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close video DeSantis says Disney lawsuit has no merit

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacted to Disney’s lawsuit against him, saying it’s time for the company to “live by the same rules as everybody else.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday dismissed Disney's lawsuit against him, calling it politically motivated and saying it is not "pro-business" to let one company get favorable treatment from the government.

Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging the Republican orchestrated a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" against the company that violates Disney's free speech rights. Disney is challenging the legality of a new board appointed by DeSantis to govern the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District – where the Walt Disney World resort is located. 

"I don't think the suit has merit," the governor said in Jerusalem.

The legal complaint is an escalation of a fight between DeSantis and Disney that began last year when the House of Mouse campaigned to overturn Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, which detractors misleadingly labeled the "Don't Say Gay" bill. DeSantis, widely expected to run for president in 2024, responded by pushing the Florida legislature to strip Disney's self-governing authority and create a new board, full of his appointees, which now has control over the theme park's development.  Ticker Security Last Change Change % DIS THE WALT DISNEY CO. 98.11 +1.51 +1.56%

"They’re upset because they’re having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They don’t want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight," DeSantis said. "The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida."

DISNEY SUES FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS OVER LOSS OF SPECIAL DISTRICT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks to the media at a conference titled “Celebrate the Faces of Israel” at Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo / AP Newsroom)

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump.

The governor has leaned in to his spat with Disney, one of Florida's largest employers and a major source of tourism to the Sunshine State, even as business leaders and other GOP 2024 hopefuls have bashed his actions as non-conservative and anti-business. 

DISNEY'S ‘BACK ROOM DEAL’ TO STOP DESANTIS RIPPED BY LEGAL EXPERT: 'WORTHY OF SCROOGE MCDUCK

General views of the Walt Disney World Resort, celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 03, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

"Hey @Disney, my home state will happily accept your 70,000+ jobs if you want to leave Florida," tweeted Republican presidential candidate former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday. "SC's not woke, but we're not sanctimonious about it either." 

Her dig at DeSantis parroted former President Donald Trump, who is also running for president and has taken to calling DeSantis "Ron DeSanctimonious" or "DeSanctus." Earlier this month, Trump called DeSantis' fight with Disney a "political STUNT." 

DISNEYLAND UNVEILS FIRST-EVER LGBT ‘PRIDE NITE’ AMID BATTLE WITH DESANTIS

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives to a conference titled “Celebrate the Faces of Israel” at Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool / AP Newsroom)

But the Florida governor has brushed off these criticisms. 

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"The idea that somehow being pro-business means giving companies their own governments, that is not what a free market is all about, last I checked," DeSantis said Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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World

Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of ‘lying’ about starvation in Gaza

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Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of 'lying' about starvation in Gaza

Bob Geldof has accused the Israeli authorities of “lying” about starvation in Gaza – after Israel’s government spokesperson claimed there was “no famine caused by Israel”.

Earlier this week, David Mencer claimed that Hamas “starves its own people” while on The News Hour with Mark Austin, denying that Israel was responsible for mass hunger in Gaza.

Appearing on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Geldof said the claims are false.

Follow latest: Gaza aid airdrops a ‘smokescreen’ and ‘distraction’, says UN agency chief

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Israel challenged on starvation in Gaza

Mr Phillips asked the Live Aid organiser: “The Israeli view is that there is no famine caused by Israel, there’s a manmade shortage, but it’s been engineered by Hamas.

“I guess the Israelis would say we don’t see much criticism from your side of Hamas.”

In response, Geldof said “that’s a false equivalence” and “the Israeli authorities are lying”.

The singer then added: “They’re lying. [Benjamin] Netanyahu lies, is a liar. The IDF are lying. They’re dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers.

“And while they arrive to accept the tiny amount of food that this sort of set up pantomime outfit, the Gaza Humanitarian Front, I would call it, as they dangle it, then they’re shot wantonly.

“This month, up to now, a thousand children or a thousand people have died of starvation. I’m really not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”

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Gaza: ‘This is man-made starvation’

In the interview with Mark Austin on 23 July, Mr Mencer added: “This suffering exists because Hamas made it so. Here are the facts. Aid is flowing, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Millions of meals are being delivered directly to civilians.” He also claimed that since May more than 4,400 aid trucks had entered Gaza carrying supplies.

It comes after MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished.

The charity said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels, and said that at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks.

MSF then called the lack of food and water on the ground as “unconscionable”.

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Aid waiting to be distributed in Gaza

In a statement to Sky News, an Israeli security official said that “despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip”.

Read more:
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Security shot at Palestinians at Gaza aid centre – ex-guard

It then blamed other groups for issues delivering aid. They said: “Over the past month, we have witnessed a significant decline in the collection of aid from the crossings into the Gaza Strip by international aid organisations.

“The delays in collection by the UN and international organisations harm the situation and the food security of Gaza’s residents.”

The IDF also told Sky News: “The IDF allows the American civilian organisation (GHF) to distribute aid to Gaza residents independently, and operates in proximity to the new distribution zones to enable the distribution alongside the continuation of IDF operational activities in the Gaza Strip.

“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted in the Southern Command and instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned.

“The aforementioned incidents are under review by the competent authorities in the IDF.”

You can watch the full interview on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips at 8.30am tomorrow.

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Environment

Honda takes a page from Tesla playbook, launches new insurance business

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Honda takes a page from Tesla playbook, launches new insurance business

Say what you will about Elon Musk, but Tesla has changed the way that millions of people buy cars and, by extension, car insurance. Now, Honda is taking a page from Tesla’s successful playbook and launching its own in-house insurance business. Enter: Honda Insurance Solutions.

Honda Insurance Solutions is being launched as a fully licensed insurance agency serving the insurance needs of Acura and Honda customers, but it’s not stopping at competitive pricing and coverage options for Honda cars and motorcycles. Honda Insurance Solutions promises to go several steps beyond Tesla’s offering with coverage for trailers, RVs, homes, and even pets.

“Honda Insurance Solutions offers customers access to coverage through a brand they know and trust,” says Petar Vucurevic, President, American Honda Insurance Solutions, LLC and Senior Vice President, American Honda Finance Corporation. “Insurance is a key touchpoint in the vehicle ownership journey, and we aim to deliver a superior experience tailored to the unique needs of each customer, while promoting safer driving and increased peace of mind on the road.”

The company says the launch of its new insurance business is just part of Honda’s broader digital vehicle sales platform strategy, with future plans to integrate insurance offerings into new products.

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Electrek’s Take


Electric CUVE scooter; via Honda.

It’s important to note some of the key differences between Honda’s insurance offering and Tesla’s. Honda isn’t offering discounts, they’re not bundling insurance premiums into the vehicle financing, and they’re not building their insurance offerings into their dealerships’ checkout/F&I offices. Not yet, anyway.

What Honda is doing right now is deepening relationships with its existing customers and finding ways to make money on products it hasn’t sold them – whether that’s the Harley parked in the garage next to their Prologue or the garage itself.

It’s a smart play. And, once Honda figures out a way to cut franchise dealers out entirely and go to a direct sales model, it’ll look even smarter.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.


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Politics

Demographics will ‘leapfrog’ Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib

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<div>Demographics will 'leapfrog' Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib</div>

<div>Demographics will 'leapfrog' Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan — Bilal Bin Saqib</div>

A young and tech-savvy population, combating inflationary pressures, is driving Bitcoin adoption and a new financial system in Pakistan.

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