News from around the nation.

Flight cuts underway after FAA orders reduction due to government shutdown; Report: NYC elected officials can better address Latino concerns; Ohio bill would end mail ballot grace period after DOJ warning; Middle school testing expert: no one size fits all.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Now the flight cuts are underway.

A 4 percent reduction in domestic flights is in effect following an order from the Federal Aviation Administration.

It currently affects 40 airports in major U.S. cities, but further cuts are planned in coming days due to staffing issues caused by the government shutdown.

That from CNN.

They report about 800 flights at the main hubs across the U.S. have been canceled today, and travelers are frustrated with the disruptions, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is citing safety concerns as the reason for cutbacks, saying we're in an unprecedented situation with the shutdown.

Meantime, a new report details how New York City elected officials can better address issues facing the Latino community that don't involve immigration.

The Hispanic Federation report examines ways to include Latino voices on issues like environmental justice, arts and culture, and economic power.

Advocates feel the community isn't considered in these discussions, noting Latinos are often pigeonholed into seeming like their primary concern is immigration.

Jessica Orozco-Gutling with Hispanic Federation says elected leaders have to make a genuine effort to interface with the Latino community.

"It's more than saying every once in a while, we're going to convene a meeting every six months or once a year.

It's about actually knowing who we are, actually knowing the members that we serve, and getting to know Latinos within various communities across the country."

With Zohar Mamdani winning the mayoral election, Orozco-Gutling wants him to have the same and commitment to Latinos he had on the campaign trail when he takes the reins at city hall.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

And weeks after the US Department of Justice warned Ohio officials that its current mail ballot rules could violate federal election law, and just days after this week's statewide election, the state Senate has advanced legislation to tighten voting deadlines.

Supporters say the change aligns Ohio with federal guidance and ensures faster certification, but voting rights advocates argue it would make casting a ballot by mail more difficult thousands of eligible voters.

Mia Lewis, Associate Director for Common Cause Ohio, says election officials already work hard to keep the process secure and lawmakers should focus on expanding access rather than limiting it.

Elections in Ohio are very safe.

The boards of elections work incredibly hard and do an excellent job.

We could have changes in Ohio that would make it easier for eligible voters to cast a ballot.

Why aren't we working on those things?

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

This story was produced in association with media in the public interest and funded in part by the George Gunn Foundation.

Next, middle school educators throughout New England are working to raise students' test scores, but experts warn there's no one-size-fits-all solution.

Katie Powell with the Association for Middle-Level Education says standardized test results arrive after students have already moved on to the next grade.

While we still have students and have something we can do with them, we can react to the data we're getting, we can respond to it and make thoughtful decisions.

Student performance in math and English remains below pre-pandemic levels, although some more affluent districts have seen improvement.

This is public news service.

It turns out SNAP benefits aren't the only form of federal aid disrupted by the federal government shutdown.

Heating assistance for eligible households is at a standstill and a Minnesota coalition hopes the state steps in until the impact subsides.

The low-income Home Energy Assistance Program distributes federal dollars to states so they can sign up energy burden residents for utility bill relief and furnish repairs.

Minnesota's program recently announced this winter's lump sum is delayed due to the budget impasse but is still accepting applications.

18 Minnesota-based organizations, including CURE, want the state to adopt short-term fixes.

CURE's Maggie Schubert says the timing is critical. are having issues paying for their energy costs generally, and that is being exacerbated by rising electricity prices and natural gas prices.

In a letter to Governor Tim Walz, the group's request to mandate that all Minnesota serving utilities halt shutoffs until LIHEAP funding resumes.

I'm Mike Moen.

Next up, the Affordable Care Act enrollment period has just begun.

Montanans are learning just how much their premiums could go up in 2026.

Expanded ACA tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year.

Without them, some enrollees could see their premiums more than double.

That includes therapist, Anna Rolando, who has a private practice in Helena.

She expects her payments will rise by at least 100 percent without the enhanced tax credits, and she says it's unsustainable.

I think there's a lot of people that are either going to have to make the choice to not have health insurance coverage or to close their businesses.

And I just think it's really unfortunate.

More than 77,000 Montanans get their health insurance through Cover Montana, the state's ACA marketplace.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

Finally, clean energy supporters sailed to electoral victories across the country this week, including Virginia, and some consumer advocates believe that bodes well for the Commonwealth.

Former Democratic Congresswoman, Abigail Spanberger, decisively defeated Republican Lieutenant Governor, Winston Earl Sears on Tuesday race for governor.

All but a few localities in Virginia reported large swings towards Democrats compared to the 2024 election.

Democrats also won a commanding majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.

David Kiva with EDF Action says efforts to scale back clean energy expansions by the Trump administration have ended up hurting consumers.

He's been working as hard as he possibly can to snuff out investments in clean energy just because he doesn't like windmills or solar panels.

And that's hurting the American people and causing all of our bills to go up. and they said something about it really, really loudly on Tuesday night.

President Donald Trump has argued that increased use of fossil fuels and oil will create energy independence in the U.S.

He has previously blasted solar and wind energies as scams.

I'm Zamone Perez.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at PublicNewsService.org.