In Florida, Quinnipiac found that she is ahead by a substantial 48-42 lead among voters who have already cast ballots. That lead grows to double digits among Ohio and North Carolina early voters.
Florida
Utilities Pour Millions Into Solar Amendment Clouded By Deceptive Intent and Opposed By Environmentalists
The latest contributions, $2 million on Oct. 24 from FPL and $999,998 last Tuesday from Duke, brought to nearly $20.2 million the amount the state’s four largest private utilities have spent on the amendment.
In a Surprise Visit, Gov. Scott Tells Flagler Officials He’ll Expedite Regulatory Hold-Ups on Shore Repairs
Gov. Rick Scott held a 25-minute closed-door meeting with county and city officials in Bunnell today to assess the response to Hurricane Matthew and assure officials that he’ll help them through regulatory hurdles in continuing recovery efforts, especially on the barrier island.
Hillary Clinton May or May Not Have Raped a Child
The FBI director’s McCarthyist revelations of more Clinton emails will change the trajectory of the presidential race some even as it underscores the emptiness at the core of a manufactured scandal.
Florida’s Death Penalty On Hold: Supreme Court Halts Trial Pending Legislative Change
The Florida Supreme Court on Friday stopped a Clearwater judge from proceeding with a death penalty case, signaling that courts might not be able to move forward with capital trials until the Legislature changes a law that justices earlier this month struck down as unconstitutional.
Rubio-Murphy’s 2nd Bout All About Trump, Kurdish Militias and Showing Up (Or Not)
The debate marked one of Murphy’s highest-profile chances to take on Rubio. Most polls have shown the incumbent with a modest edge, usually inside the margin of error, though one released Wednesday by Bloomberg Politics showed Rubio with a hefty 10-point lead.
Those Double-Digit Health Insurance Rate Hikes in Florida? Blame State GOP.
Sen. Bill Nelson, once Florida’s insurance commissioner, reminds residents that it was the Republican state Legislature that stripped the office of insurance regulation of the authority to approve, modify or reject rate hikes by health insurance companies, thus leading to current, unacceptable rate hikes.
Clinton’s Lead in Florida Narrowing in Latest Poll, Rubio Up by 4 Over Murphy
Clinton leads Trump by a margin of 46 percent to 43 percent in the poll, which was conducted from Friday to Sunday. That is down from a six-point lead in an FAU poll released Oct. 13. Trump was up by 2 percentage points in an August poll.
Pam Bondi on Donald Trump: “An Excellent Role Model”
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday she remains firmly in the Republican presidential candidate’s corner despite some of his controversial remarks.
U.S. Rep. John Mica’s Support of Trump Erodes Chance of Winning 14th Term as Murphy Gains
U.S. Rep. John Mica, Flagler County’s best friend in the House, faces an opponent in Democrat Stephanie Murphy, an energetic businesswoman for whom U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has pledged to spend some $4 million.
Your Election Will Not Be “Rigged”
Flagler Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart Explains
Flagler County Elections Supervisor puts to rest any fear or claim that the Nov. 8 election may be rigged, that fraudulent votes may be cast, or that dead people will be voting locally.
Before You Celebrate Clinton’s Win: The Democrats’ Bad Downballot Map
Hillary Clinton looks increasingly likely to win the White House, but her party faces a big obstacle to success in congressional races — Democrats are sorting themselves into geographic clusters where many of their votes have been rendered all but superfluous.
Citing Secular Protocol, Florida Athletic Association Rejects Schools’ Claim That Prayer Was Muzzled
Florida law does not require, and for good and valid reason does not permit, the FHSAA to promote prayer through state-run public address systems, the athletic association argues.
Flagler Job Holders and Workforce Surge By 400 in September as Unemployment Flattens
This is one of those unemployment report where the uptick in the unemployment rate is almost meaningless, compared to other numbers, at least as far as Flagler County’s economy is concerned.
Florida Justices Overturn 42-Year-Old Death Sentence in “Black Revolutionary Army” Killing
Jacob John Dougan, Jr., now 69, was convicted in the 1974 murder of Stephen Orlando, an 18-year-old white man, whose body was found in Jacksonville Beach accompanied by a note signed by the “Black Revolutionary Army.”
Gov. Scott Orders State Transportation Department to Expedite A1A Reopening in Flagler Beach
The transportation department, in response to Scott’s order, said restoring traffic on A1A in Flagler Beach is now the Number 1 priority in the state. About 1.4 miles of road was damaged and closed.
Sen. Bill Nelson, in Flagler Beach, Pledges to Kick “Posteriors” to Channel Repair Dollars for Road and Beach
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the latest in a string of state and federal officials to visit the damaged Barrier Island, stressed support for a re-nourished beach and a rebuilt A1A with federal dollars covering 75 to 90 percent of the cost.
