“Brevard County has selected invocation speakers in a way that favors certain monotheistic religions and categorically excludes from consideration other religions solely based on their belief systems,” a federal appeals court ruled.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 105, Palm Coast Budget, School Board Budget, Recommending a New New Judge
The Seventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission begins the process that will lead to recommending a new county judge for Flagler, the Palm Coast council and the school board discuss next year’s tax rate.
Florida Is The Latest Republican-Led State To Adopt Clean Needle Exchanges
The timing of the statewide legalization of needle exchanges comes as Florida grapples with a huge heroin and fentanyl problem. When people share dirty needles to inject drugs, it puts them at high risk for spreading bloodborne infections like HIV and hepatitis C. For years, Florida has had America’s highest rates of HIV.
Monday Briefing: Last Chance for Sheltering Tree’s Survival, Parade Winners, Rationalism’s Disease, Louis Spohr
It’s the last chance for the Sheltering Tree, the cold-weather shelter battling Bunnell government’s desire to shut it down, a full list of the Fabulous 4th parade winners, Isaac Singer on rationalism.
Our Immigrant Prisons Are An Atrocity
As reports surface about immigrant children sleeping on concrete floors and people being forced to drink water from toilets, one fact has become unmistakably clear: It’s well past time to demand an end to Trump’s cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants.
Some People Wouldn’t Count: How Citizenship Question Could Reshape State Politics
Some districts could get more in-state political power if Florida decides to use voting-age citizens as the basis for drawing districts, rather than total population, including children and immigrants who aren’t citizens.
Costs Pile Up For Governor and Cabinet’s $400-a-Night Israel Junket, as Do Questions
When Florida Cabinet members jetted off to Israel in late May, some state employees who traveled at taxpayer expense stayed in a more than $400-a-night luxury hotel in Jerusalem, where a Cabinet meeting was held.
Flagler Beach Fireworks and “Fabulous Fourth” Parade on July 4
Flagler Beach this year hosts its traditional July 4 celebration, with its Fabulous Fourth parade at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. fireworks. In Palm Coast, fireworks are on July 3 in Town Center. Both events will feature kid zones and games.
Independence Weekend Briefing: Heat Index to 110 Wednesday, Parade and Fireworks, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Madness,’ World Cup Final
It’s all about July 4, with fireworks on July 3 in Central Park in Palm Coast band of course in Flagler Beach on the 4th, “A Midsummer Night’s Madness” all weekend at City Repertory Theatre, and a July 4 Willie concert right here.
Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group Where Agents Joke About Migrant Deaths and Post Sexist Memes
The three-year-old group, which has roughly 9,500 members, shared derogatory comments about Latina lawmakers who plan to visit a controversial Texas detention facility on Monday, calling them “scum buckets” and “hoes.”
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 106, Gopher Tortoises in Flagler Beach, Al Hadeed’s Appointments
Flagler Beach’s planning board talks gopher tortoises, County Attorney Al Hadeed is appointed to a couple of state committees overseeing legal issues, the Flagler Beach Charter Review Commission meets, a ventriloquist at the public library.
Monday Briefing: Heat Index to 105, The Gardens Development, Deputy Jennifer Prevatt, A Message From BCU President Brent Chrite
Details on The Gardens development along John Anderson Highway are presented in a public meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn, Deputy Jennifer Prevatt is the CrimeStopper Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Bethune-Cookman University President Brent Chrite provides a video message.
Citing Impact on Education Funding, DeSantis Kills ‘Addiction’ Warning on Lottery Tickets
Noting potential impacts to money for education, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a controversial bill that sought to require warnings about addiction and caution to play responsibly on the front of all lottery tickets.
Bomb Iran? Pass.
Saudi Arabia is dragging the United States toward war with Iran against all American interests when the true threat to the Middle East continues to be Saudi Arabia–and American blindness to that alliance’s consequences.
Barbara Petersen, Fierce Open Government Advocate for 25 Years, Is Stepping Down From First Amendment Foundation
Barbara Petersen’s retirement from the First Amendment Foundation, after 25 years, takes place as legislators have piled up 1,122 exemptions to Florida’s open government laws.
Group Files Federal Suit Challenging Florida Restrictions on Felons’ Voting Rights Moments After DeSantis Signs New Law
A partisan firestorm erupted in the waning days of this year’s legislative session after Republicans tacked onto the elections package provisions aimed at implementing the voter-approved constitutional amendment that restores the voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences.
Vaping, School Vouchers, Texting While Driving: New Florida Laws Take Effect Monday
A new ban on texting while driving and a ban on vaping, adding toll roads and preventing local governments from uprooting vegetable gardens are among the new laws that take effect in Florida Monday.
