Ugly breakup between Trump, Musk elicits breakup memories
Welcome to the Friday edition of Jacksonville's Morning News for June 6, 2025. Congratulations to Russell Weimer, who won $1,000 on Thursday while listening to the Sean Hannity Show. He heard the Payroll Payout Keyword (Super) and got that winning callback. Today is the last day of this nationwide contest. Listen at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 5:00 pm.
First Alert Weather: Dry morning commute before a few isolated late day storms. Highs today will be in the lower to mid 90s. A few late afternoon showers/storms will develop today either side of 4:00 pm and linger into the early evening. Saturday will bring a hot day with highs in the lower to mid 90s and feels like temperatures 100-105. An isolated afternoon shower/storm is possible each day over the weekend.
Three Big Things to Know:
Washington holds its breath after the public fallout between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The world's most powerful man and its wealthiest began attacking each other in a spectacle from inside the White House to social media. The feud began with Musk's criticism of Trump's legislative agenda, which would increase the deficit while eliminating tax incentives that have helped his electric automaker Tesla. Trump responded by threatening to cut government subsidies and contracts for Musk's companies, and things only escalated from there.
The city of Fernandina Beach just closed its window for companies to apply to manage a possible paid parking program. The city says it needs money for local projects that would be raised through paid parking. Some people who visit the area think they should do it another way. The city says paid parking is just an idea right now — and nothing has been approved yet. There's a town hall going over the paid parking idea being held at city hall on June 24th.
A 90's music festival in St. Augustine is delayed - again - leaving some long-time attendees frustrated. The latest date for the As If! 90s event, June 21st, has been canceled and organizers say they're planning to move the show to the fall. The festival says all ticket holders will be refunded no later than June 14th. Ancient City Entertainment runs both the As If! 90s event and the Palatka Blue Crab Festival, which faced criticism over high prices, fewer vendors, and a lack of a carnival last month.
Florida's 'Firefighter Health and Safety' bill is now law. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill yesterday while speaking at the annual Convention of Florida Professional Firefighters. He says it strengthens Florida's commitment to the health and safety of firefighters by updating the state's Firefighters Occupational Safety and Health Act. It includes protections against occupational diseases and mental health challenges and introduces measures to limit firefighter work schedules to 42 hours per week, aiming to reduce burnout and fatigue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Questions about tornado warnings, Republican supermajority and "beautiful" bill
While the late afternoon tornado came through Norman on June 3, I followed my tornado protocols that I'd honed over my 40 years in Norman. I grabbed my NOAA weather radio, flashlights, iPads, phones, dogs, neighbors and myself and hunkered down in my tornado shelter. I turned on my NOAA weather radio to get specific information about the Norman tornado up top. This is the transmission that I got. 'This NOAA weather station is temporarily off the air. Please tune to an alternate weather radio broadcast or visit for the latest weather information.' My NOAA weather radio also did not sound the loud alarm about the approaching tornado. Two hours after the tornado, the NOAA radio was still transmitting that same broken message. My NOAA radios have always worked to broadcast very specific locational information relating to weather events. I can only wonder if other Oklahomans, in the line of (June 3's) tornadoes, found that they could not rely on NOAA for their weather my 40 years in Norman, NOAA, under 20 years of Republican presidents and 20 years of Democratic presidents has become a finely tuned set of federal agencies with work forces composed of educated, motivated and dedicated federal employees with missions to protect Americans' lives against extreme and dangerous weather events. This president has decided to tip this scientific agency on its head and break it. So I send 'no thanks' to President Trump, Elon Musk, DOGE, Congressman Tom Cole and (Sens. James) Lankford and (Markwayne) Mullin for breaking NOAA. I bid good luck to the people in the American hurricane states. They are likely to find that they cannot rely on NOAA for weather information that can save lives. And like me, they will know who they can blame for it. ― Lani Malysa — Norman More: Oklahoma's weather scientists are ready for tornado season despite threat of DOGE cuts Reference William C. Wertz's opinion piece of May 30. He is exactly correct about the purposeful and shameful diminution of