Washington

DeSantis faces pushback in Florida as voters tire of war on woke

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2024

DeSantis faces pushback in Florida as voters tire of war on woke

The bill banning rainbow flags from public buildings in Florida sounded like a sure bet.

State Rep. David Borrero (R), the legislation’s sponsor, argued that it was needed to prevent schoolchildren from being “subliminally indoctrinated.” That rationale echoed other measures championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as part of his “war on woke.”

But instead of sailing through the Republican-dominated legislature, the DeSantis-backed bill died a quick legislative death, making it only as far as one subcommittee.

It wasn’t the only culture war proposal from conservative lawmakers to end up in the bill graveyard during the session that ended Friday. One rejected bill would have banned the removal of Confederate monuments. Another would have required transgender people to use their sex assigned at birth on driver’s licenses — something the state Department of Motor Vehicles is already mandating. A third proposed forbidding local and state government officials from using transgender people’s pronouns.

Some of those ideas have come up in the past and may surface again next year. But the fact that the bills failed, even with public support from DeSantis, marks a change from the days when the GOP supermajority in Tallahassee passed nearly everything the governor asked for.

Florida has firmly cemented itself in recent years as ground zero for the nation’s culture wars. The Sunshine State is the birthplace of conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty, the original law restricting LGBTQ+ discussion in classrooms, one of the strictest abortion laws in the country and legislation that has led to the banning of more books than in any other state in America.

But the pushback is growing.

Parents and others have organized and protested schoolbook bans. Abortion rights advocates gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in Florida in November. A bill that would have established “fetal personhood” stalled before it could reach a full vote.

Judges are also canceling some of DeSantis’s marquee laws, including the “Stop Woke Act.” A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled Monday that the law “exceeds the bounds” of the Constitution’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression.

Even the governor recently admitted the state might have gone too far in trying to remove certain books from school shelves, suggesting laws on book challenges should be “tweaked” to prevent “bad actors” from having too much influence.

Democrats and other DeSantis critics say the laws that the governor has pushed will continue to shape public life in Florida for years to come, and they don’t expect the Republican supermajority in the state House to suddenly abandon conservative causes. But they do sense a shift.

“When his presidential race ended, I think that a lot of his influence and power died at the same time,” said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a South Florida Democrat. “And I think that people in Florida and across the country, including Republicans, are starting to see that the culture wars are getting us nowhere.”

In the past year, the Florida GOP has been rocked by a sex scandal involving the party chairman and infighting between DeSantis and Trump supporters.

GOP voter registration numbers continued to surpass Democrats, but the party lost two local races they were expected to win: the mayor’s office in Jacksonville, and a closely contested special election to replace a Republican state representative near Orlando.

The legislative seat flipped blue in January when Democrat Tom Keen defeated his Republican rival, a conservative school board member who raised more than twice as much money and promised to fight “the woke agenda.” Keen campaigned on lowering property insurance rates and protecting access to abortion.

DeSantis, who was largely absent from the state while he campaigned for the GOP presidential nomination, has urged lawmakers to “stay the course.” But his doomed presidential bid changed political calculations in and out of the state.

Many lawmakers credit Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo for some of the shift. Passidomo stopped several culture war bills from progressing in the Senate, including one that would have punished local officials who oversaw the removal of Confederate monuments.

DeSantis strongly supported the bill, arguing that it is problematic to apply a “hyper-woke 21st-century test” to historical figures.

“It’s totally appropriate for the legislature to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to stop this madness,’” DeSantis said at a news conference in Jacksonville in February, two months after the city pulled down a controversial Jim Crow-era monument called “Women of the Southland.”

Among the public speakers who supported the monuments bill at a Senate hearing was a man who said he wanted to protect Confederate statues to “push White culture, white supremacy.”

Democrats walked out of the hearing, while Republicans on the committee — some of whom visibly recoiled at the white-supremacy remarks — approved the bill. But Passidomo refused to bring it to the full Senate.

“I’m not going to bring a bill to the floor that is so abhorrent to everybody,” she said.

The Senate president also rejected most of the 10 bill priorities the state Republican Party outlined in a legislative wish list, saying the party didn’t dictate what lawmakers should do.

DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment but said Friday at an end-of-session news conference that he was satisfied with what was passed by the legislature this year. Sponsors of the bills protecting monuments and outlawing rainbow flags also did not respond to requests for comment.

DeSantis did see some of his priorities pass. The legislature approved a law that the governor pushed prohibiting sleeping in public. And a ban on “woke meat” — food products cultivated in a lab from animal cells — easily got the green light from Republican lawmakers.

“You need meat, okay? Like, we’re going to have fake meat? That doesn’t work,” he said at a news conference in February, rejecting arguments that banning it could stifle innovation.

Even DeSantis’s budget requests faced pushback this year. The governor wanted an additional $5 million for his controversial migrant relocation program, but lawmakers only agreed to current spending levels. He also tried to add $57 million toward the recently reestablished Florida State Guard. Legislators signed off on a lower amount — $18.5 million, and added a requirement for detailed spending reports from the agency.

“What we saw this session was that bills that were either DeSantis ideas or retreads from last year really didn’t get anywhere,” said the state House’s minority leader, Fentrice Driskell. “I think in large part it’s because DeSantis has lost steam. He lost on the national stage, and that emboldened the Republicans in the legislature to feel like they don’t have to go along to get along with this guy anymore.”

Parents in Miami-Dade County founded Moms for Libros last year as an antidote to Moms for Liberty, the Florida-based group promoted by DeSantis.

The founders of Moms for Libros — Moms for Books — say they got together to battle what they see as censorship in schools. Their ranks have grown in the past year, and they say their messages — promoted in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole — are resonating even with parents who initially supported DeSantis’s education bills.

“A lot of the conservative Cuban American parents I talk to say they thought it was just about keeping sex out of schools,” said Vanessa Brito, co-founder of Moms For Libros. “But when they learn what was really happening, like when they heard that a book about Celia Cruz was taken off the shelves, they are very concerned. Having the government come in and tell you that your kids can’t have a book about Celia Cruz, that caused an uproar.”

The book, “Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa,” was temporarily removed from Duval County schools last year.

Brito said she talks to parents who are starting to object to the state’s growing list of rules and laws pertaining to education. In one incident that made international headlines, a Miami-area school required students to get parental permission to attend an “extracurricular activity” that included a talk by Florida historian Marvin Dunn, a Black scholar who has chronicled racist incidents in state history.

“Republican, Democrat, independent, people just don’t want books banned in our country. So it was just a collection of bad ideas that imploded on DeSantis,” Dunn said. “And now he’s actively trying to back off of these policies that have caused so much confusion in the state and in the education system at all levels.”

School officials said they were only following the new laws; DeSantis said they were being “absurd” and told them to “knock it off.”

“The vagueness of the laws have led to full-blown censorship, and people now see that happening in real time,” said Brito, who voted for DeSantis the first time he ran for governor in 2018. “And from what I’ve seen, they’re getting tired of ‘woke this, woke that.’”

The governor has also seen his “anti-woke” agenda challenged in court. In addition to the recent ruling on the “Stop Woke Act,” federal judges have halted enforcement of a law DeSantis signed last year that targeted drag shows. A different court declared that a rule from the state health agency that would ban Medicaid payments for gender-affirming care is unconstitutional.

DeSantis did nonetheless score a legal victory when a federal appeals panel sided with him over the Walt Disney Co. in January in regards to the state takeover of the entertainment giant’s special taxing district. But even with that win, the consequences of the feud have been far reaching, with the company canceling plans to build a $1 billion employee campus in Florida.

Since his return from the campaign trail, DeSantis has been flying around the state holding news conferences several times a week. He’s talked about congressional term limits, making retail theft a felony and cracking down on rowdy spring breakers. He’s also sent more state law enforcement officers to the southern border in Texas and ordered the release of grand jury records from the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Political analyst Susan MacManus said voters in Florida are paying more attention to pocketbook issues than culture war laws, and state lawmakers — most of whom are up for reelection this year — need to pay attention. Republicans who may have been following DeSantis’s lead on laws that target the LGBTQ+ community and Black history are hearing different concerns when they return to their districts.

