Flagler County Elections Supervisor puts to rest any fear or claim that the Nov. 8 election may be rigged, that fraudulent votes may be cast, or that dead people will be voting locally.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Your Election Will Not Be “Rigged”
Before You Celebrate Clinton’s Win: The Democrats’ Bad Downballot Map
Hillary Clinton looks increasingly likely to win the White House, but her party faces a big obstacle to success in congressional races — Democrats are sorting themselves into geographic clusters where many of their votes have been rendered all but superfluous.
The Best and Worst Presidents on Taxes
Ronald Reagan was among the worst–and the best–when it came to tax fairness, Teddy Roosevelt isn’t given enough credit, but a majority of American presidents did little by way of making the tax code fairer. It’s often been the opposite, argues Sarah Anderson.
Citing Secular Protocol, Florida Athletic Association Rejects Schools’ Claim That Prayer Was Muzzled
Florida law does not require, and for good and valid reason does not permit, the FHSAA to promote prayer through state-run public address systems, the athletic association argues.
Weekend Briefing: Halloween Boo Bash, Haunted Trails, Ethics Commission, Toys for Tots, David Mamet
Toys for Tots registration begins this weekend, the Halloween Boo Bash is at Belle Terre Park, Haunted Trails at the Agriculture Museum, Ivanka Trump and the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.
Florida Justices Overturn 42-Year-Old Death Sentence in “Black Revolutionary Army” Killing
Jacob John Dougan, Jr., now 69, was convicted in the 1974 murder of Stephen Orlando, an 18-year-old white man, whose body was found in Jacksonville Beach accompanied by a note signed by the “Black Revolutionary Army.”
Thursday Briefing: County Take-Over of Agriculture Museum, Costume Party at Beachfront Grill, Obama in South Florida
The County Commission considers taking over the Florida Agriculture Museum, which is out of money, Flagler Democrats hold happy hour, Beachfront Grill in Flagler Beach hosts a costume party, President Obama campaigns for Clinton in South Florida.
Solar Amendment 1 Called a “Con Job” By Utilities as Tape Exposes Political “Jiu-Jitsu”
Solar-energy supporters fighting a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot expressed outrage Wednesday after a policy director for a Tallahassee-based think tank was caught on tape discussing utility-industry efforts to deceive voters.
Several New Leases Signed at City Marketplace as Occupancy Reaches a Third of Units
John C. Bills Properties, The owner of City Marketplace in Palm Coast, announced the signing of several new leases over the past four months, with new calls inquiring about space to rent coming in daily, a company release announced. Existing tenants are also renewing their leases.
13-Year-Old Girl Finds Burglar In B-Section House and Helps Lead to His and His Brother’s Arrest
David Willett, 30 and his brother Alex Hagget, 25, both of Palm Coast, had allegedly planned a burglary on Birchwood Drive when the girl found Willett coming out of her brother’s bedroom as she came home from school Monday.
Senate Race Too Close to Call as Murphy Gains on Rubio, Picking Up Independents
Rubio leads by a margin of 49 percent to 47 percent in the Quinnipiac University poll, which was conducted before the candidates battled in a televised debate Monday night. The two-point difference is within the poll’s margin of error.
Continuing Series of Voting-Rights Decisions, Judge Rules Against State on Disputed Ballot Signatures
The 30-page ruling Sunday by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker focused on situations in which voters’ signatures submitted with mail-in ballots do not appear to match signatures on file with county supervisors of elections. Under a 2004 law, such mail-in ballots are rejected.
Early Voting: A Dissent
Early voting gives political parties and special interests a chance to manipulate, to lock up blocs of votes in advance of Election Day and to keep opposition parties and candidates from offering another viewpoint, argues Nancy Smith.
Florida Supreme Court in Seminal Decision Rules Death Penalty Verdicts Must Be Unanimous
The court’s 5-2 decision, which will immediately affect 40 inmates and many of the 385 others on death row, ends Florida’s status as an outlier state where non-unanimous death penalty recommendations were allowed.
Swinging Through Florida, Trump Paints Election as Apocalyptic Choice
Speaking to thousands of cheering supporters at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, Trump painted Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as a pawn of a global establishment who would usher in the destruction of the nation.
Overruling Scott, Judge Orders Voter Registration Deadline Extended at Least Through Wednesday
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker also set up a Wednesday morning hearing to consider a request by the Florida Democratic Party to keep registration open until Oct. 18 — a week after the initial deadline was set to pass.
