L’Darius Smith is back in court ahead of his sentencing on Friday to argue, with a fair amount of evidence on his side, that he was wrongly found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault. The County Commission meets for the first time in an eternity. Arundhati Roy on America’s fiery, brutal impotence.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Next Assault on Affordable Care Act: Preventive Care
The preventive health provision of the ACA has resulted in significant reductions in patient costs for many essential and popular services. But a court case is targeting preventing care, and appears headed for the Supreme Court.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The Flagler County School Board holds a 3 p.m. workshop that could draw another round of anti- and pro-masking militancy. The Palm Coast City Council for a final time hashes out ways to approach the sheriff’s request for 10 more deputies. Mme de Staël on the pleasures of opposition.
Children’s Pandemic Concerns Are Usually Ignored in School Planning
We are choosing to view the pandemic-derived challenges surrounding childhood through an adult lens. In other words, we are re-inscribing western colonialist ideology on children, in the way we choose to understand their struggles and their need for education and socialization.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Labor Day, September 6, 2021
Reilly Opelka attempts to get into the US Open’s quarterfinals in his fourth-round match today, a farewell to Michel Corboz, Joseph Heller’s “Something Happened.”
Tattoos’ Long and August History of Meanings
Tattoos have a history as old as ancient Egypt and Greece, enriched through the ages by way of Native Americans, and given deep meaning more recently as expressions against oppression, racism and colonialism even as they’ve endured as signs of beauty and identity.
How Election Deniers Are Organizing at Local Levels to Seize Control of the GOP and Reshape America’s Elections
The stolen election myth is inspiring thousands of Trump supporters to take over the Republican Party at the local level, from city councils to school boards to county commissions, as fact-denying extremists and militants exert mounting partisan influence on how elections are run.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 5, 2021
Hurricane Larry heads for Bermuda, the second annual Pet Parade at the Florida Agriculture Museum, and Arthur Koestler’s life and death: “I plead guilty to having placed the idea of man above the idea of mankind.”
Millions of Unemployed Are About to Hurt a Lot More as Benefits Run Out
An estimated 8.8 million people will stop receiving unemployment insurance beginning on Sept. 6, 2021. Millions more will no longer get the extra US$300 a week the federal government has been providing to supplement state benefits.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 4, 2021
Reilly Opelka at the U.S. Open is in his third-round match roughly around 5 or 5: 30 p.m. He faces 29-year-old Nikoloz Basilashvili, of Georgia (the country, not the state), ranked 39 in the world. Jonathan Franzen on freedom.
Buried Power Lines Aren’t Fail-Safe
Underground lines are susceptible to damage from water incursion driven by storm surges or flooding. So, choosing the location of power lines means choosing which threat is more manageable. And the public ultimately pays for maintaining the power grid, either via their electric bills or through taxes.
Report Warns of Extreme Heat Ahead as Climate Warms: ‘Florida Is in the Bullseye’
The heat will get much worse, warns the Union of Concerned Scientists in a new climate-focused report titled “Too Hot To Work.” The report says 2 million outdoor workers in Florida, about one-fourth of the workforce, could lose more than $8 billion in annual earnings over the next four decades due to inability to work in increasingly dangerous heat.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 3, 2021
Daniel S. Da Costa, who has pleaded to arson in setting fires outside Publix and a gas station last year, is sentenced this morning. Opelka is off. Hurricane Larry will be a major hurricane by Saturday, but well out at sea for now.
Behind Hurricane Ida’s Record-Shattering Rainfall in New York and the Northeast: Yes, It’s Global Warming
Evidence is mounting that, as the climate warms, the amount of precipitation from heavy rainstorms is increasing, especially in the central and eastern U.S. As the climate changes, risks of major flooding events will only increase further.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 2, 2021
Reilly Opelka goes for a second-round win at the U.S. Open, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. on artificial ethnic chauvinism, the county winds down before Labor Day weekend.
When Human Life Begins Is a Question of Politics, Not Biology
Understanding what it is to be human requires a lot more than biology. And scientists can’t establish when a fertilized cell or embryo or fetus becomes a human being. Flawed surveys and political declarations can’t change the fact.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 1, 2021
The ♫ Flagler Youth Orchestra ♫ hosts its Open House ahead of its 17th season for all new students who want to join at 5:30 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium.
