News from around the nation.

Uncovering America's methamphetamine history; PA Early Intervention programs vital for child development; measuring long-term impact of the O.J. Simpson trial on media literacy.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, April the 12th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A close look at the history of meth use in Missouri and across the country reveals the surprising truth.

It is not just a rural small-town issue in the U.S.

Details now on this Daily Yonder Missouri News Service collaboration.

Homecooked, a 50-year history of meth in America, delves into the relationship of methamphetamine use with broader drug policies and social and cultural ramifications.

Reporter Olivia Weeks with the Daily Yonder produced and hosts the podcast.

She says meth use was once associated with rural areas, but that assumption is inaccurate.

Weeks says Missouri fought back against its meth lab reputation.

They policed their meth lab problem really strongly and had really high lab bus numbers and then those have basically disappeared.

But now the rest of the country is dealing with this problem that was associated with Missouri.

In the podcast, she explains most of the methamphetamine entering the U.S. comes through commercial points of entry, hidden in legal shipping containers rather than being smuggled across the border by individuals.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

Next to the U.S. Senate where leaders introduced legislation to end judge shopping.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the End Judge Shopping Act on Wednesday, which would require judges to be randomly assigned.

That's from the Texas Tribune.

And a new study highlights the importance of Pennsylvania's early intervention program and its services for infants and toddlers at risk of developmental delays.

Kerry King, who heads Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, explains there are two early intervention programs, Part B for preschoolers age three to five, and her group advocates for Part C, which supports infants and toddlers and is administrated through the Department of Human Services.

King says only 46,000 children are served by Part C.

The way services are delivered is usually in a home setting.

So you'll have a trained professional come into the home to meet with, whether it's mom or dad or another caregiver, to address whatever concerns might be present with that child.

As the state budget for the next fiscal year approaches its June 30th deadline, King adds the thriving PA campaign supports Governor Josh Shapiro's proposal to increase funding for Part C early intervention services.

A $16.6 million boost in the governor's budget would allow an additional 3,000 children to receive support.

King adds addressing a child's developmental delays as soon as possible helps put them on the route to success in the communications and adaptive skills.

For Public News Service, I'm Danielle Smith.

This is Public News Service.

And the death of O.J. Simpson has the nation looking back on his infamous murder trial that resulted in his acquittal.

The lengthy trial proceedings from the mid-1990s were televised, setting a pathway for cameras in the courtroom.

University of Minnesota media professor Jane Kirtley says it also ushered in a cottage industry of pundits brought in to analyze the events of each day.

That made it easier for people to get a recap during a 24-hour news cycle, but she adds there was a drawback to getting so much information centered around analysis.

It also meant that people could suspend their critical thinking to a certain extent and I believe we're still seeing that today.

Kirtley says given how the accessibility of information has exploded since the trial, news consumers can't lose sight of the need to examine where they're getting it from and if the details are being vetted.

I'm Mike Mullen reporting.

Meantime, New York restaurant workers need to know their rights to better navigate their workplaces.

A new report finds high rates of what it calls occupational segregation in the restaurant industry, which can relegate some people to lower paying jobs.

Workers' rights organizations are counteracting this with training programs.

Alimaya Iskokova is a server for Exquisite Staffing, a catering company.

She says the child training from Restaurant Opportunity Centers United is helping her.

Since I completed this training course, I am more confident when it comes even to job interview.

I'm more confident when it comes to this type of interviews.

Plus with all my experience and the knowledge that I got from RAC United, I have a higher income.

She was also trained in safe food handling, OSHA certification and other needs to know information about the restaurant industry.

These courses are available in several cities beyond New York.

The report also notes unlike training offered by organizations like the National Restaurant Association, these courses prioritize developing restaurant workers' power to support individual career development.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

Finally, from our Mark Richardson, Native American leaders from across the Midwest will go before a UN panel with their concerns over a controversial pipeline they say is trespassing on tribal land.

In Bridges, Line 5 operation in the Great Lakes region is expected to be a topic when the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues convenes Monday in New York.

In the Midwest, the law firm Earthjustice represents some tribes in testing the rerouting of Line 5 in Wisconsin.

Attorney Debbie Chitswer says climate change is affecting the region and tribal nations' ability to exercise their treaty rights.

The perpetuation of this fossil fuel infrastructure will only worsen that and will affect their special tribal resources like sugar maple and loons and whitefish and other species that are integral part of females and other tribal nations.

This is Mike Clifford and thank you for ending your week with Public News Service.