The Palm Coast City Council discusses cell phone coverage in the city and its electric vehicle and EV charging station infrastructure, a Bach partita, Bobby Ann Mason’s In Country and Florida.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Managers’ Attempts to Empower Their Employees Often Fail
When companies design and implement empowering leadership initiatives, they often overlook key factors that are necessary for empowerment to work. Their efforts to empower employees often result in little impact or are entirely ineffective. In fact, they can even lead employees to engage in unethical behavior.
Florida Wants ‘Marsy’s Law,’ Designed for Crime Victims, to Prevent Death Penalty Appeals
Nearly five years after voters passed a constitutional amendment about victims’ rights, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office Monday urged the Florida Supreme Court to use the measure to make it harder for Death Row inmates to get stays of execution.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 11, 2023
September 11 commemoration at heroes Park in Palm Coast, the Bunnell City Commission approves its budget and tax rates for next year, Don DeLillo’s Falling Man and Samuel Hynes.
Rebuilding Ground Zero: How Lower Manhattan Was Reshaped
The destruction of the massive complex created a rare opportunity for New York City to rethink its long-term economic needs in the downtown area, while sending a message to the world that regardless of whatever al-Qaida terrorists aimed to do, New York City would come back stronger than ever. It was an unparalleled opportunity in the city’s history that otherwise would not have happened.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 10, 2023
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market, Hamdi Ulukaya, the Turkish or rather Kurdish immigrant sheep herder who became Chobani billionaire, Colin Thubron on the Hills of Adonis and Jabal Sannin.
Do Unbiased Jurors Exist for Trump’s Trials?
Finding unbiased jurors in the pre-digital age, even in high-profile cases, was challenging but nothing like today. Once chosen, jurors needed to maintain that unbiased status and were told not to discuss the case with anyone and to avoid radio, television and newspapers. If the case involved the death penalty, jurors might be sequestered. Today, that same approach won’t work.
Nikki Haley’s Fascist-Flirting Flip-Flops
Haley won pundit praise for her recent GOP debate performance – at times she sounded saner and smarter than some of her rivals (an admittedly low bar). But then she hit the wall. She described Inmate #P01135809 as “the most disliked politician in America,” someone who would not be electable in 2024 – but she signaled, by raising her hand, that she’d still support Trump as the party’s nominee, even if he were criminally convicted prior to the election.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 9, 2023
Gamble Jam at Gamble Recreation Area in Flagler Beach, keeping an eye on the tropics, Philip Roth and Michiko Kakutani on on Saul Bellow, reading the Bellarosa Connection.
Beyond Corals, Marine Heatwaves Cause Chaos on the Seafloor
Over 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases has gone into our oceans. So it’s no surprise marine heatwaves are getting much more intense and more frequent. This year has been off the charts. From April this year, the world’s average ocean temperature has been the highest ever recorded.
A Uncomfortable Supreme Court Hears Abortion-Ban Case, with Privacy Protections on the Ropes
Five of the seven justices are appointees of the anti-abortion Gov. Ron DeSantis. A sixth, Charles Canady, is married to the legislator who co-sponsored the six-week ban on abortion. He did not recuse himself. If the court upholds a 15-week abortion ban, it would also mean that a six-week ban–more recently passed by the Legislature–would take effect 30 days after the ruling.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 8, 2023
The Blue 24 Forum, LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, Jane Addams’s birthday, Christopher Hitchens v. Dinesh D’Souza.
‘Fairness and Diversity’ Training for Judges? Florida Supreme Court Rules It Unnecessary.
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday kept in place a decision to delete part of a rule that allowed judges to take courses in “fairness and diversity” to meet continuing-education requirements. In a 5-1 order, the court said it had considered comments and determined that “no further amendments to the rule are warranted at this time.”
America’s Long Road to Meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
A strong economy isn’t possible without a society peaceful enough to support investment and well-functioning markets, or without water and air clean enough to support life and productivity. This understanding – that economic, social and environmental well-being are intertwined – is the premise of sustainable development.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 7, 2023
Brendan Depa has a pre-trial hearing before Judge Perkins, drug court meets, a few thoughts on Plato’s “Gorgias” and Samuel Hynes’s experience with death, Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Debate on God.
The Long History of Politicians Silencing Elected Black Officials
Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia are targeting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black Democrat representing a majority Black district, for removal from office. These efforts come in the midst of Willis’ investigation and prosecution of former President Donald Trump and 18 others for their alleged conspiracy to overturn results of the state’s 2020 presidential election.