citizens ability to circulate the initiative petition. The Republican supermajority is both careless and crass as they conduct the people's business showing no regard to fundamental rights given to us in our state Constitution and subsequent statutes. Having served in both the House and Senate, I cannot believe the current leadership in the Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt so blithely and arrogantly misstate what various bills do. This behavior was especially grievous as SB 1027 ― the theft of our initiative petition rights ― moved from the Senate to the House. Even when confronted by knowledgeable lawmakers, especially Rep. Andy Fugate, who asked well-researched and important questions, the authors chose to distort and double talk into deeper and deeper holes of deception. In doing so they shame themselves, their party and bring derision and disbelief from others around our country. No wonder progressive, forward-looking companies and individuals routinely mark off our state for location or investment. After all, it's bad enough to have to deal with politicians in the first place and it's downright disgusting when they are provably habitual liars. ― Cal Hobson — Lexington More: The 'big beautiful bill' is not compassionate conservatism but cruelty codified | Letter The House bill that all of Oklahoma's congressmen voted for is now before the Senate. Branded a growth package, this legislation could add up to $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. This is dangerous fiscal policy. Our debt already exceeds $35 trillion, and in 2025 alone, the U.S. could spend over $1.1 trillion just on interest payments despite historically low interest rates. That is more than the $880 billion we spend on the Department of Defense. By 2032, interest payments could easily double to over $2 trillion annually from growing deficits and rising interest rates. The recent downgrade of our AAA credit rating by Moody's — the first since 1917 — was in part based on projections of the long-term impact of this bill. Interest rates on government bonds rose the day of the downgrade and rates Oklahomans pay for mortgages and auto loans increased. These policies in this bill are nothing new — they're a rerun of failed Republican 'trickle-down' tax cuts enacted in 1981, 2001, and 2017. To pay for part of the cuts, Reagan taxed Social Security for the first time and Republicans continue to shift the tax burden. Each time, tax cuts failed to pay for themselves. Instead of boosting wages, they fueled corporate stock buybacks that before Reagan were illegal because they did not lead to productive investments in our economy. Ordinary families were left behind and income inequality grew. The lost revenue from the cuts in this bill moves us much closer to the 'doom loop' where we must borrow more every year just to pay interest. And when the federal budgets tighten, it's always working families who Republicans ask to sacrifice, not the people who most benefited. Expect to hear calls to raise the retirement age, cut Medicare and food programs, and eliminate more funding for education and housing not reversing their failed tax policy. Cutting services for our citizens is not fiscal responsible. It's shifting the burden from the wealthy to those least able to carry it ― 'Shift and Shaft.' The wealthiest 10% keep their tax breaks while working families face longer hours, higher prices, and fewer public services. Most Oklahomans did not demand more tax cuts for billionaires. Yet we'll be the ones paying the price. Let this sink in: The U.S. now has one of the most unequal income distributions among developed countries, ranking 42nd globally in upward mobility. Life expectancy has fallen to 48th in the world at 78.4 years. Oklahoma's is 72.7 years, 48th in the nation. These aren't just statistics — they're signs of policies that are leaving everyday Oklahomans behind. Senators Lankford and Mullin still have time to do the right thing. Ask them to oppose this bill and push for tax policies that protect our future — by investing in the well-being of every Oklahoman, not giveaways for the top 10 % who already hold 67.3% of total household wealth. — William Langdon, Tulsa More: Oklahoma's schoolteachers need more education on how to deal with trauma | Opinion Eight years ago, I attended a parenting class to become a certified foster parent, and I was shocked to learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Why was I surprised to learn about childhood trauma at a DHS training? I was struck by the absence of this vital information from my own education and training. I was a certified public school teacher and administrator. I had taught hundreds of students, so I couldn't help but think, 'Why have I never heard this before?! Educators need to know about the impacts of trauma.' ACEs indicate a traumatic experience has occurred before age 18 which threatens a child's development. ACEs include various types of abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. These experiences cause developmental impacts that