Florida Highway Tolls Lifted, Some Hospitals in Volusia, Brevard and Duval Evacuate
Highway tolls were lifted in counties with evacuation orders as Florida continued Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of the slow-moving, powerful and deadly Hurricane Matthew.
Scott and Cabinet Poised for $16 Million Sensitive Land Buy, Largest in 10 Years
The land, known as Horn Spring Woods, contains 10 natural springs, has nearly 10 miles of meandering frontage along the St. Marks River and would help create an environmental corridor linking the St. Marks River Preserve State Park to the north, the Fanlew Preserve and Aucilla Wildlife Management Area to the east, and the Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park to the south.
Clinton Surges Ahead in Latest Florida Poll as Alternate Candidates Fade
Hillary Clinton took a decisive five-point lead on Donald Trump in Florida the latest Quinnipiac University poll after being tied with him for two months, with voting already under way in the state. She also leads in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, but remains behind in Ohio.
If Trump Ever Had My Vote, He Just Lost It
If Trump secretly conducted business in communist Cuba while Fidel Castro was its president, the Republican presidential nominee should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not elected to the highest office in the land.
Florida Push to Legalize Medical Marijuana Gets $1 Million Boost, Aiding Amendment 2 Vote
It’s the largest single contribution received by supporters of Amendment 2 and comes as the battle over the constitutional question heats up in advance of the Nov. 8 election.
Clinton Regains Lead in Florida as Debate Bounce Ripples and Trump Stumbles
Coming out of their first televised debate, Democrat Hillary Clinton holds a narrow lead over Republican Donald Trump in the critical battleground state of Florida, a new poll shows.
After Reaching Record Pace, Executions in Florida Are on Hold as Ruling Muddies Syringes
Executions are on hold, judges across the state are postponing death penalty cases, and defense lawyers are seeking additional reviews in the aftermath of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January that struck down Florida’s death-penalty sentencing process.
Court Sees No Crime in Sarasota High Student’s Tweeted Threats to “Shoot Up” His School
A 16-year-old high school student who repeatedly threatened on Twitter to shoot up his school in Sarasota did not commit a crime because his threats were not directed at anyone in particular, the second District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.
Looking past the Obvious in Trump-Clinton I: Voters May Decide a Different Outcome
We have to reconsider what we thought we saw Monday night and discover how it played where it mattered, in counties such as those in western Pennsylvania, and those clustered along Interstate 4 in Florida. These, more than elite opinion-spinners clustered along our deep-blue coasts, will decide the Nov. 8 outcome, argues Tom Jackson.
Tampa Christian School Files Suit Over Ban on Loudspeaker Prayer at Football Game
The nonprofit that operates Cambridge Christian School in Tampa said the Florida High School Athletic Association violated its civil rights by banning the private school and its opponent from joining in prayer over the loudspeaker at the game.
Post-Debate, Clinton, Clinton and Trump Are Invading Florida in Hunt for 29 Electoral Votes
While Clinton works Southeast Florida, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will campaign Friday and Saturday across the top of the state, and Trump begins his visits Tuesday in solidly-Republican Melbourne.
Early Voting Facts and Myths
Research shows early voting increases turnout by 2 percent to 4 percent. In some cases, it particularly boosts voting among minorities, a constituency that tends to vote Democrat.
Panic: On the Prospect of a Trump Presidency
“I spent the past year making fun of Trump and taking it for granted that Hillary Clinton would demolish him. I didn’t take into account her fabulous skills for self-destruction or the country’s ripeness for mass delusion.”
Bright Futures Scholarships Could Expand to Summer to Speed Up Graduation Rates
Only 44 percent of students graduated in four years at 11 state universities. Summer scholarships would encourage more students to attend summer classes, increasing the chances they can graduate more quickly.
Florida Justices Let Felon Carry Hunting Rifle, Saying Prohibition Doesn’t Apply to Antique Guns
In a 5-2 decision, justices cleared Weeks on the gun-possession charge because state law treats antique firearms — and their replicas — different from other guns. The ruling said lawmakers exempted firearms manufactured in or before 1918 and their replicas from the prohibition on felons possessing guns.
Mindful of Orlando Massacre, FDLE Seeks to Extend Federal Terrorism Crimes to State Laws
Intent on preventing another mass nightclub shooting or a repeat of incidents this past weekend in New York and New Jersey, Florida’s top cop wants to bulk up the state’s anti-terrorism efforts.
The Climate Change Debate is Over: Seas and Temperatures Are Rising Dangerously
Increasing major storms and rising sea levels have long been predicted by climate models, and now they’re coming true. Time for deniers to concede defeat and become part of the solution, argues Todd Larsen.
