skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House says Elon Musk isn't in charge at DOGE, but 'advising' the president; CA schools brace for harmful cuts to Medi-Cal; Report says AR students still struggle with COVID-19 learning loss; and UT enacts controversial labor union law.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote, is moving in the U.S. House. Environmental groups want the U.S. Senate to kill a bill they say falsely claims to slow climate change, and the agriculture industry is concerned about mass migrant deportations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Alabama Senate Bill 76 would also protect individuals from having to leave someone under their care if finding a suitable replacement is impossible during jury service. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

An Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved a bill that would exempt nursing mothers from jury duty. The proposal comes after an …

Alabama benefited from more than $14.5 billion in federal funds in fiscal year 2024. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Congress could make critical decisions this week which could reshape Alabama's financial future. Lawmakers are debating whether to extend the 2017 …

In 2020, Alabama had the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, at 36.4 deaths per 100,000 live births. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Alabama has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country and access to care remains a serious issue, especially in rural areas. Now…

Supporters say the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, now in the Arkansas Legislature, would improve pregnancy outcomes by empowering community health workers and ensuring Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers. (yavdat/Adobe Stock)
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
A new bill before Arkansas lawmakers is designed to improve maternal care for low-income families. If passed the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been no human-to-human transmission of bird flu but more than 60 people across the United States have been infected from exposure to sick animals. (frank/Adobe Stock)
play audio

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating a bird flu outbreak at an Arkansas broiler operation in Clay County as well as in some backyard …

Schools in the Arkansas Farm to School Institute will receive $5,000 to plant a community garden. (NVB Stocker/Adobe Stock)
play audio

School districts across Arkansas have until February 28 to apply to participate in the Farm to School Institute. The yearlong program, through the …

The Trump administration has halted all pending environmental litigation and reassigned four career Justice Department attorneys specializing in environmental issues. (Pixabay/sergeitokmakov)
play audio

The Trump administration has begun dismantling the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and Civil Rights, which focuses on reducing environmental …

Experts noted one contributing factor to seasonal affective disorder, the technical name for wintertime blues, is a lack of sunlight, a crucial vitamin D source, which helps regulate wake/sleep cycles. (sasint/Pixabay)
play audio

As winter drags on with a recent rare burst of snow across North Florida, many Floridians struggle with seasonal affective disorder. It is a form of …

Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)
play audio

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

Join our mailing list!

Stay up to date with news directly to your inbox.

 

Privacy policy

Media Outlet Sign Up

Public News Service serves free content to 6,000+ media outlets.

SIGN UP
Art Pharmacy tracks well-being scores using standardized tools for anxiety and depression and a scale for loneliness, assessing participants' progress after each "dose" of arts and culture. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

An Atlanta-based group is making sure more people have access to an unconventional but effective treatment for their moderate mental health challenges…

Georgia currently ranks 26th among states in BroadbandNow's annual rankings of internet coverage, speed and availability. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

A new report highlighted how regional commissions are helping improve infrastructure in rural America. According to the Brookings Institution…

According to KFF, half of U.S. adults said someone in their family has experienced a severe mental health crisis. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

One in five Georgians experiences a mental illness each year, and while the state has made strides in expanding crisis support, a new report …

A panel reviewing child fatalities in Kentucky wants the legislature to explore ways to encourage safe storage of firearms. The panel also recommended an aggressive public education campaign aimed at protecting kids from accidental ingestion of drugs. (Adobe Stock)<br />
play audio

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
By Sarah Ladd for the Kentucky Lantern, part of States Newsroom.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection reporting for the …

About 12,000 acres of former mining sites in Kentucky could be reclaimed to reduce environmental and safety hazards, according to a 2024 report by the Appalachian Citizen's Law Center. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
The Trump administration has frozen funds used for abandoned mine land cleanup. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress invested around $…

According to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, rural children under 5 years old make up 24% of children eligible for child care services in the country, yet 55% of the children live in a child care desert. (Adobe Stock)<br />
play audio

Kentucky's Appalachian counties are expanding efforts to help ensure kids are off to the right start educationally. Research shows attending a high-…

Louisiana's overall educational attainment rate has increased by 20.4% since 2009. (Adobe Stock/AI)
play audio

Louisiana ranks below the national average in the percentage of adults with a college degree or other postsecondary credentials, according to the new …

A Dow Chemical plant, one of 200 such facilities, sits on the banks of the Mississippi River in what is called "Cancer Alley" between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. (Wikimedia Commons)
play audio

A judge has ruled that elected officials in St. James Parish broke Louisiana's open meetings law by conferring secretly with a Chinese company …

Many rural Louisiana residents use telemedicine appointments with doctors in distant towns, a service currently covered by the Medicaid program. (Wikimedia Commons)
play audio

A new report finds that significant cuts proposed for Medicaid funding would disproportionately affect rural and small-town residents in Louisiana and…

Join our mailing list!

