A team of scientists’ climate projections for 2500 show an Earth that is alien to humans. Heat stress may reach fatal levels for humans in tropical regions which are currently highly populated. Such areas might become uninhabitable. Even under high-mitigation scenarios, we found that sea level keeps rising due to expanding and mixing water in warming oceans.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Florida Department of Health Argues for Suppressing Covid Data in Public Records Lawsuit
The Florida Department of Health is trying to scuttle a public-records lawsuit seeking information about Covid-19, arguing that requested reports don’t exist and that the underlying data is confidential.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Today is the 4th Annual 5k to support local children battling childhood cancer in Palm Coast’s Central Park, in Town Center. Last day for Billie Holiday at City Rep, Godpsell at the Daytona Playhouse, Rumors at the Flagler Playhouse, Terry Anderson in captivity.
Hunger in 2020 Sharply Affected Even Middle-Class Americans
Americans in households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $75,000 experienced the sharpest increase in food insufficiency when the COVID-19 pandemic began – meaning that many people in the middle class didn’t have enough to eat at some point within the previous seven days.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 25, 2021
The Fall Festival recognizing veterans in Palm Coast’s Central Park, lots of theater with the final weekend of Billie Holiday at City Rep, Godpsell at the Daytona Playhouse, Rumors at the Flagler Playhouse, and the devil God’s special forces?
How Conservative Comic Greg Gutfeld Became King of Late Night
Greg Gutfeld’s success might come as a shock because it punctures long-standing assumptions about what comedy is, who can produce it and who will enjoy it. These prejudices obscure an important truth: Right-wing comedy has become both a viable business strategy and a crucial element of conservative politics.
Charlie Crist Denounces New Covid School Policy and Seeks Ouster of New Surgeon General
Democrat Charlie Crist denounced Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday as an “oppressive tyrant” willing to send coronavirus-infected children into the public schools and risk the health of other children to please his covid-skeptical political base.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 24, 2021
Builders and a couple of elected push against the school board’s impact fees on WNZF, Richard Dunn, who killed his father 15 years ago, has a status hearing on his march back to the full freedom he’s seeking, and all stages come alive in Palm Coast, Bunnell and Daytona this weekend.
47 Million Americans Think Biden Is ‘Illegitimate.’ 21 Support Violence to ‘Restore’ Trump
The survey found that many of these 21 million people with insurrectionist sentiments have the capacity for violent mobilization. At least 7 million of them already own a gun, and at least 3 million have served in the U.S. military and so have lethal skills. Of those 21 million, 6 million said they supported right-wing militias and extremist groups, and 1 million said they are themselves or personally know a member of such a group, including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.
Alachua School Board Gets $150,000 Federal Grant to Cover Salaries DeSantis Cut Over Mask Fight
State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced Aug. 30 that the Florida Department of Education had started to withhold funds from the Alachua and Broward County school districts in amounts equal to the monthly salaries of school board members who voted for student mask requirements.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 23, 2021
Weekend performances on stage kick-off with the final weekend of Neil Simon’s “Rumors” at the Flagler Playhouse, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Nixon’s Checkers speech at 69. Shock and awe and Trump’s hydroxychloroquine.
Evidence Shows That, Yes, Masks Prevent Covid, and Surgical Masks Are the Way To Go
The largest randomized controlled trial to date testing the effectiveness of mask-wearing provides gold-standard evidence that confirms previous research: Wearing masks, particularly surgical masks, prevents covid-19.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 22, 2021
The Palm Coast City Council holds its second and last public hearing to set next year’s property tax rate and budget. The county’s parks and recreation board meets. A few words from Sally Rooney.
The Connection Between Containers and Your Missing Christmas Presents
An estimated 90 percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea, with 60 percent of that – including virtually all your imported fruits, gadgets and appliances – packed in large steel containers. Without the standardized container, the global supply chain that society depends upon – and that I study – would not exist.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 21, 2021
The Palm Coast City Council finally takes an up-or-down vote on whether to relax the ban on commercial vehicles in driveways, the school board hears a scaled-back re-zoning plan affecting the two middle schools, Goethe on what he believes.
New Treatments Staving Off the Worst of Covid
For hospitalized covid-19 patients, these new treatments, along with supportive care advances – such as placing some patients on their stomachs in a “prone position” – were helping bring down mortality rates before the Delta variant hit and are continuing to improve patient outcomes today.
Gov. DeSantis Reshaped Florida’s Appeals Courts. It Seems to Be Working Out for Him
The question is whether the conservative monoculture DeSantis and his predecessors have built within the judicial branch is willing to check excesses committed by the executive and legislative branches, which the Republican Party has dominated for decades. The question is being answered in the negative.
