Bill McBride, a powerful lawyer who unsuccessfully tried to unseat then-Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002 and later watched his wife, Alex Sink, also run for governor, has died. He was 67.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
When Flagler’s Firefighters Are A Lot More Than First Responders
When the author’s father died at an assisted living facility in Palm Coast two years ago, paramedics had to be called in to take care of his aunt’s panic attack. What followed illustrates our first responders’ routine and largely unheralded heroism.
Bogus Democracy: How Dark Money Helped Republicans Hold the House and Hurt Voters
A million more Americans voted for Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans. That advantage did not result in control of the chamber. Redistricting and secret money were key to the disparity.
Time to Get Serious About
Mental Health in Florida
Florida ranks near dead last nationally in the level of expenditures for front-end community-based mental health services. Let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish when so many precious lives are at risk, argues Paula Dockery.
Florida Unemployment Falls Sharply to 8.1%, But Flagler’s Edges Back Up to 11.4%
Florida’s unemployment rate dropped sharply in November, to 8.1 percent, from 8.5 percent last month–and 10.1 percent a year ago–but Flagler County’s unemployment rate rose a decimal point, to 11.4 percent.
Polls: Scott Tanks, Gay Marriage Gains, Pot Wilts, Alternate College Costs Rejected
Even a majority of Republicans want an alternative to Rick Scott in 2014. Overwhelming majorities reject charging lower college tuition for science majors, and gay marriage makes a 10-point gain in latest Quinnipiac polls.
In Florida, an NRA-Dominated Legislature Steers Clear Of Gun-Control Conversation
The tragic mass killing at a Connecticut school last week has produced a stream of ideas on gun control and school safety at the national level — but reaction in Florida has been muted, at least in the form of concrete legislation.
Video: From Trayvon Martin to Crist Re-Rising, Florida’s Top 10 Stories of 2012
The News Service of Florida’s David Royse speaks with Florida Cable Television’s Steve Wilkerson about the state’s biggest stories of the year–from election flubs to the Trayvon Martin shooting to Hispanic voter registration to the return of Charlie Crist.
Abuse of Girls at Milton Detention Facility Exposes Flaws in Florida’s Juvenile Justice
The Florida juvenile prison for girls got a 100 percent satisfactory rating from the state a year ago, though two staffers have been accused of abusing girls there, and one was caught on video.
Floridians Pick New License Plate Design, With a Nod to Africa
After three weeks of online voting for the new Florida license plate, the design with the solid green bars and the artistic orange forming the ‘O” in the word Florida is the most popular. A total of 50,124 votes were cast in the online contest.
The Soft-Core Terrorism
Of Florida’s Gun Worship
Florida’s gun-worship is part of a lethal, juvenile romance for guns and a national disease that doesn’t hesitate to lock and load the words “gun” and “hobby” in the same chamber while vilifying those who’d imply a connection with the consequences.
Florida’s New Gay Lawmakers: Pride For LGBT Community, Perspective in Tallahassee
With the election of Resp. Joel Saunders of Orlando and David Richardson of Miami, Florida was one of seven states to break the straight barrier in legislatures. Nationwide, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender candidates were elected to the U.S. Senate and House, and dozens to state legislatures.
Title IX Lets Girls Be Both Quarterback and Homecoming Queen
Erin DiMeglio made history as the first female in Florida to play quarterback in a varsity high school game, and was elected South Plantation High’s homecoming queen. That wouldn’t have happened without Title IX, the landmark legislation assuring females the same opportunities as boys at both the high school and college levels.
First in Firearms: One Million Concealed Gun Permits in Florida, Doubling Since 2007
The number of concealed weapons license holders will top 5 percent of Florida’s 19.1 million residents in a state that is number one nationally in licenses issued.
Tony Bennett, Friend of School Vouchers, Foe of Unions, is Florida’s New Education Chief
Before losing a reelection bid as Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction, Tony Bennett was boasting of introducing a voucher program and limiting collective bargaining to pay and benefits. Bennett also favors national common core standards, which are coming to Florida.
How Legal Weed Might Wash in Florida
Full marijuana legalization is coming, eventually. But if you’re planning to go into the marijuana business, Bill Cotterell argues, you might want to ask Joe Camel what happens a few years down the road.
Obamacare or Bust: U.S. Tells Florida to Either Expand Medicaid or Lose Out on Billions
Under Obamacare the federal government would pay 100 percent of the cost of the expanded eligibility from 2014 through 2016. Florida and other states questioned whether the federal government also would cover the full costs for a partial Medicaid expansion. The Obama administration said no.
