Gov. Ron DeSantis called the 11th Circuit’s blocking of the “Stop WOKE Act” a “clear and unfortunate example of judicial overreach,” reacting to the second ruling this week against his anti “woke” agenda.
Rights & Liberties
29th Inmate to Be Executed in 19 Months in Florida Wants DeSantis to Attend His Killing
Dennis Michael Sochor, convicted of strangling an 18-year-old woman he met at a New Year’s celebration in a Broward County bar 44 years ago, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison. His last wish? To have Gov. Ron DeSantis personally observe his execution up close and personal.
Justice Jackson’s Birthright Citizenship Opinion Was Grounded in Black History, Thomas’s In Distortion
The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, invalidating an executive order targeting children of undocumented immigrants. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a historic concurrence highlighting the intellectual scaffolding built by Black Americans through historic colored conventions. Her inclusive originalist interpretation directly challenged Justice Clarence Thomas’ narrow historical narrative, reframing the Fourteenth Amendment as a collective achievement born of Black patriotic resistance.
Florida Pastors Call on Elected Officials Reinstate Temporary Protected Status For Haitian Immigrants After Ruling
Florida pastors are urging elected officials to reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians following a Supreme Court ruling allowing the federal government to end the program. Led by the Reverend Doctor RB Holmes_Jr., the faith leaders called on state and federal lawmakers to protect the 93,000 Haitian TPS holders currently working across Florida and establish a clear pathway toward permanent American citizenship.
Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’ at Universities Ruled Unconstitutional in Blunt Decision by Trump Appointee
A federal appeals court decisively ruled Florida’s Stop WOKE Act unconstitutional in public university classrooms. The Eleventh Circuit panel affirmed that the First Amendment protects academic freedom, preventing viewpoint discrimination by the state government. The ruling blocks Florida from restricting diverse classroom discussions regarding Critical Race Theory and marks a major constitutional legal defeat for the DeSantis administration’s efforts to control higher education classroom speech.
DCF Reports 3 Verified Flagler Cases of Child Commercial Sexual Exploitation in 2025, and 434 in the State
A new state legislative report reveals Florida verified a record 434 child sexual exploitation victims in 2025, three of them in Flagler County and 14 in Volusia. Oppaga attributes the increase to improved agency identification methods rather than increased incidence. Serious infrastructure gaps remain. Florida lacks sufficient safe foster homes and data-sharing systems, leaving vulnerable juvenile victims without critical placements, survivor mentors, or specialized therapeutic treatments.
Teacher’s Career Hinges On First Amendment Battle After Her Firing Over Charlie Kirk Comments
Kelly Brock-Sanchez, a former Clay County public school teacher fired for making controversial Facebook comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is fighting to save her career after her private posts went viral. She filed a federal lawsuit claiming the punishment violates her First Amendment rights. An administrative hearing will determine whether she permanently loses her Florida teaching certificate.
Red and Blue States Align in Unlikely Bipartisan Push for States’ Rights Against Federal Overreach in Trump Era
Liberals, longtime proponents of a stronger central government, are now championing an ideology that evokes odious memories of slavery and segregation. Many state leaders hope that a renewed focus on federalism could help lower the national political temperature. By shifting more political decisions to the states, they envision a nation less subject to blue-red swings that change the entire course of federal law enforcement, environmental policy and business regulation.
‘Rededicating’ US to God? Jefferson and Madison Would Not Approve.
Jefferson’s and Madison’s half-century of collaboration on behalf of religious freedom and equality is an important chapter in the nation’s founding history. Its legacy should be remembered and celebrated, not discarded.
‘Harmful’ and ‘Likely Illegal’: Immigration Groups Decry Florida Ban of Undocumented Students at Colleges
Florida’s pro-immigration groups blasted a new rule banning undocumented students from state colleges as “cruel” and potentially illegal. On a Zoom meeting, the coalition of legal entities and advocacy organizations called on the DeSantis administration to reconsider this week’s education change, which outright outlawed state colleges from enrolling undocumented students.
What, Then, Is An American?
