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Weather: Sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 90s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent. Heat index values up to 107. Friday Night: Mostly clear. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
- 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. Today, Superintendent LaShakia Moore discusses the state’s school voucher system and the people who double-dip–taking voucher money while attending public school. See previous podcasts here. On WNZF at 94.9 FM, 1550 AM, and live at Flagler Broadcasting’s YouTube channel.
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.
Notably: One of the arguments against the publication of the infamous “Muhammad Cartoons” of 2005, or against the Islamohilarious humor of Charlie Hebdo, the scene of the 2015 massacre (12 lives lost, not including the two brothers who provoked the massacre, because it is the brothers who provoked, not Charlie Hebdo), is that a society must be respectful of its believers’ religions. In case of Islam, a society must respect Islamic tenets that, in the case of the cartoons, forbids the facial depiction of the prophet (peace be upon him, perhaps, but peace obviously not sought by his followers), let alone the ridiculing of the prophet, Charlie Hebdo’s specialty. But what right has a set of believers to impose its dogmas on an entire, open, secular society? In mid-February 1945 FDR and Churchill, three days apart, met with Ibn Saud, the Saudi king, FDR on a ship in the Red Sea, Churchill in the Egyptian desert. Ibn Saud, that old Wahhabi, would not allow smoking and drinking in his presence. FDR respected the prohibition, catching cigarettes like a fugitive between moments with the king, on his own ship, the USS Murphy. Churchill was not so accommodating. “I was the host,” he said (according to Daniel Yergin’s The Prize, the history of oil) “and I said if it was his religion that made him say such things, my religion prescribed as an absolute sacred rite smoking cigars and drinking alcohol before, after, and if need be during, all meals and the intervals between them.” I sympathize. But what gave Churchill the illusion he was the host? He was in the Egyptian desert. Only his imperious, colonial dickishness allowed him to imagine himself the host, when clearly Ibn Saud was far more on his own terrain, Aab to Arab, than Churchill was on his imaginary Egyptian Chartwell. If Churchill had been on English soil, his irritation would have been justifiable and defensible. It would apply to the publication of the Muhammad Cartoons or of Charlie Hebdo as it might not had Charlie Hebdo been attempting to have, say, a Jiddah edition. But there’s a caveat. If we are to be a pluralist society, religious minorities’ sensibilities cannot be ignored outright. Nor can they dictate. Where’s the just middle? I think the question is superfluous once we have decided to have a secular society, even if the majority of the population were Muslim, assuming we equate free expression with the tenets of secularism, which is not necessarily inevitable: we can have free expression in a non-secular society, too. The override here is free expression (the First Amendment approach), not secularism. Magazines that run tasteless cartoons and material that some may see as Islamophobic (as Charlie Hebdo’s humor is not) may lose their shit, and should be free to do so. They may boycott, demonstrate, picket. But kill? Prohibit? Banish? No. The Churchill approach prevails.
—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.
August 2025
Palm Coast City Council Workshop
Community Traffic Safety Team Meeting
Disaster Preparedness Expo
St. Johns River Water Management District Meeting
Flagler County School Board Workshop: Agenda Items
Flagler Beach Library Book Club
Flagler County Planning Board Meeting
Random Acts of Insanity Standup Comedy
River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine Visits Palm Coast’s Oldest Sewer Plant
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
For the full calendar, go here.
In the immediate aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo murders, I wrote this: “Religion, an ancient form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. Religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.”
–From Salman Rushdie, from Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder (2024).
Pogo says
@I could swear
… I just read something by someone quibbling about the arrogance of a democratically elected leader who was paramount to saving human civilization from freaking Adolf Hitler — because of supposed condescension towards a man who was born to the throne of a theocracy.
Oh, well — stuff happens.
Ray W, says
This bears repeating to FlaglerLive readers.
Voltaire, ever the satirist and critic, had to flee to England in his young adult years after French authorities, driven by the Church, announced a warrant for his arrest. His years in England molded much of his later thought. After his return to France, he purchased land straddling the border between France and Switzerland. He then built a second home and a chapel on the Swiss side of the property. Whenever he learned that French authorities were again plotting on his arrest, he moved into Switzerland until the threat softened and later went away.
Voltaire’s was one of many voices to which our Founding Father’s listened.
As an aside, it is being reported that a 15-year-old male was held for three days at Alligator Alcatraz. Did not Secretary of Homeland Secuity Kristi Noem promise that only the worst of the worst, such as murderers or rapists, would be held there?
