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FACT FOCUS: Videos of empty store aisles are unrelated to Florida’s immigration bill

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2023

FACT FOCUS: Videos of empty store aisles are unrelated to Florida’s immigration bill

A sweeping immigration bill recently signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is sparking fears of deserted workplaces – and barren grocery shelves.

The new law, set to take effect in July, will require businesses with more than 25 staffers to verify that their employees can legally work in the U.S. through a federal system, among other restrictions. Critics have said the change could lead to a shortage of workers on farms and construction sites.

Amid outcry, a pair of videos circulating widely on social media are claiming to show empty supermarkets in the Sunshine State, purportedly due to truck drivers boycotting deliveries to the state in protest of the immigration overhaul.

But the footage is unrelated. And while some truckers have posted on social media calling on drivers to curb deliveries to Florida, immigration advocates say it’s too soon to tell if there will be any widespread action.

Here are the facts.

CLAIM: Videos show empty grocery store shelves in Florida because truckers are boycotting the state over a new immigration law.

THE FACTS: While both clips show Florida stores, neither has anything to do with the new law or a boycott. One is from October and shows shortages during Hurricane Ian, while another shows a recent refrigeration issue at a single Walmart Supercenter.

The first video shows a shopper panning their camera around the refrigerators and freezers at a Winn-Dixie, while saying “Supermarkets are empty in Florida. There’s nothing, nothing, look.”

“Undocumented workers are leaving Florida in droves. It’s affecting farmers, hotels, restaurants, construction, lawn companies, & especially grocery stores w perishables,” reads one Twitter post of the footage, which had received more than 6,000 likes as of Wednesday. “Understandably many Hispanic truck drivers are refusing to enter the state. Nicely done DeSantis!”

However, the video was originally posted on TikTok in Oct. 2, 2022, after Hurricane Ian made landfall. The caption on the original post includes the hashtag “hurricaneian” and says, “no food in the Winn-Dixie in Florida on 17 and 92,” referring to a store in Fern Park, a suburb of Orlando.

The second video shared on social media platforms shows a large sign that reads “Packaged Deli” and above a partially empty refrigerated aisle. “No groceries smh sad these truckers weren’t playing when they said they were not delivering anything to Florida !!!” reads the caption on a TikTok post tagging the location as Palmetto, Florida, with more than 800,000 likes.

The signage in the video matches a Walmart store in Palmetto, but the grocery chain said the lack of groceries in the clip was unrelated to any supply issues.

Charles Crowson, a spokesperson for Walmart, said in an email that it was a result of a refrigerator malfunction and should be repaired within the next few days.

While the videos are unrelated to the recent legislation, there have been posts on social media from Latino truck drivers responding to the new laws by threatening to boycott deliveries to the state and calling on others to do so.

In addition to the new rules around E-Verify, the law would provide $12 million for DeSantis’ migrant relocation initiative, require hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on its intake forms and prohibit local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to immigrants lacking permanent legal status in the country. It would also invalidate out-of-state driver’s licenses for that same group.

Immigration advocacy groups tell the AP it’s too early to have data on the impacts of the law since it was only signed last week and does not go into effect until July 1.

Thomas Kennedy, a spokesperson with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said he was aware of the truckers’ boycott threats, but said it is too soon to say if there will be large-scale scale actions.

“It remains to be seen, I mean, you know, boycotts and strikes and work stoppages take a lot of time, a lot of a lot of organization. And this is bubbling up. But again, the law hasn’t even gone into effect,” said Kennedy. “There’s definitely the ingredients and some energy there.”

Kennedy said the coalition has heard anecdotal reports that many migrants are afraid to show up to work since the law was signed and there was apprehension in the community.

The new legislation will impact construction and factory workers, according to Bethzaida Olivera Vazquez, who is the national director of policy and legislation for The League of United Latin American Citizens, which is the oldest Latino civil rights group in the U.S.

“This law would have a very harmful effect for businesses,” said Vazquez. “If there were to be a boycott among truckers the impacts could be significant.”

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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.

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World

Ron Ely, Star of TV’s Tarzan, Cause of Death Revealed

Published

4 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Ron Ely, Star of TV’s Tarzan, Cause of Death Revealed

Ron Ely Dead: ‘Tarzan’ Actor Cause of Death Revealed — Obituary

World

Scientists study ‘very rare’ frozen remains of 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub

Published

5 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Scientists study ‘very rare’ frozen remains of 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub

A mummified saber-toothed cub of a catlike animal dating back 35,000 years was left almost perfectly preserved in Siberia’s permafrost.

