Newly released federal audits reveal widespread overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors, with some plans overbilling the government more than $1,000 per patient a year on average. Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing alternative to original Medicare, is run primarily by major insurance companies.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 21, 2022
The Flagler County Commission sends off Joe Mullins ahead of his last meeting, Qatar’s human rights record, what Netflix software engineers do with your $9.99 a month.
How Same-Sex Marriage Gained Bipartisan Support
While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 20, 2022
Pianist Michael Rickman plays Beethoven and Schumann in Ormond, the World Cup kicks off at 11 a.m., Qatar’s dismal human rights record, Abdullah Al-Arian’s case for Qatar.
The Good and Bad of the World Cup
Controversy has dogged the event ever since sport’s governing body, FIFA, handed Qatar hosting duties back in 2010. In spite of the controversy, the World Cup will be the most-watched sporting event of the year. Here are quick guide of the good and bad.
Citing Orwell, Federal Judge Calls DeSantis’s ‘Stop Woke Act’ Unconstitutional Muzzling of Academic Freedom
Calling the state’s approach “positively dystopian,” a federal judge on Thursday blocked a law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts the way race-related concepts can be taught in universities. The law is “antithetical to academic freedom and has cast a leaden pall of orthodoxy over Florida’s state universities,” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in the 139-page ruling.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 19, 2022
Celebrate America at the Ag Museum, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Barry White, the end of the world can’t come soon enough.
Why You Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Cheer the Demise of Twitter
Twitter’s dual role in fostering real-time communication and acting as an arbitrator of authoritative information is of crucial interest to academics, journalists and government agencies. If Twitter were to collapse, there’s no clear replacement in sight.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 18, 2022
Flagler Beach hosts its rescheduled Veterans Day ceremony, the Jersey Tenors at Flagler Auditorium, Mickey Mouse’s birthday, Barbara Ehrenreich on gyms and fitness.
Note to Québec’s Premier: French is the Language of Voltaire, Hugo and Human Rights, Not Xenophobia
To return the French language to its rightful place as the voice of human rights, the Québec government must promote it as a tool of a human rights-based civic education, not a mandatory language. Welcoming immigrants would subsequently not be an obstacle to the French language or francophone culture — it would be a benefit.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 17, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Medicare basics at the public library, Pegine Echevarria at Daytona State, DeSantis catching up to Trump, James Joyce on Ulysses.
Despite Growing Legalization, 317,793 People Were Arrested for Pot Possession in 2020
Arrests have actually been going down each year since 2010 as more states legalize medical or recreational use of the drug. In 2019, for example, more than 500,000 marijuana possession arrests were reported, so the 2020 arrest numbers represent a single-year decline of 36%.
DeSantis Deflects But Doesn’t Silence Speculation on 2024 Presidential Bid
Following former President Donald Trump officially launching his 2024 presidential campaign, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday didn’t acknowledge Trump’s big announcement last night. And former President Trump didn’t mention DeSantis’ name during his speech at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
The Flagler Youth Orchestra in a sold-out concert at the Auditorium, Kevin Guthrie, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, at Tiger Bay, Letterman to Donald Trump, in 1987: “You act like you’re running for something.”
Twitter’s Mocking of Musk
Playful impersonations of companies on Twitter aren’t coincidental: they are a dissent against Musk’s leadership. In response to Musk becoming CEO, users used the platform to challenge dominant ideas about capitalism and power.
FireFlight’s Chief Dana Morris, Flagler County’s Legend of the Air, Is Retiring After 12,500 Flight Hours
After 20 years flying Flagler County FireFlight, the emergency helicopter, and more than 12,500 flight hours later, Dana Morris will power down the rotorcraft one last time as its pilot on November 13, five days before his official retirement after 43 years of flying.