Solar Amendment 1 Called a “Con Job” By Utilities as Tape Exposes Political “Jiu-Jitsu”
Solar-energy supporters fighting a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot expressed outrage Wednesday after a policy director for a Tallahassee-based think tank was caught on tape discussing utility-industry efforts to deceive voters.
Continuing Series of Voting-Rights Decisions, Judge Rules Against State on Disputed Ballot Signatures
The 30-page ruling Sunday by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker focused on situations in which voters’ signatures submitted with mail-in ballots do not appear to match signatures on file with county supervisors of elections. Under a 2004 law, such mail-in ballots are rejected.
Florida Supreme Court in Seminal Decision Rules Death Penalty Verdicts Must Be Unanimous
The court’s 5-2 decision, which will immediately affect 40 inmates and many of the 385 others on death row, ends Florida’s status as an outlier state where non-unanimous death penalty recommendations were allowed.
Flagler Pleads With FEMA For Emergency Declaration to Help Homeowners; Politics and Data Help
Flagler’s FEMA declaration applied to government, not to homeowners’ losses. That second declaration is still pending, and it’s not a given as FEMA evaluators continue to scour the county to assess damages.
Recovery Round-Up: FEMA Inspects Flagler, Crews Inspect the Pier, Assistance Center Opens, Debris Pick-Up Cautions
A comprehensive update on the latest in Hurricane Matthew recovery operations in Flagler County and its cities, including essential information from FEMA and debris removal requirements.
Swinging Through Florida, Trump Paints Election as Apocalyptic Choice
Speaking to thousands of cheering supporters at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, Trump painted Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as a pawn of a global establishment who would usher in the destruction of the nation.
Federal Judge Orders Voter-Registration Deadline Extended Through Next Tuesday as Flagler Elections Office Sees Brisk Activity
Some 120 people registered in Flagler Tuesday. The full-week extension is a boon to the Democratic Party, which filed suit to counter Gov. Rick Scott’s decision not to extend the registration deadline despite Hurricane Matthew’s evacuations.
Flagler Damages to Homes and Businesses Estimated at $73 Million; 11 Homes Destroyed, 500 Damaged; Utilities Grinding to Normal
The price tag is very likely to exceed $100 million when damage to government infrastructure is eventually included. yet the sum total of the damage is far below what was feared from a direct hit of Hurricane Matthew.
Overruling Scott, Judge Orders Voter Registration Deadline Extended at Least Through Wednesday
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker also set up a Wednesday morning hearing to consider a request by the Florida Democratic Party to keep registration open until Oct. 18 — a week after the initial deadline was set to pass.
Gov. Scott Surveys Flagler Beach’s Cratered A1A as Congressman Cites $35 Million Repair Bill; 8,700 Customers Still Without Power; “The Disaster Is Not Over”
Gov. Rick Scott walked a small segment of State Road A1A Monday morning, the third day he’s been touring areas damaged by Hurricane Matthew, and spoke with local, state and federal officials assessing the repair bills ahead, much of which officials hope will be underwritten by the federal government.
FPL Overpromised: Thousands of Flagler’s Residents Still Without Power; Gov. Scott Due in Flagler Beach in Late Morning
Some 17,000 Flagler customers remained without power Monday morning, and schools were closed. Gov. Rick Scott was to make an appearance in Flagler Beach with various officials.
Hurricane Matthew: The Stories Until Storm Day
Hurricane Matthew from the time it began threatening the Caribbean to its churn toward Florida and the coast of Flagler.
Florida Highway Tolls Lifted, Some Hospitals in Volusia, Brevard and Duval Evacuate
Highway tolls were lifted in counties with evacuation orders as Florida continued Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of the slow-moving, powerful and deadly Hurricane Matthew.
Scott and Cabinet Poised for $16 Million Sensitive Land Buy, Largest in 10 Years
The land, known as Horn Spring Woods, contains 10 natural springs, has nearly 10 miles of meandering frontage along the St. Marks River and would help create an environmental corridor linking the St. Marks River Preserve State Park to the north, the Fanlew Preserve and Aucilla Wildlife Management Area to the east, and the Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park to the south.
Clinton Surges Ahead in Latest Florida Poll as Alternate Candidates Fade
Hillary Clinton took a decisive five-point lead on Donald Trump in Florida the latest Quinnipiac University poll after being tied with him for two months, with voting already under way in the state. She also leads in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, but remains behind in Ohio.
Florida Push to Legalize Medical Marijuana Gets $1 Million Boost, Aiding Amendment 2 Vote
It’s the largest single contribution received by supporters of Amendment 2 and comes as the battle over the constitutional question heats up in advance of the Nov. 8 election.
