“Topic presents only one side of this issue and does not offer any opposing viewpoints or other perspectives on the subject.” That comment, one of several uncovered in documents we obtained from the Florida Department of Education, was from the state’s review of the AP African American Studies course, which it rejected earlier this year.

The topic in question? A unit on the origins of the transatlantic slave trade, which the reviewer for the state’s education department flagged for making “no mention here of any role, if any, played by continental Africans.”

• Regarding a discussion of how Europeans benefited from the slave trade, a reviewer noted that the topic “lacks insight to the global network of other countries or nations” and “may lead to a viewpoint of a ‘oppressor vs. oppressed’ based solely on race or identify.”
• Slavery wasn’t the only topic reviewers felt were too “one-sided.” They criticized discussions of reasons for racial wealth disparities as potentially “promoting the critical race theory idea of reparations”; suggested that the word “enslavers” be changed to “owners” to be “more accurate to the written laws of the time”; and flagged topics that didn’t conform to right-wing ideas or that might violate the state’s numerous education restrictions. Read more about the documents here.

The Miami Herald  and the Tampa Bay Times reported on those records this week, sparking coverage from MSNBC, Rolling Stone and other publications and giving renewed attention to how Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attacks on education threaten the health of an informed democracy by distorting facts and realities about our country’s history.

• We obtained the internal comments through our lawsuit against the Florida Department of Education, which we filed earlier this year seeking documents that could provide insight into the DeSantis administration’s efforts to stifle vital historical and cultural learning.
• Other records released in response to our litigation — reported on in July by the Washington Post — revealed the uncertainty and confusion among textbook companies struggling with a lack of clear guidance on how to apply the DeSantis administration’s restrictions on discussions or lessons about race and gender.

On the Records

Trump Indictments
On Thursday, former President Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, and asked that his case be severed from co-defendants who have sought a speedy trial.

• Some of those who have asked for a speedy trial are Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, two of the 18 co-defendants in the Fulton County case. Both of them are also two of the six unindicted co-conspirators in the federal election case (three of the others being Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Jeffrey Clark).
• The Georgia indictment also mentions 30 unindicted, unnamed co-conspirators who assisted in the effort to overturn Trump’s loss, and outlets like CNN and the Washington Post have reviewed clues to determine some of their identities.

Dozens of these co-conspirators and co-defendants have appeared in records unearthed my American Oversight in our investigations of the election denial movement, and this week we published a report on what we’ve learned about their democracy-undermining work, from the immediate post-election hunt for evidence of fraud to partisan election investigations and alleged voting machine breaches.

The report is similar to our recent compilation of communications from potential witnesses for Trump-allied lawyer and fake-electors plot architect John Eastman in his California disciplinary trial. Both reports tell the same story: Those active in Trump’s schemes to overturn the election didn’t cease their efforts after the fake-electors plot failed or even after Joe Biden took office. And those efforts are still alive today — here are some recent headlines related to the election denial movement:

• Republicans want the next GOP president to curb election security agency that angered Trump (ABC News)
• In court, Trump supporter faces election official he violently threatened (Washington Post)
• Election conspiracists testify at disputed confirmation hearing for WEC administrator (Wisconsin Examiner)
• Republicans target Wisconsin’s election chief for removal, fueled by falsehoods (New York Times)
• Missouri AG Bailey joins shows hosted by Trump co-defendant in election conspiracy case (Kansas City Star) 
• Judge rules Giuliani defamed Georgia election workers, orders sanctions (Washington Post)
• The overlooked but crucial election subversion ties between Colorado and Georgia (Colorado Newsline)
• Group with ties to election denial pushes voter registration in Richmond (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Other Stories We’re Following

Voting Rights

• Sticking with ERIC, Georgia finds 432K outdated voter registrations (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Texas prepares to leave multistate compact to clean its voter rolls, without an alternative (Houston Public Media)
• Liberals fight Republican attempt to boot Wisconsin Supreme Court justice from redistricting case (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird to appeal court ruling allowing non-English voting materials (Des Moines Register)
• Texas elections: Houston-area office dismantled as contentious law takes effect (CNN) 

In the States

• The real story behind Ron DeSantis’ newest fired prosecutor (The Daily Beast)
• DeSantis is refusing Biden’s IRA money (Politico)
• Judge declares new Texas law that would erode cities’ power to enact local rules unconstitutional (Texas Tribune)
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pursued perks beyond impeachment allegations, ex-staffers say (Associated Press)
• “Operation Deep Sea”: How Nate Paul pulled the strings in the attorney general’s office to investigate his enemies (Texas Tribune)
• Maui victims seek ex-consultant’s files on what Hawaiian Electric knew about wildfire risks (NBC News)
• As people died at the Southern Regional Jail, court and internal records highlight issues with a Justice administration investigation (Mountain State Spotlight)

