Concerns were raised, in part, that the 24-hour proposal would conflict with other outdoor activities, such as bass fishing and duck hunting, and that there is the potential for meat spoiling from alligators harvested during the hottest part of the day.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, March 2, 2022
The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, “Company,” the 1970 musical by Stephen Sondheim, is staged by Flagler Playhouse starting with a Community Night tonight, Colin Thubron on the fabrication of Uzbekistan.
Can Rich Nations Stop Buying Russian Oil?
Sanctions against Russia’s oil industry would have a greater impact than limiting natural gas flows because Russia’s oil receipts are higher and more critical to its state budget. Russia earned over US$110 billion in 2021 from oil exports, twice as much as its earnings from natural gas sales abroad.
Following House, Florida Senate Poised Wednesday to Impose 15-Week Abortion Limit
After weeks of speeches and raucous protests, numerous votes in legislative committees and a full vote in the state House, Florida is at the endpoint for a decision on a 15-week abortion ban that doesn’t include rape, incest and human trafficking.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
A status hearing is scheduled in the case of Cornelius Baker, whose death sentence has been in a legal twilight zone for a few years, the School Board holds a workshop, the Palm Coast City Council discusses apartments, Russian writers assess the Russian character.
Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis Are in a Race Back to the 1950s
Sen. Rick Scott proposes to take us back to the 1950s, that glorious era when Black people were beaten and arrested for trying to vote, when women of all colors were expected to stay home and raise the children, when Christianity dominated the culture, when gay people had to stay in the closet, and we lived in mortal terror of socialism.
Putin’s ‘Denazification’ Slur on Ukraine
The victims of the genocide claimed by Putin are Russian speakers; the Nazis he referenced are the elected representatives of the Ukrainian people. Russian speakers have more freedom in Ukraine than they have in Russia, where Putin’s authoritarian government routinely suppresses political dissent.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 28, 2022
Six Appeal Vocal Band at the Flagler Auditorium, the Bunnell City Commission bids farewell to one police chief and welcomes the next, and talks of $1-an-hour raise to all employees, Montaigne, M*A*S*H and Barnes.
Think Twice Before Scanning That QR Code
Scanning a Quick Response, or QR code, is convenient and easy. And it is contactless, which can make people feel safer. But cybersecurity experts say QR codes also created new opportunities for fraudsters, who can tamper with them and direct victims to malicious websites to steal their personal and financial information.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 27, 2022
The Native American Festival at Princess Place, the Academy Awards, Ralph Nader’s birthday (George Bush’s happiest day), Steinbeck, mobs and oil prices.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 26, 2022
The 7th Annual Native American Festival is at Princess Place Preserve, the assassination of Trayvon Martin 10 years later, Michael Cavanaugh at the Jacksonville Symphony, Victor Hugo.
Who Is Ketanji Brown Jackson?
Ketanji Brown Jackson is supremely qualified. She has not just an elite education – she went to Harvard for both college and law school – she clerked for the retiring justice whose place she will take, Stephen Breyer.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 25, 2022
Donald Trump is apparently siding with Vladimir Putin, Free For All Fridays on the invasion of Ukraine and what it may mean to Flagler, Anthony Burgess, and Voltaire on arbitrary justice.
Setting the Record Straight on Ukrainian and Russian History
Much of the history of Ukraine and Russia the public is hearing is incomplete, some of it is wrong, and some of it is obscured or refracted by the self-interest or the limited perspective of who is telling it. Here’s a corrective.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 24, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission considers permitting a neighboring tattoo business, the Philip Martin trial enters its final day, Wendell Berry on the making of morons, Rodney Dangerfield, and Estonians.
Taxpayers: Expect Serious Delays from IRS This Year
Over 15 million returns and 5 million pieces of taxpayer correspondence from 2021 sit untouched – including 6 million original 1040s. Amended 2021 returns are taking more than 20 weeks to process. It’s not just complicated returns that are getting delayed. Even simple individual returns are caught in the backlog.
Senate Confirms Vaccine-Snubbing Ladapo as Surgeon General in Partisan Divide
A 24-15 party-line vote displayed the fissure between the parties on DeSantis’ approach to the pandemic, which in the past year has mostly concentrated on treating people who have tested positive for Covid-19 rather than boosting vaccinations. Ladapo has often echoed DeSantis’ positions since the September appointment.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 23, 2022
The trial of Philip Martin enters its third day, the county parks and rec committee meets, genocide in Ukraine, Brunei’s stoning-free National Day, “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Russia.
