flafan.bsky.social

Wilma’s pantry is empty. If you would like to donate to hungry teens - please read the thread. 1/4

As #Florida opposition explodes, data center investment keeps flowing. One data center builder is establishing a new 153,000-square-foot national HQ and production campus in SW FL www.naplesnews.com/story/money/...

James Madison warned that freedom is often lost through gradual, quiet encroachments. Today, soft censorship and anticipatory obedience allow books to disappear from shelves without formal bans or public debate. We must recognize censorship even when it happens quietly. #FreedomToRead

The seasons are changing, the water is cooling, and the lookdowns are back in town #lookdown #elegantoddball #shiny #coralcitycamera

Often overlooked, #Florida Commissioner of Agriculture race could impact the lives of lots of people around the state. www.wlrn.org/government-p... via @wlrn.org

In his latest, @jasongarcia.bsky.social looks at just how much money billionaire Ken Griffin is pumping into Republican races in Florida. "... these latest donations are one more reminder of the farcical nature of Florida’s campaign-finance laws..."

Libraries have been gearing up for election season all year, with programming and resources to help their patrons get #ReaderVoterReady! Still need some last minute inspiration? Check out our Ready Voter Ready resources for event ideas and more: ala.org/advocacy/initiatives/reader-voter-ready

That's a quote for the winning team to remember when the guy in the White House is trying to invite them for a photo op.

Penguins are pooping pink – and when viewed from space, that’s giving scientists a new way to track how Antarctica’s climate is changing.

A World Series run from the Rays (the baseball team) is a unique educational opportunity about the rays (the animal). “These rays, to me, are such a resilient symbol of this city,” says #Florida biologist who's their caretaker www.tampabay.com/news/environ... via @maxchesnes.bsky.social

NASA lost contact with Maven, its youngest Mars orbiter, at the end of 2025. With the rest of the satellites orbiting Mars more than two decades old, a planetary scientist explains the troubles this could cause for future exploration:

Can someone please tell little rfk and the current misgovernment of Florida?

When #Florida lawmakers passed the Live Local Act in 2023, developers & real estate pros saw it as a turning point for workforce housing. Rising interest rates & construction costs made many approved projects financially unworkable. www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville... h/t @floridatrend.bsky.social

Bok Tower Gardens in #Florida successfully defended its title in the fourth-annual Waterlily Weigh-Off, in which public gardens and zoos across the world compete for the swolest lily pad. The winning water lily held 285 pounds. www.axios.com/local/tampa-... via @axios.com

news.miami.edu/rosenstiel/s...

“This project aims to incorporate new innovative approaches into coral restoration while also bringing together many years of experience of coral spawning that is dispersed across several institutions working on Florida’s Coral Reef,” said Andrew Baker, Principal Investigator of the grant.

In one #Florida city, the Pride crosswalk that the DOT painted over a year ago is starting to reemerge thanks to the wear & tear of being driven on. www.tampabay.com/news/st-pete... via @tampabaytimes.bsky.social

This is especially bad for #Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, who's now stuck backing the data centers too even though they're incredibly unpopular.

Sigh ... the state I live in. #Florida

A significant amount of Philadelphia public schools’ technology and other equipment goes missing (or can’t be accounted for) each year due to poor inventory and tracking.

Indictments of a longtime extremism researcher and her former organization, the SPLC, raise a crucial question: What are the ethical limits on research about often-dangerous groups?

Elected officials across Texas are increasingly treating ordinary Muslim religious practice – prayer, dress, marriage counseling, dispute mediation, even mosques themselves – as evidence of a political threat and saying so openly.

Many Americans associate Yiddish strictly with Jews from Eastern Europe. But its horizons are much broader than that, especially amid today’s revival, a Yiddish scholar from Mexico explains.

Hey #Florida man Jeff Bezos, the ball is in your court now. Support free speech, do what's right & reinstate her, as the arbitrator recommended.