The question–what is an American–has been asked for 250 years and has always been more important than the answer. The clue is in the asking. There is no single answer to what cannot be defined, what should not be defined. The moment we answer the question with any kind of finality, the moment we say an American is this, that or the other, we are asking an un-American question
CAIR Florida, the Muslim Advocacy Organization, Sues State Over ‘Unprecedented’ Terrorist Designation ‘Regime’
Immediately after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state would soon designate the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) a domestic terrorist organization, the Muslim civil rights advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging that designation as unconstitutional and are calling for an injunction to halt its enforcement.
Florida Right-Wingers Blast Birthright Decision. The Rest Welcome It.
Although it wasn’t considered a surprise, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship provoked strong reactions from Florida lawmakers on Tuesday–negative ones from right-wing Republicans, welcoming ones from elsewhere.
Birthright Citizenship Survives, Trans Athletes and Campaign Finance Limits Lose in Trio of Landmark Decisions
The U.S. Supreme Court issued three landmark rulings today: A 6-3 decision protects birthright citizenship, striking down a Trump administration executive order. The court ruled 6-3 that schools may ban transgender athletes from female sports under Title IX. And the justices invalidated limits on coordinated political party expenditures, a move deregulating campaign finance and benefiting major donors over grassroots contributors.
Modern Politicians Attempt To Sanitize The Complex And Morally Messy Realities Of Florida History
Florida celebrates America’s 250th anniversary by erecting statues of founders, yet the state was actually a loyal British colony in 1776. The territory resisted the American revolution, repelled continental forces, and later became a Spanish headache before its eventual transfer to the United States. Modern political myths obscure this complicated, messy history that citizens should contemplate during patriotic holidays.
Florida Kills Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, For Wife’s Murder in 1992; He Is Oldest Inmate to Be Executed in Modern Era
Dusty Ray Spencer was put to death by lethal injection Thursday at Florida State Prison in Starke for his wife’s murder more than three decades ago in Orange County. Spencer, 74, became the oldest person put to death by the state in the modern era. Spencer had a violent history with his wife, Karen, before stabbing her to death in the backyard of their home on Jan. 18, 1992 in Orange County.
Army Recruit Faced Life in Prison for Raping Sibling. He Is Sentenced to Probation, No Adjudication, No Sex Offender Status.
A Palm Coast soldier indicted for raping his 10-year-old brother when he was himself 13 avoided prison after a negotiated plea deal that reduced the life-in-prison charge to child abuse, following requests from the family. Circuit Judge Howard Maltz sentenced the defendant to 10 years of sex-offender probation. Adjudication was withheld and Curtis was not designated a sex offender, allowing him to protect his military career.
Flagler Beach Planning to Install 30 Surveillance Cameras at 15 Locations Around Town for $158,000
The Flagler Beach City Commission votes Thursday on a $158,000 contract with a Jacksonville company to install 30 solar-powered surveillance cameras at 15 locations mostly south of State Road 100. The network requires a $109,859 start-up cost plus a $47,815 annual subscription. Local law enforcement will access the real-time feeds, as will city personnel. The proposal bypassed a formal bidding process and occurs as municipal governments are on their back heels over a proposed homestead tax cut.
No, Trump’s War on Migrants Isn’t Only Targeting ‘Illegals’
On the eve of its 250th anniversary, America is waging a sinister war against both legal and undocumented immigrants through hostile administrative rules. The federal government targets green card holders, students, and workers of color by restricting employment and speech with xenophobic policies that force self-deportations, empty out universities, and threaten economic survival, destroying the traditional American dream that once welcomed the downtrodden.
Two Flagler School Board Members Dismiss Concerns Over UNF Deletion of ‘Sexual Orientation’ Protection in District Agreement
The Flagler County School Board will vote on an altered internship agreement after the University of North Florida removed “sexual orientation” from the nondiscrimination clause. School Board members Christy Chong and Will Furry dismissed the change because district policy lacks that explicit phrasing. Legal counsel noted federal law still applies, extending the protection regardless. The discussion surrounding the wording at last week’s workshop underscored the different ways members of the School Board interpret discrimination and how legally to protect students and others against it.
