To include your event in the Briefing and Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
Weather: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
- 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:
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at its new location on South 2nd Street, right in front of City Hall, featuring prepared food, fruit, vegetables , handmade products and local arts from more than 30 local merchants. The market is hosted by Flagler Strong, a non-profit.
The Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up starting at 9 a.m. in front of the Flagler Beach pier. All volunteers welcome.
Coffee With Commissioner Scott Spradley: Flagler Beach Commission Chairman Scott Spradley hosts his weekly informal town hall with coffee and doughnuts at 9 a.m. at his law office at 301 South Central Avenue, Flagler Beach. All subjects, all interested residents or non-residents welcome. The gatherings usually feature a special guest.
The Second Annual Italian Festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell. The Family Life Center, in partnership with the City of Bunnell, are hosting the Festival. All proceeds will benefit survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. With over 8,000 attendees at the inaugural event, this is one event you don’t want to miss! Click on this link for more information vendor opportunities. Admission will be $1 per person – children under 12 are free!
Celebrating Celine! with Jenene Caramielo, 7 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center (Flagler Auditorium), 5500 State Road 100, Palm Coast. Call the box office at (386) 437-7547 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or book online here. Get ready to relive the magic and emotion of Celine Dion – one of the world’s most iconic vocalists – in “Celebrating Celine,” a stunning new tribute production dedicated to the unparalleled artistry of Celine Dion set to grace the stage of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center. This breathtaking show promises an unforgettable journey through Celine Dion’s legendary discography – featuring powerhouse vocals, dazzling visuals, and an immersive concert experience that carefully works to capture the essence of a live Celine performance.
“My Fair Lady,” at Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach. Box office: (386) 255-2431. Tickets: $30 for adults, $20 for youth. 7:30 p.m. except on Sunday, 2 p.m. The tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady, featuring one of musical theatre’s greatest scores.
“Godspell,” Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine. 7:30 p.m., except Sunday, 2 p.m. Godspell is a vibrant, contemporary musical inspired by the Gospel of Matthew. Framed as a group of strangers who come together to form a joyful community, the show blends storytelling, comedy, and song to explore themes of love, compassion, forgiveness, and faith. Through energetic ensemble numbers and heartfelt moments, the characters share parables that illuminate timeless moral lessons, culminating in a moving portrayal of sacrifice, hope, and the enduring power of unity.
Grace Community Food Pantry, 245 Education Way, Bunnell, drive-thru open today from 10 a.m. to 1 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.
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.
Notably: The World Cup used to be my favorite event. Not just sports event. Any kind of event. Some of my sharpest earliest memories are from watching the 1974 final on our black and white TV in Beirut, when, as Nixon was battling the Supreme Court over those 64 tapes, West Germany beat Holland 2-1 in Munich, when Franz Beckenbauer was Germany’s star and Sepp Maier was Germany’s goalie and I wanted to be Sepp Maier. I vaguely recall attending a football match in Florida where he was in goal. He was in his late 40s or early 50s. He’s 82 now. But it’s a turnoff every time I read about the tournament now, a couple of months from its start in the U.S., Mexico and Canada: obscene costs, the dilution of already low quality (compared to top-flight club teams, any of which could beat any national team) now that about 7,000 countries are represented (up from 32 the last time, and 16 in 1974), and of course the maga overlay that will add a barf element to this edition of the World Cup. Group play ticket prices are in the hundreds of dollars, top prices are over $5,000 a ticket. The corrupt federation’s ticket-buying rules have been so dirty that agroup called the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and Euroconsumers filed a suit against it through the European Commission “alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup,” the FSE said in a statement. Add to that having to buy Fox’s streaming subscriptions to watch in English and the risk of hearing too much chauvinism on that network, as opposed to just sticking with Telemundo’s Spanish, and the prospects of a joyful tournament seem as distant as imagining elegance from Trump’s ballroom.
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.
