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All Else
Calling CAIR Terrorists While AIPAC Buys Genocidal American Policy
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a terrorist organization is a legally toothless stunt. While ignoring the immense influence of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, which funds lavish trips for politicians to ensure support for war in Gaza, DeSantis targets a civil rights group with meager resources. The order relies on conspiracy theories and racism, endangering Muslims simply to fuel the governor’s culture war.
New Marineland Dolphin Leaders Promise ‘Miracle’ Turnaround and Wellness Focus, and Hint at Ragga Surf Return
New leadership at Marineland Dolphin Adventure appeared before the Town Commission to outline a wellness focused future for the attraction, now operated as a non-profit by Apex Associates. Directors Jack Kassewitz and Felicia Cook promised transparency, announced an upcoming National Geographic documentary, and hinted at the return of Ragga Surf Cafe. While commissioners welcomed the vision, the transition removes the property from tax rolls, costing the town one-third of its property tax revenue.
Frank Walls, 58, Is 19th Inmate Killed By State This Year as Justices Reject Challenges to Death Penalty Law
Frank Walls was killed by lethal injection Thursday at Florida State Prison for the murders of Edward Alger and Ann Peterson on July 22, 1987 in Okaloosa County. Earlier Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court rejected two challenges to a 2023 law that allows judges to impose death sentences without unanimous jury recommendations. Florida and Alabama are the only states among the 27 that still allow the death penalty where non-unanimous juries may recommend the killing of an inmate.
8 Judges and 2 Lawyers Apply to Replace Canady on Florida Supreme Court
Six appellate judges appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, two circuit judges and two lawyers have applied to fill a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court, according to a nominating commission that will review the candidates and make recommendations to the governor.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, December 19, 2025
Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri and County Commission Chair Leann Pennington on Free For All, the Flagler County Cultural Council meets, George Carlin does Hamlet, so does King Charles.
Rob Reiner’s Power of Sincerity
Reiner’s career stands as one of the clearest demonstrations of a director moving fluidly across genres while maintaining a consistent worldview. Reiner’s films return again and again to deeply humanist beliefs: that people, however flawed, are capable of growth and connection; that care and empathy for each other is vital; and that cinematic stories can help us recognise this in one another.
Palm Coast Marks 20 Years of Fantasy Lights in Town Center Saturday
The City of Palm Coast invites residents and visitors to Central Park in Town Center on Saturday, December 20, for a special 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Fantasy Lights Festival, presented by the Rotary Club of Flagler County.
‘Define Yourself’: Stedman Graham, Leadership Coach and Life-Partner of Oprah Winfrey, Tinsels Flagler Tiger Bay
Stedman Graham, author and leadership consultant, addressed the Flagler Tiger Bay Club on Wednesday, sharing his philosophy of “Identity Leadership.” Graham recounted overcoming childhood discouragement in segregated New Jersey to define his own future. He emphasized that self-awareness is a prerequisite for leading others. The event, which also honored a club member with the Fang and Claw Award, drew local officials and followed Graham’s earlier appearance before 250 Flagler County students.
Longtime Homicide Prosecutor Mark Johnson Appointed to Putnam Judgeship, ‘Bittersweet’ Loss to State Attorney’s Office
After 17 years as a prosecutor in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Mark Johnson has been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis as a County Judge for Putnam County. Known for his cerebral style and successful partnership with fellow prosecutor Jason Lewis on high-profile homicide cases, Johnson’s departure is a significant loss for State Attorney R.J. Larizza’s office. Johnson will preside over misdemeanors and civil disputes in Putnam, with his investiture expected next year.
Ag Commissioner Appoints Perry Mitrano to Mosquito Control Board Seat in Place of Jules Kwiatkowski
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has appointed Perry Mitrano to the East Flagler Mosquito Control District board, filling the seat left by Jules Kwiatkowski’s recent death. Mitrano, a former critic of the board who lost two elections to Kwiatkowski, will serve until the next election. A former Bunnell waste management director and current GOP Executive Committee chair, Mitrano vows to focus on long-term planning and proper growth, praising the district’s current administrative leadership.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, December 18, 2025
Town of Marineland Commission meeting, Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry, the Palm Coast Democratic Club holds its “After Dark” Recap, Texas feels up women at rest room doors, Mo Amer on Houston, Molly Ivins on Texas.
County Commissioners Choose their Committee Assignments
Flagler County Commissioners have selected committee assignments for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Committee assignments provide commissioners with community input, expertise, and diverse viewpoints that help the commission make informed decisions.
