For politicians who want centralized power, local governments can be an obstacle. In Venezuela, state and city governments run by the opposition have faced unrelenting attacks and have had their power stripped away. Now, many fear Florida is heading down a similar path – with a new law that punishes protesters and limits the power of local officials to rethink police funding. Full Text -> WLRN

The law authorizing the move states that the cash should pay social expenses in the South American country, which is in the grip of a five-year recession that has seen millions of Venezuelans suffer shortages of basic necessities. Full text-> France24