Diana

Remarkable, the Florida high school guidelines have 9 pages of objectives for "world history", 12 pg for "US civics and government", but a full 30 pages of requirements for "history of communism" as a separate topic (and less white space/page than other topics). Just obsessed with communism. 🤪

FLORIDA'S STATE ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES SS.912.HC.9.3 Describe the emergence of modern Marxist thought in education and media. Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: Instruction includes the influence of the Frankfurt School on the modern education system (c.g. Critical Theory). Clarification 2: Instruction includes Antonio Gramsci, Paulo Freire and Howard Zinn and their work (e.g., the oppressor vs. oppressed dichotomy, historical revisionism). Clarification 3: Instruction includes the repackaging of Marxist ideology using modern terminology and concepts to disguise the underlying Marxism (e.g., Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States as a recasting of William Z. Foster's history books, Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, James W. Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me). Clarification 4: Instruction includes the dangers of pro-communist propaganda in entertainment and media industries. SS.912,HC.9,4 Identify propaganda and defamation utilized to delegitimize anti-communists and anti-communist movements. Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: Instruction includes campaigns to shut down the House Committee on Un-American Activities by communists and communist sympathizers, including protests in San Francisco in 1960 to. disrupt the meeting. Clarification 2: Instruction includes a change in policy by President John F. Kennedy's administration, forbidding explicitly anti-communist speeches in the military. Clarification 3: Instruction includes using "McCarthyism" as an insult and shorthand for all anti-communism. Clarification 4: Instruction includes slander against anti-communists, such as red-baiter and Red Scare.

Florida’s Social Studies standards are getting another update next month.

No, those terrible African American History standards will stay, but there’s a huge update to our Anti-Communism education.

This is just one page.

Trump nominee says he has a ‘Nazi streak,’ bashes MLK Jr. Day, according to texts Paul Ingrassia’s bid to lead a whistleblower agency is set for a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.

Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, told a group of fellow Republicans in a text chain the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be 'tossed into the seventh circle of hell' and said he has 'a Nazi streak'

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

I was honored to give the keynote speech at the Democracy in Saudi Arabia Summit.

The Saudi Crown Prince is trying to whitewash his regime’s tyranny by weaponizing pop culture against his citizens.

We must not launder MBS’ regime and that includes entertainers.

My Full Remarks: bit.ly/4gRoqrK

Can you spare a minute to help this campaign? Save Dead End: Paranormal Park!!!

Please sign the “Save Dead End” Petition to show Netflix that we care about diversity and representation in the shows our kid’s watch.

chng.it/z6xbkDz4nX

Justice Kavanaugh: “If the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully
in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter.”

Census advisory committee meets despite Trump administration nixing it A Trump executive order directed the cancellation of “unnecessary” councils that advise on agency operations.

1/2 Trump admin cancelled the Census Scientific Advisory Committee

The scientists met anyway
On their own time. As an independent board

They reviewed & approved 26 reccs on issues like
🔏 ensuring respondents' privacy
🧮accurate kids' counting ☣️demographic info on environmental hazard exposures

Thank you for fighting this so vocally on all your platforms.

“One word: NO. I take it very seriously because unlike Trump I’ve actually worn the uniform.” 👀 🔥 🇺🇸

MARYLAND’S @govwesmoore.bsky.social says he will NOT authorize sending the National Guard to help Trump terrorize Blue cities. (cc: @GovBillLee)

I'm really looking forward to getting a copy of this.

Cars, coffee and clothing are poised to get pricier with new tariffs The Trump administration’s latest tariffs are expected to drive up prices for U.S. consumers, with costs rising for everyday items such as groceries.

Under Trump, the rich are getting richer.
 
But life is getting more and more expensive for the middle class.

Families First in Riverview! · Families First Mobilizations On July 26, Americans in every corner of the country will come together in peaceful marches, rallies, and actions to say: our families come first—not billionaires, not authoritarians, and not corrupt ...

I'm attending Families First Mobilizations's event, “Families First in Riverview!” - sign up now to join me! #FamiliesFirst www.mobilize.us/familiesfirs...

Mellon Foundation The Mellon Foundation makes grants to actively unlock the power in the arts and humanities that helps connect us all.

“For generations, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions have been the guardians of knowledge . . .,” said Dr. Hayden. “At a time when equitable access to information and the free exchange of ideas face significant challenges, I am honored to join the Mellon Foundation as a senior fellow.”

UPDATE: Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill cuts nearly $1 TRILLION from Medicaid.

We’ve bombed Iran. And dismantled our joint terrorism task force. And sent a third of the FBI to help ICE. And gutted the National Security Council. And a drunk guy is in charge at the pentagon. And our intelligence allies probably won’t share intel with us. Because people couldn’t vote for a woman.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

Iran did not have a nuclear weapon.

