There is not a single state, metropolitan area or county in which a full-time minimum wage worker can afford the “fair market rent” for a two-bedroom home, as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Even the smallest, most basic housing units are often unaffordable to people with very low incomes.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 14, 2021
Maya Angelou’s critical race theory, Woodwinds and brass ensembles in two concerts at Stetson, Tommy Tant Surf Classic concludes, music revues at City Repertory Theatre and Flagler Playhouse have their final runs.
Transgender and Gender Diverse Teens: How to Talk To and Support Them
Transgender youth have been around long before the word transgender has. Yet today, transgender teens are increasingly visible in society. For parents and caregivers, knowing how to talk to their children about gender can present a steep learning curve.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 13, 2021
A few words about Flagler’s book-burners, the 20th Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic takes to the waves near the Flagler Beach Pier, and City Repertory Theatre and the Flagler Playhouse each have a musical revue on stage.
If You’re a Sucky Employer, Don’t Be Surprised Your Workers Are Quitting
The U.S. labor market is expected to become far more diverse going forward in terms of gender, ethnicity and age. Thus, employers that cannot provide greater flexibility and variety in their working environment will struggle to attract and retain workers.
11 White Jurors and One Black Juror: Ahmaud Arbery and the Limits of Justice
Jogging while Black. Driving while Black. Walking while Black. Sitting in a public space while Black. Asking for help while Black. Eating while Black. Merely existing while Black. The cold, agonizing, disturbing truth is that to be Black in America is to regularly endure an ongoing onslaught of assaults and insults. These incidents are a stark reminder that to be Black in America means to live in a constant state of uncertainty.
Vague and Controversial Parents’ Bill of Rights Will Get Renewed Focus in Special Session of Legislature Next Week
The Parents’ Bill of Rights, sponsored by State Rep. Erin Grall in the 2021 legislative session, was criticized for its vague language and unclear boundaries. But it became a clarion call for parent power as local school boards developed Covid policies impacting students, and a mask mandate debacle that pitted the executive branch against local school boards.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 12, 2021
The Tommy Tant Surf Classic kicks off, City Repertory Theatre’s All Together Now, a brand new musical revue, And the World Goes ‘Round, the music Revue at Flagler Playhouse.
The Federal Poverty Line Is Out of Step With the Way The Other Half Lives
In 2021, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a worker needs to earn $20.40 per hour to be able to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country. That’s an annual salary of $40,800 – more than twice what Brookings refers to as the median wage for low-wage work.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 11, 2021
Schools, government offices, police departments and courts are closed today in observance of Veterans Day. Commemorations are scheduled at 10 a.m. at the county, 11:30 a.m. in Palm Coast and 1 p.m. in veterans Park in Flagler Beach.
School Surveillance of Students Through Laptops May Be Doing More Harm Than Good
Student surveillance is taking place – at taxpayer expense – in cities and school communities throughout the United States. In one large district, three-quarters of incidents reported – that is, cases where the system flagged students’ online activity – took place outside school hours.
FPL Customers Could Face Bills of Up to $6.83 a Month More on Top of Previous Increase Due to Natural Gas Costs
The request, filed at the state Public Service Commission, would push up FPL customer bills that were already slated to increase next year. Costs for natural gas and other power-plant fuel are generally passed through to customers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 10, 2021
White Table Ceremony honoring soldiers missing in action in all wars, at the county library, competitive fencing, Community Night at Flagler Playhouse, Big Pharma’s big friends, a few lines from Jason Brown’s “A Faithful but Melancholy Account of Several Barbarities Lately Committed.”
U.S. Military Is Single-Largest Polluter in the World. And Hides It.
If the US military were a country, its fuel usage alone would make it the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, sitting between Peru and Portugal. In other words, the US military is a more consequential climate actor than many of the industrialized countries gathered at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 9, 2021
The Palm Coast City Council does redistricting, the County Planning Board considers rezoning land near the airport on SR100 to industrial, LBJ’s spankings, and modern music at Stetson University.
Nicaragua’s Ortega Helped Overthrow a Dictator. Now He Is One.
Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo have managed to cling on to power. There are many reasons for their political survival, including the opposition’s fragmentation, a repressive state apparatus, and a lack of international pressure. What is too often overlooked, though, is that for many Nicaraguans, the FSLN remains the only political party that represents the interests of the poor.
