Last edited:
US US Politics General - Discussion of President Biden and other politicians
- Thread starter SeniorFuckFace
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2021
‘It’s the First Amendment, stupid’: Federal judge blasts DeSantis administration for threats against TV stations
“To keep it simple for the State of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.”
That’s what a federal judge wrote Thursday as he sided with local TV stations in an extraordinary dispute over a pro-abortion rights television ad.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker of the Northern District of Florida granted a temporary restraining order against Florida’s surgeon general after the state health department threatened to bring criminal charges against broadcasters airing the ad.
The controversy stems from a campaign ad by the group Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is behind the “Yes on 4 Campaign,” promoting a ballot measure that seeks to overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.
In the 30-second ad, a brain cancer survivor named Caroline says the state law would have prevented her from receiving a life-saving abortion.
“The doctors knew that if I did not end my pregnancy, I would lose my baby, I would lose my life, and my daughter would lose her mom,” she says on camera. “Florida has now banned abortions, even in cases like mine.”
The state health department – part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration, which has aggressively campaigned against the pro-abortion amendment – said the ad’s claims are “false” and “dangerous” to the public health.
John Wilson, the health department’s general counsel, sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple television stations airing the ad. Floridians Protecting Freedom then filed a lawsuit against Wilson and the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, saying the threats amounted to “unconstitutional coercion and viewpoint discrimination” and pressed the court to bar the state from following up on threats to sue.
On Thursday, the judge agreed the health department’s threats were “viewpoint discrimination” and wrote that the group presented “a substantial likelihood of proving an ongoing violation of its First Amendment rights through the threatened direct penalization of its political speech.”
The judge’s order, which is valid through October 29, effectively bars Ladapo from intimidating local stations for airing the Amendment 4 ad.
Enter your email to subscribe to the CNN Newsletter.
Walker’s granting of the restraining order comes less than a week after Wilson resigned from his post. In a letter obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, Wilson wrote that “a man is nothing without his conscience,” adding that “it has become clear in recent days that I cannot join you on the road that lies before the agency.”
Wilson did not mention the ad controversy.
The state’s health department continues to assert that the abortion rights ad “unequivocally false and detrimental to public health in Florida.” Jae Williams, the department’s communications director, told CNN on Thursday that “the media continues to ignore the truth that Florida’s heartbeat protection law always protects the life of a mother and includes exceptions for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking.”
Some medical experts have said otherwise. “Florida’s extreme abortion ban has created an unworkable legal landscape that endangers both patients and clinicians,” the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights stated in a report last month. The ban “leads to preventable suffering” and “compels clinicians to deviate from established standards of care and medical ethics,” the group said.
The health department’s threats were so chilling that WINK, a CBS affiliate, pulled the ad from its broadcasts, Florida Politics reported. Other stations have continued to air the ad, some as recently as Thursday evening, according to the TVEyes video search service.
The broadcasters were supported by Jessica Rosenworcel, the Democratic chair of the FCC, who said earlier this month that “threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech.”
That’s what a federal judge wrote Thursday as he sided with local TV stations in an extraordinary dispute over a pro-abortion rights television ad.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker of the Northern District of Florida granted a temporary restraining order against Florida’s surgeon general after the state health department threatened to bring criminal charges against broadcasters airing the ad.
The controversy stems from a campaign ad by the group Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is behind the “Yes on 4 Campaign,” promoting a ballot measure that seeks to overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.
In the 30-second ad, a brain cancer survivor named Caroline says the state law would have prevented her from receiving a life-saving abortion.
“The doctors knew that if I did not end my pregnancy, I would lose my baby, I would lose my life, and my daughter would lose her mom,” she says on camera. “Florida has now banned abortions, even in cases like mine.”
The state health department – part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration, which has aggressively campaigned against the pro-abortion amendment – said the ad’s claims are “false” and “dangerous” to the public health.
John Wilson, the health department’s general counsel, sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple television stations airing the ad. Floridians Protecting Freedom then filed a lawsuit against Wilson and the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, saying the threats amounted to “unconstitutional coercion and viewpoint discrimination” and pressed the court to bar the state from following up on threats to sue.
On Thursday, the judge agreed the health department’s threats were “viewpoint discrimination” and wrote that the group presented “a substantial likelihood of proving an ongoing violation of its First Amendment rights through the threatened direct penalization of its political speech.”
The judge’s order, which is valid through October 29, effectively bars Ladapo from intimidating local stations for airing the Amendment 4 ad.
Enter your email to subscribe to the CNN Newsletter.
