Where the other world is, Elijah Jackson goes on trial on charges of using a computer to lure a child, the county commission and the East Flagler Mosquito Control District board meet.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Florida Aquarium Partners with NOAA on New Coral Reef Restoration Initiative
The Florida Aquarium is taking another step to save dying reefs by joining the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and local partners to announce the first high-level bold strategy to protect and restore seven coral reef sites in the Florida Keys.
The Price of America’s Inability to Track Child Deaths from Abuse and Neglect? Sometimes, More Lives.
Reliable statistics on deaths and near-deaths from abuse and neglect can help shape better policies to protect children. A new report shows the breadth of government failures to collect and report this information.
Weekend Briefing: Starlight Parade, ‘Actually’ and Weird ‘X-mas Carol’ on Stage, Coffee With Cops, LGBT Gathering
Palm Coast’s Starlight Parade on Saturday, plays and concerts at CRT, the Playhouse, the Auditorium and Matanzas High, Coffee with a Cop, the David Snelgrove death penalty case, and much more.
Florida House Revives Controversial College Survey That Would Undermine Intellectual Freedom
During the final hours of the 2019 legislative session, Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, warned senators the so-called intellectual freedom survey would “keep coming up again” and urged the Senate to block it from passing every time.
Thursday Briefing: ‘Actually’ at CRT, Mediation for Captain’s BBQ, ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Playhouse, Madrigal Dinner
Lots of shows this evening: City Rep’s “Actually,” the Playhouse’s sort of “Christmas Carol,” Matanzas High’s Madrigal show, plus a Whitney lecture on the dramatic impacts of global warming on the Antarctic.
Physician Assistants and Certain Nurses Could Practice Independent of Doctors Under Proposed Law
Bill sponsor Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, said the proposal (HB 607) would go a long way toward improving patients’ access to primary-care providers, especially in medically underserved areas of the state.
250 Journalists Imprisoned Globally in 2019, Including Spike of 30 on ‘Fake News’ Allegations
The number of journalists imprisoned for their reporting globally reached at least 250 for the fourth consecutive year, with China and Turkey topping the list of the world’s leading jailers, the Committee to Protect Journalists found.
Wednesday Briefing: SuperWash’s $13,300 Donation to AdventHealth, Dinner With Santa at FPC, Rising Seas
SuperWash Express donates more than $13,000 to AdventHealth to support breast cancer care funds, FPC’s SGA’s annual Dinner With Santa, the dislocations of rising seas, freedom of speech.
God, Homosexuality and Government Intrusion Frame Senate Panel’s Push For Abortion Restrictions
The 6-3 vote by the Senate Health Policy Committee followed a hearing that lasted more than 90 minutes as Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, tried to balance testimony between people on both sides.
A Plea From the Middle, Against Extremism
No matter what side Americans fall on politically, most hold many common beliefs and convictions in common, placing them far closer to a shared middle than the extremes of our current political discourse, argues former sheriff Jim Manfre.
Lunatic Conspiracy Theories Are Corroding Today’s GOP
How do the horrific events of Charlottesville, the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and a similar hate crime in California directly relate to the eye-rolling pronouncements by Devin Nunes, Rudy Giuliani, and other Republicans in defense of President Donald Trump?
13 Florida Cities and Gun-Control Groups Counter NRA Claims and Push for Assault-Weapons Ban
The political committee Ban Assault Weapons NOW, the gun-control group Brady and a coalition of 13 cities filed briefs Friday saying that the proposal meets legal tests to go before voters.
700,000 Poorer People Could Lose Food Stamps Under Tighter Trump Work Requirements
The finalized rule just announced by the Trump administration, which will take effect in April, will make it harder for states to exempt adults without dependents from work requirements.
Inside the Cell Where a Sick 16-Year-Old Boy Died in Border Patrol Care
Video obtained by ProPublica shows the Border Patrol held a sick teen in a concrete cell without proper medical attention and did not discover his body until his cellmate alerted guards. The video doesn’t match the Border Patrol’s account of his death.
Saudi Military Trainee Kills 3 and Wounds 8 in Shooting at Pensacola Navy Air Station
DeSantis, a former Navy attorney who is a close ally of Trump’s, said the gunman’s nationality will likely add an additional layer to federal authorities’ probe into the shooting.
Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?
Like nearly all Americans of a certain age, we were told in school that tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are gateway drugs — and that is why marijuana should remain illegal. The myth bears closer examination.
NRA and Local Governments Square Off Over Gun Law Silencing Home Rule
Florida since 1987 has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws, and the penalties in the 2011 law were designed to strengthen that “preemption.”
Who is Worse, Donald Trump or Mitch McConnell?
Even if Trump is gone, if the Senate remains in Republican hands and McConnell is reelected, America loses because McConnell will still have a chokehold on the democracy, argues Robert Reich.
Slamming State on Felons’ Voting Rights, Judge Accuses DeSantis of ‘Running Out the Clock’ Before Election
A federal judge on Tuesday excoriated lawyers representing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, accusing the state of trying to “run out the clock” to keep felons from voting in next year’s elections.
Public’s Advocate Contends Underground Power Line Rules Allow For Improper Utility Charges
An administrative law judge will hold a hearing this month in a dispute about how to carry out a new law that is expected to lead to more underground power lines in Florida — and higher costs for utility customers.
A Trump Tax Break To Help The Poor Went To a Rich GOP Donor’s Superyacht Marina in West Palm Beach
Wealthy donors Wayne Huizenga Jr. and Jeff Vinik lobbied then-Gov. Rick Scott for the lucrative tax break for the Rybovich superyacht marina in West Palm Beach — and won it. Poorer communities lost out.
FDLE Lacked Oversight of Employees’ Text Messages and Use of Personal Devices for State Business
Florida’s top law enforcement agency did not have safeguards in place to ensure text messages sent and received by its employees were retained as required by state law, according to an audit released last week.
Nikki Fried Backs Proposed Requirement to Keep Fingerprints of Concealed-Weapons Applicants
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is backing a measure that would require her agency to retain fingerprints of applicants seeking concealed-weapon licenses.
What Would It Cost to Buy the 2020 Election?
At $100 a vote, a victory in November 2020 would run Michael Bloomberg $6.3 billion. He is currently sitting on a personal fortune worth $52 billion. He could easily afford it.
A Florida City Wants to Ban Styrofoam. State Wants Court to Affirm Preemption Law.
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office Tuesday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject an appeal in a battle about the city of Coral Gables’ attempt to ban the use of Styrofoam food containers.
Tuesday Briefing: FTI’s Heavy Equipment Simulator, Stetson Choral Union and Chamber Orchestra, Trump in South Florida
Techniques to cope with fatigue, frustration, isolation, and poor sleep at the Flagler Beach library, the Stetson Choral Union and Chamber Orchestra performs in DeLand, William Seward.
State Seeks to Strictly Deny Home Rule to Florida Cities and Counties on Gun Regulations
Pointing to a “hierarchical relationship” with local governments, the state late Friday asked an appeals court to uphold a 2011 law that has threatened tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun regulations.
Monday Briefing: Cooler, Citizens of the Year, Mitigation Strategy, Colin Kaepernick, Alateen Sereniteen
Anthony Butrym and Dawn Butrym were both awarded ‘Citizen of the Year’ for the State of Florida in recognition of their volunteer efforts that led to finding missing and endangered
juvenile Rickey Wheeler alive.
Political Committee Forms to Oppose 2020 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative
Organizers of Floridians Against Recreational Marijuana, or FARM, issued a news release Friday announcing the formation of the political committee, aimed at combating “the mega-marijuana, out-of-state corporate interests” behind legalization.
Daytona Tortugas Respond to Major League Baseball’s Plan to Eliminate The Team
The owners and staff of the Daytona Tortugas minor league team in Daytona Beach respond to Major League Baseball’s plan to eliminate 42 minor league teams, including the Tortugas.
Fast-Track Enrollment Saturday at Daytona State College, Dec. 7
DSC offers an easy-access, no-cost session – Enrollment Day – on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus, Wetherell Center, located at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare For All: Unfair and Irresponsible
Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for all proposal is right in principle but is not realistic, fair or honest and it ensures that Warren’s candidacy will not succeed at a time when a door knob should have the capabilities of defeating Donald Trump.
