State supreme court’s decision last month cleared the way for the ‘awful’ ban, but also allowed November ballot measure for abortion

A six-week abortion ban went into effect on Wednesday in Florida, cutting off access to the procedure before many people know they’re pregnant and leveling the south-eastern United States’ last stronghold for abortion rights.

The ban went into force weeks after Florida’s state supreme court issued a decision clearing the way for it to take effect. Strict bans now blanket all of the American deep south , increasing the strain on the country’s remaining clinics. The closest clinic for most Floridians past six weeks of pregnancy is now several states away in North Carolina, which outlaws abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Relations have been frosty between the Florida governor and the former president since the Republican presidential primary began

• US politics – latest updates

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis met on Sunday for a golf course breakfast in an apparent attempt to thaw their relationship after the Republican primary.

The Florida governor was once considered the former president’s top rival in the Republican presidential primary dominated by Trump, with a platform that rested primarily on fighting the “woke” cultural forces of diversity, inclusion and tolerance.

About 50 people sent to island in 2022 in DeSantis’s ‘relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations’

A group of migrants who were sent to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022 by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, can sue the plane company that transported them, a federal judge has ruled.

In a ruling issued last Friday, the US district judge Allison Burroughs said that the migrants who were shuttled from Texas to the wealthy liberal island in Massachusetts can proceed with their legal claims against Vertol Systems, the plane company which was contracted by Florida to carry out the flights.

Tourism oversight board members approve agreement, ending nearly two years of litigation after DeSantis’s takeover

Allies of Ron DeSantis reached a settlement agreement with Disney in a lawsuit over who controls Walt Disney World’s governing district, easing tensions between the entertainment giant and Florida’s governor.

Lawyers for the state had sued Disney over “11th-hour deals” that members of the district board – all company-appointed at the time – had passed before they were replaced by DeSantis appointees.

Enlarge (credit: Lisa5201 | E+ )

On Monday, Florida became the first state to ban kids under 14 from social media without parental permission. It appears likely that the law—considered one of the most restrictive in the US—will face significant legal challenges, however, before taking effect on January 1.

Under HB 3 , apps like Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok would need to verify the ages of users, then delete any accounts for users under 14 when parental consent is not granted. Companies that "knowingly or recklessly" fail to block underage users risk fines of up to $10,000 in damages to anyone suing on behalf of child users. They could also be liable for up to $50,000 per violation in civil penalties.

In a statement , Florida governor Ron DeSantis said the "landmark law" gives "parents a greater ability to protect their children" from a variety of social media harm. Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who spearheaded the law, explained some of that harm, saying that passing HB 3 was critical because "the Internet has become a dark alley for our children where predators target them and dangerous social media leads to higher rates of depression, self-harm, and even suicide."

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Measures target people convicted of driving without a license – which undocumented people can’t obtain – or committing felonies

Florida’s governor signed bills Friday that increase the prison and jail sentences for immigrants who are living in the United States illegally if they are convicted of driving without a license or committing felonies.

Ron DeSantis is a frequent critic of the Biden administration over its handling of the Mexican border, sending Florida law enforcement agents and national guard members to Texas. The Republican governor, who ended his attempt for his party’s presidential nomination last month, has also flown immigrants who entered Texas illegally to Massachusetts and California.

SB 1780 would make it defamation to accuse someone of homophobia, transphobia, racism or sexism and punishable by fine

By day two of Florida’s legislative session, which started last month, lawmakers had introduced nearly 20 anti-gay or anti-trans bills. One such bill, SB 1780, would make accusing someone of being homophobic, transphobic, racist or sexist, even if the accusation is true, equivalent to defamation, and punishable by a fine of at least $35,000. If passed, the bill would severely limit and punish constitutionally protected free speech in the state.

Though SB 1780 is not likely to survive past higher courts, its introduction is indicative of a wider conservative strategy to stifle criticism of racist, sexist and homophobic behavior. The bill, critics argue, is being introduced to test the waters and see how far, legally, lawmakers can go until they are able to silence detractors.

Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis make case to be alternative to Donald Trump

• Republican fourth debate – live updates

The fourth Republican presidential debate opened with a string of deeply personal clashes as the four candidates onstage pressed their case to be the viable alternative to Donald Trump, the far-and-away frontrunner who again declined to participate.

Smoldering rivalries burst into the open early into Wednesday night’s debate , with Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, turning on Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and former United Nations ambassador, as she catches him in the increasingly combative scrap for second place.

Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy round out crop of candidates for fourth Republican debate – and once again Donald Trump is a no-show

• Full report: Four Republican presidential hopefuls to meet for fourth debate in Alabama

Wednesday’s debate begins at 8 pm ET and will run for approximately two hours.

The debate will stream on NewsNation, an upstart cable news outlet that started in 2021. The event will also be broadcast live on the CW network in the eastern half of the US, and tape-delayed in the West.