Flagler County Commissioners make appointments and re-appointments to the planning board and vote on a dangerous-dog designation, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, memories of Baalbek.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
‘Literally’ Is Here to Stay, and English Will Survive
Few words so rile language purists as the use of the adverb “literally” in a figurative sense, as in, “That movie literally blew my mind.” While it might feel like nails screeching on a blackboard, the use of nonliteral “literally” developed as an organic and dynamic outgrowth of the very human desire to communicate emotion and intensity.
Rethinking Who Belongs on Historical Markers
As the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, many states are inventorying, mapping and repairing old historical markers, as well as installing hundreds of new roadside signs, plaques and interpretive panels. In South Carolina, the focus is on sharing lesser-known stories of women, children, Native Americans, enslaved and free Black people and even the Loyalists who sympathized with King George III.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 5, 2025
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Peter Kuper on global smoking, on Breaking the Silence, the organization of whistleblowing veteran soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada.
How Cities Are Reinventing the Public-Private Partnership
An emerging trend with local governments engaged in private-sector collaborations – what we have come to describe as “community-centered, public-private partnerships,” or CP3s. Unlike traditional public-private partnerships, CP3s aren’t just about financial investments; they leverage relationships and trust. And they’re about more than just building infrastructure; they’re about building resilient and inclusive communities.
Clarence Thomas Eludes Investigation Over Ethics Lapses as Federal Courts Circle Wagons
The federal courts will not refer complaints that Justice Clarence Thomas violated ethics laws to the Department of Justice for investigation. The national policymaking body for the federal courts on Thursday rejected Democratic lawmakers’ request to refer to the attorney general claims that Thomas violated the law when he failed to disclose luxury travel, the sale of property to billionaire Harlan Crow, and other gifts.
Bringing Gaza Home to Your City
For any city or county in the U.S., simply find your population and area, then do the math to extrapolate the impacts of the genocide based on Gaza’s population and area.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 4, 2024
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Grace Community Food Pantry, on the Soap Museum in Saida, and Barbara Ehrenreich talks candidly about cleaning up other people’s crap.
Men Are Carrying the Brunt of the ‘Loneliness Epidemic’
Emotional pain is linked to serious health issues. But the public’s response to male expressions of emotion and vulnerability is often minimizing, if not dismissive. In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory highlighting what he described as an epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the country. Research confirms this scourge.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 3, 2025
First Friday Garden Walks at Washington Oaks, on the beauty of Maine’s flora, Steinbeck and Charley discover Aroostook County.
Behind the Scenes in the Battle Over “The Satanic Verses”
In March 1989, Mahathir wrote a letter to then UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that was blunt even by his standards. Unlike a lot of his angry letters, this one wasn’t published. Mahathir’s letter was about Salman Rushdie’s controversial book, “The Satanic Verses.” The letter has now been declassified and reveals uncomfortable words.
‘Smart Cities’ Are Also Surveillance Cities: Privacy-Busting Cameras Are Everywhere
People on the roads are likely used to red light and security cameras at intersections, but advancements in cloud technology and artificial intelligence allow transit agencies and cities to collect far more data than ever before, and to use that data in more strategic ways. But with increased monitoring, data collection and analysis comes ethical and privacy concerns.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 2, 2025
The Bunnell Coty Commission and its Planning Board hold a joint workshop on the pending rezoning application by Reserve at Haw Creek, on golden ageism, Philip Glass and the cosmic calendar.
Election Reform Lost in the Last Election
In the 2024 election, voters proved hesitant to overhaul the election systems they were already familiar with, as almost all of the reforms failed. Voters become familiar with the electoral system they live under and can be slow to embrace changes to that system. It can take several election cycles before they fully adapt to these changes.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 1, 2025
It’s back to 1954 in Florida, launching a new year on a few thoughts by Pascal, a song suggested by Andy Montgomery (the poor have too much money), and Sabbath’s Theater.
As Trump Boasts of Immigrant Roundups, Militias Are Standing By
President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed that once he takes office he plans to declare a national emergency and use the military on American streets to accomplish his promises to round up and deport millions of undocumented migrants. Some militia units may see it as their duty to assist with such efforts. In fact, local police may even deputize certain militias to help them deport immigrants.
From Facebook Ban to Building Regulations, These Nine New Florida Laws Go in Effect on Tuesday
From banning minors from social media to imposing harsher penalties for getting too close to first responders, these nine laws go into effect on New Year’s Day.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, December 31
Nothing doing around Palm Coast and Flagler County except shopping for Veuve-Cliquot, a few meaningless predictions for 2025, the absurdity of crystal balls, a final word by Voltaire.
