The buzz among professional astronomers like me has been electric since members of the Webb team shared tantalizing test images. And the real images are even better than anyone could have hoped for.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 14, 2022
A working group meets to discuss the ILA on school concurrency, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets to discuss City Manager William Whitson’s future, speaking of insurrections.
‘We Need to Quit Mincing Words… What It Was Going to Be Was an Armed Revolution’
During its seventh hearing on July 12, 2022, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol connected the dots between white nationalists and key allies of former President Donald Trump and their concerted efforts to overturn the 2020 election by interrupting the counting of Electoral College votes and inserting fake electors.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 13, 2022
A marble statue of educator and civil-rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol, a Captain’s BBQ hearing in court, Queen at Wembley for Live Aid, “Somebody cuts you? Where it doesn’t show?”
What the Controversial 1972 ‘Limits to Growth’ Report Got Right
“The Limits to Growth,” an extension of biologist Paul Ehrlich’s bestselling “The Population Bomb,” was way off in some regards, but dead on in this one: Humans must limit and soon reduce their aggregate production of greenhouse gas emissions.
Why Can’t Florida’s Medical Pot Patients Buy Guns? Ag Commissioner Fried Challenges U.S. Law
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is relying on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support arguments in a challenge to federal regulations that make it illegal for medical-marijuana patients to buy guns.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Kwentell Moultrie’s many trials may be scheduled today, the Palm Coast City Council will hear a presentation on the regional tennis and racquet club construction, Buckminster Fuller speaks, Lewis and Clark set off.
Militant White Identity, Guns and GOP Campaign Ads
The use of guns in political ads has evolved as a coded appeal for white voters. While ads might have been a bit more ambiguous in the past, candidates are increasingly making these appeals appear more militant in their culture war against ideas and politicians they oppose.
Florida Moving toward Medicaid Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender People
The DeSantis administration moved toward banning gender-affirming care for transgender Floridians under Medicaid, meaning that treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers may soon be out of reach for many low-income members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 11, 2022
The Flagler County Commission takes up consideration of the proposed Eagle Lakes subdivision off Old Kings Road, Kwentell Moultrie in court, auditions for the award-winning musical “Oliver!” and Francis Fukuyama.
June Jobs Report Offers Hope Against Recession, But With Tiny Room for Error
The U.S. economy added more jobs than expected in June, keeping the unemployment rate at a 70-year low of 3.6%. Does this mean the U.S. will avoid a Fed-induced recession? The Fed has some room to maneuver, but not much.
Florida Prisons Propose Cutting Family Visitations, Drawing Sharp Objections
Florida’s state-run prisons would be allowed to cut visitation with inmates in half to mirror staffing shortages. Advocates for inmates and their families object, saying visitation is a boon to inmate behavior and helps maintain family ties critical for the success of inmates returning to free society.
By Focusing Only on ‘Resilience,’ Florida’s Governor Ignores Climate Change’s Deadly Heat
“Resilience” is the word politicians use when they mean “climate change is an opportunity for me to hand out lots of big government contracts for construction work that will try to cope with rising sea levels.” But resiliency does nothing to reverse dangerous courses.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday July 10, 2022
Flagler Playhouse auditions for “Oliver!,” Happy Birthday Mary McLeod Bethune, national character and Jan. 6, the Nile of language, best shots at Wimbledon.
Who’s Being Discriminated Against? A Huge Perception Gap Between Blacks and Whites.
A third of white Americans say they have seen “a lot more” discrimination against white people in the past five years and a majority see no increased discrimination against minorities. A large majority of Black Americans disagree.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 9, 2022
Auditions for the afterschool theater program at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation, Family Builder Lab at the library, auditions for “Oliver!,” Grace Community Food Pantry.
Buying Into Conspiracy Theories Can Be Exciting – and Dangerous
Anyone who talks to conspiracy theorists knows that they’re never short on details, or at least “alternative facts.” They have plenty of information, but they insist that it be interpreted in a particular way – the way that feels most exciting.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 8, 2022
Flagler Broadcasting’s four radio stations, including flagship WNZF, hold a six-hour Food-A-Thon today, the Calgary Stampede, a little bit of cricket, on having an affinity for shock.
