To some Republicans, keeping Hillary Clinton from appointing new justices is worth letting everything else go to hell. The government, the country, maybe the world and certainly the court.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
“Opt Out” Movement in the Balance as Judge Weighs Whether Tests Can Decide 3rd Grade Promotion
The parents of the students involved in the case told their children to “minimally participate” in the Florida Standards Assessment for third grade by filling in their names, breaking the seals on the tests and then refusing to answer any questions.
Despite $1.65 Billion Profit in 2015, FPL Seeks 23% Rate Increase Over Next Three Years
The proposal would increase the monthly base rate for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from $57 to about $70 by 2020. The Public Service Commission would have to approve.
Fresh From DNC Controversy, Florida’s Wasserman Schultz Faces Rare Primary Battle
In heavily Democratic Broward, Tim Canova has the backing of Bernie Sanders, Wasserman Schultz is supported by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
John Timoney, 1948-2016
A Good Cop
John Timoney, who served as the top cop in Philadelphia and Miami, where he radically reduced police shootings, was a good cop. No small thing in America, in 2016.
Un-American Activities
Before Donald Trump’s “extreme vetting” there was Extreme Vetter Pat McCarran, the Nevada Senator whose name graces some of America’s most xeonopbic, repressive and largely unconstitutional laws. Trump is channeling him.
A Misuse of Copyrighted Material in the Sheriff’s Campaign
A mailer from the Rick Staly campaign used a portrait of John Lamb from Lamb’s Live Interview, without permission. Staly and Lamb are among the six Republican candidates running for sheriff.
Weekend Briefing: Shock of Syria Again, Kim Weeks in Court, Surfers for Autism, Lochte’s Lie, Trump’s Health
Ex-elections supervisor Kim Weeks is in court for a pre-trial again, Robert Zetrouer, accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, is expected to be sentenced, the 7th annual Surfing for Autism day is Saturday, reading between the lines of Trump’s health.
Citizens Insurance May See 6.8% Rate Hike as Water-Damage Claims Spike
In Flagler County, 2 percent of all insured properties were insured by Citizens, or $265.7 million worth of property. That’s less than the 5 percent of properties insured statewide by Citizens.
Hikers, Campers, and the Limits of Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace seems to extend only to the easily visible: trash, toilet paper, bodily functions, and so forth. Anything you can’t see with the naked eye — like sweat, detergent, sunblock, mosquito repellent, pesticides, and other chemicals — seems to get a pass.
Thursday Briefing: Bears Among Us, Schools’ Town Hall, Breitbart’s Trump, Golf Club Costs
Early voting continues, a Fish and Wildlife bear specialist offers a primer on how to deal with bears in Palm Coast, spotting bullshit, Breitbart takes over Donald Trump, Fire Station 25 provides car seat checks.
Undone in White House Bid at Trump’s Hands, Rubio Retreats to Battle Beruff
Rubio is running again for a Senate seat that he was ready to vacate, a seat some critics say he had already vacated, a seat that at times seems almost as much like a form of captivity for Rubio as it does a prize.
Wednesday Briefing: Tourism Budget, New Voting Laws, Hospital Deaths, Veterans Court, Symphonie Fantastique
Early voting continues today, the Flagler County Tourist Development Board reviews the coming year’s budget, how new voting laws could affect the election, the complete Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.
Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy Tangle in Contentious Senate Primary as Rubio Awaits
Patrick Murphy is a centrist backed by the White House, and Alan Grayson is a longtime darling of Bernie Sanders-style progressives loathed by the party establishment. Three other Democratic candidates are also in the running.
Donald Trump’s War on Media: The Case For Fighting Back
It’s not a stretch to say that last week in Daytona and Thursday night in Kissimmee, Trump and his surrogates were literally inciting mobs against the media. Not casually or with humor, but with calculated and malicious anger.
State Revenue Cut By $132 Million This Year, and By $135 Million the Next
State economists Monday shaved nearly $270 million off their estimate of what lawmakers will have to work with in next year’s budget process, even as election-year calls for extra spending continue and as a threat looms of a Zika hit to Florida’s economy.
Hawkish Hillary: Clinton May Sound Friendly to Muslims. But Her Record Is Bloodier.
Even while Hillary Clinton condemns Donald Trump’s erratic statements on foreign policy, there’s no evidence she sees any need to redraw her own hawkish playbook that goes back to her enthusiastic support for the Iraq war.
