While Reagan and Trump – two of the most media-savvy Republican presidents – used religion to advance their political visions, their messages and missions are starkly different. Trump’s religious vision is rooted in white Christian nationalism, the belief that the white Christians who founded America hoped to spread Protestant beliefs and ideals. According to white Christian nationalists, the founders also wanted to limit the influence of non-Christian immigrants and enslaved Africans.
All Else
Brendan Depa’s Sentence: Neither Vengeance Nor Mercy. Only Humane Justice.
On May 1 Circuit Judge Terence Perkins will sentence Brendan Depa on a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The punishment will be nowhere near that: the sentencing guidelines don’t call for it, the incident doesn’t warrant it, and Perkins is not a hanging judge. The question is whether he will impose any prison time, and whether reason and justice, not mercy or vengeance, will prevail.
With Zero Evidence, Florida Surgeon General Says Mask Wearers ‘Just Like to Hide Their Faces’
Florida’s Surgeon General is continuing to evangelize against mask wearing like it’s 2022. His latest theory? People wearing protective coverings over their faces simply don’t want to be seen, said the state’s Chief Health Officer and doctor of medicine at the University of Florida.
Supreme Court Appears Likely to Side With Trump on Some Presidential Immunity
Some of the court’s conservative justices expressed concern about the prospect that, if former presidents do not have immunity, federal criminal laws could be used to target political opponents. However, the justices left open the prospect that Trump’s trial in Washington, D.C., could still go forward because the charges against him rest on his private, rather than his official, conduct.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, April 26, 2024
‘Hysteria,’ At Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, ‘First Date,’ at St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre, The Blue 24 Forum, Lord Dewar of the Whiskey Dewar’s returns from Central Africa with imperious tales of wife-buying.
Could a Video Game Developer Win the Nobel Prize for Literature?
How do we account for other language-based forms of expression? If performed works such as theatre or songwriting can be considered literature, where is the limit? And why aren’t video games considered a form of expression?
Flagler Free Clinic Announces Expanded Access for More Floridians
The Flagler Free Clinic in Bunnell announces expanded eligibility for its services, thanks to a statewide bill passed recently by the Florida Senate. The newly enacted legislation, focusing on a vast array of health care improvements across the state, will significantly increase the number of Floridians eligible to benefit from the clinic’s comprehensive, no-cost health care services.
Majority of Palm Coast Council Candidates Oppose Pre-Election City Manager Hire, Others Fence-Sit, with Nuances
Six of the 11 non-incumbent candidates running for three Palm Coast City Council seats oppose the council’s decision to hire a new city manager before this year’s elections, which will turn over at least two of the council’s five seats, and possibly three, if Mayor David Alfin is not re-elected. Three candidates are on the fence about it, seeing strong arguments on both sides. Only one favors the hire outright.
Ethics Commission Dismisses Conflict of Interest Claims Against Palm Coast Council’s David Alfin and Ed Danko
The Florida Ethics Commission last Friday dismissed a pair of complaints claiming that Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and City Council member Ed Danko, the vice mayor, voted on matters in which they had a conflict, and did not disclose it. The commission found the complaints legally insufficient.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Drug Court, Beautification committee, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, understanding the Social Security Trust Fund and its perpetual near-insolvency over the years.