Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier“We did what we had to do” Fort Myers Beach mayor takes blame for loss of FEMA discount
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
FORT MYERS BEACH “We did what we had to do” Fort Myers Beach mayor takes blame for loss of FEMA discount FEMA sent the town of Fort Myers Beach a letter explaining why they lost their flood insurance discount. One reason was not removing temporary trailers and containers from flood zones. Now, the mayor says to blame him for it.
NORTH FORT MYERS Suncoast Estates fatal shooting leaves community on edge A fatal shooting took place on Saturday at the Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers, on Heck Drive, that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
SANIBEL Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the Year award honoree: James Evans The environment and economy are nearly synonymous in Southwest Florida, and while many people work to protect both, one man stands out and has made the environment his life’s work.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
NAPLES Naples man arrested on multiple violent charges including kidnapping and sexual battery A Naples man has been arrested on multiple violent charges stemming from an alleged case of kidnapping involving guns, drugs and sexual battery.
MATLACHA CW Fudge Factory in Matlacha getting back to business after storms Getting back to business is giving one island the boost they need before the holidays.
southwest florida How much will a Christmas tree cost in Southwest Florida this year? With Thanksgiving this week and Christmas around the corner, we want to know how tree prices are stacking up across Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples The Christmas spirit has awakened in Naples.
Early lung cancer detection According to a critical care pulmonologist with Lee Health, every day, two people in Lee County hear the news that they have lung cancer.
Bishop Verot seniors cheering in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The Viking seniors get a once in a lifetime experience cheering with Spirit of America in the iconic holiday parade.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
Lee County officials share progress on post-Milton debris cleanup Lee County has announced it has collected 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris in unincorporated areas post-Hurricane Milton.
Man accused of fleeing from Charlotte deputies through drainage pipe The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who tried to flee from deputies during a traffic stop through a drainage pipe.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing money from tip jar at Fort Myers establishment Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing from a tip jar at a Fort Myers establishment.
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
FORT MYERS BEACH “We did what we had to do” Fort Myers Beach mayor takes blame for loss of FEMA discount FEMA sent the town of Fort Myers Beach a letter explaining why they lost their flood insurance discount. One reason was not removing temporary trailers and containers from flood zones. Now, the mayor says to blame him for it.
NORTH FORT MYERS Suncoast Estates fatal shooting leaves community on edge A fatal shooting took place on Saturday at the Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers, on Heck Drive, that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
SANIBEL Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the Year award honoree: James Evans The environment and economy are nearly synonymous in Southwest Florida, and while many people work to protect both, one man stands out and has made the environment his life’s work.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
NAPLES Naples man arrested on multiple violent charges including kidnapping and sexual battery A Naples man has been arrested on multiple violent charges stemming from an alleged case of kidnapping involving guns, drugs and sexual battery.
MATLACHA CW Fudge Factory in Matlacha getting back to business after storms Getting back to business is giving one island the boost they need before the holidays.
southwest florida How much will a Christmas tree cost in Southwest Florida this year? With Thanksgiving this week and Christmas around the corner, we want to know how tree prices are stacking up across Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples The Christmas spirit has awakened in Naples.
Early lung cancer detection According to a critical care pulmonologist with Lee Health, every day, two people in Lee County hear the news that they have lung cancer.
Bishop Verot seniors cheering in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The Viking seniors get a once in a lifetime experience cheering with Spirit of America in the iconic holiday parade.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
Lee County officials share progress on post-Milton debris cleanup Lee County has announced it has collected 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris in unincorporated areas post-Hurricane Milton.
Man accused of fleeing from Charlotte deputies through drainage pipe The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who tried to flee from deputies during a traffic stop through a drainage pipe.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing money from tip jar at Fort Myers establishment Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing from a tip jar at a Fort Myers establishment.
