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Weather: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny. Not as cool with highs in the mid 70s. North winds around 5 mph. Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 50s. East winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.
- Daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here.
- Drought conditions here. (What is the Keetch-Byram drought index?).
- Check today’s tides in Daytona Beach (a few minutes off from Flagler Beach) here.
- Tropical cyclone activity here, and even more details here.
Today at a Glance:
Nar-Anon Family Groups offers hope and help for families and friends of addicts through a 12-step program, 6 p.m. at St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, 303 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, Palm Coast, Fellowship Hall Entrance. See the website, www.nar-anon.org, or call (800) 477-6291. Find virtual meetings here.
Juxtapositions: “The legal underpinnings of the nation remain strong, Chief Justice John Roberts said in an annual report Dec.31 that looked ahead to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.”–USA Today, Dec. 31.
“Our economy is structurally sound for the long term.”–George W. Bush, February 2008.
“The fundamental business of the country, that is the production and distribution of commodities, is on a sound and prosperous basis.”–Herbert Hoover, October 1929.
“We crushed the forces in Saddam International Airport, and we cleaned the whole place of the airport” of American troops.–Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahhaf, also known as Comical Ali, April 7, 2003, as American troops occupied Baghdad.
“I Donald John Trump do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me god.”–Donald Trump, January 20, 2025.
The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. You can input your own calendar events directly onto the site as you wish them to appear (pending approval of course). To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
January 2026
Flagler County’s Technical Review Committee Meeting
Flagler Tiger Bay Club Guest Speaker: Jeff Brandes
Separation Chat: Open Discussion
The Circle of Light A Course in Miracles Study Group
Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Palm Coast Beautification and Environmental Advisory Committee
Flagler Beach City Commission Meeting
For the full calendar, go here.
They reigned; long was their reign, but yet a moment and it will end.
Just, they would have been treated justly.
But they oppressed, and time overwhelms them with pain and trials.
Now fate claims them, and how can one blame fate?
–From the Thousand and One Nights.
Ed P says
A myopic and simpletons view from a Canadian?
2 distinctly different geopolitical events.
BillC says
Ed P is 100% correct! There is absolutely no logical, rational connection between one drug dealer who smuggled 500 TONS of cocaine into the US and was then PARDONED by Trump, and a drug dealer who smuggled 200 tons of cocaine into the US and is being vigorously prosecuted by Trump.
BTW, now it turns out that the oil companies were notified about the military action beforehand and congress wasn’t.
Bo Peep says
Oh so the fact that one of the two was a dictator who ignored the election results is irrelevant?
Skibum says
Uh, I hate to have to remind you of not that long ago American presidential election history, but…
Jan. 6, 2021… remember that day of infamy??? America had a “little” incident at the U.S. Capitol where an insurrectionist mob of maga drumph supporters stormed the capitol grounds, broke into the Capitol building and in the process beat and injured 140 law enforcement personnel who were providing protection for members of Congress who had assembled that day to certify Biden’s election victory.
A presidential election victory, BTW, that our current convicted felon and pedophile protector in the WH REFUSED TO ACCEPT OR ACKNOWLEDGE!
So, your comment is only half correct, Bo Peep, because BOTH Maduro and our prez ignored their election results, and that is true history, no matter how you or other maga cohorts who exist on Earth 2 try to reinvent or disguise our political and historical reality!
Ed P says
Can we connect the dots?
Russian and Chinese influence in the western hemisphere, specifically South America is a long term security threat. Everyone agrees?
Think back to the earlier Panama Canal issue with the Chinese influence. Rubio and Hegseth addressed the situation and reduced the Chinese influence and reasserted US dominance. After all we gave them the canal after we built it with a death toll of 25,000. About 300 were US born citizens.
Then Trump pardons convicted and imprisoned ex-Honduran President Hernandez to help tilt the election toward a more conservative alternative and reduce the potential for the same Russian and Chinese influence. Hernandez was not a brutal dictator nor did he rape and plunder his country but was convicted of trying to enrich himself through drug trade.
