The Florida Center for Government Accountability filed the lawsuit in Leon County circuit court and alleged that the governor’s office did not comply with requests to release a series of records about the migrant flights.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 10, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission talks Charter review, the Flagler Beach City Commission renews its state of emergency, Columbus Day and Lewis and Clark, Robert Levin on playing Mozart’s own piano.
Annie Ernaux’s Literature Nobel and the Art of Writing from Experience
The French writer Annie Ernaux has won the 2022 Nobel prize in literature at the age of 82. The academy praised her “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.”
Florida Insurance Companies Are Failing Because of Fraud and Lawsuits, Not Hurricanes
Home insurance rates in Florida are nearly triple the national average, insurers have been losing money. Six have failed since January 2022. Now, insured losses from Ian are estimated to exceed US$40 billion. Hurricane risk might seem like the obvious problem, but there is a more insidious driver in this financial train wreck.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 9, 2022
Pink on Parade, the Annual Pink Army 5K in Palm Coast’s Town center, the Creekside Music and Arts Festival’s final day, John Field’s nocturne, Orwell on leftism.
A U.S. Prison’s Scandinavian Make-Over Shows the Way to More Humane Penal System
At a medium-security prison outside of Philadelphia, a correctional officer-guided team has worked since 2018 to incorporate Scandinavian penal principles into its own institution. Prisoners reported feeling safer and having more positive relationships with staff and other people living in the prisons. They also indicated greater satisfaction with their access to food and the reintegration support available to them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 8, 2022
A farewell party for Karen Barchowski and family at Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach this afternoon, Bats: Myth and Reality at the Palm Coast Community Center, Imagine.
The Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Anti-Putin Human Rights Activists
On the 70th birthday of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the peace prize has gone to imprisoned Belarus activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 7, 2022
First Friday in Flagler Beach is cancelled, Renner on the homeowner insurance disaster, “Oliver!” at the Playhouse, Annie Ernaux, Ferdinand Ries and Christian Walker.
How Affirmative Action Bans Make Selective Colleges Less Diverse
Since nine states already have bans on affirmative action, it’s easy to know what will happen if affirmative action is outlawed. Studies of college enrollment in those states show that enrollment of Black, Hispanic and Native American undergraduate students will decline in the long term.
‘It Makes No Sense,’ Biden Says of Criminalizing Pot as He Pardons Thousands
President Joe Biden on Thursday pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law and instructed his administration to consider whether cannabis should get a new drug classification.
Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse Final Choice for University of Florida President
The University of Florida Board of Trustees will interview Ben Sasse during a Nov. 1 meeting. If trustees approve Sasse’s selection, it would then go before the state university system’s Board of Governors for a final sign-off.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 6, 2022
The Nobel Prize for Literature is announced at 7 this morning, the Flagler Beach Historical Museum celebrates its 21st Anniversary, the wonderful Alice Munro.
Rebuilding Southwest Florida Will ‘Take a Hell of a Long Time,’ Biden Says in Fort Myers
The president and First Lady Jill Biden surveyed storm damage by helicopter. He pledged that federal, state and local governments will work together to help the people of Southwest Florida recover from the massive Hurricane Ian disaster.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Code enforcement board, chess club at the library, the face-palming absurdity of the Hershel Walker Senate race, the Nobels continue.
The Blessing of Barrier Islands
Barrier islands protect about 10 percent of coastlines worldwide. When hurricanes and storms make landfall, these strands absorb much of their force, reducing wave energy and protecting inland areas. They also provide a sheltered environment that enables estuaries and marshes to form behind them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, October 4, 2022
The Nobel Prize in Physics is announced at 5: 45 a.m., the school board and the Palm Coast City Council will look back on Ian, Neanderthal Man, Robert Graves.
How Clarence and Virginia Thomas Are Changing America
With the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new session on Oct. 3, 2022, Clarence Thomas is arguably the most powerful justice on the nation’s highest court. He’s the longest-serving sitting justice and on track to have the lengthiest court tenure ever.
