WGCU Site Search | WGCU News | PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida

Lee County Educators Express Concerns About School Reopening Plans

Schools across Florida closed down back in mid March as the new coronavirus began spreading. The School District of Lee County has been working on its reopening plans for the fall semester for months, but as the outbreak continued to spread there was no major focus being placed on bringing back students for full time, five days a week schooling. But, that recently changed recently after Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued an emergency order requiring all brick and mortar schools to open for at least five days a week.

Immigrants seeking asylum hold hands last year at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. Independent inspectors told a judge that tests for the coronavirus at such centers and the infection rates in the counties where the Texas facilities are located are cause for concern.

Judge Orders ICE To Free Detained Immigrant Children Because Of COVID-19

The scathing order issued Friday said the Trump administration had failed to provide even the most basic health protections for children and their families.

Prosecutors say the USNS Mercy, seen last week entering the Port of Los Angeles, was the target of a train engineer's unsuccessful attack on Tuesday. The derailed train slid to a halt more than 250 yards from the hospital ship. The Mercy was unharmed, and no one was injured.

Train Engineer Says He Crashed In Attempt To Attack Navy Hospital Ship In L.A.

"People don't know what's going on here. Now they will," the engineer allegedly told a California Highway Patrol officer who apprehended him immediately after the incident.

Retired Immigration Judge weighs in on the challenges facing the U.S. immigration court system

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.