At Least 650 Migrants, a Record, Died on the US-Mexico Border in 2021
A majority of people crossing the border are not from Mexico, having traveled instead from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. People migrate and attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border for complicated reasons, including violence and lack of work opportunities in their home countries.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on Ukrainian Nationalism and Separatism
“Russia and the Ukraine are united in my blood, my heart, my thoughts,” Solzhenitsyn wrote in The Gulag Archipelago half a century ago. “But from friendly contact with Ukrainians in the camps over a long period I have learned how sore they feel. Our generation cannot avoid paying for the mistakes of generations before it.”
Democratic Lawmakers Attempt to Raise Florida’s Stingiest Unemployment Benefit to $375 a Week
Mississippi has the lowest unemployment benefit in the nation, at $235. Arizona is next, at $240, but that ends in July, when it goes up to $320. Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama remain tied for the lowest weekly benefit of $275, but Florida’s is still the stingiest at 12 weeks, while the other three states, plus Mississippi, all offer up to 26 weeks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 22, 2022
The East Flagler Mosquito Control District talks slightly larger boundaries, the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals takes up a high-profile transgender bathroom case from St. Johns County schools, English as a Second Language class, John Quincy Adams buys Florida from the Spanish. John McGahern reflects on the existence of God.
Putin Orders Troops Into Ukraine: 5 Essential Reads
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a provocative address that could be construed as a pretext to war, claimed today that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia and formally recognized the independence of two breakaway regions in Ukraine that are controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. His government then ordered troops to those regions.
Myth-Ridden Bill That Would Reduce Rooftop Solar Credits to Residents Advances, Angering Industry
People who own rooftop solar systems are required to hook up to utility systems and are able to sell excess electricity and receive bill credits in return. Under the 2008 rule, monthly credits are provided at utilities’ retail rates. The bill could reduce the amounts going to rooftop solar owners.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 21, 2022
The Flagler County Commission considers finalizing its agreement with Whispering meadows Ranch and approving the school district’s revised, scaled back impact fee schedule. Sebastian Maniscalco, trial week in Flagler court. Commemorating Nina Simone, W.H. Auden, Malxolm X.
How the Loudest Voices in the Room Distort Democracy
Not all voices are pitched the same. Amplified by technology, it’s easy for a loud and relentless minority to dominate the soundscape and drown out all other points of view. That’s not democracy. It’s a form of repression.
Florida House Set to Take Up Bills Silencing Discussions of Race and Gender Identity
The Florida House, dominated by Republicans, is poised this coming week to pass two fiercely debated bills that would place restrictions on how issues about race, gender identity and sexual orientation are taught in public schools.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 20, 2022
The United Nations’ World Day of Social Justice and Frederick Douglass’ death anniversary, “The Mountaintop,” at City Repertory Theatre, waning civil rights concerns in the United States.
Why Calling Covid the ‘Chinese Virus’ Encourages Racist Violence
The way media frame, depict and describe events can have a profound influence on the public’s perception of those events. Researchers have found that audiences are prone to interpret media stories in the context of their biases, especially in relation to racial groups.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 19, 2022
St. Mark by the Sea Bazaar and Sale, Vincent Adejumo on the Destruction of Rosewood, “The Mountaintop,” at City Repertory Theatre, the 80th anniversary of the order to intern Japanese Americans in concentration camps in the West.
The GOP Is Now Openly Aligned Against Democracy
Majorities of Republicans report believing the ridiculous lie that the 2020 election was stolen — something not even GOP-led investigations have found a shred of evidence for. And an alarming 40 percent of Republicans now say violence against the government is justified.
On False Flag Attacks
In the past few weeks, U.S. officials have warned several times that Russia plans to create the appearance of an attack on its own forces and broadcast those images to the world. Such a “false flag” operation, they alleged, would give Russia the pretext to invade Ukraine by provoking shock and outrage.
Big Changes Afoot for Bright Futures Requirements as Lawmakers Shift to Paid Work Instead of Volunteer Service
Florida High school kids vying for a scholarship could compile hours for paid work, not volunteer service, to qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, a popular merit-based scholarship program that can shave off thousands in college tuition, requires a high GPA, top college entrance exam scores, at least 75 hours of volunteer service, plus a project on civics or social issues.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 18, 2022
“The Mountaintop,” at City Repertory Theatre, reimagines Martin Luther King Jr.’s last night, dying languages, Bach’s “Here, in My Father’s place” from a cantata, reason’s salvation from extremism.
