

He also regularly weaves advice from his father into presidential addresses. His willingness to talk about his family and particularly his experiences with loss in the deaths of his first wife and daughter and his son Beau has long been a hallmark of Bidens public life.

He hands out cookies to guests in the Oval Office, a nod to his love of sweets. And one can often hear Biden quote poets W.B. Yeatsand Seamus Heaney in his speeches, references that hark back to his Irish heritage.

This personalization of his White House and his administration is just a continuation of his kind of soulful approach to life. You just feel it, said Moe Vela, a former Biden adviser who served in the Obama White House. The man never waivers from who he is at his core.

In many cases, Biden has used a personal touch to promote his domestic agenda.

He delighted in his love of trains back in April when he delivered remarks at a train station in Philadelphia to celebrate Amtraks 50th anniversary and push for funding to upgrade passenger rail. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which Biden signed into law last week, contains $66 billion to kick-start rail projects along the Northeast Corridor and expand Amtraks reach.

The infrastructure bill also contains funding to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations and transition to electric school buses, which he highlighted in remarks at the General Motors plant in Michigan.

And Biden has taken to reflecting on his experience trying to care for his two sons as a single dad and a senator in the 1970s as a way to advocate for the child care provisions in the roughly $2 trillion climate and social policy bill moving through Congress.

Still, political observers question if these personal touches actually move voters, however relatable they may be. Bidens approval ratings have sunk since this summer, and poll after poll shows sharp partisan divides in views of his administration.

I dont think its that effective, especially in such a polarized age, said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. Very little moves voters, and I am not sure those small cues more interesting to the media than most voters have significant impact.

Pointing to Bidens stop at the General Motors factory, Thompson agreed: He could have talked about an electric flying car and the people who like him would still like him and the people who don't like him still won't.

Excerpt from:
'Car guy' Biden puts his spin on the presidency | TheHill - The Hill

On shining examples

On Thanksgiving the annual Go!bbler family fun run was held at the old brick-and-mortar location of Go! Running in the Heights area of Little Rock. Many runners, dogs, strollers, and walkers showed up for a fun run through the Heights and Hillcrest area. The entry fee? Canned goods and non-perishable food items for the Arkansas Foodbank.

The gathering has occurred for over 10 years. The 2020 version was virtual and still managed to raise over 12,000 meals in food and cash donations.

I first met Gary and Erin Taylor when I got serious about running in 2015. Not only did they create a great store, but a great running culture prevailed in Little Rock. We had Thursday night runs, the Go! Mile annual race, and the Thanksgiving run. The physical store is no longer, but the coaching, the passion for running, the volunteerism, and the camaraderie remain. The Taylors are shining examples of truly giving back to your community and giving thanks.

COLIN HALL

Little Rock

Confusion on climate

Many people question the scientific consensus on climate change and human involvement with that change. Once again it seems that the culture wars became a big part of that, and when Al Gore became closely tied to the issue, many conservatives' kneejerk reaction was to take the opposite stand. Unfortunately for this country and the world, climate change, like pandemics, doesn't care about political leanings. Not long ago, one letter in this forum questioned why only "liberal" sources believed in climate change or human involvement. While this is not the case, unfortunately, it is the perception.

Recently the U.S. House held hearings with the CEOs of Big Oil, and let's hope it is the beginning of the end of climate denial. It did not get the publicity it should have. Below is the transcript of a small portion of that hearing. Chair Carolyn Maloney of New York made it easy for anyone. You can see if for yourself at about the 4:45 mark of the video at http://www.pbs.org.

Maloney: Mr. Woods, CEO of Exxon, do you agree that climate change is real?

Darren Woods: Yes.

Maloney: Thank you. Mr. Lawler, CEO of BP America, do you agree that climate change is caused by human activities?

David Lawler: Yes.

Maloney: Mr. Wirth, CEO of Chevron, do you agree that burning fossil fuels is a significant cause of climate change?

Michael Wirth: Chairwoman, we've been clear on where we stand, and we accept the current scientific consensus that the use of fossil fuels contributes to climate change.

The oil companies funded junk- science groups that denied and/or muddled the debate for years to protect their profits, they refused to commit to stopping this in the hearing also. Their own websites now tell a different story on climate change, but they fund junk science that helps confuse people. Don't be confused!

GREG ROUNTREE

Scott

Keeping people safe

Little Rock is not safe, and the mayor isn't doing enough to fix it.

While the number of murders in Arkansas during 2020 grew by an astounding 34 percent from the prior year--over 15 percent greater than the national increase of 29 percent--Little Rock's rate of increase in homicides surpassed the state's already high tally (to which Little Rock significantly contributed, of course), with a 36 percent increase for the same period. And that increase is layered on top of the upward jump from the prior year.

This year is even worse than last. Little Rock is now in the middle of the absolute deadliest year it has seen in almost three decades. And digging deeper only reveals cause for greater concern.

In 2021, 301 were people shot, stabbed, or seriously hurt in Little Rock, and, of course, the year isn't even over. That's three times the total seen in 2015. And just last week, a carload of thugs sought to carjack a couple in the tony Heights neighborhood, firing some 30 bullets at the victims. The mayor's disappointing response to one of the victims was to tell her that he's praying for her.

That's insufficient. We need our politicians actually working for us. To too many politicians, listing tangible items on a door hanger, like increasing the number of giraffes at the zoo, is more important than the seemingly more ephemeral quality-of-life issues that affect everyone's daily lives--safety and security first among them. The single most important function of government is to keep the people who elect them safe.

The mayor has lost sight of the fact that he works for, and is responsible to, the electorate--his bloated distance-creating security detail notwithstanding. The mayor is failing at his primary task of keeping the peace. Public safety isn't a right or left issue. It's a right or wrong issue. And, so far, the mayor is coming up wrong.

ROBERT STEINBUCH

Little Rock

See the original post:
OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: On shining examples | Confusion on climate | Keeping people safe - Arkansas Online