April 2026
Flagler Woman’s Club Charity Golf Tournament
Flagler Beach Farmers Market
Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Gamble Jam at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
Dead Men Tell No Tales…. Or Do They? Murder Mystery Dinner Show
“The Sound of Music,” at Athens Theatre
‘Line’ and ‘All In the Timing’ At City Rep Theatre
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
Dead Men Tell No Tales…. Or Do They? Murder Mystery Dinner Show
“The Sound of Music,” at Athens Theatre
Al-Anon Family Groups
‘Line’ and ‘All In the Timing’ At City Rep Theatre
For the full calendar, go here.
In 1974, just a couple of years before we arrived, the Dutch national team, Oranje, reached the final in its first World Cup appearance since 1938, displaying a style of football that tens of millions of people today still remember. In the twentieth century, each country still played its own way. A national team was the nation made flesh: those eleven men in plastic shirts embodied the country, with all its virtues and faults. You couldn’t confuse the German style with the English or the Brazilian. Each international match was a miniature clash of civilisations. Nations felt that other nations’ styles were immoral, or even evil.
–From Simon Kuper’s World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments (2026).
Laurel says
Oh, there’s not enough room for all his lies. My favorite: “They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
How in the hell did y’all ever get past that? It’s a study in psychology.
Sherry says
Good Morning Laurel. . . Here’s your LAUGH!
The Best Ever:
Laurel says
Yeah, I’m a Kiffness fan!
Dennis C Rathsam says
Never in my life has a group of scum bag people wished America would lose this war. TRUMP did the world a favor by wiping out the Meullers, He is the savior of the free world! If OBAMA or BIDEN would have done it, theJackasses would proclaim the second coming of Christ! A National Holliday !!!!! What ignorant fools, the Democrats have become. They are on the wrong side of everything, Americans are watching as the party of No, emplodes…. Crys of impeaching TRUMP, is all the Jackasses have! Wheres thier plans? Wheres thier solution, to keep America safe? Why do the Democratc states have a no cash bail system? Why do they let murderers, back out on the streets. Biden let these hoodlems run wild in America, & paid them to boot. Look at what we have to pay now to get these invaders out of our country…. Paying with American lives, & mass amounts of FRAUDE ! BIDEN / HARRIS, The cause of many of the things that destroyed this country. This is why only American born individuals should be allowed, to govern Americans! Its the outsiders, the radical fools of the Democratic party.
i
Tony Mack says
“..If OBAMA or BIDEN would have done it, the Jackasses would proclaim the second coming of Christ! A National Holliday !!!!! …”
If either of those Democrats had done this without the approval of the Congress, people like yourself would have been calling them Communists, Marxists, Socialists, Fascists and demanding their execution…Admit it, c’mon, you can…
Laurel says
“He is the savior of the free world!” Sounds like a second coming to me.
Dennis C Rathsam says
How long was Obama,s war, without asking Congress? Admit that!
Keenan Hreib says
You laid it out yourself TONY.
OBAMA and BIDEN wouldn’t have done it. As imperfect as they are, especially without Congressional approval. Both former presidents can be a lot of things to you, but they are not WAR CRIMINALS.
Keenan Hreib says
Sorry TONY, was replying to Dennis not you. So sorry.
BillC says
Rathsam for Prezident!
Pierre Tristam says
He’d still be better than the current atrocity.
Laurel says
Wow! Gee, um, well, golly, wow!
Ed P says
Eradication of Medicare fraud would be the salvation of the program. If the significant Medicare fraud being administered by individual states, were eliminated, Medicare and Medicaid could continue without a deficit or fear of ending.
The rampant fraud is not exclusive to any one state or governor.
It’s long past acceptance of the concept that some fraud exists and gaslighting us that it’s a small percentage of the total cost of any public programs. Anything more than zero is unacceptable.
Forget “ no kings” marches and focus on the real problems bringing down our country.
Jim says
A quick Google search came up with the following:
How much waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare?