Follow Your Passion? 5 Drawbacks.
Following one’s passion does not necessarily lead to fulfillment, but is one of the most powerful cultural forces perpetuating overwork. It also helps perpetuate social inequalities due to the fact that not everyone has the same economic resources to allow them to pursue their passion with ease.
Multiplication of Loaves: Flagler Radio’s Food-A-Thon on July 8 Aims for $1 Million Food Buy for Needy
A July 8 Food-A-Thon organized by Flagler Broadcasting’s four radio stations aims to raise $200,000 in cash, which can then be leveraged to buy more than $1 million in food to ensure $00 worth of groceries every week for 3,500 families through the new year. The donations and pledges are already poring in.
State Government Veteran Pete Antonacci Will Lead Florida’s Elections Police
The Legislature voted this year to create the office at DeSantis’ urging in a Republican-led push to ensure “voting integrity” despite the overall agreement that the 2020 election ran smoothly in Florida.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 7, 2022
A special meeting of the Flagler County Commission on school concurrency, sliced bread’s origins, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, the Sun Also Rises.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Your Friend
Numerous studies have shown that consuming olive oil – in particular extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) – can have many different benefits for our health. Women who ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil had a 62 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who were advised to eat a low fat diet.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 6, 2022
The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, Jacinda Arden’s graduation speech, “Soldiers’ Pay.”
Abortion: The Canadian Option
In Canada, abortion is completely decriminalized. Abortion is health care and is no more governed by criminal law than knee surgery or intravenous antibiotics. There are no legal limits on gestational age, or mandatory waiting periods or requirements that youth seek parental consent.
State Quickly Appeals Abortion Law Ruling, Leaving New Restrictions in Place
A new Florida law blocking doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains in effect despite a Leon County circuit judge’s ruling that it is unconstitutional, as attorneys for the state swiftly appealed the decision Tuesday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 5, 2022
The Flagler County School Board holds a six-hour “retreat” (open to the public) before a workshop, the Palm Coast city council meets, Fredrick Douglass asks what the 4th of July is to a slave.
Was There Anything Real About Elvis Presley?
Presley never wrote a memoir. Nor did he keep a diary. Once, when informed of a potential biography in the works, he expressed doubt that there was even a story to tell. Over the years, he had submitted to numerous interviews and press conferences, but the quality of these exchanges was erratic, frequently characterized by superficial answers to even shallower questions.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 4, 2022
The annual Stars and Stripes parade, sponsored by Flagler Beach Rotary, kicks off at 10 a.m. down State Road A1A to the heart of town, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Salvatore Cardillo.
Critical Race Theory Is Not in Schools. It Should Be.
As a framework, critical race theory asks teachers to use equitable approaches to curriculum, policy and structures in schools and school boards. For example, K-12 curriculum that is viewed through a CRT lens provides historical contexts and explains how history informs contemporary social, political, economic, cultural situations and issues.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 3, 2022
Fireworks Over the Runways, Palm Coast’s celebration of Independence Day at the county airport, Grace Community Food Pantry, the USS Vincennes’ error, the strange career of Jim Crow.
Does ‘Hardening’ Schools Make Students Safer?
Schools cannot be hardened enough to prevent gun violence. Schools can, however, become more physically and psychologically safe so students can learn and thrive.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 2, 2022
Flagler Beach Farmers Market, First Saturday Creative Bazaar Arts and Craft Market in Town Center, Sunshine and Sandals Social at Cornerstone, the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Red Flag Laws Saved 7,300 Americans From Gun Deaths in 2020 Alone, and Could’ve Saved 11,400 More
In 2018, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida passed a red flag law, and many other states followed suit. By the end of 2021, 19 states and the District of Columbia had done so. Not every state is on board: In 2020, Oklahoma banned its counties and municipalities from passing red-flag laws.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 1, 2022
First Friday in Flagler Beach, the Tour de France begins, Remembering Liberace in all his flamboyance, William O. Douglas on the spiritual values of wilderness.
