Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort MyersSun and clouds with a stray shower possible
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Credit: Getty Images via CBS News. In response to the weakening of the federal voting rights law by the Supreme Court in 2013, Attorney General Merrick Garland made a commitment to expand the Justice Department’s efforts to protect voting rights, announcing a series of actions aimed at confronting state and local efforts that he said “will make it harder to vote.” “We are scrutinizing new laws that seek to curb voter access, and where we see violations of federal law, we will not hesitate to act,” Garland said at a speech at the Justice Department Friday. “We are also scrutinizing current laws and practices, in order to determine whether they discriminate against Black voters and other voters of color.” Since over a dozen states have passed new laws making it more difficult to vote, Garland pointed to some jurisdictions that, “based on disinformation, have utilized abnormal post-election audit methodologies that may put the integrity of the voting process at risk and undermine public confidence in our democracy.” To counter this, he said that the Justice Department will increase the size of the enforcement unit that tracks state and local efforts to enact voter restrictions and vowed to prosecute those responsible for the rise in violent threats against election workers. In the next 30 days the department will be doubling the Civil Rights Division’s enforcement staff. The addition of more attorneys and resources comes in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, which saw an uptick in threats targeting state and local election officials and poll workers and rising disinformation around access to the ballot box. Garland pledged the department would “investigate and promptly prosecute” any threats that violate federal law, and committed to partnering with other federal agencies to combat disinformation surrounding elections, which he said “intentionally tries to suppress the vote.” There are currently several Republican-led states considering legislation that would add limits to voting access in the wake of President Trump’s electoral loss and a rise in mail-in voting in the 2020 elections due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of mid-May, state legislators have enacted at least 22 bills with restrictive voting provisions in 14 states, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Congress is considering two major pieces of voting rights legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named for the late congressman and civil rights icon. At the end of the month, the Senate will take up the For the People Act, an expansive but controversial voting and elections reform bill, but it is expected to be blocked by Republicans who argue that it is a federal overreach. The House is currently working on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, or H.R. 4, which has yet to be introduced. The bill would restore a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. The Voting Rights Act established a formula to determine which areas should be covered by Section 5, which required jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to submit any changes to voting laws to the Justice Department or a panel of federal judges for approval, a practice known as preclearance. But the Supreme Court struck down the formula in Shelby County v. Holder in a 5 to 4 decision along ideological lines. The House subcommittee that oversees federal elections is currently conducting field hearings to compile evidence on whether racial discrimination in voting is occurring in certain jurisdictions, and create a new formula. Once those hearings are concluded, the bill will be written and considered later this year. But, like the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act faces significant opposition from Senate Republicans and faces an uphill battle to passage. NAACP President Derrick Johnson praised Garland’s announcement in a statement on Friday, but said that it is “a race against time” to protect voting rights as more restrictive state laws on voting rights are implemented. “From the appointment of Kristen Clarke (to lead the Civil Rights Division) to the ongoing fight to pass the For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, we are encouraged by the new tone on voting rights set by the Biden-Harris Administration,” Johnson said. “But the uphill battle to protect our most sacred and fundamental right, the right to vote, is far from over. Today’s announcement from the Attorney General speaks to the level of urgency that is needed to protect our democracy and ensure that our voices are heard.”