News from around the nation.

President Trump says the ceasefire is still in effect, despite attacks on US warships in the Strait of Hormuz; Maryland union calls for safety measures after highway worker deaths; Advocates call for more corporate contributions to soften Medi-Cal cuts; North Carolina LGBTQ+ advocates honor trans moms, caregivers.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

U.S. forces launched strikes Thursday in response to attacks on American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Still, the president maintains the ceasefire is in effect.

Regarding the attacks on U.S. warships, Trump said Thursday, they trifle with us today.

We blew them away.

In his latest warning, Trump said we'll knock them out a lot harder and a lot more violently if Iran doesn't sign a deal soon.

Meantime, after two highway workers died on job sites within a week, a Maryland union is calling on the state to better enforce traffic laws and put up more barriers to protect highway workers. 70-year-old Dippakumar Patel and 40-year-old Robert Dempsey were killed in two separate vehicle accidents last week.

Union leaders met with Transportation Secretary Catherine Thompson to discuss highway work zone safety after the accidents.

Wynton Johnson is with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 3, which represents 26,000 state workers.

He says near-crash encounters are common.

I had numerous scares myself from not being able to go home because of the way the drivers are driving.

So I've been working with the state for numerous years of trying to get better working environments and more safety protocols.

Previous efforts to improve work zone safety include a 2024 law that increased the presence of state troopers at work zones and introduced the new tiered fine system for speed cameras.

I'm Zamone Perez.

And disability rights groups rallied at California's state capitol Thursday.

They voiced support for a legislative proposal to require the top one or two percent of corporations to contribute to the Medi-Cal costs of their workers.

Policy experts say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act approved by congressional Republicans last year cuts nearly a trillion dollars from Medicaid in the coming years and lowers taxes on big companies.

Judy Mark with Disability Voices United says California stands to lose close to $30 billion for Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in the Golden State.

What we're saying is you all need to pay your fair share.

You got massive tax cuts and now millions of people are going to lose their health care and disabled people will suffer.

Details of the California plan are still under negotiation, but Mark estimates it could bring in $5 to $8 billion a year.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And this Mother's Day, LGBTQ advocates are reminding people that family and motherhood can take shape in different ways.

Vanity Reed Dieterville with the LGBT Center of Durham says her first experiences with being a mom were with LGBTQ youth who needed mentorship, support, and affirmation.

She adds the role of transgender mothers has been to affirm people and help them navigate a complex world.

Caregiving, motherhood, parenting, raising children is critical, especially as we continue to raise a generation that is completely surrounded and entrenched in social media and social influence and culture wars.

To her, motherhood doesn't only refer to women with biological children, but rather anyone who is a caregiver, nurturer, and supporter.

This is Public News Service.

Despite ongoing efforts from state and city officials, New Yorkers want more done to protect tenants from the housing crisis.

This comes two years after good cause eviction protections were enacted.

While 21 localities have opted into the law since then, some feel it's not enough.

Upstate cities tried implementing rent stabilization policies, but ultimately couldn't because of lawsuits from real estate companies.

The Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants, or REST Act would provide them with access to those policies.

Sumathi Kumar with Housing Justice for All says the bill is vital.

It's a much stronger set of protections that really gives tenants power in their homes, lets them organize without fear, and it goes further than good cause.

So we're seeing now across upstate New York that tenants need more.

She notes the upstate New York housing crisis continues due to limited housing stock and rising rents.

While the REST Act has strong support from lawmakers and residents, landlords oppose it, saying it threatens housing access.

I'm Edwin J. Viera

And as Teacher Appreciation Week wraps up, a North Dakota educator is highlighting the importance of prioritizing recruitment and retention amid teacher shortages and state funding concerns.

In his guidelines for the next state budget cycle, Governor Kelly Armstrong is calling on a freeze to education spending along with potential cuts.

Landon Schmeigel, secondary teacher at Legacy High School, says while his district is compensated well compared to the rest of the state, teachers' salaries have not kept pace with inflation overall.

As the cost of gas, groceries, and health care continue to rise, he's concerned that freezing the budget would be detrimental.

How do we make sure that we're not only attracting new talent, but how do we make sure that we're taking care of people who have invested their entire life into public education?

Supporting schools, supporting educators is not a partisan issue.

An investment in public education is an investment in the posterity of our country.

Research from the National Education Association shows North Dakota ranks 40th in the nation for average public teacher pay.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Finally, a new poll shows that 85 percent of folks in Missouri strongly support legal access to birth control.

Family planning advocates say it's a strong indicator of the need for state lawmakers to expand access to birth control across the state.

Michelle Trippiano with the Beacon Reproductive Health Network says Missouri women face numerous obstacles to obtaining contraception.

There are many barriers that impact access to birth control, including insurance barriers, costs, transportation, and lack of clinic access.

The poll released by the Missouri Foundation for Health found that about three out of ten Missourians say high cost or access to insurance were major barriers to obtaining birth control.

In 2024, Missouri lawmakers passed a measure defunding health clinics such as Planned Parenthood.

I'm Mark Richardson.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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