News from around the nation.

Hegseth tells Congress the ceasefire has stopped the clock on the War Powers Act as a deadline arrives today; Minnesota workers flex organizing muscle on May Day; Ohio counties ask voters to support the levies funding child services; New Mexico lawmakers want non-compliant oil and gas polluters to pay.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Today marks 60 days since President Donald Trump formally notified Congress of the strikes on Iran.

The War Powers resolution requires the President to terminate any use of U.S. armed forces within 60 days of such a notification unless Congress allows a continuation.

On day two of testimony in Congress, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.

The New York Times notes that Hex has declined to say whether the administration would comply.

Some experts dispute his novel interpretation of the law.

Meantime, backers of the labor movement will be out in full force across Minnesota today for May Day observances.

May 1st is often recognized as International Workers' Day, calling attention to the challenges and gains workers have made through organized labor.

If they can, Minnesotans are encouraged to avoid shopping and going to work.

It mirrors a similar economic blackout back in January during the height of the federal immigration crackdown around the state.

Ben Lewis leads the Graduate Workers Union at the University of Minnesota.

He says since the beginning of the year, he feels more people have realized the collective power they have.

Here in the Twin Cities specifically, you've seen a larger realization of class consciousness of a lot of workers.

There is a hope and energy that we can continue to build on that.

I'm Mike Mowen.

And proposed tax levies on the ballot next Tuesday would fund child and family services, and they could also serve as a larger indicator about how Ohioans feel about a potential constitutional amendment to end property taxes.

In Garnsey County, voters will be asked to pass an additional $1.3 million levy for an additional 10 years to help fund child services.

Nicole Caldwell is with Garnsey County Children's Services.

So the amount of days that we're paying for placement hasn't really increased over the last five, six years.

However, the cost of those placements have.

Several Ohio counties will ask voters to approve or deny tax levies that would support county-level agencies.

New Mexico has passed multiple laws to get oil and gas companies to mitigate or eliminate some sources of pollution, but the results have fallen short and lawmakers want a better fix.

Despite state rules, oil spills, methane leaks, and venting and flaring events are still frequent.

Safety inspectors are difficult to hire and retain because qualified individuals can get better pay in the private sector.

In addition, the Permian Basin, where most drilling occurs, is enormous, and currently only two inspectors oversee around 56,000 facilities.

State Representative Andrea Romero says more enforcement is critical.

Despite all, I think, best intentions, you just cannot meet the moment and the volume of inspections that need to be done on a site that is as large as the Permian Basin.

You cannot inspect at that volume with a handful of people.

I'm Roz Brown.

This is Public News Service.

We head next to Virginia, a state that ranks in the middle of states for its enrollment, quality and funding of preschool education, according to a new report.

The report by the National Institute for Early Education Research places Virginia at 28th among all U.S. states for this kind of funding.

However, when all public spending is considered, Virginia jumps to 18th.

In the state, just 3 percent of 3-year-olds and 22 percent of 4-year-olds were enrolled in preschool during the 2024-2025 school year.

Allison Gilbreth, with Voices for Virginia's Children, says educational access and quality often go hand-in-hand.

We have to increase our per-pupil investment at the state level.

That is going to get us at quality because we're going to pay the true cost of care.

And it's also going to increase access when we're able to add additional slots across the state.

Per people spending increased over the last five years from $4,800 in 2020 to more than $6,000 in 2025.

I'm Zamone Perez.

And Native American advocates say a Supreme Court ruling this week that deemed racial redistricting under the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional significantly weakens protections for Native voters.

The Voting Rights Act historically served to protect minority groups from racial discrimination in voting practices.

In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana redistricting map that created a second-majority Black district.

Jacqueline DeLeon, senior attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, says the court issued a backward analysis blurring the line between racial and political discrimination and essentially condoning bias on the basis of politics.

The outcome is going to be discrimination where Native and minority voters are blocked out of any representation.

And that really is what the Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent.

Legal experts warn the ruling could potentially influence a Supreme Court petition from North Dakota tribes that would determine whether private citizens and groups have the right to sue over discriminatory voting maps.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Finally, Michigan educators are joining a national push for better pay.

New reports from the National Education Association show wages are rising, but not fast enough to keep up with inflation over the past decade.

Survey data and educator accounts reveal many are taking on second jobs to make ends meet.

Michigan special needs paraeducator Robert Gaines III spoke out about the crisis during an NEA webinar this week.

This very week, I celebrate 20 years in education.

And I do believe that out of the 20 years, there has only been one year that I've been able to do two jobs or less.

Supporters say Better Pay could help schools retain staff, while critics warn it could strain budgets and taxpayers.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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