DHS supervises a significant number of long-ago built detention centers spread throughout Florida, built long ago mainly due to the decades and decades of persistent improper entry by who knows how many undocumented Cubans, Haitians, and others. How hard would it be to process immigrants at any of the other sites so as to ensure that only the worst are sent to Alligator Alcatraz?
Ray W, says
Thank goodness that since 2021 I have been commenting on OPEC+’s manipulation of the international crude oil marketplace in a manner that has affected U.S. gasoline prices.
The story should be familiar to all FlaglerLive readers by now, but it bears repeating.
In February 2021, OPEC member nations, 12 at the time, sent oil ministers to Vienna where they voted to curb the cartel’s output by six million barrels of oil per day, to be phased in over time. Saudi Arabia also announced its unilateral voluntary cut of another million barrels of crude oil per day.
Over time, crude oil prices began steadily to rise, topping $120 per barrel for a short while. Then President Biden began issuing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, selling it at market prices; he has since been buying back crude oil at lower prices, thereby allowing the Treasury to keep the profit, but Congress repeatedly denied Biden’s request for more money to buy more oil to inject it back into the somewhat depleted Strategic Petroleum Preserve.
The Federal Trade Commission began investigating eight CEOs of American shale oil producers, resulting in administrative sanctions for one, with a referral of him to the Department of Justice for potential criminal charges, on a finding that his company had intentionally colluded with OPEC by not drilling for more oil that it could easily could have accessed, i.e., that his company repressed drilling efforts in an effort to keep oil prices high and company profits even higher.
Over the following four years, OPEC repeatedly voted to manipulate the cartel’s oil output up or down to keep international oil prices at or above $80 per barrel.
In December 2024, average daily American crude oil output hit an all-time output of 13.5 million barrels per day; it is down from that average high today, if only slightly.
Likewise, OPEC’s daily output had been adjusted multiple times to end up this year at 2.2 million barrels per day less than what it could easily produce.
President Trump was sworn in on January 20th.
I checked the national average gasoline price per gallon of regular fuel at the time: $3.12, but I did not check with AAA figures.
OPEC then met in March 2025 to vote on how it could continue to manipulate the international crude oil marketplace. The outcome? OPEC voted to phase in over time, starting in April, output increases, announcing that it intended to recapture lost market share by lowering the international price, and that because a number of member nations had been breaking their output quotas, Iraq and Kazakhstan specifically, OPEC needed to punish the violators by cutting into their national energy income.
Since April, OPEC’s crude oil output has grown by some 1.3 million barrels a day, with another 500,000 barrel per day increase scheduled for implementation in July.
If U.S. crude oil production is down, however slightly, over the past six months, and if OPEC’s crude oil output is up by a significant amount, then why would the Trump administration try to take credit for the recent drop in gasoline prices.
AAA issued a press release in which it stated that gasoline prices have recently dropped to the lowest average national price per gallon since 2021, at $3.16. I have been telling FlaglerLive readers that this was coming for months now.
The Trump administration, through a spokesman, immediately announced that:
“Prices at the pump keep dropping thanks to President Trump unleashing American energy. President Trump ended Joe Biden’s reckless war on American energy, and he’s making life more affordable for families as a result.”
If this isn’t direct evidence that there exists a professional lying class that sits at the top of one of our two parties, what is? And, by inference, if this doesn’t prove the existence of an extremely gullible class of American citizen, what does? If American citizens were not so gullible, they would immediately know that the Trump administration is lying about the reason for dropping gasoline prices.
Oil production in America peaked at an all-time record high during the Biden administration. The average daily crude oil production by American energy producers for the entire 2024 year was higher than ever. Former President Biden’s administration never engaged in war on the American energy sector. Yes, his administration maintained regulatory compliance on the energy sector for safety and environmental reasons, but oil profits for American energy companies were the highest in history during the Biden years.
Here is the truth.
OPEC cut production in 2021, causing oil prices to rise, arguably after colluding with eight major American oil company CEOs who agreed to restrain from any additional drilling. Cartel nations earned spectacular profits for years. The American energy companies earned spectacular profits for years. American motorists paid the price at the pump.
OPEC then announced in 2025 that it would phase in production increases, giving two valid reasons for doing so. Gasoline prices at the pump are finally beginning to drop.
Again, thank goodness I have been informing FlaglerLive readers for four years about the unfolding international drama surrounding the manipulation of crude oil prices.
Those FlaglerLive readers who for years allowed themselves to become educable know what is happening and why, and that they also know that the Trump administration is not responsible for the recent drop in gasoline prices.