“There’s a concern I’m hearing more and more from people, and in the media, that Florida is becoming too expensive,” said MacManus, professor emeritus at the University of South Florida. “We’re seeing stories on the nightly news about people moving out of the state because the cost of living is too high here.”

With homeowners and auto insurance costs that are more than triple that of other states, MacManus said Republican and Democratic voters have more pressing concerns than culture wars.

“These legislators are coming back and, and their families and friends are saying they should be doing something that is going help us,” MacManus said. “The woke things may be interesting to some Republicans, but there are bigger issues.”

Mike Fasano, a lifelong Republican who served in the House and Senate for 18 years and is now the Pasco County tax collector, said most culture war issues are not on the minds of families struggling to pay rising property and auto insurance costs.

“I don’t think families, whether they’re Republican or Democratic or independent, are sitting at the breakfast table talking about which books should be banned,” Fasano said. “They’re talking about how they’re going to pay their rent or mortgage and the electric bill and the premium on their homeowners insurance.”

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Washington

LIVE UPDATES: Washington flooding, road closures, evacuations

Published

16 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

LIVE UPDATES: Washington flooding, road closures, evacuations

SEATTLE – As more heavy rainfall is expected in western Washington this week, the region remains under a Flood Watch, with road closures, evacuations, and power outages persisting.

A Flash Flood Warning was activated and later canceled for parts of south King County after a Green River levee failed. The levee has since been repaired, patched by sandbags after nearby businesses were evacuated.

Desimone Levee breech. (Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor)

Keep reading for live weather updates for Tuesday, Dec. 16.

8:05 a.m.: Resources available in Pacific, WA

Valley Regional Fire listed several resources on behalf of the city of Pacific:

Warm location that will be serving coffee and breakfast: Senior Center and the gym at the Pacific Community Center (100 3rd Ave SE)
Auburn Community and Events Center (910 9th ST SE) is open with Red Cross resources
The Filipino American Community of Puget Sound in Algona (103 6th Ave N) is also offering a warm location
Alpac Elementary School (310 Milwaukee Blvd N) parking lot is available in addition to restrooms.
Sandbags are available at 224 County Line Road

7:42 a.m.: Puget Sound Energy crews make significant progress in restoring power outages in WA

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews made great progress overnight after more than 50,000 people in western Washington lost power on Monday. As of 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday, there are only 56 outages impacted 1,343 customers.Snohomish PUD is reporting outages impacting 490 people. Clallam County PUD is reporting 0 outages.

7:40 a.m.: SR 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn

‘Go Now’ evacuation in Auburn

Flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.

The Washington State Department of Transportation said both directions of State Route 167 remain closed on Tuesday between South 212th Street in Kent and 15th Avenue West in Auburn due to flooding.

Drivers are advised to take alternate routes and expect delays on I-5 and I-405.

WSDOT’s David Rasbach told Good Day Seattle there was still water over the roadway in the area.

State Route 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn.

7:30 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Auburn, WA

There are still evacuation orders in effect in Auburn, Washington. This flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.

There are also Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuations in several neighborhoods along both sides of the Green River, including areas near 104th Avenue Southeast, Pike Street Northeast and Pike Place Northeast – south of the Auburn Golf Course. Anyone who lives there should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice if things get worse.

Officials say evacuees seeking shelter can go to the Auburn Community and Event Center and Ray of Hope Shelter in Auburn.

7:24 a.m.: Person dead after driving car onto flooded roadway in Snohomish County

A driver died overnight in Snohomish after reportedly bypassing road closure signs and plunging into a flooded ditch near East Lowell Larimer Road.

7:03 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Concrete, WA; School district closed

There is a Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in place for the Erikson Road neighborhood in Concrete, Washington.

The town says they found a landslide there last week, and with more rain and wind coming, they are asking people to leave the area.There is also an upgraded Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuation near Burpee Hill Road that is impacting 32 homes. This comes after a landslide in the area on Monday.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for people impacted by those evacuations at the Mount Baker Presbyterian Church off Main Street.

County officials say pets can be accommodated.Schools in the Concrete School District are closed Tuesday. The district will continue to monitor conditions to make decisions for later this week.You can find more school closures across western Washington here.