Emergency Management’s Kevin Guthrie Outlines Longer Sheltering Plan for Ian Refugees
State emergency responders are beginning the daunting task of finding temporary housing for people displaced by Hurricane Ian, Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Monday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 3, 2022
Flagler schools and courts reopen, the Flagler County Commission recognizes Ryan Belhumeur, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the two Paul Renners: Policy Paul and Ideological Paul.
Liz Truss: Are Britain’s Conservatives Facing a Meltdown?
Conservative Party members who chose Liz Truss as prime minister are wondering whether their choice (and the abrupt change of direction in economic policy it enabled) will cost them the next election. And they are right to be worried.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 2, 2022
“Oliver!” the musical, at Flagler Playhouse and “Assassins” at City Rep. It’s Gandhi’s birthday and it’s World Communion Sunday, which lends itself to a few reflections about the eucharist.
Iranian Women’s Enduring Resistance to ‘Islamic Revolution’
Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in custody of the “morality police” in Tehran.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 1, 2022
It’s back to life for life’s sake: “Assassins” at City Rep Theatre, “Oliver!”” at the Flagler Playhouse, Americans spending like drunken sailors despite inflation, Happy Birthday Jimmy Carter.
The Supreme Court Is Back in Session. Cue the Controversial Cases that May Change Your Life.
The Supreme Court’s new supermajority overturned abortion rights and expanded gun rights in 2022. Upcoming cases focus on the future of affirmative action, equal treatment of LGBTQ people, and the control of election laws.
Biden to Battered Florida: ‘We’re Going to Do Everything We Can for You’
Biden did not take questions from the press or say if he would visit Florida, but stressed the importance of the country coming together to help those affected by the hurricane. He mentioned he was in continuous contact with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as other coastal governors.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 30, 2022
Post-Ian recovery in earnest as schools and courts remain closed, but a breezy, cool fall day ahead. The vaporization of Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam, Nina Totenberg’s name-droppings.
Understanding Storm Surge and Why It Can Be So Catastrophic
Of all the hazards that hurricanes bring, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. It can sweep homes off their foundations, flood riverside communities miles inland, and break up dunes and levees that normally protect coastal areas against storms.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 29, 2022
Your windiest, rainiest, floodiest day of the year, Louis C.K. before his issues, H.L. Mencken on art.
When Electricity Goes Out, Could Solar and Batteries Power Your Home?
Even a modest system of solar plus one battery can power critical loads in a home for days at a time, practically anywhere in the country. But providing backup for cooling and heat can be a challenge, though not an insurmountable one.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Schools, courts, government offices and many businesses are closed or closing today in anticipation of the increasing intensity of Hurricane Ian’s local impacts. Stormy antidote: the Berlin Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, the Pastorale, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test video.
What Happens When Hurricane Hunters Plunge Into the Eyewall of a Storm
The leader of NOAA’s hurricane field program and a University of Miami meteorologist describes the experience aboard a P-3 Orion as it plunges through the eyewall of a hurricane and the technology the team uses to gauge hurricane behavior in real time.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Eight people, including Brennan Hill (attempted second degree murder) are scheduled for trial starting today but Hurricane Ian may have different ideas for them. A startling view into our limited water resources, Mo Amer at the airport.
3 Reasons Hurricane Ian Poses a Major Flooding Hazard for Florida
While Ian travels up the Florida coast, these outer bands will stretch over much of the peninsula and produce heavy rain for many locations, beginning as early as Monday night for South Florida and late Wednesday for northern parts of the state.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 26, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission considers its Charter Review Committee’s recommendations, Richard Dawkins tells us why we’re lucky to die, Yeol Eum Son reminds us that when all is gloom, there’s always a Mozart piano concerto.
Fiona Strikes Canada? Blame Global Warming.
