Evangelical author and radio host Eric Metaxas remains in the tank for Donald Trump. Over the last seven or eight years he has been one of the most vocal court evangelicals. Here is a snippet from a recent conversation on […]
Ron DeSantis
Liberty University gives Ron DeSantis an honorary doctorate in the humanities
Ron DeSantis was at Liberty University on Friday morning. Watch: When I first heard that DeSantis was speaking at Liberty University, I thought that he might announce his presidential candidacy there. That didn’t happen, but here’s what did happen. 27:31: […]
Is Florida a “bridge between the American and Israeli people?”
Ron DeSantis seems to think so. He is heading to Israel next month because this is what GOP presidential candidates do these days to secure the evangelical vote. The following press release says “At a time of unnecessarily strained relations […]
Who is Chris Rufo?
He was virtually unknown until he appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show in September 2020 to attack critical race theory. At the time he was a “fellow” at the Discovery Institute, a conservative think tank best known for its […]
Ron DeSantis is heading to Liberty University
A visit to the Liberty University convocation has become a rite of passage for GOP presidential candidates. (Remember Donald Trump’s “Two Corinthians” blunder?) Florida governor Ron DeSantis is obviously aware of this. He will be at Liberty next month. Here […]
A massive blob is coming for Ron DeSantis!
But is it “woke”? 🙂 OK, the blob is not coming specifically for DeSantis. But it is coming for Florida. Here is Jackie Wattles at CNN: A gargantuan mass of seaweed that formed in the Atlantic Ocean is headed for […]
How U.S. history textbook publishers are catering to Florida’s “anti-woke” laws
Here is a taste of Sarah Mervosh’s piece at The New York Times: In an attempt to cater to Florida, at least one publisher made significant changes to its materials, walking back or omitting references to race, even in its […]
Can Republicans beat Biden in 2024?
Rich Lowry, the editor in chief of the conservative National Review, thinks Republicans are “delusional if they think Biden will be easy to beat.” Here is a taste of his piece at Politico: At this juncture, no one else in […]
Conservative culture warriors love Antonio Gramsci
For several years now conservatives, and especially the Christian Right, have been warning their followers about the influence of “cultural Marxism.” One of their favorite bogeymen is Mussolini-era Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. Here, for example, is Christian right purveyor of […]
Will evangelicals support Trump in 2024?
I was happy to help New York Times reporter Charlie Homans with this story. A taste: Mark Burns, a pastor from Easley, S.C., who served as a campaign surrogate for Mr. Trump in 2016 and has endorsed his 2024 run, […]
A defender of liberalism and academic freedom opposes Ron DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda
Here is a clip from the end of Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s “State of the State” yesterday: I’ll let writer and political scientist Yascha Mounk, a defender of liberal values and academic freedom, take it from here. His recent piece […]
How dangerous is Ron DeSantis?
Not as dangerous as many progressive think he is, according to Damon Linker. Here is a taste of his piece at The New York Times: To judge by several early polls, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has a decent shot of […]
Florida’s HB 999 is not about free speech or academic freedom, it’s about politics
Last week the Florida House of Representatives introduced House Bill 999: “An act relating to public postsecondary educational institutions.” Read it here. Here are some of the details Here are some of my takeaways:
Ron DeSantis wrote a book about the founding fathers
The full title is Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama. Historian David Waldstreicher read it. Here is a taste of his piece at The Atlantic: History works for Ron Desantis as an argument. It would […]
John McWhorter on the AP African American Studies course
Earlier this month the College Board removed a few writers, ideas, and subjects from its AP African American Studies course. The Board removed lessons on Black queer studies, intersectionality, the Black Lives Matter Movement, Black feminist literary thought, the reparations […]
New Jersey will expand AP African American Studies courses
While governor Ron DeSantis is trying to prevent the course from being taught in Florida, governor Phil Murphy is expanding its availability in New Jersey. Here is The Associated Press: Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that his administration is […]
Is it still possible to teach Faulkner in Florida?
Here is Florida State University Diane Roberts‘s piece at The Atlantic, “‘Most Important, We Must Not Upset DeSantis‘”: In my senior Southern Literature class, I’m about to teach Go Down, Moses, William Faulkner’s great novel about how racism has warped America. […]
Will Ben Sasse, the new president of the University of Florida, bow to Ron DeSantis?
Yesterday was former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse’s first day as president of the University of Florida. We are all waiting to see how he will get along with Florida governor Ron DeSantis, especially as it relates to “wokeness.” Here is […]
A historian takes a close look at Advanced Placement African American Studies
Many of you are following the debate in Florida over the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies courses. If you are not familiar with this controversy, get up to speed here and here. Over at Politico, historian Jonatan Zeitz […]
The president of the AAC&U responds to the the Advanced Placement African American Studies controversy in Florida
Not familiar with what is going in Florida regarding this course? Get up to speed here. Lynn Pasquerella is president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Mary Dana Hinton is immediate past chair of the AAC&U Board of […]