Orlando, FL —  FL NOW with Equality FL and numerous others is sounding the alarm over the Florida Department of Health’s planned cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), scheduled to take effect on March 1st, and is urging state leadership to declare a public health emergency to halt the changes before lives are put at risk.

ADAP is a critical safety‑net program that provides life-saving HIV medications to low‑income and uninsured Floridians. The proposed cuts would abruptly strip tens of thousands of people of access to the antiretroviral treatment they rely on to stay healthy, suppress viral load, and prevent transmission.

“These cuts are not just bureaucratic adjustments — they are a direct threat to human life,” said Julie Kent, President of FL NOW. “Florida already leads the nation in new HIV infections. Removing access to essential medication will reverse decades of progress, destabilize community viral suppression, and create the conditions for a preventable surge in new cases.”

Lack of Transparency and a $120 Million Funding Gap

The Department has indicated a potential $120 million funding gap in this crucial safety‑net program, yet no public ADAP budget information has been released since 2024, despite repeated requests from stakeholders. Before taking such drastic action, Florida must provide transparency about how ADAP funds have been sourced, spent, and why this shortfall exists. Slashing access to care without public accountability is unacceptable.

Abrupt Cuts Leave Patients with No Time to Secure Alternatives

Equally troubling is the lack of meaningful notice to people who rely on ADAP. Ending health insurance assistance on March 1st leaves enrollees no realistic time or ability to secure alternatives, including the opportunity to change ACA coverage. Many will be left responsible for insurance costs they cannot afford, with no pathway to continuity of care.

The removal of widely used, highly effective medications such as Biktarvy and Descovy raises serious concerns about treatment adherence, viral suppression, and long‑term health outcomes.

Public Health Consequences Will Be Immediate and Severe

Sustained ADAP access is critical in a state that continues to experience one of the highest rates of new HIV infections in the nation. Disrupting treatment will lead to:

• Loss of viral suppression
• Worsened health outcomes
• Aggravation of co‑occurring conditions such as substance use, mental health challenges, and homelessness
• Increased risk of preventable HIV transmission
• Death of hundreds of people afflicted by HIV. HIV impacts the general public.

These outcomes harm both individuals and public health. Lives are on the line.

Call to Action

FL NOW urges the Florida Department of Health to:

• Immediately reverse course and halt the planned ADAP cuts
• Declare a Public Health Emergency to protect access to HIV treatment
• Release full, transparent budget information explaining the alleged funding gap
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders to identify responsible, community-centered solutions

“Every Floridian deserves access to life-saving care; Every Floridian deserves to live,” said Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW. “We cannot allow political decisions to dismantle the very programs that keep our communities healthy and safe. The state must act now.”

For Immediate Release: February 7, 2026 President Julie Kent, Florida NOW, president@flnow.org

Orlando— The Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) is sounding the alarm about the accelerating impact of authoritarianism on public media in the United States and around the world. As authoritarian tactics spread — including censorship, propaganda, and digital surveillance — public media systems are increasingly targeted because they serve as essential watchdogs, truth‑tellers, and platforms for civic participation.

Authoritarian governments have long used media control to consolidate power, but new digital tools have dramatically expanded their reach. Research shows that modern authoritarian regimes now rely on digital censorship, surveillance, and manipulation to shape public opinion and suppress dissent. These tactics are no longer confined to foreign governments; they are influencing political behavior, media ecosystems, and public trust in the United States and globally.

“Public media is one of the last remaining institutions dedicated to truth, transparency, and the public good,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW. “Authoritarianism thrives when people are misinformed, intimidated, or silenced. Undermining public media is a direct attack on democracy — and on the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and marginalized communities who rely on factual reporting to hold power accountable.”

Authoritarian Tactics Are Reshaping Public Media

1. Censorship and Information Control

Authoritarian regimes increasingly deploy digital firewalls, content blocking, and algorithmic suppression to restrict access to independent journalism. These tactics limit citizens’ ability to access diverse viewpoints and weaken public media’s role as a democratic safeguard.

2. Propaganda and Manipulation

New research shows that authoritarian propaganda spreads most effectively in societies where information networks are either highly fragmented or tightly controlled. This allows regimes to flood the public sphere with biased narratives while drowning out independent reporting.

3. Attacks on Journalists and Newsrooms

Around the world and here in the U.S., journalists face harassment, intimidation, silencing, and violence for reporting on government abuses. Public media outlets — which often investigate corruption, human rights violations, and state misconduct — are frequent targets.

4. Erosion of Trust in Independent Media

Authoritarian leaders often label public media as “biased,” “fake,” or “enemies of the people” to undermine critical reporting. This coordinated discrediting campaign weakens public confidence in factual journalism and fuels polarization.

