Florida’s public unions at scrutiny of SB 256
Teachers protesting SB 256 (Courtesy of Yahoo News.)

Florida’s public unions at scrutiny of SB 256

On Mar. 29 Florida passed Senate Bill (SB) 256, targeting public unions and hitting teachers’ unions especially hard. Except for police, firefighters, correction and probation officers, unions under this bill must maintain membership of 60 percent of eligible employees to remain certified and maintain their…

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The great Floridian powder keg: permitless concealed carry passed in Florida
A handgun with a white outline superimposed over a sharp, red background. Photo by Mark McDermott

The great Floridian powder keg: permitless concealed carry passed in Florida

Florida is no stranger to lax legislation on the purchase and possession of firearms, and starting July 1, legal gun owners will no longer require a permit to be able to carry concealed weapons by way of the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration’s passing of House…

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California Gov. Newsom meets with Newtown Alive and New College students
Gov. Newsom shaking hands with Brenda Watty, members of the Motown group, the Marvelettes. Watty led the group in song at the top of the meeting, something that Newtown Alive does throughout their trolley tours. Photo by Gaby Batista

California Gov. Newsom meets with Newtown Alive and New College students

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom visited Sarasota on Apr. 5 as part of Newsom’srecently-launched Campaign for Democracy tour. According to the Washington Post, this tour aims to fight “rising authoritarianism” in various red states by “[meeting] with like-minded activists,…

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Donald Trump first U.S. president to be indicted with 34 felony counts
Photo of Donald Trump sitting in the White House. Taken by Ana Moneymaker (getty images).

Donald Trump first U.S. president to be indicted with 34 felony counts

On Mar. 30, former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, an official accusation that has previously never been lobbed at a current or former president in the United States. On Apr. 5, Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying…

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Clearing up what kind of chalk is good chalk
Chalk protesting the actions of the board of trustees. (Courtesy of Niko Zamora.)

Clearing up what kind of chalk is good chalk

On Mar. 21, the Catalyst first reported on the removal of chalk art on campus, speaking with student workers tasked with clean-up efforts as well as Campus Police Department (CPD) officers. Despite this, community members have still felt confused by the academic and legal policies…

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The culture (war) around the word “woke”: how a call to action became a right-wing talking point
A Protest at Union Station. Jan 20, 2017. Taken by Miki Jourden. Via Flickr

The culture (war) around the word “woke”: how a call to action became a right-wing talking point

The word “woke” has become the centerpiece for culture wars across America. For conservative politicians and leaders, woke has become an ideology, which to them represents discrimination targeting white, cisgender, heterosexual people. Florida has been deemed “where woke goes to die” by Gov. Ron DeSantis,…

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Freedom in the Sunshine: Florida faculty respond to higher ed takeover with teach-in
Photo of UFF President Andrew Gothard giving the opening speech via Zoom. Photo by Chloe Rusek.

Freedom in the Sunshine: Florida faculty respond to higher ed takeover with teach-in

By Nat Kornblum & Chloe Rusek Florida’s educators have found themselves the target of an ongoing culture war. House Bill 999 has recently joined the itinerary of Florida bills centered on parental rights and educational freedom, which severely restricts women’s and gender studies courses and…

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Congressional opposition to TikTok finds testing ground on Florida university campuses
A stock image of TikTok on an iPhone. (Taken from Pexels.)

Congressional opposition to TikTok finds testing ground on Florida university campuses

On Apr. 4, the New College of Florida joined other state universities in banning TikTok, WeChat and other “dangerous” apps from devices and networks owned by the campus. Students are no longer capable of accessing TikTok on their own private devices through campus WiFi. The…

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Chalking on campus: where do you draw the line?
Chalk illustration on campus protesting the erasing of the colorful protest. (Courtesy of Niko Zamora.)

Chalking on campus: where do you draw the line?

By Isaac Tellechea & Mark McDermott Navigating the conflicting interests of the campus is comparable enough to a minefield as-is, but students may have trudged over cultural tripwires without even taking notice—though authorities certainly have. Following the Feb. 23 walkout, the chalk impressions of resistance…

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