Karoline Leavitt’s White House Briefing Are Straight Out of ‘1984’
Listening to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt assert “truths” so obviously discordant with people’s lives one is reminded of the repeated pronouncements from the Ministry of Plenty in Orwell’s “1984.” The novel’s doomed hero, Winston Smith, works in the Records Department that produces these fraudulent statistics – figures that are so far divorced from reality that they “had no connection with anything in the real world, not even the kind of connection that is contained in a direct lie.”
Paul Renner Begs: Compare My Record to Byron Donalds’
Speaking at the Tampa Bay Trump Republican Club meeting at Mugs Sports Bar & Grill in Clearwater Tuesday night, Renner was asked directly by a member of the audience to provide evidence that voters should ignore Trump and support Renner in next August’s GOP primary election. “What has he done in the nine or 10 years he’s been in office?” Renner asked about Donalds. “You can look at what I’ve done in the nine or 10 years that I’ve been in office. It’s an apples-to-apples comparison.”
Flagler District Wants Exemption to Later School Start Times Despite Sleep Science on Healthier Adolescents
The Flagler County school district is preparing to exempt itself from a Florida law requiring later start times for middle and high schools by 2026. Citing logistical challenges, transportation costs, and parental preference for current schedules, district officials argue against the change despite scientific evidence supporting more sleep for adolescents. A recent district survey indicates that while parents acknowledge the health benefits of later starts, many fear disruptions to work schedules and extracurricular activities.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, December 17, 2025
The Flagler County Contractor Review Board meets, Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center, Paul Duginski on the president’s reaction to Rob Reiner’s death, the impressive response by the president and lawmakers to the week’s catastrophes.
Signature Size and Narcissism
Signature size is related to status and one’s sense of self. Researchers have used signature size to explore narcissism in CEOs and other senior corporate positions such as chief financial officers. The link has been found not only in the U.S. but in countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Uruguay, Iran, South Africa and China.
Florida Bill Would Allow All College Faculty and Teaching Assistants to Open Carry on Campus
Florida professors, university faculty, and teaching assistants could soon be able to openly carry firearms on campus, thanks to a sweeping new measure filed by a Republican lawmaker.
CAIR-Florida, the Muslim Civil Rights Organization, Sues DeSantis Over Defamatory ‘Terrorist’ Designation
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil-rights organization, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order issued last week designating the group as a “terrorist organization.” CAIR is asking the court to block the executive order and declare it unconstitutional.
Two Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Hospitalized After Their Motorcycles Are Struck by Car on Palm Coast Parkway
Two Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were hospitalized with what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries this morning after a car struck their motorcycles on Palm Coast Parkway near Wawa. Sheriff Rick Staly said the deputies were hit when a driver allegedly entered their path from a side road, though the investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol is ongoing. Staly urged the community to drive patiently during the holiday season, noting this is the third injury to a deputy in ten days.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Christopher Weyant on the GOP’s non-existent health care plan, the Palm Coast City Council meets for the last time this year, Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry, the dismal state of press freedom in the United States and elsewhere.
Australia’s Worst Terrorist Attack on Home Soil
Australia is reeling from its worst act of terrorism on home soil. Two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish community gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Archer Park on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Given it was clearly an antisemitic attack, authorities soon after declared it an act of terrorism – that is, an act of politically motivated violence. This designation also gives authorities extra resources in their response and in bringing those responsible to justice.
Henriqson Finds Court Is Not His Castle as He Stumbles Through Self-Representation in Child Rape Case
Facing capital sexual battery charges, Kristopher Henriqson has fired his public defender to represent himself, a decision that faltered during a recent pre-trial hearing. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols denied the majority of Henriqson’s motions, including requests to change the venue, admit an illegal recording, and rewrite DNA reports he fundamentally misunderstood. While Henriqson secured minor procedural victories, the judge warned that without a public defender, he alone bears the logistical and financial burden of his defense.
Palm Coast Will Require Registration and Occupancy Caps for Its 18 Sober Living Homes in Residential Neighborhoods
Palm Coast is adopting a new ordinance to legalize and regulate recovery homes, bringing city code into compliance with state law. The rules require all sober living homes, including previously exempt Oxford Houses, to register with the city and obtain certification from the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR). The ordinance caps occupancy at 10 residents—half the state maximum—and mandates a 1,000-foot separation between facilities. Non-compliant homes face closure after a 60-day grace period.
