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Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a northeast wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
- Daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here.
- Drought conditions here. (What is the Keetch-Byram drought index?).
- Check today’s tides in Daytona Beach (a few minutes off from Flagler Beach) here.
- Tropical cyclone activity here, and even more details here.
Today at a Glance:
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. Today Kirk Keller is sitting in for David Ayres. Today: a discussion on domestic violence. See previous podcasts here. On WNZF at 94.9 FM, 1550 AM, and live at Flagler Broadcasting’s YouTube channel.
Coffee and Conversation with Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Copper Lotus, 21 Hospital Drive, Unit 210. The City of Palm Coast is inviting residents to grab a cup of coffee and join the conversation through Coffee and Conversations with your City Manager; a monthly community meet-and-greet with City Manager Mike McGlothlin. Coffee and Conversations with your City Manager is designed to create an approachable, informal space where residents can connect directly with the City Manager, ask questions, share ideas, and discuss what matters most to them. Events take place monthly at rotating local businesses throughout Palm Coast. The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required so staff can plan accordingly for attendance. Coffee will be provided by the host restaurant and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Event details and registration are available at www.parksandrec.fun.
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.
UNF President Search Public Listening Session: The University of North Florida Presidential Search Committee invites members of the Northeast Florida community to participate in a listening session as part of the search for the eighth president, but for just half an hour, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. in Osprey Commons, Student Union, 1 UNF Dr., Jacksonville, or by zoom here. The listening session is an opportunity for all stakeholders to share their perspectives on the qualities and characteristics they think are important for the next president. Input gathered during the session will help the committee as it develops the presidential position profile and determines which criteria will be used to evaluate candidates.
Free Tax Preparation Services in Flagler County: The AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide provides free tax preparation services at six locations in Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County through April 15, but you must make an appointment first and fill out paperwork. To do both, go here.
Food Truck Friday at the Florida Agriculture Museum: 5 to 10 p.m., Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 N Old Kings Rd, Palm Coast. A night featuring food trucks, artisan vendors, music, line dancing, farm animals, bounce house and kids’ activities. Free admission and parking.
“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.
“The Sound of Music” at Athens Theatre, 7:30 p.m. except Sunday, 2:30 p.m., 124 North Florida Avenue, DeLand, (386) 736-1500. Cost: Adult $37, Senior $33, Student/Child $17, groups of 8 or more $30 per ticket, all including processing charge. Book here. As the world begins to change, one woman brings something the von Trapp family hasn’t known in a long time—joy. When Maria steps into their lives, she brings laughter, music, and a renewed sense of connection—just as the world outside their home begins to shift in dangerous ways. In a time of rising fear and uncertainty, their bond becomes an anchor—and their courage, a quiet form of resistance. The Sound of Music is a timeless story of love, family, and standing up for what truly matters, brought to life with one of the most beloved scores in musical theatre history. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Run time: 2 hours and 45 minutes with a 15-minute intermission
Readings: On Appril 7, The New York Times published reporting from Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman that will soon be part of their book called Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. They investigated–better than Bob Woodward–the lead-up to the Iran war, establishing beyond doubt that Netanyahu not only led the drive, but was in the White House Situation Room on Feb. 11, convincing Trump to join the assault: “Mr. Netanyahu made a hard sell, suggesting that Iran was ripe for regime change and expressing the belief that a joint U.S.-Israeli mission could finally bring an end to the Islamic Republic. At one point, the Israelis played for Mr. Trump a brief video that included a montage of potential new leaders who could take over the country if the hard-line government fell. Among those featured was Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, now a Washington-based dissident who had tried to position himself as a secular leader who could shepherd Iran toward a post-theocratic government.” The Pahlavis of course is the reason Iran got the ayatollahs, the Pahlavis’ torture regime having few equals in human history. Israel brandishing Reza Pahlavi was like when the second Bush thought Ahmed Chalabi could run Iraq. Corruption breeding corruption. “Mr. Netanyahu and his team outlined conditions they portrayed as pointing to near-certain victory: Iran’s ballistic missile program could be destroyed in a few weeks. The regime would be so weakened that it could not choke off the Strait of Hormuz, and the likelihood that Iran would land blows against U.S. interests in neighboring countries was assessed as minimal.” Other take-aways from the article: “The C.I.A. director used one word to describe the Israeli prime minister’s regime change scenarios: “farcical.” At that point, Mr. Rubio cut in. “In other words, it’s bullshit,” he said.” But Rubio was all in for the offensive. He just didn’t think there would or could be regime change. So he was all in for a massive amount of destruction and no end game. The surprise was J.D. Vance. He wasn’t for war at all: “In front of his colleagues, Mr. Vance warned Mr. Trump that a war against Iran could cause regional chaos and untold numbers of casualties. It could also break apart Mr. Trump’s political coalition and would be seen as a betrayal by many voters who had bought into the promise of no new wars. Mr. Vance raised other concerns, too. As vice president, he was aware of the scope of America’s munitions problem. A war against a regime with enormous will for survival could leave the United States in a far worse position to fight conflicts for some years.” We all know what Hegeth thought. And in the end, “Everyone deferred to the president’s instincts. They had seen him make bold decisions, take on unfathomable risks and somehow come out on top. No one would impede him now.”
