News from around the nation.

Today is Day One of the unusual GOP midterm convention, Oklahoma's public libraries now serve as broadband access hubs for rural residents, and Florida's reliance on natural gas leaves consumers exposed to price spikes.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Today kicks off the GOP's unusual midterm convention in Dallas, which endeavors to Trump's plan to be the headline speaker both nights.

Some are calling Trump a palooza.

The Dallas Morning News notes many party members, including those facing tight races, are skipping the two-day affair, citing conflicting obligations or balking at demands that they pony up for access.

Others are hoping an appearance alongside Trump will put them in the national spotlight as they work to turn out his voters without him on the ballot.

Meantime, Oklahoma is turning public libraries into broadband access hubs as a new statewide effort aims to provide rural residents with reliable internet.

The initiative will place up to 175 community access portals in libraries across the state, allowing people to take telehealth appointments, search for jobs, further their education, and organize essential services.

The product is funded by $14.5 million from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act's Capital Projects Fund.

Mike Sanders with the Oklahoma Broadband Office says libraries are a natural fit because they are free, open, and trusted institutions.

The fact that these are free and that these libraries are so open and able to offer full-time help, we thought what a great idea to have these placed in Oklahoma.

Sanders says libraries frequently serve as technology access points, particularly in rural communities where broadband is limited.

I'm Mark Richardson.

And Florida relies on natural gas for nearly three-quarters of its electricity, making it one of the most exposed states in the country to volatile fuel prices.

Utilities typically pass the cost of fuel directly to customers.

Analysts point to two key drivers, surging U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas, which tie domestic prices to volatile global markets. and growing demand from data centers for reliable power.

Brendan Pierpont is Director of Electricity at Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and climate policy think tank.

He says Florida's dependence on gas is a major risk.

In a lot of ways, Florida is one of the states that has the greatest exposure to volatile natural gas prices, being so heavily dependent on gas as a fuel.

Nationally, the average across the grid, There's about 40% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from natural gas.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Next, nearly one in three folks in Michigan over age 50 provides care for an adult family member or friend with a health issue or disability.

The One Million Care Conversation Initiative is collecting people's experiences to identify where support is falling short.

Nicole Jorick is Chief Program Officer at Caring Across Generations.

The biggest thing that we're hearing is that people want there to be systems in place so that care can be a choice.

Right now, family caregivers are the last line of defense.

A University of Michigan poll found one-third of those caregivers have faced financial challenges.

This is Public News Service.

A landmark law and one of the country's largest sources of funding for maintenance and repair on public lands expired last year.

Now, a coalition of environmental groups is pressing the Congress to restore it.

Committees in both the House and Senate have passed a bill to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund, meaning the next step would be floor votes.

President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, which established the fund.

Rebecca Konefke with the Pew Charitable Trusts says the bill gives a boost to the environment and to the outdoor economy.

LRF has funded more than 1,600 projects across the country.

And in 2025, the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund was estimated to support an average of 17,000 jobs and contribute $2 billion to the U.S. economy.

She adds that in 2024, 332 million visits to national parks contributed an estimated $56 billion and more than 340,000 jobs to the U.S. economy.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Next lawmakers from Washington and Oregon are demanding answers from ICE and GEO Group, the company that runs the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, after 140 detainees went on a hunger strike.

The center has been plagued by reports of inedible food and lack of sanitation for years.

Washington Congresswoman Emily Randall says she has been denied her legal right to access the facility twice and was only allowed after a lawsuit forced the issue.

I'm laying the blame squarely at the leadership of GEO, but also at the president's desk, because this is a system that is meant to make it hard for members of Congress to have oversight again.

It's a system that is meant to dehumanize the individuals who are detained here.

The Seattle Times reports GEO Group promised better food options and larger portions to end the strike.

The notorious conditions in the center are part of what spurred a protest last June, which ended in federal conspiracy convictions for three Washingtonians known by supporters as the Spokane Three.

I'm Isobel Charle.

Finally, concerns about rural health care in South Dakota have people coming together to make their voices heard.

United Today, Stronger Tomorrow, a nonprofit working to protect access to health care, has led town halls across the state where people are sharing their experiences and viewpoints.

The group's Diane Anne Chamberlain says she was encouraged by all the new faces at the meetings this summer.

People need to be heard.

They need to feel safe.

They need to feel like they don't have to defend their illnesses, their need for care.

Chamberlain is concerned people might not be aware of major changes ahead, which she describes as potentially painful.

Those include new Medicaid work requirements starting in January.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service. M

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