WGCU Staff

Seven Amber Alerts remain active in Florida

Robert Mnookin has spent his career exploring exactly this conundrum: the ways interpersonal, and geopolitical, disagreements unfold — and how to handle really difficult disagreements mindfully and rationally rather than emotionally and thoughtlessly. He is the Samuel Williston Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School – and he is the author and/or editor of at 10 books, including “Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight” which was published in 2010. It offers practical advice on addressing tough conflicts analytically through examples that range from siblings fighting over an inheritance, to Winston Churchill’s decision to refuse to negotiate with Adolph Hitler.

The retailer announces nationwide closures of its retail stores, with Florida being among the hardest hit.

Florida is home to more than 500 nonnative species, more than 50 of which are reptiles. Current monitoring techniques depend on visual surveys by scientists, and this is far from an exact science because reptiles — particularly snakes — are extremely elusive. A new technique being developed by scientists at University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) can identify DNA traces of Burmese pythons — as well as northern African pythons, boa constrictors, and rainbow boas — weeks after they have left an area using soil or water samples.

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners has authorized a burn ban due to deteriorating near-drought conditions. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, 99 percent of Collier County is now under abnormally dry conditions.

A federal grand jury indictment names Michel Serrano of Lehigh Acres as one of three men alleged to be part of a major Florida theft ring targeting vehicles including premium pickups, high-end Jeep models and luxury brands such as the Infiniti.The 34-year-old Serrano faces charges of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles and the sale and possession of stolen motor vehicles, as well as two counts of interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. If convicted on all counts, Serrano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment described Serrano as registered agent, president and treasurer of Serrano Trucks Corp. of Lehigh Acres. The Florida Division of Corporations lists the company as inactive.

The United States was founded with three branches of government which were designed to act as checks on each others’ authority, and the role of the head of the Executive Branch — the President — was intended to be that of a head of state who would be a unifying force that stayed above the partisan fray. But the role of the president has changed greatly since George Washington left office, and has evolved to become more of a party head who makes bold promises in order to gain and maintain support for their policy agenda. Our guest says this evolution has not strengthened the United States and in many ways has led to the deeply partisan divide we’re living through right now.

Seven descendants of former U.S. presidents will speak in front of a live audience at the Harry S. Truman White House in Key West as a part of weekend activities to celebrate the presidency.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported Saturday that a 7.6 magnitude quake was recorded 209 km south southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands.The USGS reported that a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean, about 130 miles southwest of the Cayman Islands, which triggered a tsunami advisory for several islands nearby Saturday evening. The advisory was lifted several hours later.