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.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
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.
Students Now Begin the Day With 1 to 2 Minutes of Silence, Costing Teachers Up to 6 Hours of Instructional Time
Public schools across Florida are under a new requirement to hold a daily moment of silence for at least a whole minute and up to two minutes, according to a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June. How that plays out could mean less instruction time for teachers, improved mental health for students or maybe just a waste of time.
Partisanship First, Good of Country Last
The change in who we are as a country has been caused by partisan leaders being willing to rally their minions for any purpose so long as it might lead to demolishing their opposition. The good of the country no longer is even part of the goal, argues Irwin Connelly.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 8, 2021
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.
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.”