Trump-Hobbled Rubio No Longer a Shoo-In to His Senate Seat as Murphy Closes Gap
The closeness of the race could be linked to recent struggles of controversial Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — with the presidential race having an effect down the ballot.
The Suicide Candidate
Donald Trump will never win the presidency. He knows it and doesn’t want it. But that makes him more dangerous, not less. He’s a fanatic. He’s a suicide candidate. And we still have three months of rampage.
Weekend Briefing: Movie in the Park, Observer Endorsements, Berlin Wall Anniversary, From Chevrolets to Cadillacs
The Observer offers up its endorsements for the Aug. 30 primary–and Observer and FlaglerLive editors and publishers talk about them on WNZF, the 55th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, Olympic fanfare.
School Districts Focus Efforts on Stopping Zika Spread as Cases Mount
Classroom materials were being distributed to teachers and administrators across the state so that they can encourage students “to take simple steps in order to help prevent Zika,” including removing standing water, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing.
Lawsuit Challenges Holding back Third Grade Students Over Standardized Tests
At the heart of the lawsuit is a clash over whether students are required to take the Florida Standards Assessments before moving on from third grade. The “opt out” movement is part of a larger backlash against standardized testing, with many parents feeling that the state is subjecting students to too many exams.
Clinton Erases Trump’s Brief, Slim Lead in Florida, Up in Ohio, Surging in Pennsylvania
Hillary Clinton has regained the lead–barely–she relinquished last month to Donald Trump in Florida, turning a three-point deficit into a one-point advantage (46-45) in the latest Quinnipiac University poll of three battleground states.
‘Iransom’: Sorry, Mr. President, It’s a Hard Story to Let Go
Nancy Smith says she’s thought about what she calls “the ransom scandal” every day since a report on how President Obama secured the release of four Americans held hostage by the Iranians by flying in $400 million in cash “to buy them back.”
With 30 of 67 Counties Reporting Zika, Scott Calls For Protection in Schools and Colleges
Scott met with St. Johns County officials on Monday to review Zika response plans. State health officials still believe the 17 Florida cases all originated in the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami-Dade County, with the person involved in the new Palm Beach case having recently traveled to Miami.
My Mother, Stopped for Driving While Black
The mistreatment of black people by police officers isn’t new, nor is it surprising, argues Milen Mehari. According to the Justice Department, black people are almost four times more likely than whites to experience the use of force during police encounters.
Saying Trump Panders to Fear and Hostility, Joe Biden Plans Florida Swings for Clinton
During a stop Friday in Tallahassee, Biden said he intends to spend more time campaigning in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and congressional candidates.
What Slowdown? Jobs Surge to 255,000 in July, Wages Jump, Unemployment at 4.9%
June and July’s numbers have surged again, with 292,000 new jobs in June and 255,000 in July, bringing the year’s total to 1.3 million new jobs, and keeping the unemployment rate at 4.9 percent.
Racism Allegations Against Jacksonville Judge Hulsey Enter Case of Black Man on Death Row
Other black defendants whose cases were overseen by Hulsey “are living with the fear that the proceedings were infected by racial prejudice,” but questions about Hulsey’s impartiality also affect “the public at large and all residents of Florida,” lawyer Martin McClain wrote.
Gov. Scott Says Florida Still a “Safe State” as Zika Travel Advisories Begin to Target the State
A big concern for Florida is the frequency of travel between the state and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, where more than 4,500 cases have been reported, nearly all contracted through mosquitoes.
Homegrown Zika Cases in Florida Climb to 14 As State Asks for Additional Federal Help
A statement released by Scott’s office said the 14 locally transmitted cases are believed to have occurred in a 1-square-mile area north of downtown Miami. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a notice advising women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary travel to the targeted area.
The American Dream, Canada-Bound
Our country has historically prided itself on being a socially mobile society, where your ability is more important than the race or class you’re born into. Not anymore. If you forgot to be born into a wealthy family, you’re better off today living in Canada or Northern Europe.
Texting 911? After Orlando Massacre, More Cities and States Moving Toward Next-Generation System
Texting 911 could be valuable in emergencies like the Orlando shooting or a domestic violence incident, where it is unsafe to make any noise let alone talk out loud about the danger at hand. And sending text messages to 911 could allow people who are deaf or have speech impairments to communicate without other special devices.
First Four Cases of Mosquito-Borne Zika Virus Reported in Florida–And the U.S.
Florida has seen a steady increase in Zika diagnoses to nearly 400, but until Friday, cases stemmed from people infected while traveling to South America. Today’s revelation is the first Florida-based set of infections.