Weekend Briefing: Junior Lifeguard Camp, Trish Vevera Show, First Aid Class, ‘Opry Reunion’
Junior lifeguard class at Palm Coast’s municipal pool, a CPR class at Fire Station 25, Artist of the Year Trish Vevera has a new show, the school board closes out its fiscal year.
Citing Trump’s ‘Contrived’ Reasoning, Supreme Court Blocks Citizenship Question on Census–For Now
The 5-4 decision, however, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing the majority opinion, leaves open the possibility that the Trump Administration could readdress the citizenship question, if it can justify it.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Beach Murals and A1A Signs, Sea Rise, Pablo the Turtle, Democrats Watch Parties
The Flagler Beach City Commission talks murals and signs, Palm Coast’s Beautification Committee talks climate change and sea rise, and Democratic candidates for presidents hold a second debate.
Death Penalty: Now It’s Florida’s Conservative Supreme Court’s Turn To Be Accused of ‘Judicial Activism’
Reversing the state’s retroactive consideration of certain death-penalty cases would amount to “the most egregious judicial activism in the history of Florida,” a lawyer for a Death Row inmate argued in a brief filed this week.
Wednesday Briefing: iFlagler Honored, Flagler Beach Business Town Hall, Facing Grief Together, Florida Bar, Democratic Debate
A town hall focused on Flagler Beach business, iFlagler honored in Orlando, Democrats hold the first presidential debate of the election season in Miami, with the second on Thursday night.
State and Utilities Gang Up Against Proposed Amendment Deregulating Electricity
The proposal, backed by Citizens for Energy Choices, calls for creating “competitive” electricity markets in which customers would have the right to choose electricity providers or to produce their own power.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 107, Renters’ Rights, School Diversity Awards, Opioid Task Force, Palm Coast Budget
The Palm Coast Council takes on its 2019-20 budget, teachers Nina deBodisco and DeAndre Harris are Flagler Schools Excellence in Diversity Education Award winners, Flagler County hosts a renters’ rights workshop.
Meth In The Morning, Heroin At Night: Inside The Seesaw Struggle of Dual Addiction
Researchers who have tracked drug use for decades believe the new meth crisis got a kick-start from the opioid epidemic: Across the country, more and more opioid users say they now use meth as well, up from 19% in 2011 to 34% in 2017.
Monday Briefing: Mid-90s, Bunnell Decision on Homeless Shelter, FPC’s Own K-9, Bow Wow Bingo Benefit
The Bunnell City Commission takes up an appeal of its zoning board’s vote shuttering the cold-weather shelter run by volunteers at a Bunnell church, the Flagler Humane Society has a fund-raiser at the Elks Lodge.
Weekend Briefing: JJ Graham’s New Works, ‘Carrie: The Musical’ at Playhouse, Senior Cookout, Wilson Verdict
Artist JJ Graham has a new show at Salvo Art House in Bunnell Saturday, the Spotlight Performers stage “Carrie: the Musical” at the Flagler Playhouse, a family fun day, Dive-In Movies and a senior celebration, among other events.
State By State, the War on Pot Is Ending
Dozens of new state laws are expanding legal cannabis use — and expunging the records of users caught up in the system. This unprecedented wave of legislative activity at the state level is yet further evidence that public consensus on cannabis legalization has undergone a seismic shift.
5th Amendment Extends to iPhone Passcode, Court Rules, Denying Police Access to Defendant’s Phone
The ruling by a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal in a 2018 Alachua County robbery case came after two other state appellate courts came to different conclusions about forcing defendants to supply passcodes to unlock cell phones.
Thursday Briefing: Wilson Trial, Inspired Mic, ‘Jaws,’ Mullins at AACS, Concert Hall Art Contest
The Inspired Mic, Flagler’s most daring improv for all, holds another edition at Hidden Treasure, Michael Wilson’s trial on attempted first degree murder enters its third day, ‘Jaws’ is 44.
Combative Exchanges Punctuate Hearing on Broward Sheriff Scott Israel’s Fate
Israel and his lawyers maintain that the suspension, something DeSantis pledged to do while running for office last year, was a political ploy aimed at winning favor with voters in Democrat-rich Broward County and supporters of the National Rifle Association.
Wednesday Briefing: Community Stars Nominations, Replanting A1A, Rhonda Harvey at Tiger Bay
The Rotary is taking Community Stars nominations, SMA Healthcare’s Rhonda Harvey speaks at Tiger Bay, County Commissioner Joe Mullins holds a community meeting at the African American Cultural Society, DOT replants A1A.
New Legislation Adds to Early-Voting
Fight on Florida’s College Campuses
A bill Gov. DeSantis is about to sign deals with a variety of elections issues, but a lawsuit is focused on a provision requiring early-voting sites to provide “nonpermitted parking,” which could exclude college campuses.
