As the 2026 Florida Legislative Session begins, lawmakers are prioritizing cultural symbols and controversial social reforms. Proposals range from replacing the mockingbird with the flamingo to implementing “fetal personhood” laws and cutting essential healthcare and food assistance. While Democrats seek transparency for ICE detainees, the Republican majority focuses on deregulating environmental protections and restricting abortion access. The session reflects a deep ideological divide, pitting local conservation and public health against developer interests and hardline partisan agendas.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 18, 2025
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Two Palm Coast Homes Lost to Fires in 36 Hours, with Propane Tank Explosions at Both
Two accidental fires destroyed homes in Palm Coast’s B-section and F-section over a 36-hour period Thursday and Friday. Both incidents involved propane tank explosions and rapid attic spread, forcing firefighters to use defensive tactics. Despite the total loss of their properties, no residents or firefighters were injured.
Killing Renee Nicole Good and Stand Your Ground
Seen through Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minnesota highlights the dangerous subjectivity of moment-of-threat self-defense claims and the equally dangerous expansion of law enforcement immunity, which weakens reasonable use-of-force standards and immunizes lethal vigilantism.
State Attorney Charges 15-Year-Old as Adult in Flagler Kidnapping and Torture Case
State Attorney R.J. Larizza has charged 15-year-old Junior Bishop as an adult following the alleged kidnapping and torture of an 11-year-old boy. Bishop faces up to 30 years for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and reckless fleeing. Darnell Hairston, the alleged kidnapper, faces up to life in prison if convicted.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Jane Gentile-Youd, Flagler County’s Tenacious, Mercurial Civic Firebrand and Commission Fixture, Dies at 82
Jane Gentile-Youd, a prominent and often controversial civic advocate in Flagler County, has died at age 82. Known for her relentless presence at County Commission meetings, she spent decades challenging local officials and championing causes like the demolition of the Old Dixie Motel. Despite health struggles and fierce political battles, she remained a passionate, multifaceted figure whose legacy of tenacity and community service spans from Miami-Dade to Flagler, leaving an indelible mark on local politics.
$15 Million Over Budget, Nothing Built Since State Guard Facility ‘Broke Ground’ in Bunnell in 2024. Sheriff Is Not Pleased.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is frustrated over the stalled $10 million Florida State Guard training facility in Bunnell. The state-managed project is over two years behind schedule and facing projected costs of $25 million. Staly criticized the Department of Management Services for inefficiency and massive budget overruns, suggesting the project would already be finished if he’d managed it through a direct state grant.
Palm Coast Couple Faces Felony Charges After Toddler and Elderly Relative Found in Unlivable Conditions
Nikolas Cummings and Tashaye Brown were arrested in Palm Coast after authorities discovered a toddler and an 87-year-old man living in extreme filth. Flagler County deputies found the home infested with cockroaches, which were seen crawling over the sleeping child. The elderly victim was found on a soiled mattress, neglected and unable to access proper food or medicine. Both suspects face felony charges for child and elderly neglect.
Jill Woolbright, Controversial Former School Board Member and Culture Warrior, Files to Run Again
Former Flagler County School Board member Jill Woolbright, who claimed she was in “satanic warfare” against the district, has filed to run for the District 1 seat she’d held for two years. She faces newcomer Cathy Lynn Moon, a retired postal executive focused on fiscal efficiency and public school advocacy. The district is grappling with stagnant enrollment and the rising impact of state private-school vouchers, an issue both candidates address.
Palm Coast Set to Take On $582 Million Debt Over 30 Years and Invest $600 Million in City’s Utility Over the Next 5
The Palm Coast City Council is poised to approve a $280 million bond issuance and $45 million refinancing to fund a $599 million utility capital improvement plan. The resulting $582 million debt, to be repaid over 30 years, is already integrated into recent rate increases. While the investment aims to modernize aging infrastructure and satisfy state orders, officials face criticism regarding the city’s failure to secure grants, leaving residents to bear the primary financial burden.
The New Face of Homelessness: Flagler County Shelter Sees Occupancy Double Amid Affordability Crisis
Flagler County’s cold-weather shelter, The Sheltering Tree, is experiencing a significant surge in demand as freezing temperatures arrive. Rising housing costs, increased healthcare premiums, and recent federal benefit disruptions have pushed many working-class residents into housing instability. Local officials report that occupancy has doubled, with many guests arriving directly from their jobs. Supported by local churches and county-provided transportation, the volunteer-run operation struggles to meet the growing needs of a community in crisis.
