Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Dan Bongino stepping down as FBI deputy director; VA braces for premium hikes as GOP denies vote extending tax credits; Line 5 fight continues as tribe sues U.S. Army Corps; Motion to enjoin TX 'Parental Bill of Rights' law heads to federal court.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for December the 18th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is stepping down from the job after eight months, marked by clashes with his boss, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and fighting off conspiracies he once fueled.

That was CNN.

The report President Trump told reporters Wednesday he thought Bongino wanted to go back to his podcast. soon after Bongino posted on X.

The post read, "I'll be leaving my position "with the FBI in January.

"I want to thank President Trump, A.G. Bondi, "and Director Patel for the opportunity "to serve with purpose."

Meantime, GOP lawmakers will not vote on an extension to Affordable Care Act subsidies.

The tax credits are set to expire at the start of the new year.

400,000 Virginians could see their premiums rise by 20 percent or more, depending on their coverage, with some paying as much as 100 percent more each month.

And a dozen hospitals in the Commonwealth are at risk of closing their doors due to the premium hikes and other cuts to Medicaid, according to a report from Protect Our Care.

Vaishu Jawahar with the group says premium costs could become so high that premiums rival the other larger bills in their lives.

This is a really scary thing for a lot of people that's even more than their rent or it feels like a second mortgage.

It's simply unaffordable.

So an estimated over 4 million Americans will likely find that health care coverage is no longer affordable.

Republicans in Congress argue an extension of health insurance tax credits do not fix the underlying problems of the Affordable Care Act.

They have proposed the lower health care premiums for all Americans Act.

I'm Zamone Perez.

And the fight over the Line 5 pipeline continues as the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sues the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The tribe claims the Corps permitting approval for Canadian oil company Embridge's construction of a 41-mile pipeline for relocation project is unlawful.

A section of the more than 70-year-old pipeline has been operating illegally on the Bad River Bands reservation for more than a decade.

Beth Wallace with the National Wildlife Federation says despite decision makers fighting for years to shut it down, legal maneuvering and a lack of energy planning has made this nearly impossible to achieve.

She stresses the reroute to keep it running still poses a direct threat to tribal lands and natural resources.

This piece of infrastructure has already set the stage for other corporations to violate critical laws.

It's really important that leadership ensure that we aren't creating a dangerous precedent where our Great Lakes protections are on the line to foreign oil corporations.

Proponents like the Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition are calling the lawsuit baseless.

They say the project has been thoroughly analyzed and would create hundreds of jobs and provide energy to the state and region.

A federal judge ordered Line 5 to be shut down by June of 2026, but that decision is under appeal.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This is Public News Service.

As the multi-billion-dollar market for personal data expands, so are concerns about protecting everything from search histories to your social security number.

The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice recently convened a panel of experts to discuss the issue and potential solutions.

Representative Willie Chodson of Portland says his initial interest in data privacy was around safeguarding reproductive healthcare patients and immigrants, but he discovered data privacy as a surprisingly bipartisan issue.

There were so many other reasons why people can care about data privacy.

I think it's a really incredible opportunity where we can deliver wins that matter to each of us for our own values, but really reach across the aisle in terms of the values that they speak to.

Panelists said Oregon is on the forefront of data privacy legislation.

The state passed the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act in 2023, which gives residents rights over their personal data.

Another bill restricting the sale of geolocation data and other data related to minors will take effect in January.

I'm Isabel Charlay.

We head next to Maine where conservation groups warn the U.S. Senate is considering an amendment allowing for the eventual sale of some of America's national parks and public lands.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah aims to add his amendment to the Interior Department's funding bill as soon as today.

Todd Martin with the National Parks Conservation Association says it removes language that requires the government to protect and maintain national parks as federal lands, opening them up to the highest bidder.

America's national parks and public lands are beloved by all Americans of all political stripes, and they don't want to see our history sold off.

Martin says Mainers are especially protective of their public lands and parks, and that groups are urging Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King to reject the amendment.

The Trump administration argues these areas could be used for much needed housing and increased oil and gas exploration.

I'm Katherine Carley.

Finally, a federal court hearing today in Houston could pause Senate Bill 12, the Texas measure critics call the student identity censorship law.

SB 12 prohibits public and charter school DEI programs instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, assisting a student's social transition and LGBTQ student clubs.

A lawsuit brought on behalf of student-led groups, educators and families argues the law violates the Constitution and a federal civil rights statute.

Dale Melchert with the Transgender Law Center says SB 12 is also unconstitutionally vague.

The Constitution requires that laws be clear enough such that anybody who's impacted by them of ordinary intelligence would be able to figure out what they can and can't do.

But SB 12 doesn't provide a lot of guidance or definitions about what is and isn't prohibited.

Plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction blocking four parts of SB 12 while litigation is ongoing.

Brett Pivito reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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