Sen. Travis Hutson Will Chair Fiscal Policy Committee in Senate President’s Leadership Team
Incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo rolled out her leadership team Monday, as the Senate prepares for an expanded Republican majority next week. In his new role, Hutson will run a committee that Passidomo described as a path for “legislation that may contain a fiscal impact.” Hutson had vied for Senate presidency against Passidomo but fell short.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council takes on the controversial Harborside development proposal, why Curtis LeMay lived a few decades too long, Lydia Polgreen on why Twitter deserves to survive.
Artemis Launch: From One Delay to Another
Of NASA’s 135 Space Shuttle missions, only about 40% launched on time. While Artemis 1 is continuing the long tradition of delayed NASA launches, there are good reasons for the high level of caution that underlies these delays.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 14, 2022
Flagler Cares Coalition meets, the Bunnell and Flagler Beach city commissions meet, Rediscovering pianist and composer Moritz Moszkowski, William least-Heat Moon in a Nevada house of pleasure.
America Appears to Have Passed ‘Peak Trump’
The failure of the expected GOP “red wave” might mark a passing of the high watermark for the political fortunes of Donald Trump. Or, to put it another way, America may have passed peak Trump after he took a big share of the blame for the failure of the Republican Party to capitalise on the highest inflation figures in 40 years, America’s rising murder rate, and what Republicans’ perceive as Joe Biden’s underperformance as president.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 13, 2022
Final day for “Driving Miss Daisy” at the Playhouse, why Robert Reich is hopeful, celebrating Louis Brandeis, the great dissenter.
Why Mastodon Won’t Be a New Twitter
Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost others’ posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it’s a federation of independently operated, interconnected servers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 12, 2022
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, funeral for Palm Coast Firefighter-Paramedic Brant Gammon, “Driving Miss Daisy” at Flagler Playhouse, Kissinger on Israelis.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 11, 2022
Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast host Veterans Day ceremonies at the Flagler Auditorium, Funeral arrangements for Palm Coast Firefighter-Paramedic Brant Gammon, “Driving Miss Daisy” at Flagler Playhouse, Dostoevsky and Kurt Vonnegut, plus Bill Burr.
The Workplace in Contemporary Capitalism Is Fundamentally Flawed
First it was the “Great Resignation.” Then it was “nobody wants to work anymore.” Now it’s “quiet quitting.” Yet it seems like no one wants to talk about what I see as the root cause of America’s economic malaise. The inability to dictate and meaningfully control one’s own working life is the problem.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 10, 2022
Tropical Storm Nicole’s effects will peak today, as most government offices, schools and many businesses remain closed. Happy birthday, Ennio Morricone. And the ungodliness of Ron DeSantis.
Tribal Rights and the Case of Non-Indians Adopting Native Americans
The Indian Child Welfare Act, was originally passed by Congress in response to requests from tribal leaders and other advocates for Native Americans to stop states from removing Indian children from their families. Now, in a case before the Supreme Court, non-Indians seeking to adopt or foster Indian children have challenged provisions of the law.
Florida Voters Reject Additional Property Tax Breaks or Ending Constitutional Revision Commission
Florida voters late Tuesday appeared to have rejected three proposed constitutional amendments that would have provided property-tax breaks and eliminated the state’s Constitution Revision Commission.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
The day after the election, Flagler County is mostly closed in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s effects, Iran’s women, remembering Spiro Agnew, that hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.
Number of Encounters at Mexico Border Doesn’t Mean What GOP Claims
Numbers Republican candidates and politicians keep referring to as representing an “invasion” of migrants represent encounters, not the number of individuals who have come across the border. It’s a misleading and inaccurate way of describing the number of people coming into the U.S.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 8, 2022
It’s Election Day, and Flagler needs 21,000 votes to have a higher turnout than in 2018, recalling the “Astounding Triumph of Republicanism…” in 1860, a total lunar eclipse, James Howard Kunstler on the ugliness of America’s urban landscapes.
The Live Calendar: Palm Coast, Flagler and Nearbys’ Complete List of Events
Palm Coast Flagler and the region’s most comprehensive calendar of political, cultural, civic, social and entertainment events for coming days, near and far.