Leon County Judge Rules 15-Week Abortion Law Violates Florida’s Constitutional Privacy Protections
The law (HB 5) is set to take effect Friday. It will be in place for at least a few days before Cooper issues a written order. The state also quickly announced it plans to file an appeal, which would automatically freeze Cooper’s order and effectively put the law back into effect.
How Coastal Gentrification in Puerto Rico Is Displacing People and Damaging the Coast
Tourism income is central to Puerto Rico’s economy, especially in the wake of heavy damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017. But it comes at a cost: destruction of mangroves, wetlands and other coastal areas. Puerto Rico is no stranger to resort construction, but now widespread small-scale projects to meet demand for rentals on platforms like Airbnb are adding to concerns about coastal gentrification and touristification.
Seminole’s Judge Wayne Culver Faces 60-Day Suspension for Rude Courtroom Outbursts
Judge Wayne Culver became angry about interruptions, made inappropriate comments to a litigant, and in another instance was rude to a person entering the courtroom.
The Christian Arrogance Behind Praying Coach’s Supreme Court Case
Christian coach Joseph Kennedy’s prayer at a public school football field’s 50-yard line is not about religious freedom. It is not about God. It is not even about praying. It’s about imposing one version of Christianity in an increasingly pluralist society in one of the last places where that kind of favoritism has no place. It is intolerance by exclusivity.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 30, 2022
Drug Court convenes, Wallace Stegner hangs out with the great Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz, Free Meals for Kids and Teens at FPC and the Housing Authority in Bunnell.
Deepfakes: How To Combat Their Unethical Use
Malicious and unethical use of deepfakes can harm people. Organizations are increasingly vulnerable to this technology and the costs of this type of fraud can be high.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 29, 2022
The Supreme Court’s seesaw on the death penalty, Blue 22 Forum, the full testimony by Cassidy Hutchinson, former senior aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Why the Supreme Court’s Coach Decision Is a School-Prayer Game-Changer
The court has now decided that public school employees can pray when supervising students. It also helps close out a Supreme Court term when the current justices’ increasing interest in claims of religious discrimination was on full display, with another “church-state” case decided in religious plaintiffs’ favor just last week.
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida City’s Ordinance Banning Portable Signs
A federal appeals court Tuesday sided with a man who challenged a Fort Myers Beach ordinance that prevented him from carrying a sign with a Christian message on the town’s streets.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
The Palm Coast Council talks budget, Kids Summer Performer Series at the public library, National Columnists’ Day, why Thomas Friedman is unbearable.
Attorney General and NRA Use New Decision to Challenge Under-21 Gun Restrictions
As they battle over a 2018 Florida law that raised the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy rifles and other long guns, attorneys for the state and the National Rifle Association are trying to use a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling to bolster their arguments.
Octavia E. Butler, Sci-Fi Pioneer, and Her New Vision for Humanity
Octavia Butler was the first science fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant. A pioneering writer in a genre long dominated by white men, her work explored power structures, shifting definitions of humanity and alternative societies.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 27, 2022
Connor Segledi trial for alleged elderly abuse, the Bunnell City Commission considers a video-surveillance system on city streets, the national debt in 1956, “good guys with a gun.”
Supreme Court Brandishes Second Amendment Rights to New Heights
For most of the history of the court, Second Amendment rights have been seen as distinct, more dangerous and thus more open to regulation. Now, the majority of justices has invoked a major change, with implications for many rights and regulations in American society.
Republicans, DeSantis Among Them, Appear Willing to Lynch Democracy
The House hearings on the violent near-coup at the Capitol is the most exciting television since “Game of Thrones,” though with less sex and fewer beheadings. Since eight years of decent progress on social justice under Obama, it’s becoming clear something has gone very wrong with Republican brain-wiring.