5. Exporting Authoritarian Media Models

Countries like China now export surveillance and censorship technologies to other governments, accelerating the global spread of digital authoritarianism. This threatens press freedom worldwide and emboldens leaders who seek to control information.

Why This Matters for Women and Marginalized Communities

Authoritarianism disproportionately harms women, LGBTQ+ people, and communities of color. Public media plays a critical role in:

• Exposing gender‑based violence
• Reporting on reproductive rights
• Amplifying marginalized voices
• Investigating abuses of power
• Providing fact‑based civic education

“When public media is weakened, the most vulnerable communities lose their strongest defenders,” said Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW. “Authoritarianism is not just a political threat — it is a direct threat to gender justice and human rights. In the U.S., we are seeing all media being intimidated with some caving to the pressure. This is not free speech which America has always prided itself on maintaining. The U.S. leadership at all levels is violating our rights under the First Amendment. We won’t allow this fascism to take away our rights.”

FL NOW Calls for Action

FL NOW urges policymakers, civic organizations, and the public to:

1. Protect funding for public media at the federal and state levels.
2. Defend press freedom and oppose efforts to censor or intimidate journalists.
3. Strengthen digital rights and privacy protections to prevent surveillance abuses.
4. Promote media literacy to counter propaganda and disinformation.
5. Financially support independent journalism, especially outlets serving marginalized communities.

About Florida NOW

The Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) is the state’s largest feminist advocacy organization, dedicated to advancing gender justice, racial equity, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and the protection of democratic institutions.

Media Contact: Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW, 407 234-6408, vp@flnow.org

For Immediate Release: February 7, 2026 President Julie Kent, Florida NOW, president@flnow.org

Orlando, FL — The Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) condemns the Trump administration’s escalating intervention in the Smithsonian Institution, including federal reviews of exhibits, pressure to rewrite or remove content, and new oversight requirements that threaten the independence of the nation’s most important public museums.

According to public reporting, the administration has directed the Smithsonian to submit exhibit plans, wall text, object lists, and future programming for federal review, with the stated goal of ensuring that exhibits “reflect unity, progress, and American exceptionalism.” Smithsonian leadership has been warned that continued federal funding—approximately two‑thirds of the institution’s budget—depends on compliance.

“The Smithsonian exists to tell the truth about this country—its achievements, its contradictions, and its injustices,” said Julie Kent, President of FL NOW “Pressuring museums to sanitize or erase histories of slavery, colonialism, gender discrimination, and LGBTQ+ scapegoating undermines public education and threatens the integrity of our cultural institutions.”

The administration has reportedly identified 20 exhibits it considers objectionable, including those addressing slavery, colonialism, Native American history, LGBTQ history, and race in American art. These exhibits have been labeled “improper ideology” and flagged for revision or removal.

A recent executive order further requires the Smithsonian to eliminate or rewrite materials that highlight systemic racism, discuss oppression or conflict, present histories of enslavement or displacement, or critique U.S. policy or historical figures. The institution was given 120 days to revise exhibits under these criteria.

Additional federal directives include:

• Rolling submissions of exhibit materials for review
• Placement of federal liaison staff inside eight Smithsonian museums
• Pre‑approval of upcoming displays related to the nation’s 250th anniversary

Museum leaders have described the situation as “walking a tightrope” between professional standards and political pressure.

Changes have already occurred. The National Portrait Gallery altered its impeachment‑related display after White House objections, and multiple museums have been warned against presenting narratives that “portray America negatively.”

“This level of political intervention in public museums is deeply concerning,” Debbie Deland, VP of FL NOW. “Historical truth is not a threat to democracy—erasing it is. Communities across Florida, especially women, LGBTQ people, and communities of color, rely on honest public history to understand the past and shape a more just future. American needs to understand the horrible damage done starting with the unconscionable horror of slavery and the genocide of Native Americans, and the continued crimes not only in the US, but in US action worldwide. Hiding the truth means we can’t learn empathy and can’t learn to do radically better. This move is beyond disastrous and plays into white male supremacy.”

FL NOW notes that these actions are part of a broader federal effort to reshape cultural and educational institutions, including museums, national parks, universities, and arts organizations, under the banner of “restoring truth and sanity to American history.”

“Floridians deserve access to accurate, inclusive, and unmanipulated history,” FL NOW further stated. “We stand with museum professionals, educators, artists, and communities nationwide who are resisting political pressure to distort the historical record.”

FL NOW urges lawmakers, cultural leaders, and the public to defend the independence of the Smithsonian and all public institutions dedicated to education, research, and the preservation of history.

Media Contact: Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) Debbie Deland, vp@flnow.org., 407 234-6408