Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Winter storm could become "bomb cyclone" over Great Lakes and Northeast; What Indiana shows the nation about Trump-era voting; New report offers roadmap for Michigan's Great Lakes in 2026; FL employers assist families with adoption policies, funding.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, December the 30th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A powerful storm system currently producing heavy snow, rain, and strong winds across part of the northern United States could become a bomb cyclone over the Great Lakes in northeast regions.

That's from CBS News.

They report a bomb cyclone is defined as a storm that rapidly intensifies as measured by a large decrease in its atmospheric pressure over 24 hours.

CBS notes in this case, meteorologists warned that a frigid Arctic front was plunging downward into the middle of the country and it could clash with warm air in the south, potentially causing a rage of hazardous conditions, from snowstorms to thunderstorms, along with unusually cold temperatures.

Meantime, Indiana voters are part of a national political realignment that may take several election cycles to fully settle. where Joey LaRue talked with one long time political strategist who says education levels now play a central role in how Americans vote and why recent elections keep swinging between the major parties.

Doug Sosnick with the global advisory firm, Brunswick Group, points to a shift that began around the year 2000.

In last year's presidential race, Democrats won nearly all the most college educated states, while Republicans swept most states with fewer college graduates.

Sosnick says many rural and blue collar voters faced stagnant wages, job losses, and economic insecurity, driving them toward Republican populist messages.

The people who've been left behind are disproportionately non-college educated people.

He adds voters with college degrees tend to turn out more consistently, especially in off-year elections.

That pattern helps explain recent Democratic wins in places like New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City.

Critics of that argument say cultural issues and regional identity still matter as much as education.

And as Michigan looks ahead to the new year, state environmental officials are laying out priorities for protecting the water.

Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes and has more than 11,000 inland lakes along with thousands of miles of rivers and streams.

Those waters supply drinking water, support recreation and tourism, and help drive the state's economy.

A newly released 2025 State of the Great Lakes report from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, also called EGLE, offers a roadmap for what's next.

A highlight, according to EGLE spokesperson, Jeff Johnston, focuses on the growing concern around PFAS contamination.

Michigan has a task force essentially of several agencies who've dedicated their combined efforts to looking at PFAS and how to find it and what to do about it when we find it.

The report also highlights long-term cleanup efforts across the state, including the recovery of Muskegon Lake after decades of pollution, along with ongoing work to control invasive species that threaten native fish and wildlife.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is public news service.

Adopting a child can be a nerve wracking and potentially expensive process, but most parents who have successfully adopted say it's a life enriching experience.

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a group that helps Floridians and others find forever families for children.

It strongly encourages companies to provide support and financial assistance to workers who want to adopt.

Jeremy McKinnon, a guest services director at Hilton Grand Vacations, says it was a big step when he and his partner decided to adopt.

We're never gonna be fully, fully ready.

We just got to do it and then you make it happen and it comes to fruition and it's the most beautiful blessing in the world.

The Thomas Foundation surveys employers in January to determine the best adoption-friendly workplaces, listing the top 100 companies in the US with the most robust adoption and foster care benefits.

Hilton Grand Vacations, McKinnon's employer, is currently ranked 67th among the best 100.

Mark Richardson reporting.

And a recent Gallup poll found that a majority of rural Gen Zers want to leave their hometowns, citing a lack of good jobs and college access.

In Southwest Florida, there's a different trend emerging.

Driven by choice rather than necessity, students from Immokalee are increasingly planning to bring their education and skills back home.

Naomi Perez with the Immokalee Foundation notes a significant shift observed over the past decade.

We had a high percentage saying that they wanted to come back.

You know, the Immokalee is a very faith-based community, but it is very family oriented as well.

And so you have a lot of them wanting to come back, support not only their families, but the community, and be a part of growing the community for the next generation.

This deliberate homework focus is being supported by education programs specifically tailored to the region's economic needs.

A recent multi-million dollar legacy gift from the Donna DeMaio Trust will help expand these programs to more students.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Finally, there is a history in the US of surveillance being used to attack or harm vulnerable communities, and today's automated license plate readers raise new concerns.

While decades old, unrestricted readers are now enhanced by artificial intelligence and data integration, which can be used by public law enforcement and private entities.

That's especially concerning to those within New Mexico's LGBTQ community who travel to nearby Texas and Arizona where discrimination is feared.

Equality New Mexico Executive Director, Marshall Martinez, says when police run your license plate, it's not just vehicle data they gather.

We understand that these license plate readers exist for the purposes of public safety and they have helped folks catch violent criminals, but also they just sweepingly capture data on everybody in a community.

I'm Roz Brown.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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