The meaning and application of due process has become a crucial issue in the U.S., most often with respect to the Trump administration’s migrant deportation efforts. Seemingly contradictory rulings on migrant issues recently not only make it unclear when due process applies but probably leave many asking what the term “due process of law” even means and how it works.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 8, 2025
In Court, Docket sounding before Circuit Court Judge Dawn Nichols, Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres is all about the barrier island, the Friday Blue Forum, the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, and a few words on the meaning of philosophy.
Trump’s Orwellian Firing of America’s Chief Statistician
President Donald Trump’s firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Aug. 1, 2025, after an unfavorable unemployment report has been drawing criticism for its potential to undercut the agency’s credibility. But it’s not the first time that his administration has taken steps that could weaken the integrity of some government data.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Drug Court convenes, Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, stumbling on a sublime scene in Death Valley (not Charles Manson’s cabin), and a few lines from Ian Frazier’s visit.
The Muslim World’s Pathetic Inaction on Gaza
When it comes to dealing with two of the biggest current crises in the Muslim world – the devastation of Gaza and the Taliban’s draconian rule in Afghanistan – Arab and Muslim states have been staggeringly ineffective. Their chief body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in particular, has been strong on rhetoric but very short on serious, tangible action.
Trump’s Defamation Suit Against Pulitzer Board Lands in Florida Supreme Court
Attorneys for the Pulitzer Prize Board are before the Florida Supreme Court trying for a delay of a defamation lawsuit Donald Trump filed after it recognized reporting about alleged collusion between his 2026 campaign and Russia. They want to shelve the dispute at least until Trump leaves office, pointing to a potential conflict should a state court seek to exercise authority over the nation’s top executive. The case is in Florida because Trump and one of the board members live here.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Palm Coast Council and County Commission Joint Workshop on Animal Control services, the Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, Colleen Conklin’s birthday and the emptiness she left behind.
Hiroshima Survivors, 80 Years On
The 16-kiloton bomb dropped on Hiroshima at 8.15am by a US B-29 bomber was codenamed “Little Boy” by the Americans. The scars of the bomb remained untreated, for generations. The US occupation – which lasted until the San Francisco treaty was signed on April 28 1952 – established an extensive Civil Censorship Department (the CCD) which monitored not only all newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, books, films and plays but also radio broadcasts, personal mail, as well as telephone and telegraph communications.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney’s tribute to Al Hadeed, The Palm Coast City Council meets this evening, as do the planning boards of both Bunnell and Flagler Beach, Wendell Berry on life’s purpose.
How Tariffs Are Hurting America’s 35 Million Small Businesses
More than 70% of small-business owners say constant shifts in trade policy create a “whiplash effect” that makes it difficult to plan, a recent national survey showed. Unlike larger organizations with teams of analysts to inform their decision-making, small-business owners are often on their own. In an all-hands-on-deck operation, every hour spent focusing on trade policy news or filling out additional paperwork means precious time away from day-to-day, core operations. That means rapid trade policy shifts leave small businesses especially at a disadvantage.
Slew of Groups Are Filing Appeals of Florida’s New Law Restricting Ballot Initiatives
The League of Women Voters of Florida, the League of United Latin American Citizens and two individual plaintiffs filed a notice Friday that was a first step in appealing to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Florida Decides Healthcare and FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org political committees, which are trying to put proposals on the 2026 ballot, and individual plaintiffs filed similar notices July 25.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 4, 2025
The Flagler County Commission meets, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the geopolitical bigotry and economic suicide of tariffs in color, a Johnny Carson monologue, a sum-up of the so-called New South.
When Nazis Stole a Fragment of the Great Bayeux Tapestry
In March, it was reported that a fragment of the Bayeux tapestry had been discovered in Germany in the Schleswig-Holstein state archives. It has often been observed that art seems to have been of disproportionate concern to the Nazis. However, their manipulation of visual and material culture should be understood as central to – not separate from – Hitler’s genocidal regime and its efforts towards global domination.
Never as Powerful, Florida Republicans Warn Against Complacency and Ridicule Protesters at Orlando Forum
Several top-leading GOP leaders at the Florida Freedom Forum in Orlando on Saturday warned that complacency and infighting could give an opening to their political rivals even though the Republican Party of Florida has never been more powerful than right now. Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthemier and others faced more than half-a-dozen outbursts that took place throughout the day at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 3, 2025
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Harley Schwadron on the Lunatic Fringe, lying about reading Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities and whether that’s such a bad thing.
Britain and France Are on Brink of Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
The UK will formally recognize the state of Palestine in September unless Israel acts to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza. The UK’s decision follows a pledge by French president Emmanuel Macron on July 24 to formally recognise Palestinian statehood in September. If this is acted upon, France and the UK would be the first G7 members and the first members of the UN security council to recognize the state of Palestine.
