News from around the nation.

Mixed results for Trump-backed candidates in Tuesday’s voting; A Nashville nonprofit assists entrepreneurs with growing new businesses; A new report finds that former incarceration could affect Mississippians' overall health; An exhibit in Michigan explores immigration and American identity.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

It was mixed results for Trump-backed candidates in Tuesday's primary elections.

President Trump's pick, Representative Mike Collins, is the winner in Georgia's GOP Senate primary.

Collins will now face Democrat John Ossoff in November.

On the other side of the coin, Georgia voters rejected Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in the Republican runoff for governor.

CNN knows the President's Sway also tested in Alabama, where Trump-endorsed Representative Barry Moore will win the GOP Senate runoff against a former Navy SEAL.

In Oklahoma, Trump's choice for governor was in second place as the race heads to an August runoff.

Meantime, a nonprofit cohort is helping historically overlooked Nashville entrepreneurs turn their ideas into thriving businesses.

The Academy, from corner to corner, offers a 10-week course covering the basics like identifying customers, managing finances.

Executive Director Shanna Berkley says participants can access website training, sales classes, and connections to local lenders.

So far, the program has helped launch nearly 2,000 businesses with a goal of 10,000 in the next decade.

She explains that the Academy's zero-interest loans helps graduates gain access to funding that grows their projects quickly.

And so we've given out $250,000 so far.

This year we'll give out another $125,000.

Danielle Smith reporting.

And two studies focusing on the health of formerly incarcerated people show they have a shorter life expectancy and face chronic health conditions.

Mississippi has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation.

Research by the American Public Health Association shows people over 50 who have been released from prison have a life expectancy that's six years less than those who have never served time.

Wanda Bertram with Prison Policy Initiative says more programs are needed to connect people to services once they're released.

About one in 10 people released from Mississippi State prisons in 2021 were 55 years old or older.

That should be an indication for policymakers to figure out how do we get those people insured, how do we get them connected to the health supports that they need.

The survey interviewed people who had been held in jails, prisons, juvenile detention centers.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

And as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Two West Michigan museums are partnering on an exhibit exploring the people and cultures that help shape their communities.

Holland Museum Executive Director Michelle Stempian says the oral history component is highlighted in both exhibits.

We are capturing people's voices today in this moment of the 250th anniversary about what it means to them to be an American.

Making sure to include people that have different heritages and different backgrounds.

The Holland Museum and Zeeland Historical Society's We the People exhibit features artifacts, personal stories, and interactive displays.

This is Public News Service.

A new report warns that Pennsylvania's budget is headed for a crisis and the fossil fuel industry won't be able to bail it out.

Researchers say the sector's long-term decline and years of generous tax concessions have deepened the state's fiscal pressures.

Trey Cowan with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says Pennsylvania faces a demographic crunch involving an aging, slow-growing population that's driving spending up.

He explains that the fees that Pennsylvania producers pay on natural gas extraction are a tiny fraction of the state's budget.

It's a three-cent tax on natural gas versus if you do the stoichiometry, it's 78 cents on the same heat content.

So $0.78 tax credit versus a $0.03 tax.

So it's 26 times larger tax credit than what they're taking in.

Backers of the fossil fuel industry, including the Trump administration, argue that continued expansion of fossil fuels ensures energy independence, grid reliability, and economic growth.

Danielle Smith reporting.

And discussions are often limited or nonexistent among Indiana women about their reproductive journey from menstruation to menopause.

Congress is considering a bill supported by over 30 female lawmakers that would change the approach to these phases of life.

The Reproductive Health Care Leave Act would mandate 12 days of paid leave per year for any physical or mental health effects linked to menstruation, abortion, menopause, perimenopause, and miscarriage.

As bodies change from adolescence to adulthood, it is a good idea to have conversations about puberty with both sexes, says Dr.

Magdalena Lewanduska from Indiana Hematology.

There is still a very significant amount of, I would say, gender bias, and people have a lot of difficulty.

There's a lot of stigma surrounding menstruation, but not just menstruation itself.

I think there's also a lot of misunderstanding of what is considered to be normal.

I'm Terry Dee reporting.

Finally, although the pesty New World screw worm has not been detected in Arkansas, the State Department of Agriculture is on high alert.

Several cases have been confirmed in nearby Texas, and animals from the area are not allowed into the natural state.

The restrictions are in accordance with federal guidelines.

Jennifer Kojel at Texas Tech University is part of a team that has been monitoring the parasite's migration across Mexico.

We've done our best to try to prepare people to start thinking about what would happen when it's in the U.S.

And now we're continuing to amplify our messages about vigilance.

The blowfly can affect all warm-blooded species, including goats, deer, pigs, and pets.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

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

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