the Trump administration is mobilizing heritage and architecture as tools of ideology and control. He is seeking to roll back inclusive historical narratives at U.S. parks and monuments. And he is reviving sanitized myths about America’s history of slavery, misogyny and Manifest Destiny, for use in museums, textbooks and public schools. Dictators, tyrants and kings build monumental architecture to buttress their own egos, which is called authoritarian monumentalism. They also seek to build the national ego – another word for nationalism.
Archives for October 25, 2025
Floridians Are Hurtling Towards Economic Disaster
Florida is the second most distressed state in the union in terms of its residents’ debt obligations. The state saw a 23% increase in the share of people with distressed bank accounts between 2024 and 2025, the data show. In addition, Florida holds the sixth-highest overall share of people with accounts in distress, at 7.3%. In human terms, this financial distress looks like a sharp increase in bankruptcy filings; residents with accounts in forbearance or deferred payments; America’s lowest average credit scores; and higher prices for groceries, rent, mortgages, gasoline, and health care.
Trump Endorses Randy Fine, Sharply Steepening Hill Climb for Gambaro and Furry
President Donald Trump is giving his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to U.S. Rep. Randy Fine. Challenger Charles Gambaro, currently a Palm Coast City Council member who had a role in the final months of the first Trump administration, recently expressed confidence that Trump would endorse him over the former state lawmaker, but clearly that’s not coming to pass. Will Furry, the Flagler County school board member, is also among the numerous candidates running against Fine.
Palm Coast Council’s Ty Miller Appointed to Transportation Planning Board’s Executive Committee
Following a nomination by Flagler Beach City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur, Palm Coast Council Member Ty Miller was appointed by unanimous vote of the Volusia-Flagler Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) board to serve on the TPO’s Executive Committee. In addition to this leadership role, Miller also serves as a TPO Board Member, with Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri serving as an alternate on the Board.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Palm Coast Founders’ Day, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Peps Art Walk, Rick Belhumeur’s birthday, Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town,’ at Limelight Theatre, ‘The 39 Steps,’ at the Daytona Playhouse.