Six minutes of news from around the nation.

IN Gov. says redistricting won't return in 2026 legislative session; MN labor advocates speaking out on immigrants' rights; report outlines ways to reduce OH incarceration rate; President Donald Trump reclassifies marijuana; new program provides glasses to visually impaired Virginians; Line 5 pipeline fight continues in Midwest states; and NY endangered species face critical threat from Congress.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for Friday, December 19th, 2025.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

Governor Mike Braun says the effort to redraw Indiana's congressional districts will not return this legislative session.

Joe Ulrey reports.

The announcement follows weeks of debate and a failed Senate vote that exposed deep divisions at the State House.

The proposal passed the House by a wide margin.

The Senate stopped it.

21 Republicans joined Democrats to defeat the plan.

Braun says the vote showed a major disconnect the chamber.

Half of the Senate was out of sync with most Hoosier Republicans.

I think it's a mistake.

It's a national issue that put us out of sync with all other states.

Braun says opposition came largely from Democrats and moderates.

Supporters argued the plan mirrored actions in other states and had broad Republican backing.

Opponents countered that the process felt rushed and political.

They warned it could weaken public trust and invite legal challenges.

Videos of ICE agents making arrests in Minnesota and elsewhere are fueling discussions about the fear that's felt in immigrant communities.

Labor voices are speaking out about emerging solidarity for migrant workers and their families.

Mike Moen has that story.

The Trump administration's continued push to boost deportations is playing out in cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul.

In some cases, community leaders and activists have quickly responded to document what's happening and offer support to those targeted.

Illinois also is at the center of this activity, And Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jackson Potter says the organizing taking shape conveys to workers and their loved ones that they won't be pushed into the shadows.

People coming out of the woodwork, setting up rapid response, going to schools before and after dismissal to protect and defend.

Potter says it's nice to see unions becoming more active on this front and stand with immigrant rights advocates.

In past decades, major unions fought policies to boost citizenship pathways for migrant workers.

As 2025 comes to a close, a new report looks at criminal justice reforms the U.S. could pursue in 2026, including in Ohio.

Farrah Siddiqui has more.

The Prison Policy Initiative released its annual "Winnable Criminal Justice Reforms" analysis with recommendations on how cities and states can reduce incarceration.

The report includes examples of programs that dispatch mental health professionals rather than police officers for non-emergency calls.

Wanda Bertram with the Prison Policy Initiative says there's a range of police and community-based responses that can be used.

It's an excellent solution for cities that are in states where the legislature may not be getting a lot done or may not have that much of an interest in criminal justice reform.

The report has other suggestions, including decriminalizing drugs in order to take a more health centered approach to substance use.

Marijuana is legal in Ohio for medical and recreational purposes.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order easing restrictions on marijuana by reclassifying it from being a Schedule 1 drug, the same category as heroin, to a Schedule III drug like ketamine.

While this doesn't decriminalize it at a federal level, the order authorizes a pilot program to reimburse Medicare patients for products made with CBD.

This is Public News Service.

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, two billion people will have vision impairment.

Advocates explain that the link between vision impairment and poverty means there must be a greater focus on accessible vision care.

More on that from Zimone Perez.

Currently, one billion people worldwide, including many in Virginia, need glasses, but can't afford them.

Dr. Wong, with the group Good Vision, says dependency created by vision impairment can affect entire families.

If that person is not able to make a living for themselves and be productive and they depend on others, it may even be the children.

So those children don't end up going to school because they're caring for their parents who have diminished vision.

In Virginia, only 15 percent of students will have their vision tested before they enter kindergarten, according to the Virginia Eye Care Center.

Midwest standoff over Canadian oil company Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline continues as advocates fight to protect the Great Lakes from potential spill risks and laws they say the pipeline's been violating for more than a decade.

Judith Ruiz Branch has more.

Originating near the Illinois and Wisconsin border, the Canadian oil company's aging pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac.

It delivers about 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas each day.

Beth Wallace with the National Wildlife Federation says environmental advocates have been calling for its shutdown for years.

She stresses the ongoing debate over protecting water or securing energy is ill-advised.

We have known that there are alternatives to Line 5 for over five years now.

So a decommissioning of Line 5 could mean an increase in jobs or an increase in utilizing other transportation sources to get the products to market.

She suggests another alternative is using existing pipelines that Enbridge operates that already have capacity.

A recent report outlines a range of options expected markets in the event of a Line 5 shutdown.

Wallace says they're calling on lawmakers to consider these alternatives as they would have no noticeable impacts and would boost U.S. energy supplies while upholding critical laws.

Just this week, a federal judge blocked an attempt by Michigan's governor to shut down the pipeline, finding that only the federal government can regulate interstate pipeline safety.

The latest threat to New York endangered species comes from Congress.

A U.S. House bill would update the 52-year-old Endangered Species Act so it can better achieve its goals.

However, what some lawmakers call an update is being seen more as a remake.

New York's piping plover began rebounding after being listed as endangered, though they still face continuous threats from coastal development and hunting.

Chris Allieri with the NYC Plover Project says the bill's name is a misnomer.

I think when people see ESA amendment factors, it's like, "Oh, the law passed in 1973.

This sounds like something we do want to update.

We do want to make sure this is something that is being updated."

But at the same rate, this is not warranted.

It's not scientific.

It's not ethical.

The bill has made it through several House committees and is still awaiting a full vote.

Alieri notes if Congress genuinely wants to reform the law, it should reverse funding cuts to wildlife and environmental agencies.

Polls show 84 percent of Americans want the U.S. to focus on preventing endangered species from becoming extinct.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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