President Donald Trump called me and my 221,000 fellow Somali Americans “garbage.” The secretary of defense, who is Minnesota born, eagerly and immediately endorsed the “garbage” remark and Trump’s conclusion that we are unwanted in this country and should be sent away. The secretary of state, the vice president and the rest of the cabinet cheered and banged on the table and applauded this hateful and profoundly ignorant assault on my community.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local

Flagler Cares Executive, Middle School Student and Rise Up Program Honored as ‘Prevention Champions’ at State Summit
A Flagler County middle schooler, a team of school district administrators, and a top executive at Flagler Cares were singled out for their work in substance abuse prevention at a major statewide gathering in Ocala on Dec. 8. The awards were presented during the annual “Power of Prevention” summit, an event organized by the Community Coalition Alliance (CCA) in partnership with the Drug Free America Foundation. The gathering draws coalitions and advocates from across Florida to coordinate strategies on curbing substance misuse and bolstering community health.

Funky Pelican and Flagler Beach Renew Vows: Lease Extended 32 Years Amid Gushing Praise and Makeover Plans
Flagler Beach City Commissioners approved a lease extension for the Funky Pelican restaurant, securing the partnership through 2057. The deal, a lovefest in contrast to 2011’s contentious negotiations on the original lease, requires the restaurant to complete exterior renovations within a year. While base rent remains unchanged, the city retains its lucrative 3 percent cut of gross revenues over $1 million. The business had revenue of $4.7 million in 2024. It’s been a bit slower this year. The vote was 4-0.

With Felony Charge Dropped and IA Closed, Flagler Sheriff’s Detective Coma Accepts Discipline for Speeding
Flagler County Sheriff’s Detective Ardit Coma has been reinstated following the swift dismissal of a fleeing and eluding charge by the State Attorney’s Office. An expedited internal investigation concluded Coma violated agency policies by speeding 88 mph in a 55 mph zone while commuting. His penalty includes a 90-day loss of his take-home vehicle privilege and a two-day unpaid suspension, which is considered satisfied by the time he served immediately following his arrest.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local

Facing Capital Charges for Raping Stepchild, Henriqson Wants ‘Intact Hymen’ Defense and Secret Recording Admitted
Kristopher Henriqson, representing himself against capital child rape charges, has filed motions requesting a gynecological exam of the victim and a change of venue. Henriqson claims the victim bears no physical signs of assaults and seeks to introduce a secret recording of the girl discussing lying—evidence the state argues is inadmissible wiretapping. Prosecutors also cite privacy laws against the medical exam. A hearing is set for Monday before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols.

Bunnell Approves 1,259-Acre Industrial Rezoning 3-2, Brushing Aside Commissioner’s Warning of ‘Blank Check’
A split Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to rezone 1,259 acres for industrial use, overriding sharp public opposition. Dissenters warned the approval is a “blank check” that explicitly permits a garbage transfer station. While proponents promised millions in future tax revenue, the figures appear off the mark compared to the city’s actual budget and comparatively bullish projections for Palm Coast’s Town Center 20 years ago. Critics blasted the lack of specific plans or identified businesses for the vast tract west of U.S. 1.

Ormond Beach Police Chief Defends Arrest of Flagler Sheriff’s Detective After Charge Was Quickly Dropped
Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey defended his officer’s arrest of Flagler Sheriff’s Detective Ardit Coma for fleeing and eluding, despite the State Attorney dropping the charge days later. Godfrey stated the dismissal reflects prosecutorial discretion, not officer error, and insisted Sgt. Caleb Braun acted properly based on probable cause. Coma, who was speeding to work, claimed he thought he was assisting a pursuit. He still faces a speeding ticket and internal investigation.

