News from around the nation.

House GOP reveals Trump's tax breaks for tips, overtime and car loans, but costs run high; Rural Alabama faces a dual health, internet crisis; Report: WI youth mental health struggles at all-time high; Homeless advocates say Common Sense Institute report misses the mark.

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

House Republicans propose sweeping tax breaks Monday in President Donald Trump's big priority bill touting at least $4.9 trillion in costs so far, partly paid for with cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs used by millions of Americans.

That's from the Associated Press.

They report it seeks to extend the tax cuts approved during Trump's first term and boost the standard deduction, child tax credit and estate tax exemption, while adding new tax breaks on tip wages, overtime pay, Social Security benefits and auto loans that Trump promised during his campaign for the White House.

And across Alabama and much of the rural South, some 200 counties are falling behind on access to reliable internet, health providers and basic care.

More in this KFF Health News report.

That includes Greene County, where the hospital's internet is too slow to support modern tools such as digital monitoring or electronic health records.

Dr. Steve Katsinas with the University of Alabama says what's happening in Greene is more than just a local issue.

It's a warning sign for underserved communities across the region.

We've long argued there will always be rural areas with low population density and persistent high poverty.

They're going to get attended to last.

Katsinas says 180 persistent poverty counties across the South face similar challenges.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

This story produced with original reporting from Sarah Jane Tribble for KFF Health News.

And May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

The latest state data shows the number of Wisconsin youth who are struggling with their mental health has spiked.

The report from the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health shows the numbers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years, while rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts went up across the board.

Girls saw an overall higher increase.

Wisconsin boys, however, are two to four times more likely to die by suicide than girls, according to the report.

Amy Marsman says these trends are worse for LGBTQ plus students and students of color.

They feel less connected to their school and less likely to report that they feel they belong at their school.

So we know that there are target populations that we should really focus on.

I'm Judith Ruiz-Branch reporting.

Next, a new report on homelessness in Colorado released by the Common Sense Institute is coming under fire.

The report claims an intervention first model where people only get housing if they agree to addiction treatment and workforce training is more effective than the housing first and supportive services approach.

But Kathy Alterman with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless says the report doesn't even mention rising housing costs.

When we see housing costs go up, when we see rents increased, we see homelessness increased.

When we don't see more affordable housing being made available to low income households, we see homelessness increased.

Between 2019 and 2023, Denver's already high rents rose by nearly 30 percent.

This is public news service.

The disbandling of the 30-year-old AmeriCorps National Service Program by DOJ will have significant impacts in states like New Mexico.

Last year, AmeriCorps recruited more than 4,500 participants in the state to help meet local needs and strengthen communities.

Program grants are administered by the Serve New Mexico Commission, working under the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Executive Director Kristen Schuss says funding was eliminated for a planning grant and six of 10 operational programs, leaving only four still functioning.

These programs were offering services to the communities, everything from tutoring to after school programming, mentorship, trail restoration.

So it's a significant cut.

It's almost about two-thirds of our programs.

I'm Roz Brown.

Initially known as Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA, AmeriCorps was created by President Johnson in 1965 and renamed by President Bill Clinton.

And the U.S. and China combined ate a little less than half of all the beef produced globally.

But consumption there is trending in opposite directions.

Americans eat about 90 pounds of beef annually per capita, down from 117 pounds in 1974.

Across the globe, China's consumption is rising significantly, from less than a half pound in 1972 to 17 pounds per capita in 2022.

Coupled with China's rising population, that trend could mean a big increase in global demand.

Beef production is the leading cause of deforestation globally, and Brent Kim with Johns Hopkins University's Center for a Livable Future says that raises a difficult question.

Estimates suggest that we need to increase agricultural yields by 60 to 70 percent to feed the growing population.

How can we feed more people with the land that we've got without cutting down more trees?

Kim says slowing beef production is an effective and fast way to curb harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

Finally, there is a new tool that aims to equip folks in Oregon with the knowledge they need to take control of their personal data and protect their privacy.

Oregon Consumer Justice created the guide after the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act took effect last summer, empowering residents to control how businesses collect and use their personal data.

The guide explains how to request records of collected and sold personal information.

Malena Lechon-Galdos is with the Portland non-profit SUMA that helped work on the guide.

She says most people do not understand how much of their data, from internet search histories to social security numbers, is being collected, bought and sold.

The internet is a tool that everyone at this point needs to utilize, even if it's getting basic resources.

And so how can we do it in a way that is safe?

The guide includes step-by-step instructions on how to opt out of targeted advertising and stop the sale of personal data.

I'm Isabel Charlay.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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