In Free State of Florida, DeSantis Moves To Target Muslim Groups and Critics Under Vaguely Defined Law
Florida is preparing to implement legislation granting top state officials broad authority to designate specific organizations and their supporters as domestic terrorists. Gov. DeSantis indicated law enforcement will target groups including CAIR, the Muslim civil rights organization, and antifa. Critics argue the vague statutes lack requirements for individual criminal convictions. The overreach threatens first amendment rights, inviting widespread state abuse to suppress political dissent and campus activism.
New Florida Laws Mandate Driver’s License Tracking Marks For Convicted Habitual Career Offenders
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a series of law enforcement-related measures Tuesday, with many of them designed to increase penalties for criminals and give police and prosecutors more options to pursue them. The bills range from making it easier for police to identify an individual as a gang member to requiring criminals deemed “career offenders” have the designation on their driver’s license.
Efforts to Cancel Kanye West’s Tampa Concert Ramp Up
A bipartisan group of political leaders and Jewish residents are trying to block Kanye West from performing in Tampa. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Naples, labeled the hip-hop artist an “antisemite” and called for the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel his concerts at an event Monday at The Florida Holocaust Museum.
World Cup Fever
Why do we watch the World Cup? This is a tournament of paradoxes, a too-big-to-fail quadrennial festival of corruption, cheating, profiteering, nationalist chauvinism and mostly crappy soccer. Yet it can hypnotize and transport to a utopia of competition as idealized and convincing as Pelé’s deification of the sport as “the beautiful game.” We watch not so much for the thrill–most games are snoozfests–but for the nostalgia of a game that never existed, but that we reimagine with every match.
This School District Has Received Death Threats for Standing Up for Immigrants. It’s Not Backing Down.
The Winooski School District in Vermont passed a pioneering sanctuary policy to protect its highly diverse immigrant student population from federal immigration enforcement. Led by Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, the small district maintains its stance despite facing intense backlash, federal funding threats, and community trauma from local detentions. This controversial local policy successfully inspired a new state law mandating immigration enforcement protocols for all Vermont schools.
Florida’s Budget Fails Citizens But Delivers Overdue Justice For Groveland Four
Florida lawmakers approved a $115 billion budget packed with corporate handouts, political propaganda, costly special sessions and fiscal waste on private legal fights and environmental liabilities, but at least the Legislature agreed to allocate $4 million to compensate families of the Groveland Boys. The gesture provides financial restitution to the descendants of four Black men subjected to a notorious 1949 racial injustice.
Sen. Rick Scott Wants Kanye West’s Tampa Concerts Cancelled
A public stadium shouldn’t host rapper and producer Kanye West, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said. In a letter to the Tampa Sports Authority, the government organization that operates Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Scott urged the authority board to “carefully review this decision” of hosting the rapper, for shows June 26 and 28.
Yet Another Botched Execution
Tennessee set out to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026, but he lived to tell about it. What happened to Carruthers is a reminder that things frequently go wrong in executions, even if in almost all cases the problem is resolved and the execution is completed. Indeed, in the past 80 years, only eight other men have had experiences like Carruthers’ and survived execution attempts.
Hearing Delayed and Jail Time Extended For Man Expelled From Rehab Over Refusing to Profess Faith in God
A legal resolution is expected by June 16 for Joshua King, a 29-year-old probationer held at the Flagler County jail for almost a month following his expulsion from Faith Farm Ministries, a private addiction recovery program. He was discharged because he refused to profess a belief in a Christian God, resulting in an alleged probation violation, for which he has yet to be arraigned.
GOP Delegates at State Convention Hold Moment of Silence for Derek Chauvin, George Floyd’s Convicted Murderer
Christopher Rocco, one of the over 2,000 delegates at Minnesota’s Republican state convention last weekend, called for a 30-second moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020 after kneeling on Floyd’s neck and back for over nine minutes in an arrest over a suspected $20 counterfeit bill. Chauvin is still alive and in prison.