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 Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Story Time with Miss Kim 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
“Godspell,” at the Limelight Theatre
“The Sound of Music,” at Athens Theatre
Free For All Fridays With Host David Ayres on WNZF
Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) Meeting
Friday Blue Forum
“Godspell,” at the Limelight Theatre
“The Sound of Music,” at Athens Theatre
For the full calendar, go here.
SIRIUSXM HOST MEGYN KELLY: What led Trump, what, at 79 years old, to sit in there in that situation room when Bibi Netanyahu was seated as an equal?
PIERS MORGAN: Yeah.
SIRIUSXM HOST MEGYN KELLY: Trump didn’t even sit at the head of the table. Trump sat at the side of the tables and Bibi was across from him as an equal in the American situation room. What led him to sit there and buy what that guy was selling hook, line, and sinker when every other president was able to see through that liar? What was it?
Because he was told the next day by our own top advisers, from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs to the secretary of state to the vice president, that these are lies and that these objectives are not going to be attainable. Don’t believe him!
We might be able to wipe out the Ayatollah, not regime change, Ayatollah. And we might be able to decimate some portion of their missiles and their military. OK, that’s true.
But the goals as stated by Trump when we did pull the trigger. We’re all over the board into this moment.
He’s pushing the BS claim that we effected regime change. No, we didn’t! It’s the same regime, just different players. There isn’t somebody more moderate in there at all. We have no reason to believe that.
In fact, it looks like the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is in control now, which is far more radical. And the fatwa that had allegedly been issued by the Ayatollah on developing nukes is gone.
Iran is more powerful economically. It controls the Strait and now is demanding the lifting of all sanctions against it.
And what Trump did with that 10-point plan was go from Monday saying, no, not good, to Tuesday saying, very workable. We can do it as a means of saving face to bail off of his insane threats about annihilating an entire civilization.
So I don’t know how we got here, Piers. I’d like to know just as much as anybody else, but all I can think in my head, based on what I’ve read in the paper, is we got her thanks to Bibi Netanyahu, Lindsey Graham, and Mark Levin.
And ultimately, President Trump, that’s not to take agency away from the president, who was bamboozled. I don’t know why he was too weak to say no. He was too gullible to see through the lies.
One way or another, he allowed himself to be pushed into this insane conflict.
–From the April 8 episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Ray W. says
With shipping transit numbers through the Strait of Hormuz still significantly less than 10% of pre-war figures, Reuters reports that, due to “some 50” Iranian strikes on various crude oil infrastructure assets across a number of Gulf oil countries, approximately 2.4 million barrels of daily gasoline refinery production capacity has been taken offline. No word on when full gasoline production can be restored.
From YCharts, the U.S. imported on average 438,000 barrels of gasoline per day during the week ending February 27, 2026 and 571,000 barrels per day for the week ending April 3, 2026. According to a Fortune story, 131 U.S. refineries still operate.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
Two things.
First, America is not gasoline independent. When demand forces nations to compete for a significantly reduced supply of a product, none will be immune from inevitable rising prices. Either supply must increase or demand must decrease or a combination of both must occur for recent gasoline price increases to come back down.
