Today, both in the United States and in many parts of the world, trans and nonbinary people — a tiny, frequently poor, and marginalized percentage of the general population — are being used as scapegoats, as symbolic threats to the “right” way of being. These constant attacks are aimed at getting struggling people to blame trans folks for their problems. And they’re designed to keep us all politically reactive, overwhelmed, and unfocused on the deep systemic failures of our society, Aaron Scott, Moses Hernandez McGavin argue.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Deporting Millions of Migrants Would Shock the Economy with Higher Housing, Food and Other Prices
Removing millions of immigrants would be costly for everyone in the U.S., including American citizens and businesses. Overall, immigrants without legal authorization make up about 5% of the total U.S. workforce. But that overall percentage doesn’t reflect these immigrants’ concentrated presence within various industries. Approximately half of U.S. farmworkers are living in the country without legal authorization. If those workers were to be suddenly removed from the country, Americans would see an increase in food costs, including what they spend on groceries and at restaurants.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Prosecutors seek to deny Kristopher Henriqson bond, the Palm Coast City Council takes on its Comprehensive Plan 2050, the moronic renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, Bill Bryson on American place names.
Eviscerating the Kennedy Center’s Non-Partisan Mission
The six-year terms reflect a goal of establishing a largely nonpartisan governing board, since presidents usually appoint board members aligned with their own party. Until now, that balance has been the norm. But that outcome wasn’t mandated when Congress passed legislation establishing the Kennedy Center. Having a politically balanced board has historically helped the Kennedy Center raise money and attract world-class artists.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 17, 2025
Schools and most government offices are closed in observance of Presidents’ Day, our misguided notion of a golden age of political discourse in the United States, Charles Dickens meets the spitting culture.
Could AI Replace Politicians?
While the idea of AI politicians might make some people uneasy, survey results tell a different story. A poll conducted by my university in 2021, during the early surge of AI advancements, found broad public support for integrating AI into politics across many countries and regions. A majority of Europeans said they would like to see at least some of their politicians replaced by AI.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 16, 2025
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Blue Jeans and Bling Fundraiser at the county fairgrounds, Artist Talk by M. Kathleen Warren at Expression Art Gallery, Annual Strawberry festival in Palm Coast’s Central Park, short-term rentals in Europe.
Fake Papers Are Contaminating the World’s Scientific Literature
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 15, 2025
History Academy Talk Presented by the Palm Coast Historical Society. Today’s talk: “The Seminoles of African Descent in Florida,” by Dr. Vincent Adejumo, the Democratic Women’s Club of Flagler County meets, annual strawberry festival in Town Center, Breece D’J Pancake’s “Hollow.”
Federal Courts Are Unlikely to Save Democracy from Ongoing Assault
The problem with relying on the courts for help goes beyond ideology and right-leaning justices going along with a right-leaning president. One challenge is speed: The current administration is moving much faster than courts do, or even can. The other is authority: The courts’ ability to compel government action is limited, and also slow.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 14, 2025
Palm Coast’s firefighters and the city’s management team hold a bargaining session at City Hall, the Friday Blue Forum, the madness of “god, guns and country” in the context of the Parkland massacre.
Selfish or Selfless? When Going Childless Is an Ethical Choice.
Plenty of childless people want children but can’t have them. Other people may not want kids for personal or economic reasons. But advocates for “anti-natalism,” a relatively new social movement, argue giving birth is immoral. They push back against the idea that childlessness is selfishness. They believe they are protecting their unborn children, not neglecting them: that childlessness is the ethical choice.
Florida Court Clears Way for Trump Lawsuit Against Pulitzer Board Over Russian Interference Articles
A Florida appeals court Wednesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to pursue a defamation lawsuit against Pulitzer Prize board members in a dispute rooted in the organization awarding a prize to The New York Times and The Washington Post for reporting about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Stephen Monroe’s trial continues, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Dr. Carlos Lois takes on “The Illusion of Reliable Brain Function” in Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, recalling Decision, the journal, before Decision, the magazine.
The Gaza Ceasefire May Not Hold
Interviews with over 1,400 respondents in a demographically matched online panel of the Jewish Israeli population, and as part of an in-person survey in Gaza, show why 16 months of extreme violence and suffering have created psychological barriers to peace. The interviews also suggest ways to achieve a more positive future.
Florida Lawmakers May Ban Hotels, Golf Courses and Pickle Ball Courts in State Parks
After a bipartisan uproar last year about a proposal dubbed the “Great Outdoors Initiative,” the Florida Senate on Tuesday began moving forward with a bill that would prevent building such things as golf courses, pickleball courts and hotel-style lodges in state parks. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill (SB 80), sponsored by Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
The Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State holds its weekly meeting, the difference between intelligence and cleverness, a few moments with Andre Gide.
