News from around the nation.

Harris warns a lack of checks on Trump administration could lead to a "constitutional crisis"; Report: NYS faces high risk of PFAS in drinking water; Mississippi rape kit tests reveal serial offender patterns as backlog persists; Lack of affordable child care costs Colorado $2.7 billion annually.

Transcript

The Public News Service Thursday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Kamala Harris blasted President Donald Trump's first hundred days, saying Trump's agenda represents a wholesale abandonment of American ideals and that she's inspired by the courage of people speaking up against the administration's actions.

That from CNN.

The report, Harris said, "We are living in a moment where the checks and balances on which we have historically relied have begun to buckle."

CNN notes the Commerce Department reported the U.S. economy had its worst quarter since 2022 as Trump's significant policy changes unnerved consumers and businesses.

The president blamed the negative report on President Joe Biden.

Next, some New Yorkers are at a higher risk of exposure to forever chemicals in drinking water.

An environmental working group analysis finds 189 of the state's water systems have PFAS levels above the federal standard, but less than New York's standard.

Adrian Esposito with the Citizens Campaign for the Environment says Long Island faces a higher risk of PFAS exposure since all its water comes from the same aquifer.

"Because we have kind of a geologically unique drinking water source, it has made it very vulnerable to the types of industry and any kind of illegal dumping that occurs on the surface of Long Island."

Other reports find more than 3,400 New York waterways contain forever chemicals.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

Next to Mississippi, where new data shows a 27 percent increase in rape kit testing since the state implemented a 2023 law requiring all new sexual assault evidence to be processed.

While officials report progress on addressing the backlog, advocates caution that the full scope of untested kits remains unknown without a complete statewide inventory.

The rise follows the required testing of all new sexual assault evidence, which experts say is helping to debunk common assumptions about sexual predators.

Ilsa Connett of the Joyful Heart Foundation's End the Backlog initiative says testing is uncovering critical patterns about offenders.

"Rapists are not specialists.

They commit all kinds of crimes, anything from homicide to burglary to domestic violence, child abuse, you name it.

They commit crimes against people they know and people they don't know.

They rape acquaintances and strangers, so they cross over many of them.

And they really don't stop until they're stopped."

I'm Tramell Gomes.

Meantime, the lack of quality child care for infants and toddlers cost Colorado nearly $3 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue.

But an initiative in Mesa County shows what's possible when local governments, businesses and civic groups team up.

Keller Ann Rubel is with the data firm BridgeCare.

"So that they can meet the needs of working families and invest in their early care workforce pipeline.

And because of that investment, they have now 270 seats at this child care center and they've completely eliminated their child care desert."

She says officials saw a huge demand for child care in the town of Clifton, but no providers, so they built a new facility.

It provides child care and also trains new caregivers.

This is Public News Service.

The number of Kentucky kids enrolled in preschool increased in 2024, along with state spending per child.

That's according to new data from the National Institute for Early Education Research.

The Commonwealth spent around $6,500 per child during the last academic year, an increase of more than $800 from the prior year.

A study co-author and senior director at the Institute, Steve Barnett, says it's unrealistic to think states could replace cuts to Head Start funding amid the Trump administration's proposed freezes of federal grant funding.

"Particularly, replace it overnight if the program is suddenly defunded.

States are going to have to step up and figure out what to do if that happens."

He adds if Head Start funding is eliminated, access to public preschool will decline in several states by more than 10 percentage points, and in some by 20.

Nadia Ramligan reporting.

And mental health counselors are focused on Nebraska's high rate of binge drinking, that during Alcohol Awareness Month, which just wrapped up.

"Nebraska's binge drinking rate is among the highest in the nation, and the number of alcohol-related deaths is on the rise.

Alcohol was blamed for at least 720 fatalities in 2020, the latest year data were available.

Aileen Brady, CEO of Omaha-based Community Alliance, says alcohol abuse and addiction affects families and friendships, but can also lead to safety issues among employees who may be alcohol-dependent."

"If their reactions are not as sharp, if they're not sleeping well, and if they're distracted with the sense of needing to have that drink, it's going to affect their workplaces as well."

Brady adds alcohol and other substance abuse disorders affect at least 65 percent of Nebraskans seeking mental health treatment at Community Alliance.

Nationwide, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health says more than 224 million people 12 and older report having consumed alcohol during their lifetime.

I'm Mark Moran.

Finally, the unmistakable smell of hamburgers or steak on the outdoor grill will soon be making its way to your neighborhood.

With the weather warming up, people are reminded to avoid using harmful products to keep those grills clean.

Environmental experts say using chemical sprays to get rid of that grease and grime can create harmful emissions when that grill is fired up again by releasing harmful gases into the air.

John O'Brien of GreenMade's Cleaning suggests a different approach involving baking soda and vinegar.

To get started, he says remove food debris using a brush that doesn't contain microplastics.

Then get together a healthy mix in a spray bottle.

"Do equal parts white vinegar, equal parts water, and just kind of spray it down and let it soak."

Lastly, sprinkle on some baking soda to make the scrubbing part easier.

Not only does this protect natural resources, health officials say it also prevents chemicals from getting into the food you prepare.

I'm Mike Moen.

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

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