15-week abortion ban to be passed by DeSantis
Planned Parenthood "Stop the Bans" sign hanging in their booth at Manatee Pride 2022.

15-week abortion ban to be passed by DeSantis

Since 1973, American women have had the constitutional right under federal law to seek an abortion within 24 weeks of pregnancy. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case in Mississippi—known as Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Clinic—where the Republican majority favored shortening the period…

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Contextualizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Wreckage of a missile strike on a residential building in Ukraine. Photo courtesy of kyivcity.gov.

Contextualizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

In the morning of Feb. 24, 2022, (Eastern European Standard Time) President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation in Ukraine,” and just after explosions were reported in major cities across Ukraine. Russian troops, which had been amassed in areas surrounding Ukraine, near…

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Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill passes first reading in Senate Committee, is met with community protest
Protestors marched up the John Ringling Bridge at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, each holding up a 700-foot long pride flag, some also carrying signs.

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill passes first reading in Senate Committee, is met with community protest

Florida House Bill 1557: “Parental Rights in Education” quickly gained the nickname “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by opponents and LGBTQ+ activists when it was first proposed on Jan. 11, 2022. On top of requiring school district boards to “reinforce [the] fundamental right of parents to…

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Unbanning Maus with Professor Jessica Young
A crowd of students and faculty gathered in the library on Feb. 17 to do a group reading of several selected pages from Maus.

Unbanning Maus with Professor Jessica Young

On Jan. 10, approximately two weeks before Holocaust Memorial day, the McMinn Country School Board in Tennessee unanimously voted to ban Art Speigelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus. As part of what some have identified as a larger effort to censor books dealing with critical…

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Kimberly Cox’s charges officially dropped, organizers celebrate and demand apology
Kimberly Cox on the Manatee County Courthouse at an Oct. 23 protest in order to have her charges dropped.

Kimberly Cox’s charges officially dropped, organizers celebrate and demand apology

The Women’s Voices of South West Florida (WVSWF) have announced an exciting victory for organizers in the fight for reproductive rights—on Nov. 12, Kimberly Cox’s charges were officially dropped. For those not familiar with the troubling saga, Kimberly Cox was arrested some weeks ago at…

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New Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo likely to be loyal to DeSantis’ coronavirus approaches
Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo standing with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

New Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo likely to be loyal to DeSantis’ coronavirus approaches

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has found a replacement for Dr. Scott Rivkees—whose contract as Florida Surgeon General recently expired—in Dr. Joseph Ladapo, a proponent of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and an opponent of masks, vaccine mandates and lockdowns. As Florida Surgeon General, Ladapo will have primary…

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The takeover of Afghanistan: how history repeats itself
A map demonstrating how the Taliban has gained near complete control of Afghanistan since Aug. 16. Photo courtesy of BBC.

The takeover of Afghanistan: how history repeats itself

On Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban had successfully taken control of the presidential palace, thus finalizing their takeover of Afghanistan. The Taliban’s expedient takeover took place over a matter of days—as U.S. forces pulled out of the region and Afghani security forces trained and…

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Middle school science teacher and democratic socialist Richie Floyd running for St. Pete city council
The homepage of Richie Floyd's website, including a headshot.

Middle school science teacher and democratic socialist Richie Floyd running for St. Pete city council

St. Petersburg’s citywide general election is rapidly approaching in just under a month, and one candidate has amassed attention and success during the August primary election—self-described “unabashed democratic socialist” Richie Floyd. Previously a middle school science teacher and now running for the District 8 City…

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Manatee County to protest anti-abortion legislation on Oct. 2
Pro-choice demonstrators gathered in the Manatee County Commissioner chambers on Aug 24. Photo courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Manatee County to protest anti-abortion legislation on Oct. 2

A new wave of anti-abortion legislation headed by district and state policymakers in Texas has successfully enacted laws that dramatically inhibit access to safe reproductive care. SB8, a Texas law that took effect on Sep. 1, prohibits all abortions procedures taken after just six weeks…

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