Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump floats firing Pirro over reflecting pool revelations; CE shooting fallout in Maine puts spotlight on Senator Susan Collins AG vote; Community health workers help families navigate Medi-Cal changes; Tire pollution is an increasing problem in Kentucky waterways.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily newscast August the 4th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that President Trump is considering removing Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, that after a Justice Department conclusion that problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stem from a flawed renovation rather than vandalism.

The president is furious with Pirro, one source told CNN, that he fumed about her all They added, based on his criticisms of her, they find it highly likely she'll be removed from the job.

The other source, a senior administration official, said Trump was blindsided by the court filing from Puro, a longtime ally.

The president did not know beforehand that she was going to do that.

Meantime, with the Senate expected to confirm Todd Blanche as the next U.S. Attorney General this week, pressure from watchdog groups is mounting on Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, who may cast the deciding vote.

Blanche has vowed in writing that the Justice Department will not create the anti-weaponization fund for the president's allies, something Collins rejected.

But he's also slowed investigations for fatal ice shootings, including the death of a young father in Maine last month.

Brett Edkins with the nonprofit Stand Up America says Mainers want answers, but the Blanche vote stands in their way.

Her concern, her strongly worded letters, those are not enough anymore.

Mainers need action from Senator Collins, and that starts with voting no on Blanche's nomination.

Collins has asked the DOJ to cooperate with local and state authorities to give the public confidence that an inquiry into the main shooting is fair.

But Blanche told the Senate committee their help was not needed to ensure an independent investigation.

Senator Collins' office did not respond to this reporter's request for an interview.

I'm Katherine Carley.

A July YouGov poll shows 58% of Americans who've heard about recent ICE shootings support abolishing ICE altogether.

Only 36% say that's something they oppose.

And changes to Medi-Cal are coming fast and furious, but California funds a network of thousands of community health workers, also known as Promotoras, to help low-income families understand their health insurance options.

A few years ago, the state added these services as a benefit in Medi-Cal, which is the Golden State's Medicaid program.

Mar Vélez, policy director with the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, says they're trusted bilingual messengers who can lay out the changes clearly.

Community health workers, promotoras de salud, are the lifeline to our community to be able to adhere to these new burdensome requirements.

We need to ensure that they continue to be funded, protected from any state cuts.

Republicans in Congress passed huge cuts to Medicaid last summer and put the savings toward immigration enforcement and tax cuts.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Public News Service.

Used tires are polluted Kentucky waterways, leaching toxic chemicals and rubber pollution into wildlife habitat and drinking water sources.

Arnady Aramalgan explains.

In 2024, advocates pulled about 200 tires out of a four-mile stretch of the Red River near Clay City.

Nick Hart, Water Policy Director with Kentucky Waterways Alliance, says that level of tire trash isn't unusual, and the problem only seems to be worsening.

We've worked with some partners who remove tires out of the same stretch of river every single year, and we've worked with other partners who have removed tens of thousands of tires out of one stretch of river or one river over numerous years.

A new online dashboard developed by the Alliance makes it easier for Kentuckians to report tires dumped in or near local waterways using their smartphone.

Hart says the dashboard creates a visual map of where tires have been reported that the advocates can use to locate and remove them.

Next, Arizona nurses feeling the brunt of changes to accessible and affordable health care.

The federal budget stripped some low-income Arizonans of services that have traditionally been available, causing more patients to use emergency rooms as their first option for care.

The stories of people trying to afford health care run the gamut.

Put food on the table or go to the doctor, go to work sick or take a pay hit for staying home.

Healthcare workers cite stories of diabetic patients forced to ration insulin and blood pressure medications, choosing basic survival over optimal health.

Tucson-based National Association of Hispanic Nurses President Serena Martinez says the changes in healthcare access and affordability are hitting the elderly population especially hard.

We've seen a lot of them come in related to falls because they're not taking their medications properly or very emaciated because they can't afford groceries.

From the health care provider standpoint, Martinez says nurses who were already overworked before cuts are burning out.

I'm Mark Moran.

Finally, humanitarian groups are calling on the Congress to pass legislation that would block restrictions to foreign aid on ideological grounds.

The Protect Human Rights and Public Health and Foreign Assistance Act would nullify the expansion of President Donald Trump's global gag rule.

The State Department's latest expansion of the rule now includes restrictions on all foreign aid for groups that promote LGBTQ rights, gender affirming care, or diversity and equity initiatives.

Felicity Gray with Nonviolent Peace Force says such restrictions could hurt organizations that support women who face sexual assault and violence.

Under the current expansion of the DEI provisions, we might not be able to advocate for someone targeted because of their gender or their race or ethnicity because of the way that this policy silences humanitarian organizations and their ability to do the work that they are mandated to do.

I'm Zamone Perez.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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