On the other end of the spectrum is Maduro who was running his country into the ground via a drug cartel and was very chummy with the 3 axis of evil, Iran, Russia, and China. The declaration of narco terrorist goes back to 2020. Even the Biden administration was concerned and raised the bounty from $15 million to $25 million. Haven’t you witnessed the civil unrest or realize that 25% of the Venezuelan population fled their homeland?
Finally, Cuba may also see a regime change without the Venezuelan leaders help. Cuba has been a security concern for almost 67 years. Remember the Bay Of Pigs? Not to mention the human suffering. Rubio hasn’t forgotten.
So although all 4 of these situations are tied by a security strategy, each has their own, but similar, geopolitical reason for US involvement. The criticism based solely on the obvious drug stories is a bit simplistic.
Kami says
The Russians and Chinese have had involvement there since the 70s and 80s if you are trying to convince these people that the right thing is being done it’s not going to work they have there heads up there own behinds
Skibum says
The convicted felon in the WH cannot even compose a simple and straightforward explanation and justification for attacking Venezuela that makes sense, but his utterances since capturing Maduro and his wife reveal what he is really after… and that is the country’s vast oil reserves. He fantasizes about capturing Venezuela’s natural resources just like he continues to fantasize about attacking Greenland and taking their natural resources.
Sovereign nations be damned! Ownership of mineral rights be damned! Geo-political consequences be damned! If other countries don’t like it or attempt to stand in his way, watch out because he will stand in front of TV cameras from his Mar-A-Pedo glitz castle and threaten to invade THEIR sovereign country, remove their elected leadership, and plunder their natural resources as well!!! What exactly is his end game… world dominion?
We thought this 2nd drumph adminisstration was going to be bad, but did ANYONE even envision the 2nd coming of Hitler???
Laurel says
“What exactly is his end game… world dominion?
We thought this 2nd drumph adminisstration was going to be bad, but did ANYONE even envision the 2nd coming of Hitler???”
Yes and yes.
What pisses me off is the far right keep saying that anyone who doesn’t align with their view is “on the other side.” When Charlie Kirk was murdered, most people, left, right and center condemned it. Yet, the right claimed the left was happy about the murder. Now, anyone who objects to breaking the law is “on Maduro’s side.” Bullshit! I’m sick of it!
Trump is a chronic, habitual liar, and everyone knows it. It’s no secret, yet his loyal continue to make excuses for the lies. He has the nerve to call his social media “Truth Social,” though everyone knows he lies like no other. They swallow these lies, pass on these lies, and justify these lies in their own heads, simply to “win.” What they are “winning,” however, is the loss of their country as they have known and loved it. The loss of law and order. The loss of our Constitution. The loss of our freedoms.
This cartoon is right on the mark, and y’all know it. Stop making excuses for once.
Ed P says
Skibum,
Is it possible that the Trump administration doesn’t want to state a policy or create a doctrine that would unite Iran, Russia, and China to exert more influence in the western hemisphere?
Strategically they pose a real danger to the United States as they gain a greater foothold in South America.
Panama Canal
Honduran elections
Maduro apprehension
Regime change in Cuba
Laurel says
Trump’s not that smart, but I’m sure he would appreciate the support.
What you wrote is somewhat correct. However, Trump idolizes Putin, and there is no question of that. Zelenskyy, a democratic leader of a country that was attacked by Putin’s Russia, was treated horribly by Trump and silly Vance, while the red carpet was literally rolled out for Putin. Putin was close to being a nobody until Trump started going gaga over him. Then, with the tariffs against China, pushed China and Russia together. Not a good scenario.
Yes, there are issues with South America, but Trump is not smart enough to handle them, and shouldn’t. The wackadoos behind him are pulling the levers, and adding to lies. It’s about oil, money and power. That’s about it.