Those FlaglerLive readers who for years intentionally made themselves uneducable do not know what is happening and why; they just might be gullible enough to accept the lie issued by the Trump administration.
I have been waiting a long time to type this.
Years ago, I decided in my comments to FlaglerLive to focus on certain issues. I have since endeavored to keep FlaglerLive readers informed on what was, and is, happening in those select areas, knowing all along that there existed at the top of one of our two political parties a professional lying class. I almost never comment on who should serve on a school board or what the tax rate should be.
I focused on the economy (international, national, state and local), energy, law, immigration, electric vehicles, and most of all on the vengeful among us, knowing that these categories were the subjects about which the professional liars among us most often lie.
Comment after comment, perhaps in their thousands, were designed to blunt the impact of the many FlaglerLive lie launderers who wander through life fooling themselves.
I, in time, adopted a presentation style that allows anyone to check on what I present in my comments. Many commenters disagree with what I present, but no one has successfully shown that what I offered has been based on a lie. That doesn’t mean that I am a good person. Since I live in a good/better/best, bad/worse/worst world, all I am trying to be is a less bad person than are certain other FlaglerLive commenters.
When I first “crossed swords”, as he once put it, with Ed P., in an ideal world, I wanted him to become a better commenter. I saw and still see potential in him. But I have long realized that in the real world, perhaps the best thing that could happen was that Ed P. would become a less bad commenter.
Nearly everything Dennis C. Rathsam has typed over the past four years that I have been reading his comments contains one or many laundered lies, and he is not alone in his lie laundering. His becoming less bad than he has been for a long time is not even an option. About the only thing anyone can do, good or bad, is to point out to others the numerous lies that Dennis C. Rathsam launders.
Jim says
Hey all you MAGA folks! As you know, Jeffrey Epstein ran a sex ring of children for the rich and famous for years! And you also know that (among others), Biden, H. Clinton, B. Clinton, Tom Hanks, B. Obama and M. Obama and many, many others not only participated in this sex ring, they also ate children as well (it’s true, just check it on Q-anon)! For years you’ve known this to be true! And for years, you’ve waited for the government to [finally] release the list of all Epstein’s clients and expose all these liberal sex degenerates once and for all. And, lo and behold, DJT gets elected last November (landslide, by the way, not even close; DJT got 49.8% of the vote – that’s close to half! Landslide!). So DJT promises all of you guys that he’ll release the Epstein files and then Pam Bondi says she’s reviewing the list and will be releasing it “soon”. Time goes by and then she says there is no list! What? No way! We all know there is a list- why she said she was reviewing it for gosh sakes! So what is going on here? What is happening? MAGA got it’s guy elected and should be getting the payoff now. But it’s not coming. As a matter of fact, if you can’t just accept that, DJT just told you he doesn’t need your support anyway! I know that really hurts your feelings and I hope that you will realize that DJT is always right on everything so it’s up to you to just accept that all the rumors about Epstein and all the people who’ve told you these rumors are fact are the liars and Trump is the sole bearer of the Truth! So accept that there is nothing there and get back into line behind your leader!
(Oh, any by the way, try to avoid the news (other than Fox) for several months; seems there are a lot of video, pictures and interviews with many people who all say DJT was tight with ol’ Jeffrey for many years. But, of course, just because they were big buddies doesn’t mean that ol’ DJT would be on that list that he won’t release! Right?! Right??????
Skibum says
Well the orange faced buffoon in the WH has really stepped in it this time, hasn’t he?! His sheeple aren’t just mad, they’re MAGA MAD! After years of being the point person for right wing extremists and conspiracy theorists, and after a very long and sordid history of having shared made up lies on TV networks, social media and in his own speeches and interviews, it appears the chickens are coming home to roost and his goose might yet be cooked.
The drumph following maga mush brains believed the false birther conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not a natural born U.S. citizen that drumph repeatedly lied about over and over, and because of that lie they even dismissed his real birth certificate as fake when it was released to the public.
Drumph pushed the false conspiracy theory that Obama supported the ISIS terrorist cell, and helped foment anti-Obama rhetoric by referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama” as if he was a middle eastern terrorist because of his birth name.
He orchestrated the false conspiracy theory that Obama was secretly the real president behind the scenes after Biden beat drumph and was elected president.
Drumph passed on the false conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton was the one who started the birther lie against Obama.
He shared the false conspiracy theory that Jeffrey Epstein’s death was a murder that was committed by Bill Clinton.