‘A Miracle We Got the Place’: Marineland Sale Closes for $7.135 Million, Securing Future of 87-Year-Old Oceanarium
The $7.135 million sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure to Apex Associates closed Friday, saving the historic facility from bankruptcy. Now operating as a nonprofit under returning General Manager Felicia Cook, the move removes the property from tax rolls but prevents residential development. While three dolphins were relocated, the remaining animals are healthy, and new management plans to focus on research, programming, and facility improvements.

Analysis: In Melady Trial, an Evidence-Defying Verdict That Ignored Overwhelming Proof of Victim’s Incapacity
The jury found Melady, the former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, guilty of sexual battery, or rape, a lesser charge than the one he faced, rape of an incapacitated person. To reach that conclusion, the jury had to conclude that the victim was not incapacitated, even though that was the one fact the defense, the prosecution and Melady himself agreed on, and that the defense relied on to argue that Melady had to invasively conduct a pelvic exam to figure out why she was incapacitated. The jury’s conclusion was demonstrably false.

Jury Finds Ex-Flagler Paramedic Melady Guilty of Rape of Unconscious Woman in Ambulance
A jury of four women and two men today found Melady, a paramedic with Flagler County Fire Rescue from 2018 to 2024, guilty of rape of an unconscious woman he was responsible for in the back of an ambulance three years ago. The jury acquitted Melady of video voyeurism. He had recorded the incident, moving the camera a few times for better views of the woman’s privates, and preserved the video on his laptop. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced early next year.

Florida Lawmakers Belatedly Begin to Grapple with Data Centers’ Burdens on Power and Water
Adding data centers is one of the biggest issues in the electric industry, with utilities taking steps that include restarting nuclear power plants to try to meet demands. Florida has not seen the type of data-center development that has happened in states such as Virginia. But in recent months, proposals have emerged for data-center projects in areas such as Palm Coast, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Polk counties and have sparked controversy. Palm Coast is permitting a data center in Town Center, but the city continues to refuse to disclose any regulatory information about it.

Defending Pelvic Exam, Ex-Flagler Paramedic Melady Tells Jury What It Saw and Heard Isn’t What It Saw and Heard
Former paramedic James Melady testified that a video showing him performing a pelvic exam on an unconscious woman and smelling his fingers was misinterpreted by the prosecution. Melady claimed the exam was medically necessary—contradicting expert testimony—and that his prior police admissions were Ambien-induced hallucinations. With the defense arguing that the video is misleading, the jury must decide Wednesday if Melady’s account outweighs the visual evidence of sexual battery.

Flagler County Beats Grant Deadline to Buy Land Around Bulow Creek from Veranda Bay Developer
Flagler County met Monday’s deadline to file a Florida Forever grant application, seeking funds to buy 153 acres of floodplain land near the Bulow Creek headwaters and the Veranda Bay/Summertown development along John Anderson Highway. The application follows recent negotiations between the developer and county officials to prevent imminent development.

Flagler Detective Coma Rapidly Cleared of Fleeing Charge After Speeding Incident; Still Faces Ticket and Internal Investigation
The State Attorney’s Office has dropped the felony fleeing and eluding charge against Flagler County Sheriff’s Detective Ardit Coma. Arrested for speeding 88 mph in a 55 zone, Coma claimed he didn’t see police lights due to loud music and sun glare, believing he was stopping to assist officers deploying stop sticks. Reinstatement is underway, but Coma still faces a speeding citation and an internal affairs investigation regarding departmental policy violations.

46 Vessels Set for Palm Coast Boat Parade Saturday
The City of Palm Coast will host the 42nd Annual Holiday Boat Parade this Saturday, Dec. 13, starting at 6 p.m., with the usual procession of illuminated vessels and the attendant logistical challenges along the waterfront. Some 46 boats have registered, about half the number of boats that took part in the record-setting 2023 boat parade, when the Palm Coast Yacht Club sponsored it.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
December 2025
Al-Anon Family Groups
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center
East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board Meeting
In Court: Jermaine Williams Status Hearing
In Court: Kristopher Henriqson
Flagler County Commission Evening Meeting
Nar-Anon Family Group
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Palm Coast Charter Review Committee Meeting
Palm Coast City Council Meeting
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
The Conversation