-Medicare loses billions of dollars each year due to fraud, errors, and abuse. Estimates place these losses at approximately $60 billion annually, though the exact figure is impossible to measure.
What is the most common Medicare fraud?
Some common examples of suspected Medicare fraud or abuse are:
-Billing for services or supplies that were not provided.
-Providing unsolicited supplies to beneficiaries.
-Misrepresenting a diagnosis, a beneficiary’s identity, the service provided, or other facts to justify payment.
Maybe there are some who disagree but I do think the government should crack down. From what I found, it appears that the crackdown needs to be on the medical companies and the medical profession – doctors and hospitals and clinics.
Another quick Google search shows the contributions of two Medicare insurance providers:
Humana Inc organization profile. Contributions in the 2024 cycle: $1,378,121. Lobbying in 2024: $4,830,000.
In the 2024 election cycle, UnitedHealth Group contributed approximately $4.47 million to federal candidates, parties, and committees
That might explain why politicians like to act like “waste, fraud and abuse” somehow comes from people using the plans rather than those either administering the plan or providing care under the plan.
As long as this country allows corporations and individuals through PAC’s or otherwise to give ridiculous amounts of money to politicians for their elections, all you’re going to hear is complaints. What incentive do politicians have to actually bite the hand that feeds them?
And, to another point you made, the No Kings protests are directed at an administration and president that are pushing as hard as they can to destroy this democracy while waving the flag as if they are patriotic. I know you disagree with that. And, for now, you’re still allowed to have your own opinions…
Pierre Tristam says
I debunked the $60-billion-fraud fiction peddled by 60 Minutes in 2009. I’m sorry to say it’s still taking prisoners.
Jim says
Sorry, Pierre! Apparently Google didn’t accept your analysis. Shame on them! And it’s been 17 years since you did that. I’m innocent since I didn’t live here then….
Ray W. says
Hello Mr. Tristam.
I regretfully have to admit to having been imprisoned by a quote falsely attributed to Winston Churchill, at least according to Martin Gilbert, the official Churchill’s family historian.
Gilbert wrote that, in 1958, Harold McMillan, while speaking to an audience in Canberra, said “jaw-jaw is better than war-war.” Somehow, the quote over time became Churchillian in origin. Eventually, I picked it up.
In 1954, according to Gilbert, when addressing a gathering of U.S. legislators of the need for a gathering of world leaders, including Soviet leaders, Churchill phrased that “… conferences of this kind were vitally important, that meeting jaw to jaw is better than war.”
I have used the jaw-jaw quote. I apologize for having spread misinformation on your site.
Ed P says
Have either of you read any recent news? Your information appears a bit dated. Just the vast, unbelievable number of hospice clinics shut down in the last 60 days provides just a glimpse into the magnitude of the fraud.
As of April, 221 hospice providers in the Los Angeles area have been suspended or shut down. 700 of the 1800+ hospices show multiple red flags, like 97% of their patients are living? Or maybe the $29,000 per patients- more than double the national US average. Or the recruitment of seniors at supermarkets, offering monthly kickbacks?
Where there is massive government money, fraud exists. The covid relief debacle will prove to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Everyone should be concerned, it’s our money.
Ray W. says
Per a story by The Guardian, Alan Hayward James, a former USAF master sergeant, recently pleaded guilty to a nine-year-in-scope scheme to defraud the military out of $37 million by conspiring to “falsely inflate” the value of a number of IT contracts. He faces up to 45 years in prison.
In a statement, the prosecutor wrote:
“Through this bid-rigging scheme, the defendant not only stole from American taxpayers and harmed companies seeking to compete honestly for government contracts, he also ultimately harmed essential military services designed to keep our nation safe by diverting resources away from other services.”
Make of this what you will.
Me?
I have long maintained that any legislative scheme devised by the mind of mankind can be abused by the mind of mankind, particularly if money is at issue.
James says
There’s a concept in socialogy called “the culture of poverty.”
Since living here in Florida I’ve come to think there’s also one that I believe could be best described as “the culture of sour grapes.”