Pogo says
Trump, and the Republican Party, aren’t in power because of their own supporters; they were carried to their thrones by people who cut their own throats out of spite.
Ed P says
Pogo,
Actually, the democrats left the country without a viable choice. Harris/Walz – impossible they were the best there was.
The American voters are not to blame.
The last 12 months has exposed both their flaws that the Democratic Party overlooked in favor of identity politics.
Laurel says
A lying, adjudicated rapist, felon and grifter is “a viable choice”?
Ed P says
Yep, that is how bad the choice was. You are 100% correct.
As I said above, there wasn’t a choice because even the felon, rapist, and everything else choice was more competent than the Democratic dynamic duo.
Grim
Laurel says
No, there is nothing competent about this admin
I will agree with you, however, that Democrats did not provide the best of the best. But Trump is the worst. There is no excuse for shredding the Constitution and behaving above the law.
Pogo says
You uphold criminals and crackpots. You are supported by non-voters, protest voters, fools, knaves, and too many of every kind of intellectually unfortunate people. In other words, it is Tuesday, and you’re here.
Next.
Skibum says
The one important piece of the Venezuela attack and regime change that needs a much higher priority in the media is our convicted felon prez’ disdain for Maduro’s political opponent who he stole the last Venezuelan election from… Maria Corina Machado. By all accounts, before Maduro confiscated all of the ballots and proclaimed himself the winner, election totals that showed Machado had legitimately received 70% of the total votes and should have been the newly elected president of Venezuela. Machado had to instead go into hiding and flee the country before she was murdered by Maduro’s thugs. She subsequently won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Now we come to what I believe to be the REAL reason why our convicted felon man-baby in the WH has not spoken out in support of Machado as the legitimate president who SHOULD have been in the loop when the military removed Maduro from the country? Why wasn’t Machado seen by drumph as Venezuela’s true, current president? Well, the man-baby surely has gotten his diaper in a wad about being dissed by the Nobel committee in favor of a woman, of all people, named as the winner of last year’s peace prize that drumph so wanted very, very much! So now he falsely tells everyone that Machado “didn’t have the support of the Venezuelan people” despite the plain and simple fact that 70% of the actually voted for her over Maduro!
The man-child’s feelings were so hurt that he is up to his juvenile antics once more because he is angry at Machado for “stealing” the peace prize that he believes should have gone to him… plain and simple. Poor ‘ole donny, gonna cry and suck his thumb, and lash out at the one person who really SHOULD be at the head of the Venezuelan government right now, not Maduro’s corrupt vice president and the remaining corrupt individuals he installed to support his dictatorship!
Endless dark money says
That’s a historical picture. Orange terror is already the most documented liar in human history. Let’s see how long republicans keep protecting pedophiles…
Here’s a link to over 1500 gop predators.
Goppredators.wordpress.com
Skibum says
Thanks for providing the link, but realistically, neither the GOP, nor the democrats or any other political persuasion has a lock on sexual perversion or predatory behavior. Evil men (and women) of all stripes who pursue little kids for their sexual enjoyment need to be outed, brought to justice and locked up in prison. Those individuals who have other friends of wealth and power help each provide cover for each other, and it is despicable beyond words that the current president of the United States has come out in defense of child sexual predators, and is actively helping protect and hide the identities of the rich and powerful who have victimized children for many years.
Sherry says
The “dictator who ignored the election results ” and incited an insurrection in 2021 should absolutely be indicted and thrown in prison!
BTW. . . Maduro is accused of doing some bad things also.
James says
https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a61644
Sherry says
* Masked thugs assaulting citizens
* Protesters pepper sprayed
* Heavily armed military taking over sections of cities
* President’s crime family raking in “Billions”
* Crimes of fraud and sexual assault swept under the rug
* Attempted election stealing and insurrection
* Suppression of the free press
* Prosecution of political enemies
* Pardoning violent criminals and drug dealers
Absolutely ! That corrupt criminal should be captured, arrested and sent to prison!
