First Friday in Flagler Beach, Jonathan Lord on Free for All Fridays, Mohsin Hamid’s Face in the Mirror, Allen Ginsburg, the first woman rabbi in the United States.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Overcoming the Distorted Narrative of Christian Nationalism
I grew up in a church community that pitted people against each other and called it “Christianity.” As a pastor now myself, I know there’s another way. We work to transform systems of inequality rather than blame people for struggles outside of their control, the author writes.
Québec’s Dangerous Bill 32 on ‘Academic Freedom’
In addition to undermining the autonomy of universities and faculty, and creating myriad implementation problems, the bill blurs the important distinctions between free expression and academic freedom. Most troubling, it signals that politicians are turning academic freedom into a political weapon.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 2, 2022
The Palm Coast Democratic Club meets at AACS, a child teaches what to do in case of an active shooter, Flagler Beach webcam makes its Briefing debut, Johnny Weissmuller, Queen Elizabeth, Ted Koppel on gun show loopholes.
Why Are So Many Americans Fixated on England’s Monarchy?
In America, Elizabeth retains approval ratings that would leave most political leaders envious. No royal family from any other nation has induced the same level of scrutiny or celebration. But British royals have been eliciting similar responses on American shores for the past 150 years.
Florida Healthcare Providers Sue the State Over 15-Week Abortion Law that Starts July 1
The law has caused an upset among reproductive rights activists, and the lawsuit claims that HB 5, the piece of legislation that was approved this spring by the Legislature, violates protections under the Florida Constitution.
U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Florida-Like Texas Law Limiting Content Moderation by Social Media
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a Texas law similar to one in Florida that prohibits large social media companies, such as Facebook or Twitter, from banning or removing users’ posts based on political viewpoints. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week ruled that Florida’s law unconstitutionally restricts free speech.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Code enforcement board meeting, the Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, the Second Amendment as the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence interpreted it, Penny Lane.
Mass Shootings Are a Boon to Firearms Stocks
A week on, and the market rally of gun stocks following the latest mass shooting hasn’t subsided. That’s been the case with recent mass shootings–but it contrasts with shootings a decade or more ago, when gun companies’ share prices would fall.
Florida Teacher Union Declares Backing of Charlie Crist in Governor’s Race
Local educator unions across the state also showed support for Crist, a former Republican governor, Attorney General and, notably, the state’s former Education Commissioner in Florida.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
An uneventful day-after- memorial Day in Flagler County. It is the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Linda Greenhouse on abortion and the 13th Amendment.
Memorial Day’s Forgotten History
Memorial Day was born in the former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 1868. Cities and towns across America have for more than a century claimed to be the holiday’s birthplace, but we have sifted through the myths and half-truths and uncovered the authentic story of how this holiday came into being.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 30, 2022
Memorial Day commemorations in Palm Coast at 8, at the county in Bunnell at 10, in Flagler Breach at 1 p.m., and all about Voltaire’s complete works, finally completed.
Roadside Safety Messages Distract Drivers and Increase Crashes
A study showed there were two to three per cent more crashes within one to 10 kilometres downstream of each dynamic message sign during the week fatality messages were shown. This suggests that this specific behavioral intervention backfired.
Our National Pathology Over Guns Is Inhuman
Insanity, as has been famously remarked, is doing the same thing over and over again, and hoping for a different result. And that is the story of our lawmakers’ ongoing inability to pass even the simplest of gun violence reduction measures. And, then, under our very noses, we’re hit with another Sandy Hook.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 29, 2022
Grace Community Food Pantry, Houston’s divide over guns, Orhan Pamuk’s Istanbul, G.K. Chesterton’s Catholic obsession, Palatka’s Blue Crab Festival has its last day.
Arming Teachers: Risks and a False Sense of Security
There are documented incidents of school staff using their firearm to neutralize a shooter. However, researchers have not found evidence that arming teachers increases school safety. Rather, arming teachers may contribute to a false sense of security for teachers, students and the community, when even highly trained police in gunfights hit their target only 18% of the time.
DeSantis Appoints Ex-Education Commissioner Corcoran to University System’s Board of Governors
The Board of Governors oversees Florida’s 12 state universities and is tasked with such responsibilities as adopting regulations designed to carry out state laws related to higher education. Corcoran, a former Republican House speaker, served three years as the state’s top education official overseeing Florida’s public-school and college systems.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 28, 2022
Flagler-Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High’s graduations, LGBTQ+ ice cream social at Sally’s Ice Cream, the NRA’s unconscionable conventions, the guillotine, Amnesty International.