Flagler Health Department Increases In-School Flu Vaccinations by 13%
This year, the Flagler Health Department vaccinated 1,391 students and 114 faculty members, a 13 percent increase over 1,331 vaccinated in the 2017-18 school year.
Thursday Briefing: Legislative Delegation, Superintendent Search Public Forum, AdventHealth Robotics, Voltaire
Flagler County’s legislative delegation hears local concerns and hopes for the coming session, the public is invited to a forum on choosing the next school superintendent, the Inspired Mic is at Hidden Treasures.
Americans Love CBD Products, But It’s a Wild West
Americans’ exuberance for CBD could well be short-lived. That’s because many products currently marketed under the CBD banner are of low or variable quality.
Appointments to Federal Bench Open Two More Seats on Florida Supreme Court
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa’s appointment to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, setting the stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis to make two appointments to the state’s highest court.
Wednesday Briefing: Paws to Read, Dan Wagner at Tiger Bay, Bombing in Ocala Forest, Stetson Jazz
Nuclear and national security expert Dan Wagner is at Flagler Tiger Bay, A1A construction in pictures, Humane Society’s Paws to Read at the public library, the Stetson Jazz Ensemble performs.
Whose News Literacy? What’s ‘Fake News’? Resources for Teachers and Students Raise Questions.
Inappropriately named “fake news” is real, pernicious and dangerous, but the tools developed to detect it and teach students savvy media literacy can be problematic, with an over-reliance on the status quo.
DeSantis Wants $1 Billion Injection into Public Education, Mostly For Teacher Pay
After dubbing next year the “Year of the Teacher,” DeSantis has made two major teacher-compensation packages the centerpiece of his education spending plan for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Tuesday Briefing: School Board Prayer, UNF-Palm Coast, Board Reorganizations, Food Truck Tuesday
A committee of the state university system’s board discusses legislative budget requests, among them Palm Coast’s UNF partnership, the school board debates prayers before meetings, Palm Coast adds a cell tower.
Happy Birthday to Sen. Inhofe, Undisputed Champion Climate Denier in U.S. Politics
Jim Inhofe, the Senate’s unwavering climate denier, turns 85 on Sunday. Peter Dysktra requested a Q&A with him when he turns 100 to see how the “hoax” has turned out.
DeSantis Proposes $91.4 Billion Budget, With Focus on Teachers and Environment
Lawmakers will decide whether to move forward with DeSantis’ priorities, such as his plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 — an idea that would cost $603 million next year.
Fact Check: Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning of ‘Gateway Effect’ Revives Controversial Claim
Whether marijuana can “prime your brain for addiction” elicits responses all over the map — reflecting just how contested this issue is and how difficult it is to speak definitively about marijuana’s impact.
Monday Briefing: What To Do With the Worthless Sears Building, Mosquitos, Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Legends Concert
The Flagler County Commission reorganizes and decides what to do with its plagued and unwanted Sears building, the Flagler Youth Orchestra holds its first major concert of the season at the Flagler Auditorium.
Daytona State College Announces New Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
Daytona State College’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting brings the total number of bachelor’s degrees offered by DSC to seven. The new program is scheduled to begin fall 2020.
Flagler Professor Discovers Unknown Spanish-Timucua Book While on Sabbatical
Timothy J. Johnson, Craig and Audrey Thorn Distinguished Professor of Religion at Flagler College, recently discovered a Spanish-Timucua book by the Franciscan Friar Francisco Pareja. The book, previously unknown to scholars, was published in Mexico in 1628.
La Bonne Vieille Veuve Clicquot: History of Champagne’s Great Widow
As you get ready for New Year’s Eve, be sure to pick up the real stuff. Like Veuve Clicquot, the champagne served at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca. Here’s a brief history of the Veuve Clicquot Champagne and its maker, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin.
DeSantis Pitches Bonuses for Teachers and Principals Based on School Grades
Bonuses would be up to $7,500 for teachers and up to $10,000 for principals, drawing immediate criticism from the teachers union, which has long pushed for salary increases rather than bonuses.
Now Calling It ‘Dangerous,’ Florida House Moves Toward Abolishing Constitution Revision Commission
The Constitution Revision Commission drew across-the-aisle scorn for the manner in which it successfully put seven amendments on the November 2018 ballot. Voters may get to vote on abolishing it–through a constitutional amendment in 2020.