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Naples Pridefest faced multiple legal hurdles just to happen. Twenty-four hours prior to the gates opening the Circuit Court of Appeals forced the marquee event, the Drag Extravaganza, indoors.

Spring brings more than blooming flowers and a rise in temperature; it also means that cane toad breeding season begins.

Joan is an ICU doctor in a busy New York City hospital. She’s extremely devoted to her work and interested in little else, which causes people around her to try to steer her toward other things in life. We talk to Weike Wang about her new novel, Joan is Okay.

It’s becoming increasingly common for conservative political leaders in the United States — including here in Florida — to use language and put forward policies that conflate American identity with religious identity. Many are focusing on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, and trans rights — and critics say this trend represents a rise in what’s called Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is best summarized as the belief that the history and character of the United States is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Our guest counts himself among its critics, and says that while supporters of Christian Nationalism portray it as a social movement, it’s actually a well-organized political movement that seeks to gain political power and to impose its vision on all of society. Rev. Paul Raushenbush is an ordained Baptist minister, and he is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, a national nonprofit founded in 1994 to advocate for religious freedom and pluralism in the U.S.

Last year was the hottest year in recorded history, both in terms of air temperatures and ocean temperatures. And it was the eighth record-breaking year in a row. And while climate scientists have been telling us for decades that as temperatures increase we’re going to see disruptions in our weather patterns — someday in 'the future' — it’s starting to feel like that future is already upon us. We’re previewing the 2024 Southwest Florida Climate Summit, hosted by the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, which gathers experts to present the latest climate science pertaining to our region, and methods for building resiliency in our communities. It’s Wed. and Thurs., Feb. 28 and 29 at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center in Punta Gorda. The summit is free and open to anyone but pre-registration is required.

April saw nearly 1.2 million passengers go through Southwest Florida International Airport, an increase from the April 2024 passenger count, but a decrease for year-over-year statistics.The Lee County Port Authority says that the April number – 1.178 million passengers -- was the second-best April in the history of the airport.

Andy Barth spent 35 years as part of the news team at WMAR-TV in Baltimore, beginning as a desk assistant in 1971 and working his way up to being an on air feature reporter, which he spent decades doing before retiring in 2006. Barth produced two feature franchises, one called “Andy At Large” and the other “How Do They Do That?” in which he tried to focus on good news stories. He Mr. Barth recently on the FGCU campus to give a talk called “The Way We Were: The Early Days of TV” so we brought him by the studio while he was on campus to talk about his career, and how the world of TV, and TV news, has changed.

We get a sense of how Russia’s war on Ukraine is impacting Russian people with Dr. Kathryn Stoner, she is Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Mosbacher Director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law — both at Stanford University — where she is also a Professor of Political Science (by courtesy). Dr. Stoner is also a Senior Fellow (by courtesy) at the Hoover Institution.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed six new trustees at New College of Florida in January and they have already begun radically changing the state’s public honors college. Critics say it all amounts to a conservative overhaul of the small, traditionally progressive college with about 700 students. We talk with a current professor, a current student, and a New College alumnus, to get their reactions to what’s unfolding.

There is a significant agricultural industry here in Southwest Florida. Growers in our region produce crops like citrus, tomatoes, watermelons, and other fruits and vegetables. This region also has a thriving livestock industry, with cattle and dairy farms contributing to the economy. But, times are changing for all of us and this definitely includes those working to grow food.