Its developed over the history of Florida’s existence and is unfortunately highly infectious.
I could elaborate, but I won’t.
Just say’n.
James says
Well, perhaps I’ll elaborate… in a soon to be released research paper entitled simply… “The Gripes of Wrathsam.”
*Badda-boom*
Sherry says
Thanks for my first chuckle this morning James! :)
Jim says
It is clear that the war on Iran is devastating their ability to wage combat operations. They have been severely degraded. Fortunately, to date the USA has 13 fatalities reported. For those 13 families, it is a major tragedy. For a military operation this large, it’s speaks to the abilities of our military and they should be commended.
What the MAGA team seems to not understand is that there are few Americans who are cheering for the Iranians. The opposition to this war is based on the failure of the leadership of this country to make clear what the goals and urgency of this operation were. There’s no question Iran is a bad actor. But there is no clear goal defined and it is very hard to believe that, when the USA declares victory and walks away, anything will be improved by our actions.
-Iran has been badly damaged. They will rebuild.
-Iran has shut down the Straight of Hormuz. There is no viable plan to reopen it. While the USA “isn’t affected”, most of the world is very much impacted. How causing a world wide crisis is in the USA’s best interest has not been articulated.
– The USA started this war without consulting or notifying any of our historic allies. Once the Straight of Hormuz was closed, Trump demanded NATO, China and others come open it up. Why would they do that? You can’t ignore your friends and then tell them the mess you made is now their problem. Adding insult to this is that Trump has called them “cowards” and “paper tigers”. Trump had previously belittled our NATO allies contributions (i.e., deaths and injuries) in assisting the USA under Article 5 during the War on Terror. Nothing like disparaging your friends who literally gave blood for your cause to make them rethink doing it again.
– Iran remains a serious threat to their neighbors in the region. All of them are upset with the USA for starting this and now talking of walking away and leaving this mess for them to handle.
– The regime in Iran is thought to be more repressive with the new leadership than with the ones Trump likes to say “died”. It isn’t “regime change” when a new guy takes over the same government. “Regime change” is when the old government is deposed for [hopefully] a new and better one. Iranian civilians are not armed and cannot overthrow the heavily armed military in Iran that runs the country. So what we have is new leadership that is [somehow] even more anti-USA than before. How that’s an accomplishment that’s good for the USA needs a great deal of explaining/rationalization.
– Oil prices are up. How long that’ll last is not known. Iran can squeeze all those attempting to pass the Straight for as long as they want. It’s reported that they are charging millions of dollars per tanker to pass through the Straight now. That translates into a lot of money for rebuilding their military. It also translates to higher prices for anything and everything that uses oil in manufacturing or transport. Don’t expect a better economy anytime soon.
– They still have the nuclear option. They can reconstitute their processes and enrich uranium to weapons grade and make a nuclear bomb. Clearly, their capability was not “obliterated” as Trump has claimed.
– Trump and Hegseth bragged to the world that Iran had no air defense left and the USA was flying around Iran with impunity. Turns out that’s not true. We’ve got one missing airman somewhere in Iran right now as a result.
MAGA can jump up and down supporting Trump all they want. What they can’t do is hide the actual facts as to what has happened and what the most probable results will be. Sometime in the future, Iran will again perform some horrible act of terrorism through it’s proxies. If it happens during a Democratic administration, MAGA will scream it’s their fault for being nice to Iran. But, in fact, the seeds for this continuing horror are being sown right now by an administration that is just not up to the job of running this country. About 80% of the country is not on board with this war. I assure you that that same 80% loves this country probably more than MAGA since they also have a better grasp of what this country is supposed to be.
Laurel says
Trump never cleans up his messes, that would validate a mistake. Ever heard him do a mea culpa? Nope, and we never will. He is a perfect example of a weak person. I often actually feel sorry for the guy. Today, I was listening to Dolly Parton, and the song “Coat of Many Colors” came on, and Trump came to mind. I thought about how he would never understand what that song is about, which is sad.