Second, every spring each American refinery must shut down to shift to production of “summer blend” gasoline. During the scheduled shutdowns, normal maintenance and equipment upgrades are performed. Repairs can be made. From what I understand, refinery owners cooperate so that production reductions during the scheduled shutdowns are spread out over time. This may explain why U.S. gasoline imports are up in early April compared to late February. And, NBC NEWS reported on March 24, 2026, that the large Texas-based Valero refinery capable of processing up to 435,000 barrels of crude oil per day into gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel, among other products, exploded. Apparently most refinery operations quickly resumed, except for production of diesel fuel, as the diesel fuel control room, among other diesel infrastructure, was “destroyed.” For those who rely on diesel fuel for energy, the U.S. is a net diesel fuel exporter. But diesel fuel, too, is an international commodity, not just a national commodity. Diesel fuel prices are up more since the start of the Iran War, as a percentage, than are gasoline prices. Perhaps the Valero refinery explosion offers some share of the explanation for the price rise.
Pogo says
Like Samson, I am ready to pull down the white man’s temple, knowing full well that I will be destroyed by the falling rubble.
— Malcolm X
Impotent hatred is the most horrible of all emotions; one should hate nobody whom one cannot destroy.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
https://www.azquotes.com/author/5628-Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe/tag/hate
As stated
https://www.google.com/search?q=merchant+of+venice
Good day.
EC: File
Dennis C Rathsam says
TRUMP, like most presidents, has the men he trusts at his side. I’m sure there where plenty discusions of the attack of Iran. Every president, Crooked Hillary & Kamala all stated on TV….Iran should never have a nuke! Most of them Democrats. The thing of it is, TRUMP was the man who pulled the trigger! Let fake news spin this any way they want, The world is safer now then it was. The jackass party plays both sides of the fence hopping side to side like the fools they are. They want to impeach him, one day, then call him chicken the next, for the cease fire. Lets face facts, Democrats are between a rock, & a river full of lies. There’s only one person that has the power to control him, & that’s his wife. Just like all men, Happy wife Happy life. So if ya,LL think, TRUMPS not his own man, better think again! We all know Iran lies, & cheats, like the Jackass party does. 47 yrs in enough. The rats in the desert, will come out of their hole, & screw this cease fire….You know its coming… This time TRUMP will give Iran, back to the Persian people.
BobsAnon says
Indeed, Trump has already won by getting the Epstein files off the headlines.
But as for what TRUMP can give us: { Mattis offered a sobering assessment: “We’re in a tough spot, ladies and gentlemen, and I can’t identify a lot of good options.” (Axios) He pointed to the fundamental geometry: the shipping lane runs 600 miles down the Gulf, 100 miles through the Strait, and Iran has anti-ship cruise missiles that can be fired off the back of a pickup truck with 100-mile range. (Axios) He flatly stated that if the U.S. declared victory now, Iran would claim control of the Strait and impose a tax on every ship passing through — which is precisely what has happened. He added: “Neither side has the ability right now to move the other side off of where they’re at. Never in history has air power alone changed a regime.” (Fox News) } (Claude Opus 4.5)
Ray W. says
According to a Punchbowl story, a Senate banking committee no longer has published plans to interview Fed Chair nominee Kevin Marsh.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
From what I understand, if no one receives Senate confirmation to take the Fed helm by the date Jerome Powell’s term ends this coming May, he can elect to stay on in his current role.
BobsAnon says
Knowing the history of our stable genius (and of his mentor Roy Cohn) and his recent easy victory in Vensuala, I doubt it took any pushing at all. I mean, what have we heard about the Epstein files since the war started? That’s a win already.
As we watch AGW, tariffs, teetering private credit markets, and now this war, one shudders to think where our stable genius of a fearless leader will have taken us by 2028.
The world is a very large deck of cards, and one of them says. “China observes our strategic incompetence in this war, sees how many weapon systems have been depleted, and tries to take Taiwan.” At which point we gather our loved ones around and pray the next card doesn’t say “Nuclear war.”
Skibum says
The most noise we have heard lately about the trump-epstien files is from the felon prez’ own wife, who apparently is intentionally defying him and rallying for open congressional hearings to include testimony from women who were sex trafficked. Wow, I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the upstairs WH to hear the felon prez yelling and throwing ketchup at the walls, after his cover-up efforts are now being openly sabotaged by his own wife!
