Calling the state’s criminal justice system “outdated,” Tampa Democratic state Rep. Dianne Hart filed a proposal this week (HB 115) that would allow non-violent offenders to reduce their mandatory time served from 85 percent to 65 percent through their successful completion of academic and other learning courses while incarcerated.
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U.S. Economy Adds 223,000 Jobs in December, Easing Fears of Recession for Now
The national economy is steadily losing power even as it continues to generate enough new jobs to lower the unemployment rate: 223,000 new jobs in December. That’s the lowest total in two years, but still nowhere near recession territory.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 6, 2023
First Friday in Flagler Beach, Always, Patsy Cline, at the Flagler Auditorium, the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on Congress and democracy.
How Netanyahu’s Far-Right Government Threatens Israeli Democracy
The new Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu and sworn in on Dec. 29, 2022, is a coalition of the most extreme right-wing and religious parties in the history of the state. This government presents a major threat to Israeli democracy, and it does so on multiple fronts.
Brenan Hill Now Faces Murder Charge as Savannah Gonzalez, Victim in Microtel Shooting, Dies
Brenan Hill now faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting of Savannah Gonzalez near the Microtel in Palm Coast in March 2021. The State Attorney’s Office today filed the new charge. Hill is scheduled for an August trial.
Ex-Palm Coast Doctor Facing Rape and Deceit Allegations Says He Was Never Served
A year and a half after a civil lawsuit was filed against him, claiming he deceived, drugged and raped a woman at a condo in Palm Coast, Dr. Gerard Abate says he was never served. A judge will decide whether Abate or a process server are telling the truth at a hearing next week.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 5, 2023
Somnolence in Flagler, the marathoner who finished the race with a bullet in the head, how writers draw empty houses at book-signings, Don DeLillo’s Somnolence in Flagler, White Noise.
Perils Ahead, No Matter Who Is Speaker of the House
The arm-twisting, dealmaking and vote hunting around Kevin McCarthy’s quest to be named House speaker have put on full display the fact that razor-thin majorities in both the House and the Senate create legislative and institutional uncertainty that has very real consequences for how Congress is run and how policy gets made.
Flagler Jail Eliminates All Hard-Copy Mail to Inmates as Scanning and Tablets Replace Paper
All hard-copy mail delivery to the Flagler County jail’s 225-some inmates has been replaced by scans of mail. It is part of a sweeping change in the handling of inmate mail across the state at least 14 other states as prisons and jails cut down on incoming materials. The switch has drawn sharp criticism from prisoner advocates and strong support by those implementing it, as in Flagler.
3 Florida Republicans–Gaetz, Luna, Donalds–Among Opponents of McCarthy for Speaker
Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach, Anna Tuesday Paulina Luna of St. Petersburg, and Byron Donalds of Naples joined 17 other conservative GOP members on Tuesday, and again in today’s first round, to oppose McCarthy from taking the top job in the House.