Clyde Roesch, 1945-2025
Clyde Roesch, 80, passed away on November 25, 2025 at his home in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was born in Melbourne, Florida on February 23, 1945 to William and Marjorie (nee Wilson) Roesch.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, December 15, 2025
Jermaine Williams and Kristopher Henriqson in court, the East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board meets without Jules Kwiatkowski, The Flagler County Commission meets, how the Trump administration is deploying a Sedition Act against visitors to the United States.
West Bank Violence Soars as Institutions Capitulate to Colonists’ Terror
The post-Oct. 7, 2023, environment has seen an escalation in settler violence, which has gone from primarily involving vandalism and property destruction to now being marked by kidnapping, prolonged abuse and apparent military complicity. In the two years to October 2025, more than 3,200 Palestinians were “forcibly displaced by settler violence and movement restrictions,” according to United Nations figures.
State Agency Sinks 227-Foot Ship to Build Marine Habitat Off St. Lucie Inlet
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission successfully sank the Borocho, a 227-foot derelict freight vessel, on Nov. 18 to create a new artificial reef. The ship now rests nearly 200 feet below the surface, in Martin County nine miles offshore of the St. Lucie Inlet. The sinking was accomplished through FWC’s Derelict Vessel program, in partnership with Martin County Environmental Resources.
He Called Us ‘Garbage.’ Here is the Somali Community I Know.
President Donald Trump called me and my 221,000 fellow Somali Americans “garbage.” The secretary of defense, who is Minnesota born, eagerly and immediately endorsed the “garbage” remark and Trump’s conclusion that we are unwanted in this country and should be sent away. The secretary of state, the vice president and the rest of the cabinet cheered and banged on the table and applauded this hateful and profoundly ignorant assault on my community.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Marco Rubio’s fount of distractions, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, ‘Greetings,’ A Christmas Comedy, Daytona Playhouse, Phillis Wheatley and the risks of presentism.
Trump v. AI Regulation
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 11, 2025, that aims to supersede state-level artificial intelligence laws that the administration views as a hindrance to innovation in AI. State laws regulating AI are increasing in number, particularly in response to the rise of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT that produce text and images. Thirty-eight states enacted laws in 2025 regulating AI in one way or another. They range from prohibiting stalking via AI-powered robots to barring AI systems that can manipulate people’s behavior.
Sheriff’s Office Lands $175,000 Grant to Equip Deputies with Drug-Identifying Devices
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to provide patrol deputies with narcotics-identifying devices.
We Are Paying the Price for Data Centers. It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way.
The data centers proliferating across the country drive up energy costs by powering energy-ravenous generative AI, cloud storage, digital networks, and other energy intensive programs — much of it fueled by coal and natural gas that exacerbate climate change. In some cases, data centers consume enough electricity to power the equivalent of a small city. The wholesale price of electricity in areas housing data centers is up a whopping 267 percent from five years ago — and everyday customers are eating those costs.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, December 13, 2025
Santa in Bunnell, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens, Peps Art Walk in Flagler Beach, American Association of University Women meeting, ‘Annie,’ at Limelight Theatre, Gamble Jam, the Scissors Silhouette.
Teaching Children to Read at Their level Isn’t Good Enough
The average reading scores of 12th graders in 2024 were 3 points lower than they were in 2019. More kids are failing to even reach basic levels of reading that would allow them to successfully do their schoolwork. The method used today, that kids should be taught to read with books that were just the right fit for them, isn’t doing the job.
Doctors Clash with Florida Officials Over Plan to Repeal Meningitis and Chickenpox Vaccine Mandates for Schools
Florida health officials are advancing a proposal to eliminate school entry requirements for vaccines protecting against hepatitis B, chickenpox, and meningitis. While mandates for polio and MMR vaccines remain, officials signaled intent to eventually repeal those laws as well. At a contentious workshop, pediatricians warned the move invites fatal outbreaks and endangers herd immunity, while state officials and supporters defended the rollback as a victory for parental rights and informed consent.
Deputies Seize ‘Lipstick Knife’ and 29 THC Vapes in 3 Student Arrests at Flagler Palm Coast High School
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested three Flagler Palm Coast High School students this week following separate investigations, two for drug-related charges and a third for threatening another student with a knife.
Funky Pelican and Flagler Beach Renew Vows: Lease Extended 32 Years Amid Gushing Praise and Makeover Plans
Flagler Beach City Commissioners approved a lease extension for the Funky Pelican restaurant, securing the partnership through 2057. The deal, a lovefest in contrast to 2011’s contentious negotiations on the original lease, requires the restaurant to complete exterior renovations within a year. While base rent remains unchanged, the city retains its lucrative 3 percent cut of gross revenues over $1 million. The business had revenue of $4.7 million in 2024. It’s been a bit slower this year. The vote was 4-0.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, December 12, 2025
The Bronx Wanderers at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, Paul Renner on Free for All Fridays, the imagined Byzantine genesis of Alexander Calder’s sculptures.