FILE – The Supreme Court is seen at dusk in Washington, Oct. 22, 2021. Both sides are telling the Supreme Court there’s no middle ground in Wednesday’s showdown over abortion. The justices can either reaffirm the constitutional right to an abortion or wipe it away altogether. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) A conservative federal appeals court in New Orleans is poised to weigh in on the high-stakes legal showdown targeting the Food and Drug Administration’s decades-old approval of a commonly used abortion pill, the outcome of which could disrupt its availability nationwide. The dispute will be heard by a panel of three judges, Jennifer Walker Elrod, James Ho and Cory Wilson, and is one of the most significant involving abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last June that reversed the constitutional right to abortion. Elrod was appointed by former President George W. Bush, while Ho and Wilson were tapped by former President Donald Trump. The case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, was brought in November by a conservative legal organization on behalf of a group of anti-abortion medical associations and physicians. The plaintiffs argued the FDA erred in 2000 when it approved the pill mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a medication abortion, and failed to adequately consider its safety. Don't Miss WINK NEWS How recent abortion bills could impact women in SWFL A new bill to shorten the amount of time women have to get an abortion was introduced by lawmakers on the first day of the Florida legislative session. In addition to pushing for the FDA’s approval of mifepristone to be withdrawn, the medical groups and doctors sought to unwind a series of steps taken by the agency since 2016 that made the drug more easily available, including an expansion of the gestational age limit for using the drug from 7 weeks to 10 weeks, approval of a generic version of mifepristone in 2019 and removal of an in-person dispensing requirement in 2021. A federal judge in Texas issued a temporary order in early April that said the FDA’s approval of mifepristone should be suspended, kicking off a frenetic series of court orders that thrust the legal status of the abortion pill into uncertainty. Among those was a preliminary decision by the 5th Circuit that narrowed the district court’s injunction, allowing mifepristone to remain on the market, but leaving in place portions that rolled back the FDA’s changes since 2016. The Supreme Court ultimately preserved full access to mifepristone while the appeals process plays out, though the case is almost certain to land before the justices again. See More Mike Pence says he wants abortion pill mifepristone “off the market” Washington — Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to seek the GOP presidential nomination, said he would like to see a widely used abortion pill taken off shelves to “protect the unborn” and said he has “deep concerns” about the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug mifepristone more than 20 years ago. […] TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida GOP passes 6-week abortion ban; DeSantis supports it The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal supported by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. A six-week ban would give DeSantis a key political […] TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis criticizes Trump for implying Florida abortion ban is ‘too harsh’ Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Donald Trump on Tuesday for implying Florida’s new six-week abortion ban is “too harsh,” stepping up his attacks on the former president as he prepares to challenge him for the 2024 Republican nomination. downtown Fort Myers 10 hours of protests in downtown Fort Myers over abortion bill The Florida House of Representatives is expected to take up a bill this week that would prevent most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. On Monday night, people held signs and chanted in a 10-hour-long protest against the bill in downtown Fort Myers. Before the 5th Circuit on Wednesday is the Justice Department’s emergency appeal of the April 7 order from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, that suspended the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The three-judge panel is set to consider whether the claims brought by the medical groups are judicially reviewable, whether the FDA’s 2000 approval and subsequent actions were lawful and whether the district court abused its discretion. The FDA is urging the 5th Circuit to reverse Kacsmaryk’s order, arguing in a brief that if left intact, the decision “would upend the status quo based on the court’s deeply misguided assessment of mifepristone’s safety.” “The district court’s order would thwart FDA’s scientific judgment and profoundly harm women who rely on mifepristone as an alternative to more burdensome and invasive surgical abortions,” Justice Department lawyers told the 5th Circuit. “Those harms would be felt throughout the Nation because mifepristone has lawful uses in every State — even those with restrictive abortion laws.” Protests in downtown Fort Myers over abortion bill. CREDIT: WINK News The battle over mifepristone The FDA has stressed that more than 5 million Americans have taken mifepristone to end their early pregnancies, and medication abortions account for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. Serious adverse events associated with mifepristone are also “exceedingly rare,” the Justice Department noted, with the rate of hospitalization related to medication abortion under 1%. But lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the medical groups, argue that the FDA “put politics above women’s health” when approved mifepristone in 2000 and removed certain requirements