Florida is home to at least 30,000 people who could be affected and is the base for exponentially more Hispanic voters who could be critical to next year’s elections.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights: For Workers
At the end of his last State of the Union message to Congress in 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlined an ambition plan for a “Second Bill of Rights” to ensure “”economic security and independence.”
Unemployment Ticks Up to 4.4% as Job Creation Slows to 156,000 and Wages Lag
Where it matters most, in wages, workers are not seeing improvements even as the economy recorded its 83rd straight month of job growth. Corporate profits remain healthy.
Labor Day Weekend Briefing: Last Days Of Summer, Espanola Road Work, Judy Taylor’s Labor History, Antifa
A blessedly quiet, uneventful Labor Day weekend in Flagler, Judy Taylor’s great mural, a few words for woeking people, Dreamers on the edge, media’s antifa trap.
Supreme Court Backs Scott, 5-2, In Death Penalty Battle With State Attorney Ayala
Scott removed Ayala from handling capital cases earlier this year, shortly after she announced her office would not pursue the death penalty for defendants.
Development and Disasters: A Deadly Combination Well Beyond Houston
Scientists warn of more and expanding “bull’s-eyes” as Americans build in parts of the country at ever greater risk because of climate change and severe weather.
Thursday Briefing: Rymfire Open House, Overdose Awareness at Veterans Park, Rescue Training at Old Food Lion, Orhan Pamuk
An Overdose Awareness event at Flagler Beach’s Veterans Park includes a memorial service, firefighters are training in the old Food Lion shopping center, Orhan Pamuk talks about his latest novel.
The Brutality Behind Trump’s Arpaio Pardon
The president called Joe Arpaio, a man who chronically violated people’s constitutional rights, a “patriot.” What does that make his victims?
Michael Thomas, 2nd in Command at FHP, Resigns Over Ticket-Quota Inquiry
It is the latest fallout from an ongoing investigation into whether troopers were told to meet a traffic-ticket quota, Lt. Col. Michael Thomas was a 30-year veteran and deputy director for the FHP.
Wednesday Briefing: Heat Index to 105, Senior Focus Group, Friends of A1A, FWC in Houston, Millicent Fenwick
ElderSource facilitates a senior focus group to figure out what senior needs there are in Palm Coast and Flagler, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife officers are providing big rescue help in Houston.
White Supremacists Joked About Using Cars To Run Over Opponents Before Charlottesville
Leaked chat room conversations by white supremacists reveal expectations of violence — along with detailed planning and intelligence gathering on left-wing adversaries.
Tuesday Briefing: Scams, Skims and Cons, Going Solar in Palm Coast, Snelgrove Status, Houston 1st and Last
The Palm Coast council talks about what it learned from Hurricane Matthew and installs solar devices, it’s still about Houston, convicted murderer David Snelgrove back in court.
Millionaire John Goodman, Battling DUI Manslaughter Conviction, Disputes Blood Tests
Justices will hear arguments about whether the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has adequate rules to ensure that blood-alcohol tests conducted in DUI cases provide accurate results.
Monday Briefing: County’s Eyes On Bunnell Fire Department, Medical Pot Dispensaries in Bunnell, Dwayne Taylor Trial, Houston
Flagler County and Bunnell governments talk about Bunnell ceding its fire operations to the county, Bunnell talks medical pot dispensaries, which it will likely ban, how to Help Houston flood victims.
Florida Lawmakers to Review Law Targeting Injured Undocumented Workers
A top Florida lawmaker and a national insurance fraud group criticized a law used by insurers to turn in injured undocumented workers and avoid paying workers’ comp benefits.
Weekend Briefing: Child Safety, Scenic A1A Land Use Concerns, National Parks Birthday, FYO Tour, Birch Bayh
The Scenic A1A Pride Committee is worried about potential land use changes in the Hammock, a sheriff’s demonstration to keep children safe in cars, CPR class, Willie Nelson’s guitar.
Mark James Asay Is Executed for 1987 Jacksonville Murders, 24th on Scott’s Watch
Asay is the first Florida inmate to be put to death in more than 19 months and the first execution under a lethal injection procedure never used before in Florida or any other state.