6:20 a.m.: How you can help

GoFundMe has updated their list of verified fundraisers and non-profits providing help to those affected by the flooding.

To donate to Washington and Pacific Northwest flood relief fundraisers, click here.

6:09 a.m.: Flooding impacting local blood supply

The flash flood evacuation from the Green River levee breech is near Bloodworks Northwest’s Renton Lab and Donor Center.

Officials say the stored blood supply remains safe, but the donor center is closed.

Critical blood storage, supplies and vehicles were moved to a different location, and upcoming blood drives may be affected.

Bloodworks Northwest said more than 300 potential donations have been canceled since last week, which created a shortage.

The company is asking donors of all blood types are needed. To donate, click here.

6:04 a.m.: Evacuation efforts in Pacific, WA

Valley Regional Fire Authority crews are working to help residents evacuate in Pacific.

Officials said about 100 residents have been evacuated and no injuries have been reported.

The affected areas primarily are S of 1st, and E of Butte, S of Stewart, and Skinner Road.

5:20 a.m.: Tracking school closures and delays

Several school districts in western Washington announced delays.

Here is the latest list.

5 a.m.: New evacuation orders in Pacific

Early Tuesday morning, police in Pacific announced after 1:30 a.m. there was a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order due to a levee break on the White River.

The evacuation order affects the areas east of Butte and South of Third.

National Weather Service Seattle issued a Flash Flood Warning before 1:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday weather forecast

Heavy rain, gusty winds and mountain snow returns to western Washington by Tuesday evening, with the potential to push river levels even higher and knock out power to thousands due to downed trees.

The Skagit, Snoqualmie, Green, White, Cedar, Cowlitz, Stehekin and Skykomish rivers are back under Flood Warnings.

A Flood Watch remains in effect for parts of Western Washington through Thursday afternoon. (FOX 13 Seattle)

A Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday for heavy mountain snow.

Green River levee fails, Flash Flood Warning

A Flash Flood Warning was activated on Monday after a Green River levee failed in Tukwila, prompting evacuations in areas downstream from the levee break.

While the warning was canceled just before Monday evening, the Desimone levee breach was at one point described as “life-threatening” and reportedly threatened nearby structures.

Most of western Washington remains under a Flood Watch through Thursday due to the rainy forecast ahead, along with already high river levels.

Road closures in Western Washington

Several critical roadways across western Washington are closed due to weather effects, including highway washouts that will continue to impact travel.

On Interstate 90, eastbound lanes of the freeway are closed near North Bend due to a landslide. Additionally, though not weather related, all westbound lanes are closed near Cle Elum due to construction of the Bullfrog Road overpass.

U.S. 2 Stevens Pass is closed at Tumwater Canyon after a section of the highway was washed out by flooding last week. It’s blocked between Skykomish and Leavenworth, and there is no estimated time for when the road will reopen. Highway 410 is also closed at Enumclaw due to a washout.

SR 410 washout (Enumclaw Police Department)

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

New WA laws in 2026 include higher wages, luxury car tax, plastic bag fee hike

Wild Waves Theme Park to shut down in 2026

Charter bus breaks down in Leavenworth, leaving dozens stranded

75-year-old woman attacked in Downtown Seattle, suspect arrested

Washington State Ferries seeks new owners for aging fleet castoffs

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story came from the websites and social media pages of various agencies and emergency management departments across western Washington, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Washington

Washington holds on to win OT thriller 3-2 against NC State in College Cup Final

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Washington holds on to win OT thriller 3-2 against NC State in College Cup Final

NC State (16-2-4)

NC State secured a 2-1 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday, weathering a late Billiken rally to hold onto the win. After dominating the middle portion of the match, the Wolfpack survived a tense final 10 minutes following a successful Saint Louis penalty conversion.

The Wolfpack offense broke through in the 69th minute when Donavan Phillip scored off a clinical sequence involving Isaac Heffess and Calem Tommy and ending in a perfectly placed header. Taig Healy quickly doubled the advantage at the 72:04 mark, burying another header assisted by Riley Moloney to put NC State up 2-0.

Saint Louis found a lifeline in the 80th minute. Following a foul in the box by NC State’s Justin McLean, Quinten Blair stepped to the spot and converted the penalty kick to cut the deficit to one.

