News from around the nation.

Trump addresses the nation on potential vulnerabilities in our elections, but many of his claims were not substantiated; California launches 'One Less Spark' campaign to prevent wildfires; Georgia governor candidates offer competing visions; New law aims to boost childcare accessibility in Tennessee.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update on Mike Clifford.

In his 20-minute national address, President Trump made unsubstantiated claims that the American election system is catastrophically short of the standard required.

On Thursday night, Trump said he was relying on newly unclassified documents that he claims were hidden from him and the nation.

But an early CNN review of the documents finds they largely discussed previously known potential vulnerabilities, included those in a 2021 assessment from the U.S. intelligence community.

On MS Now, Democratic Senator Mark Warner rejected Trump's claims that China meddled with the 2020 election, calling the allegations completely false.

Meantime, with less than four months left until the November 3rd general election, Georgia's race for governor is taking shape, and the leading candidates have two very different visions for the state.

Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican nominee Rick Jackson are competing to replace term-limited Governor Brian Kemp.

Shantia Hudson is a reporter for the Georgia Independent, who's been tracking the candidates on issues like taxes, education, and public safety.

She believes health care is a major dividing line.

For Bottoms in particular, on her website, what we have seen is that she supports expanding Medicaid to cover more people.

Right now, Georgia is one of only 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid.

Jackson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he opposes Medicaid expansion and offered a state solution without specific details.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

In Georgia, absentee ballot requests begin on August 17th.

And every Californian has a role to play in preventing wildfires, and experts have some tips on how to avoid accidentally sparking a blaze.

Governor Gavin Newsom launched the One Less Spark campaign this week.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pasqua says people should be certain to secure tow chains so they don't drag on the pavement, leaving a shower of sparks that ignite vegetation on the side of the road.

Tow chains have been known to create that one small spark that could create a really large fire.

Any kind of power tools, grinding tools that throw sparks, just be very aware of your actions.

Also, drivers should avoid parking on dry grass, which can ignite if it's near hot car exhaust.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And a new law in Tennessee is removing roadblocks to child care.

The Tennessee Child Care Red Tape Reduction Act aims to streamline the process for opening and operating early learning facilities.

Melanie Scheinbaum is with the Nashville Early Education Coalition.

She explains new early education facilities previously faced a long list of bureaucratic challenges.

When somebody wants to alleviate those issues by opening a new child care center or expanding one they already run.

What we've seen is they can spend a year or more navigating overlapping permits, zones, requirements, and inspections.

The coalition's most recent impact report reveals that Nashville currently meets the needs of only 56 percent of kids age five and younger.

This is Public News Service.

As Congress continues hammering out the next farm bill, a debate is intensifying over whether states like Illinois should retain the authority to set farm animal welfare standards.

At the center of the dispute is the proposed Save Our Bacon Act, which would prevent states from enforcing livestock production standards.

The measure was left out of the Senate Agriculture Committee's draft, giving opponents hope it won't make the final legislation.

But Mark Ayers with Humane World for Animals says the debate goes well beyond politics.

It's about whether animals that are raised for food deserve the most basic protections, whether producers who have already invested in higher welfare systems should have certainty, and whether consumers can continue to support products that align with their values.

Illinois is the nation's fourth largest pork-producing state and doesn't ban gestation crates for breeding pigs.

Still, many Illinois producers have voluntarily transitioned to crate-free systems.

Agricultural groups contend regulations would raise costs and create inconsistent standards.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And government data show solar power marked a major milestone earlier this year, providing more electricity than coal for the first time on record.

While natural gas and nuclear plants still generate the most electricity, solar contributed nearly 13 percent to the nation's energy mix in May.

Coal was right behind at slightly more than 12 percent.

Pete Wyckoff, with the climate policy nonprofit Evergreen Action, says coal is not only more polluting, it's also more expensive.

The cheapest and best way to bring on new electricity and the fastest way to bring on new electricity right now is to install solar panels or build wind turbines.

He says local programs are of great value to the overall system, like Massachusetts' SMART program, which offers residents financial incentives for installing rooftop solar panels.

This story was produced with original reporting from TickRoot for Grist.

I'm Catherine Carley.

Finally, the hazardous air quality alert due to Canadian wildfire smoke served as a backdrop for a Kalamazoo news conference Thursday, where environmental advocates warned Michigan families are facing a double challenge on healthy air and rising electricity costs.

They argue the Trump administration's decision to extend the operation of the J.H.

Campbell coal plant in West Olive, along with the rollback of clean energy incentives, is contributing to both higher utility bills and worsening air pollution.

David Kiva, president of the Environmental Defense Action, says the wildfire smoke underscored the group's concerns about keeping the plant open.

All of us spent some time talking about how coal-fired power plants and the pollution that we put into the air is contributing to the air quality that we see outside today.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is Mike Clifford.

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