Five Florida School Boards Move Quickly to Appeal Decision Supporting State Ban on Mask Mandates
The filing came shortly after Administrative Law Judge Brian Newman rejected a challenge to a Sept. 22 emergency rule issued by the Department of Health. That rule, at least in part, carried out a July 30 executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that sought to prevent school mask mandates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 8, 2021
The Bunnell City Commission is expected to set a closing date for the purchase of a 3-acre, $228,000 parcel where it’ll build its permanent city hall and police station. Socrates’ bad angel. Critical Race Theory opportunism.
What Greta Thunberg and Sweden Teach Us About Youth Empowerment
Children’s participation in social and political issues has been facilitated by specific notions of childhood in the Nordic countries. The idea of the autonomous and competent child has been described by researchers as a characteristic feature of the “Nordic model of childhood”, influencing child rearing and public policy for several decades. While the elements of this model are not unique to the region, the notion has had a lasting impact upon several generations of Swedish children, teaching them the value of independence and to make their voices heard.
UF Backs Off Gag Order on 3 Professors Testifying in Challenge to Restrictive Voting Law
But the university drew national attention and widespread criticism after a court document revealed last week that the school was blocking the professors from testifying.
New Laws’ Fiscal-Impact Statements Are Routine. Now, Some States Push for Racial-Impact Statements.
In many states, lawmakers long have used so-called fiscal impact statements to predict how much money proposed laws will cost or save. Now more legislators want to use racial impact statements to predict how a particular measure might harm—or help—racial and ethnic groups or widen racial disparities, though you won;t see this in Florida any time soon.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 7, 2021
The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras are in concert at Jacoby Hall, featuring a couple of Flagler’s own, how Alden Global Capital is gutting newspapers, And the World Goes ‘Round, the musical review at Flagler Playhouse.
How to Spend $1 Trillion on Infrastructure
The bill is the largest investment in the nation’s infrastructure in decades. It puts about US$240 billion toward building or rebuilding roads, bridges, public transit, airports and railways. More than $150 billion is slated for projects that address climate change, like building electric vehicle charging stations, upgrading energy grids and production to work better with renewables, and making public transit more environmentally sustainable.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 6, 2021
The latest on the storm, with some flooding expected today, The Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s First Saturday Creative Bazaar Arts & Crafts Market is cancelled, Thomas Wolfe’s “Man in Full.”
Today’s Flooding Is No Fluke. Sea Levels Are Rising.
Climate change, fueled by fossil fuel use and other human activities, is causing average global surface temperatures to rise. This is leading the ocean to absorb more heat than it did before the industrial era began. That, in turn, is causing ocean thermal expansion.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 5, 2021
Three to 6 inches of rain expected over the next 24 hours. Jonathan Lord discusses the nor’easter on Free For All Fridays, And the World Goes ‘Round Music Review at Flagler Playhouse, Willa Cather’s “Uncle Valentine.”
Lessons from the Virginia Governor’s Race
Many voters wanted to hear both candidates’ views on “kitchen table” issues – such as expanding job opportunities, ensuring public safety, and reforming education – in the closing weeks before the election. But that wasn’t always what voters got. Instead, they were often presented not with the issues, but with heavyweight political endorsements.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 4, 2021
Joshua Carver, the 36-year-old Palatka man whom a jury found guilty of hit-and-run in the death of Jonathan Rogers, is sentenced, the Flagler Playhouse launches its “And the World Goes ‘Round” review, and a few kind words about Nero, Caligula and Domitian.
LGBTQ Life Is Flourishing in Small-Town America
LGBTQ people in rural places and small towns are often ignored in the larger conversation surrounding queer life and culture. Even with these omissions, Pride celebrations in those locations are sweeping the nation (including Palm Coast), often encountering initial resistance.
No Additional Election ‘Audit,’ But DeSantis Says He’ll Push for More Election Crackdowns
Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to ask lawmakers for more “election integrity reforms” during next year’s legislative session, as he has resisted pressure from within the Republican Party to audit the 2020 elections.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 3, 2021
The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, Stetson’s Great Pianists series features pianist Kemal Gekic, Willa Cather on overdevelopment in the old countryside.