Weekend Briefing: Meeker Services, Tea Party Candidate Night, Solar Plunge, Trump’s Islam Problem
Services for the late Frank meeker are on Saturday morning in Palm Coast, the Tea Party hosts its traditional meet-the-candidate night Saturday evening, Trump’s Islam problem and Ray Bradbury.
Florida’s Only Openly Gay Lawmaker Describes a Rick Scott More Accepting of LGBT
In the days after 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Gov. Rick Scott privately expressed some support for gay rights to the state’s only openly gay state lawmaker, David Richardson.
Republicans’ Women Problem
Long before Donald Trump the Republican Party has been relentlessly pushing policies aimed at curtailing women’s reproductive rights, economic freedom, access to health care, and autonomy.
Amazon to Open 1,500-Job Fulfillment Center in Jacksonville, 3rd in Florida
A day after announcing the opening of a 750,000 square-foot shipping center in Romeoville, Ill., Amazon today announced it would open a slightly larger fulfillment center in Jacksonville, employing some 1,500 people. It will be the third Amazon center in Florida. Centers in Lakeland and Ruskin employ a combined 3,000 people.
Dena Minning Grayson Hopes to Keep Alan’s Central Florida Congressional Seat In Family
The marriage in late May between Alan Grayson and Dena Minning reshuffled a Democratic primary for a Central Florida congressional seat being vacated by Grayson, one of the party’s most progressive provocateurs.
Goodbye News-Journal
Rick de Yampert, the former arts writer for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, explains why he cancelled his newspaper subscription for the first time in 43 years.
Clinton, In Tampa, Punches Back Against “Fear and Resentment” as Florida Showdown Looms
Characterizing Trump’s acceptance speech Thursday night as dominated by “fear and resentment,” Clinton painted her opponent as a divisive and angry threat to the nation’s future.
At City Rep’s Theater Workshop for Teens, Homer’s Odyssey Navigates Scylla and Charybdis of Bad Habits
CRT’s “Odyssey,” staged this weekend at City Marketplace in Palm Coast, stars eight performers ages 15 to 21 in the culmination of the six-week-long workshop that sought to break the performers from the bad habits of middle and high school theater.
66-Year-Old Man Seriously Hurt in Single-Vehicle Wreck on Old Kings Road
A 66-year-old man was in serious condition following a wreck on Old Kings Road, about a mile north of Town Center Boulevard in Palm Coast, at noon today.
Weekend Briefing: Back to School Jam, Pehota Closings, Midnight Fishing on Pier, Tour de Palm Coast
The annual Back to School Jam is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Flagler Palm Coast High School, midnight fishing on the Flagler Beach Pier Saturday, another black man shot, this time with his hands up, a puppy dies at Humane Society.
Ted Cruz’s Center-Stage Snub of Trump Ripples Through Florida Delegation
Cruz’s address Wednesday night was greeted with a loud round of boos as it became clear to delegates that Cruz would not offer a direct endorsement. Other Republican candidates who lost to Trump, including U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, have backed the nominee during convention speeches.
Thursday Briefing: Peers on the Pier Party, Florida Delegation Rocks and Rolls, Political Correctness and Thin Skins
Most Americans think too many people are easily offended, the third annual Peers at the Pier party kicks off this evening, Anna Pehota trial day two, Florida’s delegation at the convention heads to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
Circuit Judge Mark Hulsey Faces Allegation of Racist and Demeaning Comments
Hulsey “offhandedly observed” to an aide that African Americans “should go get back on a ship and go back to Africa,” according to the notice of charges, and of of referring to a female staff lawyer as a “bitch” and worse.
Wednesday Briefing: Buckets of Tourism Grants, Complying With New Overtime Rule, Pehota Trial, Cleveland Rips
The Palm Coast Tourist Development Board prepares to grant upwards of $200,000, the Anna Pehota trial begins in earnest, understanding new overtime rules.
Republicans Hope Raucous Convention Distractions Pass as Gov. Scott Predicts Trump Win
So far, the Republican National Convention has seen a raucous fight over the party’s rules and accusations of plagiarism against presidential candidate Donald Trump’s wife. And that was from the first day.
Tuesday Briefing: A Raise for Jim Landon, Value Adjustment, Food Truck Tuesday, The Trouble With Merit
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon is up for a raise, Food Truck Tuesday in central Park benefits summer programs, meritocracy isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.