## Florida state parks whistleblower fired after exposing Ron DeSantis’s plans

Authored by theguardian.com

Florida’s department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis’s secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.

Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times on Monday, Gaddis said preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his position.

“It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks,” he said.

“This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat.

News of his firing came as two Democratic state representatives pressed the agency about who was involved in drawing up plans that appeared to include no-bid contracts destined for mysteriously pre-chosen developers outside the requirements of Florida law.

He said the DEP planned to hold short-notice, hour-long meetings at the nine parks simultaneously to announce the plans and minimize public comment.

By Tuesday afternoon, Gaddis’s GoFundMe appeal, entitled “an ethical whistleblower’s new start”, had surpassed $63,000, more than six times its initial target. »

### Trump now claims Arlington cemetery scandal was ‘all made up’ by Harris

Authored by independent.co.uk

Donald Trump is now claiming the Arlington National Cemetery scandal was “all made up” by his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

The GOP nominee claimed “there was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week” and that it was “a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad.”

Donald Trump claims Kamala Harris ‘made up’ the Arlington National Cemetery scandal involving his campaign despite confirmation from the US Army that an employee was ‘abruptly pushed’ ( Utah Governor Spencer Cox ). »

### Lego plans to make half the plastic in bricks from renewable materials by 2026

Authored by theguardian.com

Lego plans to make half the plastic in its bricks from renewable or recycled material rather than fossil fuels by 2026, in its latest effort to ensure its toys are more environmentally friendly.

In the long term, Lego plans to switch entirely to renewable and recycled plastic by 2032, in a green push that has resulted in the company testing more than 600 alternative materials.

Niels Christiansen, the chief executive of Lego, said the shift towards more sustainable materials meant a significant increase in the cost of producing its bricks. »

### An important update on Concord

Authored by blog.playstation.com

Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us.

If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method.

Steam Store – Steam Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days. »

### Zelenskyy says Ukraine plans to indefinitely hold Russian territory it has seized

Authored by nbcnews.com

“For now, we need it,” he said of the territory Ukraine is now holding in Russia.

Kyiv now claims it controls nearly 500 square miles of Russian territory and has taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.

Zelenskyy said he couldn't discuss whether Ukraine planned to try to seize more Russian territory. »

## In pictures

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