A Surprise Tribute for Nancy Crouch as ‘Turtle Trail Artists’ Exhibit Opens in Palm Coast
More than 150 guests attended the Sunday opening of the “Turtle Trail Artists of Flagler County” exhibition at Expressions Art Gallery. The event featured new works by the creators of the county’s public sea turtle sculptures. During the reception, arts advocate Nancy Crouch was honored with a miniature replica of “Claude,” the trail’s inaugural sculpture.
‘That Pains Me’: Flagler Commission Will End $359,000 Senior Daycare Program Amid Tax Revenue Concerns
In a major retreat from safety-net responsibilities, the Flagler County Commission is shutting down the $359,000 adult day care program it’s managed for two decades. Commissioners agreed at a workshop on Monday to close the program by the end of the fiscal year in September. Commissioners cited unsustainable subsidies helping too few clients. Some 25 to 50 clients who may have no alternative will be affected. Fearing future property tax revenue cuts from state legislation, the county will now develop an exit plan for the program’s remaining vulnerable clients.
Council Candidate Jeanie Duarte Escorted Out of City Hall Over Public Comment Policy Violation
Palm Coast City Council candidate Jeanie Duarte was escorted by a sheriff’s deputy from a council meeting this morning after continuing to speak in violation of public comment rules. Duarte again attacked the legitimacy of Council member Charles Gambaro’s tenure despite a court’s ruling, and made other unsubstantiated allegations.
County Administrator Heidi Petito Survives Firing Attempt by Kim Carney, But Her Days Are Numbered
County Administrator Heidi Petito barely survived a motion by Commissioner Kim Carney to fire her Monday night before an empty chamber, at the very end of a meeting that had stretched past the three-hour mark, and in an off-agenda maneuver fellow-Commissioner Andy Dance said was improper.
Flagler County’s New Nexus Center Aims to Compete with Palm Coast and Hilton in Local Event Market
Flagler County is positioning its new Nexus Center–the South Side library–as an event venue to compete with local community centers and hotels. Library Director Holly Albanese presented a fee schedule featuring a $200 hourly rate for the 2,500-square-foot community room, alongside options for gallery and portico rentals.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
January 2026
Jan 18 2026
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Flagler School District Bus Depot
Jan 18 2026
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
European Village
Jan 18 2026
Al-Anon Family Groups
Bridges United Methodist Fellowship
Jan 18 2026
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre
City Repertory Theatre at City Marketplace
Jan 19 2026
East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board Meeting
Jan 19 2026
Nar-Anon Family Group
St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church
Jan 20 2026
Palm Coast City Council Meeting
Palm Coast City Hall
Jan 20 2026
In Court: Angel Marie Sexton Sentencing
Flagler County courthouse
Jan 20 2026
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church
Jan 20 2026
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
Flagler County Public Library
Jan 20 2026
Flagler Beach Library Writers’ Club
315 South 7th Street, Flagler Beach
Jan 20 2026
Random Acts of Insanity Standup Comedy
Cinematique of Daytona Beach
No event found!
The Conversation
Before Venezuela’s Oil, There Were Guatemala’s Bananas
U.S. military intervention in Latin America has largely been covert. And when the U.S. orchestrated the coup that ousted Guatemala’s democratically elected president in 1954, the U.S. covered up the role that economic considerations played in that operation. By the early 1950s, Guatemala had become a top source for the bananas Americans consumed, as it remains today. The United Fruit Company owned over 550,000 acres of Guatemalan land, largely thanks to its deals with previous dictatorships.
Florida and Beyond
Saturday in Byblos
Claptrapped in the Underworld: Karl Ove Knausgaard’s ‘Morning Star’
Karl Ove Knausgaard’s “The Morning Star” following nine interconnected Norwegians over two sweltering August days, using a sudden celestial event to explore the boundaries of life and death. The narrative is addictive and atmospheric but devolves into incoherent theological meanderings and dangling plot threads. Knausgaard proves to be a masterful architect of labyrinths but an ultimately unsatisfying guide through them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Margaret Chase Smith’s Declaration of Conscience, ICE shootings, The Rainbow Bridge Dedication at Holland Park, ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre.
Brightline and Other Trains Are Killing Pedestrians
In 2018, high-speed passenger trains branded as Brightline started running along the formerly freight-only Florida East Coast Railway. Initial service from Miami to West Palm Beach was extended to Orlando in 2023. Unfortunately, the southern end of the line is in the spotlight because of collisions with pedestrians and motor vehicles. Over the past decade, an average of 900 pedestrians lost their lives each year in the U.S., and another 150 motor vehicle occupants died in collisions at highway-rail grade crossings.
More Florida and Beyond
Florida Obamacare Enrollment Sees Sharpest Drop in 12 Years
The number of Floridians relying on a federal health care exchange established under the Affordable Care Act has dropped by more than 261,000 people after Republicans in Congress let expire the enhanced premium tax credits that help hold down coverage costs.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 16, 2026
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre, Ken Belshe, the Veranda Bay and Summertown developer, on Free For All Friday, the Flagler County Cultural Council meets, Peter Arnett.