National News

• Justice Thomas says he used private jet for security reasons after Dobbs leak (Washington Post)
• Justice Clarence Thomas reports he took 3 trips on Republican donor’s plane last year (Associated Press)
• Not over yet: Late-summer Covid wave brings warning of more to come (New York Times)

LGBTQ Rights

• Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect (Associated Press)
• Federal judge issues temporary restraining order, says Texas law banning drag shows is “likely” unconstitutional (Texas Tribune)
• Judge denies request to halt Missouri’s gender-affirming medical care ban (PBS)
• Missouri law banning minors from beginning gender-affirming treatments takes effect (Associated Press)
• MU Health Care denies access to puberty blockers, hormones for established youth patients (KOMU Columbia) 
• Illinois becomes magnet for transgender students seeking protections in school, health care (Chalkbeat)
• Nebraska governor signs order narrowly defining sex as that assigned at birth (NBC News) 
• Over 30 new LGBTQ education laws are in effect as students go back to school (NBC News)
• Kansas officials are no longer required to change trans people’s birth certificates, judge says (Associated Press)

Abortion and Reproductive Rights

• Anti-abortion centers spent over $600M in one year. That’s the tip of the iceberg. (Rewire)
• Ohio sued over ‘intentionally misleading’ abortion-rights ballot language (Dayton Daily News)
• Virginia Gov. Youngkin eyes a 15-week abortion ban as a ‘consensus’ voters would back (NBC News)
• South Carolina high court will not reconsider abortion ban decision (Reuters)
• Republican women, fearing backlash on abortion, pivot to birth control (New York Times)
• Indigenous women navigate abortion access hurdles post-Roe (Source NM)
• Texas carves out narrow exception to abortion ban in new Republican strategy (Guardian)
• Highways are the next antiabortion target. One Texas town is resisting. (Washington Post)
• Alabama attorney general says he has right to prosecute people who facilitate travel for out-of-state abortions (CNN)
• New initiative petitions seek to add rape, incest exceptions to Missouri abortion law (News From the States)

Threats to Education

• Far-right group Moms for Liberty launches first WV chapter (West Virginia Watch)
• Moms for Liberty banks on new state law; Indian River School Board to remove 20 books (Treasure Coast Palm)
• Students, professors report chaos as semester begins at New College of Florida (CNN)
• In a crisis, schools are 100,000 mental health staff short (Washington Post)
• Georgia school district canceled an author’s talks after he said ‘gay’ (New York Times)
• Democrats push for investigation of Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s firebrand schools superintendent (NBC News)
• The Christian home-schooler who made ‘parental rights’ a GOP rallying cry (Washington Post)
• Ohio Republican lawmakers propose allowing chaplains in public schools (Ohio Capital Journal)
• Amid record demand to ban books nationwide, Wisconsin libraries see efforts to remove certain works (Wisconsin Public Radio)
• Federal judge bars Texas from enforcing book rating law (Texas Tribune)

Government Transparency and Public Records Law

• The NYPD denied our request for body camera footage of a ‘friendly fire’ killing. Here’s how we got it anyway (ProPublica)

Immigration

• Border Patrol cages for migrants in Arizona violate court order (The Intercept)
• Texas National Guard member fires across Rio Grande, wounds Mexican citizen (Texas Tribune)
• Texas National Guard disbanded intelligence wing after members used WhatsApp to spy on migrants (Texas Tribune)
• Lawmakers call for federal investigation into Texas Guard intel ring (Texas Tribune)
• Records show California prisons are reporting U.S. citizens to ICE, ACLU says (Los Angeles Times)
• Scorching heat is contributing to migrant deaths (New York Times)
• U.S. troops will stay at the southern border at least through Sept. 30 (NBC News)

Trump Accountability

• Trump dismissive as New York attorney general accuses him of inflating his net worth by $2 billion (Associated Press)

Jan. 6 Investigations

• 2 Trump co-defendants ask judge to break apart Georgia election interference case and hold separate trials (CNN)
• Lawyers indicted with Trump say they were doing their jobs. But that may be a tough argument to make (Associated Press)
• Trump’s D.C. election-obstruction trial scheduled for March 2024 (Washington Post)
• Judge says Peter Navarro can’t use privilege as defense in contempt case (Washington Post)
• Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs sentenced to 17 years in January 6 case (CNN)