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Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Mostly clear, with a low around 57.
- 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:
Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres, an hour-long public affairs radio show featuring local newsmakers, personalities, public health updates and the occasional surprise guest, starts a little after 9 a.m. after FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam’s Reality Check. See previous podcasts here. Today’s guest: Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri. On WNZF at 94.9 FM, 1550 AM, and live at Flagler Broadcasting’s YouTube channel.
First Friday Garden Walks at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd., Palm Coast, 10 a.m. Join a Ranger the First Friday of every month for a garden walk. Learn about the history of Washington Oaks while exploring the formal gardens. The walk is approximately one hour. No registration required. Walk included with park entry fee. Participants meet in the Garden parking lot. The event is free with paid admission fee to the state park: $5 per vehicle. (Limit 2-8 people per vehicle) $4 per single-occupant vehicle. Call (386) 446-6783 for more information or by email: [email protected].
The Friday Blue Forum, a discussion group organized by local Democrats, meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Flagler Democratic Office at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite C214 (above Cue Note) at City Marketplace. Come and add your voice to local, state and national political issues.
First Friday in Flagler Beach, the monthly festival of music, food and leisure, is scheduled for this evening at Downtown’s Veterans Park, 105 South 2nd Street, from 5 to 9 p.m. The event is overseen by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and run by Laverne M. Shank Jr. and Surf 97.3
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition, at Athens Theatre, 124 North Florida Avenue, DeLand. Tickets range from $12 for students and children to $35 for preferred seating. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with an extra 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 1. Explore the enchanting world of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition, where the magic isn’t just in the ball gown! This reimagined fairy tale is a magical musical filled with charm, laughter, and timeless life lessons. Follow the journey of a passionate Cinderella as she navigates the challenges of self-discovery, love, and unexpected adventures. With beloved characters, unforgettable tunes, and a plot that sparkles with warmth and hilarity, it’s a must-see for anyone seeking an escape into a world where dreams unfold, lessons are embraced, and enchantment reigns supreme. Brace yourself for a whirlwind of youthful exuberance and pure fun–Cinderella awaits with open arms, ready to cast its spell on hearts of all ages.
Byblos: Every year around this time the Library of America, that literary Grand Canyon you can cradle in your hand and hike for hours a day, issues its annual “New and Forthcoming” newsletter. The one for the 2025 titles came in the mail a few days ago. I do not remember ever being disappointed by those newsletters. This time I am, just a bit. There usually are half a dozen volumes in the “can’t wait for this” category. This year there’s only nine volumes ahead, and none make you want to dive into the Grand Canyon. The speeches and writings of John Quincy Adams? sure, but why? The George Templeton Strong diaries in one volume might be more enticing. The Library excels in anthologies. But here’s one on The American Sort Story: The Nineteenth Century. If you already have most of the Library, it’s essentially a reshuffling of your existing stories from many volumes into one. Helpful maybe as a one-stop sort of thing, but if we’re Library subscribers, it’s because we like to read writers’ works in their proper context. We’re also getting another volume from Octavia Butler–“classics of Afrofuturist speculative fiction” from the nuclear brink, during the Reagan era. That might be interesting, but the current era makes the other one seem so tame now. There’s to be a one-volume, expanded edition of Hannah Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism. A curious choice. Arendt naturalized, so she qualifies (and even some who don’t do: Tocqueville has his own volumes in translation). It may get me finally to read the book everyone cites but never reads, though it’ll be a very heavy lift: not for doctors’ waiting rooms. Margaret Fuller’s Collected Writings? It was needed, but it may fall in the virtue-signaling pile rather than the to-read pile. John Guare’s plays? Gary Snyder’s prose? Those are the obscure ones of the year. The Library always has a few, and they can be great discoveries. But I’m still discovering last year’s obscure ones. Finally we have another anthology, but part of a set already under way: “Jim Crow: Voices from a Century of Struggle, Part Two, 1919-1976.” The final year implies it’s the final volume. I suspect the editors may want to revise that: Part Three has been in the works before our eyes since Jan. 20.
—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
Joint Workshop of Local Governments
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Palm Coast Democratic Club Meetings
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Flagler Beach City Commission Meeting
Reserve at Haw Creek Joint Workshop
Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series
‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ at St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre
For the full calendar, go here.
… but who does not suffer, either in body or in mind? This world is a valley of misery, as you know. Happiness is just a dream, and pain is real; I have been experiencing it for eighty years. I know nothing other than to resign myself and tell myself that flies were born to be eaten by spiders, and men to be devoured by sorrows.