Facebook’s Misinformation Problem
Leaked internal documents suggest Facebook – which recently renamed itself Meta – is doing far worse than it claims at minimizing Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on the Facebook social media platform.
Democrats Criticize Special Session on Vaccination Mandates
Democrats expressed opposition Tuesday to a special session ordered by Gov. Ron DeSantis to push back against requirements that workers be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 2, 2021
The Flagler County Commission holds the second required workshop and special meeting in the school board’s attempt to double its impact fees ahead of projected growth, a step the commission had resisted when the matter was first debated at a previous workshop.
Covid’s Threat to the Already Shaky Status of Arts Education in Schools
In two studies from 2007 to 2008, schools indicated that they had cut an average of 145 minutes per week across the nontested subjects, lunch and recess. Where visual art and music were cut back, it was for an average of 57 minutes per week.
Seminoles Quietly Kick Off Sports Betting in Florida
The Seminole Tribe on Monday quietly launched online sports betting in Florida, amid continuing legal challenges to a gambling deal approved by state lawmakers in May. The tribe’s highly anticipated rollout of sports betting in the state came with no fanfare.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 1, 2021
The Flagler County Commission hears all about the Creekside Festival, American exceptionalism c. 2021, the morality and immorality of killing in war.
K-Pop Is Trending. So Is Anti-Asian Bigotry.
There is no doubt that the representation of Asian people in Hollywood has improved. The pandemic has led to a disturbing rise in anti-Asian racism and hate crimes.
Mandates Decline as Appeals Court Signals Alachua and Duval ‘Defiance’ on Masks Violates Law
A seven-page order said two school districts have been “remarkably open in their defiance” of the state over masking. Meanwhile, as Covid cases go down, several school districts that had been strict about mask mandates are now loosening their policies.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 31, 2021
Final day for City Repertory Theatre’s production of “Urinetown,” final day for UF’s survey on disposable plastic bags, and David Means’s curiously absorbing “The Depletion Prompts,” plus a few thoughts from David Shipler and our rights.
School Choice: Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids 5 to 11
The FDA authorization comes after months of pediatric clinical trial investigation involving about 4,500 children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer released new data on Oct. 22, 2021, stating that its vaccine is almost 91% effective at preventing COVID-19 in that age group, with similar tolerability and antibody responses to that seen in older age groups.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 30, 2021
Happy Birthday, Robert Caro, another performance of CRT’s Urinetown, Conrad Aiken’s “Three Star Final,” and the only way to understand Donald Trump’s letter to the Wall Street Journal.
Save the Tatas. Sure. But Do a Better Job Focusing on Women at Stage 4, Too.
Breast cancer awareness campaigns can do a better job supporting women who’ve received a stage 4 diagnosis, instead of focusing only on early detection and ‘beating cancer.’
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 29, 2021
The Deviaun Antriel Toler trial on child abuse charges is in its fifth day, City Repertory Theatre’s production of “Urinetown” enters its final weekend, Paul Krugman on the GOP’s cowards.
Climate Change: What Big Oil Knew and When It Knew It
The oil industry’s own words show companies knew about the climate change risk fossil fuels posed long before most of the rest of the world. Here’s what corporate documents from the past six decades show.
DeSantis Administration Sues Biden and Federal Agencies Over Vaccine Mandate
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. district court in Tampa against several defendants, including President Joe Biden, NASA, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the federal Office of Management and Budget and the federal General Services Administration.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 28, 2021
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Louis Menand on the Invention of George Orwell, the Keith Johansen and Deviaun Toler trials enter their fourth day, and Palm Coast’s beautification committee meets.
Fall Colors Aren’t What They Used To Be. Blame Climate Change.
Warming has caused a delay in peak colors for much of the East, ranging from a few days in Pennsylvania to as much as two weeks in New England. It’s not yet known whether this delay is making fall colors less intense or shorter-lasting.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Katherine Ann Porter’s “The Cracked Looking-Glass,” the trials of Keith Johansen Deviaun Toler enter their mid phase.
Glasgow Climate Summit: What to Watch For
Glasgow sits proudly on the banks of the river Clyde, once the heart of Scotland’s industrial glory and now a launchpad for its green energy transition. It’s a fitting host for the United Nations’ climate conference, COP26, where world leaders will be discussing how their countries will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change.