Disney Tell Florida to F*** Off

Disney's self-governing special district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District are maintaining that Florida's move to dissolve the district next year is not legal unless the state pays off Reedy Creek's extensive debts. [Read my post “Florida Strips Disney of Special District Status” dated April 24, 2022]. 

Reedy Creek is a special purpose district created by state law in May 1967 that gives The Walt Disney Company extensive governmental control over the land in and around their Florida theme parks. With that power, Reedy Creek currently have about $1 billion in outstanding bond debt, according to the credit rating agency Fitch Ratings. 

Last Thursday, Reedy Creek issued a statement pointing out that the 1967 law includes a pledge from Florida to their bondholders. The law states that Florida "will not in any way impair the rights or remedies of the holders… until all such bonds together with interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any act or proceeding by or on behalf of such holders, are fully met and discharged". 

Due to that pledge, Reedy Creek said they expect to continue business as usual. 

Liverpool have one foot in the Champions League final with a dominant 2-0 win over Villarreal in the first leg of their semi-final tie at Anfield on Wednesday. 

Unai Emery's men followed the same tactic that saw them past Juventus and Bayern Munich by retreating behind the ball. However, the Yellow Submarine could barely lay a glove on Jürgen Klopp's men as Liverpool just had to bide their time to make their dominance count.

And then came two goals in two minutes and which undid the Villarreal boss's defensive game plan. An own goal from a deflection off Jordan Henderson's cross in the fifty-third minute and a strike from Sadio Mane two minutes later put Liverpool in control of the tie heading into next week's return match. 

The only criticism I have is that the Reds should have won by more in a completely convincing performance. 

Anyway, barring a huge upset when the sides meet again in southern Spain in six days' time, Liverpool's season will finish with a third Champions League final in five seasons in Paris, France on May 28.