Six minutes of news from around the nation.

US sues NY state officials over immigration enforcement; NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump; NC community colleges get 'boost' to bring more students to high-demand jobs; Trump's resignation plan for federal workers can move forward; Advocates push for program to decrease wildlife collisions in VA.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily newscast, February 13, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

U.S. Justice Department has sued New York state officials over alleged failures to enforce federal immigration law, Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday.

That's from Reuters.

They report the lawsuit, which also names New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and the state's DMV head Mark Schroeder, takes aim at a green light law that allows people who are living in the country illegally to obtain driver's licenses in New York.

Reuters notes Bondi said the law limits the state's ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

The department did not immediately release a copy of the lawsuit or any other documents or provide details.

Next, the area surrounding New Mexico's Aztec Ruins National Monument is at risk of losing federal protections under the unleashing America Energy Executive Order.

The Trump administration has directed the U.S.

Department of Interior to review all oil, gas, and minerals on public lands.

Daniel Hart with the National Parks Conservation Association says the order could enable more fossil fuel production on federal lands, including where development is now banned.

He notes water often runs through these lands.

Mining just next to them already is problematic.

Same with oil and gas.

We have runoff.

Unfortunate disaster can cause cleanup efforts.

There are still streams and waters in the Southwest that are unusable by people and animals.

I'm Roz Brown.

And an effort to increase students heading into high-demand jobs from North Carolina's community colleges is receiving a boost.

The NC Community College's Boost program has received more than $35 million from the philanthropic organization Arnold Ventures to launch a new pilot in the state supporting students.

Patrick Crane is with the North Carolina Community College System, which announced the program.

We see Boost really as a workforce development strategy for North Carolina.

And so one of the eligibility requirements for students is that they are enrolled in a program that leads to a high-demand job or a transfer pathway leading to a high-demand job.

The program is launching in eight community colleges this year and seven in 2026.

NC Community College's Boost is modeled after a similar program in New York.

North Carolina's program is also ensuring rural community colleges can participate.

Crane says the goal is to run the program statewide after the initial pilot.

I'm Eric Tegehoff reporting.

And a federal judge said Wednesday that the Trump administration's deferred resignation program for federal workers could move forward, allowing the White House to advance a key part of its plan to reduce the federal workforce through mass payouts.

That from The New York Times.

They report the judge in the case, George O'Toole Jr., in the District of Massachusetts, did not weigh in on the program's legality.

The judge instead ruled that the plaintiffs, which included unions representing federal workers, were not directly affected by an incentive plan and lacked standing to challenge it.

This is public news service.

Virginia is the ninth-likeliest state for a driver to hit wildlife, but environmental advocates are working to change that.

One in 76 people in Virginia are likely to collide with an animal on the road in the Commonwealth.

Advocates tried to pass legislation during this General Assembly session that would have established a grant fund to provide money for wildlife corridor projects, but the bill stalled out.

Dr. Meg Gamage-Tucker with the Wildlife Center of Virginia says wildlife corridors involve fencing to guide larger mammals to safe natural crossings instead of busy roads.

It provides exclusionary fencing.

Black bears, deer, bobcats are not going to cross a major roadway.

That protects the animals, and it protects the people that are driving in those spaces, because there's not only an animal cost, but there's a human health cost.

Instead of the grant fund, a budget proposal has advanced that will provide $450,000 to support the implementation of the Virginia Wildlife Corridor Action Plan.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

I'm Zimone Perez.

And whether it's pressure from inflation or health care costs eating away at savings, a reliable nest egg is still up in the air for many Americans.

There are calls to bring more certainty and retirement simplicity to the table for workers.

Pensions offered to public employees are seen as more stable because they're not shaken by movements in the financial markets.

In recent polling from the National Institute on Retirement Security, 86 percent of Americans say all workers, including the private sector, should have a retirement plan that is more pension driven.

The group's Dan Doonan says retirement coverage is still too spotty for non-wealthy workers, leaving them on their own to put away savings.

In general, we're just asking way too much of individuals to get all this right.

He says the good news is that more states, including Minnesota, are setting up programs that enroll private sector workers in an IRA-style plan.

The goal is to step in when a company can't or won't offer retirement perks.

I'm Mike Moen.

Finally, shorter days and less sunlight have many folks in Kentucky feeling the winter blues.

One recent study found 40 percent of Americans report their mood declines during the colder months.

Hannah Brosnan with Mental Health America of Kentucky says preventative measures can help stave off the worst effects of seasonal affective disorder, or SAT, including exercising, spending more time outside, and increasing exposure to light.

In the winter, reduced levels of sunlight can impact our serotonin levels, and serotonin impacts our mood.

Melatonin has also been linked to seasonal depression.

So that hormone is produced at increased levels in the dark.

Mental Health America offers anonymous online mental health screenings at mhaky.org.

Nadia Ramlagon reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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