He shared the false conspiracy theory about “Pizzagate”, and portrayed Bill and Hillary Clinton as pedophiles who were involved in the sexual abuse of children.
Drumph shared the false conspiracy theory relating to Vince Foster’s death.
He shared the false conspiracy theory that Sen. Ted Cruz’ father had ties to Lee Harvey Oswald and was involved in the assassination of president Kennedy.
Drumph repeatedly talked about the false conspiracy theory that VP Biden took bribes from Ukraine and illegally withheld loan guarantees.
He shared a false conspiracy theory that both Biden and Obama staged a fake Osama Bin Laden killing with a body double, and then had Seal Team 6 team members killed afterward.
He spread false conspiracy theories just prior to the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and used his sharpie pen to alter the projected trajectory of an approaching hurricane on a NOAA scientific map.
Drumph shared the false conspiracy theory that former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was the son of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
He spread false conspiracy theories about the hammer attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi, suggesting it was not a crime but was staged by the Pelosi family.
Drumph spread false conspiracy theories that Nicky Haley and Kamala Harris were not legitimate U.S. citizens.
He repeatedly and falsely denied there was any collusion with Russia, sharing the conspiracy theory that it was a hoax orchestrated by the Jan. 6 Select Committee, and that the committee destroyed all of the evidence of the hoax afterward.
He has repeatedly shared multiple false conspiracy theories from right wing QAnon adherents and about the “deep state”.
He shared false conspiracy theory that Dr. Anthony Fauci was somehow in collusion with the pharmaceutical industry by recommending everyone get a COVID-19 vaccination.
He shared a false conspiracy theory that using bleach and other dangerous and fake remedies could cure or prevent the coronavirus.
Drumph shared the false conspiracy theory that vaccines cause autism.
He shared the false conspiracy theory that global warming was caused by and for the Chinese so they could make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
Drumph shared the false conspiracy theory that windmills cause cancer.
He shared the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that non-white immigrants are trying to displace Caucasian U.S. citizens in housing, employment and education.
He cited a non-existent “Crime Statistics Bureau – San Francisco” in sharing a false conspiracy theory that whites killed by blacks constitutes 81% of all crime.
He falsely claimed to have witnessed Muslim citizens in New Jersey cheering the terrorist attack on 9/11.
He repeatedly shared and talked about the false conspiracy theory that Haitian residents in Springfield, OH were eating people’s cats and dogs.
Drumph shared the false conspiracy theory that George Soros was bankrolling the Latin American migrant caravans.
He shared the false conspiracy theory that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an inside job by U.S. government officials.
He has repeatedly shared the false conspiracy theory that the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol never happened as it was portrayed on the news, and that it was a “very peaceful” event.
Drumph referenced a false conspiracy theory about Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia’s death, saying they found a pillow over his face.
He has repeatedly talked about the false conspiracy theory that the previous presidential election won by Joe Biden was stolen from him, and that he received millions more votes as well as the majority of electoral college votes in that election, which he actually lost.
There are so many other documented examples of drumph sharing false conspiracy theories, as well as his involvement and association with noted conspiracy theorists, extremists and holocaust deniers. (The above information was reviewed and obtained from my searches on multiple sites, including Wikipedia)
But finally, he has, over a number of years since Jeffrey Epstein’s death, continued to talk about the false conspiracy theory of Epstein’s supposed murder and all of the evidence and files relating to that case and the “client list” that he would release to the public if elected president. Suddenly, after his AG spoke about having all of that information on her desk for her review, nobody wants any of it released to the public, nor is there any admission or verification that there is, in fact, a client list after all. Which beckons the burning question of whether or not the drumph administration is telling the American people, and all of drumph’s maga mad supporters, the truth. Or more precisely, what they really want to know is the supposed names of all of the dems and liberal elites that the client list was supposed to be comprised of according to the conspiracy theory that was shared and talked about for years by the conservative media and shared by drumph himself… despite the fact that it is drumph who has been a close friend and ally of the sexual predator Epstein, who attended many parties and gatherings with Epstein, and who is seen in many, many photos and videos with Epstein.
Now, all of a sudden, AG Pam Bondi has angered the entirety of maga by denying that there is a client list and refusing to disclose the contents of the Epstein file. She is one of drumph’s closest and fiercest protectors, so what is she protecting him from exactly? Is there a list? Is drumph’s name on it, or other conservative, powerful people who the AG is protecting so the administration doesn’t have to disclose and admit that it is very conservative, well heeled republican conservative pedophiles, NOT democrats, involved and that all of the conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein that have sent maga into the stratosphere about this heinous man and his pedophile empire is not as it was portrayed to the maga mob???
