Search results for

More than four thousand Southwest Floridians from all walks of life sat down together back in March to talk about the problems that are affecting our region and its residents. Spearheaded by the Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, in partnership with the Collier Community Foundation and Charlotte Community Foundation, this is a follow up to an On The Table event held back in 2019. People attended one of about 280 "tables" and about a quarter of them filled out a survey that asked them to rank the issues they thought were most pressing. We dig into the results.

Florida Gulf Coast University is hosting a virtual debate today on Affirmative Action in University Admissions and the Cost of Higher Education. The debate participants are Dr. Cornel West, he is a progressive professor and author, and currently an Independent candidate for president; and Robert George is a conservative legal scholar and political philosopher, and Founding Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. The debate is moderated by Dr. Christopher Phillips. Dr. Phillips has devoted his life to facilitating thoughtful and inclusive conversations among people of all walks of life, from all around the world, about deep and meaningful issues.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The idea that individuals — or the press — have the right to express opinions and ideas without government censorship or interference, while not entirely unprecedented is far from the norm throughout human history. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution remains the gold standard globally when it comes to protecting speech. But, our guest says history shows that protecting freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed without strong support from those who it protects — and that includes strongly supporting the right to expression for those who we strongly disagree with.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The idea that individuals — or the press — have the right to express opinions and ideas without government censorship or interference, while not entirely unprecedented is far from the norm throughout human history. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution remains the gold standard globally when it comes to protecting speech. But, our guest says history shows that protecting freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed without strong support from those who it protects — and that includes strongly supporting the right to expression for those who we strongly disagree with.

The first documented use of a robot in surgery dates back to 1985 when doctors used what was called a PUMA 560 to conduct a neurosurgical biopsy. The robotic arm was originally designed for industrial use. The technology advanced through the 1990s and then in 2000 the da Vinci Surgical System received FDA approval for general laparoscopic surgery. It had a console the surgeon would use to control robotic arms and they could see what they were doing with 3D visualization and this became a cornerstone of modern robotic surgery that’s still being built upon today. In order to learn more about this not entirely new, but certainly cutting edge field of medicine, we talk with two people who oversee robotic surgery and surgical services at Lee Health.

When President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he declared a commitment to tightening immigration policies and enhancing border security. The administration has followed through on its promise to ramp up deportations, and recent military strikes on boats departing Venezuela are demonstrations of its willingness to act upon its goal of targeting what they claim are drug smugglers from ‘cartels or other organizations.’ The administration has also designated six Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations so the question remains whether it will take similar military action in Mexico. So, what effect have these kinds of policies had on our relationship with Mexico and other countries in Latin America, and how people in those countries perceive the United States?

Stephen Cavitt’s bio begins by saying he’s always chasing the next great story. He’s been an instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2018, teaching English, Creative Writing, and Interdisciplinary courses as well as advising the university’s Creative Writing Club and is a Faculty Mentor with the WiSER Research Assistant Program. His sci-fi novella, The Distance Between Stars, came out in April, 2025 and was also released as a podcast audiobook. It's the first entry in what he calls the Und Wars series. It tells a story of survival after Earth is devastated by Aliens called the Und. It’s told through short monologues by everyday people who escaped and are headed into space to try to start over.

Neighborhood Nursing brings healthcare to people’s doorsteps in vulnerable communities

It’s been three and a half months since Hurricane Ian made landfall near Sanibel Island and swept across the state causing an estimated $50 to 65 billion dollars in insured damages and killing more than 100 people just here in Florida. While many people moved quickly to seek assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the storm hit, for anyone who has still not filed a claim, the deadline is tomorrow…Thursday, January 12th. Homeowners and renters have until 11:59 tomorrow night to file a claim for property loss, or damage to property, from Hurricane Ian.

It's week seven of my fitness challenge, so it's on to the Wild Card Boxing Club. I got a huge adrenaline rush from the pace and speed of sparring. Boxing was definitely the most exciting sport I've tried so far in my six-month program to get fit.