Ed P says
Hello Jim,
It took you 60 lines to try to tell me that- it’s the leader stupid. Got it.
What I took away was that you believe its like pissing into the wind. It’s hopeless and the effort will prove useless. Why bother? The bastards will rebuilt like ants. And of course the world would prefer to deal with a nuclear Iran. What?
The world’s feckless leaders have allowed this to metastasize and exist.
I admit, I am a Middle East lightweight and have a very shallow grasp of the regions problems.
However, unlike you, I know for a fact, the Iranian regime would not have hesitated to use nuclear weapons once they developed them with a viable delivery system and it would have been many times more costly to deal with a nuclear Iran than not.
It’s called REALITY.
Tony Mack says
Why focus only on Iran? Israel has nukes, Pakistan has nukes, India has nukes, North Korea has nukes, China has nukes, Russia has nukes. we have nukes. Is it your position that the leadership of Iran is slightly more crazy than all those other nations and only they, perhaps because they are Muslim, would be the first to use nukes while others would not? What, exactly, is the “fact” that you know to presuppose Iran would be the first to let go with nukes? Trump said the attacks six months ago devastated Iran’s capability to project nukes, yet, here we are…again.
If the contention is that Iran is capable of using nukes, why then would not the surrounding countries be willing to join the US in a coalition to stop them. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Trump took it upon himself to initiate the attacks together with Israel and without, mind you, the consent or even the advice of the Congress, never mind a so-called declaration of war. Enlighten us as to the facts you possess…Thanks.
Ed P says
Hello Tony,
The Iranian nuclear doctrine is contrary to the opinions of analysts, Middle East experts, and leaders of neighboring countries. The over whelming majority opinion sides with me.
Nuclear weapons with a delivery mechanism for everyone is not a logical deterrent and a unwise doctrine.
Only a fool is comfortable with North Korea as a nuclear threat.
When a religious zealot regime trumpets death to Israel and death to America for 47 years and is willing die in true martyrdoms, everyone should believe them.
As for the reason of the neighboring nations’ lack of engagement could be explained by asymmetrical retaliation.
I understand you are being contrarian and align primarily with the left but I sincerely believe you know time was winding down.
Negotiating resulted in allowing Iran the time to be the leading sponsors of terrorism, responsible for over 1000 American deaths.
The actual economic global cost of their actions has been Trillions.
Is the world according to “Tony Mack” that we should have waited even longer, at least until the first barrage of nukes were deployed?
Sherry says
Right On Tony Mack!
Laurel says
For 47 years, Iran has cried “Death to America,” and 47 years later, what Iran had accomplished, was, crying “Death to America.” Now, thanks to Trump, they have more power than they have ever had, and are financially gaining by regulating oil and the Straight of Hormuz.
Gee, we’re so much safer now! That 12 dimensional chess.
Ed P says
Laurel,
More power now than ever before?
Suspending reality or allowing emotions to formulate your opinions is not defined as critical thinking.
Sherry says
Thank You Jim!
CREDIBLE FACTS = TRUTH = TRUST
One of my favorite protest signs read:
HELLO! I AM SCIENCE
YOU TOOK MY FUNDING AWAY
PREPARED TO DIE
Unfortunately many Maga members actually are prepared to die for trump. The trouble is, they want to take us all with them. My response is NOPE! “But, be my guest, please”!
Pogo says
This too
“DEAR MISS MINGO:
I get the impression that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s new push to arm “non-dangerous” felons is solely for the purpose of allowing Donald J. Trump to carry heat since he is a convicted felon, and he wants to get on his good side.
I’d like to hear what you think.
Pondering in Pembroke Pines
Dear Pondering:
Who needs trained journalists? The best questions come from readers, and this one hits the bullseye…”
https://www.jcbruce.com/p/ask-the-bird-when-is-a-tip-not-a?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fded4d1f1-1e13-4506-a351-f139c2355982_1408x768.png&open=false