It’s 1.1 million fewer than in 2013, but almost a third of the uninsured are eligible for Obamacare but haven’t enrolled, 15% have chosen not to enroll in employee-provided health care, and the rest are uninsured for a variety of other reasons.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Wednesday Briefing: Hammock’s Husband-Murderer Wants No Defense, FPC vs. Matanzas
Anna Pehota, 75, who murdered her husband in September at their Hammock trailer, wants to plead guilty and be done with it, Matanzas and FPC meet for a volleyball showdown.
“Career in a Year”: Gov. Scott Wants $20 Million for Tech Schools’ Fast-Track Programs
Competitive grants, which would be geared toward programs that could be completed in less than 52 weeks such as licensed practical nursing, which takes 45 weeks and has 2,361 openings in Florida, and welding, a 39-week program that could offer a path to one of 583 jobs.
Gail Wadsworth: Florida’s Court Clerks Spotlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, there were more than 106,000 cases of domestic violence reported in Florida last year. While this statistic is alarming enough, the numbers only continue to increase when factoring in the countless incidents of domestic violence that go unreported by victims.
Tuesday Briefing: Florida’s Death Penalty Exception, Palm Coast Talks Arts, Kymora’s Memorial
Timothy Hurst is at the center of a case that may reshape Florida’s death penalty law. He was convicted of murder, and a jury recommended death by a 7-5 vote. Florida is the only state in the nation where a simple majority is enough for a recommendation of death. Hurst contests the process is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court hears the case today.
Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Lies
Exxon’s scientists knew by the early 1980s that human causes of global warming could be catastrophic, but quashed the findings and peddled junk science instead. It’s time to get Big Oil out of the policymaking process altogether, write Bill McKibben and Kelle Louaillier.
Monday Briefing: A Raise for Bunnell Manager, Pink Army Run, Retiring 90 U.S. Flags
Bunnell City Manager Larry Williams is in line for a 2 percent raise, the Pink Army Run in Town Center drew hundreds of runners and raised thousands of dollars, Bunnell retires 90 U.S. flags.
Florida’s Clergy Did Not Need More Protection from Gays. They Don’t Bite.
Florida lawmakers in each chamber are plowing ahead with bills to protect the religious freedoms of lawsuit-fearing clergy in case the U.S. Constitution doesn’t. It’s entirely unnecessary, argues Nancy Smith.
No Privacy: What Your Smart Home Reveals About You, and Possibly To The World
As trends toward networked smart homes and connected cars continue, customers may not be aware of just how much information their devices collect about them and share with the world.
Floridians Say Overwhelming No to Guns On Campus, Big Yes to Medical Marijuana
73 percent of Floridians oppose allowing students with concealed-weapons permits to carry guns on campus according to the latest USF-Nielsen Sunshine State Survey. Support for medical pot climbs.
Jesus as Clown, Disciples as Dirty Stinking Hippies: City Rep Returns With “Godpsell”
City Repertory Theatre, Palm Coast’s only daring troupe, opens its 5th season with the rather surpriring and popular “Godspell,” with laughs and sentiment to boot.
A Hillary Clinton Playground at Old Kings Elementary: What’s the School Board Smoking?
The school board approved a $15,000 Hillary Clinton Playground for Old Kings Elementary, dismissing Clinton’s political candidacy as a non-issue and ignoring her hatred for women.
Senate Panel Votes 11-0 to Remove
Confederate Flag From Official Seal
In the latest sign of a backlash against the symbols of the Confederate South, the official insignia would still include other non-American flags that flew over Florida.
Weekend Briefing: A Fitting Festival for Princess Place, Soccer Fall Classic, A Nobel for Tunisia, Godspell
A weekend filled with events in Flagler and Palm Coast, including “Godspell”‘s last three shows, the Flagler County Art League’s signature new show, Creekside Festival at Princess Place, and a lot more.
Florida Lawmakers Consider Dumping Property Tax and More Than Doubling Sales Tax
If the state eliminated all property taxes, committee records indicate the state’s sales tax would have to go from 6 percent to 12.72 percent to cover existing state, local, school and special district expenses.
Thursday Briefing: FPC Chorus Solos, A Nobel for Belarus, Florida Senate’s Seal, Trump’s Diminishing Money
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s chorus in solos tonight, the Florida Senate takes up its Confederate-tainted seal, Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich wins literature’s Nobel.
Proposed Florida Law Would Tell Employers to Butt Out of Employees’ Social Media Accounts
The measure, which is filed for the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit employers from requesting access to private social media accounts, but pressure from business caused it to fail in two previous years.