Pam Bondi Is Shocked, Shocked Over Claim That Trump Donation Influenced Her Decisions
In a contentious session with reporters, Bondi said she had no regret about Trump’s $25,000 donation and refuted claims that it had influenced her decisions to dismiss allegations that Floridians had been bilked by Trump University.
Florida Universities Seeking $14.5 Million Extra To Meet Spiking Demand for Mental Health
Universities saw a 48 percent increase in demands for counseling and other mental health services, and an increase in emergency or crisis visits, involving issues like severe depression, acute anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Trump-Bashing’s Indictment as Americans’ Trust in Mainstream Media Sinks to a New Low
Covering Trump’s contradictory and rash statements is one thing. That’s the media’s job. But there isn’t a commentator or an anchor on CNN who doesn’t wear a Clinton heart on his or her sleeve. With 53 days to go before the election, they’ve even stopped trying to hide it.
Another Unrealistic Trump Policy Proposal: Billions of Dollars for Homeschool Vouchers
Trump recently proposed billions in spending to allow the nation’s poorest students to leave public schools and enroll elsewhere, including by using homeschooling. Except the plan won’t work for the poorest students.
Florida’s GOP Sen. Keith Perry Defends Himself After Hitting Another Man Over Campaign Sign
Perry, a contractor first elected to the House in 2010, is going up against former state Sen. Rod Smith, D-Gainesville, for the open Senate District 8 seat. Smith is also a former Florida Democratic Party chairman and a former state attorney in the Gainesville area.
Gov. Scott’s Office of Open Government Barricades Itself
Florida once had one of the toughest sunshine laws in the country, and people were proud of that. But it’s no longer the case. Transparency has given way to talk–and barricades.
Eliminating Florida’s No-Fault Auto Insurance System Could Save $81 a Year Per Car
The findings in a $125,000 study come as critics contend the 2012 reform attempt has failed to meet expectations and that bodily-injury coverage, which most motorists in Florida already have, should be a replacement for no-fault coverage.
In Florida, Citrus Nears Oblivion as Disease and Development Squeeze it to Economy’s Margins
The citrus industry lost 4 percent of its grove land, 21,275 acres, over the past year. Citrus greening disease, which is deadly to the crop, has infected nearly all of Florida’s commercial citrus groves.
Justice Perry Will Retire, Giving Gov. Scott 1st Chance to Appoint a Conservative to High Court
Perry is among five jurists who make up a liberal-leaning majority of the seven-member court, which has drawn the wrath of the Republican governor and the GOP-dominated Legislature.
Monitoring the Vote in Real-Time With Electionland
Which voters are getting turned away (and why)? Where are lines so long that people are giving up? Is there actually any evidence of people casting fraudulent votes? Whether you’re a journalist or not, here’s your chance to be an effective monitor.
Why I Stand For The National Anthem
There is outrage on the anniversary of 9/11: the outrage should be directed at those who have taken for granted the liberty and privilege of being a professional athlete by showing disrespect to our National Anthem by way of protest.
The National Anthem’s False Notes
Blasphemous as it seems, Colin Kaepernick’s freedom to sit out the Star Spangled Banner is written in the anthem’s very words, though his tormentors are more disturbed by his message, which they would rather not hear.
Tourism Industry Puts On Happy Face Despite Massacre, Algae, Zika and Alligator Kill
In the past three months, there has been a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub, a 2-year-old child killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World, toxic algae blooms choking East and West Coast waterways, and the continued spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
Weekend Briefing: 9/11, African Art, Senior Games, Beer Arising, Chess Jax, Women of Jazz, Intracoastal Clean-Up
A busy weekend with a new musical (Charlie Brown) opening at CRT, women of jazz at the African-American Center, lectures on African art by the Palm Coast Arts Foundation, the Senior Games all week, and quite a bit more.
Who’s Afraid of Gary Johnson? Let Him Join the Debates
The Libertarian Party is on the ballot in all 50 states. For that reason, Gary Johnson should be on that debate stage because he is an alternative available to the entire nation, argues Nancy Smith.
Trump and Clinton Are Tied in Florida in Latest Quinnipiac Poll
The two remain tied when the most prominent third-party candidates are thrown into the race, with Trump and Clinton drawing 43 percent apiece.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Restaurant Week Kick-Off, Flagler Beach’s Taxi Update, Journalism’s Lost Generation
The third annual Restaurant Week kicks off at Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the Flagler Beach City Commission updates its taxi ordinance, what a journalism professor learned of the craft’s lost generation.