An in-depth report released last week alleges that former Pope Benedict XVI allowed four abusive priests in Munich to remain in ministry. The pope, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, led the German archdiocese from 1977 to 1982.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Hacked: How the Technician Helping Me Fix a Problem Was Scamming–and Hacking–Me
How a simple problem with a printer turned into a two-month nightmare after a tech call involving a supposed Hewlett-Packard pro turned out to be an artful hack job that planted spyware and weeks of anxiety and clean-ups. A cautionary tale by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lucy Morgan.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 30, 2022
The Cold Weather Shelter open again tonight. The matinee and last showing of City Repertory Theatre stages “Wait Until Dark.” Ernie Pyle looks up people hungry for divorce in Reno.
The Moderate, Pragmatic Legacy of Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer will leave a legacy that reflects the Supreme Court he joined nearly three decades ago – less fractious and less partisan than the bench he is reportedly set to leave at the end of the current term.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 29, 2022
Hard freeze watch tonight with temperatures dipping into the upper 20s. The Cold Weather Shelter will open. Palm Coast Historical Society Lecture Series on Florida before the European invasions. City Repertory Theatre stages “Wait Until Dark.”
Sorry, Nick Klufas: The Downside of Driverless Cars
Automated vehicles hold tremendous promise. Cars that handle most or all of the driving tasks could be safer than human drivers, operate more efficiently and open up new opportunities for seniors, people with disabilities and others who can’t drive themselves. But while attention has understandably focused on safety, the potential environmental impacts of automated vehicles have largely taken a back seat.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 28, 2022
The Cold Weather Shelter is open tonight, “Florida History through the Amazing Illustrations of Harper’s Weekly,” a lecture at the Palm Coast library, City Repertory Theatre stages “Wait Until Dark,” Dostoevsky reflects about his first book after a prison term.
Where Are All the Substitute Teachers?
Pay for substitute teachers averaged $17 an hour in May 2020, according to federal figures. Assuming a substitute worked as much as possible – seven hours a day for 180 school days – that’s $21,420 a year, which is about one-third of the national average pay for full-time teachers. It is also below the poverty line for households with three people.
Are Lawmakers Seeking to Censor Discussions of Race and Gender in Classrooms and the Workplace?
With such things as critical race theory and sensitivity training targeted, much of the debate and public testimony centered around the bill’s effect on schools and whether it would curtail frank discussions about United States history and race.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 27, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets and hears a report from its attorney on its nine-hole golf course at the south end of town, Neil Postman’s favorite quotes on science and religion.
Should Supreme Court Justices Have Term Limits?
Extensive research on the Supreme Court shows life tenure, while well-intended, has had unforeseen consequences. It skews how the confirmation process and judicial decision-making work, and causes justices who want to retire to behave like political operatives.
Dismissing ‘Slippery Slope of Censorship,’ GOP Senators Back Stricter Scrutiny of School and Library Books
The proposal (SB 1300) would change the review process for books and other learning materials, adding requirements and making it more open to the public but also enabling regular purges of book lists to align them with standards or if the books are considered out of date.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
The Tourist Development Council awards 10 grants for various sports events and conferences, the county’s parks advisory board considers waiving fees for teams seeking to use county parks, a warning from George Orwell about Tories.
Convict Slavery: The 13th Amendment’s Fatal Flaw
The 13th Amendment, considered one of the crowning achievements of American democracy, set “free” an estimated 4 million enslaved people and seemed to demonstrate American claims to equality and freedom. But the amendment did not apply to those convicted of a crime.
Florida Lawmakers Look to Spend $400 Million on Broadband in Underserved Rural Areas
Flagler County, using federal stimulus dollars already appropriated, is enacting a plan that would extend broadband service to underserved parts of western Flagler County. But the plan still needs additional funding to meet completion. The state plan would potentially make that possible.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, January 25, 2022
GOP Rep. Michael Waltz hosts the annual Academy Nomination Ceremony, this year held at the Flagler Auditorium. The county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meets, Etta James sings at last.
How mRNA and DNA Vaccines Could Soon Treat Cancers and Other Diseases
The two most successful coronavirus vaccines developed in the U.S. – the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – are both mRNA vaccines. The idea of using genetic material to produce an immune response has opened up a world of research and potential medical uses far out of reach of traditional vaccines.