When your entire election strategy and campaign is based on lies and made up conspiracy theories, and when the truth eventually leaks out and shows your whole purpose for running for president has been one lie, after another, after another, after another… well, I don’t know about anyone else, but for me, I can certainly see why the current administration would now want to close the whole thing down, try to distract from all the new media discussion about it, and even drumph have the audacity to call his loyal supporters STUPID for wanting him to order the release of the Epstein files when those documents have the krypton to cause extreme damage, possibly to drumph himself, and certainly to others who they are trying to protect.
You reap what you sow. So true!
Don't worry, be happy says
https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/official-trump/
Ray W, says
Each Friday, Baker Hughes, and oil and gas rig servicing company, published its assessment of the total number of rigs in operation across the U.S.
Following 11 straight weeks of decline, the total operating rig count is up by seven this week, to 544. Oil rigs were at 422, down 2 from last week, gas rigs at 117, up 9 from last week, and 5 rigs were “unclassified.”
Make of this what you will.
Ray W, says
In response to the Wall Street Journal publishing a story about a “bawdy” sketch signed with Trump’s name that was included in a professionally bound book of fiftieth birthday congratulations from Epstein friends and associates, President Trump immediately asserted, “I don’t draw pictures.” This was after he said, “I never wrote a picture in my life.”
In the age of the internet, the claims were quickly fact-checked.
According to a story published by the Independent, reporting on a number of Trump drawing incidents dating from the mid 90s to the early 2000s, at least five Trump sketches were actioned, some for charities.
According to Julien’s Auctions, a 12×9-inch signed sketch of the Empire State Building, created at Mar-a-Lago, first went up for auction in 1995. In 2017, it sold at auction for $16,000.
A “marker and pencil” drawing dating from the early 2000s, depicting dollar bills falling from a spiral leafed tree, with a placard on the back reading “The Donald” sold at auction in 2020 for $8500.
Dated 2004, a drawing of Manhattan’s Riverside South project sold this past January for $15,000.
In October 2003, Trump drew in gold marker pen a sketch titled “Cityscape Skyline” went to auction on behalf of the Capuchin Food Pantry.
A 2005 “minimalist” sketch of New York city’s skyline sold at auction in 2017 for $29,000.
In 2006, in black marker, Trump sketched the George Washington Bridge; it sold at auction in April 2019 for $4,480.
In his 2010 book, Trump Never Gives Up, he wrote:
“Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green.”
What should be made of this story?
Ray W, says
In an economic study published this past month, titled “The Impact of Immigrants on the 21st Century American Workforce”, the three authors start by writing:
“Immigrants are likely to be more valuable than ever in achieving higher economic growth over the next several decades. Due to profound demographic changes in the United States, expanding visas for programs ranging from high tech H-1B workers, to seasonal H-2B workers, to EB-5 investor immigrants, combined with an increase in the overall quota for annual immigrant entries will benefit the U.S. economy by smoothing out the demographic cycle of fewer young Americans entering the work force and more baby boom generation Americans exiting the work force. Immigration will also allow American companies to hire the qualified workers necessary to continue expansion in their operations within the United States.”
They conclude in part:
“One stated aim of the Trump administration is to grow the economy at a 3% rate or more for the next decade. This study finds that it will be very difficult for America to achieve that growth target, retain our high-tech dominance, and meet our labor force needs over the next two decades at least without an increase in immigration.
“A generous and well-targeted immigration system that brings into the U.S. the talent and the work ethic that America needs is more important today than ever given the aging of our native-born population. The U.S. is the one nation in the world with this demographic safety valve.”
Make of this what you will.
Ray W, says
I suppose most FlaglerLive readers who wash their own cars notice a buildup of brake dust on wheel rims between washes. As the ceramic sintered metal brake pads wear, the brake dust, known as particulate matter spreads into the atmosphere as motorists drive.
A recent study published by Elektrek shows that EVs that utilize regenerative braking that recharges the battery instead of friction braking between the brake rotors and pads reduce the emission of brake dust into the air by 83%.
Make of this what you will.
I am old enough to remember the days of working on brake systems that used brake shoes or pads with asbestos mixed into the shoe or pad material. I am glad that brake systems no longer use asbestos, but brake dust is still a pulmonary problem.