Clinton Regains Lead in Florida as Debate Bounce Ripples and Trump Stumbles
Coming out of their first televised debate, Democrat Hillary Clinton holds a narrow lead over Republican Donald Trump in the critical battleground state of Florida, a new poll shows.
After Reaching Record Pace, Executions in Florida Are on Hold as Ruling Muddies Syringes
Executions are on hold, judges across the state are postponing death penalty cases, and defense lawyers are seeking additional reviews in the aftermath of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January that struck down Florida’s death-penalty sentencing process.
Court Sees No Crime in Sarasota High Student’s Tweeted Threats to “Shoot Up” His School
A 16-year-old high school student who repeatedly threatened on Twitter to shoot up his school in Sarasota did not commit a crime because his threats were not directed at anyone in particular, the second District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.
Looking past the Obvious in Trump-Clinton I: Voters May Decide a Different Outcome
We have to reconsider what we thought we saw Monday night and discover how it played where it mattered, in counties such as those in western Pennsylvania, and those clustered along Interstate 4 in Florida. These, more than elite opinion-spinners clustered along our deep-blue coasts, will decide the Nov. 8 outcome, argues Tom Jackson.
Flagler District’s SAT Results Fall Steeply as Number of Students Taking Test Doubles
Combined reading and math scores fell to 869 in 2016, down 25 points from last year, and down a staggering 143 points from Flagler’s average scores in 2005, the last time the reading and math totals were above 1,000.
Tampa Christian School Files Suit Over Ban on Loudspeaker Prayer at Football Game
The nonprofit that operates Cambridge Christian School in Tampa said the Florida High School Athletic Association violated its civil rights by banning the private school and its opponent from joining in prayer over the loudspeaker at the game.
Post-Debate, Clinton, Clinton and Trump Are Invading Florida in Hunt for 29 Electoral Votes
While Clinton works Southeast Florida, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will campaign Friday and Saturday across the top of the state, and Trump begins his visits Tuesday in solidly-Republican Melbourne.
An $18,400 Raise for Supervisor of Elections And Other New Laws Go Into Effect This Week
County elections supervisors are up for pay raises, while penalties increase for trafficking in the modern version of food stamps and for stealing credit-card information at gas pumps, under new laws that go into effect Saturday.
Bright Futures Scholarships Could Expand to Summer to Speed Up Graduation Rates
Only 44 percent of students graduated in four years at 11 state universities. Summer scholarships would encourage more students to attend summer classes, increasing the chances they can graduate more quickly.
Florida Justices Let Felon Carry Hunting Rifle, Saying Prohibition Doesn’t Apply to Antique Guns
In a 5-2 decision, justices cleared Weeks on the gun-possession charge because state law treats antique firearms — and their replicas — different from other guns. The ruling said lawmakers exempted firearms manufactured in or before 1918 and their replicas from the prohibition on felons possessing guns.
Mindful of Orlando Massacre, FDLE Seeks to Extend Federal Terrorism Crimes to State Laws
Intent on preventing another mass nightclub shooting or a repeat of incidents this past weekend in New York and New Jersey, Florida’s top cop wants to bulk up the state’s anti-terrorism efforts.
The Climate Change Debate is Over: Seas and Temperatures Are Rising Dangerously
Increasing major storms and rising sea levels have long been predicted by climate models, and now they’re coming true. Time for deniers to concede defeat and become part of the solution, argues Todd Larsen.
Pam Bondi Is Shocked, Shocked Over Claim That Trump Donation Influenced Her Decisions
In a contentious session with reporters, Bondi said she had no regret about Trump’s $25,000 donation and refuted claims that it had influenced her decisions to dismiss allegations that Floridians had been bilked by Trump University.
Local Authorities Converge on Areas of Concern as Travel-Related Zika Cases Are Declared in Palm Coast
Mosquito Control officials have been focusing on mosquito hot spots in Palm Coast’s P Section and visited other properties of concern as county officials prepare a county-wide meeting next week to address the local response.
Florida Universities Seeking $14.5 Million Extra To Meet Spiking Demand for Mental Health
Universities saw a 48 percent increase in demands for counseling and other mental health services, and an increase in emergency or crisis visits, involving issues like severe depression, acute anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Florida’s GOP Sen. Keith Perry Defends Himself After Hitting Another Man Over Campaign Sign
Perry, a contractor first elected to the House in 2010, is going up against former state Sen. Rod Smith, D-Gainesville, for the open Senate District 8 seat. Smith is also a former Florida Democratic Party chairman and a former state attorney in the Gainesville area.
Flagler’s Unemployment Back Down to 5.4% After Brief Rise, Florida’s at 4.7% for 4th Month
When Florida’s under-employed and discouraged workers are included, the state’s unemployment rate zooms up to 10.6 percent, higher than the national rate of 9.6 percent.