State Attorney Monique Worrell Fights Her Suspension by DeSantis at Supreme Court
Suspended Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell on Wednesday asked the Florida Supreme Court to overturn Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision last month to oust her, saying he had no legal basis for the move. Worrell’s suspension came a little more than a year after DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren in a highly controversial move. Worrell and Warren are Democrats, while the governor is a Republican.
With K-12 Health Standards Mum on Abortion, Younger Floridians Seek More Influence Ahead of Court Case
The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Sept. 8 on the abortion issues and could reverse the course the court set more than 30 years ago. Some young Floridians are turning to the future of reproductive freedom in Florida, as through Floridians Protecting Freedom, the group that launched a pro-abortion initiative to add a constitutional referendum on reproductive freedom to the November 2024 ballot.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Separation Chat, Open Discussion, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 9-18, at the Flagler County Public Library, the Flagler County Republican Club meets, mapping where journalists disappear.
Does Year-Round School Work? It’s Hazy.
“Year-round” school usually doesn’t mean students going to school throughout the year – or for more days than other students. Often it just means switching up the calendar so that there’s not such a long summer break. Two experts discuss benefits and drawbacks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 5, 2023
It’s back to work with–amazingly–three open meetings of the Flagler County School Board, a meeting of the Palm Coast City Council, Beth Macy on “Dopesick,” a few more words on the American worker.
Quran Burning and the Line Between Free Expression and Incitement of Hatred
While freedom of expression is a fundamental human right in liberal democracies, the right to express one’s opinion can become complex when expressing one’s views clashes with the religious and cultural beliefs of others and when this rhetoric veers into hate speech.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 4, 2023
A remembrance of Labor Day’s origins, history and misuses, a look back at the Florida labor department’s understanding of workers’ rights, Robert Reich on Labor Day.
Workers Want Talk About Diversity and Inclusion
Companies’ commitments toward diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have stalled or reversed at the same time as a growing conservative backlash is threatening to further undermine such initiatives. But research shows that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives improve creativity, innovation, productivity and organizational performance.
Judge Rules Unconstitutional DeSantis Plan That Eliminated Black Representation
Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled that a congressional redistricting plan pushed through the Legislature by Gov. Ron DeSantis violated the Florida Constitution and needs to be redrawn. The judge sided with voting-rights groups in a lawsuit focused on a North Florida district that in the past elected Black Democrat Al Lawson but was dramatically revamped during the 2022 redistricting process. White Republicans won all North Florida congressional districts in the November elections.
Channeling George Wallace, DeSantis Uses Education to Keep Blacks Down
Despite those idiotic “Build the Wall” campaign ads, he didn’t seem to be a Trump-style racist when he took office in 2019. There was hope he’d acknowledge our sad history and move us toward a more equitable society. But he didn’t. And he isn’t. Maybe the Napoleonically ambitious DeSantis decided white nationalism was his ticket to the Republican presidential nomination. His racism is less overt than Trump’s or George Wallace’s but almost as damaging.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 3, 2023
Sunday Chess Club at Chabad of Palm Coast, the Farmer’s Market, Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Major, John Pekkanen on the whole drug industry campaign for mood drugs in the 1960s.
Crash Dummies: Why Isn’t the V-22 Osprey Grounded Already?
The Osprey is a relatively new type of aircraft, with a patchy track record for safety. But the advantages it offers for the military – and perhaps for civilians – mean we will only be seeing more of it in the future.
Federal Judge Refuses to Block Florida Law Targeting Adult Transgender Care, But Individuals May Sue
A federal judge on Friday refused to block a new Florida law making it more difficult for transgender adults to access hormone therapy and surgeries. But U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle said he could issue a narrowly tailored injunction to ensure care for individual plaintiffs if they provide detailed medical records.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 2, 2023
The Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Sunshine and Sandals Social at Cornerstone, Henry James’s “A Light Man.”
Molly Tuttle, Abortion and Country Music
Jason Aldean’s song “Try That In A Small Town” extols small towns as bastions of conservative values standing up against a litany of violent big-city bogeymen. The song, and the backlash against it, threatens to strengthen popular conceptions about the inherent conservatism of country music. Yet the most striking of the new “abortion songs” and women’s autonomy comes from acoustic guitar wizard Molly Tuttle, a bluegrass musician and rising star in the American roots music scene.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 1, 2023
First Friday in Flagler Beach, Remembering U.S. District Court Judge James C. Turk, Catherine Edmondston discovers that there’s nothing ever new under the sun, missing David Letterman.
