The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, the Palm Coast Democratic Club meets, “The Green Book” and the history surrounding the segregation-era travel guide for Blacks.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Soccer or Football? Don’t Let Snobbery Be the Answer.
This disparagement of the word “soccer” is not only petty and tiresome – it is also incorrect. It ignores the roots of the sport and the development of the language of the game. Rather than making the word taboo, the football ecosystem should embrace it. “Soccer” was freely and proudly used in the British press and in public for nearly a century, until the 1980s. The British press continues to use “soccer” and “football” interchangeably to avoid repetitive writing.
David Jolly Announces Gwen Graham as Gubernatorial Running Mate
David Jolly, the Democratic frontrunner in the Florida gubernatorial race, named former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate during a Tallahassee press conference Wednesday, feet from the Old Capitol. He emphasized their bipartisan relationship during their time in Congress, highlighting joint work on preventing offshore oil drilling, gun reform, and veterans’ rights. Jolly served in Congress from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican, became an independent for six years, and then switched to the Democratic Party in April 2025.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Free Car Seat Safety Check at Palm Coast Fire Station 25, Community Preparedness Workshop at the Emergency Operations Center, Conversations in Democracy, Scott Pelley on his firing, democracy and dictatorship.
Why Children’s Reading Scores Aren’t Rising
There is a crowded marketplace of reading textbooks and software for schools to purchase, and it is often difficult to determine which one is better than the others. As a result, schools may end up purchasing new, expensive materials that do little to improve reading skills.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop to discuss taxes and the land development code, the Flagler County School Board meets as does the county planning board, a B’TSelem report on Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Jerusalem.
5 Ways Data Centers Endanger Community and Country
The rapid expansion of data centers driven by artificial intelligence creates significant physical consequences for local communities as facilities strain electrical grids, deplete water resources and impose on neighbors persistent noise pollution and diminished air quality from backup generators. Rising demand also threatens to increase residential energy bills significantly. Sustainable planning and renewable energy adoption remain essential for mitigating these widespread public health risks.
This School District Has Received Death Threats for Standing Up for Immigrants. It’s Not Backing Down.
The Winooski School District in Vermont passed a pioneering sanctuary policy to protect its highly diverse immigrant student population from federal immigration enforcement. Led by Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, the small district maintains its stance despite facing intense backlash, federal funding threats, and community trauma from local detentions. This controversial local policy successfully inspired a new state law mandating immigration enforcement protocols for all Vermont schools.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 8, 2026
The Flagler County Commission talks constitutional officer budgets, including that of the sheriff, a quick trial before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols, Nietzsche on art, Werner Herzog talks to Anderson Cooper.
Inflation and ICE Fears Threaten Miami’s Economic Benefits from World Cup
Miami, one of the venues for the World Cup, may be hit hard as recent tourism reports indicate there will be fewer hotel reservations than anticipated due to reduced international travel confidence and a growing uncertainty related to U.S. immigration policies, geopolitical instability, tariffs and inflation.
Florida’s Budget Fails Citizens But Delivers Overdue Justice For Groveland Four
Florida lawmakers approved a $115 billion budget packed with corporate handouts, political propaganda, costly special sessions and fiscal waste on private legal fights and environmental liabilities, but at least the Legislature agreed to allocate $4 million to compensate families of the Groveland Boys. The gesture provides financial restitution to the descendants of four Black men subjected to a notorious 1949 racial injustice.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, June 7, 2026
Watermelon Festival at European Village, a suggestion to commenters everywhere from the Myth of Sisyphus, The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, a few lines from Mary Gaitskill’s “This Is Pleasure.”
Marjane Satrapi’s Masterpiece, “Persepolis,” Transformed Our Understanding of Iran
The death of Iranian-French graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi highlights her enduring contribution to international literature through her masterpiece Persepolis. Her beautifully illustrated graphic memoir humanized the complex realities of the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi offered a universally accessible language for political displacement, successfully challenging Western stereotypes. Her work balanced structural critiques of authoritarian regimes with a sharp rejection of Western cultural hypocrisy.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, June 6, 2026
The Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up starting at 9 a.m., The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, the Normandy landing and what New Yorkers were reading about that morning.
How The 1994 World Cup Rescued Soccer
The defensive, cynical play of Italia ’90 pushed FIFA to implement major rule changes ahead of the 1994 World Cup. The introduction of the backpass rule and the three-point system incentivized attacking play. These historic adjustments permanently elevated the ethical and aesthetic standards of the sport. Fans should expect high-quality, entertaining matches when the tournament returns to North America.
Florida Cabinet Prepares to Award Another $90 Million For Illegal Immigration Enforcement
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet next week will consider approximately $90 million in grants for local law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The money will go toward a fire suppression system for a server room in Escambia County, handguns for Santa Rosa County, drones for Alachua County and “official police” patches for uniformed officers with the Auburndale Police Department.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 5, 2026
Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres features the developer of the Palm Coast westward expansion and Byron Donalds, First Friday in Flagler Beach, The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, the shoot-down of Iran Air Flight 655 on the eve of Independence Day 1988.