How Warm Gulf Patch Quickly Turned Hurricane Ida Into a Monster Storm
As Hurricane Ida headed into the Gulf of Mexico, a team of scientists was closely watching a giant, slowly swirling pool of warm water directly ahead in its path. That warm pool, an eddy, was a warning sign.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin and Dr. Paul Mucciolo co-host “Uncomfortable Conversations: Covid-19 Protocols, Best Practices,” a Facebook Live online forum at 7 p.m. The Flagler Beach City Commission workshops the proposed purchase of a new fire truck.
Is It a Crime to Forge a Vaccine Card?
When people are caught knowingly buying, selling or using false cards, the proof of guilt will often be clear. The real question is about the appropriate punishment. The law gives prosecutors and judges huge discretion on how to charge and sentence offenders.
Federal Judge Tangles with DeSantis Administration Lawyer Over ‘Rabbit Hole’ Protest Law
The Dream Defenders, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and other organizations allege in a lawsuit that the measure, approved by Republican legislators and signed by DeSantis this spring, is unconstitutionally vague, has a “chilling” effect on First Amendment rights and gives local police too much power.
$2.3 Billion in Federal School Aid Still Sits Unused Because Florida Hasn’t Sent In Spending Plan
Florida is one of only five states that has not submitted a state plan for Covid relief to the U.S. Department of Education, holding up billions in federal funds to help the Florida education system recover from the impacts of Covid-19 in schools.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 30, 2021
The Bunnell branch library is closing to prepare for a move to Marvin’s Gardens, smoke testing in Palm Coast’s B Section, Cornelius Baker status hearing, and a few words on the wonders of forests.
This Is What Happens to Child Migrants at the Border
Behind huge numbers of migrants are individual children, many of whom have suffered from repeated trauma. Legally, the U.S. is obligated to care for these children from the moment they arrive until they turn 18, according to carefully defined procedures.
Those Disappearing Covid Stats: It’s Not Just Florida
Florida has been accused of being less than transparent with covid health data. Newspapers have sued or threatened to sue the state several times for medical examiner reports, long-term care data, prison data and weekly covid reports the state received from the White House.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 29, 2021
The Stetson University Music Department’s faculty recitals are back in action this afternoon, Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana this evening, Garcia-Marquez on the patriarch in his bed of lies.
The Story of the Women Behind the First Domestic Violence Shelters
The women who set up the first women’s refuges in the UK in the 1970s changed the world. They saved the lives of many women. And the projects and political actions they began have grown into an international movement which campaigns for justice and supports all survivors and victims of domestic violence.
Who Wants to Be Ron DeSantis’s Surgeon General? No Easy Answers.
Scott Rivkees announced he will leave his post as surgeon general and secretary of the Florida Department of Health next month. But the move comes amid a surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Combine that with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ antagonism to federal health authorities and mask mandates, and it might make it difficult to find a replacement.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, August 28, 2021
We wish Brian McMillan and his family the best, and wish their tormentors less than that, Hurricane Ida’s mean turn for Louisiana, weekend covid testing schedules, John Cheever on John Updike.
The Supreme Court Ended the Eviction Ban. Now What? 4 Questions Answered.
The Supreme Court on Aug. 26, 2021, ended the Biden administration’s ban on evictions, putting millions at risk of losing their homes. Legal scholar Katy Ramsey Mason explains what the ruling means, who will be affected and what happens next.
Will More School Districts Impose Mask Mandates Following Leon Court Ruling on Mask Policies?
A court ruling vindicated the mask policies of 10 Florida school districts that have mandated masks in schools without parental opt-outs. Now, the court ruling, in a verbal format, could lead to other districts adopting similar policies because the court determined that these kinds of mask mandates are legal, according to the judge.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 27, 2021
The Sheriff’s in-house attorney resigns after lurid postings surface, Tropical Storm Ida is on its way to becoming Hurricane Ida by Saturday as it heads for the Louisiana coast, Carla Cline on Free for All Fridays, John Updike on selves.
ISIS-K, the Taliban’s Rival Group Behind the Kabul Airport Attack
ISIS-K sees the Afghan Taliban as its strategic rivals. It brands the Afghan Taliban as “filthy nationalists” with ambitions only to form a government confined to the boundaries of Afghanistan. This contradicts the Islamic State movement’s goal of establishing a global caliphate.