America’s Election Workers: Overworked, Underpaid and Feeling Pressured
The focus on the machinery of elections has obscured a different threat to the nation’s elections: Local election administrators work under increasingly difficult circumstances, with dwindling resources and mounting challenges.
‘Chaos and Confusion’: The Campaign to Stamp Out Ballot Drop Boxes
Drop boxes have become a symbol of the attacks on voter access even though there’s been no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected election outcomes. Up to one-fourth of Florida drop-boxes had to be eliminated due to a new law restricting their use and locations.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 7, 2022
The Flagler County Commission honors Dana Morris, who is retiring after flying Flagler County FireFlight for two decades, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, Bill Bryson’s cruel words about Iowa women.
What To Expect at the Climate Summit
This year’s climate summit is seen as the one that can bring concrete actions and commitments on emission reductions and also on the financing of losses and damages resulting from climate change to the global south. But will it be more successful than previous summits?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 6, 2022
Kiwanis Club’s Fantastic Musical Comedy Show, “Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, “Driving Miss Daisy” at Flagler Playhouse, how Trump is still damaging America, the wonder of books.
Pain Management, Opioids and the Promise of Pot
Drug overdose deaths from opioids continue to rise in the U.S. as a result of both the misuse of prescription opioids and the illicit drug market. But an interesting trend has developed: Opioid emergency room visits drop by nearly 8% and opioid prescriptions are modestly lower in states where marijuana is legalized.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 5, 2022
Last day for early voting, 5th Annual Hidden Treasures at Hidden Trails Community Sale, Flagler Beach Farmers Market, “Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, and how American society is so focused on race that it is blind to class.
There Is No Ethical Reason Not to Vote
Even if November 2022 could see more Americans registering their midcycle political preferences than in recent years, a large chunk of eligible voters – perhaps around half – will not bother. Each of the usual arguments against voting is flawed.
In latest Intrusion on Academic Freedom, Tenure Review Could Be Tied to How Professors Teach Race
A controversial law designed to restrict the way certain race-related topics can be taught in Florida classrooms could factor into a new tenure-review process for university professors, under a proposal that higher-education officials will consider next week.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 4, 2022
“Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, First Friday in Flagler Beach, “Driving Miss Daisy” at Flagler Playhouse, other media catch up to Will Fury’s sleaze, extremists and political violence.
Political Violence, at Home in America
A warning about the threat of political violence heading into the 2022 midterm elections was issued to state and local law enforcement officials by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 28.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 3, 2022
Three days left for early voting, open registration for spring 2023 classes at all DSC campuses, the Pegasus String Quartet in recital, Beppe Severgnini on shopping in America.
Christian Nationalism’s Gated Community
According to a May 2022 poll from the University of Maryland, 61% of Republicans favor declaring the United States a Christian nation – even though 57% recognized that it would be unconstitutional. Christian nationalism is more than religiosity and patriotism. It is a worldview that guides how people believe the nation should be structured and who belongs there.
Amendment 3: Is Yet Another Homestead Exemptions Needed, Or Prudent?
Florida voters could offer significant property tax exemptions to Florida’s teachers, firefighters, active-duty members of the U.S. military, and other specified professions, amid a relatively hostile housing market. But a well-meaning tax exemption may bring about other complications, such as a loss of local government tax revenue.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 2, 2022
The county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee talks building incentives, early voting continues, an explanation of Magritte’s treachery of images, the rise of juvenile delinquency, circa 1921.
Race-Based Diversity in College Admissions Is on the Brink of Extinction
The U.S. military learned a valuable lesson about race during the Vietnam War: Diversity does not happen without affirmative action. The conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court is about to unlearn that lesson.
Sen. Ben Sasse, ‘Sole Finalist,’ Chosen by Trustees to Lead University of Florida After Secret Search
The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve Nebraska’s U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the new president to lead Florida’s flagship institution, despite weeks of outcry, questions about the senator’s political views, and an air of secrecy around the search process that led to his candidacy.
The board agreed to provide compensation for Sasse that would be up to but not exceed $1.6 million.