Florida targets voter registration groups with thousands in fines | First Thing

Fines on list given to the Guardian were levied by agency created at Ron DeSantis’s behest to investigate voter fraud, which is rare. Plus, Anchor, first and oldest US craft brewery, to close

Good morning.

Florida Republicans have hit dozens of voter registration groups with thousands of dollars of fines, the latest salvo in an alarming crackdown on voting in the state led by the governor, Ron DeSantis.

Who is most likely to be affected? A crackdown on third-party voter registration groups is likely to disproportionately affect Floridians of color, who are about five times more likely to register with third-party groups than white voters are.

What’s happening elsewhere? Mild El Niño climatic conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean will strengthen throughout the year, with an outside chance of a record-breaking event that will further turbocharge already sweltering temperatures around the globe, scientists have forecast. As well as the US, heatwaves have roiled China, India, parts of Europe and the Arctic.