Civil Citations for Non-Violent Offenses Can Reduce Jail Needs, Court Costs, and Undue Arrests
Even with no criminal intent, we can easily be caught breaking a law. Until now, law enforcement officers in Florida have had only two choices in these circumstances: let you go or arrest you. Civil citations are the smarter alternative, argues Mark Flynn, CEO of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance.
Charlie Crist’s Evolution Is Complete. He’s a Democrat. Now What?
Crist’s move to the Democratic Party heightens talk of a run against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. No clear Democratic front-runner has emerged, though Alex Sink, could run again.
Tallahassee Roundup: Staring at the Fiscal Cliff as Lawmakers Warm Up to Tango
Gov. Rick Scott bid hasta la vista to Colombia and to the head of the Department of Economic Opportunity this week as state lawmakers held a meet and greet of their own in preparation for the 2013 legislative session.
Bill Filed to Ban Police from Using Drones To Gather Evidence Anywhere in Florida
Miami Police were the first civilian police agency in the nation to use unmanned drones, but police anywhere in Florida would be prohibited from using un-manned drones to gather evidence or other information, under a bill filed Thursday by Senate Republican Joe Negron.
Breathalyzer Risks, MTV’s West Virginia, Classical Music’s Women Problem: Five Reads Friday
Breathalyzer tests aren’t always in your best interest, nor are so-called anti-terrorism fusion centers; MTV takes on West Virginia, Mo Yan’s Nobel lecture, Liu Xiaobo’s “No Enemies,” classical music has a women problem, and Flagler County jail bookings.
Bullish on 2013: Palm Coast and Flagler Housing Markets in Full Recovery
Have we returned to a normal market? No yet, writes Toby Tobin, but in a bullish analysis of Palm Coast’s and Flagler County’s current housing markets, he expects momentum to build into 2013, with all segments of the market are rising.
Despite Sandy, Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.7%, Best Since December 2008
Despite Hurricane Sandy and economists’ predictions of a poor jobs report, the economy added 146,000 jobs in November, for a combined 416,000 jobs in the last three months. But the numbers are still lower than what they should be for a robust recovery.
Tumor Gone, Staples Removed, Humor and Grit Intact: A Teacher Returns to Matanzas
On medical leave for cancer treatment since September, Jo Ann Nahirny describes in harrowing and moving detail her final medical hurdles and clearances before deciding to return to her classroom almost a month early, on Dec. 10.
Morning Sickness: From Kate Middleton To a Dead Woman on I-95
Between a nameless, homeless woman killed on I-95 Wednesday evening and Kate Middleton’s pregnancy, only one of those two items is news. Our media’s pornographic interest in royal exhibitionism ensures that it’s the wrong one every time.
Florida Now Has a $437 Million Budget Surplus, But 3% Pension Decision Looms
A decision in the case challenging a 2011 law that required employees to contribute 3 percent of their income to their retirement funds could cost the state around $2 billion if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.
Supreme Court Denies Last Appeal by Manuel Pardo, Cop Turned Executioner Scheduled to Die Dec. 11
Manuel Pardo, 56, is scheduled to die Dec. 11 at Florida State Prison in Starke. Pardo was convicted in 1988 after admitting to nine execution-style murders. He said he should avoid culpability because he believed all the victims to be drug dealers who he said “have no right to live.”
Three Students Hospitalized, One With Head Trauma, After A1A Crash in Ormond Beach
Toni J. Kilgore-Byriel, 45, of Ormond Beach, was driving south on Oceanshore Boulevard and taking her son and two other boys to school at Seabreeze High School this morning when she was struck by Jacob Shannon, 26, who was driving a Nissan.
Lone Star Reds: The Secessionist Tempest From Texas
Once again, there’s a tempest brewing in the national tea pot. We’re talking secession. Well, some of us are, writes Jim Hightower. Actually, very few are — and some of them aren’t too tightly wrapped.
Bill Filed to Guarantee In-State Tuition to Florida Children of Undocumented Immigrants
Unlike the federal Dream Act, which covers children brought to the country illegally, the Florida bill filed Tuesday only deals with children who are American citizens by virtue of being born in the United States.
Pickering Report: Driest November Since at Least 1994, Ending Active Hurricane Season
Rainfall amounts for the year in Flagler County still remain near normal even though it has been dry this past month, according to ECO’s Bob Pickering, while NOAA recaps an active hurricane season with 19 named storms, 10 of them hurricanes.
Mazel Not: Israel and the United States, Married on the Wrong Side of History
Israel likes to claim that Palestinians deny Israel’s right to exist. the reality is the opposite. Israel has spent the last six decades denying Palestinians’ right to exist in fact, going as far as denying them their history and identity. The UN vote for Palestinian statehood begins to right the injustice.
