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Weather: Areas of frost in the morning. Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s. North winds around 5 mph.
- 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:
Flagler Beach’s Planning and Architectural Review Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 105 S 2nd Street. For agendas and minutes, go here.
The Bunnell Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board meets at 6 p.m. at the Government Services Building, 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell. The board consists of Carl Lilavois, Chair; Manuel Madaleno, Nealon Joseph, Gary Masten and Lyn Lafferty.
The Palm Coast City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall. For agendas, minutes, and audio access to the meetings, go here. For meeting agendas, audio and video, go here.
The Flagler Beach Library Writers’ Club meets at 5 p.m. at the library, 315 South Seventh Street, Flagler Beach.
The Cold-Weather Shelter known as the Sheltering Tree, opens:The shelter opens at Church on the Rock at 2200 North State Street in Bunnell as the overnight temperature is expected to fall to 40 or below. It will open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. The shelter is open to the homeless and to the nearly-homeless: anyone who is struggling to pay a utility bill or lacks heat or shelter and needs a safe, secure place for the night. The shelter will serve dinner and breakfast. Call 386-437-3258, extension 105 for more information. Flagler County Transportation offers free bus rides from pick up points in the county, starting at 3 p.m., at the following locations and times:
- Dollar General at Publix Town Center, 3:30 p.m.
- Near the McDonald’s at Old Kings Road South and State Road 100, 4 p.m.
- Dollar Tree by Carrabba’s and Walmart, 4:30 p.m.
- Palm Coast Main Branch Library, 4:45 p.m.
Also: - Dollar General at County Road 305 and Canal Avenue in Daytona North, 4 p.m.
- Bunnell Free Clinic, 4:30 p.m.
- First United Methodist Church in Bunnell, 4:30 p.m.
The shelter is run by volunteers of the Sheltering Tree, a non-profit under the umbrella of the Flagler County Family Assistance Center, is a non-denominational civic organization. The Sheltering Tree is in need of donations. See the most needed items here, and to contribute cash, donate here or go to the Donate button at this page.
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center: Nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palm Coast’s Central Park, with 55 lighted displays you can enjoy with a leisurely stroll around the pond in the park. Admission to Fantasy Lights is free, but donations to support Rotary’s service work are gladly accepted. Holiday music will pipe through the speaker system throughout the park, Santa’s Village, which has several elf houses for the kids to explore, will be open, with Santa’s Merry Train Ride nightly (weather permitting), and Santa will be there every Sunday night until Christmas, plus snow on weekends! On certain nights, live musical performances will be held on the stage.
Random Acts of Insanity Standup Comedy, 8 p.m. at Cinematique Theater, 242 South Beach Street, Daytona Beach. General admission is $8.50. Every Tuesday and on the first Saturday of every month the Random Acts of Insanity Comedy Improv Troupe specializes in performing fast-paced improvised comedy.
Editorial Notebook: In Raven Rock, Garrett Graff’s 2017 book on the underground bunker the Pentagon built for itself at the Pennsylvania-Maryland border so it could keep fighting a nuclear war, Graff tells of the 2002 explosions Washington D.C. residents heard for two months, complained about for two months, and were told for two months that it was classified. National Security. The military was building an underground bunker for Dick Cheney at the vice president’s house. We know this now, as Graf reports, because Biden himself, when he became vice president, “gabbed that he’d found a bunker in his new house–a secure room hidden behind a hallway’s heavy steel door.” Biden always traded on his regular-Joe persona, which depended on manufacturing regular-Joe stupidity, which required passing off sensitive information as if he were sitting on a bar stool. He would not discipline himself. He liked the persona too much, even if it risked national security. Finding out about the bunker was nota big deal: it’s not actually a national security matter, especially not if a vice president’s security is at stake, and especially if that vice president was either Cheney or Biden. But Biden could be counted on to make garbage asides that could swing markets or elections. Pardoning his son is somewhere along that spectrum of garbage. It won’t affect markets or the war in Ukraine, but it may have ample enough implications that will ripple into larger consequences, now that he’s blessed Donald Trump’s serial pardoning of every criminal who’s greased his ways, himself included. The Biden pardon is not just a misjudgment. It’s just plain disgusting. His legacy might as well be a dust mite beneath a steel door at Raven Rock.
—P.T.
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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.
River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting
Separation Chat: Open Discussion
The Circle of Light A Course in Miracles Study Group
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 9-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Palm Coast Democratic Club Meeting
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Flagler Beach City Commission Meeting
Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series
For the full calendar, go here.
