Six minutes of news from around the nation.

The Senate confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as the CDC’s first official director in a year; Colorado hospitals are seeing more patients without insurance; Childhood trauma warnings resurface with new ICE plans in Minnesota; A new Texas alliance aims to connect community organizations with funding.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service daily newscast for August 6, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

She has a record of being a champion who has repeatedly affirmed the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccines.

The Senate Wednesday voted to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency's first full-time leader in nearly a year.

The New York Times notes the 51 to 44 vote fell mostly along partisan lines.

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia was the lone Democrat to vote in her favor.

Dr. Schwartz was the Trump administration's third nominee for CDC director in two years.

Meantime, millions of people in Colorado and across the nation lost their health insurance after the pandemic wind down ended automatic re-enrollment in Medicaid.

An increasing number of Coloradans without coverage haven't been able to pay their medical bills, according to a new Center for Improving Value in Healthcare Analysis, which has left hospitals holding the tab.

As CEO Kristen Paulson explains, people without insurance frequently delay care and many end up in costly emergency rooms when things get worse.

And especially in our rural areas, this can have a devastating effect on hospitals.

And in fact, we've seen a number of hospital closures over the past several years because they just aren't able ends meet.

Colorado's rural southeast, northeast, and San Luis Valley regions saw the biggest losses in Medicaid coverage between 2024 and 2025.

After Congress decided not to extend pandemic-era funding that helped people pay for insurance, an additional 3 million people lost coverage since January of this year.

The Trump administration attributes the drop in enrollment to its crackdown on abuse and fraud.

I'm Eric Galatas.

At a private prison company's advancing plans to convert a former Minnesota correctional facility into an ICE detention center.

People studying childhood trauma say these actions fuel widespread worry about long-term effects under border deportation agendas.

CoreCivic owns the Appleton facility and said this week it secured a contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

CoreCivic's ICE operation in Dilley, Texas, which holds families with kids is under scrutiny over claims of inhumane conditions.

University of California Riverside's Lisa Fortuna has looked into larger ripple effects and she says there's no question they align with adverse childhood experiences or ACEs.

Separation from family members witnessing violence that can really result in the initiation of mental health concerns as well as even physical health concerns.

Fortuna says for infants and toddlers, disrupted attachment can lead to sleep or eating problems.

It's unclear whether the Appleton facility will hold minors.

In an email statement, CoreCivic says it was designed to care for individuals in a secure environment.

I'm Mike Moen.

This is Public News Service.

A newly formed collaborative will soon start helping community groups and nonprofits across Texas acquire funding for their work.

The Texas Impact Capital Alliance, co-sponsored by the Episcopal Health Foundation, will identify and bring together people who are willing to invest in local programs and help them build relationships with like-minded organizations.

Susie Bell Gosley with Episcopal Health is co-chairing the alliance.

She says Tika will make it easier to finance projects that improve health and strengthen communities across the state.

Foundations, financial institutions, health care organizations, organizations that care about Texas communities, so more investment reaches the people in places that need it most.

This kind of impact investing is designed to bridge the gap between grants and local funding that community organizations use to do their work.

I'm Frida Ross reporting.

Next up, New Mexico's major investments in kids will be highlighted in a multi-city tour starting this month.

New Mexico Voices for Children, in partnership with W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has created a roadmap of improvements to child care, education, health care, and family supports.

The child advocacy group's Emily Wildow says the report spotlights new policies and funding that have improved opportunities for the state's children.

We've seen a lot of great wins during this administration.

There's been huge investments.

Nation-leading policies have been passed.

What are the things that are happening throughout the state that still need a lot of focus?

New Mexico launched its universal no-cost child care program in 2025.

I'm Roz Brown.

Finally, tribal nations and environmental groups are giving up for another fight over Enbridge's proposed Line 5 tunnel as the project heads back to state regulators.

The aging pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids from the Straits of Mackinac, where opponents fear that a spill could devastate the Great Lakes.

Enbridge wants to replace the underwater section with the new pipeline housed in a four-mile tunnel under the lake bed.

The Michigan Supreme Court found regulators had not adequately considered potential harm to resources protected under the state's public trust doctrine.

Earth Justice Senior Attorney Adam Reschinski says the commission must rethink its approach.

This is not a case where an agency looked at 95 percent of the issues and the court said just go back and do the other five percent.

The court rejected the commission's framework of analysis and sent this back to the drawing board.

It didn't say go back and do a little more.

It said go back and do it right this time.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Enbridge is reviewing the opinion and assessing legal options.

The company says it's committed to operating Line 5 safely, strengthening safeguards in the straight, and protecting Michigan's natural resources.

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