The remains had been found back in 2020, northeast of Yakutia, Russia. Research regarding the study of the cub was published in the journal Scientific Reports on November 14, 2024.

The discovery of frozen remains from the Late Pleistocene period is “very rare,” according to the published research, though most discovered in Russia lie in the Indigirka River basin, the authors note.

The mummified saber-tooth cub found in Siberia’s permafrost was studied by scientists and found to have been buried around 35,000 years ago. (Alexey V. Lopatin)

12-YEAR-OLD BOY STUMBLES UPON STUNNING ANCIENT FIND WHILE WALKING DOG IN ENGLAND: ‘RELATIVELY RARE’

The mummified cub remained well-preserved, frozen in time for thousands of years. The frozen nature of this find left it in impressive condition, even still containing fur.

“The mummy body is covered with short, thick, soft, dark brown fur with hair about 20–30 mm long,” the authors wrote in the published research, also pointing out that the fur that was located on the back and neck of the cub was longer than the hair that was found on the legs.

The head of the mummy was also left well-preserved, down to its chest, front arms and paws.

IRISH FARMER FINDS NEAR-60-POUND SLAB OF ANCIENT BOG BUTTER ON HIS LAND BY ‘PURE LUCK’

The study of this find wasn’t just a unique opportunity for scientists, it also provided first-of-its kind research.

“For the first time in the history of paleontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied,” the authors of the study explained.

This discovery provided an extremely unique and rare opportunity for scientists to study an extinct species that was so well preserved. (Alexey V. Lopatin)

The scientists determined that the cub had died at about three weeks old. It was identified by the authors of the study as belonging to the species Homotherium latidens and had many differentiations from a modern lion cub of a similar age.

The shape of the muzzle displayed by the mummified cub, which had a large mouth and small ears, plus a “massive” neck, long forelimbs and a darker colored coat, were all among key differences from today’s modern lion cubs that scientists observed.

2,000-YEAR-OLD ROMAN ROAD DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN LONDON

Scientists also worked in their research to find out how the extinct species was able to survive through frigid temperatures.

Large contributors to their survival were the shape of the large paws and absence of carpal pads. Scientists believe these elements helped them get through the snow.

In recent years, there have been other ancient animals found in Siberian permafrost.

Analysis of the cub’s skull helped scientists identify it as belonging to the genus Homotherium. (Alexey V. Lopatin)

For example, in 2021, a mummified wolf was discovered that dated back over 44,000 years, Live Science reported in June 2024.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

More than 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

More than 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours

Director of the Kamal Adwan hospital says several staff wounded in Israeli bombardment.

At least 120 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in two days, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment across the besieged territory.

At least seven people were killed when a residential home was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, health officials said on Saturday. The other deaths were recorded in central and southern Gaza.

Israeli air raids caused significant damage to al-Faruq Mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a social media video verified by Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces also deepened their ground offensive and bombardment of northern Gaza, where one of the last partially operating hospitals was hit, wounding several workers.

Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, said in a statement on Saturday that Israeli forces “directly targeted the entrance to the emergency and reception area several times, as well as the hospital courtyards, electrical generators, and hospital gates”.

The bombardment “resulted in 12 injuries among doctors, nurses, and administrative staff within the emergency and reception areas”, he said.

The Israeli military rejected the allegations and said it was “not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital” following an initial review of the situation.

On Friday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hospitals have fuel left for only about two days before it needs to start restricting services.

Israel’s military imposed a siege and launched a renewed ground offensive in northern Gaza last month, saying it aimed to stop Hamas fighters from waging more attacks and regrouping in the area.

The United Nations warned earlier this week that almost no aid had been delivered to northern Gaza since Israel’s renewed offensive as aid groups and food security experts warn of a famine in the area.

In a call with Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressed Israel to “take steps to improve the dire humanitarian condition in Gaza”, the Pentagon said.

Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and wounded more than 104,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian health officials.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which at least 1,139 people were killed and about 250 others seized as captives.

A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, Abu Ubaida, said later on Saturday that a female Israeli captive in the group’s custody had been killed in northern Gaza in an area under attack by Israel’s forces.

“The life of another female prisoner who used to be with her remains in imminent danger,” he added, accusing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being responsible and of undermining efforts to end the war.