How Big Oil Made Climate Change a Partisan Issue
Working behind the scenes since the 1950s, researchers working for companies such as Exxon, Shell and Chevron had made their leaders well aware that the widespread use of their product was already causing climate change. They then started making large donations to national and state-level candidates and politicians they viewed as friendly to the interests of the industry.
Florida Senator Files Bill to Americanize El Golfo de México in State Laws
Sen. Nick DiCeglie, the Republican who sponsored last year’s ill-fated bill to eliminate local control over vacation rentals, filed a bill that combs through state laws and would replace references to the “Gulf of Mexico” with the “Gulf of America” after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to rename the gulf.
Spat with DeSantis Resolved, Legislature Begins Third Special Session on Immigration Today
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican leaders of the Legislature announced Monday evening their agreement on the state’s immigration enforcement response under the Trump administration after a month-long public dispute.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
The Palm Coast City Council talks utility rate increases, the murder trial of Stephen Monroe, the Community Traffic Safety Team meets, the changing face of Town Center, how to build the perfect city, on the cult of open space.
What If Fema Didn’t Exist?
Imagine a world in which a hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. has no federal agency prepared to quickly send supplies, financial aid and temporary housing assistance. Could the states manage this catastrophic event on their own?
Federal Judge Blocks ‘Catastrophic’ Cut to NIH Grants
A federal judge on Monday blocked the National Institutes of Health from changing the percentage that universities and medical schools pay in facilities and administrative costs, blocking a decision that was rebuked by academic institutions throughout the country and members of Congress. Judge Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts entered the brief, two-page order, which “shall remain in effect until further order of this Court.” Kelley set an in-person hearing date for Feb. 21.
Teresa ‘Teri’ Ryan, 1947-2025
Teresa “Teri” Ryan (née Pizzarelle), 77, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2025, in La Plata, Maryland. Born on December 8, 1947, in Washington, D.C., she was the beloved daughter of the late Harry and Betty Pizzarelle, sister Melissa Shreve (Phoenix, AZ), and half-brother John Parks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 10, 2025
Trans lives matter, the County Commission meets, the Flagler County Library Board of Trustees meets, a few words on “self-elected saints with gloomy brows.”
Reading Alice Munro Now That Secrets Have Been Revealed
For months readers have been learning about the enormity of Andrea Skinner’s suffering, following sexual abuse by her stepfather, and her mother Alice Munro’s decision to stay with and protect him. As scholars re-read Munro with a knowledge of the secrets she kept and the pain she caused, we have an opportunity — if not an obligation — to use our re-readings to reckon with sexual abuse of children and the silence that so often surrounds it.
A History of Birthright Citizenship at the Supreme Court
Birthright citizenship was explicitly added to the Constitution in 1868 when the 14th Amendment was adopted following the Civil War. The United States is one of roughly 30 countries, including neighboring Canada and Mexico, that offer automatic citizenship to everyone born there. There is a “strong likelihood” that the challengers of a presidential executive order ending birthright citizenship “will succeed on the merits of their claims that the Executive Order violates the Fourteenth Amendment” to the Constitution.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 9, 2025
Paws 4 Protectors at 2K Ranch, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Athens Theatre, Willa Cather’s “Coming, Aphrodite!” Ramblin’ Man and a few words from Theodore Dreiser.
Kendrick Lamar’s Big Super Bowl Moment
As a world-renowned Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist, Kendrick Lamar stands in a league of his own. His unflinching critiques of racial injustice, systemic inequality and the exploitation of Black culture have made him a boundary-pushing artist and cultural visionary.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 8, 2025
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Monthly Meeting, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Gamble Jam, the dog-whistling behind the assault on DEI.
Five of the Worst Super Bowl Ads Ever
A true advertising face-plant is a commercial that’s both tone-deaf and completely forgettable – so dull, off-putting or confusing that when a brand completely switches up its strategy, you almost don’t remember the massive blunder that compelled it to change course in the first place. Almost. Here are five of the biggest Super Bowl advertising flops.
State Talks of Jetson-Like ‘Vertiports’ to Ease Congestion Along I-4
As congestion increases on Florida highways, state Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue wants lawmakers to envision a world getting closer to the promise of decades-old sci-fi shows. Perdue expressed support Wednesday for advanced air mobility, which would involve establishing vertiports in urban areas that could serve as hubs for short aerial commutes by battery-powered aircraft that have characteristics of airplanes and helicopters.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 7, 2025
First Friday Garden Walks at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, the Friday Blue Forum, First Friday in Flagler Beach, a preview of the Library of America’s 2025 offerings.