Yet Another Botched Execution
Tennessee set out to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026, but he lived to tell about it. What happened to Carruthers is a reminder that things frequently go wrong in executions, even if in almost all cases the problem is resolved and the execution is completed. Indeed, in the past 80 years, only eight other men have had experiences like Carruthers’ and survived execution attempts.
No Protests, No DEI, No Woke, Solo University Of Florida Presidential Finalist Stuart Bell Pledges in Campus Forums
University of Florida presidential finalist–the only finalist–Stuart Bell defended his record during campus forums on Wednesday, aligning himself with state conservative leaders by explicitly rejecting diversity, equity, inclusion, protests and wokism, promising swift action against campus protest encampments. Trustees vote on his appointment next week. He needs final confirmation from the Board of Governors to secure the permanent position.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 4, 2026
The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond, getting the measure of the universe without falling into an abyss of absurd.
The World Cup Is About Cultural Exchange. But in Trump’s America?
The most culturally diverse men’s football World Cup in history is taking place in the United States at a time when foreign nationals feel less and less welcome in the country. In 2026, the US has created an unwelcome situation for potential travellers. ICE raids on suspected migrant populations have dominated the news for months. This has an impact on numbers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Jermaine Williams is in court for a docket sounding, Conversations in Democracy, Bingo Night at Palm Coast Elks Lodge 2709, electric vehicle sales worldwide, how immigrants pay more in taxes than the native-born.
No Economic Gains for U.S. Workers Where Ice Ramped Up Enforcement
In the first year of Trump’s second term, unemployment rose, hiring slowed and wage growth stagnated. The construction sector was hit particularly hard. While areas with heavier ICE enforcement saw a drop in employment among immigrants, there was no increase in either employment or wages among U.S. citizens.
GOP Delegates at State Convention Hold Moment of Silence for Derek Chauvin, George Floyd’s Convicted Murderer
Christopher Rocco, one of the over 2,000 delegates at Minnesota’s Republican state convention last weekend, called for a 30-second moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020 after kneeling on Floyd’s neck and back for over nine minutes in an arrest over a suspected $20 counterfeit bill. Chauvin is still alive and in prison.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Joshua King is arraigned after getting booted out of a recovery program where he would not profess faith in God, the Palm Coast City Council meets, Beaufort Castle from the Crusades to Israel, back under occupation.
Federal Flood Insurance’s Two Moral Hazards
Perverse incentives create different cycles of vulnerability across income levels. The problem with federal disaster insurance today isn’t just about subsidizing wealthier coastal homeowners – it’s equally about leaving low-income households systematically underinsured without resources to either protect themselves or leave.
Vetoes Are Next as Lawmakers Shift from $114.5 Billion Budget to Special Session on Eliminating Property Taxes
The Florida Legislature approved a $114.5 billion state budget only to immediately face a special session to debate Gov. Ron DeSantis’s controversial homestead property tax exemption proposal. He’s expected to use his veto power as leverage.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 1, 2026
The Flagler County Commission considers a proposal to keep the Adult Day Care program going through a public-private partnership, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, Stade Rolland Garros’s sordid history.
About Half of Young Americans Can’t Name a Single Holocaust Site
Recent surveys indicate nearly half of young Americans cannot identify a single Holocaust site, an ignorance that mirrors historical patterns in postwar West Germany. Significant knowledge gaps and antisemitic incidents previously forced German educational reforms. These reforms moved schools toward active learning and primary source analysis.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 31, 2026
Both Flagler County high schools hold their graduation ceremonies at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach today, Voltaire’s 248th death anniversary and a few thoughts on death by him, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village.
Unwinding with Screens Is a Contradiction
Aas interest in self-care continues to grow, Americans’ mental health is getting worse. Cut off television, email, Zooming, social media, streaming or texting. The benefits are almost immediate. You sleep better, have a longer attention span, and have a newfound sense of mental quiet. These effects reflected a well-established principle in neuroscience: When cognitive and emotional stimuli decrease, the brain’s regulatory systems can recover from overload and chronic stress.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 30, 2026
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a conversation with Bertrand Russell and the problem with teleology: Aristotle was wrong, Walt Whitman was right.
Orwell’s AI ‘Novel‑Writing Machines’ Are Here
That a machine might use individual writings not only to learn about subject matter, but also to analyze and ultimately mimic authorial voice, points to a future that George Orwell envisioned with eerie prescience. In his 1949 dystopian novel “1984,” Orwell imagined “novel-writing machines” capable of mass-producing literature, employing programmed mechanical “kaleidoscopes” as substitutes for individual artistic process.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 29, 2026
Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord and Rabbi Merrill Shapiro on WNZF’s Free For All talking about hurricanes and communications, the Friday Blue Forum, North Carolina legislators lose their marbles with a constitutional amendment declaring to be murder any destruction of a fertilized human egg.
