Obama to raise human rights during historic trip to Cuba

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama said Thursday he’ll raise human rights issues and other U.S. concerns with Cuban President Raul Castro during a history-making visit to the communist island nation. The brief visit in mid-March will mark a watershed moment in relations between the U.S. and Cuba, making Obama the first sitting U.S. president […]

Healthy Kids: Lead Poisoning

Lead Poisoning:  Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment: Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal. All biological systems in the body can be damaged by lead. Greatest risk:  Children and unborn children. Lead prevents normal functioning of vital enzymes. Lead can reduce the total volume of brain tissue. Statistics on Lead Poisoning: Lead was first mined in […]

Ballot confusion stirred by several mailing errors

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – Residents of Estero were mailed ballots that allow them to vote for the mayor and city council seats in Bonita Springs. The Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office confirmed that the office made the error, but followed up with a letter requesting Estero residents disregard the original ballot and use a […]

Los Angeles vows privately financed Olympics in 2024 bid

LOS ANGELES (AP) – With 97 percent of the venues in existence or already planned by private investors, organizers of Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Olympics are promising a prudent and responsible approach to running the games that would be entirely privately financed. “That is the definition of sustainability in terms of legacy and […]

GOP’s No. 2 senator leaves open possibility of hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate’s second-ranking Republican left open the possibility of a confirmation hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme court. In a radio interview on Wednesday, Texas Sen. John Cornyn did not rule out Judiciary Committee hearings while also saying he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch […]

Automatic braking for cars: Private talks on technology pace

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal regulators and the auto industry are taking a more lenient approach than safety advocates like when it comes to phasing in automatic braking systems for passenger cars, according to records of their private negotiations. The technology automatically applies brakes to prevent or mitigate collisions, rather than waiting for the driver to […]

Obama: Boosting cybersecurity requires long-term vigilance

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama says boosting cybersecurity in the U.S. will require long-term vigilance and overhauling systems currently in place. Obama is speaking in the Oval Office after meeting with Tom Donilon, who Obama says will lead a new commission on cybersecurity. Donilon is Obama’s former national security adviser and will be joined […]

Pastor protection bill on gay marriage goes to Senate floor

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A bill that aims to protect preachers and churches from being sued for refusing to perform same-sex marriages is headed to a vote on the Florida Senate floor. The bill passed its last Senate committee hearing on a party-line vote Wednesday. A companion measure in the House has already passed its […]

Florida House moves closer to Senate on death penalty fix

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Florida House inched closer to the Senate on a bill that seeks to fix the state’s death penalty after the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. The House amended its death penalty bill (HB 7101) Wednesday to require that at least 10 of 12 jurors recommend execution for it to […]

Collier County mother shot living in fear with no suspects arrested

NAPLES, Fla.- A Collier County woman says she’s living in fear after being shot multiple times outside her mother’s Golden Gate Estates home. Danielle Trevino, 28, says she was picking up her 3-year-old son back in December when she was hit by gunfire. “I was banging on the front door to get my mom’s attention. She came out, called […]