Quote: Senator Joseph R. Biden, a Delaware Democrat, predicted that Mr. [Jesse] Ventura would fade like Mr. Perot. “In four years, he’ll be where our boy from Texas is — only without the money,” he said. “It’s a predictable aberration; every four to 10 years in American politics there’s a character like Rush Limbaugh or Jerry Falwell with something interesting to say who becomes a repository for despair within the existing system.” Told of Mr. Biden’s comments, Mr. Ventura flashed the impudence that some find refreshing and others find disturbing. “Who does that guy think he is?” he said. “You can tell Joe Biden that if, indeed, four years from now nobody will know who I am, I’d still rather be an unknown than a career politician like him. Go out and ask your average teen-ager today who Jesse Ventura is and who Joe Biden is. What I’ve accomplished is more than he ever will.”
—From “And Now, ‘Body’ Politics: But Seriously, Mr. Ventura,” by Richard Berke, The New York Times, Sept. 19, 1999.
Pogo says
@Have a nice day
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
— Nelson Mandela
“Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host.”
— Maya Angelou
Laurel says
Ah, bullshit!
I’m so glad Biden pardoned his son. I’m not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican, but I’m so tired of watching them play by two, different sets of rules.
Trump pardoned his inlaw and a bunch of his buddies, for far worse infractions. He has claimed he will pardon the “patriots” who climbed the walls of the Capital while trying to overthrow the U.S. government in his name.
You Trumpers claim “enough”? Well, I’ve had enough of your disturbing cult.
Ed P says
Laurel,
The fact that Joe Biden signed an unconditional pardon for Hunter Biden after he was convicted on 2 separate federal crimes by juries of his peers is the least disturbing part of Biden’s actions.
Ask yourself why the unconditional pardon reaches back to January 2014 just 4 month prior to Hunters involvement with Barisma and the alleged money laundering scheme. Why? A 10 year unconditional pardon is unheard of and controversial. Hunters crimes occurred in 2016 and later.
Also wait until the second shoe drops on January 19 2025, when he pardons James Biden and others on the periphery.
It would be unpresidential but Joe Biden might just pardon himself covering the years he was vice President to quash any investigations.
Anyone have a better honest and logical explanation?
Burn it says
Unpresidential lol hahaha we have a rapist convict is that presidental? The whole thing was a sham from the beginning, republicans targeted him, even after a court decision republicans weren’t happy and put pressure on the courts like they did to keep their convict out of jail. The people that support the rapist convict for president have no moral high ground. Now get ready for trumpflation followed by depression cause convict leader isn’t smart and is surrounded by boot lickers.
Ed P says
Burn it,
Charges were actually sexual assault in a civil court but none of that matters does it? Deflection is the tool of the left, what does Trump have to do with a Biden pardon.
Care to debate the pardon because the worn out reprobate argument didn’t sway 77 million voters not just me.
BillC says
Trump got 49.9% of the popular vote. Harris got 48.3%. Trump’s margin of victory was 1.6%- not 77 million to zero.
Laurel says
Yes, sadly, America has been dumbed down.
What Trump has to do with the Biden pardon is he, and his nasty vengeful nature, has promised to go after Biden, along with anyone who doesn’t kiss his ass crack, so, pucker up.
BTW (my not minding to divert the subject) Trump IS a useful fool tool for the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. I know it, and you know it too.
Ed P says
I guess Trump will go after Biden just like Hilary Clinton??? Trump would have probably pardoned Hunter on day one.
When a conservative points to an event that may have happened, they are labeled crazy conspiracy theorists. The libs believe democracy and world order will end under Trump. It didn’t the first term so climb down off the ledge.
However….
Do you now concede that maybe, just Maybe…the Burisma and Chinese money scandal could have some sliver of truth? For once examine the facts without deflection. You have to quit blaming Trump for virtually everything wrong.
Pogo says
@Coming soon
As stated
https://www.tampabay.com/news/real-estate/2024/11/30/corporation-took-over-their-condo-this-florida-law-made-it-possible/
Laurel says
Pogo: So very true! This is exactly why housing has become unaffordable, not because of “Biden’s economy.” Corporate investors are buying up apartment buildings and houses, and turning them into vacation rentals, or more upscale units, and as the Tampa article tells, now condos too. The “business friendly” Republican politicians are very much responsible, and that includes Flagler County. Gentrification is well underway here. Residents are not respected, and simply in the way. There is no conscience, nor empathy, nor honor involved. Only money for the few. Money: the not so holy grail. And yet, the residents voted for a man who represents this in spades.