are profound and often long-lasting. ACEs may cause cognitive, physical, social, emotional or behavioral deficits which become evident in the classroom as trauma impacts student behavior and learning. Since that DHS training, I have learned that Oklahoma has a particularly high prevalence of ACEs, especially compared to other states. In 2019, a requirement in state statute was added for pre-service teachers to be trained in trauma-informed responsive instruction. Disturbingly, though, there is still no requirement for certified teachers or school administrators to receive this essential training. And with the dramatic rise of alternative teacher certification in Oklahoma, a significant number of new teachers are entering classrooms unprepared. To better support our students, Oklahoma law must be changed to require trauma-informed training for all educators. This training is critical for understanding and responding to the impacts of trauma on students creating more effective and supportive learning environments across the state. — Annie Keehn, Tecumseh Re: Fed cuts to impact NPR, PBS in state, Friday, May 30, page A1: Anyone with any intelligent awareness who listens to NPR knows NPR is a liberal Democrat mouthpiece. — Greg Clift, Anadarko I agree with guest columnist Matthew Curtis Fleischer concerning the church welcoming 'anyone sincerely interested in learning more about God ... including LGBTQ+ people,' since they need Jesus just like the rest of us sinners. However, I must take issue with his concluding homosexuality is not an essential issue since Jesus never mentioned it. Jesus also never mentioned rape, pedophilia or necrophilia. How many of these would Fleischer consider not an essential issue? Any argument that proves too much proves nothing. Besides his Jesus never mentioned it argument, Fleischer also dismisses homosexuality as an issue that 'the entire New Testament mentions fewer than five times.' My question is, how many times does God have to address a topic to make it an essential issue? God has spoken unambiguously on the issue in the New Testament. See Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 1:8-10. While Jesus never spoke directly about homosexual behavior, He addressed it by emphasizing the only sexual union approved by God in Matt. 19:4-6. In John 16:12-13 Jesus told His apostles He still had many things to say to them that they could not then bear, but when the Holy Spirit came He would 'guide them into all truth.' So anyone basing their doctrine only on the words spoken by Jesus is not following all truth. — Dean Cave, Antlers This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Concerns about tornado warnings, citizens' rights and Trump | Letters
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Summer starts in Mississippi soon. What AccuWeather says about possible heat, severe storms
According to the AccuWeather summer forecast, about half the U.S. can expect drought conditions that could elevate wildfire risks. The other half can plan for wild, severe storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also expects an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. Mississippi is known for having hot, humid summers. As though the annual tornado threat wasn't serious enough, storm season this year could bring unpleasant surprises. A hurricane might land in or near Mississippi. Some Gulf weather systems could turn into a derecho. Here's what we know about the summer forecast for the Magnolia State. Be ready for extreme heat and severe storms. Meteorologists say June 1 is the first day of summer. The first day of the astronomical season is Friday, June 20, 2025. Summer kicks off each year with the solstice, or longest day, and that can be June 20, 21 or 22. AccuWeather meteorologists expect Mississippi to see temperatures about 1-2 degrees warmer than average through the summer. The Gulf often gets severe weather like tornadoes and strong thunderstorms in warmer months. This year, there's a chance of derechos. These storm clusters are sometimes called inland hurricanes because of how strong the winds are. The National Weather Service says they have sustained winds of 58 mph and leave a path at least 250 miles long. Some wind gusts can exceed 100 mph. Trump wants to get rid of FEMA. What will that mean for Mississippi storm, flood recovery? Almost half of the country can expect a hot, dry summer thanks to the end of La Niña. But that's doesn't mean we've swung into an EL Niño pattern. Right now we're in a weather pattern called ENSO-neutral. Forecasters say that this can make it more difficult to pin down predictions because the weather will behave less consistently than when it follows a trend. The Gulf is likely to dodge a drought, which could boost wildfire risks. But some historic hurricane seasons have been in ENSO-neutral periods. According to the AccuWeather early forecast map for the Atlantic hurricane season. The Magnolia State might be affected by the 2025 hurricane season. A map of potential landfall locations shows three spots where