Disney Evades DeSantis

Over the past two months, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has repeatedly declared victory in his yearlong effort to restrict the autonomy of Disney World, the state’s largest employer. “There’s a new sheriff in town,” he said numerous times, including at a news conference last month on Disney property, hours before appointing a new, hand-picked oversight board.

Nobody seemed to have paid attention, however, to an important detail: Disney had been simultaneously maneuvering to restrict the governor’s effort. In early February — at a public meeting held by the previous, Disney-controlled oversight board — the company pushed through a development agreement that would limit the new board’s power for decades to come.

And now, the governor’s appointees, having belatedly discovered the action, are none too pleased. “It completely circumvents the authority of the board to govern,” Brian Aungst Jr., a member of the new council, said last Wednesday at the group’s second meeting. “We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it.”

DeSantis has not weighed in personally, but a spokesperson, Taryn Fenske, said in a statement that the new board had retained multiple legal firms “to conduct audits and investigate Disney’s past behavior.” Fenske added that the administration expected that the “last-ditch effort” by Disney would be found “void as a matter of law.”

Disney disagreed.

“All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine law,” Disney said in a statement.

The upshot: The fight between Disney and Florida Republicans seems far from over.

The sparring started a year ago, when DeSantis asked Florida lawmakers to terminate self-governing privileges that Disney World had held since 1967. The privileges, formally called a special tax district, effectively allow the company to

44 self-govern its 25,000-acre theme park complex as a de facto county, controlling fire protection, policing, road maintenance — and, crucially, development planning.

The move was widely seen as retaliation for Disney’s opposition to a new state education law. Among many things, the law prohibits discussion about gender identity through the third grade in Florida classrooms and limits it for older students. (© The New York Times)

Fiona and Ian are Retiring

Fiona and Ian have been retired as names for Atlantic tropical cyclones following two deadly and destructive storms last year, the World Meteorological Organization has announced. Fiona swept through the Caribbean and then north up to Canada, while Ian hit parts of Cuba before devastating sections of Florida.

The WMO uses a rotating list of alphabetical names for tropical cyclones that get repeated every six years. In the future, Ian’s former spot will be replaced with Idris and Fiona will be replaced with Farrah.

Hurricane Fiona ripped through Puerto Rico in September 2022, killing at least three people and plunging the territory into the dark. It then rampaged through the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos before strengthening to a Category 4 storm and heading for Bermuda.

Black Hawk Helicopter Crash

Nine servicemembers lost their lives last week when two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training session near the Fort Campbell military base in Kentucky.

The two helicopters were from the 101st Airborne Division, Army officials confirmed.

They were flying in a “multi-ship formation under night vision goggles” when the crash occurred, officials said.