Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Liberal candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in blow to Trump, Musk; Montana scores 'C-minus' on infrastructure report card; Colorado's Boebert targets renewed effort to remove federal wolf protections; Indiana draws the line on marijuana promotions.

Transcript

The Public News Service Newscast, April 2, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Susan Crawford projected by NBC News to win the open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, keeping the high court's 4-3 liberal majority intact, and delivering a blow to Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.

That for the Hill.

The race was seen as a test of Musk's political sway, as his super PAC, America PAC, alone spent more than $12 million to support Scheimel.

He also traveled to Wisconsin Sunday, where he handed out $1 million checks to voters who had signed his petition.

And from the Associated Press, Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections Tuesday in two Florida congressional districts, bolstered by President Donald Trump's endorsement, to fill vacant seats in reliably Republican strongholds.

The margin of victory was cut in about half from Trump's in Florida in November.

Montana scores a C- on a new report card for America's infrastructure.

The American Society of Civil Engineers says the state's performance is average in upgrading its drinking water, solid waste, and aviation systems, but more funding is needed for schools, since most were built before 1970, and stormwater infrastructure, which the EPA has estimated would need $22 million in upgrades.

Darren Olson, who chairs the report card committee, says states should make improvements to brace for extreme weather events and other environmental challenges.

Investments in resilient infrastructure are consistently proven to be an effective use of limited public dollars, especially by minimizing rebuilding needs after a significant event.

By adopting the most up-to-date codes and standards, communities will be better equipped to handle disasters.

The report says updating building codes will be essential to protecting public health, public lands, and improving traffic safety.

It also suggests the state find dedicated funding for infrastructure improvements, as temporary resources can lead to gaps.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

Next to Colorado, where the congressional representative there, Bobbert, has introduced a bill that would remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The measure would also prohibit any challenges to the law in court.

Jewel Tomasula with the Endangered Species Coalition says House Resolution 845 is essentially recycled legislation.

The bill would reinstate a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting decision issued in November 2020, the end of the first Trump administration.

And this was overturned in court because the Fish and Wildlife Service did not use the best available science, among other serious errors.

The move comes as President Donald Trump and allies have accused federal courts of trying to overtake the executive branch's authority by blocking a number of executive orders.

After being hunted and poisoned to near extinction, the return of the gray wolf to the lower 48 states is widely viewed as one of America's greatest conservation success stories.

The livestock industry, which has overtaken large swaths of historic wolf habitat for grazing, has opposed protection, citing concerns about predation.

I'm Eric Galatas.

This is Public View Service.

Indiana lawmakers are considering a statewide ban on marijuana advertising after a House committee approved an amendment on Monday.

We get the details from our Joe Ulori.

Republican Representative Jim Pressel of La Porte said his district near the Michigan border is flooded with billboards and mailers promoting dispensaries and nearby New Buffalo.

This is an issue in northern Indiana for sure, in my district, and as I talk to other legislators from northern Indiana.

We are inundated with billboards that advertise marijuana.

The proposal expands on a previous Senate plan that targeted billboards by prohibiting ads for illegal marijuana in all forms.

Lobbyists for the advertising industry argue the move is government overreach.

And a bill in the Maryland General Assembly would regulate cryptocurrency kiosks, the more than 700 ATM-like machines for virtual currencies around the state.

The FBI received more than 4,400 complaints about those kiosks in 2023, according to a report on cryptocurrency scams.

Nearly 60 percent of complaints came from people over the age of 60.

The legislation would establish registration and operating requirements for the kiosks in the state, enforced by the Commissioner for Financial Regulation.

Tammy Bresnahan with AARP Maryland says crypto kiosks have become a new way for scammers to target people.

These kiosks have become a really haven for scammers to call people to say there's a problem with your account, you need to take money, $4,500 in cash and deposit into this nearby cryptocurrency kiosk because your account has been compromised.

The total losses from cryptocurrency kiosks in 2023 exceeded $150 million.

I'm Simone Perez.

Other states like Minnesota and Vermont have already passed legislation regulating these virtual currency kiosks.

Finally, registration is open for the next information session for the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences at Texas Women's University in Denton.

Students accepted into the program will study to earn their pilot's license.

TWU is the only woman-based university nationwide with a professional pilot's program.

Professor Clinton Grant says it's a hands-on curriculum.

Once they go through all the steps to get into the program and the semester starts, within a week or so they're in an airplane flying.

It's not something they have to wait later as junior, senior years before they get into it.

We start them as quickly as we can.

So it's a lot of fun.

The program is limited to 25 students in the fall and spring semesters.

The next information session is April 11.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

The aeronautics program is still early on.

The first classes were held in 2024.

Grant says they'll grow and they'll have more options for students.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Hear us on interesting radio stations, your favorite podcast platform.

Find our content and trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.