‘I Lied Under Oath to Protect Government Secrets’: The Thin Line Between Mental Illness And Criminal Prosecution
Appearing before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols Tuesday, David J. Pettit of Bunnell wanted to withdraw the plea that sent him to prison for three years, claiming he was incompetent when he pleaded–that he was lying to protect NSA secrets about telepathic communications. The judge denied the motion. The case illustrates the little extent to which mental illness gets in the way of criminal prosecutions no matter how absurdly an individual behaves, no matter how outlandishly he speaks, no matter how paranoid and violent his past behavior.
How Botched FHP Investigation Led To False Arrest In Deadly I-4 Crash Before State Attorney Stopped Miscarriage of Justice
Court and investigative documents show that the Florida Highway Patrol wrongly arrested 23-year-old Lindsey Brooke Isaacs for the triple-fatality crash on I-4 that claimed the life of former Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas based on a deeply flawed and sloppy investigation. Investigators ignored a vital 911 call describing a maroon Durango with matching plate numbers belonging to Alisa Lee Montalvo. The State Attorney’s Office discovered the discrepancies, prompting a specialized reconstruction team to clear Isaacs and charge Montalvo with the fatal hit-and-run.
Deltona Woman Arrested for Triple-Fatality Crash Within Hours of Cleared Charges Against Palm Coast Resident
Authorities arrested Alisa Lee Montalvo of Deltona for a triple-fatality crash on I-4 within hours of the dismissal of nearly identical charges against Lindsey Brooke Isaacs of Palm Coast. Isaacs spent months maintaining her innocence while her vehicle remained impounded. Montalvo faces nine counts including three counts of vehicular homicide. The crash took the lives of former Flagler County Deputy Administrator Jorge Salinas and his wife, Nancy Salinas, and Joaquin Deno of Deltona last October.
FlaglerLive Editor Calls Libel Lawsuit by Former Commissioner Joe Mullins a SLAPP Suit
Former Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins filed a libel lawsuit against FlaglerLive and its editor, Pierre Tristam, over articles documenting Mullins’s controversial public behavior and financial troubles. The lawsuit was filed by attorney Anthony Sabatini. FlaglerLive stands by its documented reporting, labels the case a prohibited SLAPP suit, and maintains that the evidence speaks for itself.
GOP Gerrymandering Is Burying the South’s Black Voters
Republican state legislatures across the South, Florida included, are passing new congressional redistricting maps that systematically divide concentrated Black populations into multiple white-majority districts to neutralize minority voting power and limits political representation. It is a regression to Jim Crow-era electoral suppression.
Saturday in Byblos:
Maupassant’s Colonial Delusion
Guy de Maupassant’s 1884 short story “Châli” explores, against Maupassant’s intentions, the deep moral rot of European colonialism through a French admiral’s disturbing exploitation of a young Indian slave as the narrative highlights how imperial powers disguised systemic violence as benevolent paternalism. The literary self-deception directly mirrors the historical degradation of colonialism defined by Aimé Césaire.
Florida House Committee Issues 1st Reprimand in 20 Years, to Rep. Angie Nixon Over Bullhorn Use
In an exceedingly rare move, a Florida House committee on Thursday reprimanded Rep. Angie Nixon for repeatedly blaring a bullhorn during a contentious fight over congressional redistricting. But the Jacksonville Democrat told reporters she’s unfazed — despite receiving the Florida Legislature’s first official reprimand in more than 20 years.
Florida Immigration Enforcement Costs Shifted from Storm Fund Climb to $460 Million For the Year
The fund was created in 2022 to handle hurricane preparation and response and other natural disasters, allowing Gov. Ron DeSantis to quickly dispense money during states of emergency. Since 2022, the lawmakers have deposited $4.77 billion into the fund. As of a few weeks ago, the fund balance was $199 million.
Victim’s Family Alleges in Lawsuit that FSU Shooter Was ‘Co-Conspiring’ with ChatGPT
The family of one of the victims of last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University have filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence chatbot the alleged shooter consulted before the attack. Lawyers representing 45-year-old Tiru Chabba’s estate announced the lawsuit filed Monday in Tallahassee federal court.
