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Ryan Monroe is detained by Lee County Sheriff's Officers on Monday during a school board briefing at the School District of Lee County in Fort Myers. Monore was taken from the meeting for shouting, "Keep boys out the girls room." Monroe was among about 350 people attending the briefing that focused on the student code of conduct. The code includes a poster listing LGBTQ+ non-discriminatory policies including bathroom use. The poster has raised concerns among parents and non-parents about the inclusion of the protections or possible removal of them.

Hundreds Attend Lee School Board Briefing on LGBTQ Policies

Controversy continued Monday night over the Lee County School District’s student code of conduct, particularly as it pertains to non-discrimination policy concerning LGBTQ students. District staff recommend the removal of an Equality Florida poster from schools that spell out LGBTQ student rights.

"This will help a lot of single parents out there," Daisy Hohman, a Minnesota mother whose tax refunds were garnished after her three children were placed in foster care, says of the change in federal guidance.

The federal government will allow states to stop charging families for foster care

Following an NPR investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance to state and county officials that lets them stop charging parents whose children are placed in foster care.

Superintendent Vickie Cartwright (behind the podium) talks about the upcoming school district referendum during a press conference July 26, along with some board members, Broward teacher union leaders and district staffers.

DeSantis removes four Broward School Board Members from office, citing grand jury report

Gov. Ron DeSantis has removed four Broward County School Board members from office, citing the findings of a statewide grand jury launched in the aftermath of the 2018 Parkland shooting. DeSantis has now appointed a majority of the school board members in one of the state's most Democratic-leaning counties.

Sen. Jon Tester, seen at the U.S. Capitol, is up for reelection in 2024. Montana Democrats don't want him to be the lone Democratic candidate up and down the ballot. They're pushing for Democrats to run for local offices.

Can't win if you don't run: Montana Democrats look to contest more local races

The Montana Democratic Party left dozens of legislative seats go uncontested last year, helping guarantee a Republican majority. Now, Democrats are organizing to make sure Republicans are challenged.

Principal T.J. Funderburg welcomes his mostly immigrant students during morning assembly at Cactus Elementary School.

Unskilled Jobs Draw Migrants, Changing Face Of Small Towns Across America

A meatpacking town in the Texas Panhandle is a magnet for immigrants who will do unpopular jobs. The once majority-white county has adjusted to its more diverse population.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference in front of posters of people that law enforcement arrested, held at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office on May 1, 2025 in Miramar, Fla. Florida has issued its own financial incentives to encourage more local police cooperation with ICE.

ICE is giving local police big money to help with immigration enforcement

The federal government is offering local law enforcement incentives to join a program that gives their officers authority to make immigration arrests. Police leaders say the funds, which include money for salaries, equipment and vehicles, are enticing.

In Rural Ohio, An Opioid Crisis Becomes A Meth Crisis

Vinton County, Ohio was hit hard by the opioid epidemic. But now, as opioids are becoming harder to obtain, more and more users are turning to cheap methamphetamine.

Voters cast ballots at the Park Tavern polling station on Tuesday in Atlanta. Nearly 95% of Georgia's estimated ballots have been reported, but metro Atlanta is currently the holdout area.

When Will We Know The Winner? Time Frames For Key States

Here's how much longer it will take to count the votes in the remaining key states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

Dr. Kurt Papenfus, the lone full-time ER physician at a hospital in the small rural Colorado town of Cheyenne Wells, was first hospitalized with COVID-19 in November.

The Ripple Effect Of One Rural Colorado Doctor Catching The Coronavirus

Hospitals across the country are struggling as staffers get infected with coronavirus. It's especially tough for small, rural hospitals, where even one doctor out sick can upend patient capacity.

Students Sofia Senra, left, and Emma Orell, right, bump elbows as they work on a lesson together at iPrep Academy on the first day of school, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, in Miami. Schools in Miami-Dade County opened Monday with a strict mask mandate to guard against coronavirus infections. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

COVID-19 Morning Report

A federal judge struck down a lawsuit from parents of disabled children, Wednesday, that challenged Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring Florida school districts from imposing mandatory mask mandates on students.AARP is sounding the alarm as CDC data shows that COVID-19 deaths in Florida nursing homes have sharply increased in the past month amid a statewide surge in new infections and deaths.County-level data on COVID-19 deaths in Florida is once again available, more than three months after the state stopped publicly reporting the information through its COVID-19 online dashboard.Lee Health continues to report gradual declines in its hospitalized COVID patient population, even as resources remain significantly strained.The Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida is downplaying concerns that a federal mandate requiring vaccination of most hospital employees will exacerbate the healthcare worker shortage.

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