Jeb Bush Blows It On Race
With just two words — “free stuff” — Bush managed to insult millions of black Americans, completely misread what motivates black people to vote, and falsely imply that African Americans are the predominant consumers of vital social services.
Tuesday Briefing: State of Education, Nobile’s Last Charter Stab, Guns and the “Mental Health” Cop-Out
The Flagler School Board holds its 2015 State of Education tonight, Palm Coast Council member Steven Nobile tries one more time for a charter review, John Oliver rips the mental health cop-out on guns.
Yet Another Sales Tax “Holiday” Proposal, For Two Months, This Time for Military Veterans
The military veteran sales tax break would last from Nov. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2016, just in time for the holidays, but competes with other breaks.
Monday Briefing: Pink Army Flag-Raising, Legislative Priorities, Slavery Myths, Enrique Granados
The flag-raising for the pink army in the fight against breast cancer is at 8:15 a.m. at the GSB, too many myths about slavery, tax holidays, Enrique Granados’s poetry at the piano.
Psychiatry as Industry of Death: Scientology Blitzes Shrinks in New Clearwater Museum
The museum, “Psychiatry: Industry of Death,” occupies most of the 1st floor of new headquarters for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights in Clearwater. The Church of Scientology has long been at odds with the field of psychiatry.
Quadruple Murderer Jerry Correll Will be Executed as Florida Supreme Court Lifts Stay
The unanimous decision issued today clears the execution by lethal injection. Correll murdered his wife, 5-year-old daughter, mother in law and her sister in Orlando in 1985.
Weekend Briefing: Guns’ 36-Kills-a-Day U.S. Habit, Hurricane Joaquin’s Waves, Godspell at CRT, Matt Beyrer at Ocean Art
Beyond the routine of the latest mass-shooting, Joaquin is moving away, Godspell should not be missed at City Repertory Theatre, Paul Krugman picks up on the resilience of vodoo economics.
At Least 10 Killed at Oregon College Where Students Are Allowed to Carry Guns
A gunman murdered at least 10 people and wounded at least 20 Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College in Southwest Oregon, in one of seven states where guns on campus are allowed.
Florida Senate Will Consider Removing Confederate Flag From Its Seal
It is the latest reflection of the persisting backlash against the presence of the Confederate flag in public spaces. Senate President Andy Gardiner and Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner pushed for the reconsideration. A committee will do so next week.
Repeat Child Molestor Sentenced to Life, Drunkard Faces 15 Years in Killing of Laura Hrobsky
Meshac Abentego, 43, was sentenced to life for molesting a 9-year-old girl, and Sandra Dee Heilman, 44, faces 15 years in the DUI killing of Laura Hrobsky, in November 2012 on Beville Road in Volusia County.
Thursday Briefing: Microplastics in Our Seas, Grand Reserve Sale, Disney at 44, Humidor at 10, Joaquin Churns
A seminar on polluting microplastics in our seas, held at the Flagler fairgrounds, Grand Reserve golf course sells, Hurricane Joaquin continues its churn north, Disney and the Humidor share a birthday.
Growers Defend Annual Burning of Sugarcane Fields as Environmentalists Prepare to Sue
The burns, regulated by the Florida Forest Service, are intended to make it easier for harvest machines to cut down and collect the stalks, but they emit pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde.
Wednesday Briefing: Hurricane Joaquin, Florida Hospital’s Pink Army Bikers, Sheriff’s New HQ, Gore v. Scott
Hurricane Joaquin is churning near the Bahamas but appears headed for open sea, Florida Hospital’s bikers raise $4,500 to fight breast cancer, the sheriff opens his new operations center to public view, Al Gore criticizes Rick Scott on global warming.
The Big Pharma Mafia:
Your Money Or Your Life
Hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli’s decision to raise the price of the lifesaving drug Daraprim from $18 to $750 per pill is emblematic of America’s pharmaceutical industry, where price-gouging is the norm.
Cabinet Outvotes Gov. Scott to Buy Ranch Lands at Near Appraised-Value Price
Florida Cabinet members agreed Tuesday to spend $7.8 million to conserve two large tracts of ranch land over objections from Gov. Rick Scott, who said he wanted a better deal on one of the parcels.
Tuesday Briefing: Banned Books Week, Entrepreneur Night at Black Cloud, Why ISIS Demolishes History
It’s Banned Books Week, the Palm Coast City Cpouncil holds a special meeting to buy a dozen vehicles, Area entrepreneurs gather for their monthly meet-up, this time at Black Cloud,
Rick Scott, Who Made Millions as Hospital CEO, Now Faults Hospital Costs
The proposals are the latest in a series of moves by Scott, who made millions as CEO of HCA/Columbia, to revamp the hospital industry. The Legislature will have to enact his proposals.