Laurel says
Yeah, I cannot believe we’ve been dragged into wars in the middle east. Those people have been fighting throughout history. Trump is doing all he can to kill off renewable energy, in order to promote oil. Again, there are those who are more than willing to kill our soldiers for oil and profit, while lying to us. So sick.
Ray W. says
This morning, the Trump administration’s Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, told a Fox audience that 10% of normal sipping traffic is transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
On or about the same time, a FOX News story about shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped.
In the story, Abu Dhabi’s National Oil Company chief was quoted from a recent social media posts:
“This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait is not open.”
The reporter wrote that on Wednesday, six vessels exited the Strait, out of some 3,200 ships, including 800 tankers and cargo ships, bottled up on the wrong side of it.
Mark Smith, a Kepler analyst, told the reporter that three ships left the Persian Gulf on Thursday. He added:
“We are not seeing any, any, any oil products passing through there. … So for all intents and purposes, the strait remains closed. And this is the leverage that Iran has.”
According to the reporter, some cargo is being rerouted to other ports not subject to Iranian control, but the process adds two weeks to shipping schedules and roughly 25% to shipping costs.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
I cannot explain why Kevin Hassett would tell a Fox audience that 10% of normal shipping traffic is transmitting the Strait when it is so easy to prove otherwise. Is he just making up a figure? Talking to hear his head roar? Was he compelled to say so as part of a coordinated administration effort to mislead and misinform?
While different sources offer different figures for daily Strait transit, one such source has 138 ships transiting the Strait each day on average before the onset of war. Maybe each source defines ship differently.
Ray W. says
Intellinews reports that Asian petrochemical plants are beginning to declare “force majeure” to protect themselves from damage claims arising from an inability to meet contractual obligations. The reason? Dropping deliveries of naphtha and liquid propane gas (LPG) from Persian Gulf refineries.
Refineries process crude oil into many products. Tars and greases are on the heavy end of the refining process. Diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene and gasoline are in the middle. Naphtha and LPG are on the light end.
Regarding LPG, when refineries operate at normal full capacity, between 1-2% of output is LPG. At partial refinery operating capacity, output drops to 0.5-1.0% LPG.
Naphtha is a precursor chemical in the making of olefins, which are then used to make plastics like butadiene, ethylene and propylene. LPG is used in the naphtha cracking process.
As an aside, both Venezuelan and Canadian heavy crude oils are too thick to be transported by pipeline. Naphtha is needed to dilute heavy crude into a transportable viscosity.
According to the reporter, 60% of the world’s naphtha comes from Persian Gulf refineries.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
The naphtha and LPG shortage will not be limited to Asian petrochemical plants; it will spread to other petrochemical plants. Reports provide evidence that many Persian Gulf refineries have been hit by Iranian missiles and drones and that no one knows the full extent of the damage inflicted. Little of anything is getting out of the Persian Gulf. Plastics, for good or ill, are important to daily life. Is it reasonable to argue that it won’t just be gasoline prices at the pump that shock.
Pogo says
The Spice must flow…
https://www.google.com/search?q=ellison+and+murdoch+familirs+ownership+of+streaming+services
Ibid
https://www.google.com/search?q=control+the+spice
Ray W. says
The Bureau of Labor Services (BLS) Consumer Products Inflation (CPI) report for March 2026 came out this morning. As background, each month, the BLS checks prices on a basket of more than 80,000 goods and services, split into more than 200 categories. There are CPI subcategories, such as a medical CPI, for example.
Compared to prices in February, the complete basket of goods and services reflects a 0.9% rise in prices. Year-over-year, the inflation figure is 3.3%. When the volatile categories of food and energy are stripped away, the more limited basket of goods and services, when compared to figures from February, the inflation rate is 0.2%. Year-over-year, the inflation number is 2.6% inflation.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
With a Fed-set inflation target rate of 2.0%, none of these figures can be called good. 0.9% inflation over one month, annualized, is 10.8% inflation. But, core inflation of 0.2% in March supports a measure of optimism. And it is highly unlikely that such a high overall monthly inflation figure will persist. This is why I continually argue that short-term economic numbers are worth considering, but they support far less weight than quarterly or annual economic numbers. Snapshots have value, but not that much value.