BTW . . . Maduro has done some bad things also!
Sherry says
The US needs to do a much better job at teaching kids and ADULTS “critical thinking”! They need to learn to disregard political propaganda/misinformation/disinformation in order to learn the credible facts that lead to truth and trust.
HELSINKI (AP) — The battle against fake news in Finland starts in preschool classrooms.
For decades, the Nordic nation has woven media literacy, including the ability to analyze different kinds of media and recognize disinformation, into its national curriculum for students as young as 3 years old. The coursework is part of a robust anti-misinformation program to make Finns more resistant to propaganda and false claims, especially those crossing over the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with neighboring Russia.
Now, teachers are tasked with adding artificial intelligence literacy to their curriculum, especially after Russia stepped up its disinformation campaign across Europe following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. Finland’s ascension into NATO in 2023 also provoked Moscow’s ire, though Russia has repeatedly denied it interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.
“We think that having good media literacy skills is a very big civic skill,” Kiia Hakkala, a pedagogical specialist for the City of Helsinki, told The Associated Press. “It’s very important to the nation’s safety and to the safety of our democracy.”
AI literacy becoming a vital skill
At Tapanila Primary School, in a quiet neighborhood north of Helsinki, teacher Ville Vanhanen taught a group of fourth graders how to spot fake news. As a TV screen beamed a “Fact or Fiction?” banner, student Ilo Lindgren evaluated the prompt.
“It is a little bit hard,” the 10-year-old admitted.
Vanhanen said his students have been learning about fake news and disinformation for years, beginning with reading headlines and short texts. In a recent class, the fourth graders were tasked with coming up with five things to look out for when consuming online news to ensure it’s trustworthy
Skibum says
Sherry, thanks for sharing this. We can learn a lot from other people, other countries too. I’m very pleased to hear that there are educational systems that are actively incorporating critical thinking into their curriculum. American education is sorely lacking this vital life skill, and hopefully it will catch on here.
Sherry says
Hi there Skibum. . . Have I told you lately that I think you must be quite the wonderful person. . . based on your consistently excellent postings here .
During my senior year in Ribault “public” high school in Jacksonville, one of my “elective” classes was entitled “Americanism vs Communism”. Well, it turns out that our truly excellent teacher, Mr. Thomas, ended up teaching us about propaganda and critical thinking. He would bring in Republican leaning and Democratic leaning newspapers and dissect them, explaining the sultities of column and word placement in addition to “fact twisting/spinning”. He showed videos of newsreels explaining how “just the facts” were not all presented in a neutral way even then. He encouraged us to do research on the accounts of historical events to come up with debates on the different ways they could be portrayed.
Even during my college years, I never had a class so influential in my life perspective.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt that teachers today would be given the latitude to teach such vitally needed classes. Such curriculum would certainly threaten the current conservative/fascistic “dumb them down to obedience” ethos.
Skibum says
Sounds like you had a very intelligent teacher, Sherry. It reminds me of some of the college professors I have had in the past… the ones who are able to debate both sides of an issue and get students to THINK, especially outside of their comfort zone, considering points of view and perspectives they never thought about in their own cocooned environments.
That is why I came to be so fond of travelling to distant places outside the U.S., where my eyes have been opened many times to people and experiences I would never have been exposed to otherwise.
Sherry says
Good Morning Skibum1 Absolutely! There is nothing like getting out in the world and experiencing other people, civilizations and culture “first hand”. You would find that many countries are actually safer than the US, and the people are more welcoming and kind.
It has been my experience that those who immerse themselves in other cultures are much more “open minded” and less “fear filled” and hostile towards others. Travel beyond the bubble of cruise ships and American hotels. . . experience the “real world” and free yourself of prejudice and fear of the unknown!
We are, each of us, a precious member of a common family . . . the family of the “human race”!