Monday Briefing: Open House For Sheriff’s New Home, Free Clinic Fund-Raiser, Bunnell in the Money Again
The Flagler County Free Clinic holds a fund-raiser at the Turtle Shack in Flagler Beach from 6 to 8 p.m., Bunnell commissioners vote themselves a little money back, Carly Fiorina’s disasters.
The Age of Bobby Fischer: Before Facebook Mated Eccentrics
In today’s prying, unforgiving online world, Bobby Fischer’s paranoia and personal flaws would have tripped him up long before he became champion and hero in 1972, argues Kenneth Rogoff.
School Superintendents Have “Lost Confidence” in Florida’s Student Accountability System
The rebuke comes after months of controversy about the new Florida Standards Assessment, which was plagued by technical problems this spring, including computer glitches and a cyberattack.
Police Body Cams: Exemptions From Public-Record Disclosure Belie Intended Transparency
Police body cams were intended to improve accountability and public access to cops’ work. Access exemptions in Florida and many other states are instead countering their intended purpose.
New Laws Next Week On Revenge Porn, Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Cop Funerals
Among 27 new Florida laws starting next week, it’ll be illegal to post sexually explicit material without the knowledge of people identified in the images, criminal penalties will increase on sex trafficking, the state may spend $5,000 on cop funerals.
Weekend Briefing: Godspell at CRT, Jeb Bush Channels Romney’s “Free Stuff,” Drug Take-Back Saturday
Jeb Bush puts Mitt Romney’s foot in his own mouth with his latest insult to minorities, “Godpsell” continues at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, drug take-back Saturday in Palm Coast.
Pope Francis’s Challenge to America
Pope Francis is challenging conservative Americans–and presidential candidates–to rethink their belligerence to Cuba, Palestinians and action on global warming, writes Chris Patten.
Florida Teens’ Taste for E-Cigarettes Now More than Double That of Tobacco Sticks
Some 6.9 percent of Florida high-school students smoke cigarettes, but 15.8 percent use electronic cigarettes, which allow inhalation of vaporized nicotine.
Trump Leads By Far Among Florida Republicans as Rubio Leaps Ahead of Bush
Donald Trump leads with 31.5 percent in a GOP primary, in Florida Atlantic University poll, followed by Rubio in second place with 19.2 percent, followed by Bush at 11.3 percent, Carson at 10.3 percent and Carly Fiorina at 8.3 percent.
Wednesday Briefing: Goodbye, Linda Crego, Flagler Likes Bunnell’s Sewer, Unanimous Verdicts in Death Penalty
Flagler County and Bunnell government hash out Flagler’s take-over of the old Plantation Bay utility, The Flagler Beach City Commission figures out its next manager, Brian Williams returns as if nothing ever happened.
How Does Lawbreaking Kim Davis Get to Keep Her Job?
The law of the land isn’t an item on an a la carte menu from which elected officials can pick and choose, argues Nancy Smith, who says Kim Davis should have been removed from office by the governor.
Florida’s Foster Children Are Still Being Medicated Without Proper Oversight
Just a fifth of the 2,434 children in state foster care had proper consent-form and other requirements to be subjected to psychotropic drugs, according to UF research.
Tuesday Briefing: Coastal Cloud Among 50 Florida Firms to Watch, Carly Fiorina’s Pot Problem, Shott at NAACP
Coastal Cloud was selected from 500 Florida companies by GrowFL, Lynette Shott brings school district outreach to the NAACP, Carly Fiorina thinks pot is more dangerous than alcohol (it’s nowhere near as dangerous).
Doctors and Pharmacists Complain: Patients Aren’t Getting Their Pain Meds Fast Enough
Pharmacists complain that distributors are limiting their supply of powerful narcotics, forcing the pharmacists to ration their limited stock to their regular patients.
Monday Briefing: Donuts With Doughney, Pink Gala Set, Ben Carson’s Bigotry, Trump’s Ratings
Meet up with Flagler Beach Police Captain Matt Doughney at the 7-11 on A1A, the Flagler County Commission takes up communication towers again, Ben Carson opposes a Muslim president, Donald Trump explains his monster ratings.
Worrisome Study in Hand, Lawmakers Question Tying Teacher Salaries to Test Scores
The study supported the use of the Florida Standards Assessment for school grades and teacher evaluations but said that “the FSA scores for some students will be suspect” because of the computer glitches.