News from around the nation.

Trump considers replacing Pete Hegseth, his embattled defense secretary pick, with Ron DeSantis; More support needed for over half-million WI family caregivers; Free, unbiased health insurance help available for Ohioans; Fungi help MS farmers unlock 'secrets' of healthy soil.

Transcript

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The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President-elect Donald Trump considering replacing embattled Defense Secretary of Choice Pete Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, according to two sources familiar with decision-making.

That from NBC News.

"They report DeSantis is very much in contention," one source said.

Another told NBC News that Trump and DeSantis directly spoke about the issue.

Hegseth's nomination is in jeopardy because as many as six GOP senators are wavering in their support for him.

And well over a half a million Wisconsinites are unpaid family caregivers, and they serve as the backbone of the state's long-term care system.

One organization advocating for seniors says the state could do more to acknowledge that.

Even as they provide an estimated 538 million hours of care to loved ones each year, according to AARP data.

The holidays can bring added stress to their already full plates, but Martin Hernandez with AARP Wisconsin says times like these are when important discussions should happen.

This is an opportunity to come together with family and friends and have those open and frank conversations that people should be having about caregiving, both in the situation they might be currently, but then also planning for the future.

It's estimated caregivers spend, on average, about $7,000 a year on related out-of-pocket expenses.

He says AARP Wisconsin will ask state legislators to once again consider a tax credit for family caregivers of up to $500 in the next session.

I'm Judith Ruiz, Branch reporting.

And Ohioans have until January the 15th to sign up for health insurance coverage during the open enrollment period.

Programs like Get Covered Ohio are available to help people navigate their options on healthcare.gov or apply for Medicaid.

Grace Wagner is with the Ohio Association of Food Banks.

She says the program's navigators are certified by the federal government and licensed by the state of Ohio.

And they're not trying to sell anyone anything.

Navigators through Get Covered Ohio are here to provide free and unbiased assistance to anyone looking to find coverage and assess their options.

The marketplace aims to help those who don't qualify for Medicaid or employer-sponsored insurance, offering a way for more people to access affordable healthcare.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

Next to Mississippi, where organic farmers are delving into the world of fungi to revolutionize agriculture, Mississippi vegetable farmer Timothy Robb says interest in mycorrhizal fungi has surged and seed treatments in dry powder form are now widely available.

Many different species of fungus flourish in the soil so that agricultural soils become more fungally dominated as opposed to bacterially dominated, with the beginning of reintroducing fungal species to the soil.

Robb says using fungi on farms offers a path to reversing harmful agricultural practices.

This story was produced with original reporting from Gray-Moran for Civil Eats.

This is Public News Service.

In this week's budget address for 2026, Christy Dohm proposed establishing education savings accounts for K-12.

Five statewide education groups released a joint letter last week urging policymakers to strengthen public education.

Among them is the South Dakota Education Association, where Public Affairs Director Sandra Waltman says Nome's plan to expand ESAs over time would harm South Dakota students who largely attend public schools.

This will certainly divert scarce tax dollars from our public schools, which serve 80 percent of South Dakota students, to private school operators that lack any taxpayer accountability.

Public schools will lose thousands of dollars in state aid, yet operational costs will remain the same.

The governor's proposal echoes similar Republican-led legislation in other states and will require action from South Dakota lawmakers in the next legislative session.

A similar K-12 voucher bill brought to the House Education Committee in 2023 died in the chamber.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

And next to Maryland, a state that has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people in prison who began serving time when they were juveniles.

A new report from Human Rights for Kids includes survey results for more than 120 people in Maryland who've been in prison since childhood.

It found nearly 70 percent had experienced six or more adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, the major upheavals in a child's life that affect their development, from abuse and neglect to incarcerated relatives and domestic violence.

Nate Bayless with the Annie E. Casey Foundation says one concern is that children in Maryland are automatically tried as adults if they're accused of any of more than 30 crimes.

Because it's based on offense and not based on the individual circumstances of the offense itself or of a young person's history or of even considering the trauma that young people have experienced, it means that just because of the offense, we are charging young people as adults.

The report says 6 percent of Maryland's incarcerated population has been in prison since childhood.

I'm Simone Perez.

Finally, there is promising news at the national level and in Minnesota in trying to lower workplace injuries and illnesses.

Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry recently released survey data showing the state's rate for nonfatal workplace injuries decreased last year by almost a full percentage point that mirrors similar movement with the national rate.

Brad Leto of the Minnesota AFL-CIO says the numbers are encouraging, but other findings stand out.

It's good injuries are down, but are people getting the benefits is the question.

For injured workers, Leto feels the levels of denied benefit claims by insurance companies are too elevated.

He does credit some employers, including bigger chains like Costco, for making a serious effort to protect workers.

I'm Mike Moen.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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