Introduction
Sound: Gov. Ron DeSantis: “We want education, not indoctrination. If you fall on the side of indoctrination, we’re gonna decline.”
Jonathan: That’s the governor of Florida, explaining why he just blocked a new AP class in his state. We have the story.
Plus – why Netflix is finally cracking down on password sharing.
Those stories and more today on… Notice News.
Florida Blocks New AP African American
Jonathan: Hey guys, it’s Jonathan here in Brooklyn at Notice HQ. our top story today – the Republican governor of Florida is under fire after blocking a new AP class in the state that would teach African American studies. The College Board, which oversees the AP program nationwide, has been piloting the new class in about 60 schools – at least one of which was supposed to be in florida.
They say the course explores the “vital contributions and experiences of African Americans,” but Governor DeSantis says it goes too far. Two weeks ago, Florida’s Department of Education sent a letter to the College Board saying, in its current form, the “African American studies course lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law.”
The governor on Monday went further.
Sound: Gov. Ron DeSantis: “This course, in Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now who would say that an important part about Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids.”
Jonathan: It’s the latest of several moves Governor DeSantis has made to limit education on race in schools. In 2021, the state banned teaching “critical race theory,” an academic theory that claims racism is embedded throughout American society.
And last year, DeSantis also signed a bill known as the “stop woke act,” which prohibits teaching or business practices based on race or gender – but a federal judge temporarily blocked that bill, calling it “positively dystopian.”
Critics say bans like these amount to censorship, and the College Board says they’re still moving forward with the course. The first exams are scheduled for 2025.
Headlines
Here’s what else is making news right now.
At least 7 people are dead after yet another mass shooting – this time south of San Francisco. The suspected gunman is in custody. It’s the third mass shooting in California in three days.
More classified documents were found where they shouldn’t be… this time at former Vice President Mike Pence’s house.
And – Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Michelle Yeoh just made movie history. She’s the first self-identifying Asian ever to be nominated for the leading actress Oscar.
Netflix Cracks Down on Password Sharing
You may be looking forward to new seasons of Wednesday…
Sound: Wednesday trailer
or Stranger Things…
Sound: Stranger Things trailer
But watching them might get a little complicated, because Netflix is finally starting a long awaited crackdown on password sharing. The plan – expected to be rolled out by the end of March – will cost users in a different location as the primary account holder an additional 2 to 3 dollars a month, on top of the $15 a month they already pay.
These are supposedly some hard times for the streaming giant. Last year, Netflix’s total number of subscribers went down for the first time in a decade. They also laid off some 450 people last year in a move to cut costs, and just recently replaced its CEO, who had co-founded the company.
This changeup is still somewhat surprising considering that just a few years ago, they seemed to encourage people to share passwords.
But, Netflix says they need new subscribers to sustain their business. As they’ve lost subscribers, the value of the company has fallen, which prevents them from creating more movies and TV shows.
It’s estimated that this crackdown on password sharing will affect more than 100 million viewers.
Conclusion
That’s it for today but you can learn more about the new AP African American studies course on our website, noticenews.com.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more from us, Notice News.