–From a Voltaire letter, March 16, 1774.
Pogo says
@Word of the day
As stated
https://www.google.com/search?q=blitzkrieg
Any resemblance to current events is — obvious.
Likewise, the 1934 version of DOGE:
https://www.google.com/search?q=night+of+the+long+knives
AmeriKKKa first — the final edition.
Laurel says
Now that cartoon is funny!
Jim says
Laurel says, I’m glad you can laugh. I wish I could….
Here we are with a grifter president who has a billionaire buddy who are in the process of dismantling any semblance of a democracy into an autocracy or fascism (we’ll see just how bad this gets) and I don’t see any leadership from either party standing up to this. And for all you MAGAtes out there, this isn’t “making America great again” but you don’t even seem to see the cliff ahead. Your Republican representatives in the Senate and House stand by quietly or with meek, mild concern or just plain old outright support. And why? Because these little people are much more interested in avoiding being primaried by Trump and Musk’s money than they are in saying or doing anything to assure our democracy isn’t trampled. Such is the painful result of allowing uncontrolled spending by individuals and PAC’s in elections. We’ve done this long enough now that our “elected officials” are more hooked on election funding than any addict on cocaine.
Musk has no known security clearance and has a group of 18-24 year-olds rampaging through the government like a bull in a china shop. Musk says he finds “worms” and Trump says government employees are “corrupt” and “money is being spent fraudulently” yet there has been ZERO evidence or facts to support those claims. And, further, if Trump is telling the truth (I’m laughing so hard it’s hard to type…) then isn’t the right thing to do is publish those charges and the facts to support it and have the DOJ go after those involved? But, no, that’s not on the table. So we’re all just expected to accept Trump and Musk statements as “fact” and watch as one agency after another is gutted.
And the DOJ is now on a head-hunting expedition by issuing [a] “memo does is establish what it calls a weaponization working group that will review the criminal and civil cases that were brought against Trump over the past four years by federal and state prosecutors. It will also look at the Capitol riot investigations and what the memo calls the pursuit of improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions relating to the Capitol attack.” Because we all know the DOJ was “weaponized” by Biden and the way to cure that is to weaponize it against Trump’s enemies! (And Biden’s DOJ was clearly incompetent because in four years, not a single case against Trump ever made it to trial. That should teach all of us that following the rules is NOT the way to get through life.)
The DOJ and FBI (and others) have made their employees list anyone involved in DEI or any investigation or prosecution of Trump, his cronies, the J6 patriots or anyone else who tried to overthrow the government or an election. And this is so all those folks can be fired.
The National Intelligence Agency sent everyone home while their personnel file, on-line accounts, hearsay or innuendo could be found that indicated they were not loyal to Donald J. Trump because it’s no longer appropriate to take an oath to the Constitution. You must now be loyal – beyond doubt – to Trump.
I can go on but those with brains are picking up on the pattern here… For MAGAtes, it’s pointless because everything I’ve stated here indicates that I AM THE ONE WITH THE PROBLEM! After all, loyalty to the Dear Leader is the way things should be. Why, what would the world be like if others such as Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Putin (a few examples) had not been able to force entire nations into servitude with fear, threats and lies? And now it’s our turn.
I’m proud of the FBI agents and unions for government workers for filing lawsuits in an attempt to stop this BS. They show much more spine than any politician I see.
And, regarding the “buyouts” that Trump is trying to scare government employees into taking, do any of you MAGAtes out there know that is illegal? By law, government employees can not be paid for not working. Congress would have to pass a law to allow that. And Trump is not allowed to commit funds that have not been allocated by Congress so it’s illegal to tell government employees they’ll be paid when there is no source approved. But, again, who cares? If we can get rid of all the disloyal, sorry, worthless government employees, think of all the money we can save! And then we can afford to take over Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and turn Gaza into Mar a Lago on the Mediterranean! And we’ll even have money left over to produce the “largest tax cut in US history” (you think that’s for you?!) and even a sovereign fund for Trump to use any way he wants. I trust him completely. Now, somewhere in all this, I guess the deficit will be overcome and we’ll even get the national debt eliminated as well.
You all can believe those fairy tales if you want. Right now, I’m still waiting of the price of gas to drop 50% and grocery prices to drop as well. Promises made; promises kept! (Right???)
