FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injuryHeaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
2 dolphins found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
2 dolphins found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 12, 2017, during the committee’s confirmation hearing for FBI Director nominee Christopher Wray. PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS / AP (CBS NEWS) Senate Republicans quietly unveiled their tax proposal Thursday, with President Trump urging Congress to pass a bill before Thanksgiving. The Senate Finance Committee, forgoing a major press conference to reveal the bill, released a summary of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as the House Ways and Means Committee passed its version of the bill out of committee. The Senate proposal keeps many of the same tenets as the House proposal, with some key differences. The Senate version protects the deduction for medical expenses, while the House version eliminates that deduction, and the Senate proposal delays the lowering of the corporate tax rate until 2019. The House proposal gradually lowers the corporate tax rate, from 35 percent to 20 percent, by 2022. MORE: 7 things to know about the GOP tax plan The four-day-long House markup hearings have resulted in defeat for all of Democrats’ proposed amendments, such as an amendment that would have kept the estate tax as-is. House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R—Texas, offered a last-minute amendment on Thursday to ensure the bill doesn’t add more than $1.5 trillion go the deficit. He also offered an amendment to preserve the child tax credit, as the original version of the legislation would eliminate it. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, has established a Thanksgiving deadline for the floor vote in the House. “Today, we took yet another critical step toward delivering real relief to the American people,” Ryan said upon the passage of the House version out of committee. “I want to thank Chairman Brady and the Ways and Means Committee for making important improvements to this historic legislation. After listening to our members, the committee preserved the adoption tax credit for middle-income families, and increased targeted relief for Main Street small businesses and startups. This bill will cut taxes for a typical household by $1,182, raise take-home pay by upwards of $4,000, and create nearly one million full-time jobs. It is exactly the type of tax cut and job growth our country needs to get back on track, and I look forward to a robust debate on the House floor.” Here are some key ways the Senate GOP bill differs from the House’s legislation so far. The Senate legislation still needs to be marked up, meaning members will have a chance to offer and vote on amendments. The Senate will be introducing its own tax bill within the joint framework, AshLee Strong, Ryan’s press secretary, noted on Twitter. MORE: GOP tax plan would slash corporate rate, help wealthiest Individual tax rates The Senate proposal has seven rates for individual incomes taxes — 10 percent, 12 percent, 22.5 percent, 25 percent, 32.5 percent, 35 percent and 38.5 percent, which more rates than the House plan. The House plan proposes rates of 39.6 percent, 35 percent, 25 percent and 12 percent. The Senate outline does not yet attach income levels to those rates. The current top tax rate is 39.6 percent. State and local tax (SALT) deduction The Senate plan, according to Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, will not be a full repeal of the state and local tax deduction, although it’s unclear what that means. The House version repeals the deduction for state and local taxes, which has drawn criticism from members of Congress in high-tax states like New Jersey, California and New York. A number of House GOP members have already said they will not vote for the bill, largely because of this provision. Medical deduction The Senate version of the bill, unlike the House bill, preserves the deduction for medical expenses — a key deduction for many taxpayers, particularly seniors. Property taxes The Senate version would cap deductions for property taxes at $10,000 — an unpopular provision in states like California and New Jersey with expensive property values. The House bill also caps deductions for property taxes at $10,000 per year. Corporate taxes The Senate would like to lower the corporate tax rate immediately, but that isn’t in the bill yet, according to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. The Senate plan does “permanently” lower corporate taxes. Both the House and Senate aim to eventually lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. Adoption tax credit The Senate version preserves the adoption tax credit. The latest version of the House proposal, thanks to an amendment from Brady, restores the adoption tax credit, after much protest from conservative and pro-life groups. Repealing the individual mandate? Whether the Senate version would eliminate the individual mandate, said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, is “under discussion.” The House GOP has also discussed the possibility. Estate tax The Senate proposal doubles the current exemption for the so-called “death tax,” while the House eventually repeals the tax entirely. Child tax credit The Senate legislation, like the House legislation, increases the child tax credit. The House’s bill would increase the credit from $1,000 per child to $1,600, while the Senate version would increase it to $1,650. Retirement savings The Senate plan at this time, like the House plan, makes no changes to 401(k) accounts.