The Florida Legislature will be taking up the issue of abortion during the 2022 legislative session that begins in February. Republican state representative Webster Barnaby has introduced House Bill 167 that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks. The legislation is drawing comparisons to the restrictive Texas legislation that was signed into law back in May of this year. Like in Texas, HB 167 would rely on citizens to report violations rather than law enforcement.We take a step back and learn about the history of the legality, and criminality, of abortion in the United States going all the way back to its founding. We also get a snapshot of the work being done by Planned Parenthood in Southwest Florida.

The Naples Discussion Group and Florida Gulf Coast University Honors College are kicking off their 2021-2022 lecture series this Friday, October 22 with a talk titled “The Future of the Humanities, The Future of Our Country” by Dr. Andrew Delbanco, Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University and president of the Teagle Foundation. We get a preview.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is looking for your help to track two species of native bee that you’ll probably hear before you see. Southeastern plasterer bees live in scrub, pineland, and sandhill habitats; adjacent open areas; and along roadsides.

Over the years as a journalist Craig Pittman has had the opportunity to write about some of Florida’s most interesting characters and the wild stories they tend to star in. He’s also the author of a number of non-fiction books, including his latest “The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife.” He joins us to talk about the new book, and his work documenting Florida’s weirdness, or shall we say its distinctiveness.

Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a series of actions, Sept. 28, aimed at mitigating impacts of migrants seeking entry into the U.S. from the Southern border being resettled in the sunshine state. We’ll take a closer look at the situation with Fort Myers-based immigration attorney Indera DeMine and FGCU Law Professor and attorney Pamella Seay, whose expertise includes immigration and constitutional law.

Wildlife biologist Dr. Jerry Jackson explains why the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is now extinct.

The 2021 MacArthur Fellows were recently announced and the list of recipients of the so-called “Genius Grant” include Desmond Meade, President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition which spearheaded the 2018 Amendment 4 ballot initiative. Its successful passage led to the largest expansion of voting rights in the U.S. in 50 years. We’re revisiting a conversation we had with Mr. Meade about his book “Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens.”

Calusa Waterkeeper has announced a new Executive Director. Learn more about Trisha Botty and her plans to continue advocating for improved water quality in our region.

Explore famous examples of women who traveled the globe as botanical researchers, illustrators, writers, and educators.

Get the latest updates on some of the major Everglades restoration projects underway, and still on the drawing board, here in South Florida.