News from around the nation.

Trump taps Zeldin to lead EPA and promises 'fair and swift' deregulatory decisions; Indiana's farmers and Trump's deregulation dilemma; 7 Colorado colleges cited for students' workforce-readiness success; Middletown looks to J.D. Vance to help improve his hometown's economy.

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

In a rapid-fire series of edicts and late-night social media posts, President-elect Donald Trump made clear to Washington he plans to stack his second administration with loyalists and expects Republicans on Capitol Hill and elsewhere to fall in line.

That's the take from Politico.

They report the incoming president Monday tapped three of his staunchest current and former congressional allies for key roles, naming Representative Elise Stefanik as his next U.N. ambassador, Representative Lee Zeldin of New York to lead the EPA, and Mike Walsh of Florida to be his national security advisor.

Meantime, CNN reported early Tuesday that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who has been a fervent supporter of Trump dating back to his first term, is his pick for Secretary of Homeland Security.

Next to Georgia, in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, a small group of dedicated activists, after years of campaigning, succeeded in shutting down a controversial backyard slaughterhouse located near schools and churches.

We get more in this sentiment, Georgia News Connection collaboration.

Chris Eubanks heads the animal rights organization Apex Advocacy and joined the effort in 2021, providing the resources and energy the community needed to overcome years of obstacles.

He notes the biggest challenges were raising public awareness about the slaughterhouse's existence and accurately assessing its environmental impact.

It was such a unique situation in the fact that I would say it was killing about 100 animals a month.

So obviously, like, that's not comparable to like a large factory farm where, you know, tens of thousands of animals are being killed.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Meantime, a federal program awarding billions of dollars in tax credits to spur investment and economic growth in low-income urban and rural communities.

The New Market Tax Credits Program has allocated funds to 104 community development entities for projects and job development in Illinois and elsewhere.

One such entity, Self-Help Ventures Fund, is investing $50 million in low-income urban, rural, and tribal communities.

Sarah Brennan with Self-Help says they're focusing their investments on vital entities such as health clinics, charter schools, and food banks.

The program works by the government allocating authority to CDEs like ours to then give that tax credit to projects.

And what that allows projects to do is attract an investor.

I'm Mark Richardson.

Next to Vermont, where medical researchers say germs are getting smarter and more of them are becoming resistant to a class of drugs that are designed to treat infections.

Dr. David Hyen with the Pew Charitable Trust says research shows at least one in three antibiotics that are prescribed are unnecessary.

These bacteria are continuously learning through exposure to find defenses and evasion mechanisms to survive antibiotic treatment.

Once that happens, then that antibiotic becomes obsolete.

This is public news service.

Republicans in Ohio will soon have stronger representation in Washington, D.C.

Now that the Buckeye State native and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is set to take office in January.

Across the country and here in Ohio, a majority of voters cast their ballots to elect Donald Trump as the 47th president with Vance as his running mate.

Amy Hagan is a resident of Vance's hometown of Middletown.

Hagan says she voted for him and is hopeful for what she calls a brighter future.

I think it's really cool to just be able to get our name out there, you know, see what he's got.

I just hope he stands up to his word.

That's my biggest thing is trust.

Improving the economy will be a major issue for many voters in Middletown, where the poverty rate is over 19 percent, more than six and a half percent above the national rate.

Women between ages 35 and 44 make up the largest group of people in poverty in the city, followed by women ages 45 and 54.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

And the faith-based nonprofit Our Calling is working with unsheltered clients in North Texas to create a long-term exit plan to help them rebuild their lives.

More than 4,400 unhoused people live in Dallas and Collin counties.

A recent study by the Dallas County Health Department shows it costs more than $193 million annually to care for people experiencing homelessness.

Pastor Wayne Walker says in Our Calling's 15 years of operation, it has found that a lack of community sends people into homelessness.

All of us have financial problems, and every single person has crisis in their life.

The difference between someone who's experiencing homelessness and someone who's not is one of those people had a team of friends that they could call, family in their life, co-workers, and the other one doesn't.

He says before COVID, they assisted about 15 people per week.

That number has now increased to 75 people a week.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

The group also created the Neighborhood Solutions app to help individuals assist anyone experiencing homelessness.

Finally, from Eric Tegethoff, incarcerated young people in Washington state can spend a longer time in detention if they don't have a place to go upon release.

Some of the reasons for longer stays for people under the age of 18 include youth who are experiencing homelessness or are in between homeless shelters.

Sarah Zier is with Team Child, a Washington state-based advocacy group for youth involved with the juvenile justice system.

She says overstaying in detention is devastating for the youth who experience it.

They're facing layers of challenges.

Not only do they not have a safe place to sleep or to go home to or a family and supportive adults to meet their needs, but then they're held in detention where they're isolated and they don't have a chance of those things.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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