PETITION: Tell Trump, Hands Off the National Archives! The National Archives safeguards our collective history, protects the public's right to know, and ensures transparency and accountability in government.

The National Archives safeguards our collective history, protects the public's right to know, and ensures transparency and accountability in government.

action.everylibrary.org/nationalarch... follow @everylibrary.bsky.social to support libraries.

Oni Press Declares “Fight Censorship, Read Comics” With Line Of ‘Gender Queer’ Merch A portion of proceeds will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Florida Freedom to Read Project.

Oni Press is urging fans to Fight Censorship, Read Comics, with a line of merchandise based on Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer.

School Board Meeting June 17, 2025 YouTube video by Hillsborough County Public Schools

Hillsborough students, parents, and community members turned out to voice their displeasure with state overreach into their school libraries.

Public comment is a the top of the meeting and there’s too much to clip.

www.youtube.com/live/7tMHsGz...

Title slide: PROTECT DUE PROCESS: INVESTIGATE UNLAWFUL BOOK REMOVALS

We, the undersigned, write to express our grave concern over recent actions taken by the State Board of Education and the Attorney General that appear to directly contradict both the letter and spirit of Florida law, undermine local control, and violate students First Amendment rights. We call on you, as members of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, to convene a legislative hearing to investigate this matter and ensure that appointed state officials are held accountable for what can only be described as an alarming abuse of power. Specifically, we stand in support of the Hillsborough County School Board, its media specialists, and its review committees, all of whom have followed established, lawful procedures for evaluating challenged books in accordance with Florida Statutes $847.001 and $1006.28 in addition to their own district policies. These professionals are now facing politically motivated attacks and coercion from the Attorney General's "Office of Parental Rights" and members of the State Board of Education, who are pressuring them to remove books without due process or legal justification. During the June 4 State Board of Education meeting, members demanded the immediate removal of 55 titles that they unilaterally labeled as "pornographic" without proper review and in defiance of obscenity law definitions and the statutory process. Hillsborough County followed these procedures faithfully. For several of the titles in question, district committees-composed of educators, parents, and community members-read the books fully and voted to retain them or designate them for appropriate grade levels. Despite this, the State Board of Education compelled Superintendent Ayres to remove them anyway, circumventing lawful local decisions.

The situation has now expanded. On June 10, in response to similar pressure, Orange County Public Schools' Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez requested the permission of the OCPS Board to remove thirteen titles from high schools-six of which had recently been upheld by formal district review, including Forever... by Judy Blume, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Orange County's own General Counsel expressed concern that this may violate the district's legal obligations but noted that the perceived supervisory threat from the state made noncompliance untenable. And on Friday, June 13, Santa Rosa County District Schools also published its removals in response to statements made by state officials. These incidents are the culmination of a sustained campaign of intimidation that began during debate over HB 1539-an unpopular and unconstitutional bill that sought to eliminate consideration of literary value when banning books. That bill failed. It is now apparent that appointed state officials are attempting to implement its provisions by fiat, in clear defiance of legislative authority and the Constitution. Equating Pulitzer Prize-winning works like Beloved by Toni Morrison or / Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou with pornography is not only legally indefensible-it is an affront to the democratic principles that undergird our public education system. We urge you and your legislative colleagues to: • Hold a public hearing to investigate the legality of the State Board of Education's directives to local districts. • Affirm the autonomy of elected school boards and adherence to due process in book review and removal procedures. • Protect Florida's educators, librarians, and school administrators from retaliatory actions driven by political pressure. • Ensure the reinstatement of any books removed in violation of district policy and state law.

The actions of these appointed state officials not only undermine the rule of law but also set a dangerous precedent for censorship without accountability. We ask you to defend the rights of Florida's students, teachers, and communities by ensuring the law is respected. Sincerely, The Undersigned ACLU of Florida American Booksellers for Free Expression Annie's Foundation Authors Against Book Bans Authors Guild Books & Books Candlewick Press Elana K. Arnold Ellen Hopkins Everyday Advocacy EveryLibrary Families for Strong Public Schools Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Florida Coalition for Thriving Public Schools Florida Education Association Florida Freedom to Read Project Freedom to Read Project George M. Johnson Holiday House Interfaith Alliance of SWFL Kelly Jensen Lambda Literary Latinx Kidlit Book Festival League of Women Voters of Hillsborough & Pasco Counties Libro.fm Macmillan Children's Publishing Group Malinda Lo Military Families for Free Expression MomsRising Peachtree Publishing PEN America Red Wine & Blue School Board Integrity Project Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Poverty Law Center Teaching for Change Texas Freedom to Read Project The Lynx We Need Diverse Books White Rose Books & More

A broad coalition representing parents, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and First Amendment advocates are calling on the Florida Legislators in the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee to investigate the actions of the SBOE.