Ray W, says
Moneywise reports that rural Utah liquor stores known under the law as “package agencies”, some having been in business for years, can operate their businesses solely via a contract with the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS).
This past January, DABS, which dictates the prices at which alcoholic products can be sold in rural “package agencies”, introduced new contract terms that require rural store owners to absorb all of the fees or costs associated with credit or debit card fees, with no option for negotiation. By contract terms, all package agencies must use a “state-managed point-of-sale system.”
One package agency owner told the reporter that she had cleared $30,000 for herself in 2024 after taxes and expenses. Under the new contract terms, absorbing these fees and costs would cost her $24,000 if she sold the same amount this year. She also told the reporter that a DABS official told her she could accept cash. “Just don’t take cards”, she was told. But she said it was unsafe for a rural liquor outlet to have large amounts of cash on hand, and some people don’t carry cash.
So as of June 21st, a number of package agencies closed their doors.
Now, bars operators in those areas have to, perhaps, drive long distances to locate alcohol products to sell. One bar owner told the reporter that people have been coming into her bar seeking to buy a cup of wine to meet their cooking needs; she can’t sell it to them.
Several package agency owners have sued DABS. DABS takes the position that they are independent contractors. The owners argue that since DABS sets prices for their products, requires use of state-controlled point-of-sale systems, and decides how they will bill for the fees and costs, they are state employees, not independent contractors.
Make of this what you will.
The dude says
As much as it pains me to say it… Drumpf has “stepped” in absolutely nothing.
His MAGA moron supporters will, as they ALWAYS do, fall into line at his command. They’ve already started.
If he told them tomorrow that chemtrails aren’t real, we’d never hear another peep about chemtrails… if he told them tomorrow that the sun rises in the west, and water wasn’t wet, they’d immediately charge out to the social media and proclaim to anybody and everybody that the sun rises in the west and water isn’t wet. He grabbed them by the collective in 2016 and they’ve been enamored ever since.
It’s just that simple… like them…
Kennan says
Couldn’t have put it any better myself. Thank you Skibum.
Donald J Trump is the deep state. MAGA has been duped and fooled in broad daylight for too long. It’s time for you to feel the misfortune that you vehemently wish upon others. Your divorce from reality with the inebriated reality thrust upon you by a pathological, liar, a criminal, a rapist, a racist, a fascist, a man with no regard for his country or his people that has never faced any consequences, may now possibly be exposed as a fornicator with minors.
The rap sheet of this old man is as robust as a reading of”War and Peace.”
What will it take?
Skibum says
Aside from the plain fact that DJT’s maga followers continue to fall for every single conspiracy theory fostered by or shared by the conspiracy theorist-in-chief who currently resides in the WH, there are real people, many underage girls, who were abused and used as sexual toys by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and others we still do not know about.
I would love to hear some measure of outrage, some sense of sympathy or feelings from the maga supporters of drumph toward the reported thousands of young girls who were the victims of these sexual predators. But no, as expected, the ONLY person that the maga mush brains ever consider to be a victim of anything has been, is, and always will be is drumph himself. It doesn’t matter to his supporters that he is a sexual predator, having been adjudicated liable for the sexual assault of a woman in a department store dressing room and liable for millions of dollars in civil court after defaming that same victim of his sexual assault… to them, he is the victim. It doesn’t matter to his maga followers either that drumph is a convicted felon 34 times over after being convicted in court in a unanimous verdict by a jury of his peers… to maga, he is the victim.
I would be willing to place a bet that drumph could kidnap some maga mush brain’s own young underage daughter from her bedroom, rape her, and then claim that the young girl enticed him and claim that it was her own fault that she was raped by him. And then the idiot mush brain maga father would most likely still come to drumph’s defense and take his side over that moron’s own daughter because his maga followers are so devoid of reality and moral compass that they are completely unable to discern right from wrong, and not even able to admit to themselves who are the innocent ones and who are the guilty. It is a sad state of affairs when you have such delusional people who are willing to allow one man to completely upturn dignity, morality, and yes, even a nation’s constitutional protections for self-centered reasons that have nothing to do with helping his fellow man… or, as in this case, the many innocent young female victims of sexual violence. Where are the maga voices and outcry to protect them???
