Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended another elected Democratic prosecutor from office on accusations that she failed to impose mandatory sentences for certain crimes and let juvenile offenders avoid incarceration. Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell, who was elected in 2020 and took office in 2021, has been “clearly and fundamentally derelict” in her duties, Mr DeSantis alleged in a press conference on 9 August. Ms Worrell – the only Black women serving as a state prosecutor in Florida – had recently announced her intention to run again in 2024. An executive order signed by the governor and Republican Secretary of State Cord Byrd accuses the Democratic state attorney of “systematically” allowing people to avoid jail time, either by dropping charges or declining to allege provable facts. He acknowledged that prosecutors like Ms Worrell “do have a certain amount of discretion about which cases to bring and which not” but he claimed that she has “abused” that discretion and “effectively nullified certain laws in the state of Florida”. Last year, Mr DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren after he criticised the governor’s positions on abortion care and gender-affirming care for transgender people. A federal judge affirmed the suspension but admonished the governor for falsely accusing Mr Warren of relying on a blanket policy to avoid prosecuting certain cases with which he disagreed. “The allegation was false,” US District Judge Robert Hinkle said in a ruling issued on 20 January. “Mr Warren’s well-established policy, followed in every case by every prosecutor in the office, was to exercise prosecutorial discretion at every stage of every case. Any reasonable investigation would have confirmed this.” Mr DeSantis has appointed Orlando-area judge Andrew Bain to replace Ms Worrell. She had recently come under fire from Republican officials following a shooting that left three dead in February, with a suspect with an alleged history of criminal offenses on the streets at the time of the shooting; 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses is charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Democratic officials in Florida have accused the governor of using politically motivated removals of elected prosecutors to elevate his national profile as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. “This is absolutely disgusting,” Orlando-area state Rep Anna Eskamani said in a statement. “Her removal is a complete slap in the face to Orange and Osceola County residents and another example of Governor DeSantis eroding our local control and democracy,” she added. “This politically motivated action by the governor in a predominantly Democratic part of the state should alarm everyone. DeSantis is extreme, unfit to serve, and must be held accountable.” Read More Ron DeSantis replaces campaign manager as 2024 bid falters The presidential candidates who have so far met criteria to join first RNC debate DeSantis once again defends slavery curriculum: Enslaved people ‘showing resourcefulness’ developed ‘skills’ DeSantis won’t rule out national abortion ban but suggests there’s no ‘mileage’ left in Congress

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If you’re filled with terror at the prospect of being without your phone, you’re not alone. A new poll has found that 42% of British adults identify with ‘nomophobia’ – the fear of being stuck without mobile phone connectivity. According to psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, nomophobia is firstly about “dependency”, and secondly about “slight catastrophising”. She said: “The key to having a healthier relationship with your phone is implementing values, boundaries and being self-aware when it comes to how we use our phones.” Of the 2,000 people surveyed by Sky Mobile, 23% said they would rather hold a tarantula, 14% said they would prefer to go swimming with sharks, and 15% said sleeping in a haunted house would be better than being without 5G for an entire week. According to the research, on average British people use their phone for 14 hours per week. Here’s what you need to know about phone addiction – and how it might be impacting our wellbeing… How can we spot the signs of nomophobia or phone addiction? According to Papadopoulos, it’s quite simple. “If you’re engaging and constantly checking to see where your phone is or if you’ve missed a call, [and are] worried, anxious about the possibility of missing out” – whether this is a social event or something work-related – you could have nomophobia, Papadopoulos suggested. “We’re at our most peaceful when we feel like we have control over something.” She encourages you to think about the first thing you look for when you wake up or walk out the door – if it’s your phone, it could be a sign of nomophobia. “There’s also this thing where we think our phone is vibrating, and it’s not. That’s another sign too.” Has social media made it worse? It’s important to understand what our phones are to us. “They’re no longer just phones, right? They are these digital prostheses, which we use to do everything from learn to work to connect,” said Papadopoulos. “In the case of things like social media, we know that a big part of our desire to be on those apps is around that sense of not just belonging – which obviously they were originally intended for – but also that sense of missing out. “So I think anything that you do, which relates to who you are, your expectations around your work, your personal life, are all going to feed into this.” How might it be impacting our wellbeing? “It all depends on what we are doing with our phones. If I’m sitting down doom scrolling, of course it will affect how I’m feeling. That’s not great,” she suggested. “You want to own your technology instead of your technology owning you. Don’t catastrophise your mobile phones, because there are other things you can do to remain connected and it can lead to technology separation anxiety – the disproportionate sense of fear of being without your technology. “When you are talking about any sort of addiction, if it gets in the way of your day-to-day life, you start having disproportionate reactions, struggle to engage with people in real life, your sleeping pattern is non-existent or not eating your dinner, those are the sorts of things you should look out for when it comes to nomophobia. “For example, if a 12-year-old girl is posting a bunch of things on social media and sitting at her phone waiting for likes, that would be a sign of her phone affecting her mental health.” But there are also positives to mobile phones, Papadopoulos adds. “I live really far away from my family. Sometimes I even cook with my mum, even though she lives in Cyprus,” she said. How can we start to address it if we think we have a problem? “Do basic things like keeping your phone in the same place to avoid using brain power constantly looking for where it is,” Papadopoulos advised. “And don’t vilify or deify your mobile phone. It’s neither the best thing in your life or the worst. This will help you start to get a sense of control over those anxious thoughts.” If you’re concerned that your behaviour might be addictive, see your GP for help. For more information on how to switch to Sky Mobile visit https://www.sky.com/shop/mobile. Read More Nursery places and wraparound childcare plans announced Is scalp exfoliation the key to healthier hair? Why do some people love horror movies? TikTok influencers warn about ‘potent’ steroid cream risks among black women – dermatologist explains the risks House of the Year 2023 shortlist revealed by Royal Institute of British Architects Fatima Whitbread supporting new fostering campaign, as research finds ‘misconceptions put people off’

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