On the other hand, yesterday, a revised figure for fourth quarter 2025 GDP growth was released. Original expectations for fourth quarter 2025 growth were at 1.4%. The first actual estimate placed growth at 0.7%. It was just revised down to 0.5% growth. That means that GDP growth for 2025 is now established at 2.1%, 25% lower than 2024’s GDP growth of 2.8%. GDP growth for 2023 was 2.9%.
I don’t consider 2.1% GDP growth bad. Rather, I consider it less good than 2.8%. There is a reason why both the Wall Street Journal and The Economist wrote that President Trump inherited from President Biden an economy that was the “envy of the world.”
Yes, there are a number of pestilential partisan members of faction on the FlaglerLive forum whose comments cannot be trusted. Every FlaglerLive reader ought to know by now that anything these habitually dishonest commenters post should be checked for accuracy.
As for me, I almost always ask readers to check for themselves the facts and positions set out in most of my comments, as I assert that common sense demands that much of us all. I welcome new perspectives. True conservatism is good that way.
Ray W. says
In a recent comment posted to a different story thread, Ed P argued that President Trump was an alpha leader. Another commenter had described Trump as a bully. I state from the outset that it seems to me that an alpha leader can lead by persuasion and example and a different type of alpha leader can be a bully who forces compliance by force or threat. One might be called a constructive leader and the other a destructive leader.
Intrigued by the issue, I looked for definitions of alpha leadership. I am sure that there are quite a number of other definitions out there, but I selected one from Marriage.com, titled “15 Essential Alpha Male Traits in a Relationship”
1. He does not run from challenges.
2. He is not proud.
3. He is determined.
4. He is a born leader.
5. He knows his weaknesses.
6. He works out.
7. He is honest.
8. He knows how to manage his emotions.
9. He is well groomed.
10. He cares about his loved ones.
11. He is great with communication.
12. He is good at saying “no”.
13. He is assertive.
14. He wants a genuine connection.
15. He always wants to get better.
I then looked for a description for an alpha bully. I came across a definition for narcissistic grandiosity, which applies to persons who are arrogant, entitled, charming, superficial and vain. They tend to lack empathy, and have a proclivity for lying and being antagonistic. When disappointed, they tend to exhibit rage.
This from the Family Institute at Northwestern University:
“People can be drawn to grandiose narcissists, often quickly, because of their charm and success. Grandiose narcissists are often prominent in their communities.”
Make of this what you will.
Me?
Perhaps President Trump is neither or both or somewhere in between. Perhaps he is a chameleon. Perhaps he is nothing more than a pompous ass, like I am. Maybe I am wrong.
Laurel says
There is nothing “alpha” about the guy. He started out with his dad’s money, his dad, Roy Cohn, Michael Cohen and others were always bailing his butt out. He fires by tweet. Bullies are not alpha, they are scarred, little boys.
Sherry says
Regardless of what the Maga trump deplorable sycophants say:
* Criminality Matters- trump is a criminally convicted felon
* Sexual Abuse Matters- trump found GUILTY of Sexual Abuse
* Defaming People Matters-trump found GUILTY of Defaming his Victim
* Being Impeached Matters- trump is the ONLY President to be Impeached TWICE
* Starting a War and Killing Innocent People Matters- Iran
* Unconstitutional Acts Matters- trump has perpetuated too many to list them all
* Pardoning Jan. 6th Convicted Criminal Insurrectionists Matters- trump pardoned every single one because trump instigated the INSURRECTION
* Bullying and Turning Leaders of Other Countries Against Our Country Matters- trump’s Tariffs/Wars
* Creating a Gestapo Styled Force That Has Murdered American Citizens Matters- trump’s ICE
CHARACTER and MORALS MATTER
* Lying Matters- trump has LIED over 30 THOUSAND times while in office
* FRAUD Matters- trump has been Convicted of over 35 counts of fraud
* Adultery Matters- trump cheated on his pregnant wife with a porn star
* Association Matters- trump was close friends and “partied” with Epstein
* Words Matter- trump threatening to end an entire civilization is an abomination
* Abuse of Power to Enrich One’s Self Matters- trump has conducted too many to list
* Nepotism Matters- trump has given massive power to his son in-law Jared Kushner
This list goes on and on! trump and his entire enterprise is an abomination and an affront to all decent human beings!
