Lee County School District aware of statewide bomb threat emailFans are following Taylor Swift to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there
Lee County School District aware of statewide bomb threat email The Lee County School District sent an email stating the district got an email claiming someone planted bombs inside school buildings in districts across the state.
LONDON (AP) Fans are following Taylor Swift to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in Paris on Thursday, and planeloads of Swifties plan to follow Miss Americana across the pond in the coming weeks.
NEW YORK (AP) Third week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, with Michael Cohen yet to come The third week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close Friday after jurors heard the dramatic, if not downright seamy, account of porn actor Stormy Daniels, while prosecutors gear up for their most crucial witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney.
WASHINGTON (AP) US consumer sentiment drops to 6-month low on inflation, unemployment fears U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Use caution after storms The Weather Authority has been discussing how to stay prepared ahead of hurricane season and how to use caution after a storm passes.
(CBS) Rare severe geomagnetic storm watch issued for first time in nearly 20 years amid “unusual” solar event A severe G4 geomagnetic storm could emerge on Friday, triggering a watch from NOAA officials for the first time in nearly 20 years.
CAPE CORAL Red Cross helps 2 Cape Coral adults repair home after overnight fire Volunteers from the American Red Cross are assisting two people who lost their Cape Coral home overnight due to a fire.
Tim Aten Knows: FDOT plans flyover ramps at Davis-951 intersection The Florida Department of Transportation intends to provide motorists with more options to alleviate the traffic congestion in that busy intersection of county, state and federal roads.
FORT MYERS Interim Lee County School Superintendent attends State of Our Schools breakfast The Lee County School District has had a tough school year amid a teacher shortage, pay problems, bus problems, and new leadership changes.
Immokalee Immokalee High School students learn financial lessons amid tough economic times The Suncoast Credit Union Finance Academy at Immokalee High School is taking a proactive approach to teaching students about money.
CAPE CORAL Mom of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller charged with first-degree felony A mother whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller appeared in court for obstructing justice.
The Weather Authority A breezy onshore wind keeps coastal communities cooler this Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer Friday morning, then a breezy offshore wind will cool off the coastal areas of Southwest Florida in the afternoon.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Vinnie, Miley For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
NAPLES Collier County JROTC instructor fired for alleged sexual misconduct A teenage girl claims her JROTC instructor made sexual comments, touched her, asked her on a date and told her to keep her mouth shut.
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
Lee County School District aware of statewide bomb threat email The Lee County School District sent an email stating the district got an email claiming someone planted bombs inside school buildings in districts across the state.
LONDON (AP) Fans are following Taylor Swift to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in Paris on Thursday, and planeloads of Swifties plan to follow Miss Americana across the pond in the coming weeks.
NEW YORK (AP) Third week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, with Michael Cohen yet to come The third week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close Friday after jurors heard the dramatic, if not downright seamy, account of porn actor Stormy Daniels, while prosecutors gear up for their most crucial witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney.
WASHINGTON (AP) US consumer sentiment drops to 6-month low on inflation, unemployment fears U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Use caution after storms The Weather Authority has been discussing how to stay prepared ahead of hurricane season and how to use caution after a storm passes.
(CBS) Rare severe geomagnetic storm watch issued for first time in nearly 20 years amid “unusual” solar event A severe G4 geomagnetic storm could emerge on Friday, triggering a watch from NOAA officials for the first time in nearly 20 years.
CAPE CORAL Red Cross helps 2 Cape Coral adults repair home after overnight fire Volunteers from the American Red Cross are assisting two people who lost their Cape Coral home overnight due to a fire.
Tim Aten Knows: FDOT plans flyover ramps at Davis-951 intersection The Florida Department of Transportation intends to provide motorists with more options to alleviate the traffic congestion in that busy intersection of county, state and federal roads.
FORT MYERS Interim Lee County School Superintendent attends State of Our Schools breakfast The Lee County School District has had a tough school year amid a teacher shortage, pay problems, bus problems, and new leadership changes.
Immokalee Immokalee High School students learn financial lessons amid tough economic times The Suncoast Credit Union Finance Academy at Immokalee High School is taking a proactive approach to teaching students about money.
CAPE CORAL Mom of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller charged with first-degree felony A mother whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller appeared in court for obstructing justice.
The Weather Authority A breezy onshore wind keeps coastal communities cooler this Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer Friday morning, then a breezy offshore wind will cool off the coastal areas of Southwest Florida in the afternoon.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Vinnie, Miley For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
NAPLES Collier County JROTC instructor fired for alleged sexual misconduct A teenage girl claims her JROTC instructor made sexual comments, touched her, asked her on a date and told her to keep her mouth shut.
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Pointing to children’s mental health and online sexual predators, the Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to prevent children under age 16 from having social media accounts. The House voted 106-13 to approve the measure (HB 1), a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. The issue will go to the Senate, amid arguments from parts of the tech industry that the bill would be unconstitutional. “This is about protecting children from addictive technology and what we know harms them,” Renner told House members after the vote. “And what the social media platforms know. For years, they have known this and they have failed to act. By your vote today, we have done so.” RELATED: Florida bill to age-restrict social media passes first hurdle Lawmakers said children have suffered mental health problems because of such things as bullying on social media. They also said the technology makes children targets for sexual predators. “The truth is, people use these platforms to prey on our children,” Rep. Kevin Chambliss, D-Homestead, said. Opponents questioned the bill’s constitutionality and said it would take away the rights of parents to determine whether their children use social media. Thirteen Democrats voted against the bill, while 23 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting it. Rep. Daryl Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale, called the bill a “complete governmental overreach.” “Parents should have the ultimate decision-making ability for their child,” Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, said. “I 100 percent agree with the bill sponsors’ position of making sure that we protect children. I 100 percent agree. But it should not come at the cost of parents being able to make the ultimate decision in how they raise their child.” The bill would prevent minors under 16 from creating social media accounts and would require social media platforms to terminate existing accounts that are “reasonably known” by the platforms to be held by children younger than 16. It also would allow parents to request that minors’ accounts be terminated. The bill would require platforms to use independent organizations to conduct age verifications when new accounts are created and would require the denial of accounts for people who do not verify their ages. The organizations would be required to delete the data after ages are verified. READ ALSO: FGCU bans TikTok and other social media apps Meta, the parent company of platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, and NetChoice, a tech industry group, last week criticized the proposal and raised the possibility that it would be challenged in court. NetChoice posted testimony on its website that said the bill has “constitutional flaws.” It said federal courts have blocked similar social-media restrictions in other states. “If passed, HB 1 would violate minors’ First Amendment rights by imposing a blanket restriction on access to constitutionally protected speech for anyone who is either under the age of 16 or refuses to comply with the law’s age-verification requirements,” the industry group said. “The fact that HB 1 covers the internet rather than books, television programs, or video games, does not change the First Amendment issue.” But Renner, an attorney, told reporters that the bill doesn’t violate the First Amendment. He said the bill is directed toward “addictive technology,” not content. “This is why we’ve narrowly defined it, because It’s a situation in which kids can’t stay off the platforms, and as a result of that, they have been trapped in an environment that is harming their mental health,” Renner said. The Senate version of the bill (SB 1788) has not started moving through committees as lawmakers near the end of the third week of the 60-day legislative session. Also Wednesday, the House unanimously passed another Renner priority (HB 3) that would require age verification to try to prevent minors under age 18 from having access to online pornography. The bill would set a series of standards for determining whether online material would be harmful, such as whether it “appeals to the prurient interest” and “lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”