surrounding access to it, including allowing it to be dispensed through the mail. “No agency is infallible,” they told the 5th Circuit in a filing. “The crux of plaintiffs’ arguments is that FDA’s judgment was not based on the required scientific evidence. The agency’s position — that no court is worthy of checking FDA’s work — reeks of hubris and is contrary to” federal law. Citing the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe, which left abortion policy to the states, lawyers for the alliance said the FDA’s actions regarding mifepristone “subvert the promise” of that ruling, as patients seeking abortion pills in states with stringent limits on the procedure can still obtain them by mail. “Instead of respecting federalism, the Biden administration and FDA have worked to dismantle it,” they wrote, in reference to the administration’s efforts to protect access to reproductive health services. Headlines CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target. PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested eight illegal immigrants in Port Charlotte who all lived in one house without permission. NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 critically injured in North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting in North Fort Myers on Saturday. Amazon pays $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build new warehouse Even the scaled-back version of a planned Amazon warehouse and distribution facility, the first to be located within Fort Myers city limits, will be a record-setter. Decision against FDA would reach beyond states restricting abortion The legal challenge targeting mifepristone and the FDA’s 23-year-old approval of the drug opened a new front in the ongoing fight over abortion, and a decision against the agency would reach beyond the states that restrict abortion, as suspending its approval could mean the drug would be pulled off shelves nationwide. The FDA’s backers are also sounding the alarm that if the district court’s order is allowed to stand, it would undermine the agency’s approval process for other drugs. “The decision below sets the country on a dangerous path back to the piecemeal regulatory scheme that Congress rejected in 1938, when Congress decided that the best way to protect the public health and promote access to safe and effective medication was to rely on an expert agency to regulate and approve drugs,” a group of 13 former FDA officials wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief. “Courts lack the expertise to step into FDA’s shoes by second-guessing FDA’s experts on the safety and efficacy of drugs.” Also urging the 5th Circuit to reverse the district court’s order are 240 congressional Democrats, who argued it has “no basis in law, threatens the congressionally mandated drug approval process, and poses a serious health risk” to pregnant patients. “The district court’s order not only misapplies the law but also threatens to harm members of the public, many of whom rely on the availability of mifepristone for reproductive care — and many more of whom rely on the integrity of FDA’s drug approval process for continued access to life-improving and lifesaving drugs,” they wrote in a court filing. A group of 69 Republicans in Congress, however, told the 5th Circuit that it should leave the lower court’s preliminary injunction in place, claiming the FDA contravened federal law and exceeded the scope of its authority from Congress. “The FDA’s unlawful approval and deregulation of chemical abortion drugs subverts Congress’ public policy considerations and safeguards for patient safety,” they argued in a friend-of-the-court brief.
WINK NEWS How recent abortion bills could impact women in SWFL A new bill to shorten the amount of time women have to get an abortion was introduced by lawmakers on the first day of the Florida legislative session.
Mike Pence says he wants abortion pill mifepristone “off the market” Washington — Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to seek the GOP presidential nomination, said he would like to see a widely used abortion pill taken off shelves to “protect the unborn” and said he has “deep concerns” about the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug mifepristone more than 20 years ago. […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida GOP passes 6-week abortion ban; DeSantis supports it The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal supported by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. A six-week ban would give DeSantis a key political […]
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis criticizes Trump for implying Florida abortion ban is ‘too harsh’ Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Donald Trump on Tuesday for implying Florida’s new six-week abortion ban is “too harsh,” stepping up his attacks on the former president as he prepares to challenge him for the 2024 Republican nomination.
downtown Fort Myers 10 hours of protests in downtown Fort Myers over abortion bill The Florida House of Representatives is expected to take up a bill this week that would prevent most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. On Monday night, people held signs and chanted in a 10-hour-long protest against the bill in downtown Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested eight illegal immigrants in Port Charlotte who all lived in one house without permission.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 critically injured in North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting in North Fort Myers on Saturday.
Amazon pays $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build new warehouse Even the scaled-back version of a planned Amazon warehouse and distribution facility, the first to be located within Fort Myers city limits, will be a record-setter.