TRUMP IS UNFIT FOR OFFICE!
Ed P says
Hello Sherry,
In all probability, Trump will still be President for 3 more years.
You need to “catch up”
The Democratic Party is whispering mistakes, such as : mismanagement of the border crisis, the economy, and the overreach into progressive cultural issues.
Identity politics and progressive issues proved unimportant to the average family. Kitchen table politics and their children’s future is their North Star.
It’s a plausible explanation to your vapid rants about character and how the reprobate got elected.
The Dems are adrift and face a Herculean challenge in 2028. The current Democratic bench resembles a tee ball team facing a 2 times world champion major league Republican roster.
Set aside your futile Trump diatribes and focus on what needs to be improved. Resisting to resist. Or complaining to complain hasn’t exposed any solutions. The left needs to re-engage and help America.
At least 1/2 of the country did not think extreme progressive ideology was leading our country in the correct trajectory. They chose Trump to provide a course correction.
On the national level, the left hasn’t demonstrated or taken responsibility for electing Trump. They did it to themselves.
Locally, the Dems are making some inroads. However…
Governor Spanberger, Mayor Mamdani, and Michigan Senate Candidate El-Sayed may not appeal to most working families once the campaign promises of “free” never materialize. After the wealthy are chased out, who’s left to pay the tab?
Laurel says
Thank you, Sherry. Seeing who Trump has placed in his cabinet, who he picked for VP, seeing his post of him flying over U.S. citizens while dropping excrement on their heads, and watching the first lady come out for an unannounced press conference while standing behind the podium, with the Seal of the President of the United States on it, with American flags behind her, to gripe about personal issues, just shows us how the current administration members no not take their positions seriously. I’ve never seen such ridiculous behavior of a group of ten year olds, claiming to lead us. The rest of the world thinks we have lost our minds. The United States of America now looks like this. He has taken us down.
Ray W. says
As foundation for this comment, many liquid-state lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) use graphite, either naturally sourced or synthetically formed, as an anode material, with lithium electrons traveling one direction from the anode through a liquid electrolyte during discharging and the opposite direction through a liquid electrolyte toward the anode during charging. Batteries have anodes and cathodes as positive and negative electrodes.
One problem during battery charge-discharge cycling is that lithium electrons can build up on the face of the anode, a condition called lithium plating. Over many cycles, the anode becomes less and less capable of accepting lithium electrons during charging, i.e., the battery can no longer hold a charge.
Lead-acid batteries commonly last no more than 500 deep cycles before they no longer can hold a charge. Liquid-state lithium-ion batteries, depending on chemistry, can endure thousands of charge cycles before they can no longer hold a charge.
Graphite anodes, however, can store only so much power. Silicon anodes can store significantly more power, but silicon anodes rapidly degrade during charge-discharge cycling. The goal then has been to find a way to create a silicon anode that can last across many charge-discharge cycles.
I do not claim to fully understand the new silicon anode forming process described in an Interesting Engineering articles, but here goes.
Researchers affiliated with Tel Aviv University’s School of Chemistry and Department of Materials Science developed an ambient temperature laser-directed method that forms under heat and pressure a silicon-graphene composite anode. This new anode chemistry, under testing, holds at least 98% of its lithium electron storage capacity after 2,000 charging cycles. Not quite battery nirvana, but still a significant achievement for an industry that is still in the Model T stage of its development.
Here is where I may fall short.
A precursor composite material made of phenolic resin, silicon nanoparticles and lithium salts is heated by low-power, rapid laser irradiation, a step that triggers under pressure chemical reactions between the silicon and the lithium salts. A new 3D porous electrically conductive graphene material forms in a “core shell structure” that supports partially lithiated silicone nanoparticles coated in a thin lithium silicate layer.
The new structured material “buffers” volume expansion of the anode during charging and discharging. Volume expansion is the enemy; it degrades silicone anodes over time, so buffering silicone expansion is important to extending anode lifespans.