The huge storm had a very low atmospheric pressure (931.6 mb) — which is the lowest ever recorded for a tropical storm that made landfall in Canada. Low pressure weather systems are associated with strong winds and heavy rains.
Anti-Poverty Measures Work. Census Data Proves It.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that poverty dropped notably in 2021. Amid a pandemic and widespread economic pain, this is a significant accomplishment. After Social Security, refundable tax credits like the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and stimulus payments were the biggest contributors to reducing poverty.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 25, 2022
Matinee day at local theaters, with Sondheim’s “Assassins,” at City Repertory Theatre, “Oliver!” at Flagler Playhouse, marking William Faulkner’s birthday and keeping an eye on Ian.
Desalination Sounds Easy. There Are Better Ways to Meet Water Needs.
Evidence shows that even in coastal cities, ocean desalination may not be the best or even among the best options to address water shortfalls. It’s expensive. It kills aquatic life. It negates better options.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 24, 2022
Free Health Clinic at Hidden Trails Community Center, keeping an eye on Hermine, a weekend of theater and disaster preparation continues, George Orwell at the public library, the John Marshall legacy.
Those Massive Vehicles You’re Buying Are Negating Carbon Reductions from Electric Cars
Plug-in vehicles are making great progress, with their share of U.S. car and light truck sales jumping from 2% to 4% in 2020-2021 and projected to exceed 6% by the end of 2022. But sales of gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs are also surging. This other face of the market subverts electric cars’ carbon-cutting progress.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 23, 2022
It’s a weekend of theater: Sondheim’s “Assassins,” at City Repertory Theatre, “Oliver!” the musical, at Flagler Playhouse, “Pippin,” at the Daytona Playhouse, Brahms v. Radiohead, and The Inside Joke That Became Trump’s Big Lie.
Candidates Grab Headlines With Name-Calling. But Voters Don’t Like It.
Uncivil messages by politicians have become more and more common in the last decade. Political attacks are now a regular occurrence in an increasingly polarized political environment, encouraging voters to get mad and plan to vote ahead of Election Day in November. But that doesn’t mean these kinds of advertisements and personal attacks actually work.
Lawsuit Cites DeSantis Trickery in Seeking to Block Further Migrant Flights
Lawyers representing asylum seekers who were allegedly “tricked” into going from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard on flights funded by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said Wednesday they are seeking a nationwide injunction to block the governor from luring immigrants to travel across state lines.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 22, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission takes on smoking on the beach, college admission interviews, Iraq, Iran and Ronald Reagan, and Henry James’s English Hours.
DeSantis’s Martha’s Vineyard Trafficking May Be Illegal
Transporting consenting migrants who have the paperwork to be in the U.S. is legal. But certain factors – like DeSantis’ intent and knowledge of the migrants’ immigration status – could create potential civil and criminal liability.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Palm Coast government’s final tax and budget hearing, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 9-18, at the Flagler County Public Library, International Day of Peace, Bill McKibben’s “Small World,” mountaintop removal’s disasters.
DeSantis Pulls From Segregationists’ Playbook with Anti-Immigration Stunt
Governors Greg Abbott in Texas and Ron DeSantis in Florida are following the playbook of segregationists who provided one-way bus tickets to Northern cities for Black Southerners in the 1960s. At that time, the fight for racial equality was attracting national attention and support from many white Americans, inspiring some to join interracial Freedom Rides organized by civil rights groups.
Judge Clears Way for Challenge to Law Allowing State to Override Local Police Budget Decisions
A Leon County Circuit judge on Tuesday cleared the way for a lawsuit challenging part of a controversial protest law that gives the governor and Cabinet the authority to override local governments’ decisions about police spending.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 20, 2022
A rare Jimmy Rice Act trial in Flagler court, The Palm Coast City Council makes planning board appointments, Freedom Readers Club at the Flagler County Public Library, Jelly Roll Morton.