When Hearing Fleetwood Mac Is a Homicidal Red Flag: Dr. Wants Man Who Killed His Father Back in State Hospital
Richard Dunn, 60, who killed his father in Palm Coast in 2006 and was found not guilty by reason of insanity, had slowly regained degrees of freedom until last September when he started behaving again as he had before the killing. A judge has been holding hearings to decide his fate as he’s sat at the Flagler County jail since September.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, January 24, 2022
The Flagler County Commission workshops more hopes and plans for a south side library, Richard Dunn is in a hearing before Circuit Judge Perkins, the Bunnell City Commission meets and, hopefully, discusses the turmoil at its police department.
Ending Child Tax Credit Expansion Is a Bad Idea
The discontinuation of the Biden administration’s monthly payments of the child tax credit could leave millions of American families without enough food on the table, according to a new study.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 23, 2022
“Mass Appeal” is in its final performance, “Wait Until Dark” at City Repertory Theatre, Cornel West’s fabulous commercial for his philosophy class, and rights as people’s bogus consolation for their actual misery.
Behind the NFL’s Abysmal Record on Diversity
Given the impact of systemic racism across all elements of society, it is hardly surprising that NFL coaches, analysts and scholars – including those in media studies, sport studies, sociology, sport management, and behavioral science – point to systemic racism as a reason for the lack of Black coaches in the league.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 22, 2022
“Wait Until Dark” at CRT and “Mass Appeal” at Flagler Playhouse, Francis Bacon, George Balanchine and John Donne give us flights of fancy, Yiyun Li’s tortured child.
Why Russia Might Invade Ukraine, and Why the US Is Involved
Western countries have imposed mostly symbolic sanctions against Russia over interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential elections and a huge cyberattack against about 18,000 people who work for companies and the U.S. government, among other transgressions.
Republicans’ Historical Amnesia on Voting Rights
A Trumpified Republican Party that’s left the legacy of Abraham Lincoln far behind, is still flipping Democrats the Byrd as it stands steadfastly in the way of the voting rights legislation that’s now slowly and torturously making its way through Congress.
Federal Judge Slams UF Over Muzzling Professors: ‘Stop Acting Like Your Contemporaries in Hong Kong’
In a scathing ruling Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked the University of Florida from enforcing a controversial conflict-of-interest policy that gave school administrators discretion over allowing professors to serve as expert witnesses in litigation.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 21, 2022
Unemployment figures, “Wait Until Dark” at City Repertory Theatre, “Mass Appeal” at the Flagler Playhouse, Hutson and Renner on Free For All Fridays, an excerpt from Rebecca Makkai’s latest story.
Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Blocking of Jan. 6 Documents: 3 Takeaways
In a legal blow for Donald Trump, the Supreme Court has indicated a willingness to protect a constitutional system that can ensure transparency and accountability by legitimizing legislative branch oversight over the executive.
House GOP Wants Lower School Board Salaries and Higher Scrutiny of Library Books
The proposal (HB 1467) approved by the House Education & Employment Committee in a 13-7 vote Thursday would require schools to post information about the selection of books and instructional materials on their websites.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 20, 2022
Drug Court, “Mass Appeal” returns for a final weekend at the Flagler Playhouse, Federico Fellini talks to Dick Cavett, and a few thoughts on travel.
Will Corbevax, a Patent-Free Covid Vaccine, Be a Game-Changer?
There is still a glaring and alarming gap in global access to covid-19 vaccines. This should be of grave concern to everyone. But there is hope that a new vaccine called CORBEVAX will help close this vaccination gap. Unlike the three vaccines approved in the U.S. CORBEVAX delivers the spike protein to the body directly.
GOP Lawmakers Back Prohibition on Innumerable Ballot Initiatives
Florida voters in recent years have approved high-profile initiatives about issues such as raising the minimum wage and broadly legalizing medical marijuana. Such initiatives would be barred in the future if the House proposal is ultimately approved.
