International
In Florida, right-wing mothers lead the ‘parents’ revolution’
| By AFP | Léa Dauple |
A conservative group known as “Moms for Liberty” is triggering a minor earthquake in Florida school board elections, hoping the tremors will ripple across the entire United States.
The group demands that often-sleepy school boards wake up and yank “problematic” books from schools, and empower parents to have more say in public education.
“I am on the right side of history,” said Jacqueline Rosario, who is seeking re-election to a school board in Indian River County on Florida’s east coast.
Rosario warmly welcomed guests to a lounge in this charming seaside resort, speaking to them about a subject that distresses her: the “insane” education that young Americans get in public schools.
“Moms for Liberty,” founded only last year in Florida but now claiming 100,000 members in 42 states, offers wholehearted endorsements of school board candidates like Rosario.
That support has turned school boards, historically apolitical elected bodies, into real powder kegs dealing with subjects such as gender, sexuality and racism in schools.
These days, hot-button culture and social issues ignite passions at the local level, not just the state and national levels.
Some heavyweight Republicans, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a possible presidential candidate in 2024, have gotten involved in the humble school board battles.
Moms for Liberty publicly endorsed DeSantis, and he in turn endorsed candidates like Jacqueline Rosario.
‘Pornographic’
Rosario has made a personal battle out of one of Moms for Liberty’s obsessions — “inappropriate” books.
As she explained the reasons for her anger, Rosario interrupted the interview.
“Can I read you a couple of excerpts?” she asked, warning that she might feel “weird” because some material “is so explicit.”
The candidate recites a sex scene from Margaret Atwood’s famous novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which also became a hit television series.
“That’s disgusting,” Rosario, a former English teacher, said of the work, her voice suddenly stern.
She read an excerpt from another book, “Push”, which recounts in graphic detail the rape of a child by her father.
“There is absolutely no literary, scientific, political or any other value to this kind of reading, not for children,” Rosario said, adding that she would like such “obscene… pornographic” books to be replaced by others of “higher quality,” including ones offering vocational training.
“You’re opening up Pandora’s box for children who are supposed to preserve their innocence,” Rosario said.
She stated that she does not want to “ban or burn” such books, but only to get them out of the classroom — a message hammered home by Moms for Liberty.
Flags and popcorn
Later in the afternoon, Rosario campaigned at a small church in Vero Beach.
The audience seemed to be behind her. Between a tray of cheese and a bowl of popcorn, Terri Privett, a 53-year-old who loves former president Donald Trump’s rallies, worries that “the left is indoctrinating our children with things that are just not American.”
During the reception, the song “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood played on a loop — interrupted, however, when all attendees stood to pledge allegiance to the flag.
Though he is not present, DeSantis’ influence is palpable. At the entrance, a lighted sign calls for people to vote for him to “save Florida.”
“Our governor is a champion for parental rights,” said Jennifer Pippin, head of the Indian River County chapter of Moms for Liberty, convinced that he will win re-election.
For this crowd, DeSantis’ military background and his image as a family man are strong reasons to like him.
On a table festooned with small US flags is a list of candidates running in various local elections who espouse anti-abortion rights views. Flyers call on the citizenry to pull children from public schools.
Organizers have also brought two piles of books — around 150 they deem problematic — that Jennifer Pippin said contain scenes of “rape, incest” or even “oral sex.” Colorful post-it notes indicate the pages of the books with the material deemed questionable.
Love for DeSantis
Moms for Liberty has had a meteoric rise, a sign of the simmering culture wars across the United States.
“I think you’re going to see that American politics are going to be changing a lot because of this parent revolution,” said Tiffany Justice, one of the co-founders.
She predicts a bright political future for politicians like DeSantis who join up with groups seeking to empower parents over educators.
DeSantis won hearts at the first Moms for Liberty national conference, where he gave a speech.
Moms for Liberty members “wished Ron DeSantis was their governor,” Justice said. “You could hear them say we can’t wait to vote for him for president of the United States.”
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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