Trump v. AI Regulation
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 11, 2025, that aims to supersede state-level artificial intelligence laws that the administration views as a hindrance to innovation in AI. State laws regulating AI are increasing in number, particularly in response to the rise of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT that produce text and images. Thirty-eight states enacted laws in 2025 regulating AI in one way or another. They range from prohibiting stalking via AI-powered robots to barring AI systems that can manipulate people’s behavior.
Florida and Beyond

We Are Paying the Price for Data Centers. It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way.
The data centers proliferating across the country drive up energy costs by powering energy-ravenous generative AI, cloud storage, digital networks, and other energy intensive programs — much of it fueled by coal and natural gas that exacerbate climate change. In some cases, data centers consume enough electricity to power the equivalent of a small city. The wholesale price of electricity in areas housing data centers is up a whopping 267 percent from five years ago — and everyday customers are eating those costs.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, December 13, 2025
Santa in Bunnell, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens, Peps Art Walk in Flagler Beach, American Association of University Women meeting, ‘Annie,’ at Limelight Theatre, Gamble Jam, the Scissors Silhouette.

Teaching Children to Read at Their level Isn’t Good Enough
The average reading scores of 12th graders in 2024 were 3 points lower than they were in 2019. More kids are failing to even reach basic levels of reading that would allow them to successfully do their schoolwork. The method used today, that kids should be taught to read with books that were just the right fit for them, isn’t doing the job.
Briefs and Releases
Sheriff’s Office Lands $175,000 Grant to Equip Deputies with Drug-Identifying Devices
Deputies Seize ‘Lipstick Knife’ and 29 THC Vapes in 3 Student Arrests at Flagler Palm Coast High School
Sheriff’s Employees and Residents Donate over $40,000 to Support 2025 Shop with a Cop
Florida Senate Panel Approves Annual ‘Charlie Kirk Day’
AdventHealth Stocks Every Flagler School with ‘Fuel Fridges’ for Student Athletes
More Florida and Beyond

Doctors Clash with Florida Officials Over Plan to Repeal Meningitis and Chickenpox Vaccine Mandates for Schools
Florida health officials are advancing a proposal to eliminate school entry requirements for vaccines protecting against hepatitis B, chickenpox, and meningitis. While mandates for polio and MMR vaccines remain, officials signaled intent to eventually repeal those laws as well. At a contentious workshop, pediatricians warned the move invites fatal outbreaks and endangers herd immunity, while state officials and supporters defended the rollback as a victory for parental rights and informed consent.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, December 12, 2025
The Bronx Wanderers at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, Paul Renner on Free for All Fridays, the imagined Byzantine genesis of Alexander Calder’s sculptures.

No, Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism Are Not the Same
Anti-Zionism and antisemitism should be considered distinct concepts. Zionism is a political ideology. A cornerstone of liberal society is political debate, including subjecting ideologies to the stress test of critique. These ideologies include capitalism, socialism, social democracy, communism, ethno-nationalism, settler colonialism, theocracy, Islamism, Hindu nationalism and so on. In the right of others to support, oppose, analyze or criticize it, Zionism is — or at least should be — be no different.

DeSantis Unveils Final $117.4 Billion Budget: Raises for Police and Teachers, New College Takeover of USF-Sarasota
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a final $117.36 billion “Floridians First” budget for 2026-2027, proposing raises for teachers and law enforcement, plus $278 million for cancer research. The plan includes a controversial directive for New College to absorb USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. While touting record education investments, the proposal drew criticism from the teachers’ union. It also funds conservation, maintains tourism marketing, and supports a future property-tax slash amendment.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, December 11, 2025
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, ‘Greetings,’ A Christmas Comedy at Daytona Playhouse, chorales and Van Loon on the human voice.