Yes, the lion sleeps tonight, as does the gazelle herd, since one of their own has been picked off, for now.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Great song!!!! REMINDS ME OF A BETTER AMERICA! Sooooooo long ago!!! BUT HELP IS ON THE WAY!!!! THIS LION WONT EAT ILLEGALS, HE LL DEPORT THEM AND THIS LION WORKS FOR FREE!
Laurel says
I’m getting vertigo from shaking my head over this guy.
FlaglerLive says
Imagine having to moderate his comments.
Laurel says
Nooooooooooooooooooo!
James says
Quel dommage.
Wouldn’t you agree Pierre?
In my opinion the particular excesses and struggles of the Hunter Biden story are just another example of the struggles that so many other American families deal with… addiction, mental crisis, loss of perspective, etc. Many times rooted and exasperated by the former. The fentanyl crisis comes to mind.
I think President Biden has dealt with the situation as best he could over the past few years. And to pardon his son is understandable considering the voracious search for both political and moral scape goats on the part of Republicans, their red blood boiling, hot and ravenous carrying wood, hammer and nails, eager to crucify.
But I suspect there will be many more opportunities for that soon enough unfortunately.
So, Biden pardoned his son?
Too bad.
Just my opinion.
Laurel says
James: Yep, the Trumplicans are watching one termite while the rest of the nest (they voted for) eats them out of house and home.
Sherry says
Splendid analogy Laurel! HO! HO! HO!
Pogo says
@Laurel and James
Thank you, and my sincere admiration.
And, BTW, Ray W’s, “… voices shouting fear us…”, has seen no equal on this site.
Gratitude and respect, Mr. W.
Ray W, says
The EIA’s November 25, 2024, Today in Energy publication focuses on the global natural gas marketplace, including liquefied natural gas exports and imports.
Here are some of the many bullet points from the article:
– A possible weather pattern shift from El Nino to La Nina may prompt Northern Hemisphere winter temperatures to cool, increasing natural gas consumption in Northwest and Central Europe.
– For the first eight months of 2024, European natural gas conservation measures and LNG imports to replace sanctioned Russian natural gas pipeline imports helped the EU nations to reduce consumption by 22% relative to average consumption between April 2017 and March 2022. EU natural gas storage inventories are at 95% of capacity.
– Both Brazil and Egypt plan to increase demand for LNG imports.
– 2024 LNG front-month futures prices continue to decline, decreasing more that 50% compared to 2022 East Asia and European prices, and down more than 20% from 2023 prices.
– Worldwide LNG export capacity is expected to rise from 63 million cubic feet per day in March 2024 to 66 million cubic feet per day in March 2025, with most of the rise (1.7 bcfpd) coming from U.S. export capacity.
– Cheniere Energy continues to expand its Corpus Christi base, bringing the first of seven new midscale liquefaction trains online. Plaquemines and Freeport facilities also expect to increase export capacity. As of November 8, 2024, American storage inventories are close to maximum, exceeding last year’s inventory by 3%.
– Mexico is adding a new export facility at its Altamira site and Senegal and Mauritania are working together to finish an offshore LNG port by the end of this year.
– EU nations increased LNG import capacity by more than one-third between 2021 and 2024. New imported LNG regasification facilities coming online by January 2025 in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Poland will add a combined 3.5 billion cubic feet per day to current capacity.
– If Russia and the Ukraine cannot reach agreement to renew an expiring natural gas transit contract to transport Russian compressed natural gas through the Ukraine into Europe, European import capacity will drop by 1.2 to 1.4 billion cubic feet per day. As an aside, despite nearly three years of war, neither combatant has damaged the pipeline. When the Ukraine attacked the Kursk region, it captured a major compressing station, yet it left it alone. Too much revenue flows to both countries from the pipeline. If the contract is not renewed, European natural gas storage facilities will be at 40% of capacity during normal winter conditions. If colder than normal, end of winter stocks will be at 11% of capacity, but if additional LNG can be imported, the drop will be only to 26% of capacity.
– U.S. LNG export capacity will continue to rise, amid new projects coming online. The U.S became the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2023. During the upcoming 2024-2025 winter, U.S. LNG exports should be 8% higher than last winter at an average flow of 13.7 billion cubic feet per day.