Stop drooling every time Trump tells another lie and/or insults our allies and friends. Try to step back and look at what is going on. If this is what you truly want to see happen to this country, you do not believe in democracy or even moral and ethical behaviors. And if you go to church on Sundays, try not to sit too close to others. Lightning doesn’t discriminate…
Laurel says
Jim: Since your response was aimed at me, I think you should know where people stand before you attack. You’re preaching to the choir. A complete condemnation of me was irresponsible, but I hope you feel better.
By the way, calling people “MAGAtes” will not help you make your points. It just helps deafen them to facts.
Ed P says
Jim,
A few observations. Where was all the concern from the left when these inefficient agencies/activities were being constructed or allowed to run amuck for decades? If the federal work force is 2.28 million and an estimated 46% of these staffers are not reporting to an office, that leaves about 1 million doing what? Human nature and reality has to be be admitted. Are they all an integral part of government. Some are not.
These “kids” everyone speaks of are coding wizards that are simply identifying the software of various agencies and writing code to extract efficiently/fraud reports for someone to review. They are not making any policy decisions. They are staffers. There is oversight. And yes, there could be problems but it’s a marginal risk verses the reward.
No one is taking over Canada, Greenland, Panama Canal, nor Gaza. However, the world is now aware of the issues and discussing. Are US military ships now exempt from Panama Canal fees, savings millions per year? Is the Arab community standing up against the ridiculous Gaza Proposal? Debate is healthy.
What if DOGE identifies enough savings that the country can balance our budget? Who is against eliminating waste and fraud? Maybe it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity right now to do just that. How do we know the status quo is better?
Here’s an analogy. Why do pigeons reside in the hard scrabble noisy environment of a city.
They could fly anywhere. Is it because food sources(garbage) is easier? Is it safety in numbers or status quo? Is it biological science or habit? Both? Are we like pigeons?
Take your own advice and step back and see the entire painting, because focusing on each brush stroke makes it difficult to see the overall results. It won’t all be good, but it won’t all be bad either. I’m not suggesting Trump will paint a masterpiece worth $500,000 like Hunter Biden, but you never know.
Or does the left “just know” these changes are all bad?
PS If anyone isn’t nervous, concerned or even scared, that would not be normal. I’m actually vibrating inside because , I don’t know what I don’t know.
Skibum says
And now, here is just the most recent grift from the orange faced buffoon. In his latest act, he has fired the entire board of directors from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and declared himself CEO of the Kennedy Center. No joke, folks! Despite it’s vaunted and historic honorarium to the best of the best in America’s performing arts, I can only presume that he wants to rename the Kennedy Center after himself and remake his image as some type of TV host instead of doing his actual, elected job as president. Will we see the Kennedy Center renamed to the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performative Political Poopery? I for one, can’t wait for the next installment of this ridiculous circus act, led by the clown-in-chief.
DOGE says
First Pluto was down-graded from planetary status, now this?
Shocking.
There DOGE’$ all those old school maps… but then again, I guess they’ll need to swap them all out anyway when they’re finished redrawing it all.
Government efficiency at it’s best.
No wonder kids nowadays don’t excel at geography.
Just say’n.
Laurel says
DOGE: Vice President Vance, and his geographical knowledge of “Haitia” will fix it.
Jim says
Laurel says, I want to apologize to you! I absolutely didn’t mean my comment to be negative. I was trying to say that you thought it was funny and I thought it should be taken seriously. I’m fine that you thought it was funny and on one level it is.
So, again, I apologize. I definitely did not intend that comment to be taken negatively. I’ll pay more attention going forward!
Laurel says
Okeechobee, Jim. All’s well.
Jim says
Ed P says,
You and I are on different sides of this debate. Am I against reducing government waste and cost? Absolutely not. I’m against wholesale shut down of any government agency without a serious review. If you’re trying to sell me that some kids running through USAID in one/two weeks were able to uncover “waste and fraud” at a level justifying shutting the entire operation down, then don’t waste the effort. What I do think they might do is identify areas and specifics which appear odd or just plain wrong and then that could be reviewed. You’re saying they have “oversight”. Really? By who? I’ve seen absolutely nothing to indicate that is the case. I accept that Musk is their supervisor. But none of these people are in a position to determine what aid that group was providing should be shut down. None of them. And if you think I’m accepting that the entire USAID unit was so screwed up that the whole thing needed immediate shut down, again don’t waste the time.
I worked as a contractor to the US government for the majority of my career. I saw a lot of waste during that time. I’d love to see the government make an honest effort to reduce the waste. But this is not the way. And it’s going to cost the US in the long run.