‘Yes, We Signed the Damn Thing Because We Really Had To,’ Orlando Mayor Says of Forced Transports for ICE
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings signed an updated agreement with U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) on Friday, although he later said he did so under “protest and extreme duress.” It came days after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened the mayor and all six county commissioners that their failure to do so would result in their removal from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, August 2, 2025
The annual Back to School Jam is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Flagler Palm Coast High School 800 gym, the Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up, when Daniel Boorstin turned repulsive.
The Catholic Clergy Takes a Stand on Immigration
Catholic priests across the U.S. discuss immigration with their congregations more than leaders in many other faith traditions. Catholic priests also said they discussed immigration more than nearly all other political issues, including hunger in their communities, capital punishment, health care and the environment. Abortion was the only one priests discussed slightly more often.
Zakrzewski Killed for Murdering His Family, and DeSantis Sets Modern-Day Record for Executions in a Year
Edward Zakrzewski was executed Thursday evening for the 1994 murders of his wife and two children in their Okaloosa County home, as Florida set a modern-era record for executions in a year. Zakrzewski, 60, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison, according to the state Department of Corrections. He was the ninth inmate put to death by lethal injection this year. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed death warrants for two more executions in August.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 1, 2025
First Friday Garden Walks at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, First Friday in Flagler Beach, confusing ethics and aesthetics, Walker Percy and Consumer Reports.
Supreme Court Justices’ Political Leanings
Politics has a much stronger presence in articles about the U.S. Supreme Court today than in years past, with a notable increase beginning in 2016. Across the five major newspapers, reporting about the court has gradually become more political over time. That isn’t surprising: America has been gradually polarizing since the 1980s as well, and the changes in news media coverage reflect that polarization.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 31, 2025
Palm Coast Concert Series featuring Landfall, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stage at Town Center, Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, reading the perplexing and sublime Andre Gide.
Ring of Fire: What the Strongest Earthquakes Ever Recorded Have in Common
The Pacific region is highly prone to powerful earthquakes and resulting tsunamis because it’s located in the so-called Ring of Fire, a region of heightened seismic and volcanic activity. All ten most powerful earthquakes recorded in modern history were located on the Ring of Fire.Here’s why the underlying structure of our planet makes this part of the world so volatile.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Flagler Cares hosts its quarterly Help Night, Separation Chat, Christopher Weyant on Netanyahu, John Oliver on the Big Beautiful Bill, the decline and fall of X, Jeff Sharlet on the F word.
The Smokescreen of Food Air Drops in Gaza
A third of Gazans have gone without food for several days and 90,000 women and children now require urgent care for acute malnutrition. Local health authorities have reported 147 deaths from starvation so far, 80% of whom are children. Air-dropping food supplies is considered a last resort due to the undignified and unsafe manner in which the aid is delivered. The UN has already reported civilians being injured when packages have fallen on tents. Air-dropped pallets of food are also inefficient compared with what can be delivered by road.
DeSantis Signs 11th Death Warrant of Year: Curtis Windom, 1992 Murderer of 3
Continuing to quickly order executions, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of killing three people in 1992 in Orange County. Curtis Windom, 59, is scheduled to be executed Aug. 28 at Florida State Prison. Windom would be the 11th inmate executed this year in the state — a record-breaking pace.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Food Truck Tuesday this evening in Palm Coast’s Town Center at Central Park, Random Acts of Insanity Standup Comedy at Cinematique, the Yankees’ Ryan McMahon meets Bruce Dern of “The Cowboys.”
As Israel Starves Gaza
Already around 60,000 Gazans have been killed and growing numbers are now dying from hunger and malnutrition. More than 90% of the private homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Israeli officials continue to speak of moving Gazans into what has been termed a “humanitarian city” but what former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert described as a “concentration camp”. In the same interview Olmert called decision to move Gazans into the camp as “ethnic cleansing”. All the while, the world’s leaders look on. Most are apparently content to condemn – but little action has been taken.
Federal Judge Wants To Know ‘Who’s Running the Show’ at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
A U.S. district judge on Monday pushed state and federal officials to provide a copy of an intergovernmental agreement showing “who’s running the show” at an Everglades immigrant-detention center, calling the situation “urgent” as at least 100 detainees have been deported amid legal wrangling over the remote facility.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 28, 2025
The Bunnell City Commission meets, learning all about Earth Overshoot Day, or how natural resources are eroding faster than they can be restored, an echo of the same from 10,000 years ago.
Is There Any Hope for the Internet?
As the internet has become more integrated in our daily lives, few would describe it as a place of love, compassion and cooperation. Study after study describe how social media platforms promote alienation and disconnection – in part because many algorithms reward behaviors like trolling, cyberbullying and outrage. Is the internet’s place in human history cemented as a harbinger of despair? Or is there still hope for an internet that supports collective flourishing?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 27, 2025
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Gamble Jam at Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, Richard Beck’s new book on the war on terror at home.