Why Is the DeSantis Campaign Stalling? Americans Don’t Like Imperial Governors.
Why is Ron DeSantis’s campaign stalling? Current and former governors would say: Because he has become an imperial governor-– one who believes he is all-powerful and that all his decisions will be just applauded and never questioned or opposed.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 31, 2023
Flagler County Comprehensive Plan update at Hammock Community Center, “digging out” from Idalia, the Charleston earthquake of 1886 and Edward Gibbon’s reflections on natural disasters.
Term Limits for Politicians Are Common. Why Not Age Limits?
Can politicians be too old to serve in office? Should society make retiring at a certain age mandatory for elected officials who run the country – like presidents and senators? Whatever view one takes on the ethics of age limits for politicians, voting remains the primary way to put one’s views into practice.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Absent scheduling changes due to the storm, Michael Bowling, the former Mondex man serving 20 years in prison for molesting a girl at his stepdaughter’s sleepover, is in court arguing for a lesser sentence.
Shouldn’t You Be Napping at Work?
Short naps can boost mental functioning and memory, as well as improve alertness, attention and reaction time. Short naps are also linked to increased productivity and creativity. Because napping seems to improve creative thinking, some companies have attempted to harness this by introducing napping rooms into the workplace.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 29, 2023
The Palm Coast City Council goes over its final budget for next year, A celebration of the life of the late Charlie Ericksen, keeping score on Donald Trump’s indictments and civil lawsuits.
Social Media Algorithms Warp How People Learn From Each Other
People are increasingly interacting with others in social media environments where algorithms control the flow of social information they see. Algorithms determine in part which messages, which people and which ideas social media users see.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 28, 2023
The Flagler County Commission holds a 2:30 p.m. workshop to discuss its beach management plan, the Flagler County Beekeepers Association meets, a cop beats a man with a tennis racket as the man is being attacked by a police dog.
What Is Bail?
Trump’s bail was set at US$200,000, while his former attorney Rudy Giuliani’s bail was set at $150,000. Megan T. Stevenson, a University of Virginia law professor who researches bail, answers questions about the American bail system and how the bail amounts in the Georgia election interference case reflect that system.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 27, 2023
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, how the FBI, not the Washington Post, brought down Richard Nixon, and once again, Pacho Flores’s performance, on the trumpet, of Arturo Marquez’s superb “Autumn Concerto.”
Ex-Wife Once Outsold The Great Gatsby. Why is No One Reading It Now?
Both “Ex-Wife” and “The Great Gatsby” are modern novels of love and loss, money and (mostly bad) manners. At first, “Ex-Wife” was far more successful than “Gatsby,” blasting through a dozen printings and selling over 100,000 copies. It’s forgotten, yet “Ex-Wife” deserves a place alongside Fitzgerald’s novel in classrooms and in the hands of a new generation of readers based on the merits of its style and contents.
Escambia County School Board Wants to Ban Any Book It Wishes
The Escambia County School Board is urging a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit filed by authors, a publishing company, parents and a non-profit organization challenging the removal or restriction of books in school libraries. It argues that it has authority to decide what books will be allowed in schools and that a new state law helps shield it from the allegations.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, August 26, 2023
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, “Jerry and Moly and Sam,” a story by Raymond Carver, the Commitments at the dark end of the street.
Why Most Trump Trials Won’t Be Televised
The near blackout will leave 330 million Americans relying on news reports, artist renderings and social media posts for the bulk of their information, despite wanting to see the live proceedings for themselves.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 25, 2023
The Blue 24 Forum, the A1A Pride Committee meets, the death of Lolita, the The 57-year-old whale at the Miami aquarium, Susan Orlean on Willie.
Can We Prevent Another Great Extinction?
Southern California experienced a wave of wildfires 13,000 years ago. These fires permanently transformed the region’s vegetation and contributed to Earth’s largest extinction in more than 60 million years. This was a time marked by dramatic climate upheavals and rapidly spreading human populations. The parallels between the late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions and today’s environmental crises are striking.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 24, 2023
School Board workshop on the hiring of LaShakia Moore as superintendent, Florida Humanities Speakers Series: “Respect: Soul Music and the Civil Rights Movement” at AACS, Yasser Arafat and Jorge Luis Borges.
What Florida Gets Wrong About George Washington and Enslaving Blacks
Florida officials want public school educators to misleadingly emphasize Washington’s efforts to abolish slavery. Yet Washington’s efforts to free Black people pale in comparison to how he fought to keep Black people enslaved.