The reporter extracted from a research team statement the following:
“The anodes also display ultrafast charging capabilities.” And, “[t]his innovation not only advances the development of next generation LiBs, but also establishes a framework for converting readily available and cost effective precursor materials into high-performing electrodes, promising to reduce complexity and costs in battery manufacturing.”
Make of this what you will.
Skibum says
Hitler’s genocidal effort to kill off the world’s population of Jews was an ultimate failure, despite his Nazi regime’s mass murder of millions of Jews in his concentration camp’s gas chambers and ovens. Still, Nazi apologists and holocaust deniers ignore history, reject graphic pictorial evidence of the slaughter, and refuse to believe that Hitler was one of the world’s most horrific, despicable beings. Even today, there are secret and not-so-secret Naziesque groups who adhere to Hitler’s philosophy and hatred of Jews, gays and other minority groups, and want only a white race to inhabit our planet.
Trump’s grotesque and vulgar social media statement on Easter should be a wake-up call to all who proclaim to follow the teachings of Christ. His Easter rant was followed up by an official presidential statement indicating his intention to commit genocide, threatening to eliminate and entire civilization of Iranian citizens in one day if their regime did not capitulate and agree to his terms. Maga apoligists and reality deniers simply shrug their shoulders. And what have we heard from the Israeli government, who’s Jews are the very ones targeted by Hitler’s attempt to eliminate their civilization not that many decades ago? Absolutely NOTHING! “Bibi” is content and probably smiling when he reminisces about our unhinged, maniacal president making such a horrific war crime threat.
People wonder why so many Americans compare our convicted felon sex abuser maniac in the WH to Hitler. THIS is why! Everything is transactional to him… even human beings. Simply pawns, whether they are Americans or citizens of other nations, whether civilizations include breathing, walking human beings or carcasses to be buried in open pits and left to rot, his next thought would most likely wonder what his next fast food meal would be – a Big Mac with a double order of fries with that diet Coke, or a Quarter Pounder. Then off to hit the little golf ball into the hole again, leaving his minions to clean up the mess he leaves behind wherever his portly body and canckles have left their marks on the WH carpet. Ho hum, just another day for him.
There are FlaglerLive readers and commenters who continue to follow and support our unhinged, criminal president, who keep replying back and disagreeing with the sane among us who already see and know who this horrible example of humanity is and what he stands for. He stands for nothing, has no policies, he only has one real “aide” who give him the “best” advice, and that, he has explained before, is, of course, himself. He is loyal to nobody, but expects absolute, unwavering loyalty from everyone around him.
For those who STILL support this criminal man and his corrupt presidential administration and it’s sycophants, you are wasting your time and mine by the incessant debate about his lack of character, his lack of morality, his lack of compassion, and yes, his lack of brain power. I am not interested in any back and forth jousting that the maga faithful might somehow think would possibly change my mind about him or his maga takeover of the former republican party. The only debate that any patriotic American should partake in now, is what do we want for the future of our nation and our democracy, and how to we go about that to ensure that we obtain it.
I doubt the world will ever eradicate the truly insane minority of people who continue to believe that Hitler was somehow a great man, a great, gifted leader, and someone to be emulated and praised. Regardless of what we have witnessed first hand from our own version who is in the WH now, I also believe there are those committed, brain dead maga faithful who will go to their graves in loyal abeyance to the convicted felon president, no matter what he does, and the maga movement may last into the future as well for a very small, unhinged group. But even some of his most prominent figures with widespread fan bases on social media, TV and conservative radio have already turned against him, so there is hope that even more former maga sycophants and supporters are finally, belatedly, seeing the light that all of the rest of us have seen from the very beginning.
And that I suppose, is a good start to repairing the extreme damage one man has done to his own political party and our country’s standing in the world.
Ed P says
Hello Skibum,
Your Hitler/Trump comparison is irrationally illogical. It’s so far beyond reality that you are correct…even I agree!
Anyone attempting to debate your perceptions is wasting their time.
Ps. Let’s just hope the Democrats find that “miracle” candidate.
Sherry says
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! Skibum! My feelings exactly!
“There are none so blind as those who REFUSE to see”!
Sherry says
BRAVO Skibum!
If the “Thumbs Up” function was working, I would certainly give you one!