News from around the nation.

European leaders back Zelensky after U.S. plan leaves them out; CA report calls for expanding youth apprenticeship pathways; How federal funding limbo is affecting Appalachia; As CDC support fades, GA advocates ramp up menthol prevention.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

European leaders Friday warned that the Ukrainian army should not be defanged and that they should be consulted on talks to end the war in Ukraine as they scramble to respond to a U.S.-Russian peace plan that has largely excluded them and Kiev.

That from the New York Times.

They report the plan, which was drafted without Ukrainian or European involvement, would require Kiev to surrender significant slices of territory, reduce the size of its and relinquish some types of weaponry, according to officials familiar with the proposal.

Meantime, a new statewide report says California could dramatically scale up youth apprenticeship programs to strengthen the workforce and close persistent skill gaps.

The California Youth Apprenticeship Committee report recommends creating more bridges from high school to registered apprenticeship programs, expanding college-connected pathways and ensuring supportive services for those who are out of school.

David Espinosa, who heads the Laborers Training School Azusa says these programs give young people a practical on-ramp to careers that otherwise feel out of reach.

Apprenticeships are extremely important for the simple purpose of opportunity.

Typically, most people aren't born with that skill set.

There's a lot of things to learn from safety to actually unique skills associated with those different types of work projects.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

Health insurance costs and energy assistance federal funding remain up in the air despite President Trump recently signing a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of January.

Extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies was not included in the agreement.

Dana Kuhnlein with Reimagine Appalachia says the uncertainty is impacting many people in Appalachian communities who currently can't predict how much their health insurance will cost next year.

She advises them to assume the subsidies won't be extended.

Do make sure that you're picking a plan that you can afford without the subsidies just in case there is a concern there which is just a terrible place for folks be if they're trying to plan their budgets for the year.

ACA open enrollment period ends on January 15, 2026.

To have coverage on January 1st, people must enroll or change plans by the December 15th deadline.

This is Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection.

And the CDC recently dismantled its Office of Smoking and Health, the nation's lead public health authority on tobacco research and prevention.

Local authorities say that loss has created gaps in information support, especially as menthol and flavored tobacco continued to drive addiction in black and urban communities.

Della Sir Kelly with the No Menthol Movement, ATL, says the problem is rooted in decades of targeted marketing.

85 percent of African-American use menthol cigarette and that was by design.

Industry has been targeting our communities for numerous of years from 1960s all the way to where we are now.

As the great American smoke out approaches this week, Atlanta organizations with years of tobacco prevention experience say their work has taken on new urgency.

This is Public News Service.

When the USDA buys food for its nutrition programs, nearly half the purchases go to food companies aligned with industrial agriculture.

That's according to a new report, which includes details about a well-known firm in Minnesota.

In fiscal year 2024, Friends of the Earth researchers say the federal government spent $4.8 billion on food for programs that support school and senior meals, food banks, and tribal communities.

Nearly half of that spending went to just 25 companies, and Minnesota-based Jenny O'Turkey landed at number six.

Chloe Waterman with Friends of the Earth says whether the government saves money with these contracts, it's leaving out too many smaller farms that emphasize sustainable practices.

Some of these foods may have a low sticker price, but a high cost to communities and to public health.

The USDA doesn't discuss production practices associated with the food it buys, but the report authors say it's likely the overwhelming majority of food comes from vendors using common industrial lag approaches, including concentrated animal feeding operations.

I'm Mike Moen.

And Florida political leaders, environmental advocates are pushing back against a new White House plan that could open the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling.

It's a significant shift from a decades-long bipartisan consensus in Florida to keep oil rigs away from its coastlines.

The announcement comes after a years-long fight by coastal communities resulting in a state ban on drilling in the Apalachicola River, which was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in June.

Adrienne Johnson with Apalachicola Riverkeeper says the local victory was crucial, but the new federal threat puts everything at risk again.

Without good water quality, we don't have commercial shellfish production. our farms would not be able to operate.

And so a move of this sort would be devastating for the working water men and women that depend on clean water.

I'm Tramell Gomes.

Finally, an Alabama study committee is working to strengthen support for first responders living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alabama Mental Health Commissioner, Kim Boswell, says first responders deal with many of the known risk factors every day. getting people help early can prevent long-term harm.

The good news is with PTSD, if we can address it at the time it occurs, you really can avoid all of these things on this list.

That's one of the things that makes PTSD different from what I traditionally think of as a mental health issue.

Boswell says first responders can get confidential help through the state's Connect app, which lists mental health, substance use, and prevention resources along with Alabama's 988 Crisis Line and six 24/7 crisis centers.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

We are a member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.