News from around the nation.

Iran launches missile attacks on American forces as the US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq; Ohio teachers continue fight to regain power on pension board; Oregon wildfire smoke: Simple fixes can protect and save; In Utah, Box Elder residents take county to court over proposed data center.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Iran resumed attacks on American forces in the Middle East overnight, prompting Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to retaliate against a Tehran-backed militia in Iraq.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched strikes on a U.S. airbase and a military central command center in Jordan.

Its navy also struck three oil tankers that it said were in violation of its blockade off the Strait of Hormuz.

Meantime, Ohio educators are pushing for the passage of House Bill 719, which would permanently reverse changes made last year that shifted the 11-member state teachers retirement system board to a majority made up of political appointees.

The details now from our Nadia Rommeligan.

A court has temporarily blocked the legislative amendment from going into effect.

Under the amendment, there would be eight politicians and three teacher members elected by beneficiaries, explains Jeff Wensing, a high school math teacher in Cuyahoga County, and president of the Ohio Education Association.

Further, the amendment would prohibit members, the elected members, from serving as chair or vice chair.

This change surfaced literally in the middle of the night during conference committee for the budget.

Supporters of the board switch-up argue the change was needed due to a history of problems.

Ohio's state teachers' retirement system is one of the largest and oldest pension systems in the country.

And folks in Oregon and 13 counties are currently living under air quality advisories due to dozens of wildfires.

It's not clear how long the smoke will last.

Experts say there are simple things people can do to protect themselves and their families from smoke in their homes.

And those strategies can also save energy and money.

Smoke can easily slip into homes, so sealing up any cracks around windows, doors and vents to keep smoke out is a good place to start.

Jamie Seymour with Energy Trust of Oregon says be sure to double check that any air conditioners aren't pulling air from the outside.

Make sure that the seal between your air conditioning unit and the window frame is airtight.

If you use, say, a single hose portable air conditioner, try to avoid using that as they draw outdoor air indoors.

I'm Isobel Charle.

Next to Utah, where Box Elder County residents are fighting a proposed artificial intelligence data center they say would put even more pressure on a region already struggling over water.

The Stratos Project, backed by investor Kevin O'Leary, is promoted as a major economic development win for northern Utah.

But for county resident and activist Branagh Williams, it boils down to one simple question.

What happens to the water in one of the driest states in the country?

If they use the Coast Lake system, they'll use a little less water, but then they'll take hot water with tons of chemicals and dump it back into the Salt Lake and destroy the ecosystem.

I mean, the lake doesn't stand a chance if this goes through.

Developers say it would bring an initial $30 million to the region and create 2,000 permanent skilled jobs.

This is Public News Service.

Health care, affordability, and access are potential political flashpoints as we head to the midterm elections.

Health advocacy groups across the country, including those in Alaska, have called on policymakers to address rising costs.

Alaskans were already facing increased gas and energy prices even before changes to social service programs altered qualifications and costs.

Sarah Krug, a health care provider and mother of two children with developmental challenges in Anchorage, says she makes too much to qualify for services under new guidelines, but not enough to live without help.

Now, she's having to make difficult choices for her family.

My autistic son can't afford to send him to occupational therapy anymore because even with private health insurance, it was going to cost $10,000 a year.

You know, you think twice about going to the doctor because it's hundreds of dollars a pop.

The Trump administration says it's reigning in federal spending across the board.

I'm Mark Moran.

And a new report finds online scams and cybercrime cost Michigan families more than $2.5 billion last year. or just over $650 per household.

Michigan's estimated scam losses jumped nearly 57 percent from 2024.

Consumer watchdogs say artificial intelligence is making scams more convincing while cryptocurrency fraud continues driving losses.

Ben Winters with the Consumer Federation of America says the actual cost is far higher than official reports suggest.

So we were able to take estimations from the Department of Justice, among others, and sort of come up with this conservative estimate that 14 percent of people are reporting, which is what the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated.

Winter says if you receive an urgent message demanding money or personal information, pause before responding.

He recommends independently verifying phone numbers and email addresses.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Finally, California's new budget throws immigrant families on Medi-Cal a lifeline, but the state could do more to help, according to groups focused on child health.

Over the past few years, California extended full-scope Medi-Cal to undocumented people, and there were calls to roll it back in the face of massive cuts to the program passed by Republicans in Congress last summer.

Lisa Davis, with the Children's Partnership, praises California lawmakers for delaying state-level cuts until next year.

They're also delaying the start of Medi-Cal premiums for adults with unsatisfactory immigration status, and they're delaying the elimination of dental coverage until July 2027.

The new state budget requires the next governor's budget proposal to include a co-pay of between $30 and $50 a month for undocumented adults and certain other groups of immigrants ages 19 to 59.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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