Sherry says
Speaking of trump’s “MAJOR” problems. . . his polities are causing the value of our dollar to drop sharply. . . almost 10% since taking office. To the uneducated. . . that weaker dollar means that the cost of everything you buy with it becomes more expensive. An AI analysis:
Yes, the value of the U.S. dollar has declined since President Donald Trump took office. This decline is partly due to his administration’s policies, including tariff threats and tax cuts, which have led to increased debt and concerns about the U.S. economy’s stability. Global investors have shown a decreased appetite for U.S. assets, contributing to the dollar’s depreciation.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Trump’s Policies:
President Trump’s policies, such as increased tariffs and tax cuts, have been cited as contributing factors to the dollar’s decline.
Increased Debt:
The Congressional Budget Office projects that Trump’s tax cuts will add significantly to the national debt, which is another factor that can erode investor confidence in the dollar.
Reduced Investor Confidence:
Global investors are less confident in the U.S. economy due to these policies and concerns about the dollar’s long-term stability.
Alternative Investments:
Some investors are seeking alternatives to the dollar, such as gold or other currencies, which can also put downward pressure on the dollar’s value.
Specific Example:
The dollar’s decline is particularly notable when compared to the euro, pound, and Swiss franc.
In essence, the dollar’s decline is a reflection of global investors reassessing the strength and stability of the U.S. economy under the Trump administration.
Pogo says
@Ray W
Re Utah: maybe something to do with public policy on Kolob; always thought Mike Lee was from Mars, or Hisanus…
A toast:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Kolob
Laurel says
Maga has a right to be angry! They wanted to go after pedophiles. That’s not wrong! Cut them some slack, now that they understand they have been lied to. Isn’t that what y’all wanted? For them to see? Let’s start moving back towards each other and make our country strong again. Hopefully, now they will see through this sad calamity and buy it no more.
Laurel says
I disagree with the name calling here, against the maga. Many maga now know they have been duped. The four guys who call themselves bros on their podcast can be seen sitting around with tinfoil hats on, stating they have been duped and lied to by Trump, whom they had loyally supported. Making maga defensive defeats the purpose of bringing them around.
Trump was good friends with a trafficking pedophile and he knew his friend’s *hobby* for many, many years. He flew on Epstein’s “Lolita Express.” He said Epstein “likes ’em young.” There is no misunderstanding there. He can claim hoax all he wants, but now his base knows better. Let it be okay that they admit their knowledge of being fooled and manipulated.
I know this whole thing has been frustrating, but let’s get this jerk out of office, and take his sycophant, pedophile protecting, politician cowards with him.
I admit, when the name fits…
Sherry says
So sorry Laurel, it appears the core Maga members are now supporting trump even over the botched Epstein file release situation. What will it take for them to be released from their stupor?
Skibum says
Laurel, the maga mob has been lied to for so long about what would be found if and when the Epstein files were opened up for public scrutiny, because those who continued to push that conspiracy theory and the extremist disinformation campaign machine inside the GOP cult brainwashed their followers into believing that the Clintons, other Dem politicians, their friends and “Hollywood elites” were Epstein’s pedophile associates. You never heard these talking heads suggest that Trump was among them, despite the evidence pointing to him and Epstein being close buddies, being shown together at social events and parties, and the fact that both of those men have a sordid history of preferring young women.
What Trump and his AG, Pam Bondi have offered in an attempt to quell the maga mutiny is to ask a judge to unseal grand jury testimony, which will not reveal what maga wants to know, and is purely a distraction technique thinking that might quiet their base. The truth is that Bondi has the entire Jeffrey Epstein file and could easily release it’s contents to the public without any court order or other formal request, as both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have requested. It is what the American public want, but Bondi and the president are ignoring that solution because neither of them want anyone to see what is in the file, for whatever reason. That only breeds more speculation about the possibility that either Trump himself, or some of his powerful friends and associates, will be revealed as pedophiles themselves and potentially held liable for criminal prosecution or civil litigation resulting from that release.
As long as the Epstein file is withheld from the public, neither maga nor regular Americans will be satisfied, and the only conclusion we could possibly glean from the secrecy by this administration is that whatever is in that file surely must be damning to the GOP rather than Dems or Trump would damn sure have released the contents as he stated he would do earlier this year when he was sworn in.
Ray W, says
Hello Skibum:
Yesterday, the New York Times ran an article titled “Inside the Long Friendship Between Trump and Epstein”, within which article the newspaper published for the first time information that the newspaper has apparently been sitting on since 2019.
The reporter writes thus of Trump and Epstein:
“For nearly 15 years, the two men socialized together in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla., before a falling out that preceded Mr. Epstein’s first arrest.”
The reporter writes that a Florida businessman, George Houraney, organized a long time ago a Mar-a-Lago party for V.I.P.s, at which party a number of young women appeared; they thought they were there for a “calendar girl competition.”