– East Asian LNG consumption will be a key winter uncertainty. Japan has a four-winter history of declining demand. South Korean demand has been flat. China plans to finish regasification projects totaling 2.8 billion cubic feet per day. Even with the expanded LNG importing capacity, China has been stockpiling its natural gas supplies in the past few months when demand is normally in a lull.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
The international natural gas marketplace is incredibly complex and susceptible to significant change, should an export plant blow up, as one American one did last year, or if someone blows up two pipelines from Russian to Germany as happened some two years ago or war break out. An unusually cold winter or even a mild one can impact natural gas prices up or down here and abroad.
Ray W, says
The News-Journal just updated the Aura Aero story.
The French company tested its electric two-seater craft earlier today. The plane is expected to be used as a trainer and by airplane clubs. It is expected to have a one-hour flight capacity and can be fully recharged in 30 minutes. The company says that when used as a training craft, it will have a 50% lower hourly cost.
After completion of necessary test flights, the company plans to begin delivering its electric version of the plane to customers in early 2026. “Several hundred” orders for the planes are in hand.
Ray W, says
After reading a number of articles about the podcast interview of Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, I decided to watch the nearly 40-minute podcast.
Here are some of the many bullet points:
– Mr. Farley began his career in the auto industry in the 70s with Toyota. He stayed more than 20 years with the company. He was there through Toyota’s era of integration into the American marketplace.
– The worldwide production figure for cars and light trucks in 2024 is expected to be at or around 90 million units, with China building at or around 30 million units.
– From another source, I learned that 50% of all Chinese domestic car purchases today are some variety of electric vehicle.
– Mr. Farley said Chinese car companies quickly captured 25% of Mexican car and light truck sales.
– China has prebuilt enough factories to meet its current domestic needs, plus the capacity to export another 28-29 million units per year.
– Chinese electric cars are disrupting legacy car makers everywhere. “We (Ford) looked the other way” as Chinese EV manufacturers built the necessary infrastructure to compete in the world marketplace. BYD built its first electric car in 2008, and it wasn’t an impressive car. Now, Chinese electric cars are impressive.
– “The Detroit 3 never really had a plan.”
– CATL is only two decades old, and it is already the world’s biggest battery maker.
– Ford would really have a “tough time” competing with BYD (China’s largest car builder). He spoke of BYD taking years to build up the capacity to make inhouse almost all of the parts and components of the company’s vehicles, eliminating the markup that American car companies pay to have outside parts manufacturers make Ford parts. Right now, a Canadian seat manufacturer makes Ford seats. Within 45 minutes of manufacture, the seats are being installed into Ford vehicles in American factories. If anything disrupts the delivery route between the two factories, the assembly line stops 45 minutes after the delivery route is blocked.
– Mr. Farley asserts that American car companies have had 100 years to learn how to “[wring] the neck of efficiency” in building internal combustion engines, and that it is truly a marvel to watch the assembly process. But electric cars have 40% fewer parts and the labor costs to build an EV are much lower. For most of the EV parts, if something breaks, it is comparatively easy to fix. If an ICE breaks, oftentimes it requires significant labor and expense to repair the engine.
– Ford by far makes the most EVs among the Detroit 3, but American car makers focused on the wrong types of EVs. In response to the Chinese advantage, Ford now has a “skunk works”, styled after military aircraft developmental facilities from the Cold War era. The skunk works is to completely reorient Ford’s EV efforts. The facility is so secret and secure that not even he is allowed into the facility without first obtaining permission to enter.
– Mr. Farley explained that in 2018, the Ford team decided on two factors: First, EVs were going to be big in the future. Second, while internal combustion technology was near its limits, EVs were only early in their stage of development.
– Ford then engaged in a “four-year period of ignorance” about the emerging Chinese EV industry and it developed and built EVs that are “upside down” in costs by $20k to $30k per vehicle. That is an unsustainable path, so it was decided that Ford needs to back away and refocus on the Chinese model: inexpensive, well-designed smaller vehicles.
– To Mr. Farley, the first generation of the American car industry ended when Ford introduced the Model T. The Model T was a “fitness test” for all other manufacturers because Ford offered a well-designed and well-built car and sold it at a lower price. This is what disrupted the entire first-generation car manufacturing sector.
– The Model T provided the foundation for an entire second generation of American cars. Every company that survived the transition adopted Ford’s methods of manufacturing vehicles.