Column: #Florida AG James "Oopsie!" Uthmeier has found another right-wing windmill he can tilt at -- this time, the NYT. floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/23/u... via @dkroberts.bsky.social

#Florida Tax Watch lambastes Gov. Ron DeSastrous' boneheaded Amendment 3 property tax "reform" www.floridatoday.com/story/news/p...

Column: In a gift to the President Convicted Felon "Library," #Florida abandoned its famous transparency floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/23/f... via @floridaphoenix.com

The midnights and queens put on a show for the Coralheads this afternoon. This went on for about 20 mins. CamDam surrendered. 🤩🌌👑🦜🐟#midnightparrotfish #queenparrotfish #parrotfishjungle #parrotfishcapitaloftheworld #coralcitycamera

Current wife of #Florida politician & ally of Gov. Ron DeSastrous defends him against child sex abuse charges, claims they're bogus. (Even though they're in line with prior accusations that should have derailed his career before now.) www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c... via @miamiherald.com

Global sea surface temperatures are now higher than at any time in at least 12,000 years and are probably reaching levels experienced during the last interglacial period. This is VERY bad news if a hurricane develops. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026... via @washingtonpost.com

Israeli company announced it will build experimental flying cars at Central #Florida site. NOTE: Flying cars do not currently exist. Hence the "experimental" adjective. And if they do ever exist, they will be used as taxis for rich people. www.theledger.com/story/busine...

Looking back at Hurricane Andrew's impact on South #Florida on this date in 1992. www.miamiherald.com/news/weather... via @miamiherald.com

Data center backlash spreads in #Florida. Counties across the state — Leon, Nassau, Pasco and Sarasota counties — have issued moratoria. www.axios.com/local/miami/... via @axios.com

This would also stop the #Florida wildlife commission from using them to run secret surveillance of its critics. The DAVID system should enact a similar reform.

#Florida hid records to keep Gov. Ron DeSastrous' Everglades concentration camp open, lawsuit by enviro groups says www.naplesnews.com/story/news/2...

Column: #Florida politics these days is "such a boatload of oozing, viscous disingenuousness wrapped in piffle, enshrouded in jabberwocky and enveloped in fiddle-faddle." www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2... via @tampabaytimes.bsky.social

Judges grill #Florida Gov. Ron DeSastrous' administration attorney over Medicaid termination letters. Said one: "This is pretty bad." floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/12/j... via @floridaphoenix.com

Funny how these unqualified political appointments keep falling like dominoes. Wonder why....🤔

NOW ON SUBSTACK! Arkansas’s new library law is raising serious concerns, but Florida’s experience offers important lessons about what happens next. Be sure to click subscribe so you don't miss any articles! freedomtoreadproject.substack.com/p/arkansass-...

Appeals court approves #Florida mining company's test of radioactive waste for use in road building. They can eliminate streetlights & just enjoy the warm glow of the radiation! floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/12/u... via @floridaphoenix.com

Six #Florida counties make top 10 list as most vulnerable in the U.S. to hurricanes. Lee County, hit hard by Hurricane Ian in 2022, tops the list. www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/h... via @kmillerweather.bsky.social

What is it about rich white folks and their rage to destroy? Craig Pittman presents another atrocity, this time in (what's left of) panther habitat. floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/13/r...

“I think American history is rich. I think we have to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Leonard Moore (Univ. of Texas at Austin) joins six fellow historians to discuss why students benefit from learning the full complexity of the American past.

Scarface the lemon shark perseveres with his broken jaw against the odds 💪🍋🦈 #lemonshark #sharksofcoralcity #scarface #perseveres #coralcitycamera

That last quote from the article is really important. Amendment 3 (property taxes) will be on the ballot in November and a “yes” vote will come at a huge cost to our public library funding. Public libraries and many other important public goods and services rely on these local taxes.

Good news for Sunday morning: Hernando residents spoke up and successfully saved their local public library from closure (for now). From the article… www.tampabay.com/news/hernand...