Active Clubs Are White Supremacy’s New, Dangerous Frontier
Small local organizations called Active Clubs have spread widely across the U.S. and internationally, using fitness as a cover for a much more alarming mission. These groups are a new and harder-to-detect form of white supremacist organizing that merges extremist ideology with fitness and combat sports culture. Active Clubs frame themselves as innocuous workout groups on digital platforms and decentralized networks to recruit, radicalize and prepare members for racist violence. The clubs commonly use encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, Wire and Matrix to coordinate internally.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Clay Jones on the latest Kennedy Center medal recipients, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, at Athens Theatre, Tig Notaro, a pair of opera glasses tumble, journalists’ arrogance.

Fasting Won’t Cleanse Your Body, Or Beat Cancer
While fasting can influence metabolism, immunity and some aspects of cell growth, there is no credible evidence that prolonged water fasting can treat or cure cancer. Cancer itself often leads to malnutrition, and fasting can accelerate wasting (cachexia), weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to infection. Many cancer patients are undergoing chemotherapies that require adequate nutrition to maintain organ function and safely metabolise drugs.

Council on American-Islamic Relations Will Sue DeSantis Over ‘Defamatory’ Designation as ‘Terrorist’ Organization
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Tuesday it will go to court to challenge an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis that designated the group as a “terrorist” organization.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
The Flagler County School Board, with newly selected Chair Christy Chong and Supreme Vice Chair Will Furry, meets, the Flagler County Planning Board meets, Ex-Firefighter James Melady in the second day of trial, David Rousset.

Florida’s New Reporting System Is Shining a Light on Human Trafficking
The criminologists who research human trafficking and founded the University of South Florida’s Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab, known as the TIP lab, study human trafficking in Florida. Labor and sex trafficking hide in plain sight, embedded in ordinary settings such as hotels, restaurants, farms, massage businesses and private homes. Most victims are trafficked by someone they know or trust – a family member, intimate partner or employer. Many continue to go to school or work while being exploited.

Florida Democrats Put Affordability Atop 2026 Legislative Agenda
Florida Democrats have housing affordability and government efficiency on their minds a month out from the start of the 2026 legislative session. “What we have seen is that we have a lame duck governor and I think that the Legislature has taken back some of its co-equal power as a branch of government,” Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman, of Boca Raton, said during a news conference in the Capitol Monday. “And I’m hopeful that as this session goes on, we in the House and the Senate in both parties are able to work together and do things that really do affect affordability and that affect peoples’ lives.”

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, December 8, 2025
The Bunnell commission is set to approve, on second reading, one of the largest-ever rezoning of agricultural land to industrial in Florida–a 1,259-acre switch, the groundbreaking for Flagler County Fire Station 51, a message to Augie March.
Commentary

Dogs Helping Regulate Stress Even More than Expected
In a 2022 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, more than one-third of respondents reported that on most days, they feel “completely overwhelmed” by stress. Pet dogs help humans feel more relaxed. This would explain the growing phenomenon of people relying on emotional support dogs to assist them in navigating everyday life. Dog owners have also been shown to have a 24% lower risk of death and a four times greater chance of surviving for at least a year after a heart attack.

Unless You’re a Developer, a Lobbyist, or a Fetus, Your Florida Lawmakers Don’t Care for You
Ever get the feeling the Florida Legislature hates you? It does. Unless you’re a developer, a lobbyist, or a fetus. Members are filing hell-born bills for the 2026 session, many apparently designed to torment you, rob your children of their futures, and reduce this state to an ICE-filled, disease ridden, constantly flooding, unaffordable autocracy.

A Message From Lauren Johnston as She Returns to Assistant City Manager Role
Lauren Johnston, acting Palm Coast City Manager since March 2024, returns to her former role as assistant city manager on Dec. 17, the day Michael McGlothlin assumes the title of City Manager. Johnston released the following message this week.
