Walker’s granting of the restraining order comes less than a week after Wilson resigned from his post. In a letter obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, Wilson wrote that “a man is nothing without his conscience,” adding that “it has become clear in recent days that I cannot join you on the road that lies before the agency.”
Wilson did not mention the ad controversy.
The state’s health department continues to assert that the abortion rights ad “unequivocally false and detrimental to public health in Florida.” Jae Williams, the department’s communications director, told CNN on Thursday that “the media continues to ignore the truth that Florida’s heartbeat protection law always protects the life of a mother and includes exceptions for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking.”
Some medical experts have said otherwise. “Florida’s extreme abortion ban has created an unworkable legal landscape that endangers both patients and clinicians,” the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights stated in a report last month. The ban “leads to preventable suffering” and “compels clinicians to deviate from established standards of care and medical ethics,” the group said.
The health department’s threats were so chilling that WINK, a CBS affiliate, pulled the ad from its broadcasts, Florida Politics reported. Other stations have continued to air the ad, some as recently as Thursday evening, according to the TVEyes video search service.
The broadcasters were supported by Jessica Rosenworcel, the Democratic chair of the FCC, who said earlier this month that “threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech.”
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2024/07/29/785974.htm -Same judge opposing the Stop the Woke Act
This judge clearly has a beef to pick.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2017
I'm not even in Arizona (and never have besides passing through once or twice) and somehow, someway, I keep getting texts from Arizona Democrat orgs about WEHAVETOSTOPTUMP OHGODTHEREPUBLICANSARE COMING CANWECOUNTONYOU.
Moreso even than my local parties, idk who manages their text spam but they're just hitting every button.
mandatorylurk
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2019
This will be the new thread header November 6th.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2023
Its obvious by how pink the hat has become, too. Blindingly obvious and completely lazy to just crank the exposure up that high. For all the money Kamala supposedly has her propaganda team can't afford a Lasso Select Tool to limit their image adjustment? No, its not about money, its about being lazy.
The total lack of competence is as, or more, alarming than the absolute malevolence.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2024
This is an issue that the pollster whom Tucker Carlson interviewed brought up. Apparently, Democrats get massive infusions of cash from small donors and no one has any idea where all the money comes from. I'm not certain if it is money laundering because the amount of money on that scale would trigger the IRS and FEC. For whatever it's worth, these bureaus typically do their job.
What I think is going on is lots of small "shell companies" (for a lack of better term) are being used to dispense campaign donations because it looks better for public relations. Citizens United pissed off a lot of people and megadonors are viewed negatively on the campaign trail. Democrats love to say they have so much money from "small dollar donors" to make you think it's regular citizens giving $5 or $10, but that's not what's going on behind the scenes.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2024
THE WAR ON FUN CONTINUES.
This just in! Humorless and disingenuous retards loathe a core social staple that's been with humanity for thousands of years! Basic sadness and the pained anger of stubbing your toe soon to follow as the next emotions to be banned by the JOYless Zeitgeist!
GOD FORBID a man do a stand-up bit at a social function. GOD FORBID anyone crack a JOKE. Those cogs don't have a funny bone in their body, I'm willing to bet they can't even do a knock knock goof.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2023
i can think of some democrats with worst support from blacks.
a long way from the days of working at hot topic and going on Red Eye
in general the women of SNL always crash and burn afterwards, its a big reason why Tina Fey tried to help out her generation's cast as much as possible. if you notice in the entire SNL history, the men always go on to bigger and better things but the women dont. especially in the 90s people really went hard at them for it in lefty circles. "the bad boys of SNL" wasn't meant to be a cool name. Having said that, in general very few SNL cast members become huge icons we see all the time, its probably why Adam Sandler started his company to keep a majority of his era's cast employed. Its sort of odd people don't point it out, Grown Ups is all of the alive male-SNL cast from 1992 in one movie,
but just by nature of improv not really being a big deal and SNL really being the only venue for it most of the time on tv means once cast leaves its doing plays or theater or bit parts in sitcoms competing with everyone else. Also i think Molly had a kid that suffered a huge illness and finally fucking died and that probably really fucked her up too. (although i might be confusing that with her guest role on scrubs)
What is it about Democrats and refusing to be honest? Its way more endearing and makes you way more popular when you're honest with you constituents, look how trump steamrolled people just by being honest. Kamala calling out the people by name who entrap her would be super endearing.
TDS literally being stuck in the late 90s makes sense considering the idea of bringing back Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph and jon Stewart to prop shit up. everyone mocked their Internet presence for being stuck in the early 2010s with their gawker snark, so I guess they went full boomer instead.