Yes, Muslims Are Portrayed Negatively in American Media
The warm welcome Americans and Europeans have given Ukrainians in 2022 contrasts sharply with the uneven – and frequently hostile – policies toward Syrian refugees in the mid-2010s. Negative opinions on Muslims were mostly influenced by what they heard and read in the media, which projects “stereotypic beliefs, negative emotions and support for harmful policies” toward Muslim Americans.
5th District’s Judge Meredith Sasso Among Applicants to Florida Supreme Court Vacancy
After reshaping the Florida Supreme Court to reflect his legal and political ideology, Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to pick a new justice who will give him four appointees on the state’s highest court. Judge Sasso is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the ultra-conservative Federalist Society, whose faculty advisors included Robert Bork and Antonin Scalia.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 27, 2022
A vigil in memory of the Buffalo and Uvalde massacre victims, Rachel Carson and Silent Spring, and if you want to go a bit west, it’s Palatka’s annual Blue Crab Festival.
The NRA’s Evolution from Gun-Control Advocacy to Anti-Restriction Zealotry
Despite the proximity in time and location to the Texas shooting, the NRA is proceeding with its plans to hold its annual convention in Houston on May 27-29, 2022. The featured speakers include former President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.
Voluble on All Things National and Ideological, DeSantis Is Mum on Robb Elementary Massacre
About the mass murder this week in Uvalde, Texas — where an 18-year-old shot to death 19 small kids and two teachers — Gov. Ron DeSantis has uttered not a peep beyond ordering flags at state and local facilities flown at half staff — and it was President Joe Biden’s proclamation.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 26, 2022
Building Your Business On A Strong Foundation, a seminar at Cornerstone, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, it’s the Youth Center Talent Show at the Flagler Auditorium, John Wayne seen by Mark Rydell.
After Mass Shootings, Federal Gun Control Fails and States Loosen Regulations
Congress has declined to pass significant new gun legislation after dozens of shootings, including those that occurred during periods like this one, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Senate and presidency. States have been more active, but mass shootings do not regularly cause lawmakers to tighten gun restrictions.
In Response to Texas School Massacre, Biden Calls for More Gun Regulations, Florida GOP for Prayers
In the wake of the latest mass shooting at a school, President Biden called for tougher gun controls and for Americans to stand up to powerful gun lobbyists. Florida’s GOP leaders maintained opposition to gun restrictions and offered prayers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
The trial of Travis Smith before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins enters its third and likely final day, the Flagler County School Board first meets in closed session then open session to talk health insurance for employees, that SNL ad on stupid voters, and Raymond Carver.
Did Biden Just Commit U.S. Forces to Defending Taiwan? Probably Not.
The comment, which Biden made during a trip to Japan, was taken by some observers as a deviation from the official U.S. line on Taiwan, in place for decades. But officials in Washington walked back that interpretation, saying instead that it only referred to military assistance.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 24, 2022
The trial of Travis Smith, accused of attacking a Lyft driver in Palm Coast in 2020, continues, EGG screening for high school athletes, the Commitments try a little tenderness, celebrating the first telegraph message, the Palm Coast City Council hears from its major departments.
Beyond Media Spectacles: The Nuances of Domestic Violence Behind Heard v. Depp Trial
The spotlight of the Heard-Depp trial affords the opportunity to openly discuss the nuances of intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, that are often overlooked and perhaps may empower some victims to feel less alone. However, many have consumed the trial as a form of entertainment, exposing a tendency of online observers to armchair-label the parties involved either as the “real” victim or perpetrator of abuse. IPV is experienced by an estimated 6.6 million women and 5.8 million men each year in the U.S.
3 Republican-Appointed Judges Call DeSantis-Inspired Law Targeting Social Media Unconstitutional
Dealing a major setback to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a three-judge federal appellate panel of judges appointed by Republican presidents, including Donald Trump, on Monday ruled that a 2021 Florida law targeting social-media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter unconstitutionally restricts the companies’ First Amendment rights.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 23, 2022
Trial week in Flagler’s felony court including the trial of Travis Smith, accused of attacking a Lyft driver, the Bunnell City Commission meets, Clarence Thomas and the alleged leak, Bonnie and Clyde.
Appealing to Trump May Work in Primaries, But Not as Much in the General Election
Republican candidates’ hitching their wagon to Trump and Trumpism raises a question about the tried-and-tested plan of candidates’ appealing to the party base in the primary before pivoting closer to the center in the general election: Will that post-primary transformation be possible for Republicans in 2022?