Defensively, both goalkeepers remained busy. NC State’s Logan Erb made two crucial saves, including a stop on Jack DiMaria in the 85th minute to prevent an equalizer. Saint Louis’ Jeremi Abonnel finished with four saves, notably denying Ibrahim Conde and Frankie DeFrancesco in quick succession to keep the Billikens within striking distance early in the second half.

Washington (15-6-2)

Behind a dominant multi-point performance from Charlie Kosakoff, Washington defeated Furman 3-1 in the semis to advance to the national championship. The Huskies controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, outshooting the Paladins and consistently testing the frame.

Washington’s offense ignited late in the first half. Zach Ramsey opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, converting a pass from Alex Hall. Kosakoff, who was a constant threat throughout the match, doubled the lead in the 40th minute with an unassisted strike to give the Huskies a 2-0 cushion at the break.

Despite a more aggressive Furman side in the second half, Washington put the game away in the 86th minute. Asher Hestad, appearing as a late substitute, found the back of the net off a surgical assist from Kosakoff. Furman managed to spoil the shutout just over a minute later when Luke Hutzell scored off a double assist from Braden Dunham and Connor Dunnigan, but the Paladins could not find a path to a comeback.

Furman goalkeeper Ivan Horvat delivered a heroic performance in defeat, recording eight saves to keep the score respectable. His work was highlighted by a string of four saves in the second half against a relentless Washington counter-attack. Washington’s Jadon Bowton earned the win, making one key save on a Wilfer Bustamante attempt late in the first half that could have switched the momentum.

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Washington

Washington Spirit Names Kim Bolt Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Washington Spirit Names Kim Bolt Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Bolt transitions into role after driving impact as Fractional CMO earlier this season

Washington, D.C. (12/15/2025) – The Washington Spirit today announced the appointment of Kim Bolt as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, a newly created executive role that reflects the club’s continued evolution into a high-performance, growth-oriented organization.

Bolt transitions into the role after joining the Spirit earlier this season as Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, where she played a key role in strengthening the club’s marketing strategy, analytics foundation and demand-generation efforts during a pivotal stretch of the year.

In her expanded role, Bolt will oversee Marketing, Communications, Brand, Strategy and Analytics, with a mandate to build a modern, data-driven commercial engine that accelerates fan growth, deepens engagement, elevates the Spirit’s brand and supports the club’s long-term ambitions on and off the pitch.

With more than 20 years of marketing and strategy leadership across technology, fitness and sports, Bolt brings deep experience scaling mission-driven brands. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Google, Lyft, Under Armour and Disney, as well as serving as Chief Marketing Officer of the Washington Nationals. An expert in marketing technology centered around fan data, Bolt has also advised League One Volleyball and served as Fractional CMO for OnDeck Partners, an Avenue Sports Fund portfolio company focused on minor league baseball.

“As we evolve from a team that wins into an organization built for sustained excellence, Kim’s experience and mindset are exactly what we need,” said Kim Stone, CEO of the Washington Spirit. “She understands this market, this moment and the scale of the opportunity in front of us. Her global brand experience, strategic rigor and early impact with our organization strengthen the foundation we’re building and position us for long-term, sustainable growth.”

A former youth soccer player, Bolt was drawn to the sports industry by her belief in its unique ability to create emotional connection and lifelong memories, a passion shaped early by her family’s love of the game. Throughout her career, Bolt has championed a leadership style grounded in empathy, resilience and accountability. She is committed to supporting women in sports and business and believes high performance and personal balance can, and should, coexist.

“The first time my daughters came to a Spirit match, they memorized the roster and their eyes lit up when they saw a player who looked like them,” said Bolt. “That was the moment I knew I wanted to be part of this organization. Having worked closely with the team this season, I’ve seen firsthand the ambition, the talent and the opportunity ahead. I’m honored to step into this role and help build a brand and growth engine that matches the excellence we’re striving for on the field.”

Bolt resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, three children and two dogs. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cornell University. As the Spirit’s first Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Bolt will lead the club through the offseason and into the 2026 season, helping shape the next chapter of the organization’s growth.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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