So all I can say to you is that you go ahead and accept all that’s happening as a good thing that Trump is just “encouraging debate” world wide. That’s your position and I accept that and know I can’t change it. But what is happening is not good for the country in the long run and nothing you can say will change my opinion.
Ed P says
Jim,
The “system” is what is broken. You can not use that broken system to fix a system that is systematically wasteful or corrupt.
The fraud and waste is rampant. If inspector generals were the answer, the problem would already be corrected.
If you spent the better part of your career as a government contractor, witnessing some of the waste, and nothing changed, why would it be different today? You said you would like to see an honest effort. Hope and pray isn’t a winning strategy.
I will openly admit that it’s impossible for me to actually know the truth nor profess to know the answers. Status quo got us here, I know that much.
Sherry says
Thank you again, Jim!
Ripping our federal government completely apart, firing thousands of experts in their field, and turning over systems with our most private information to a bunch of inexperienced/unvetted children with no security clearances, which exposes millions to “identity theft”, is NOT the way to make our government more efficient!!! Thank goodness some judges are acting to STOP the rampant destruction of our entire federal government by the musk/trump crime organization:
A federal judge, citing a risk of “irreparable harm,” has temporarily restricted Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing a critical Treasury Department payment system.
The judge’s order, issued early Saturday, temporarily halts access to a sensitive payment system that distributes Americans’ tax returns, Social Security benefits, disability payments and federal employees’ salaries.
US District Judge Paul Engelmayer ordered the destruction of any downloaded information from the payment system by anyone given access to it since January 20, citing “the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking.”
A hearing on the matter was set for February 14.
Engelmayer’s ruling was in response to a suit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general against the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have upended the federal workforce in their quest to shrink the government, sparking chaos, fear, anger – and multiple lawsuits that have prompted judicial action.
Saturday’s order came on the heels of another court ruling temporarily blocking the administration’s attempts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development.
Laurel says
I predicted early on that we are going to be up to our ears in lawsuits. It’s just beginning, and it will get much worse, since the Republican politicians are standing around with their thumbs up their posteriors, while our government is overthrown. Lawsuits by the tons, all on the taxpayer’s dime. Seems like a lot of waste.
Well, at least in courts, evidence is required.
Seems like a lot of waste that USAID food and vaccines are stopped on docks, left to expire and rot, while little children will starve, and die from preventable diseases. Where are the “right to lifers” now?
Yeah, Trump will fix it.
Ed P says
DOGE has only barely scratched the surface. Elon has focused on some of the low hanging fruit and areas suggested by Trump. The lawsuits were expected and are planned for. Based on the outcomes, the actual road map will be drawn. The major issues in the Dept of Veteran Affairs, all Military branches, and the waste and fraud in the Medicare system are the real targets. maybe even the post office’s stellar performance as well.
They probably are not throwing darts, but looked for quick victories to expose to the general public the necessity of major reform.
Personally, I don’t believe the courts will stop them, possibly alter their approach and eventually Congress will have to be more involved. Congress needs to end their theatrical farce and work for their constituents, all constituents. Go Fetterman.
Did Chuck Schumer ever meet a camera he didn’t run toward? “We will win” Yikes.
Did he forget about the other half of the country? Win what? More fraud, incompetence.inefficient or worse, wasting our tax dollars? Yeaaaah.
Laurel says
Chuck Schumer? I have never, ever seen an ego as bloated at Trump’s! His ugly mouth is everywhere, all the time. Now he’s going to the Superbowl for the game? No, he wants to see his ugly mouth on the big screen and TV screens across the country. He can spoil just about anything.
If you want to knock Schumer, go ahead, but seek ego where it is inflated the most.
You say “DOGE has only scratched the surface.” Just exactly what have we, as a nation, seen of this action? All I’ve heard or seen so far is talking points; no actual data or examples. Exactly how will Medicare and veterans’ benefits be effected? By being cut? Just some unknown kids, at least one of whom is a known white supremacist, are going to find fraud by having access to our medical records and Social Security numbers? For crying out loud, Senator Rick Scott’s company was convicted of Medicare fraud, yet he continues to be elected! You feel better with him around?
A civilian, not vetted, not elected, with no real authority, is overseeing kids with no authority, no background checks, no security clearance, are going over private, security information.
Yeah, no waste there. No legal authority, either. But you say, that was expected, and the Trump admin is prepared to break the law, to challenge the Constitution instead defending and protecting it, as sworn to do.