Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 5-7-21

Political
Stacey Abrams Romance Novels Set To Be Reissued
Biden Administration Wants To Know How To MakeThe Government Fairer For Underserved Communities
Berkley, a publisher for Pen- guin Random House, an- nounced Tuesday that it had acquired rights to 3 of Demo- cratic activist Stacey Abrams' print novels and would begin reissuing them in 2022.
The former progressive Democratic nominee who lost Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial election, began writing ro- mance novels before ever run- ning for elected office. Going by the pen name Selena Montgomery, Abrams wrote the three books set to be reissued, "Rules of Engage-
ment," "The Art of Desire," and "Power of Persuasion," in the early 2000's.
Abrams, 47, expressed ex- citement about the announce- ment and released a statement in which she related the books culturally to herself in her younger days.
Abrams has written a total of 8 romance novels, which were all highlighted on Oprah Winfrey's website, "Oprah Daily," in 2020 as part of an article recognizing the left- wing activist for her work helping Democrats get out the vote in Georgia.
Florida's Crist Becomes First Prominent Democrat To Challenge DeSantis
In a first-of-its-kind effort, the Biden administration is asking people from both the public and the private sectors for their ideas about how to make sure the federal gov- ernment equitably serves his- torically underserved communities.
Responses to a "request for information" from the Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, would help identify gaps in budgeting and policy that aggravate inequality, particularly among commu- nities of color, women, reli- gious minorities, LGBTQ
PROTESTORS DEMAND EQUALITY
people, disabled people and rural communities, the agency said in announcing
the initiative Tuesday.
The office, which works to
assist the president in meet- ing policy, budget and regu- latory goals, will coordinate with other federal agencies, such as the Treasury, Justice, and Housing and Urban De- velopment departments.
The effort is part of the Biden administration's plan to address racial inequality throughout "the whole of government" and keep Pres- ident Joe Biden's promise to use the executive branch to redress racial disparities, an OMB official said.
TALLAHASSEE — Rep. Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor who wound up leaving the Republican Party amid the tea party back- lash aimed at Barack Obama, became the first prominent Democrat in the state to announce a bid to knock off incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis.
But Crist’s Tuesday an- nouncement — replete with a gospel choir and flags flutter- ing in the wind — nearly got
CHARLIE CHRIST
overshadowed by rival De- mocrats also planning their own challenges.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who held a press conference to call on DeSantis to veto a long line of bills, all but guaranteed Tuesday that she is running for governor. And Rep. Val Demings put out a biograph- ical video on her social media account that appeared tailor- made for an expected bid.
DeSantis Declares COVID ‘State Of Emergency’ Over, Overrides Local Restrictions
Declaring Florida’s COVID- 19 emergency over, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders and signed a bill into law that bars businesses, schools and government enti- ties across Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
“I think it’s the evidence- based thing to do,’’ DeSantis said at a St. Petersburg restau- rant where he signed the bill with House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate Presi- dent Wilton Simpson at his side. “I think folks that are say- ing that they need to be polic- ing people at this point, if you’re saying that, you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data, you don’t believe in the science. ... We are no longer in the state of emer- gency.”
GOV. RON DESANTIS
The provision regulating so- called “vaccine passports” is tucked into SB 2006, a bill in- tended to update the state’s emergency powers in the face of a future public health emer- gency. The new law is effective July 1, but DeSantis also on Monday said he would sign an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency
COVID orders that are still in place after July 1 and suspend immediately any orders re- lated to COVID-19 now.
The measure would make it more difficult for local govern- ments to respond to public emergencies by requiring any future emergency orders to be narrowly tailored and ex- tended only in seven-day in- crements for a total of 42 days and gives the governor the au- thority to invalidate an emer- gency order. Currently, such orders can be extended indefi- nitely.
Under the new law, busi- nesses, schools and govern- ments may not require proof of vaccinations, and if they do, they can be fined up to $5,000 per incident. They may, how- ever, institute screening proto- cols if it is “consistent with authoritative or controlling government-issued guidance to protect public health.”
PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021