Tuesday Briefing: Trump in Orlando, Food Truck Tuesday, Community Health Update, Palm Coast’s FEMA Funds
Groups in support and opposition of Trump are busing out of Flagler for Orlando this afternoon, the Health Department’s Bob Snyder presents a community health update, Palm Coast talks FEMA funds.
Denying Voting Rights to Felons Should Be Beneath Us
Who gets to vote should be driven by citizenship, the spirit of the United States Constitution and all America stands for, not by blowhardism and dirty tricks, argues Nancy Smith.
‘Shared Savings’ By Shopping For Lower Health Care Costs? Ballyhooed Florida Plan a Bust
The idea of Florida’s ballyhooed shared-savings programs is to give policyholders an incentive to look for cheaper health services. Early results show no such benefits.
Monday Briefing: Homeless Shelter Meeting, $100 Million Beach Repair, Harriet Tubman $20 Bill, Andolina Sentencing
The Sheltering Tree Board meets with residents to map out an appeal strategy on keeping the cold-weather homeless shelter open, the county commission considers approving a $100 million, 50-year beach-renourishment plan for less than 3 miles of dunes in Flagler Beach.
Weekend Briefing: STEM Camp Showcase, Frances Clemente’s National Flag Day, Publix Apron Culinary School, David Grossman
Wadsworth Elementary’s STEM Camp Showcase is on Friday, which is also National Flag Day, celebrated here with Frances Clemente, Movies in the Park, a trip to Publix’s culinary school, an uncomfortable David Grossman joke.
Owners and Dealers of Anacondas Sue to Reverse Florida’s Broad Ban on Invasive Snake
Owners and dealers of anacondas have launched a legal challenge after the state largely banned the snakes amid a struggle to control damaging invasive species.
Thursday Briefing: Beach Renourishment in Flagler Beach, Panhandling, Altmire at Volusia’s Tiger Bay, Sonia Rubinsky
The Flagler Beach commission gets an update on the status of planned beach nourishment projects that entail a $100 million expense over 50 years, and relies on few certainties.
DeSantis Signs Death Warrant of Homophobic Serial Killer Gary Bowles
Gary Bowles murdered six people in 1994. He is serving life sentences in the murders of John Roberts in Daytona Beach and Albert Morris in Nassau County, and is being killed for the murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville.
Wednesday Briefing: Narcan Stock, Flagler Beach Land Development, Florida Association of Counties, Grand Living
County paramedics get a 300-dose delivery of opioid-overdose-reversing Narcan, the Florida Association of Counties meets, Grand Living opens a new location.
Pete Buttigieg, Ahead of Miami Debate, Says No to Heavy-Handed Immigration Enforcement
Pete Buttigieg says he would set aside politics and work with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to fund “good” environmental projects, while expressing his opposition to Florida’s “heavy-handed” approach to federal immigration enforcement and expansion of school voucher-type programs.
Good News: Straight People Don’t Need a Pride Parade
Organizers of the “straight pride parade” in Boston this summer have ties to numerous far-right groups. Here are conditions that would make such a parade easier to embrace.
Tuesday Briefing: Tedarius Abrams, Florida Park Drive’s Airs, Education Law’s Constitutionality
Bethune-Cookman University Senior Tedarius Abrams is the choice for Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Discover the Unexpected Program, the Palm Coast council talks air sensors around Florida Park Drive.
The Crisis Formerly Known as Climate Change: Wrong Re-Branding
The Guardian announced it was re-branding climate change, encouraging its writers and contributors to use more urgent terms like “climate crisis.” Here’s why this is very wrong.
Plotting to Win Biggest Battleground State in 2020, Florida Democrats Can’t Get Around GOP-Controlled Legislature
The Florida Democratic Party’s biggest event of the year wrapped up this weekend with a debate over Election Day voter registration, but any such changes would require GOP approval. That’s unlikely.
Why Some CEOs Are Figuring Out That ‘Medicare For All’ Is Good For Business
As health costs continue to grow, straining employer budgets and slowing wage growth, CEOs and others in the business community are beginning to take the Medicare for All option more seriously.
Monday Briefing: Roundabouts, Chief Judge Zambrano, Hurricane Irma Assistance, Bunnell v. Homeless
Raul Zambrano is named Chief Judge for a second term, the Bunnell City Commission may talk about its homeless complex, the transportation department and Commissioner Joe Mullins talk roundabouts.
Attorney General Moody To Supreme Court on Death Row Inmates: Let ‘Em Die
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office is urging the Florida Supreme Court to reverse course on decisions that allowed dozens of convicted murderers to have their death sentences reconsidered.