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Weather: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.
- 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:
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village: The city’s only farmers’ market is open every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at European Village, 101 Palm Harbor Pkwy, Palm Coast. With fruit, veggies, other goodies and live music. For Vendor Information email [email protected]
“Turtle Trail Artists of Flagler County,” at Expressions Art Gallery, holds its opening reception at 1 p.m. at the Grand Living Realty building at 2298 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast. The reception is free and open to the public. The Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) is partnering with Expressions Art Gallery to present the iconic Flagler County Turtle Trail inaugurated by the now-defunct Palm Coast Arts Foundation and picked up by FC3.
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre: 3 p.m. in CRT’s black box theater at City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast. Tickets: $30 adults, $15 students, available online at crtpalmcoast.com, by calling 386-585-9415, or at the venue one-half hour before showtime. The play contains mature language. Set in 1959 a few months before Holiday’s death, Robertson’s semi-fictionalized work imagines one of Lady Day’s last performances, in a seedy South Philadelphia bar, as she’s accompanied by her pianist. With both body and psyche bruised by her tortured, drug-addled life, Lady Day – a nickname given her by her saxophonist friend Lester Young – delivers lengthy, revelatory monologues between performing such songs as “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer),” “T’ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do” and the classics “God Bless the Child” and the chilling “Strange Fruit,” about the lynching of Black people in the American South. See FlaglerLive’s preview, “Capturing the Essence: Laniece Fagundes Returns as Billie Holiday at City Rep’s ‘Lady Day’.”
Grace Community Food Pantry, 245 Education Way, Bunnell, drive-thru open today from noon to 3 p.m. The food pantry is organized by Pastor Charles Silano and Grace Community Food Pantry, a Disaster Relief Agency in Flagler County. Feeding Northeast Florida helps local children and families, seniors and active and retired military members who struggle to put food on the table. Working with local grocery stores, manufacturers, and farms we rescue high-quality food that would normally be wasted and transform it into meals for those in need. The Flagler County School District provides space for much of the food pantry storage and operations. Call 386-586-2653 to help, volunteer or donate.
Notably: On this day 62 years ago Dr. Luther Terry, the U.S. Surgeon General at the time, presented a report that for the first time concluded that cigarettes cause cancer, and that the death rate from lung cancer among smokers is 1,000 percent higher than among non-smokers. The Tobacco Institute rejected the report, saying it wasn’t the last word. (Oscar Auerbach, the doctor who established a link between cancer and smoking, died in 1997. He was 92. He never won a Nobel.) The report was the result of an initiative by Kennedy–a different Kennedy–before his assassination weeks earlier in dallas. It may be a matter of time before the current Kennedy repudiates the 1964 report and declares cigarettes, the way Mehmet Oz earlier this week declared alcohol, a great means of bonding and socializing. We are rehabilitating Columbus. He discovered, if not a new world, at least tobacco for the old. It was the new world’s greatest gift to the old, though over time it proved to be the new world’s best revenge on the old for the genocides Columbus kicked off in the new, as more Europeans would die of tobacco use than native Americans died of European ethnic cleansing. RFK will find a way to bring back tobacco.
The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. You can input your own calendar events directly onto the site as you wish them to appear (pending approval of course). To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
January 2026
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Story Time for Preschoolers at Flagler Beach Public Library
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Palm Coast Democratic Club Recap Meeting
Town of Marineland Commission Meeting
Free For All Fridays With Host David Ayres on WNZF
Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) Meeting
Friday Blue Forum
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre
For the full calendar, go here.
On Easter Sunday, 1929, the legendary public-relations man Edward L. Bernays rounded up ten carefully chosen women, put cigarettes in their hands, and sent them down Fifth Avenue in what was billed as the Torches of Freedom march. The marchers were given detailed instructions, including when and how their cigarettes should be lit. Spokeswomen were enlisted to describe the protest as an advance for feminism. Photographers were hired to take pictures. It was an entirely contrived event that nonetheless looked so “real” that the next day it made front-page headlines across the country, prompting a debate over whether women should be allowed to smoke as freely as men, and–some historians believe–forever changing the social context of cigarettes. What Bernays never told anyone was that he was working for the American Tobacco Company.”
–From “The Spin Myth,” by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker, July 6 1998.
Laurel says
“We need a healthy Republican Party.” Heather Cox Richardson, The Explainer. A Historian explains what is happening in this moment.
Sherry says
Thank You Laurel! Each and every person in the US should watch this video! The US is now a fascist nation!
Laurel says
They won’t. There are many incapable of learning.
Pogo says
@Today’s cartoon: A+
… spin? Oh, like this?
