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DeSantis-Newsom debate; education news

This combination of photos shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, speaking in Sacramento, California, on June 24, 2022, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking in Sioux Center, Iowa, on May 13, 2023.
Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP
This combination of photos shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, speaking in Sacramento, California, on June 24, 2022, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking in Sioux Center, Iowa, on May 13, 2023.

DeSantis-Newsom debate

Florida and California. The two large states are often positioned as opposites in political ideologies, including its respective commanders in chief — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The two governors faced off in a debate on Fox News this week billed as “The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.”

We look at key takeaways from the showdown and fact-check some of the claims made by DeSantis and Newsom with PolitiFact Florida.

Then later, we turned to a cross-country conversation in a live simulcast with LAist’s daily news program AirTalk. Listeners from across Southern California and Florida called in with their thoughts on how the two big states compare.

Guests:

  • Sam Putterman, reporter for PolitiFact Florida.  
  • Austin Cross, Host of LAist’s AirTalk Friday.  

Education news 

This week, hundreds of Broward County high school students staged a walkout at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. It happened after five staff members were removed from their positions for reportedly allowing a transgender student to play on the girls’ volleyball team. We found out more about the demonstration and the response from state officials with reports from WLRN education reporter Kate Payne and WLRN reporter Julia Cooper.

Statewide, teacher unions are scrambling. Since October, teachers unions that don't collect dues from at least 60% of their members risk being decertified under a new state law. Danielle Prieur reported this story from our partner station WMFE in Orlando.

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