After Emotional Testimony in 1st Hearing, GOP Lawmakers Back 15-Week Abortion Ban, 12-6
The vote on the abortion-ban bill proposed by Florida Republicans came following emotional, angry and passionate words in the audience and at the subcommittee meeting table, where lawmakers had to make decisions based on dramatically opposite views.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
The Palm Coast Planning Board hears an application for yet another self-storage facility on Old Kings Road, 24 hours after the Palm Coast City Council approved one nearby.
A Surge in Rooftop Solar Can Be Problematic: Australia’s Lessons
A dramatic surge in solar output results in increased periods of large oversupply when weather conditions favor solar energy. This leads to energy being wasted due to the need for solar curtailment. On the other hand, there is little solar generation during peak demand hours in the morning and evening. This requires more expensive generators to run. These are huge problems from a market operations perspective.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
A busy day in local government and courts with the Palm Coast City Council meeting and likely again discussing July 4 fireworks and the Flagler County School Board discussing a new way to handle library books, and, potentially, controversial titles.
Why the Volcanic Eruption in Tonga Was So Violent, and What to Expect Next
The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half the world.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Radical Message Is Betrayed With Focus on ‘Dream’
Martin Luther King Jr., the “civil saint” portrayed nowadays was, by the end of his life, a social and economic radical, who argued forcefully for the necessity of economic justice in the pursuit of racial equality.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, January 17, 2022
A voting rights rally near Wadsworth Park in Flagler Beach at noon, how a particular MLK quote is often used as a cudgel against calls for race-specific remedies for Black Americans, the cold-weather shelter is open, schools and courts and most government offices are closed.
Is a Civil War Possible?
Despite the ugly Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, and anti-racism protests of the past few years, some of which included rioting, violent confrontation, and property destruction, America is not likely to descend into civil war in the near future, a scholar argues.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 16, 2022
The cold-weather shelter is open tonight for the homeless and for anyone who lacks heat, “Mass Appeal” in a matinee at the Flagler Playhouse, a matter of P-Section sex has neighbors frustrated, and a look back at a Jeremiah Wright sermon.
The Problematic Novak Djokovic
Djokovic has long been a polarizing figure in tennis. The drama from the past week will inflame his supporters, infuriate his detractors, and prompt even neutral observers to take a stand in respect to his entry to Australia.
Florida Legislators Are Stealing Money from Environmentally-Sensitive Lands Pot, Without Consequences
In 2014, 75 percent of Florida voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution that said the Legislature had to spend a certain amount of money buying environmentally sensitive land. Legislators have been illegally appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars away from the intended purpose of the amendment.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 15, 2022
A Martin Luther King Day celebration parade is cancelled in Bunnell, but a prayer breakfast at Carver Center is still on, “Mass Appeal” at the Flagler Playhouse in Bunnell, a few words on heroes by Voltaire.
Seditious Conspiracy in Jan. 6 Capitol Attack Faces 1st Amendment Hurdle
The seditious conspiracy charges announced by the Department of Justice against Stewart Rhodes raise the stakes and political temperature of the Jan. 6 investigation, and give rise to serious First Amendment concerns about the rights of others protesting government actions down the road.
Federal Judge Ridicules UF Attorney’s Attempt to Smear Professors in Conflict-of-Interest Battle
In a fiery hearing Friday, a federal judge excoriated a lawyer for the University of Florida who accused political science professors of having “misled” the court in a lawsuit challenging the school’s conflict-of-interest policy.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 14, 2022
The biggest stories of 2021 in WNZF’s annual media roundtable, Meowy Hour at the Hilton Garden Inn, “Mass Appeal” at the Flagler Playhouse, Georg Büchner on the fatalism of history.
Ocean Heat Set New Record High in 2021. Consequences Ahead.
Globally, it was the sixth hottest year on record for surface temperatures, according to data released by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in their annual global climate report on Jan. 13, 2022. But under the surface, ocean temperatures set new heat records in 2021.
Supreme Court Blocks Vaccine Mandates for Big Employers But Backs Mandates for Health Workers
After Florida and other states fought the plans, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Covid-19 vaccination mandate for large employers while clearing the way for a requirement that health-care workers get shots to try to curb the virus.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 13, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission will receive the final report of the July 4 committee, “Mass Appeal” opens at the Flagler Playhouse, William Faulkner on his native soil in Oxford, and Neil Postman on smoke signals.