Ethel Rosenberg Was Innocent. It’s Time to Exonerate Her.
Ethel Rosenberg and her husband, Julius, were executed on June 19, 1953, for conspiracy to commit espionage. They were accused of giving “the secret” of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union, meaning they supposedly passed vital technological information to help the Soviets develop their own bomb. The author of a book on the Rosenberg case found no “secret,” and that while Julius was a spy, Ethel was not.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, December 30, 2024
Clay Jones on Jimmy Carter, last Night for Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center, Nar-Anon Family Groups, a few thoughts about Byblos, its etymology and history, goodbye Demis Roussos.
Israel’s Increasingly Violent and Racist Settlers
In the past decade, a militant stream gained increasing popularity within the Israeli settlers movement. Its leaders have embraced the followers of Kahanism, a racist ideology promoted by Rabbi Meir Kahane in the 1970s and ‘80s. Kahane proposed extreme policies to promote Jewish supremacy in Israel and the West Bank, such as calls to expel all Arabs from the country or prohibit marriage between Jews and Muslims. Kahane’s followers also justified violence against Palestinians.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, December 29, 2024
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, next-to-last night of Fantasy Lights in Palm Coast’s Town Center, on the price of denying love to children, and the rewards of providing it.
The Horror of Native American Boarding Schools and Biden’s Inadequate Apology
Over the past 10 years, many historians and Indigenous scholars have said that what happened at the Indian boarding schools “meets the definition of genocide.” From the 19th to 20th century, children were physically removed from their homes and separated from their families and communities, often without the consent of their parents. The purpose of these schools was to strip Native American children of their Indigenous names, languages, religions and cultural practices.
LGBTQ+ People Relive Old Traumas as They Age on Their Own
Of the 3 million Americans over age 50 who identify as gay, bisexual, or transgender, about twice as many are single and living alone when compared with their heterosexual counterparts. This slice of the older population is expanding rapidly and faces a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, December 28, 2024
Gamble Jam, Paul Salopek’s Out of Eden walks of the last 11 years, Ian Frazier takes te F and reflects on Brooklyn and its smells from coffee to fingernail polish to eucalyptus.
How Aristotle Explains Trump’s Speeches
With half of the US electorate on his side, Trump’s chaotic speaking style is clearly no barrier to success. If his public appearances are indeed so shambolic, why do they continue to fire up his supporters, attract new ones–and give him the victory? Aristotle would have understood, and explained it this way.
Spurred by a Middle School Student’s Project, Florida’s Dixie County Leaps Into Electric School Buses
The Dixie district is so small, it serves approximately 2,000 students across five schools, from pre-K through 12th grade. Still, its 23 buses will collectively travel 270,000 miles annually. By avoiding 228 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the electric buses will improve air quality for the whole community so everyone can breathe easier. Dixie’s electric buses are among the 66,000 projects funded by the $568 billion Biden infrastructure plan, which is considered the nation’s largest investment ever in clean energy.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, December 27, 2024
Acoustic Jam Circle At The Community Center In The Hammock, Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival, recalling Apollo’s orbits around the Moon at Christmas 1968, and Time Magazine’s year of culture.
A Few Reminders About Thomas Aquinas
Aquinas is a giant of Western philosophy and theology, and for good reason. His writing is clear, well organized, free from bombast – ideas shine through his words. Famously, he insisted that faith and reason are in harmonious partnership, integrating the known science, philosophy and theology of his day into a comprehensive, interconnected system. All this helps explain why his work has maintained an enduring appeal, even as equally brilliant medieval thinkers have sunk into oblivion.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, December 26, 2024
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival continues for a few more days in Palm Coast’s Town Center, Bachfest, a few reflections on Jewett’s Country of the Pointed Firs and the 100 best books of the 21st century.
How Gladiators Inspired Evangelicals’ Sense of Persecution
You might be surprised to learn that there are threads that tie together gladiators, Christian martyrs and the sense of persecution that exists among many U.S. evangelicals today.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Nothing doing today, and beside the chestnuts roasting on a natural gas fire and the remains of yesterday’s fog, it’s time for Bachfest and the smell of Christmas in “The Plot Against America.”
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Clay Jones is rightfully upset that Disney kissed Donald Trump’s ring with that settlement, on the origin of St. Nick, Nicholas of Myra, and a spin around the world with Satchmo.
America, Not Just Florida, Faces an Insurance Crisis
Home insurance rates are rising in the United States, not only in Florida, which saw tens of billions of dollars in losses from hurricanes Helene and Milton. homeowners insurance increased an average of 11.3% nationwide in 2023, with some states, including Texas, Arizona and Utah, seeing nearly double that increase. Some analysts predict an average increase of about 6% in 2024.