Tucker Carlson Is Peddling ‘Great Replacement’ Theory from an Anti-American Nazi
People like Tucker Carlson are pitifully ignorant of history and so are wielding an anti-American, highly unpatriotic notion for the sake of their television ratings. Ironically, Tucker’s intellectual forebear, Binet, would have considered him a mongrel.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 22, 2022
Free Used Tire and Bromeliad Plants Disposal Day at East Flagler Mosquito District, Jules Massenet’s “Meditation from Thais,” “The Odd Couple: Female version,” another view of American exceptionalism.
Whataboutism: Behind the Deflecting Tactic in Arguments
Whataboutism is an argumentative tactic where a person or group responds to an accusation or difficult question by deflection. Instead of addressing the point made, they counter it with “but what about X?”
Appeals Court Sides with DeSantis on Elimination of Black-Access North Florida Congressional District
A court order issued Friday means that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting plan, which dismantles a North Florida district likely to elect a Black candidate, will be used for this year’s primary and general elections, at least for now.
6,566 Permits Issued in Gator Hunt Lottery that Drew Record Applicants
A record number of applicants sought permits for alligator hunting this year, though they had to wait an extra day to find out if they won a lottery for the permits. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Thursday that 6,566 permits were issued from 19,358 applications submitted in a first round of permitting.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 21, 2022
The inaugural “Hang 8” Dog Surfing Competition in Flagler Beach, Touch-a-Truck in Palm Coast, WaterSafe’s event at Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, a book sale at the library, two Flagler Woman’s Club events, Bud Powell, Richard Flanagan’s “Gould’s Book of Fish.”
Buffalo Mass Shooter Threatened a Shooting While in High School. Could More Have Been Done?
Accused mass-shooter Payton S. Gendron’s story is not unlike the dozens of stories that typify one of the biggest challenges that schools face when it comes to averting school shootings – and in the case of Buffalo, mass shootings in general. And that challenge is recognizing and acting upon warning signs that mass shooters almost always give well before they open fire.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 20, 2022
The Lost Roadside Attractions of Florida, a free lecture at the Palm Coast library, Friends of the Library book sale, “The Odd Couple: Female version,” Amelia Earhart’s flight across the Atlantic, Balzac on journalists, an FYO trio performs a Haydn trio.
Intermittent Fasting to lose Weight? Here’s What the Science Says.
Numerous studies have shown that the weight reduction from intermittent fasting diets is no greater than the weight loss on a standard calorie-restricted diet. There are no studies on the long-term safety and efficacy of following this type of diet. And studies show that intermittent fasters don’t get enough of certain nutrients.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, March 19, 2022
Daytona State College’s Falcon Experience Night for Prospective Nurses, “The Odd Couple: Female version,” at the Daytona Playhouse, Malcolm X on self-criticism, an FYO ensemble performs Celtic Force.
Bad News for Hurricane Season: Loop Current, Fueler of Monster Storms, Looks a lot like in the Year of Katrina
The Loop Current is the 800-pound gorilla of Gulf hurricane risks. When the Loop Current reaches this far north this early in the hurricane season – especially during what’s forecast to be a busy season – it can spell disaster for folks along the Northern Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Indians’ great replacement theory, the county commission meets for a budget overview, the Palm Coast Planning Board, the Contractor Review Board and the Technical review Committee all meet, Pamuk’s memories of Istanbul.
How Media Reports of ‘Clashes’ Mislead Americans About Israeli-Palestinian Violence
In a recurring pattern of crudely biased media coverage in the United States, there is no mention in headlines about who instigated the violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian mourners, nor any hint of the power imbalance between a heavily armed Israeli police force and what appeared to be unarmed Palestinian civilians.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 17, 2022
The Palm Coast council will hear a somewhat contentious rezoning application for a 28-acre property called Ryan’s Landing, the school board meets, Food Truck Tuesday, Brown v. Board of Education.
Mass Shootings Are Increasing, Becoming Deadlier, and 13% Are Targeting Minorities
Mass public shootings in which four or more people are killed have become more frequent, and deadly, in the last decade. And the tragedy in Buffalo is the latest in a recent trend of mass public shootings taking place in retail establishments, similar to an August 2019 shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. On that occasion, the 21-year-old white suspect posted a racist rant on social media before allegedly driving some distance to intentionally target racial and ethnic minority shoppers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 16, 2022
The Flagler County Commission considers spending $1.2 million for two fire engines, The trial of Ian Davis is scheduled to begin with jury selection, Lise de la Salle plays Bach.