For African-American Voter Turnout, a New Normal
Ever since the process toward full citizenship of African Americans began with the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, politicians and others have been trying to stop us from exercising the hard fought, hard won right to vote, writes Leslie Watson Malachie. It’s not working anymore.
Alone Among NFL Franchises, Miami Dolphins Suffer Huge Fan Drop in Last 10 Years
As the Dolphins muddle through another season, the South Florida organization was the only professional team from Florida — and the only NFL entry on the whole list of North American sports franchises — to record a plummet in fans over the past decade.
Donald Trump’s Disciples: Obama’s Victory Still Birthing Dispute in a Tallahassee court
In a largely forgotten court case being litigated in Tallahassee, lawyers are still arguing about whether President Barack Obama was qualified to run for president in the first place.
Children in Nursing Homes: Florida Rejects Court Oversight in Dispute With U.S. Justice
The Department of Justice in September threatened legal action over Florida’s violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by improperly placing disabled children in nursing homes and threatened legal action. Florida wants to resolve the dispute but opposes federal court oversight.
Taxes Lower Than in the Reagan Era, Baldwin on Malcom X, Bach’s Purity: Five Reads Friday
Your taxes are lower today than during Reagan’s 80s, Israel’s cynical retaliations in Jerusalem, James Baldwin on Malcolm X, women in Congress, America’s Cold War plans to nuke the Moon, cancer in every food, and Johan Sebastian Bach, pure and impure, plus Flagler jail bookings.
In Juvenile Detention for Girls, Health Care Is Shoddy, Absent or Geared Only to Boys
Incarcerated girls are “one of the most vulnerable and unfortunately invisible populations in the country,” and up to 90 percent have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, yet the health care provided to children, and girls in particular, in juvenile detention is often ill-equipped to deal with their complex health needs.
After Latest Florida Ballot Debacle, Democrats File Bills to Extend Early Voting
Bills filed this week would require early voting to begin 15 days before Election Day, up from 10 days before under current law, and early voting wouldn’t end until the Sunday night before the election under the new measures.
Obama’s Third Term, Britain’s War on the Press, Atheist Muslims: Five Reads Thursday
The Obama third-term conspiracy theory, Islam’s atheists coming out of the closet, Britain’s Leveson report on the press, boorish parents, and whether women want to be objectified, plus those lost Powerballs.
What’s In Your Gun Closet? In Florida, a Doctor’s Right to Ask Is Under Threat
Should doctors be able to ask patients or patients’ parents whether they own a gun? What about health insurers, employers or health-care officials implementing the federal health law? Can they ask about gun ownership? The issue is playing out in Florida, where lawmakers want to ban doctors from asking the questions.
Parental Notification: Court Reverses Florida Teen’s Abortion Disclosure Requirement
In a case that offers a glimpse of the complexity of Florida’s parental-notification of abortion law, a divided appeals court overruled a Polk County judge and said a 17-year-old girl could receive an abortion without her mother being told.
Jeb Bush Redux: Defeated and Deflated, Republicans Look for Viability in 2016
Early Republican favorites for 2016 include Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan and Jon Huntsman, but the most formidable — and electable — candidate for the Republican Party right now is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, argues Steven Kurlander.
For FPL Customers, Bills $20 Higher in 2013 for Nuke-Plant Construction That May Never Happen
Flagler County customers of FPL will pay an additional $1.69 a month, or $20 for the year in 2013, for nuclear-plant construction slated for the distant future, and that may never take place. It’s the third year in a row that customers are paying those up-front costs.
Gov. Scott’s Notion of Cheaper State College Degrees Termed “Walmart of Education”
Gov. Rick Scott “challenged” state colleges to create $10,000 four-year degrees, a continuation of his low-cost strategy for higher education that Democrats slammed as an attempt to turn the schools into “the Walmart of Education.”
Voting Time Again as State Asks Floridians To Click on Their Favorite License Plate
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is asking Floridians to vote on one of four choices, online, starting today and until Dec. 14. The redesigned plate with the most votes replaces existing plates beginning in 2014.
Mocking the Pledge of Allegiance
A reporter is fired after only reluctantly mentioning that a city councilman refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in the latest example of ignorance replacing the very values the Pledge stands for, values that apply especially for those who choose to sit it out.
Your Homeland Security At Work: $430 Million on Radios No One Knows How to Use
DHS has spent $430 million over the past nine years to provide radios tuned to a common, secure channel to 123,000 employees across the country. Problem is, no one seems to know how to use them.
The Conservative Case Against Compromise
A Democrat and one a conservative say Republicans in Congress need to compromise so the government can “get things done,” and that it is better to do something than nothing. No. It is not, argues Lloyd Brown.