Bob Dylan’s Creative Leap
The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet, focuses on Dylan’s early 1960s transition from idiosyncratic singer of folk songs to internationally renowned singer-songwriter. Sixty years ago, on Halloween Night 1964, a 23-year-old Dylan took the stage at New York City’s Philharmonic Hall. He had become a star within the niche genre of revivalist folk music.
Trial Will Decide Whether Florida’s DEP Violated Endangered Species Act, Causing Manatee Deaths
A federal judge has rejected a state attempt to end a lawsuit stemming from manatee deaths in the Indian River Lagoon and said a trial is needed to determine whether the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has violated the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza issued a 17-page order last week siding with arguments by the environmental group Bear Warriors United that wastewater discharges into the Indian River Lagoon have led to the demise of seagrass and, as a result, the deaths of manatees.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, December 23, 2024
The Bunnell City Commission hears an appeal from a developer who thinks less open space should be fine, a few thoughts about harsh parents, and the Little Prince.
Memo to Rupert Murdoch: Now’s the Time to Sell Fox News
With Trump continuing to be Trump, Fox’s immediate future looks very bright. Political fortunes aside, the longer term future for Fox News looks much less bright. Fox News was a good and faithful campaigner for Trump, but it is notable that when people explain Trump’s victory, Fox is never mentioned. The best way to take the heat out of the Murdoch family conflicts would be to sell, or to float, Fox News, and this is likely to be more profitable now than in a few years’ time.
Maga’s Mega Mean Girls
Maga Mean Girls take pleasure in tormenting people, especially those weaker than themselves, and causing gratuitous pain. As Atlantic Monthly essayist Adam Serwer wrote in 2018, “The cruelty is the point.” And nobody enjoys cruelty more than Donald Trump, Mean Girl of the Century.
Court Rejects Teen’s Challenge to Florida Law Banning Trans Women Athlete from Teams
A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump dismissed a Broward County teen’s challenge to the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that bars transgender female students from playing on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, December 22, 2024
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center, remembering Eleanor Roosevelt’s utopian Arthurdale.
What Blasphemy Laws Teach Us About Religious Freedom
Some 79 countries around the world continue to enforce blasphemy laws. And in places such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, violation of these measures can result in a death penalty. While the U.S. is not among those countries, it also has a long history of blasphemy laws that reflects a complex fight for the freedom of religion and speech.
21% Surge in Immigration Drives Nation’s Population Increase, Offsetting Decline in US Birth Rate
With Texas and Florida making up nearly a third of the nation’s population increase, a recent immigration surge brought newcomers to every state this year, helping to offset a continued drop in U.S. births while contributing to a national upswing of about 3.3 million new residents, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Miracle on 34th Street at Daytona Playhouse, the Democratic Women’s Club of Flagler County meets, Syria’s refugees and their mistreatment, school shootings and Clay Jones.
The Moral Dimension of America’s Flawed Health Care System
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has set off soul-searching among many Americans. Part of that reflection is about the public reaction to Thompson’s death and the sympathy the suspect received online, with some people critical of the insurance industry celebrating the assailant as a sort of folk hero. Frustrations are no excuse for murder. But it has become a moment of wider reflection on health care in America, and why so many patients feel the system is broken.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, December 20, 2024
Flagler and Florida unemployment numbers are released,Miracle on 34th Street at Daytona Playhouse, a 21st birthday celebration, trillions upon trillions of tiny marine organisms.
How Foreign Students Boost the Economy
Foreign students pump more than US$40 billion into the U.S. economy and support over 368,000 jobs. That’s not just paying professors and buying textbooks – it includes everything from renting apartments to late-night DoorDash and Grubhub deliveries. And it’s near a record high.
Florida Population Growth Tops States at 2% This Year, Reaching 23.3 Million
The Census Bureau estimated that Florida had 23,372,215 people as of July 1, up from 22,904,868 a year earlier. Florida’s increase of 467,347 people was second only to Texas, which gained 562,941. Also, Florida’s 2 percent growth rate trailed only the District of Columbia, which had a 2.2 percent rate, according to the Census Bureau. Texas and Utah each had 1.8 percent growth rates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, December 19, 2024
Marineland talks about Ragga Surf Cafe’s pending eviction, Model Yacht Club Races at the pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Drug Court’s last session of the year, the American judiciary’s reputation falls to historically low levels.
Is News Bias Fueled by Journalists or Readers?
Demand-driven bias happens when newspapers offer slanted news to appeal to readers. Supply-driven bias stems from the ideological leanings of owners or employees. Both had influenced decision-making at The New York Times. The former top editor of The New York Times’ editorial page wrote that slanted coverage at the institution is “pervasive.”