Thursday Briefing: Tager Breakfast, Execution Vigil Bus, Weldon Ryan, Flagler Beach Budget, Repairing Willie’s Guitar
Superintendent James Tager headlines Common Ground Breakfast, Weldon Ryan at European Village, a vigil bus picks up in Palm Coast before heading to latest execution in Starke, a reading list for every state.
Wednesday Briefing: Heat Index to 105, Construction Update, Johnston Trifecta, Losing Afghanistan
School Board member Colleen Conklin, Homebuilder Association’s Jason DeLorenzo speaks to economic board, Citizens insurance rate at issue, losing in Afghanistan.
Florida Supreme Court Admits to Mistake But Clears Record 24th Execution on Scott’s Watch
Lawyers for Mark James Asay, convicted of killing Robert Booker and Robert McDowell in 1987, asked for a new hearing after the Florida Supreme Court issued a rare mea culpa for mistaking one of the victims as black.
Tuesday Briefing: Eric Floyd Trial, iPad Distribution at Rymfire, Orchids, Chamber Orientation, Self-Playing Violins
Palm Coast’s Eric Floyd goes on trial on four charges of raping a teen girl in his charge, iPads distributed to 4th and 6th graders at Rymfire, Merkel’s fame, an IPA with pot.
Proposal To Replace Statue of Confederate Gen. Smith With One of Mary McLeod Bethune
State Sen. Perry Thurston proposed a resolution to have Bethune replace Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith as one of Florida’s two representatives in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
Monday Briefing: Eclipse Starts At 1:18, Peaks at 2:49 PM, Mosquito Control Eclipse at 10 AM
It’s all about the eclipse today, but it’s also about the troubled Mosquito Control board meeting, and the Flagler County Commission considering a take-over of Bunnell’s fire department.
Confederate Monuments’ Phony History
The irony of the debate over removal of Confederate monuments is that it supposes a removal of history when the monuments themselves were intended to re-write it.
Mitt Romney: “There May Commence An Unraveling of Our National Fabric”
In forceful terms, the former GOP p[residential nominee calls on Donald Trump to apologize and denounce white supremacists and other racists without equivocation or equivalencies.
Weekend Briefing: Home and Garden Show, DSC Enrollment Day, Surfers For Autism, GOP Kickoff
Surfers For Autism all day Saturday in Flagler Beach, enrollment day at Daytona State, Flagler Republicans kick off their 2018 campaign, Steinbeck on Florida, Vermeer and the 19th Amendment.
Embroiled In Supremacist Controversy, Trump Reaches For Scott As Lunch Buddy
Scott had lunch with Trump at a New Jersey golf resort, as the president continued to draw criticism for comments about a white nationalist rally.
How One City Took Down Its Confederate Monuments: A Stealth History Lesson
After Charlottesville, Baltimore’s removal of Confederate statues in the dead of night was the city’s latest attempt to make peace with the ghosts of the Civil War. Other cities may be taking note.
Thursday Briefing: The Inspired Mic at Europa, Brice Wright, Heat Index to 107, Band Instruments, DSC Trustees
The Inspired Mic is another night at the improvs at European Village’s New Europa, the Daytona State trustees meet, band instrument distribution at Buddy Taylor, plus another scorcher.
“I Didn’t Serve To Defend Neo-Nazis,” Gov. Scott Says, Distancing Himself From Trump
Pam Bondi, meanwhile, endorsed UF President Kent Fuchs’s denial of a request to allow white nationalist leader Richard Spencer to speak on campus next month.
UF Prepares For White Supremacist Richard Spencer, a Rally Participant in Charlottesville
National Policy Institute President Richard Spencer, who made an appearance at the Charlottesville event, could speak at the University of Florida next month. Authorities are taking measures.
A New Generation of White Supremacists, Better Organized, Emerges in Charlottesville
A group that included many people who were college-educated or ex-military displayed effective planning. “White people are pretty good at getting organized,” said one.
Gov. Scott Seeks Amendment To Require Supermajority When Lawmakers Raise Taxes
Gov. Scott didn’t define the meaning of “supermajority” but 15 states, liberal and conservative, already have the requirement of from 60 to 75 percent supermajorities when lawmakers raise taxes.
