DeSantis admin slams Andrea Mitchell for 'blatant lie' and subsequent 'non-apology,' vows to shun NBCUniversal interview requests



While interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris last week, Andrea Mitchell inaccurately claimed that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said that kids should not be taught about slavery or its aftermath in schools — but on Wednesday's episode of MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports," Mitchell said that she had been "imprecise" when discussing the governor's stance regarding the teaching of slavery.

She said that DeSantis is not against schools teaching about slavery. But Mitchell said the governor "has opposed the teaching of an African-American studies curriculum" and the utilization of "some authors" as well as "source materials that historians" and "teachers say makes it all but impossible for students to understand the broader historic and political context behind slavery and its aftermath."

\u201c@mitchellreports Saying one was "imprecise," when what they said was a blatant lie, is not an apology.\n\n@MSNBC /@NBCNews should not be viewed as an objective media organization. Stop letting the corporate media be the gatekeepers of truth.\nhttps://t.co/rGj7uc8kEm\u201d
— Jeremy Redfern (@Jeremy Redfern) 1677090768

Minutes after Mitchell's comments aired, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin noted on Twitter that the governor's administration will be declining media requests from NBCUniversal-related outlets until Mitchell apologizes for claiming that DeSantis opposed schools teaching about slavery.

"To all of the bookers and producers reaching out to our office from @NBCNews and @MSNBC for @GovRonDeSantis to join your shows, this will be the standard response from our office until @mitchellreports apologizes and your track record improves," Griffin tweeted.

He shared a screenshot of a message in which he declared: "I think we need to take a step back. There will be no consideration of anything related to NBC Universal or its affiliates until and at least Andrea Mitchell corrects the blatant lie she made about the governor '[Governor DeSantis] says that slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren'—this is false), and NBC and it's affiliates display a consistent track record of truthful reporting. Please feel free to pass this up and around the network."

Griffin described Mitchell's Wednesday remarks as "a typical non-apology response that doubles down on the original lie."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

DeSantis admin targets liquor license after venue allegedly allowed minors to attend raunchy drag show



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is targeting the liquor license of an entity that it alleges allowed minors to attend a sleazy drag performance.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation claims in a complaint that "performers engaged in acts of sexual conduct, simulated sexual activity, and lewd, vulgar, and indecent displays" — the complaint says that videos at the event "included images of exposed female breasts with less than a fully opaque covering, portrayals of simulated masturbation, and other sexually explicit content."

"The Show also contained sexually explicit themes and prurient content presented through sexualized adaptions of popular children's Christmas songs," the complaint alleges.

The department had warned that action would be taken if minors were permitted to attend the performance.

"To avoid action being taken against your license, it is your obligation to ensure that minors are prohibited from attending the Drag Fans drag show. If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and all actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future," DBPR secretary Melanie Griffin warned the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, Inc. in the December 28 note. The drag show was held at the Plaza Live venue in Orlando, Florida.

But the complaint alleges that minors were permitted to attend the performance.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement that "the Department is revoking the venue's license for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages."

The outlet also indicated that DBPR spokesperson Beth Pannell noted that the venue may keep selling alcohol "until final action is taken by the agency in accordance with Florida’s Administrative Procedure Act."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

How Many Taxpayer Dollars Do Florida’s State Universities Drop On Bogus Racial Indoctrination? DeSantis Demands Receipts

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is demanding state universities reveal how much money they squander on programs and staff to push the racially divisive and discriminatory ideology embedded in so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) initiatives and critical race theory (CRT). According to a memo released by DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin, every institution within the […]

DeSantis admin gives Biden a reality check on care for trans kids



Florida's Department of Health on Wednesday released guidance that said puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones should not be used to treat gender dysphoria in children, contesting claims made by the Biden administration.

The guidance was issued amid intense national debate over the best treatment for children who identify as transgender. A controversial law recently enacted in Alabama made it a felony to prescribe or administer puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to individuals younger than 19 and has been challenged in court. In Texas, a judge has blocked an order by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that equated such treatments with "child abuse" and ordered state agencies to investigate providers of transgender medical care as criminals.

In a statement on "Transgender Day of Visibility," President Joe Biden attacked "the onslaught of anti-transgender state laws" and told parents that "affirming your child's identity is one of the most powerful things you can do to keep them safe."

The clinical definition of gender dysphoria is "significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.”

Florida's DOH said Wednesday that "current evidence does not support the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatments or surgical procedures for children and adolescents” experiencing gender dysphoria. A news release from the agency cited a study from the International Review of Psychiatry that found 80% of those who identify as transgender and seek clinical care will lose their desire to identify with their non-birth sex.

The department also pointed out that puberty is important for brain development and that scientific evidence suggests the part of the brain responsible for decision-making is not fully developed until age 25. Further, "potentially irreversible consequences such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, infertility, increased cancer risk, and thrombosis" are known side effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone doses, DOH said.

The guidance states that social gender transition, prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, and gender reassignment surgery have "an unacceptably high risk of doing harm" to minors.

Florida's guidance contradicts federal guidance and the opinions of doctors and psychologists in major medical groups.

The Biden administration endorsed sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormone substitutions for gender-dysphoric minors in a series of documents released last month in response to actions by Republican-controlled state governments. HHS asserted that "gender-affirming care" is the "standard of care for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex youth" that is approved by "major medical associations," including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Florida DOH released a fact sheet challenging claims made by HHS.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo accused the federal government's recommendations of "failing at the most basic level of academic rigor."

"The federal government's medical establishment releasing guidance failing at the most basic level of academic rigor shows that this was never about health care," he said in a statement. "It was about injecting political ideology into the health of our children. Children experiencing gender dysphoria should be supported by family and seek counseling, not pushed into an irreversible decision before they reach 18."

Reacting to the guidelines, the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida issued a statement accusing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration of seeking "to replace science and the safety of young people with political propaganda."

“The Florida Department of Health has released non-binding guidance opposing science-backed health care resources for parents of transgender children,” the group said. “This guidance demonizes life-saving, medically necessary care and asserts that the government, not parents, knows best when it comes to health care for our children. And, once again, DeSantis wants the government to intrude into doctors’ offices to pander to extremists in service to his political ambitions.”

Jeremy Redfern, the press secretary for the Florida Department of Health, urged critics of the guidelines on Twitter to "Try reading the evidence and fact check."

Try reading the evidence and fact check. \n\nhttps://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/04/20220420-gender-dysphoria-press-release.pr.html\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/Ql3VHXukfy
— Jeremy Redfern (@Jeremy Redfern) 1650461885