Six minutes of news from around the nation.

California Democrats look to redraw House map to counter Texas GOP; Texas Democratic lawmakers: Proposed redistricting map 'unfair'; New Ohio bill would require full replacement of lead water lines; Boulder, Colorado DA to lead 'Know Your Rights' training for immigrants; Wisconsin Farm Bureau: Immigration reform could address labor shortage.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for August 6, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Democrats in California moved this week to counter redistricting efforts by Texas Republicans with discussions of a new political map of their own, drawn to help Democrats to win as many as five of the state's Republican U.S. House seats next year.

That from the New York Times. they report that would functionally offset the five Democratic House seats that Republicans have targeted in Texas.

The plan seemed far-fetched a few weeks ago, but has been gaining momentum as a redistricting war that began in Texas threatens to spread across the country.

Meantime, dozens of Texas Democratic lawmakers remain holed up in different states in hopes of preventing or at least delaying a vote on that new congressional redistricting map.

Although civil arrest warrants have been issued for the lawmakers, they say they're not coming back.

Governor Greg Abbott put redistricting on the agenda for the current special legislative session after President Donald Trump instructed GOP lawmakers to find a way to flip five Democratic seats before the 2026 midterm election.

Brett Edkins with the group Stand Up America says if the Texas map is redrawn, it will have a ripple effect across the U.S.

If Trump's allies redraw the map to eliminate five Democratic House members in Texas, that could easily decide control of Congress for the remainder of Trump's term.

What happens in Texas will determine if we have a Congress that acts as a check on the president or one that rubber-stamp his extreme agenda.

The special session ends July 19th, but the governor can convene another one.

Lawmakers are being fined $500 a day for each day they're gone, but they can't be arrested outside of the state.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

And a new bill in the Ohio House aims to replace every lead water service line in the state over the next 15 years.

House Bill 307, known as the Lead Line Replacement Act, would require all publicly owned water systems in Ohio to fully remove and replace lead lines.

The bill's sponsor, Representative Dontavious Gerrels of Columbus, says the effort is personal.

This is a human good.

So if we are addressing water quality, it's not just impacting that family, it's impacting the entire community.

A report from Scioto Analysis estimates that every dollar invested in lead service line removal in Ohio would yield $32 to $45 in public health and economic benefits.

This is Nadia Ramlagan for Ohio News Connection.

The US EPA is proposing a nationwide mandate to remove all lead water lines within 10 years.

Supporters say passing the Ohio-specific law would ensure stability across changes in federal leadership.

This is Public News Service.

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office is leading a Know Your Rights training this Saturday in response to community concerns about the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.

Hosted by Modis Theater, the training will cover protections that the U.S. Constitution and state laws provide at traffic stops, courthouses, probation offices, and for crime victims.

Cristian Solano-Cordova with Modis says members of local law enforcement agencies will also be there to answer questions.

To really talk about what kind of immigrant protections there are under state law and where there aren't protections so people are aware of their rights.

All individuals on American soil, regardless of their immigration status, have rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

For example, you have the right to refuse searches of your belongings, car, and home under the Fourth Amendment unless an officer has a valid warrant signed by a judge.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees your right to legal representation.

You can learn more at the event, which kicks off at 3.30 p.m. this Saturday at the Boulder Public Library.

I'm Eric Galatas.

The state's largest farm organization wants what it calls meaningful immigration reform rather than aggressive federal detention and deportation efforts.

With the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Tyler Wensloff points out that rural Wisconsin supported President Donald Trump in large numbers despite immigration threats being a central part of his platform.

But immigrant labor is vital to the state, particularly for large dairy farms that require a year-round workforce.

Wenzeloff says they would like to see the H-2A visa program expanded to include dairy workers.

I just want to make sure that we emphasize that moving forward a critical step in addressing labor shortages is modernizing immigration laws.

It's unrealistic to expect workers to enter legally when the current system is broken.

He says Wisconsin farmers want both a secure border and a legal stable workforce.

It's estimated that undocumented immigrants perform about 70 percent of the labor on dairy farms.

Winslof says they hope to address the labor shortage and ensure current workers don't feel the need to retreat into the shadows.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And finally, Massachusetts colleges and universities are increasingly finding ways to create more age-inclusive campuses.

At least eight schools have joined what's called the Age-Friendly University Global Network, which promotes healthy aging habits and ways students and older adults can learn from one another.

Professor of Health Sciences at Springfield College, Pamela Higgins says local retirees are taking part in campus mobility clinics, art projects and even considering new careers.

Many of the folks, they not only want to connect with our students, but they maybe want to audit a class.

Research shows intergenerational learning helps improve students' relationship and decision-making skills while providing emotional and health benefits for older adults.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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