The Nostalgia of Comfort Smells from Fresh-Cut Grass to Hamburgers
Triggered by sensory stimuli such as music, scents and foods, nostalgia has the power to mentally transport us back in time. This might be to important occasions, to moments of triumph and – importantly – moments revolving around close family and friends and other important people in our lives. As it turns out, this experience is good for us.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 26, 2025
Peps Art Walk at Beachfront Grille in Flagler Beach, Coffee With Commissioner Scott Spradley, John Updike’s sexism and the trappings of ugliness, Bach and Francis Parkman on the Oregon Trail.
Risk and Resonance of Comparing ICE to the Gestapo
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently sparked controversy by comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Nazi Germany’s notorious secret police, the Gestapo. Among other responsibilities, the Gestapo was tasked with investigating political crimes and monitoring opposition activity. It later enforced racial laws in Germany and across occupied Europe.
100 Migrants Deported from ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ So Far as Flights Ramp Up from Everglades Lock-Up
About 100 undocumented immigrants have been deported from an airstrip adjoining the detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” and “the cadence” of outgoing flights is increasing, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday. Speaking to reporters outside the detention complex in the Everglades, DeSantis and other state officials staunchly defended Florida’s efforts to aid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts amid litigation over the controversial site.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 25, 2025
The Florida Ethics Commission meets, Palm Coast Council member Ty Miller on Free For All, Acoustic Jam Circle at the Community Center In The Hammock, Ian Frazier, Casanova, Yussuf and the Great Plains.
The Marco Rubio Deep Fake Is Just the Beginning
The FBI warned in a May 15 alert about an “ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign” in which “malicious actors have impersonated senior US officials.” The alert noted that the campaign includes “vishing” attacks. Vishing is a portmanteau of the words voice and phishing, and refers to using voice deepfakes to trick victims into giving information or money, or compromising their computer systems.
ICE Arrests in Florida of Migrants Without Criminal Records Surged 450% in June
Since the start of the second Trump administration, ICE has carried out more than 10,818 arrests in Florida, up from 3,496 in the same period last year. But in June, the largest share of arrests, 36%, were of people the federal government labeled as having no criminal history in the country, a 457% increase from June 2024.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 24, 2025
‘Let’s Talk Palm Coast’ Town Halls with Council Member Ty Miller, The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Model Yacht Club Races in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Israel’s genocide and its apologists.
Australia Condemns ‘Inhumane Killing’ of Palestinians as Gaza Suffering Reaches New Depths
Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies. Gazans, including malnourished mothers denied baby formula, face impossible choices as Israel intensifies its use of starvation as a weapon of war. In Gaza, survival requires negotiating what the United Nations calls aid “death traps”.
University of Miami Under Investigation for Scholarships to Undocumented Students
The University of Miami is one of five universities being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for allegedly violating federal civil rights laws in awarding scholarships to academically eligible students lacking permanent legal status.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
The Flagler County Industrial Development Authority holds its inaugural meeting, weekly Chess Club for Teens at the Flagler County Public Library, memories of the Iran-Contra affair and Gibbon’s take.
How QAnon Entered Mainstream Politics
Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape. To some, the delay in the release of the Epstein files feels like a betrayal, or even the possibility of his wrongdoing. Others are trying to reinterpret Trump’s actions through increasingly baseless conspiracy logic.
DeSantis Targeting Democratic-Leaning Broward County and Gainesville with ‘Doge’ Probes
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced Tuesday that state officials will probe spending by the governments in Democratic-leaning Broward County and Gainesville. DeSantis said reviews by his Office of Policy and Budget and Ingoglia’s Department of Financial Services will focus on governments that have “refused” to comply with state “Department of Government Efficiency” efforts, which were announced in February. The reviews also are tied to DeSantis’ effort to get the Legislature to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to lower property taxes.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
A Celebration of the life of Jim Guines, the Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop, the Flagler County School Board holds a trio of meetings, a text exchange with a friend, Mortimer Adler’s seminar on Justice with Bill Moyers, Vernon Louis Parrington on the Mathers of New England.
Unlike Government Propaganda, PBS and NPR Are Generally Unbiased
Accusing the media of liberal bias has been a consistent conservative complaint since the civil rights era, when white Southerners insisted news outlets were slanting their stories against segregation. But those charges of bias rarely survive empirical scrutiny. That independence in the United States – enshrined in the press freedom clause of the First Amendment – gives journalists the ability to hold government accountable, expose abuses of power and thereby support democracy. That’s what GOP lawmakers call a liberal bias.
As Data Centers Hog Power, Regular Customers Foot the Bill
Regular energy consumers, not corporations, will bear the brunt of the increased costs of a boom in artificial intelligence that has contributed to a growth in data centers and a surge in power usage, recent research suggests. Between 2024 and 2025, data center power usage accounted for $9 billion, or 174%, of increased power costs in 13 states and Washington, D.C., where this spring, customers were told to expect roughly a $25 increase on their monthly electric bill starting June 1.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 21, 2025
Mosquito control meeting, a slip-and-fall trial involving Publix, Fintan O’Toole on the show of force in Los Angeles, Israeli atrocities and war crimes continue at food-distribution sites.