News from around the nation.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein; VA climate advocates reaffirm goals amid legislative debate; CT groups ask state lawmakers to preserve health care access; Advocates urge GA Black families to discuss end-of-life plans.

Transcript

The Public News Service Thursday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

While Andrew is consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor's links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.

The AP reports the arrest of a brother of a monarch was an extraordinary development with no precedent in modern times that will no doubt put more pressure on the crown.

Meantime, as Virginia lawmakers consider legislation on a variety of issues, environmental advocates are calling for them to pass bills that ensure strong climate policies in the Commonwealth.

Our Zamone Perez reports groups hope to pass legislation that would reform the process for solar project approval and rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a collection of mid-Atlantic and northeastern states aiming to lower carbon emissions.

They also oppose efforts to build out more natural gas plants to meet an increased demand for energy.

Victoria Higgins with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network says many alternatives could meet Virginia's energy demands without damaging the environment.

We don't need new gas plants and it's more expensive to meet demand with new gas as opposed to a suite of clean energy resources smartly managed.

Supporters of natural gas plants argue that they're the best choice to address the sharp year over year increase in Virginia's energy demand.

I'm Zamone Perez.

Next to Connecticut, where groups are asking state lawmakers to do more to protect healthcare access, the Health Justice Now campaign comes amid cuts in healthcare funding from last year's big federal mega-bill and Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring that help people pay for their insurance.

In last year's special session, Governor Ned Lamont allocated some funds to backfill the missing subsidies, but Rose Ferraro with the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut says not all the impacts are apparent yet.

I think it's gonna take a little longer for us to start to see the effects of like if people have less coverage, more reliance on emergency rooms, delaying care until it becomes an emergency.

How are we going to make sure folks are not saddled with a lot of medical debt because they had to go to the ER?

She and other advocates want to see state lawmakers take bold action, like creating a state program to help people who lost coverage as a result of the federal changes.

Though early feedback to the campaign has been positive for our own notes, there will be challenges going forward.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

In this Black History Month, advanced care planning advocates say Georgia's Black families can begin a conversation about end of life plans.

Gina Ridges with Compassion and Choices says the conversation should begin with community and legacy, not paperwork.

What is a good death you have seen before?

That is where you can hone in on, oh, okay, when my aunt died, she had everything together.

She was at home.

She was able to have agency and control over her death.

While advanced care planning is often seen As a clinical legal process, experts say, starting with personal stories and values can help people overcome their reluctance.

This is Public News Service.

A new poll shows nearly three in five voters in New Mexico and other Western states believe potential rollbacks to conservation laws are an extreme or very serious problem.

Findings from the 16th annual Conservation in the West poll reveal concerns by voters over land, water, and wildlife issues have increased significantly few years.

Pollster Lori Weigel with New Bridge Strategy says voters of all stripes rank conservation high, even when compared to other top issues such as the economy, health care, and education.

In fact, it has increased.

The first time we asked this was in 2016.

And so when you look at that change over time, it's gone up 10 points in terms of those saying that it's at least somewhat importance from one decade ago.

I'm Roz Brown.

And as the nation marks the 100th year anniversary of Black History Month, History Colorado is conducting evidence-based research on the many practices, systems, and policies that have harmed black Coloradans.

This spring, researchers will collect first-person accounts at public hearings in Boulder, Durango, and Colorado Springs.

Chloe Duplassis with the Colorado Black Equity Study says every time a community member shares their experiences, from being denied employment or access to certain neighborhoods to racially charged violence, she sees something shift.

Connecting with people around their story is one of the greatest things that we can offer someone when it comes to repair.

And I think that if we talk more candidly about our history, we can actually begin to heal together as a community and as a country.

The study was launched after state lawmakers passed a bill last year creating the Black Colorado Racial Equity Study Commission.

Similar to a truth and reconciliation commission created in South Africa after apartheid, the 14-member panel will select an independent organization to review the final study and make policy recommendations to repair historic and ongoing injustices.

To register for upcoming hearings, visit historycolorado.org/events.

I'm Eric Galatas.

And it's National Take Your Family to School Week, a push by the National PTA to strengthen partnerships between families and schools.

The Kentucky Department of Education says more than 150,000 Kentuckians are PTA members, which is one way parents can stay involved in their kids' school.

Children are more likely to get better grades and enroll in college or tech school when their parents stay active in their education, says national PTA president Yvonne Johnson.

We have seen how powerful it is when families, schools and communities come together for children.

We can make real substantive change when we're able to do that.

According to research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, strong relationships between teachers and families is linked to reduced absenteeism and improved academic success.

This is Nadia Ramligan for Kentucky News Connection.