Three Ways the Trump Administration Has Downplayed White Supremacy
In the weeks leading up to the protests, Trump and those close to him have often played down the real threat of violence being committed by white supremacists on a regular basis across the country.
Kim Jong-Trump
There is no pre-emptive military option against North Korea. None. No matter how much Korea “provokes.” There is only containment, and shutting up Donald Trump.
Not This Time: Supreme Court Rejects Re-Sentencing For Murderer of 13-Year-Old Girl
Hitchcock was sent to Death Row after a 10-2 jury recommendation. Attorneys argued that the new unanimity standard should retroactively apply to his case and lead to a new sentencing hearing.
Big Pharma Bullies: How Insurers Force You To Buy Name-Brand Drugs Instead of Generic
Some pharmaceutical companies are cutting deals with insurance companies to favor their brand-name products over cheaper generics. Insurers pay less, but sometimes consumers pay more.
Clash Continues Ahead of Aug. 24 Execution Over Lethal Injection Drug Never Before Used
Asay’s execution would be the first carried out in Florida since a January 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found Florida’s death penalty sentencing system was unconstitutional.
Wednesday Briefing: Canales In Court, School Open Houses, Lifeguard Championship, Einaudi’s Elegy For the Arctic
One day from school opening, a half dozen schools have open houses and meet the teacher days, Jonathan Canales, accused of shooting his wife, is back in court, Ludovico Einaudi on the ice for the Arctic.
Alarming Federal Report On Global Warming Elicits Fears Trump Will Suppress It
The report all but erases doubt that climate change is the result of human activity and that warming will worsen, but it’s awaiting President Trump’s approval and that of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Upwards Mobility Bunk: Don’t Lie to Poor Kids About Why They’re Poor, And Will Stay Poor
What happens when children born into poverty run face first into the crushing reality that the society they live in really isn’t that fair at all? Hard work has nothing to do with it.
Florida’s State Colleges Will See Their First Enrollment Increase in Seven Years
A new state forecast projects a 1 percent growth rate in enrollment in the 28 colleges during the 2017-18 academic year, representing the equivalent of 324,109 full-time students.
In Some States, Sales Tax Holidays Lose Luster as Hype Overshadows Cost
Tax holidays don’t increase buying but merely concentrate it around specific dates. They’re regressive. They’re more political than useful: in Florida, the Legislature turned down Gov. Scott’s request for 10 days.
Trump Will Win In 2020
There’s nothing original in Donald Trump’s presidency when seen through Nixon-colored glasses, considering the similarities–and the invaluable help both got from Democrats to get elected.
Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs in 82nd Straight Month of Growth, Unemployment at 4.3%
The unemployment rate was last this low in 2001, at the end of the Clinton boom, though wages have only recently started to improve at a pace ahead of inflation.
Half of Floridians Now Off Land Lines, Underscoring Need For Stronger Cell Coverage
An estimated 51 percent of homes in the state were wireless-only in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of traditional residential wirelines in the state dropped 15 percent from 2015 to 2016.
Thursday Briefing: Palm Coast’s Once and Future Managers, Tager’s Message, Muslim Ban
Palm Coast discusses its future, freshman orientation at Matanzas High School, Flagler Democrats meet to hear about the Trump Muslim ban.
Wednesday Briefing: Superintendent Tager’s Back to School Welcome, Computers at Buddy Taylor, Mozart’s Only Trio
Superintendent James Tager welcomes district staff on employees’ first day back, computers are handed out to students at Buddy Taylor, Mozart’s only string trio in a great performance.
Gov. Scott’s Emily Hysterics
Even Tropical Storm/Depression Emily cried foul at Gov. Scott’s, sleazy, opportunistic hyping of what was no more than an overheated summer storm: look at how fast she high-tailed it out of the state.
Tuesday Briefing: Flagler Beach Comp Plan, Dual Enrollment, iPads for K-3 Students, Alex Jones
The School Board will spend $400,000 on iPads for K-3 students, Palm Coast will spend $200,000 on a dubious traffic plan, Alex Jones is deconstructed, Stephen King is in disbelief.