Blue-State Cities Led the Wave of Anti-Asian Violence in Pandemic
Before 2020, the average number of Asian Americans killed or injured in anti-Asian attacks was just over eight per year. In 2020 and 2021, however, 49 were physically harmed, an average of almost 25 per year. Almost half of the anti-Asian attacks in 2020 and 2021 were motivated, at least partially, by anger and animosity associated with COVID-19, a disease first identified in Asia.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 17, 2022
Another round of listening in a town hall about Flagler Schools’ dress code, but no one showed up at the first one; Blame Biden? UK inflation hits 30-year high, how Republicans exploit the word “freedom.”
Women’s Freedom and Autonomy? Not in Florida.
These magnanimous Republicans will allow women and girls to have control over their own bodies until the fetus inside them gets to be about the size of an apple. After that, ladies, you’re nothing but a “host body,” as former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva famously said.
Florida House Passes Bill That Would Require Initiatives to Improve Fathers’ Parental Skills
The bill would require that grants be geared toward helping fathers in “finding employment, managing child support obligations, transitioning from a period of incarceration, accessing health care, understanding child development and enhancing parenting skills.”
When Presidents Lie. And Why.
Presidents who lie to save their own public image or career are unlikely to be forgiven. However, those who appear to lie in the service of the public are often celebrated.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
The Palm Coast Planning Board hears a site plan application for a 36-acre self-storage facility off Old Kings Road North, a school board committee hosts a “listening session” about the district’s dress code, John Cleese on extremism, Herbert Hoover on poverty’s eradication.
Sarah Palin’s Appeal of Libel Loss Could Set up Supreme Court Test of Decades-Old Press Freedom Rule
Before the 1964 Sullivan standard Sara Palin’s appeal could potentially overturn, the libel landscape in the U.S. consisted of a patchwork of state laws that made it easy for political figures to selectively persecute newspapers and public speakers who espoused opposing or unpopular views.
Proposed Florida Law Would Crack Down on Social Media ‘Pop Up’ Events
Authorities would be able to impound vehicles for days and double fines on noncriminal traffic infractions to crack down on large unsanctioned events put together through social media, under a measure heading to the Senate floor.
Florida’s New Elections Restrictions Are Driving Local Supervisors from Office
Some of the officials who supervise Florida elections are considering retiring under the threat of $25,000 fines if they make mistakes, according to testimony produced Tuesday in the federal trial over the GOP-dominated Legislature’s new voting restrictions.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council will hear from the Green Lion restaurant’s owners and supporters, the Flagler County School Board hears another update on library books and Susan Anthony is not happy with Florida.
Canada Should Be Preparing for the End of American Democracy
As Canada’s closest neighbor fractures at the seams and slides toward dangerous forms of authoritarianism, we should be deeply worried. The worst-case scenario in the U.S. — blood in the streets — isn’t necessarily the most likely, but we ought to resist the tendency to assign too low a probability to events that could have serious, catastrophic consequences.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 14, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission hears a strategic plan for its police department, Mamie Smith’s “This Thing Called Love,” the end is near, democracy’s sorry state, Peter Taylor’s “Demons.”
The Black Death Was Not as Widespread or Catastrophic as Long Thought
In popular imagination, the Black Death is the most devastating pandemic to have ever hit Europe. A new study of 1,634 samples of fossil pollen from 261 lakes and wetlands in 19 European countries suggests the pandemic’s toll was not as universal as currently claimed, nor was it always catastrophic.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 13, 2022
The cold weather shelter opens tonight as temperatures go back into the 30s, “Calendar Girls” at the Daytona Playhouse, Teddy Roosevelt’s dead Indians, the firebombing of Dresden, one of the great war crimes of World War II.
Patriotism, Dissent, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and the NFL
Playing the national anthem at every game became a flashpoint in the 1960s. Today, the NFL’s promise to play the anthem at every game cuts both ways. For Super Bowl LVI, three songs performed by four Black American female vocalists will offer a musical suite of unity in the face of division.
What I learned From Watching More than 500 Jan. 6 Videos
The Jan. 6 insurrection was brutal, and no amount of spin and obfuscation will alter that truth. Hundreds of videos prove that violence did not just occur sporadically as an extreme expression of the crowd’s displeasure but rather dominated the mob’s collective energy. The full weight of the crime that occurred on Jan. 6 is hard for Americans to measure because it is hard to imagine it could have occurred in America.