– Chinese car companies are just now building the second generation of electric vehicles using lithium-ferrous-phosphate batteries (LFP) and that everyone else is going to have to change how it thinks about building electric cars.
– Hybrid electric vehicles will be Ford’s “gateway” to future EV customers.
– Today’s discussions at Ford ask just how will Ford “compete and service” against Chinese EVs?
– Mr. Farley, when speaking of driving Chinese cars, says that “the joy of driving is coming back with electric vehicles.”
Make of this what you will.
Me?
When Ford’s CEO says that his company cannot compete with China’s leading carmakers without changing how his company thinks about cars, I listen.
When Dennis C. Rathsam talks about electric cars, I don’t listen.
If anyone listens to the Dennis C. Rathsam’s of the world, America will wake up one day to a future without an American car industry.
Introducing the best the Chinese car companies have to offer into the American car marketplace would be an “extinction level event.” Again, this is what American analysts are saying, not me.
When Mr. Farley says he had a Chinese EREV flown to Chicago and that he has been driving it for the last six months and that he doesn’t want to give it up, does anyone think he is lying?
Ford has withdrawn some of its current lineup from the American EV marketplace so its new “skunk works” can completely retool a new lineup. It was announced today that Ford’s F-150 Lightning assembly line has shut down.
Ford decided on entering the EV marketplace in 2018 and then ignored the Chinese car industry for four years. He called it a “four-year period of ignorance.” He said the Detroit 3 “really never had a plan.”
I have been commenting for a long time on FlaglerLive that the gullible among us have wasted years on listening to the professional lying class of one of our two political parties. We looked the other way. We buried our heads in the sand.
We threw away two decades worth of manufacturing expertise and technological innovation. Now, Ford has initiated an emergency effort to catch up. But the Chinese car makers made hay while the sun shined. They take our engineering and research breakthroughs and incorporate them into building better and less expensive cars.
Ray W, says
At the recent 29th United Nation Climate Change Conference, a BYD general manager for sales announced a second-generation lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) solid-state “Blade” battery for BYD electric vehicles, to be released in 2025.
The Blade design does away with battery modules and does not wire individual cells into “series” of cells.
The new battery design has only Blade cells inside the overall battery pack, a configuration that BYD calls cell-to-pack (CTP) technology.
Each Blade cell is designed to stand on its own. If one cell shorts out, it does not impact any of the other cells.
In first-generation LFP batteries, if a cell shorts, it can take out a series, or even an entire module.
Because modules are no longer used, more Blade cells can be fit into the same space.
Picture a much longer lawn edger blade vertically stacked lengthwise inside a battery pack that is as wide as the unibody frame of the car. The pack would be several feet wide and a few inches high.
If 100 Blades (cells) were in that car battery pack, then failure of one Blade means that the battery would still have 99% of its operating capacity.
In a first-generation Blade battery that used modules, if one cell were to fail, the entire module might fail. In a small EV with a three-module battery pack, losing one module impacts one-third of battery capacity.
The second-generation Blade battery offers an extended lifespan and a longer range.
BYD claims its new design meets higher safety standards when compared to Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) batteries and Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA) batteries. Plus, it is cheaper to make than the other two types of batteries.
A Blade battery decomposes at 270 degrees Celsius, as opposed to a NMC battery’s decomposition temperature of 210 degrees Celsius and a NMA battery’s decomposition temperature of 150 degrees Celsius.
If damaged, the Blade battery generates much less heat from the damage. One-third that of a NMC battery and almost one-fifth that of a NMA battery.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
A slightly lighter, more compact, more reliable, less dangerous, less expensive to manufacture battery that offers greater range. Ford’s CEO was right. Great changes in the auto industry are occurring at a rapid pace. He says the EV industry is still in the Model T stage. Much is yet to come.
We have lost the war for development of the liquid-state lithium-ion battery. That was the first-generation battery design.
We can still win the solid-state battery war, but that means redesigning current liquid-state lithium-ion factories to build LFP batteries or other types of solid-state batteries.
LFP! Graphene-aluminum-ion! There are hundreds of battery combinations under testing right now all over the world.
Whoever wins the race to the least expensive, longest lasting, quickest charging and discharging, most compact battery will win.
Each advance will put internal combustion engines further and further into the rear-view mirror.
According to BYD, the wider blades when stacked side-by-side in the battery pack offer extra rigidity to the overall battery pack, which means more strength against body flexing during use.