Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Flash flood, thunderstorm alerts in effect for California with heavy rain expected to last days; Reuters Exclusive: US Coast Guard lacks forces to seize Venezuela-linked tanker for now, sources say; MN state workers applaud push to restore federal bargaining rights; Plymouth PTA works to ease students' holiday hunger gap. 

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, December 25, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

More than 41 million Americans across California, southern Nevada, and northwest Arizona are under flood watches as of Wednesday amid a rare high risk for excessive rainfall and flooding.

That from ABC News.

They report this includes metro areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, California, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

In this exclusive for Reuters, the U.S. Coast Guard waiting for additional forces to arrive before potentially attempting to board and seize a Venezuelan-linked oil tanker it has been pursuing since Sunday, a U.S. official and source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The ship, which maritime groups have identified as the Bella One, has refused to be boarded by the Coast Guard.

That means the task will likely fall to one of two teams of specialists, known as Maritime security response teams who can board vessels, including by repelling from helicopters.

Meantime, a bill making its way through Congress to reinstate bargaining rights for certain federal employees after a ban by the Trump administration, state workers in Minnesota say a successful try would aid their work to protect the public.

In March, the White House issued an executive order to strip collective bargaining rights for more than one million federal employees.

Among other things, it said the move was in the interest in national security.

But opponents say it's clearly union busting that harms public servants.

The Minnesota Department of Health's Lydia Fess says many state workers see their roles overlapping with federal partners.

Job cuts and similar actions toward their colleagues are felt in a big way.

It's been challenging to continue to move projects forward.

It's been challenging to know who of our federal partners we can rely on when an emergency arises.

Fess, also a member the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, says she was happy to see the U.S. House approve a bipartisan bill to essentially nullify the Trump administration's executive order.

Even with Republican support to advance the measure, political analysts say its chances don't look as promising in the Senate.

I'm Mike Moen.

And as teachers close up their classrooms for the holidays, one Massachusetts school is working to ensure the neediest students stay nourished.

The winter break brings increased food insecurity to children who rely on school-based meals and will be especially challenging for families uncertain whether SNAP benefits will continue next year.

Angela Costa is the PTA president at Indian Brook Elementary in Plymouth.

She says some students will go home this week with extra food-filled backpacks to help them make it through the month.

I think there's these angels that are coming out of the woodwork and just saying what can we do to help while the government's not providing for us.

Nationally the PTA is distributing some $45,000 to schools nationwide to help tackle the holiday hunger gap.

Costa says she's blown away by the number of people stepping up in a time of need to enrich students' lives and ensure their most basic needs are met.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is Public News Service.

Policymakers are already preparing the Lone Star State for the 2027 legislative session in Texas.

The State Health and Human Services Commission and Department of Family and Protective Services has asked for input from the community to help guide them as they develop their 2028-2029 budgets.

Kate Murphy with Texans Care for Children says the agency's legislative priorities address keeping kids and families safe and intact.

Children with the most complex mental health challenges.

For families who are at high risk of entering foster care and for the technology related to the state's Medicaid enrollment system.

Murphy says because of upcoming changes to Medicaid, they want to ensure eligible families have the tools they need to register for coverage.

Murphy adds their recommendations focus on intensive mental health services for children that aren't typically covered by Medicaid.

She says programs like the YES waiver can help kids receive outpatient care and avoid being placed in a psychiatric hospital.

It can help set up a home to be more safe.

It covers a whole bunch of things, transportation to and from appointments, and making sure that they have the support that they need to really address those challenges and thrive.

Other legislative priorities include support for improving women's healt.

I’m Freda Ross for Texas News Service.

Finally, two New York offshore wind projects are being halted by the federal government.

The Sunrise and Empire Wind Projects would provide enough electricity to power around a million homes at a time when energy prices are rising."

The administration cites national security concerns for the stoppage, though the Defense Department vetted these projects during the permitting process.

Adrienne Esposito with the Citizens Campaign for the Environment says the move damages the country's credibility.

"It would make any reasonable, rational offshore wind industry reluctant to work in America.

Why would they want to build up America's offshore wind industry when they could go other places where they are welcome, they are successful, and they are able to build and construct these projects?”

Both Sunrise and Empire Wind were slated to begin operation in 2026 or in 2027.

Federal judges struck down the Trump administration's first attempt at pausing offshore wind.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and those from other affected states are vowing to fight the administration's second pause in court.

These offshore wind projects would provide additional power to the states they're closest to and their construction would result in local economic benefits.

Sunrise and Empire Wind have created well over 4,800 jobs combined.

Esposito says the economic benefits of offshore wind aren't just limited to New York's green economy.

Not only do they hire men and women to go to work at these offshore wind farms and there's technicians, engineers, biologists.

These are good paying jobs.

This is Edwin J. Viera for New York News Connection.

For those celebrating, Merry Christmas.

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

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