News from around the nation.

Major winter slams mid-Atlantic, closing schools and canceling flights; Trump election certification on 4th anniversary of Capitol attack; Lack of transportation leaves Maine women veterans stranded; Ohio passes new law redefining nuclear power as 'green' energy; VA lawmakers aim to strengthen debt protections.

Transcript

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

A major winter storm that broke snowfall records in the Midwest is now hitting the Middle Atlantic, bringing with it a heavy mix of snow and ice and canceling more than 1400 flights across the US.

That from ABC News.

They report schools are closed in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

A winter storm warning was issued for DC and Baltimore where eight to 12 inches of snow is possible.

Meantime, the House and Senate convened today on Capitol Hill, Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the counting of the electoral college votes to officially certify Donald Trump's victory in 2024.

That from CNN.

They report today's certification comes on the fourth anniversary of the deadly attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

Meantime, a lack of reliable transportation for some women veterans in Maine is preventing them from getting the services they need.

The Sisters in Arms Center in Augusta provides these homeless veterans with counseling to heal from the sexual abuse some have suffered in the military.

It's the only center of its kind in the US, but without a vehicle, medical or job interview appointments are often missed.

Executive Director Rebecca Cornell DeHue says one veteran was recently stranded at the hospital when no volunteer drivers were available.

They're in the parking lot just crying because they can't go from point A to point B and they had already walked there.

She says the Sisters in Arms Center is seeking a donated vehicle or funds to purchase one to help ensure these women veterans can get back on their feet.

I'm Catherine Carley.

And backers say a law adding nuclear power to the definition of green energy will give Ohioans another option to cut carbon emissions, but some environmentalists are skeptical.

House Bill 308, signed in December by Governor Mike DeWine, is designed to open the state to nuclear power research and development.

However, critics are concerned it could be used to diminish the role of renewables, such as wind and solar energy, in reaching future climate goals.

Democratic State Representative John Brennan is a co-sponsor of the bill.

He says he's not sure the state can reach its climate goals with the current mix of renewables.

My belief is that if we're ever going to weed ourselves off of coal and natural gas, fossil fuel, we've got to expand our nuclear portfolio in Ohio.

Wind and solar just aren't gonna do it for us.

Environmental groups such as Earth Justice say the measure is similar to a controversial 2022 law classifying natural gas as green energy, despite the fact that its use creates hydrocarbon emissions.

I'm Mark Richardson.

And as the Virginia General Assembly convenes, new legislation protecting working families from harsh debt collection practices is on the table.

Jay Spear, Executive Director of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, explains that Virginia's current laws leave many vulnerable to devastating financial consequences.

If the laws don't protect your assets, then you just basically get into a downward spiral and you can't get out of it.

The National Consumer Law Center gives Virginia a D rating for its debt exemption laws.

Advocates are calling for reforms to prevent more families from falling into poverty.

This is Public News Service.

Next to Jackson, where violent crime rates have historically been high, a local organization called Operation Good is taking a proactive community-driven approach by reducing violence without relying solely on law enforcement.

Frederick Womack, better known as Gino, serves as the group's Executive Director, focusing on violence intervention, mediation, and mentoring to address the root causes of crime in Mississippi's capital city.

In one recent case where homicide was involved, Womack intervened in a potential retaliation killing.

Constantly killing someone for revenge is a never-ending cycle.

After we talked to the people involved and the person who were involved in the homicide, I think they ended up, you know, turning themselves in.

So that pretty much stopped retaliation killing in Jackson.

Womack says violent crime in Jackson has dropped 38 percent based on early December data and reports a steady decline year over year since Operation Good began its community interventions.

I'm Tramell Gomes.

Next up, the Biden administration is taking another step to protect Northeast Nevada's Ruby Mountains by putting them temporarily off limits to oil, gas, and geothermal development.

The US Forest Service submitted the petition, an application to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

If approved, it would initiate a two-year halt on new oil, gas, and geothermal development on about 264,000 acres.

Mining and commercial operations would continue.

Russell Coleman with the Nevada Wildlife Federation says this mandatory pause would help researchers determine why wildlife populations like mule deer, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse have been declining in the region.

That is what, in my opinion, is textbook, sound scientific wildlife management.

The first step you need to do is limit variables.

And one of those variables over the last five or 10 years has been the threat of oil and gas companies wanting to do exploratory drilling.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Finally, Wisconsin is the first state in the country to run its conservation programs by county rather than by district.

Matt Kruger heads the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, which represents all 72 counties across the state.

He explains the county conservation model is unique to Wisconsin.

It allows for more diverse funding opportunities and speaks to the state's innovative DNA.

Wisconsin has a long history of being an innovator in many different topics, you know, politically, but with conservation, too.

Everybody's heard of Aldo Leopold, of course, and John Muir and Gaylord Nelson.

I mean, we have this rich history of conservation in this state.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This is Mike Clifford.

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