A Christopher Columbus Statue Survives
“It is baffling to the Court that the City of Philadelphia wants to remove the Statue without any legal basis,” a judge ruled, rejecting a plan to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from Marconi Plaza Philadelphia on Aug. 17. “The City’s entire argument is devoid of any legal foundation.”
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 26, 2021
Palm Coast’s beautification and environmental advisory committee talks public sculptures and sea rise, rezoning listening tour continues at Indian Trails Middle this evening, Edith Wharton talks about the ruts of old age.
Clues to Misinformation Behind Public’s and Right-Wing Media’s Misuses of Vaccine Database
Unverified reports of vaccine side effects in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, aren’t the smoking guns portrayed by right-wing media outlets, but they can offer insight into vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
As 8 School Districts Approve Mask Mandates, DeSantis Administration Argues in Court Against Them
As the legal battle plays out, eight school districts as of Tuesday afternoon had voted to require masks for students, with exceptions only for students whose parents submit doctors’ notes. The mask mandates in the eight counties cover an estimated 1.23 million students, based on state enrollment data from the 2020-2021 school year.
Have You Thanked a School Bus Driver Lately?
Pandemic fears and enhanced unemployment benefits have left the nation facing a serious shortage of qualified school bus drivers. The problem is acute, despite districts implementing recruitment campaigns, offering sign-up bonuses, and even fudging on the standards.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
School rezoning listening session at Buddy Taylor Middle School, big-dog adoptions for just $30 at the Humane Society, vaccination clinics at Daytona State College, Ray Warren on truth and the justice system.
Essential and Often Overlooked: America’s Public Library Workers
It’s clear that not all of the library workers furloughed since March 2020, when virtually all U.S. libraries were closed amid lockdowns, have been brought back on staff. At the same time, many library workers have had to directly engage in person with the public throughout the pandemic, exposing them to health risks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 24, 2021
The Palm Coast City Council begins the redistricting process of its voting districts and looks at its budget one final time. Women’s rights in Afghanistan and truth according to Marmontel’s Belisaire.
Behind the Feds’ Tesla Investigation, and the Future of Self-Driving Cars
The probe covers 765,000 Tesla cars – that’s virtually every car the company has made in the last seven years. The investigation will put pressure on Tesla to reevaluate the technologies the company uses in Autopilot and could influence the future of driver-assistance systems and autonomous vehicles.
Full Appeals Court Will Hear St. Johns School District Transgender Bathroom Fight
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday vacated a July 14 ruling by a three-judge panel that said a St. Johns County School Board policy preventing Drew Adams from using boys’ bathrooms was “arbitrary” and violated equal protection rights.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 23, 2021
Sacco and Vanzetti Memorial Day, the Bunnell City Commission approves an agreement to move its meetings out of leaky City Hall, trial week in felony court, what Roman men were like during the Roman Republic.
The Meaning of Happiness from the Ashes of Pompeii
“Here dwells happiness,” confidently proclaims an inscription found in a Pompeiian bakery nearly 2,000 years after its owner lived and possibly died in the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed the city in A.D. 79. What did happiness mean to this Pompeiian baker? And how does considering the Roman view of felicitas help our search for happiness today?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 22, 2021
Hurricane Henri gun for Long Island, more heat guns for Palm Coast, Paul Krugman on anti-maskers’ dishonesty, Salman Rushdie on being disliked.
Ashura Explained: the Shiite Muslim Holiday that Inspires Millions
Ashura is marked by Shiite Muslims around the world. The modern-day impact of the Islamic pilgrimage has changed over the centuries. What was once a commemoration of martyrdom today inspires much more, including social justice work around the globe.
Covid Wars: A Ripped-Off Mask and Verbal Assault Over Rules Unravels Tensions in a School District
Incidents in a Texas school district reflect tensions over masks radiating across the country: In one instance, a parent physically grabbed the mask off of a teacher’s face. In a separate incident, a teacher was repeatedly yelled at by a parent who requested the teacher take off their mask, claiming they couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, August 21, 2021
The Garden Club of Palm Coast seeks new members, new covid restrictions in Flagler schools, the greatest speaker at last Tuesday’s school board meeting you did not get to see, and a few words on Democrats and Republicans from Uncle Willy.
You’re Free to Refuse the Covid Vaccine. But It’s Un-American.
Throughout history, America’s leaders have recognized that without concern for others, without the highest tradition of cooperative national action, democracy is in peril. People who decide not to get vaccinated must understand that their actions are not just selfish, they are un-American.