hurricanes might make landfall and affect Mississippi. One appears to be on the coast, on the Louisiana border. Another two are low on the toe of the Louisiana "boot." A hurricane path heading northeast from those points would likely go through Mississippi. Landfall isn't the only worry with a hurricane. Storm surges, wind, flooding and tornadoes can accompany a storm well into its journey over landlocked areas. Be ready: What to expect from MS weather, see storm names in AccuWeather 2025 hurricane season forecast The Old Farmer's Almanac defines the Deep South (Region 8) as Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. Temperatures are expected to be "significantly higher" than usual. Overall, the almanac expects the region to get less rain than usual and advises preparing for a heat wave early. Is Mississippi at risk this year? See spring, summer wildfire forecast from AccuWeather If you thought spring was the end of allergy season in Mississippi, think again. AllergyChoices notes that high grass pollen counts start in May and stay high through August. June is the peak month for grass allergens, and July is the month with the most weed allergies in the southeast. Ragweed pollen counts can be high from July through October. Check out seasonal pollen counts and forecasts at to fend off allergies in advance. Contributing: Janet Loehrke, Doyle Rice Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: AccuWeather summer weather: Mississippi forecast calls for heat, storms
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
What defunding public media would mean for the West
Sage Smiley, KYUK's news director, and Morris Alexie visit the proposed site for the climate-driven relocation of Nunapitchuk, a village of about 600 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Alexie is the community's relocation manager. (Photo by Katie Baldwin Basile) Late last fall, members of Bethel, Alaska's search and rescue team met at the local public radio station, KYUK, for a program called River Watch. Over an hour and a half, they took calls from listeners around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, comparing notes on the safety of the ice at different points along the Kuskokwim River. 'Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there,' said a caller from the village of Kalskag, his voice muffled over the phone. He said he'd recently flown over the river to the east and observed lots of holes in the ice. He wanted to warn listeners in other towns: 'There is no trail right now. None of the open water is marked. So it's advised not to be traveling back and forth from Aniak.' KYUK is the only daily news source for this region, which is roughly the size of Oregon, and River Watch is a staple of its programming. In dozens of Southwest Alaska villages — including many Yup'ik, Athabaskan and Cup'ik communities — residents who live far from the U.S. highway system rely on boats and snow machines to get around. 'The Kuskokwim River in this region is like our highway,' said KYUK news director Sage Smiley. During freeze-up and breakup each year, knowing the condition of the ice can be a matter of life and death. And in the Y-K Delta, where Internet access is often limited, public radio plays a crucial role. But if the Trump administration gets its way, programs like River Watch could soon disappear. Last month, the president signed an executive order aimed at preventing congressionally approved federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) from going to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). CPB, NPR, PBS and a host of local stations have all filed lawsuits in response. Meanwhile, in its proposed budget, the administration outlined a plan to eliminate funding for CPB entirely — and this week, Trump asked Congress to take back more than a billion dollars that had already been set aside for public broadcasters. Lawmakers have 45 days to make a decision on the request, with a House vote expected as early as next week. Defunding public media would hurt stations across the U.S., but for ones like KYUK, which relies on CPB for nearly 70% of its revenue, it would be 'catastrophic,' Smiley said. The data show that stations serving rural and Indigenous audiences in the West would be the hardest hit. Here's why, by the numbers. CPB is an independent nonprofit created by Congress nearly 60 years ago to distribute federal funds to noncommercial TV and radio stations across the U.S. Today, it funds more than 1,500 stations, many of which buy NPR and PBS content to distribute locally alongside local news, music shows and other programming. Collectively, the stations in the public media network give 99% of the U.S. population access to public broadcasting. Nearly half of CPB grantees are rural, and together they employ close to 6,000 people. As nonprofits, local public media stations rely on a variety of funding sources, including federal funding, state funding, listener donations, grants, and underwriting from local businesses. On average, federal funding accounts for 16% of