The Teacher Shortage in Special Education
A growing number of students in public schools – right now, about 15% of them – are eligible for special education services. But going into the current school year, more than half of U.S. public schools anticipate being short-staffed in special education.
Senate Proposal Expands Opportunities for Children with Autism and Their Families
The bill (SB 112) filed by Sen. Gayle Harrell, expands a health care grant program established by the Legislature last year to include free screening, referrals, and related services for autism. It also creates two education-related grant programs: one for specialized summer programs for children with autism and the other to support charter schools exclusively serving them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 6, 2025
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, drug court, when Steinbeck was troubled by the cynical immorality of his country, Rushdie’s knife.
Why False Claims About Vaccines and Autism Refuse to Die
The idea that autism is caused by vaccines has recently been revived by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presumptive nominee for US Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as by president-elect Donald Trump. There is strong data from different countries showing that these vaccines do not cause autism or underlie the vast increase in autism diagnosis rates. So why do suspicions that vaccines cause autism remain?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Palm Coast officials meet with a Rick Scott aide to discuss sewer-plant improvements, joint workshop of local governments, docket sounding for Derrius Bauer and Michael Jennelle, Flagler Beach Fire Chief Bobby Pace retires.
Why Those Insufferable English Accents Persist in Hollywood
Hollywood has long resorted to this posh-but-unspecific English accent when telling stories set in European spaces where English isn’t the native language. This imperial accent appears in countless major productions. Where does this false British accent come from?
Ag Commissioner on Heat-Related Farm Deaths: Blame Humans, Not Climate
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson told state lawmakers Tuesday morning that human error was to blame for heat-related deaths on farms, which he described as few and far between. Florida’s sweltering heat became one of the hottest topics for lawmakers last year as the Republican-led Legislature passed a law prohibiting local governments from enacting their own heat-safety protections for employees.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The Palm Coast City Council, the Flagler Beach and Bunnell planning boards all meet, Celebrating Black Composers, a concert presented by the Stetson School of Music, on cartoonist Jules Feiffer.
Demonizing Migrants Can Be Part of a Violent Design
Using hateful, polarizing language to gain a political advantage or make an argument against a group of people, like immigrants, is not unique to the U.S. The use of this language is associated with populist shifts in many parts of the world. In Italy, such language was accompanied by mob violence, mass evictions and demolition of informal camps set up in the streets.
Sen. Tom Leek Files Bill to Name St. Johns County Site for Florida’s Black History Museum
Sen. Tom Leek, a North Florida Republican, filed a bill Monday to officially name St. Johns County as the site for Florida’s Black History Museum. Leek’s filing of SB 466 comes more than six months after a panel tasked with making recommendations for the museum’s construction issued its final report to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the leaders of the Republican-led Legislature.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 3, 2025
The Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, on Peter Singer’s ethics about animal rights and the annual slaughter of turkeys, Jeff Koterba on the Statue of Liberty’s deportation.
Is Capitalism Falling Out of Favor? Don’t Bet On It.
Since the 1940s, positive sentiment toward capitalism has improved. In the 2020s, the average article with capitalism got a more balanced 37% negative and 34% positive sentiment score. While capitalism clearly isn’t loved in the press, it’s also not disparaged as much as it was just after World War II.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 2, 2025
‘Crimes of the Heart’ at St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, the inability of half of Americans to name a single concentration camp from the Holocaust.
Germany’s Far Right Is Roaring Back
A vote in Germany’s national parliament (Bundestag) has led to fears that the firewall supposedly separating mainstream political parties and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been blown apart.
DeSantis Will Seek an Increase in Homestead Exemption and Pay Increase for FHP Troopers
With home prices continuing to be a big flashpoint for Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that he plans to work on an overhaul of property taxes, including an increase in the state’s homestead exemption, which shields part of the value of homes. DeSantis floated the idea when he noted that he is plans to release his budget recommendations over the weekend.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Coffee With Commissioner Scott Spradley, St. Augustine and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a presentation by Dr. Butler of Flagler College at the Flagler County Public Library, when your cat shows white supremacist tendencies.
Inside the Collapse of Disney’s America, the US History Theme Park
In the 1990s Disney began buying land in northern Virginia for a planned theme park called America. It would be centered on American history. It was a colossal failure. Questions over how Disney would tell the complex – often discriminatory – history of the nation spurred a group of historians, led by David McCullough, to lodge their concerns: How would Disney construct its narrative of the United States? And how would the park affect Manassas, one of the most important Civil War battle sites?