Stay up to date with news directly to your inbox.

 

Privacy policy

Media Outlet Sign Up

Public News Service serves free content to 6,000+ media outlets.

SIGN UP
The Trump administration has halted all pending environmental litigation in the U.S. Department of Justice. (Pixabay)
play audio

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
The Trump administration has begun to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority and…

Experts say a lack of sunlight - a natural Vitamin D source and key to regulating sleep cycles - is a major culprit behind the winter blues. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

As winter lingers, many Mississippians struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression linked to shorter days and reduced …

According to Save the Children, poverty in rural America impacts more than one in five children. In 39 states, rural children are more likely to grow up in poverty than non-rural kids.(masterstudio/Pixabay)
play audio

In rural Mississippi, where education disparities run deep, community leaders are stepping up to fill the gaps left by limited resources and …

People report feeling fatigued and sleeping more during colder months. (GuRezende/Adobe Stock)
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
People's moods can slip during the colder, darker winter months - but there are ways for North Carolinians to push back against the winter blues…

Tuition costs can be an insurmountable barriers for some students when it comes to college access. (Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)
play audio

With cost at the forefront of prospective students' minds, higher education institutions in North Carolina are rethinking how to overcome one of the …

Cape Fear Community College is among the 15 colleges in the NC Community Colleges Boost pilot program. (Billy Hathorn/Wikimedia Commons)
play audio

An effort to increase students heading into high-demand jobs from North Carolina's community colleges is receiving a "boost." The N-C Community Colleg…

Rosenwald Schools served rural Black communities across 15 southern states, from Maryland to Texas. (Adobe Stock/AI)
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
By Kim Kobersmith for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for South Carolina News Service for the Daily Yonder-Public News Service Coll…

Studies show about 5% of adults in the U.S. experience seasonal affective disorder, in which people encounter mood changes and symptoms similar to depression. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

South Carolinians may find mid to late winter can be challenging due to short days, cold weather and a postholiday letdown, and you are not alone…

Agricultural researchers said farmers can now use technology to evaluate different crop zones and individually adjust how they irrigate and fertilize each area to improve their yield. (Adobe Stock/AI)
play audio

By Jessica Kutz for The People Sentinel.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for South Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Ne…

Join our mailing list!

Stay up to date with news directly to your inbox.

 

Privacy policy

Media Outlet Sign Up

Public News Service serves free content to 6,000+ media outlets.

SIGN UP
Daily sunlight exposure can boost a person's internal vitamin D production. However, factors such as skin tone, location, weather, time of year and time of day can all influence how much you produce. (Catahula/Adobe Stock)
play audio

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
As winter drags on and more snow showers are expected this week, many Tennesseans face what is known as seasonal affective disorder, a type of …

Jen Fisher's son Raleigh has received all the recommended vaccines for a child his age but his mother still worries about potential exposures given faltering vaccination rates in Tennessee. She said even a weakened form of virus could send him to the emergency room. (Sarah Jones Portraits)<br />
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
By Daniel Chang and Sam Whitehead for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the KFF Health News…

A child's brain is 90% developed by age 5, yet low-income children hear 30 million fewer words by age 3 and may start school 18 months behind. Many rural children lack even one book in their household. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Education gaps run deep in rural Tennessee, so community leaders there are working to bridge the divide. The challenges include teacher shortages …

Nearly two-thirds of adults in a recent study noted behavioral changes during the winter months. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Some people may feel more fatigued during the winter months, when the days are short and sunlight is in short supply - and that's common. People …

Libraries are tailored to their local communities, Varga says, such as a local library in Virginia Beach offering surfboard rentals. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
February is Library Lovers Month - and libraries across the Commonwealth are encouraging their long-time and new patrons to celebrate. Lisa Varga…

The largest flock identified in the Great Backyard Bird Count was a group of four million bramblings in Germany. (Adobe Stock)
play audio

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

Meatpacking is a concentrated industry, with the four largest firms handling 85% of all steer and heifer purchases and 67% of all hog purchases, according to USDA data.(Adobe Stock)<br />
play audio

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Some West Virginia lawmakers want to remove consumer sales taxes on the processing of beef, pork and lamb at slaughterhouses. House Bill 2146 would …

According to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, rural children under age 5 make up 24% of children eligible for child care services in the country, yet 55% of them live in areas considered to be child care deserts. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
play audio

Monday, February 17, 2025
Appalachian counties are expanding efforts to help ensure children are off to the right start in their education. Research shows attending a high-…

A map shows West Virginia's abandoned oil and gas wells. (Ohio River Valley Institute)
play audio

West Virginia has thousands of unplugged and improperly plugged oil and gas wells that could leak and contaminate groundwater, potentially harming …

Join our mailing list!

Stay up to date with news directly to your inbox.

 

Privacy policy

Media Outlet Sign Up

Public News Service serves free content to 6,000+ media outlets.

SIGN UP

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021