Ranked Choice Voting Beats Winner-Take-All
Plurality voting is notorious for producing winners without majority support in races that have more than two candidates. Plurality can also encourage dishonest voting. An increasingly well-known alternative to plurality voting is ranked choice voting. It’s used statewide in Maine and Alaska and in dozens of municipalities, including New York City.
Florida Supreme Court Rules America Bar Association Should Not Alone Accredit Law Schools
Amid mounting pressure from conservatives on the national lawyer group, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the state should “end its reliance on the American Bar Association” as the sole accreditor of law schools. In most cases, Florida requires people to graduate from accredited law schools to be eligible to take the bar exam to practice law. The American Bar Association has served as the state’s lone accreditor for more than three decades.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 15, 2026
The Cold-Weather Shelter known as the Sheltering Tree will open tonight, Marineland Town Commission meeting, Model Yacht Club Races, Israel’s continuing demolition of houses in Gaza.
The U.S. Military’s Long History in Greenland
President Donald Trump’s insistence that the U.S. will acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not” is just the latest chapter in a codependent and often complicated relationship between America and the Arctic’s largest island – one that stretches back more than a century but has recently been on the rocks.
‘Dredging Up Some of His Greatest Hits,’ DeSantis Delivers Final State-of-State Address
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent most of his 30-minute final “State of the State” address to the Florida Legislature looking back on his seven years in office, giving minimal attention to the agenda he’s focused on during his last year in office.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
The Public Safety Coordinating Council meets, Randy Fine’s eyes on Iceland, the Svalbard Islands, Nunavut and Madagascar, Louis Jordan wonders what’s the use of getting sober, Separation Chat, Open Discussion.
AI Is Changing Our Relationship with Art
AI influences decision-making, trust and human agency. This new reality is not a cause for doom. However, now that it’s becoming much harder – if not impossible – to tell whether something is created by a human or a machine, it’s worth asking what’s gained and what’s lost from this technology. Most importantly, what does it say about what we truly value in art?
Senate Panel Moves to Scale Back Controversial Growth Law Known as SB180
After getting hit with lawsuits and objections from local officials, a Florida Senate committee on Tuesday approved scaling back a 2025 law that included temporarily blocking cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans. The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 8-0 to approve a bill (SB 840), sponsored by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, that would revise the law.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council meets for a lengthy in workshop, the Community Traffic Safety Team meets, as does the School Board, on things concluding themselves, John Cleese on religion, Gide on a lost note.
Trump’s Media-Muzzling Lawsuits Threaten America’s Free Press
Trump has always been litigious. Over the course of his life, he has been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits. Many of these involved Trump suing for defamation over perceived threats to his reputation. Relatively few, however, have been successful, if success is defined as prevailing in courts of law. But using litigation as a tool for intimidation can produce other results that can count as victory. The president may be using the courts as a tool not to correct the record but to muzzle potential watchdogs and deprive the public of the facts they need to hold him accountable.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins is 4th Republican Running for Governor as DeSantis Hangs Fire on Endorsement
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins officially entered the 2026 gubernatorial race on Monday, emphasizing his alignment with the “America First” agenda and President Donald Trump. His announcement follows a notable cooling in relations with Governor Ron DeSantis, who recently declined to offer an explicit endorsement. Collins joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes Congressman Byron Donalds and Palm Coast’s Paul Renner. Despite the perceived friction, Collins continues to publicly support the Governor’s current policy platform.
Commentary
The 6-7 Craze Cracked a Window Into Hidden World of Children
Many adults are breathing a sigh of relief as the 6-7 meme fades away as one of the biggest kid-led global fads of 2025. In case you managed to miss it, 6-7 is a slang term – spoken aloud as “six seven” – accompanied by an arm gesture that mimics someone weighing something in their hands.
The Sunshine State’s 2026 Forecast: Guns, Grifters, and the End of the Woke University
As 2026 begins, Florida’s landscape is defined by aggressive conservatism and cultural upheaval, from DeSantis’s rumored charm school preparations for 2028 to legislative efforts to protect Confederate monuments and expand book bans. Development, football, and ideology collide in the Free State.
Oath Keepers Redux: From Prison Back to Power
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, whose sentence was commuted by President Trump in 2025, announced the far-right militia’s relaunch. Leveraging a “sacred” pledge to the Constitution to recruit veterans, Rhodes plans a decentralized, “cancel-proof” structure with resilient IT. Experts warn that the lack of consequences for Jan. 6 crimes is emboldening the group’s return to prominence.