Search results for

Since it was founded in 2023 the nonpartisan nonprofit Floridians for Democracy has grown to nearly 3000 members in Florida and beyond, and they’ve held many online events and have reached out across the political spectrum to provide educational programs, including some that featured traditionally conservative attorneys and leaders who share their concerns. With the third national No Kings Day protests coming up on Saturday, March 28 we invited two of the founding members back for an update on the work they’re doing, and to get their take on what’s unfolded over the past three years.

The modern Generative AI revolution is built on what are called Large Language Models. If you think of Generative AI systems, like ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude, as ones that requires your input to move forward — you ask it a question and it give an answer; or you ask it to make a picture and it does its best — Agentic AIs are systems that allow you to give them a goal and they’ll figure out the steps themselves. We learn how Agentic AI systems are already being used by businesses, and what the future may bring, with the Head of AI Platform Services at Google Cloud, Sheri Senge Cunningham.

The Naples Zoo today announced the birth of two endangered ring-tailed lemurs, born on March 25. Parents, PJ and Julien, were genetically matched by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums cooperatively managed Species Survival Plan Program.

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.

According to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, as of late 2023, the U.S. immigration court system faced a backlog of more than 3 million pending cases. This number has more than doubled since 2019 and continues to grow, placing immense pressure on the system. Immigration judges are currently being asked to handle an average of 4,500 cases each and so struggle to manage their caseloads effectively. This backlog includes a mix of individuals seeking asylum, appealing deportation orders, or addressing other immigration-related issues. To get some insight into the challenges the system faces we talk with a retired Immigration Judge who spent 24 years hearing cases.

The 2010 Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed U.S. campaign finance laws by saying that corporations, unions, and other organizations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, as long as the spending is independent and not directly coordinated with candidates or political parties. It allowed for the creation of Super PACs and 501(c)(4)s which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates. We get an overview of the recent history of campaign finance rules and spending patterns, and learn what campaigns spend all of that money on.

As internet use became common, communities formed in different ways. Early examples would include internet forums, or message boards. In the early 2000s a message board called 4chan was created that was anonymous by design. And posts made to it, and replies, were inherently temporary. While 4chan had message boards for all sorts of topics its anonymity combined with posts that would eventually disappear led to the emergence of an online culture that would seem strange and even extreme to many people who didn’t spend time there. Our guest grew up immersed in this online culture, and is now a researcher of it, so we thought he’d be a good person to help us understand this world a bit better as it seems to increasingly enter into mainstream culture, from media to public discourse, and the polarization it contains.

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.

Nearly 648,000 passengers passed through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers in August 2025, the best traffic numbers in the airport’s 43-year history.