DUI Probationer Sent Back to Jail for Refusing to Profess Faith in God in Christian Treatment Program
A Flagler County judge returned 29-year-old Joshua King to jail for a probation violation after the 29-year-old Wiccan refused to profess Christian faith in God at Faith Farm Ministries as part of his court-ordered rehab therapy. He claimed the facility mandated religious conversion for program completion. The judge ruled that King failed to comply with the terms of the specific program he himself selected. He is to be resasigned to a different facility not of his choice.
Florida Democrats Are Getting Giddy. They Should Beware.
Florida Democrats are experiencing rare optimism following competitive polling and recent special election victories as Republican incumbents Byron Donalds and James Uthmeier face scrutiny over controversial statements and legal issues. But the GOP maintains a supermajority and control over the judiciary, and Democrats have a history of failing in critical statewide elections.
Call Israel’s War Crimes and Genocide By Name
Israel’s massacres, systematic destruction of villages and towns and historical fabrications to annex Palestinian and Lebanese lands amount to war crimes and genocide according to the definition of the Geneva Conventions, and are enabled by American military support and media complicity.
Southern Poverty Law Center Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges and Questions Motives
The Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty to federal charges of fraud and money laundering. The Department of Justice alleges that a discontinued informant program defrauded donors by enriching extremist groups. Defense attorneys labeled the prosecution a political attack.
‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Too Expensive to Run, May Close
The New York Times reported Thursday morning that “Florida is in talks with the Trump administration” to shut down the facility dubbed by DeSantis’ administration as “Alligator Alcatraz,” adding that the talks are “preliminary but that “officials at the Department of Homeland Security have concluded that it is too expensive to keep operating the center.”
Flagler Beach Planning Board Member Had Explicitly Asked Pastor if He Had Shopping Center’s Permission for Church
When the church was seeking a special zoning exception from the city, a brief exchange between a Flagler Beach Planning Board member and Roderick Palmer, the pastor of Coastal Family Church, all but anticipated the lawsuit Palmer has been battling since January. The board member had asked Palmer explicitly, twice, if he had permission from the shopping center’s property association to run a church at Flagler Square. The answer was non-committal.
With Democrat David Jolly’s Exception, Most Gubernatorial Candidates Oppose Legalizing Recreational Pot
The GOP’s Paul Renner, Byron Donalds and James Fishback all oppose legalizing recreational marijuana. Democrat David Jolly is one exception. He says the fact that a majority of Floridians voted to legalize cannabis in 2024 is why he supports making it legal.
Parents and Florida’s Teachers Union Sue State Over Universal Vouchers, Calling them Unconstitutional
Parents and the Florida Education Association argue in a 39-page filing in state trial court in Leon County that state dollars funding private school vouchers don’t conform to the Florida’s Constitution’s charge requiring “uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools.”
Lawsuit Calls Florida’s New Congressional Map ‘One of the Most Extreme Gerrymanders’ in US History
A lawsuit has been filed against the Florida congressional redistricting map signed into law Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Equal Ground Education Fund, a Black-led organization that works to increase Black political power in Florida, filed a 71-page lawsuit in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County on behalf of 18 individual plaintiffs who live throughout the state. The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to stop the new map from going into effect.
The Cult of Civics Education Plagues Us Again
Americans have historically demonstrated a profound ignorance regarding their own history and government structures. This lack of academic knowledge did not prevent the nation from thriving or winning wars. Current efforts to mandate civics education often serve as a thin veil for nationalist indoctrination. These movements prioritize submissive obedience over actual empowerment. True American strength relies on cultural dynamism rather than memorizing trivia.
Immigration Sweeps Lead to Tens of Thousands More ‘Collateral’ Arrests of Noncriminals in 7 Months
A quarter of immigration arrests since August were labeled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “collateral,” a type of arrest and detention that’s been challenged in court as an end run around civil rights. Public outrage and lawsuits over the arrests may be tamping down the large-scale sweeps that foster them, but tens of thousands were arrested this way between August and early March.