Burn baby burn, drill baby drill…
https://www.google.com/search?q=fossil+fuel+extraction+follow+tobacco+promotion+playbook
Hell is waiting — welcome.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Geeez, Maybe the should stop watching left wing fake news. GAS is a dollar + less than a yr ago! Bacon was $ 11.00, Eggs$10.00 a doz. Inflation was 9%…. Its lower than 3 now. The border is closed, & Bidens INVADERES are being deported at a record pace! The GDP is almost 5% ! TRUMPS uncovering FRAUDE, in Democrat run cities…. 9 billion in Minn, thanks to the Somali,s Obama let in! YOUR 401 k is booming & Venezuela is free today, no longer under the thumb of a dictator. Now TRUMPS looking at the FRAUDE in CA. with 64 billion in debt….The gov. had a surplus when he was elected, What when WRONG? NOW Americans are keeping more of there take home pay. For all u liberals, who hate TRUMP… He may not be perfect, but are you? He takes no pay from the American people…. Second time now. I saved the best for last…. Murder & drug deaths are the lowest in yrs. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Sherry says
IMPORTANT. . . Robert Reich:
Friends,
Trump 2.0’s second year may be even worse than the first. That’s because Trump, his sycophants, and the billionaires behind him know that with the coming midterm elections, 2026 could be their last unconstrained chance to suppress democracy and siphon off America’s wealth for themselves.
So, what can you do? Here are the 10 most important actions you can take in 2026:
1. Protect vulnerable immigrant communities.
This is an urgent moral call to action. As Trump’s ICE accelerates its brutal roundups, detentions, and deportations, many hardworking and longstanding members of our communities and their families are endangered and understandably frightened.
ICE is arresting immigrants at or near schools, places of worship, health care sites, shelters, and relief centers — thereby deterring families from sending their kids to school or getting help they need, and threatening the health and well-being of entire communities.
What can you do? Join with others in a voluntary effort to alert vulnerable people in your community to where ICE is. Check in with local and state officials to see what they are doing to protect vulnerable families in your community. Join others to keep ICE away from hospitals, schools, courts, and shelters.
Meanwhile, order these red cards from Immigrant Legal Resource Center and make them available in and around your community: Red Cards | Tarjetas Rojas | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC. You might also find these of use: Immigration Preparedness Toolkit | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC.
2. Protect LGBTQ+ members of your community.
Trump continues to make life far more difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other people through executive orders, changes in laws, alterations in civil rights laws, changes in how such laws are enforced, and encouragement of bigotry and hate.
Work with others in being vigilant against prejudice and bigotry, wherever it might break out. When you see or hear it, call it out. Join with others to stop it. If you trust your local city officials, get them involved. If you trust your local police, alert them as well.
3. Demand that your Democratic and Independent senators block Trump nominations, require quorum calls, object to unanimous consent, and keep the public aware of the terrible things Trump and his regime are doing. Urge your Democratic and Independent House members to be loud and vocal, to cause good trouble, and to vote against all Republican initiatives.
Tiny Republican margins in both chambers give Democrats and Independents enormous power, if they stick together. Make sure your Democratic and Independent members of Congress know you’re counting on them to do so. [The phone number of the Capitol switchboard operator is (202) 224-3121.]
4. In November’s midterms, help Democrats and Independents take back control of Congress.
This is crucial. Compliant, corrupt, and cowardly Republicans in the House and Senate have enabled Trump and the people around him — Stephen Miller, Russell Vought, RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, and JD Vance — to harm tens of millions of people. It’s vitally important that they’re booted out when the midterms are held in November and that they become the minority starting in January 2027.
Watch for open seats or retirements in close districts, using sites like GovTrack.us and Cook Political Report.
A good canvassing app for organizing is Reach.vote (also see here), providing means for letting supporters engage their personal networks via text/calls from their phones.
To connect with your local Indivisible group, start by visiting the Indivisible website to use their group map and find chapters in your congressional district, then find local events and actions on Mobilize.
5. Make the upcoming 250th Anniversary of America about our duties to the Constitution and the world rather than loyalty to Trump or nativist bullshit.
Trump and his sycophants want to make the 250th about loyalty to Trump and to white Christian nationalism.
Don’t let them. Say it loudly and clearly: America’s challenge isn’t that we’re losing our whiteness or dominant religion or that too many foreigners are coming here. Our real challenge is preserving the ideals of democracy, the rule of law, equal justice, voting rights and civil rights, and social justice.
The 250th will be an opportunity for us to emphasize that “patriotism” has little to do with flag salutes or national anthems; it’s about what we owe one another: taking a fair share of the burdens of keeping the nation going. Paying taxes rather than lobbying for lower taxes, refraining from large political contributions that corrupt democracy, blowing the whistle on abuses of power, volunteering time and energy to improving our communities and rebuilding our democracy.
6. Join with others to take progressive initiatives in your community and state.
Local and state governments retain significant power. Join groups that are moving your city or state forward on climate change, human rights, voting rights, and counteracting the power of large corporations, in contrast to regressive moves at the federal level.
Lobby, instigate, organize, and fundraise for progressive legislators. Support progressive leaders. Again, Indivisible is a good source of information; you can find your nearest Indivisible group here.