Send yours: act.pen.org/a/hillsborou...

YouTube video by Media Matters How billionaires created the DEI panic

Not to be dramatic but I spent months and months working on this video deep diving into the history of attacks on DEI.

It is my baby and I’d love for y’all to check it out! 🙏🏻
youtu.be/nD1nJ7g8j94?...

Photo of six people with new DCL summer shirts. The first is a brown-skinned person with long hair wearing a white shirt with the words "Cure Ableism" in rainbow letters — they have fierce makeup. The second person is Black with long locs, silver jewelry, and tattoos in a black shirt that says "Disabled Joy is Revolutionary." The third is a brown-skinned femme in a white shirt with a red mask on it that reads "Mask If You Hate Fascists." The fourth is a femme with long straight dark hair wearing a gray shirt that reads "Protect Trans Kids" in hand lettering. The fifth is a brown-skinned person with short hair wearing a shirt that reads "Disability Justice is..." The sixth is a tall smiling person with a short beard wearing a shirt that reads "Crips Against Fascism"

Five t-shirts on a light blue and blue background. Shirts read: “Disability Justice Is... Climate Justice, Repro Justice, Landback, Free Palestine, Black Liberation, Immigrant Justice, Queer Liberation, Gender Justice, Worker Justice, Economic Justice" in black with white lettering; “Protect Trans Disabled Youth” in gray with hand lettering in trans pride colors of light blue, pink, and white; “Mask If You Hate Fascists” in white with black and red text; “Cure Ableism” in white with the text written five times in rainbow pride colors; and “Disabled Joy is Revolutionary” in black with purple lettering.

Two happy folks with white t-shirts in front of a light purple and teal background. The first is a smiling Black person with a red beanie and white t-shirt that reads “Crips Against Fascism.” The second is a brown trans person with long hair and fierce makeup in a white t-shirt with a red mask that reads “Mask If You Hate Fascists.”

Black muscle tank and a gorgeous trans femme person in a gray t-shirt that both read “Protect Trans Disabled Youth” on a green and bright blue background. Muscle tank is black. Lettering on both is in trans pride colors of light blue, pink, and white.

Big news! Today, we’re dropping our brand new summer Pride and “Fashion Against Fascism” merch collection, including new disabled artist collaborations, muscle tanks, and more!! 🌈

Check out the DCL Shop now and order in time for pride! #DisabilityJustice

shop.disabilityculturelab.org

I’ve been saying Black folks should stay home. So why did I go to the No Kings protest?

Because our Latino brothers and sisters need us right now. Because I live in the occupied city of LA.

But here’s what I know: when large groups of Black folks protest, we become the target.
1.

She gets it 👇🏾

Bring Trump to Military Justice Trump is a clear and present danger to the security, health, wealth, prosperity, and decency of our country and its people. The election appears to have been stolen.d

Bring Trump to Military Justice:
sign.moveon.org/petitions/br...

Sen. Alex Padilla is forcibly removed from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles Noem was in L.A. to address the ongoing demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Donald Trump is forcing the American military to intimidate our citizens in their own communities.

If a U.S. Senator can't question the Trump Administration about that, who can?

This is pure un-American authoritarianism, and it should scare us all. www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...

Who on this Earth says "non-neurotypical?" They managed to put Black, not "non-white." Use neurodivergent, if you need an umbrella term to be inclusive, or use the word for exactly what kind of neurodivergent, such as autistic. "Non-neurotypical" is ridiculous.

Florida's literary inquisition In a chilling meeting of the Florida State Board of Education last week, a school district superintendent was publicly browbeaten and repeatedly threatened with criminal prosecution.

1. In an extraordinary public flogging, the Florida State Board of Education repeatedly threatened a school superintendent with criminal prosecution unless he removed a Judy Blume book from all library shelves.

One member called the district librarians "child abusers."

Florida's literary inquisition In a chilling meeting of the Florida State Board of Education last week, a school district superintendent was publicly browbeaten and repeatedly threatened with criminal prosecution.

Florida's literary inquisition popular.info/p/florida-of...
Thanks to Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby, and Noel Sims for covering what's happening in Hillsborough County.

NO KINGS Call for Veterans and Military Families · No Kings Join veteran organizers from Common Defense and our partners for a special call on June 14 for veterans and military families mobilizing for NO KINGS Day. We’ll discuss the powerful role veterans' voi...

I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS Call for Veterans and Military Families” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

“I would like to cure brain cancer,” Dr. Tanner said.
“I think that's not particularly controversial.”
Neither do we.

But the N.I.H.—the world’s leading public funder of medical research—has canceled 1,389 grants and delayed over 1,000 more.
The true cost won’t be known for decades. 🧵