Other than the young “contestants”, only one “V.I.P.” guest other than the host reportedly appeared at the party: Jeffrey Epstein.
Make of this what you will.
Ray W, says
Hello Skibum.
Perhaps as a retired law enforcement officer, you can corroborate that after executing a search warrant approved by a judge, investigators must file with the clerk of the court within a specified number of days a return on the warrant, which return details what was seized during the search.
On Friday, ABC News reported that in 2019 law enforcement officers filed with clerk’s offices returns for a number of searches of Epstein properties in both New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and that in 2007, after a search of an Epstein property in Palm Beach, officers filed a return in which there was described a three-page catalog of seized evidence.
According to the three-page catalog, executing officers found 40 computers and electronic devices, 26 storage drives, 70 CDs, six recording devices, 60 items of physical evidence, including photographs and employee lists, a number of log books, including some for boat trips to and from Epstein’s Little Saint James island, more than $117,000 in cash, five massage tables, plus several other items like four busts of female body parts and a pair of women’s cowboy boots, and a stuffed dog.
A listing described as a “document with names” exists in the return record. Pages of handwritten notes also exist, as do multiple photo albums.
According to the ABC News article, DOJ lawyers argued in a memorandum to a court that as many of the seized records pertain to victims, they concluded:
“While we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted. … One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.”
Make of this what you will.
Laurel says
Don’t let go! There is only so much shit Trump supporters can swollow after this last debacle. They now know, deep down, he has failed them big time. It’s incredibly hard for some to let go of a loyalty they hung tightly on for over ten years. For them it’s about winning, not losing. Actually winning over country. But I think they need a welcomed road back, and not keep the flames burning. It’s just as hard for us, too, as we’ve seen the destruction all along, and the destruction continues. But Trump knows he’s in trouble, and will continue the lying drama of a reality show. His cookie is crumbling. Let his past loyalists burn their hats!
Skibum says
Ray W., absolutely correct. Although my law enforcement career was only in CA and WA states rather than here in FL, every state has laws and legal procedures pertaining to search and seizure requirements so that protections within the 4th Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure are not violated. Here is an excerpt from the CA Penal Code regarding the search and seizure laws your comment referred to:
California Penal Code §§ 1534 and 1537 cover the execution and return of search warrants:
§ 1534 outlines the requirements for a search warrant, including that it must be executed and returned within 10 days after issuance. If executed within this period, it is deemed timely; otherwise, it becomes void after 10 days.
§ 1537 mandates that upon executing a search warrant, the officer must return the warrant to the magistrate and provide a written inventory of the property taken, along with a sworn affidavit verifying the inventory.
These sections ensure that search warrants are executed properly and that the public is informed of the actions taken under them.
I was not aware of the specifics of the 2019 searches of Epstein’s properties in NY and the Virgin Islands that your comment references. But I would imagine that the huge volume of evidence you indicated was seized is a treasure-trove of insights into his illegal activities, and may certainly include identities of other men who were involved in the sexual assaults of those thousands of underage girls over many years
The reluctance now of AG Pam Bondi and the Trump Administration to be open and transparent about what the Epstein fil(s) include should be a huge red flag, with ear splitting alarm bells going off in everyone’s mind because had these files contain names of only democrats and “elites” with no fingers pointing in the direction of Trump or his buddies, we all know damn well that information would have been released by now to further damage Trump’s enemies. The mere fact that that information is still hidden from all of us is a damning indictment on Trump, and one that even his maga supporters won’t soon be quiet about.
Where there is smoke… there is FIRE!
Laurel says
Ray W: Thank you.
“”Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.””
So, according to our current government, pedophile Epstein is a victim.
The girls (now women) must all be liars as there is no further need to investigate. No need to show us what happened and who was involved all those years. Especially now.
Child recruiter, Ghislaine Maxwell now claims she is a victim of Epstein, in hopes of a pardon from Trump, or to piggyback on Epstein’s deal.
Trump stated, “It’s boring.” Nothing to see here, folks. He cannot believe anyone’s still interested. The campaign is history.
The real swamp is bubbling up.
Sherry says
Skibum! YOU are most certainly right on! Thank You!
Laurel says
Thank you, too, Skibum. Both you and Ray W have provided facts about law enforcement procedures. Yet, many Trump supporters do not want to read what you both have written, and prefer to watch, and listen, to those who supply them with misinformation that supports their needs.
The “Deep State” is psychology driven with little connection to reality.