I Got a ‘Mild’ Breakthrough Case. Here’s What I Wish I’d Known.
The vaccines aren’t a force field that wards off all things covid. The rise of delta has changed the odds of having a breakthrough infection. Best advice: Wear masks, stay away from big gatherings with unvaccinated people and cut down on travel, at least until things calm down.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 20, 2021
The Flagler County Commission holds a trio of meetings, including approval of $16 million for the next phase of the Sheriff’s HQ, the mosquito board meets, and Thomas Mann on the Artist vs. the State.
Arbor Day Post-Mortem: One-Third of the World’s Tree Species Face Extinction
One in three of the world’s tree species are at risk of becoming extinct. More than 400 species have fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild, and 142 tree species are already extinct. Human activity is the overwhelming culprit, especially forest clearance for farming, logging for timber and the spread of invasive pests and diseases.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 19, 2021
Royal Palms Parkway from Belle Terre Parkway to Rickenbacker will remain closed for the foreseeable future, Billie Holiday’s story at CRT, Calvinism as an economical way to sheriff the soul.
Democrats’ Tax-the-Rich Plan Isn’t Fixing the Slide from Progressive Taxation
The progressivity of the U.S. tax system has dramatically declined over the past seven decades. The upshot is that for most income levels the U.S. tax system now resembles a flat tax that becomes regressive at the very top end, meaning the super-rich pay proportionately less.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 18, 2021
Why Royal Palms Parkway remains closed for now, Arbor Day in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Billie Holiday at City Repertory Theatre, “Rumors” at the Flagler Playhouse, “Godspell” at the Daytona Playhouse.
Half the World Is Waiting for Its 1st Covid Shot. You’re Getting Your 3rd. You’re OK With That?
Of the 5.76 billion doses of vaccine that have been administered globally, only 1.9% went to people in low-income countries. Meanwhile, many wealthy countries have begun offering COVID-19 boosters to fully vaccinated, healthy adults.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 17, 2021
Billie Holiday tells her story at City Repertory Theatre’s latest production, “Godspell” at the Daytona Playhouse, “Rumors” at the Flagler Playhouse, and Voltaire on reason’s foothold.
Facebook Has Known of Instagram’s Documented Harm to Teens for Years
Facebook officials had internal research in March 2020 showing that Instagram – the social media platform most used by adolescents – is harmful to teen girls’ body image and well-being but swept those findings under the rug to continue conducting business as usual.
University of Florida Is Ranked 5th Best Public University in the Nation as Other State Schools Also Rise
Florida universities on Monday heralded their advancement in a national ranking of public universities, but none celebrated harder than the University of Florida after cracking the top five on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” for the first time.
What the Expanded Child Tax Credit Means to Me
The expanded child tax credit is on track to lift half of all kids living in poverty out of it. That will help them lead safer, happier lives well into adulthood. If we have the political will, we can make more smart economic choices like these to give all children a safe and secure childhood, writes the author.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 16, 2021
A pair of plays showcasing Flagler’s dramatic talent: “Godspell” at the Daytona Playhouse, filled with talent from FPC and Matanzas, and Neil Simon’s “Rumors” at the Flagler Playhouse, plus a farewell to Norm MacDonald and words of endings by Edith Wharton.
Insurrection 2.0? Capitol Police Prepares for Lawbreakers’ Bacchanal.
A rally in Washington, slated for Sept. 18, 2021, is being billed as an effort to support people who face criminal charges for their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 15, 2021
The Palm Coast Planning Board hears various applications, among them one that could save the city the need to build an extra fire station, and a Tarot Card, Psychic, and Palm Readings business wants to set-up shop in the St. Joe shopping plaza.
When Forceful Vaccine Messaging Backfires
A fevered pitch in vaccine messaging may make the holdouts even more resistant. The direct, blunt messages to go get vaccinated that worked on three-quarters of Americans may not work for the remaining one-quarter. Some health communication techniques work more effectively than others depending on the audience.
Texas Unleashes Bounty Hunters on Women
A Texas law deputizes ordinary citizens to hunt down and sue anyone who helps a woman defy the ban (e.g. clinic staff, taxi drivers, someone who provided money for the procedure) with a minimum payoff of $10,000 if they’re successful.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 14, 2021
The Palm Coast City Council discusses commercial vehicles in driveways and splashes up a new city logo, the Flagler Beach committee on July 4 fireworks meets for the first time, a free concert offered by the Flagler Auditorium, but at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s outdoor venue in Town Center.
