News from around the nation.

Colorado families must sign up to get $120 per child for food through Summer EBT; No Jurors Picked on First Day of Trump's Manhattan Criminal Trial; virtual ballot goes live to inform Hoosiers; It's National Healthcare Decisions Day.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service DOA newscast, April the 16th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

We head first to Colorado, where families need to sign up before the end of April to receive $120 per child to buy food through the summer EBT program approved by the Congress.

Families with incomes that qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches, up to around $49,000 a year for a family of three, must enroll through their school.

Anya Rose with Hunger Free Colorado says as school cafeterias close their doors for summer, EBT cards can help kids get the nutrition they need to return to school in the fall ready to learn.

A lot of families will be automatically enrolled if they're enrolled in programs like TANF, SNAP, Medicaid.

If you're unsure, then talk to your school about filling out the household income form to make sure you can qualify for this year if you're income eligible.

EBT grocery cards can be used to buy fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese, eggs, breads, meat, fish, and other food at all grocery stores that accept SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Plan.

Rose notes grocery cards will be sent by mail, so it's important to make sure schools have your correct address.

I'm Eric Galatas.

And now from Maggie Haberman at the New York Times, Donald J.

Trump faces charges that he falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal while serving as president.

More than half of the first group of prospective New York jurors was dismissed almost immediately.

The Times reports Trump was charged in Manhattan, a deeply Democratic county and his former home, with falsifying nearly three dozen business records in an attempt to cover up a payment to a porn star.

Trump denies the encounter happened.

He faces 34 felony counts and could face probation or up to four years of prison time.

Next to Indiana where our Joey LaRore reports, it just got easier for Hoosiers to study who is running for the upcoming May primary.

The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan news platform that has published its election guide to help make sense of the thousands of candidates whose names will appear on ballots.

Publisher Bill Morrow says this is the fourth election in which the Indiana Citizen has participated, but it is the first primary election.

He hopes voters will use the online tool to improve the state's civic health.

Indiana continues to be ranked among the very bottom for voter registration, civic literacy and turnout.

So we wanted to do something to contribute toward the civic health, but also providing unbiased information to voters.

According to Indiana Secretary of State Diago Morales, voter turnout for Indiana in the last comparable election for May 2020 was 65 percent.

The highest turnout in the state was 75 percent in Hamilton and Wells counties.

The lowest turnout was 59 percent in Delaware and Madison counties.

This is public news service.

And today is National Health Care Decisions Day.

It highlights the importance of planning for the future when it comes to medical choices.

Our Eric Tegedorf has more.

In particular, the organization Compassion and Choices is focused on end of life decisions and ensuring that people discuss advanced care planning with their loved ones and health care team.

Megan Williams is clinical engagement and education program manager with the organization.

Talking about your end of life plans, your advanced care plan, you're giving your loved ones and the people around you an opportunity to feel confident that they are following your wishes as they continue to support you through your journey.

Oregon is one of 10 states where medical aid in dying is legal.

And despite a recent policy victory, Wisconsin labor leaders still express concern about the current environment for shielding young teens from unsafe work environments.

Governor Tony Evers this month vetoed a bill that would have expanded the elimination of required work permits for those under 18.

Wisconsin state AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale says these are policy fights advocates thought they won decades ago when minors often worked in dangerous conditions.

But she says there's a strong push to chip away at protections.

We are seeing a growing movement from different unscrupulous employers that want to put kids back in the workplace and not have the kind of oversight that is needed.

The Economic Policy Institute says rollbacks have been approved in a dozen states the past few years.

And while current efforts are thwarted in Wisconsin, Bloomingdale worries about similar debates in future sessions.

Backers of the Wisconsin bill say the goal was to reduce red tape for families.

I'm Mike Moen.

Finally, from our Tramiel Gomes, as the Sunshine State grapples with the rising temperatures and escalating weather events such as hurricanes, a new study sheds light on the pivotal role of Florida's wildlife corridor in mitigating the effects of climate change coupled with the surge of new residents.

The report is trumpeted as a first-of-its-kind study showcasing how the 18 million acres of the wildlife corridor, which runs through the entire state, ease the worst impact of climate change.

It paints a picture of investing in resources that support cohabitation to be mutually beneficial with nature and the economic growth that comes from people who flock to the state to enjoy it.

Colin Polsky founded the Florida Atlantic University School of Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and is the study's lead author.

He says the corridor benefits the state.

It's an attempt to welcome the 1,000 people a day approximately who move to Florida.

But to do so in a way that allows the wildlife to continue to thrive.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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