Inflation Is Spreading Throughout the US Economy
Fresh price data shows United States inflation is expanding beyond energy into housing, utilities, and recreation. This trend presents a severe challenge for newly sworn Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Higher oil prices reduce consumer spending power and simultaneously accelerate underlying costs. Consequently, the central bank faces a divided economy where artificial intelligence investments support market optimism but everyday citizens encounter persistent, damaging price increases.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Spotlight on Flagler Youth Talent Show this evening, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, an Israeli colonists beats a Palestinian family’s dog almost to death, Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park.
Pope Leo’s AI Warning
Pope Leo XIV has just declared artificial intelligence one of the defining moral challenges of our time, in his first encyclical: a formal letter intended to guide moral, social and theological thought. Titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), it argues technology must serve humanity, rather than concentrate power or weaken human dignity.
U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Florida Attorney General Uthmeier from Suing Over Undocumented Truck Driver
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s attempt to sue California and Washington for licensing an undocumented truck driver accused of killing three Floridians in a traffic accident. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, nominated by George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, respectively, dissented, arguing the court should reconsider its longstanding reluctance to hear disputes between states.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
The meaning of and indifference to Eid el Adha, one of Islam’s two high holidays, Conversations in Democracy, reflections on Abraham’s sacrifice, Marian Kamensky on the alleged end of the war with Iran.
Bigoted Interpretation Of Crusader History Is Radicalizing Far Right Terrorists Against Muslims
The deadly May 2026 assault on the Islamic Center of San Diego highlights a dangerous global trend of far-right extremists weaponizing distorted European history. Assailants draw violent inspiration from the Crusades, Nazi iconography, and white nationalist myths to justify Islamophobic and antisemitic atrocities. But authentic Muslim and Arab history is in short supply in schools.
Last in Teacher Pay, Florida Continues to Dismantle Public Education, Alienate Teachers and Fund Scandal-Ridden Vouchers
Florida ranks last nationwide in teacher pay, forcing educators to take multiple jobs or leave the state entirely. Instead of addressing the crisis, lawmakers suppress public unions, enforces restrictive curriculum laws, and redirects vital taxpayer funds to unaccountable private voucher programs. Systematic political attacks are damaging classroom morale, lowering local school enrollment, and threatening the survival of the public education system. That, of course, is the end game.
Florida Legislative Leaders Strike Final Deal On $115 Billion State Budget, Ignoring Mismanagement of School Vouchers
House and Senate leaders reached a final deal on the state budget late Sunday night, the last step in an extended process that required a special session to complete for the second year in a row. The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 will be nearly $115 billion, less than the Senate’s preferred budget but not the $113.6 billion plan preferred by the House.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Artificial intelligence’s problems, the Flagler County Affordable Housing Committee meets this afternoon, the NAACP Flagler Branch’s General Membership meeting, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library.
Trump Isn’t Just Lying. He’s Doing Something Worse.
Donald Trump is speaking falsely as a way of demeaning or taunting his detractors. By resolutely asserting unbelievable falsehoods, Trump is expressing contempt. He is deriding facts, truth and journalism and indirectly controlling the news cycle. For a political movement rooted in the idea that U.S. politics is a swamp in need of draining, Trump’s defiant style has been successful. But here’s the catch. It appears that Trump’s supporters are now beginning to feel that they, too, are on the receiving end of his contempt.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 25, 2026
Palm Coast’s Memorial Day commemoration is at 8 a.m. at Heroes Park, Flagler County’s is at 10 a.m. at the Government Services Building., Riccardo Muti loses it at the Chicago Symphony, Casanova on temper, Saint-Georges’ Overture to L’amant anonyme.
Politically Stressed Out? Blame Social Media.
Research by political scientist Stephen Neely reveals that social media is a primary driver of chronic political stress in America. Surveys from 2024 show over 100 million adults experience significant stress reactions, including sleep loss and fractured relationships. Algorithmic platforms prioritize outrage and engagement, making active participants especially vulnerable. This generational shift in news consumption has left younger cohorts particularly susceptible to psychological exhaustion.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 24, 2026
Ed Wexler on insurrectionists’ payday, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, “Once on This Island,” a musical, at Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine, the tales an ash tray tells, memories of Tell Zaatar.
Global Warming and Swimming in the Seine
River bathing was widely practised over the last few centuries, and in the Seine, it has survived to the present day despite bans on swimming. The practice does not only include recreational or sporting dimensions – it is also climate-related, at a time when rising temperatures suggest that compliance with the Paris Agreement will be a difficult, if not impossible task.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 23, 2026
West of the Tracks: A Story of the Past Before Palm Coast: A Palm Coast Historical Society Lecture, Fire Station 26 Grand Opening and Hose Uncoupling Ceremony, the end of Stephen Colbert and the limits of satire.
Why Is Columbus Back at the White House?
Trump reinstalled a replica Christopher Columbus statue on White House grounds following an executive order aimed at restoring traditional–that is, white–American history. The original monument was toppled by protesters in 2020. Other Confederate memorials are also returning to prominent locations, reigniting debates over national identity and provoking a symbolic shift in the public landscape.