News from around the nation.

Inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency plans days before catastrophic flooding; Russia attacks Ukraine with 700 drones after Trump vows to send more weapons; IL school districts serving immigrants work to stay low-key; FCC reversal on prison call rates sparks outrage over 'love tax'.

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Just two days before those devastating floods claimed at least 27 lives at Camp Mystic, the Texas Department of State Health Services signed off on the youth camp's emergency plans, according to records obtained by ABC News.

ABC tells us an inspection report dated July 2nd indicates state inspectors noted the camp had emergency plans in case of a disaster in place and that staff and volunteers were briefed on plans during training sessions and volunteer briefings.

Next from Reuters, Russia targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones overnight, hours after President Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kiev and aimed unusually sharp criticism at President Vladimir Putin.

And the Trump administration has made it clear it will cut funding from schools that continue diversity, equity and inclusion programs and with record levels of ICE funding for detention a deportation in the new federal budget, more school districts are quietly rethinking their policies.

An education consultant with over 40 years of experience, Barbara Marler, is working with school districts to help them rephrase DEI related language so it won't be flagged in automated searches.

She explains her goal is to help shield their work and emphasizes the unprecedented nature of her efforts.

ESL and bilingual as a field has always had some level of controversy but this is at a whole nother level that I've never seen before.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Next the Federal Communications Commission has proposed implementing caps on prison phone call rates but there's been a bit of a snag.

A handful of companies dominate prison telecom services through exclusive contracts with correctional facilities.

Paul Wright who heads the Human Rights Defense Center describes the pricing practice as a love tax and notes the human toll.

We have plenty of cases where especially people on limited incomes, they wind up having to make choices.

Do I pay for medication this month or do I talk to my grandchild in jail?

How much food are we buying this month or are we talking to our child who's in a detention facility or our spouse?

The prison phone service provider in Mississippi is Global Tel-Link and the state has relatively low rates per minute for calls within Mississippi.

But the federal delay allows telecom companies to charge up to $1 per minute.

I'm Trammell Gomes.

And Ohio lawmakers are considering a sweeping elections bill that would touch everything from how citizen-led ballot initiatives are approved to voter identification procedures.

Mia Lewis with Common Cause Ohio says the proposal could reshape how folks in Ohio vote and how issues get on the ballot.

It makes the entire process of a citizen-initiated ballot measure so much harder unnecessarily.

Critics of Senate Bill 153 say it would make it harder for voters to participate in democracy at every level.

Supporters say it enhances election security.

This is Public News Service.

Most Gen Z high school students and their parents are unaware of the range of options available to kids after graduation, according to a new survey.

The Gallup panel findings reveal more than half of families know a great deal about working at a paid job or earning a bachelor's degree, but feel far less informed about alternatives such as certification programs or apprenticeships.

Jeff Boulanda with the non-profit Jobs for the Future says too often family conversations about post-graduation plans occur too late.

Young people actually really trust and rely on their parents' guidance. 90 percent of young people, they rely on their parents' guidance when it comes to education and careers.

In the survey, just over half of all parents reported they frequently have those conversations with their high school-aged child, but that number jumps to 65 percent for high school seniors.

Bulanda says students engaged in those discussions are far more likely to show interest in career and education alternatives.

I'm Brett Pivito.

And people who are pregnant while they're in jail or prison often give birth without medical assistance, support, or basic safety protocols.

That's according to a new report for the Prison Policy Initiative.

Eastern Kentucky-based Amanda Hall works for the criminal justice advocacy group, Dream.org.

She says the Commonwealth has made strides to address how pregnancy is treated behind bars.

She points to 2018's Senate Bill 133, which improved conditions for women going into labor, and three years later, Senate Bill 84.

It prohibits solitary confinement for pregnant and postpartum women, provides six weeks of postpartum care, and connects them with social workers to develop reunification plans with their children.

These bills actually ban the shackling of pregnant women while giving birth and also put into statute a pregnant medical release for pregnant people who have a substance use disorder.

The report compiles data from the cases of 35 mothers and newborns between 2013 and 2023.

This is Nadia Ramlagon for Kentucky News Connection.

And just about everybody likes to get something free right now.

That's the case for kids ages 12 to 17 who can get fishing and hunting licenses at no costs from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The license is good for one year and normally sells for $15.

Bobby Jones, Outdoor Connection Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, says the free licenses are funded by donations to the Nevada Youth License Fund.

This is actually the third year that the program's been active.

We keep it open as much as possible.

We're just limited by the amount of donations that we have.

Right now we have almost 2,000 available and they go fast.

Youth can get a free license on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website, ndowlicensing.com or wherever the licenses are sold.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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