Only people that haven't moved their ideology or talking points from the pre-2001 days could truly hate him at this point like that faggy brit from the Bloomberg interview.
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2016
Judge should have recused himself, as legal experts have pointed out. Hopefully they can appeal.
That’s why it’s so important to get Trump elected.
These judges are the Dems foot soldiers in the culture war. Trump did a great job separating a record number of based judges. Another term with nothing but conservative picks would be a major stumbling block for clown world.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2019
Listen, not that I defend The Onion, but it’s a reference to Trump wanting to use the 18th century Alien Enemies Act for mass deportation.
Anasûrimbor Kellhus
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- May 9, 2022
they don't like it when they're the punchline, the only humor allowed is against those dang hillbilly fundies in the deep south that the TV told me were stupid and ignorant
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2024
I bet he was on the Epstein list.
If Trump wins, he goes to jail.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2024
Shazam actor endorses Trump and now this? What does it mean? CDPRsisters, I don't feel so good.
mandatorylurk
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2019
That was the weirdest thing about the dinner, lil' Cucky there just sitting and having to be the default dem to be the visual lightning rod while Trump and even Gaiffigan went to town.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2024
I see it all the fucking time in the chatrooms of some people I watch for background noise. Any time, and I mean ANY TIME anything related to them gosh darn whities down in the south happens, I see this stupid fucking face.
"MUH GUNS."
"IMMIGRANTS?"
"Speak American!"
"WOMEN, PRONOUNS, WOKE!?"
"VACCINES!?"
"LOVE M' COUNTRY 'N JESUS, BROTHER!"
"MAGA! Stop the count! Build the wall!"
They even fucking make fun of Hurricane preppers and people who were rightfully pissed at FEMA's responses to Hurricane Helen in North Carolina (y'know, where at least two children DROWNED TO DEATH?) Just brushing off anger at FEMA as redneck stupidity because "those gosh darn ignorant hillbillies are so goofy and okay to goof on, and only them."
Nobody else. Rarely I've seen people shit on Indians and Muslims. But that's a drop in the bucket when compared to 'shit on the rednecks' time.
I'm putting aside how by normie standards this should be seen as racist, because I'm more offended by how fucking unfunny and tired it is. Nothing, NOTHING, has radicalized me as slowly and methodically than recognizing how uncreative and unoriginal these people are.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2019
She looks just like an inner-city school kid who is genealogically incapable of behaving itself in a quiet, serious environment. It's uncanny.
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2016
America This Week, is one of the political shows I can recommend. They’re not Trumpers, but don’t support Kamala. They’re journalists like in the old days.
(Also Taibbi is one of the few journalists to actually speak out against TDS.)
Anyways, they have access to the Trump campaign, and apparently they’re feeling really sure of a win. Good shit!
Also: Vance has a German shepherd that is incredibly well behaved. Didn’t want to add to the Vance simping in here, but you can tell a lot from how a man treats his pets and raises his children. Fuck, I’m excited about a Vance presidency.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2024
To be fair, a lot of people on SNL - men and women - tend to be writers, producers, and actors/actresses more than raw stand-ups. Maya Rudolph is an actress. Molly Shannon is an actress. Gilda Radner, God rest her soul, was an actress. Kenan Thompson is an actor. Very few stand-ups stick at SNL because it interrupts their touring schedule.
The pipeline used to be stand up -> television -> movies. SNL was an intermediary for stand-up comics to break into movies. Phil Hartman is a great example of this. Now, stand-ups can make a lot of money doing stand-up on its own, so many don't bother with television. Some stand-up comics become so popular that they go straight to movies. A lot of stand-ups see Hollywood, go "fuck that," and keep doing stand-up. The industry has radically changed in the past 20 years.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2024
How old is Will Ferrell? He's looked 45 for about 30 years, lol!
The AI-sperging is ridiculous. Especially over art. Anything posted on the internet has already been used by at least Google's AI to train. People need to be worried about the government in terms of AI, not that some picture they drew is now 1 trillionth of a few companies' AIs' overall art training.
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2022
YKNOW THEY SAY ALL CANDIDATES ARE CREATED EQUAL
there's guys who have that, like Patrick Stewart looked 60 forever, TV's Frank also has cited when asked how he hasn't seemed to age much since the show "I basically always looked old so nobody notices"
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
I don't see the issue tbh, I'm going to learn to draw just so I can contribute to AI believing all black people look like racist caricatures
- Status