Labor board rules Disney didn't discriminate against union workers by withholding bonuses: In January, Disney announced it would give $1,000 one-time cash bonuses to 125,000 domestic workers – an initiative the theme park company attributed to GOP corporate tax cuts. From there, the six Orlando unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union filed an unfair labor complaint against Disney, alleging the company was retaliating against unionized cast members by refusing to give them the bonus until they approved Disney's wage offer – which the workers voted to reject in December. But the National Labor Relations Board dismissed the unions' complaint on Friday.
Two Florida Republicans openly questioned why you can't refer to black people as apes: Lake County Republican Committeeman Ralph Smith doubled down on his Roseanne Barr-inspired racism in a now removed Facebook post that defended Barr's tweet from last week, which said, "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj," referring to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett. Smith tweeted, "And the issue with Roseanne is?", with a picture of Jarrett alongside a Planet of the Apes character. Smith, like Roseanne, posted an apology saying he just thought the post was funny, adding that he didn't know Jarrett was black and that he simply thought she was a darker-skinned Caucasian of Iranian descent. (Sure.)
Orlando Magic hired Steve Clifford as new head coach: In the latest episode of our favorite reoccurring disaster, and after six straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Orlando Magic found a replacement for former head coach Frank Vogel, who was fired last month. Clifford played a part in the Magic's 2009 NBA Finals appearance as an assistant coach, and now he'll be returning to the City Beautiful after spending the last five seasons as the head coach for the Charlotte Hornets.
Around 4,645 Puerto Ricans died after Hurricane Maria: A new study from Harvard University says the hurricane's death toll was far greater than the Puerto Rican government's official count, which still stands at 64 fatalities. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests the number of deaths related to Maria is now more than 70 times the original estimate. Interruption of medical care was the primary cause, particularly for chronically ill people dependent on medicine and equipment that required electricity and other basic utilities.
John Morgan takes on Gov. Rick Scott's stance on smokeable medical cannabis: In a press conference last week, the infamous Orlando attorney called on the equally infamous Florida governor to drop the state's decision to appeal a ruling that said the state's ban on smoking medical cannabis is unconstitutional. "I believe Gov. Scott has a political chance to make a huge dent," Morgan said. "Imagine the headlines tomorrow: 'Great Scott: Gov. Scott drops medical marijuana appeal.' I think he could gain five points overnight," Morgan said, referring to Scott's race for Democrat Bill Nelson's U.S. Senate seat.
Billionaire Jeff Greene is now running for Florida governor as a Democrat: Though he's yet to make a formal announcement, Palm Beach real estate hotshot Jeff Greene – the 186th richest person in the country, with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion – has filed to run for governor as a Democrat. As an erstwhile member of the GOP, Greene once ran for Congress in California as a Republican. In 2010, he also ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, earning 31 percent of the primary vote to Kendrick Meek's 58 percent. The 2010 campaign caught more than its fair share of crap, though, particularly concerning Greene's hard-living ways, with reports back then of alleged drunken and drug-fueled parties attended by celebrities and prostitutes aboard his yacht.
