DeSantis DEI crackdown. SCOTUS Birthright Citizenship Ruling Looms. Autism Awareness.#TheBreakdown

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enacted a law prohibiting city and county governments from funding or promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. This law expands on 2023 legislation that already barred public colleges and universities from spending on DEI. DeSantis justifies the measure by claiming DEI initiatives discriminate against white men. The law empowers residents to sue local governments for violations and could result in the removal of officials found to support DEI.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law on Wednesday that targets diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the local level. The law prohibits city and county governments from funding or promoting DEI programs. Dantis claims that these initiatives discriminate against white men. Additionally, the law allows residents to sue local governments for violations and it could result in the removal of officials found to support DEI initiatives. This new law builds on a 2023 legislation that already barred public colleges and universities from spending money on DEI programs.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump, which aimed to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the US to parents without permanent legal status. Civil rights groups have challenged this, arguing it violates the 14th Amendment. Political reporter Ariana Long explains that the 14th Amendment was ratified after the Civil War to guarantee citizenship to former slaves and their descendants, a response to the 1857 Dred Scott case. Legal precedents from 1898 (Chinese Americans) and 1940 (Native Americans) affirm birthright citizenship. Overturning this would require justices to disregard these precedents and could endanger over 500,000 DACA recipients and other immigrants.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at denying automatic citizenship to children born in the US to parents without permanent legal status... Civil rights groups quickly filed lawsuits, all arguing that this move violates the 14th Amendment... This all started in reaction to another uh court case, a Supreme Court case uh DreadScott court case back in 1857... that was supposed to guarantee you right the 14th amendment for um the babies or or descendants of enslaved Africans... it was argued in 1898. Um Chinese Americans were were arguing that right that they are right to be considered Americans and it was ruled in their favor. And then uh later in 1940 it was also argued or ruled that all Native Americans... are now official US citizens... there are also over 500,000 DACA or um dreamers who are young adults who have you know some sort of legal status in the country but are technically undocumented kids in the country.

Alma Davis, founder and CEO of the Alma Domestic Violence Foundation, emphasizes that leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous period. She advises creating a detailed safety plan, which includes hiding copies of essential documents (driver's license, social security cards, birth certificates), establishing a code word with trusted contacts and children for immediate action, and varying daily routines to prevent the abuser from tracking them. Case managers can provide guidance on these steps, including identifying optimal times to leave (e.g., when the abuser is not home) and connecting survivors with resources for pets, which are often also abused.

When someone is leaving that's the most dangerous part of being in a domestic violence relationship is is actual the leaving part. And so what we want to do is try to provide clients or people in those situations with steps to actually prepare um to leave. So some of the things that we first talk about is having a safety plan meaning it's thought out. Uh there are some things that you put in place like one having a copy of your driver's license maybe hidden somewhere. Um a copy of uh social security cards, birth certificates, things of that nature. Um even down to uh having things about your children, right? Hidden. Uh some things else we would tell someone is to have a code word... change your route, right? Don't be so predictable... a lot of times people don't want to leave a domestic violence uh situation because of that pet because what goes handinhand with domestic violence is a lot of times the pets are abused.

Licensed professional counselor Robin May explains that domestic abuse fundamentally alters a survivor's nervous system, heightening trauma responses. The initial phase of healing focuses on rebuilding basic physiological and physical safety, followed by financial safety. Crucially, survivors must rebuild trust in their own decision-making, as they often second-guess themselves after prolonged control. May encourages 'exposure therapy' by having women envision their healed, whole selves and practice behaviors that align with that future identity, such as pursuing education or interests previously suppressed by the abuser.

Once a woman has navigated the pain and the trauma because we need to call it what it is, the pain and the trauma of domestic abuse, it literally changes how your nervous system functions... Mazo's hierarchy of need talks about the stages to self-actualization, feeling good about yourself. And that's a great place to start post um leaving a violent situation... The first thing I'm doing when I'm working with a woman is helping her rebuild her safety, rebuild her safety in her body, rebuild her trust, her trust of her um senses and her trust in knowing what's okay for her and what's not... I'm also helping that woman... rebuild her trust in her own decision making... I encourage women to start envision envisioning visualizing exposure therapy to the woman they want to be.