News from around the nation.

'Shock and awe': Trump plans 100 immediate executive actions; CA environmental advocates hold series of vigils around inauguration; Biden issues preemptive pardons for Milley, Fauci and Jan. 6 committee members; NY, U.S. groups cautiously optimistic about Israel-Hamas ceasefire; TX women encouraged to honor MLK Jr. by exercising their rights.

Transcript

The Public News Service Monday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President Donald Trump intends to start his second White House term with a bang through a flurry of executive orders and directives that leave no doubt a major transformation is underway.

That from USA Today.

There will be over 100 executive actions, commands to the bureaucracies to change their ways, Trump's incoming deputy chief of staff for policy told Fox News.

Meantime, faith-based climate activists with the non-profit Green Faith are organizing a series of vigils tied to the inauguration of Trump, hoping to influence the new administration.

Hundreds gathered at vigils this past week in San Diego, San Francisco and cities around the country and more are planned in Los Angeles and Riverside.

William Morris is an organizer with Green Faith and urges people to speak out in favor of policies that protect our water, air, soil and wildlife.

People of faith are guided by our morals, our conscience, our values, and that we have this obligation and responsibility to speak up about caring for the earth and policies that help protect it.

Find out more about the vigils at greenfaith.org.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Next from CNN, President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons today for General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of Congress who served on the committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol using extraordinary executive prerogative as a shield against revenge by the incoming successor, Donald Trump.

In New York and nationwide, groups are cautiously optimistic about the Israeli Hamas ceasefire deal.

Phase one involves a 42-day ceasefire and gradual withdrawal of troops.

Along with this, Israel will release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining hostages taken in October 2023.

Sonia Meyerson-Knox with Jewish Voice for Peace says ending the onslaught of attacks against Palestine is highly beneficial.

Palestinians will be able to reunite with the loved ones.

Some of them have been separated from for 15 months.

They'll be able to work on locating and burying their dead.

They'll be able to access medical care without risk getting shot at.

Phase two of the ceasefire calls for allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, ending the Israeli military's blockade.

But she thinks certain measures must be in later stages of the ceasefire for it to be effective.

This includes stopping any plans for future Israeli settlements in parts of Gaza, ensuring Israeli troops are fully withdrawn and ending the 17-year siege on Gaza so Palestinians can live their daily lives.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

Next, as week two of the Texas legislative session gets underway, the state already has one of the most restrictive abortion bans across the country, and diversity, equity and inclusion offices are banned on college campuses.

Pali Chick Engagement Fund founder Christina Sanders says voters can hold lawmakers accountable regardless of party affiliation.

Anybody who represents is not representing just their district.

It's a collective.

And people still have to represent you regardless of what political party, regardless of what party affiliation.

The fund teaches women about the political process and how to get the representation they want.

This is public news service.

Next to Montana, a U.S. leader in the growing industry of sustainable aviation fuel.

Experts in that field and in the agricultural sector hope to see new policies to support its development.

Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, can be made from a variety of agricultural inputs, including seed crops, which produce oils that are processed into fuel with a low carbon footprint.

Industry growth could mean new buyers for ag producers in the state, where Montana Renewables was the highest domestic producer of SAF last year.

Still, its CEO Bruce Fleming says China and Brazil are outpacing U.S. growth.

If we can get our policy figured out, if we can get American innovation going and not fall behind, then we've got solutions here that will benefit the ag sector, particularly the farmers and ranchers.

In terms of policy, Fleming says the goalposts keep moving because they vary between agencies at the state and federal levels, making it difficult to plan.

He says he hopes to see policies that embrace the SAF innovation, as the nation did for ethanol.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

And nearly one-third of Medicaid funding could be on the chopping block as lawmakers look for ways to reduce the national deficit.

More than 1.2 million Kentucky residents rely on the program for health coverage.

Emily Beauregard with Kentucky Voices for Health says federal Medicaid funding brings more than $14 billion into Kentucky every year.

It's what keeps the doors of our rural hospitals open and it's what covers half our births and seven in ten elderly Kentuckians living in nursing homes.

Over the past decade, 120 rural hospitals across the country have either closed or stopped offering inpatient services.

Nadia Ramligan reporting.

Finally, a group of University of Pennsylvania students got up close and personal with Keystone State voters recently as they studied solutions to bridging the ideological divide.

Students with Penn's Political Empathy Lab traveled across the state last summer and talked with people at parks, libraries and county fairs.

The goal was to listen to Pennsylvanians as they discussed the issues in the 2024 campaign.

Lab Director Leah Howard says the students emphasized using critical listening skills to understand the voters better.

Democratic listening is one of the most important and undervalued things happening right now because we're just so inundated by talk, expression and we don't get enough time to practice listening to another human being.

Howard says the students recorded 45 hours of audio during their sessions, producing a podcast series and presenting what they learned on and off campus.

Another statewide tour is scheduled for this spring and Howard says she will eventually publish the students' findings.

I'm Mark Richardson.

And from WGN Chicago, it is inauguration day.

Local immigration advocates continue preparing for potential mass deportation efforts that could reportedly start as soon as Tuesday.

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

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