News from around the nation.

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update, I'm Mike Clifford.

The Trump administration Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.

That from the Associated Press.

They report in addition, workers at some agencies were warned that large workplace cuts would becoming the decision on probationary workers who generally have less than a year on the job came from the Office of Personnel Management which serves as the Human Resources Department for the federal government.

Next to New York City where a music school's faculty is back in the classroom that after a week-long strike.

The Manhattan School of Music's pre-college program faculty walked off the job after lengthy union negotiations broke down.

The teachers have been working without a union contract since last August.

While the union has made concessions it says the school has been reluctant.

Adam Kent with the pre-college Faculty Union says the school not taking the union seriously is what forced them to strike.

We gave them over three weeks.

We asked them if they wanted to reconsider their last proposal and they spelled it out that no, they wouldn't be making any new proposals.

We gave them two days notice when we actually declared the strike and their first response was to try to line up scabs.

He says the union is heading back to the bargaining table with the hope of getting a cost of living increase aligned with other schools such as the Mann School of Music and Juilliard.

In and noted they've had little or no availability to negotiate.

Students, parents, and other union members have joined the faculty's picket line.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

And as Black History Month continues, advocacy groups in Ohio are pushing for policies that benefit kids from all backgrounds.

They emphasize the importance of leadership in shaping public health and social programs that impact millions of young people.

President and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund, Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson says recent executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion won't deter children's education and health care access advocates.

There is an arc of history that is longer than a four-year presidential cycle and there is a vision for our children that is bigger than the White House.

After-school and summer programs known as freedom schools around the country use CDF's uniquely designed inclusive curriculum and storytelling to ensure scholars of diverse backgrounds are affirmed that their impact on the world is profound.

And a report from the American Psychiatric Association finds two out of five people report sleeping more this time of year and about a quarter of those surveyed also said they experience fatigue, depression, and moodiness, all symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.

Dr. Rhonda Randall is with UnitedHealthcare.

It really is important to recognize when you're feeling blue and it's persistent when to seek help and get an assessment by a trained medical professional.

Reynolds suggests a simple way to beat the blues is getting 30 minutes of sunshine a day.

This is Public News Service.

Minnesota is less than a year away from launching its paid leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027.

The pending benefit was considered one of the crowning achievements of the 2023 legislative session when Democrats controlled both chambers.

But the GOP now has a slight edge in the House and paid leave is getting a second look.

Under the program, employers will be required to provide up to 20 weeks of paid time off each year to a worker dealing with a health issue or to care for a loved one.

During committee debate Thursday, the Minnesota AFL-CIO's Bertie Burnham argued against pushing things back.

Working Minnesotans are ready for the peace of mind that comes from knowing we will have the freedom to care for ourselves and the people we love without sacrificing a paycheck.

Supporters of a later start date say there's still uncertainty about the impact on businesses especially smaller companies as they prepare to comply.

I'm Mike Mowen.

And with cost to the forefront of prospective students minds, higher education institutions in states like North Carolina are rethinking how to overcome this barrier.

William Peace University in Raleigh has launched its Peace Pledge.

The program offers 100 percent tuition coverage for qualifying students.

Damon Wade with the university says school officials took a hard look at the enrollment challenges students faced.

Cost was a major factor in their decision making for them and their families and so we wanted to do our level best to try to mitigate that and remove cost as a barrier to their education as reasonably as we possibly could.

Qualifying students must be first-time traditional undergraduate students who reside in North Carolina.

They also must come from households with incomes of $75,000 or less, be eligible for federal Pell Grants, and have a high school GPA of 3.25 or higher.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

Finally, the Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting sponsor applications for its 2025 summer meal programs.

The summer food service program and the seamless summer option for schools that operate the National School Lunch Program provide summer meals for students 18 years old and younger.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says over 11,000 organizations have participated in the past.

We reimburse people that provide the summer meals.

Now we work with schools, we work with community organizations like boys and girls clubs, libraries, community centers, faith-based organizations, you know churches.

First-time sponsors must apply by April 15th.

Previous sponsors have until May 1st.

Applications are available at squaremeals.org.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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