Texas Rebirths Jim Crow Tactics in Vigilantism-Enabling Abortion Law
The new Texas law that bans most abortions uses a method employed by Texas and other states to enforce racist Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries that aimed to disenfranchise African Americans.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 13, 2021
The Bunnell City Commission faces a 23 percent tax increase ahead of having to buy land and build a new City Hall, now that its current one is uninhabitable. A note on Trump’s lethal effect, and how voting is a pledge of allegiance to the future, in Lawrence Wright’s words.
Why 7,000 Steps a Day Is the New 10,000 Steps a Day
Researchers found that those taking at least 7,000 steps a day had a 50 to 70% lower risk of dying during the study period compared with those taking fewer than 7,000 steps a day. Next time you see your daily step count is below 10,000 steps, do not get demotivated and remember you will get some health benefits from doing around 7,000 steps.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 12, 2021
Godspell, the ugly attack on Larry Elder, Edith Wharton’s delicious remembrance of Teddy Roosevelt, and a few words about H.L. Mencken the epigrammatic bigot.
Simplistic and Damaging: How Schools Teach 9/11
Narratives reduced to a focus on heroism and simplistic interpretations of good and evil do not help students reflect on the many controversial decisions made by the U.S. and their allies after 9/11, such as using embellished evidence to justify the invasion of Iraq in 2003. And they potentially reinforce political rhetoric that paints Muslims as potential terrorists and ignore the xenophobic attacks against Muslim Americans after the 9/11 attacks.
Florida Is Among World Leaders in Mass Incarceration
Florida and a dozen other states imprison people at the highest rates in the world, without demonstrating that incarceration reduces crime, says the Prison Policy Initiative, a non-partisan research and policy advocacy organization.
9/11: The Road Not Taken
The military and political misuses of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were bound to have bewildering consequences for the nation’s budget and its sense of itself as a free and peaceful society, absent the prevailing of wise, more prudent choices. Those choices did not prevail.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 11, 2021
A day and evening of 9/11 commemoration ceremonies from the Elks Lodge to Hammock Beach Resort to Heroes Park in Palm Coast, with a few words from Don DeLillo’s “Falling Man.”
Black Lives Matter: Where We Stand
Black Lives Matter has been called the largest civil movement in U.S. history. Lately, the movement and its leading organizations have become more traditional and hierarchical in structure. Two scholars of worldwide African communities and cultures – Kwasi Konadu and Bright Gyamfi – discuss BLM as both a movement and an organization.
Challenge to DeSantis’s Ban on Mask Mandates In Doubt Again as Appeals Court Reinstates Stay on Judge’s Decision
Pointing to “serious doubts” about the lawsuit, an appeals court Friday put on hold a circuit judge’s ruling that said Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority in a July 30 executive order aimed at preventing school mask mandates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 10, 2021
A busy Friday with L’Darius Smith’s sentencing in court, the Palm Coast Senior Games kicking off, “Godspell” at the Daytona Playhouse, “Frozen 2” in Movies in the Park, a chamber music concert at Stetson, and Lawrence Wright on time unspooling.
Federal Judge Issues Injunction Against Florida’s Protest Law, Calling It ‘Vague and Overbroad’
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Thursday blocked a controversial state law that enhances penalties and creates new crimes in protests that turn violent. Walker, who has frequently clashed with the DeSantis administration and the GOP-controlled Legislature, granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking DeSantis and three sheriffs from enforcing the law.
Why Israel’s Vaccine Rollout Faltered After Early Successes
After its fast start, Israel’s rollout slowed. There have not been any clear interruptions to vaccine supply, so factors such as hesitancy or access to healthcare may have been an issue. For example, there’s evidence of uptake being lower among Arab and ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups.
Realtors Abandon Ballot Initiative that Would Have Ensured Funding for Affordable Housing
Realtors are halting an effort to pass a constitutional amendment to ensure funding for affordable housing, saying they will work with legislative leaders to create a program to help people such as nurses, police officers and firefighters buy homes.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 9, 2021
The school board holds a day-long “training” session that may get a bit messy if board members veer toward discussions of meetings’ content. The Palm Coast City Council at the 11th hour hopes to find the votes to pass its coming year’s budget and tax rate.
Nomophobia: Can You Bear to Be Without Your Phone?
The anxiety felt when people are unable to use or be in contact with their smartphones is known as nomophobia, or no-mobile phobia. It is thought to be a product of the intense attachments to our devices, and is believed to be strongest among people who use their phone the most, like teens and young adults. And it’s not good.