Bunnell Approves 1,259-Acre Industrial Rezoning 3-2, Brushing Aside Commissioner’s Warning of ‘Blank Check’
A split Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to rezone 1,259 acres for industrial use, overriding sharp public opposition. Dissenters warned the approval is a “blank check” that explicitly permits a garbage transfer station. While proponents promised millions in future tax revenue, the figures appear off the mark compared to the city’s actual budget and comparatively bullish projections for Palm Coast’s Town Center 20 years ago. Critics blasted the lack of specific plans or identified businesses for the vast tract west of U.S. 1.
No, Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism Are Not the Same
Anti-Zionism and antisemitism should be considered distinct concepts. Zionism is a political ideology. A cornerstone of liberal society is political debate, including subjecting ideologies to the stress test of critique. These ideologies include capitalism, socialism, social democracy, communism, ethno-nationalism, settler colonialism, theocracy, Islamism, Hindu nationalism and so on. In the right of others to support, oppose, analyze or criticize it, Zionism is — or at least should be — be no different.
Sheriff’s Employees and Residents Donate over $40,000 to Support 2025 Shop with a Cop
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employees, community organizations, businesses, and individuals have combined to generously donate over $40,000 to the Flagler Sheriff’s Childrens Charities to support the agency’s annual Shop with a Cop event.
DeSantis Unveils Final $117.4 Billion Budget: Raises for Police and Teachers, New College Takeover of USF-Sarasota
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a final $117.36 billion “Floridians First” budget for 2026-2027, proposing raises for teachers and law enforcement, plus $278 million for cancer research. The plan includes a controversial directive for New College to absorb USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. While touting record education investments, the proposal drew criticism from the teachers’ union. It also funds conservation, maintains tourism marketing, and supports a future property-tax slash amendment.
‘A Miracle We Got the Place’: Marineland Sale Closes for $7.135 Million, Securing Future of 87-Year-Old Oceanarium
The $7.135 million sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure to Apex Associates closed Friday, saving the historic facility from bankruptcy. Now operating as a nonprofit under returning General Manager Felicia Cook, the move removes the property from tax rolls but prevents residential development. While three dolphins were relocated, the remaining animals are healthy, and new management plans to focus on research, programming, and facility improvements.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, December 11, 2025
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, ‘Greetings,’ A Christmas Comedy at Daytona Playhouse, chorales and Van Loon on the human voice.
Active Clubs Are White Supremacy’s New, Dangerous Frontier
Small local organizations called Active Clubs have spread widely across the U.S. and internationally, using fitness as a cover for a much more alarming mission. These groups are a new and harder-to-detect form of white supremacist organizing that merges extremist ideology with fitness and combat sports culture. Active Clubs frame themselves as innocuous workout groups on digital platforms and decentralized networks to recruit, radicalize and prepare members for racist violence. The clubs commonly use encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, Wire and Matrix to coordinate internally.
Analysis: In Melady Trial, an Evidence-Defying Verdict That Ignored Overwhelming Proof of Victim’s Incapacity
The jury found Melady, the former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, guilty of sexual battery, or rape, a lesser charge than the one he faced, rape of an incapacitated person. To reach that conclusion, the jury had to conclude that the victim was not incapacitated, even though that was the one fact the defense, the prosecution and Melady himself agreed on, and that the defense relied on to argue that Melady had to invasively conduct a pelvic exam to figure out why she was incapacitated. The jury’s conclusion was demonstrably false.
Jury Finds Ex-Flagler Paramedic Melady Guilty of Rape of Unconscious Woman in Ambulance
A jury of four women and two men today found Melady, a paramedic with Flagler County Fire Rescue from 2018 to 2024, guilty of rape of an unconscious woman he was responsible for in the back of an ambulance three years ago. The jury acquitted Melady of video voyeurism. He had recorded the incident, moving the camera a few times for better views of the woman’s privates, and preserved the video on his laptop. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced early next year.
Florida Senate Panel Approves Annual ‘Charlie Kirk Day’
Against Democrats’ objections that Charlie Kirk’s often bigoted views do not reflect Florida’s, a Senate committee Tuesday approved creating an annual “day of remembrance” in Florida for slain conservative activist and controversialist Charlie Kirk.






















