a local public media station's revenue. But for many stations, that percentage is much higher. Three factors unite the stations most reliant on federal funding: They are located in the West, they are rural, and they are tribal stations. Among stations in the 50 states, those in the Western U.S. are by far the most dependent on federal funding, according to a recent analysis of station financial reports for fiscal year 2023, carried out by former NPR product manager Alex Curley. (Limited data is available for American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but according to Curley, the few stations there rely even more heavily on federal funding.) On average, Curley found, Western stations depend on federal money for just over 20% of their revenue — compared with just under 15% for the next highest region, the Midwest. The states with the highest average dependency, in order, are West Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico and Montana. In Alaska, the most dependent Western state, public media stations rely on federal funding for an average of 36% of their revenue. If all the stations with a dependence of at least 20% were forced to close, Alaska would lose 15 stations — half of its total, Curley said. More than 50 stations around the country belong to the Native Public Media network, and they are also particularly vulnerable to funding cuts. All but one of the Native Public Media stations with available data relied on federal funding for at least 20% of their revenue, and the average reliance was more than 50%. Source: CPB defines rural stations as those whose coverage areas have a population density of 40 or fewer residents per square kilometer. The stations defined as rural on this map come from CPB's FY 2024 list of rural station grantees. The funding percentages come from a list of the most vulnerable public radio stations compiled using CPB data from FY 2023, the most recent available. Tribal stations are defined as stations that are 'tribally owned, managed or staffed by tribal members,' according to this map and station websites. (Map design by Luna Anna Archey/High Country News) According to CPB data shared with , 79 radio stations in the U.S. relied on CPB for 30% or more of their funding in FY 2023. More than half of those stations (42) are located in the West. Of the vulnerable Western stations, all but two are rural — and 20 are also tribal stations. Not only would these stations be drastically impacted by losing federal funding, they would also find that money especially hard to replace. Urban stations have large audiences to turn to for help, but rural stations by definition serve sparsely populated areas and often lower-income communities. According to CPB, 40% of the average non-rural station's revenue comes from listener donations, compared with just 28% of the average rural stations. Meanwhile, the average rural station relies on CPB funding nearly twice as much as a non-rural station does. This past fiscal year, KYUK raised just under $20,000 from a total of 413 members, comprising 2% of the radio station's revenue. 'We live in a subsistence region,' Smiley said. 'The way people survive and thrive here does not necessarily follow the traditional Western economic model.' To her, this is part of the beauty of public media: Stations like KYUK allow people to get thoughtful, nuanced coverage of the place they live, whether or not they can afford to pay for it. In Bethel, that includes public safety alerts and emergency coverage on shows like River Watch — but also, local news accessible to everyone in the region. The oldest Indigenous-owned and operated bilingual radio station in the U.S., KYUK broadcasts local news in both English and Yugtun, the Yup'ik language, three times a day. The station also airs several other Yup'ik public affairs and culture shows throughout the week, sharing traditional knowledge and conversations between elders. Villages in the Y-K Delta — like many rural and Indigenous communities — tend to receive a flattened portrayal in the national media, when they're covered at all. Outside reporters often miss the good news: The Bethel student robotics team bringing Yup'ik dance to an international stage, say, or a Cup'ik artist using traditional carving techniques to tell the evolving story of hunting and fishing in his community. Celebrations of berry picking and high school graduation — the everyday activities and special events that make headlines at a local publication run by the same people who coach youth sports and act in community plays. These are stories at stake in the fight over federal funding, Smiley said: 'This idea that a region that has been historically underserved by the state and by the country could lose a public media organization that is focused on providing what people here need, which is public safety information and a reflection of a life that is multifaceted and beautiful — that really, really tears my heart out.' This article first appeared on High Country News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