7. Demonstrate against Trump’s tyranny.
The two No Kings protests in 2025 were important — revealing the depth and breadth of the resistance across America, reassuring millions of Americans that they aren’t alone and aren’t crazy, encouraging millions more to join the resistance.
More than 7 million of us marched in the second No Kings protest on October 18. It was enough to rattle Trump (who posted an AI-generated cartoon of himself defecating on the marchers). And it put us within reach of the 3.5 percent of a population researchers have found to be a precursor for overthrowing a tyrant.
This year, help make our protests even larger and their effects even greater.
8. Organize or participate in boycotts of companies that are enabling the Trump regime and/or treating their workers like sh*t.
Never underestimate the effectiveness of consumer boycotts. Corporations invest heavily in their brand names and the goodwill associated with them. Loud, boisterous, attention-getting boycotts can harm brand names and reduce the prices of corporations’ shares of stock.
What to boycott? Start with Elon Musk’s X, Tesla, and Starlink internet service. Also: Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and any companies that advertise on X or Fox News.
Support unions by joining picket lines, encouraging employees to organize in places you patronize, and boycotting anti-worker firms. Encourage union pension funds to divest stock in corporations that are enabling or encouraging the regime (especially Tesla, SpaceX, Palantir, Meta, and Amazon).
Here’s a good source.
9. To the extent you are able, fund groups that are litigating against Trump.
In 2025, the district courts and courts of appeals held the line against many Trump initiatives. In 2026, they’re likely to be even more important. (You can track the federal cases against the Trump regime here.)
The best groups spearheading federal litigation deserve your support. They include these:
American Civil Liberties Union has brought numerous civil liberties cases against the Trump regime, including those related to public health and immigration policies.
Earthjustice has filed several lawsuits over environmental regulations and funding freezes.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics has been in the forefront of lawsuits against Trump for conflicts of interest, corruption, and ethical violations.
Natural Resources Defense Council has used litigation against Trump’s regressive climate policies.
Democracy Forward has mounted important legal challenges against Trump’s trampling of voting rights and the Constitution.
Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal have filed lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive orders seeking to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Public Citizen and Common Cause have challenged actions related to Trump’s moves against voting rights and equal opportunity.
10. Spread the truth.
Get news through reliable sources, and spread it. If you hear anyone repeating lies and Trump propaganda, including local media, contradict them with the truth.
Here are some of the sources I currently rely on for the truth: Democracy Now, Business Insider, The New Yorker, The American Prospect, The Atlantic, Americans for Tax Fairness, Economic Policy Institute, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, The Guardian, ProPublica, Labor Notes, The Lever, Popular Information, Heather Cox Richardson, The Bulwark, More Perfect Union, Matt Stoller, and Mehdi Hasan.
And, of course, this Substack.
In addition to these 10 actions, please ALSO be sure to:
— Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Don’t become so obsessed by what Trump and his sycophants are doing that you neglect your own well-being. It’s important that you take time for yourself, read a good book, or watch an absorbing TV series. See friends. Meditate. Take long walks. Find something to laugh at every day.
And hold your loved ones tight.
We will get through this, and we will prevail. But it will require confidence, courage, and tenacity. We need to stay healthy for this fight. We need to be fortified by those we care about. And we need to be there for those we love.
— Keep the faith.
Do not give up on America. Do not fall into the traps of cynicism and defeatism.
Remember, Trump won the popular vote by only 1.5 points, and even then it was a scant plurality rather than a majority. By any historical measure, this was a squeaker.
America has deep problems, to be sure. Which is why we can’t give up on it — or give up the fights for social justice, equal political rights, equal opportunity, democracy, and the rule of law.
The forces of repression and neofascism would like nothing better than for us to give up. Then they’d win it all. We cannot allow them to.
We will never give up — not in 2026. Not in 2027 or 2028. Not ever.
We are winning. We will prevail.
Sherry says
This may not be on your radar, but Republican (and Democrat) leaders corruption goes on and on! Where is the SEC and the Congressional “ethics” committee? This from Politico:
By Daniel Lippman
01/12/2026 09:45 AM EST
GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan last year bought stock in a major supplier for data centers that subsequently boomed in value — at the same time he was encouraging data centers to be built in his Pennsylvania district.
In June, Bresnahan bought between $1,001 and $15,000 of stock in Credo Technology, a company that provides electric cables and chips for data centers, according to a House report he filed in July. Bresnahan spokesperson Hannah Pope said the purchase totaled $1,454. Since then, the share price of Credo stock has risen about 109 percent — joining the set of AI companies ballooning in value.
Laurel says
Tribalism is more important than truth, that’s apparent. Jim Jones couldn’t do a better job of keeping a cult together than Trump. Some of Jones’s following tried to escape, while others murdered their own children. U.S. Military in our streets. U.S. citizens murdered in cold blood, then lied about. The psychology is stunning!