News from around the nation.

Heavy lake-effect snow dumps more than 5 feet over parts of Great Lakes region; Study: Fish farms consume far more wild fish than previously thought; Maryland's federal workers prepare to defend their jobs; Federal investments help bolster MA workforce training programs.

Transcript

The Public News Service Monday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

As biting cold temperatures sweep across a large swath of the U.S., parts of the Great Lakes face more than a foot of additional lake effect snow through Tuesday.

CNN reports that is the latest complication for cities already blanketed by snowfall amid post-Thanksgiving travel.

CNN reports that more than five feet of snow fell on parts of western New York the last few days, with some places exceeding the four-foot mark Sunday.

Barnes Corners, New York saw 65.5 inches, that's over five feet, by this morning, according to the weather service.

Meantime, farm fish is supposed to be more sustainable than wild-caught fish, but a new study finds that aquaculture uses far more fish as feedstock than previously thought.

Researchers found that the fish-in, fish-out ratios for aquaculture are off-base, by between 27 and 307 percent.

Spencer Roberts is a researcher from the University of Miami who says it's a myth that aquaculture alleviates pressure on wild fish populations.

It is a shift from these larger fish that we like to eat, like the salmon and tuna and cod, to these smaller fish, like anchovies, sardines, whiting, that are then ground up into feed.

New York University also took part in the study, which took into account previously overlooked sources of wild fish in fish meal.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This story produced with original reporting from Sophie Kavaney for Sentinent.

And it's no secret that President-elect Donald Trump wants to fire thousands of federal workers, but in a state like Maryland, home to the fourth highest number of federal employees, they and their union are readying for a fight to protect their jobs.

Trump has said he wants to revive what's known as Schedule F, a policy that can strip civil servants of their protections and make them at-will employees, meaning they can be fired without cause.

Otis Johnson with the American Federation of Government Employees says any drastic cuts to the federal workforce wouldn't just hurt union members.

He says Americans will feel the impact to services like Social Security and Veterans Health Care Services.

You can't run the United States government the same way that you run Twitter.

We represent over 800,000 federal workers, and we can't remove 80 percent and still expect to be able to serve the American people with the same proficiency and knowledge that they have right now.

I'm Simone Perez.

And federal investments are helping the city of Boston develop greater workforce training programs.

Boston's chief of worker empowerment, Trin Nguyen, says city officials knew they needed to focus on getting communities of color and women into well-paying careers.

We also knew that there are very motivated, talented Boston residents who don't have a bachelor's degree that can meet employers' demand up and down the supply chain.

Boston received some $23 million in 2022 to develop pathways into quality child care, health care, and energy jobs.

This is Public News Service.

We head next to the Sunshine State, where for some, apprenticeships provide more than just a job.

They offer a career path.

Industry leaders are working around the clock, not only on their day jobs, but also to recruit the next generation seeking an alternative path to traditional college.

Jason Strickland is a business manager for UA Local 803, representing plumbing, pipe fitting, and HVAC professionals in Central Florida.

He stepped out of his job fair to share how the program changed his life.

I come from a family where there would be days I would come home and the power people would cut the power off or the locks would get put on the water because my folks couldn't pay all the bills all the time.

And now I don't have those same worries and my kids don't have those same worries because I got benefits.

I got retirement.

I got good training.

Strickland emphasizes that apprenticeship programs are essential for meeting the growing demand for skilled labor in the Sunshine State.

He notes they are using social media to connect with younger generations and share opportunities in the trades.

National Apprenticeship Week marked its 10th anniversary last week.

I'm Trammell Gomes.

And Medicaid renewals and steps the state is taking to improve mental health are all topics experts will cover at the upcoming Kentucky Voices for Health annual meeting in Lexington.

Emily Beauregard with Kentucky Voices for Health says UK's pharmacy team will be on site with a pop-up vaccine clinic for attendees and the general public.

Everyone is welcome to come.

It's going to be really convenient to have it right there.

People can swing by for their seasonal boosters.

Attendees will also get the latest on initiatives to improve access to health care for students, incarcerated residents, and individuals living with serious mental illness or substance use disorder.

More information is on the Kentucky Voices for Health website.

Nadia Ramlagon reporting.

And finally, you might be surprised to learn that surplus chocolate candy and other treats often find a new home on industrial farms.

Our Daniel Smith has more in the Sentinel Keystone State News Service collaboration.

In Pennsylvania since 2011, Hershey has been selling its candy waste to meat producer Cargill, which transforms it into feed for cows, pigs and other animals.

Economic professor Catherine Bender at the University of Delaware says food waste is a significant issue and companies are trying to minimize the amount that ends up in landfills and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

This is one of those programs where they are taking excess candy and breaking it down and then feeding it to cattle.

And so it is, in fact, a great energy source for cattle.

It has to be mixed with other things and added with other nutrients to make it a balanced grain for these cattle.

This is Mike Clifford.

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