Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Homeland Security shutdown seems certain as funding talks between White House and Democrats stall; Maryland advocates call for $25 minimum wage, end to tipped wages; Public health officials condemn end of greenhouse gas regulations; NM Senate passes bill to protect drivers from increased surveillance.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for February the 13th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Large swaths of the Department of Homeland Security are set to shut down Saturday after Senate Democrats Thursday blocked two funding bills because the measure did not include new restrictions on federal immigration agents.

That's a take for the Washington Post.

They report the Democrats demanded a long list of changes to DHS after ICE agents killed Alex Pretty last month in Minneapolis, including tighter rules on warrants and a ban on agents wearing face masks.

President Trump appeared to be open to some of those changes, but Democrats rejected a proposal the White House made Wednesday night over ensuring a partial government shutdown.

Meantime, a bill in the Maryland General Assembly would raise the state's minimum wage to $25 per hour, as well as end tip wages for workers.

The current minimum wage is $15 per hour, and wages will be raised incrementally over several years until the target minimum wage is reached.

Advocates are also pushing for a potential ballot measure to put the decision in front of voters in November.

Despite the state achieving a $15 minimum wage, Nikki Cole with Maryland Living Wage for All says it's already become outdated and workers still struggle with the cost of living.

Estimates put the living hourly wage for a family of four in Maryland at more than $30 an hour.

People are living out here having two, three jobs, struggling just to make ends meet.

We think that in Maryland, if you work full time, work hard, no matter what your status is, your condition, type of employment, that you should be able to live and make the basic ends meet.

Opponents of a minimum wage increase argue it raises the prices of goods and that the costs will be passed on to consumers.

The bill is currently being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee following a first reading.

I'm Zamone Perez.

And public health advocates are condemning the Trump administration's move to end the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA has finalized its repeal of the so-called endangerment finding, which has long provided the scientific and legal basis for climate regulations under the Clean Air Act.

Laura Kate Bender with the American Lung Association says people in Maine and across the U.S. will pay the price.

We know that climate change harms health.

We know that vehicle standards protect health and simply put this repeal is going to harm people.

The White House calls the repeal the largest deregulatory action in American history and says it will provide needed relief to the US auto industry.

Maine Governor Janet Mills says the Trump administration is abandoning its responsibility to protect Americans from the proven harms of climate pollution.

I'm Catherine Carley.

Maine is often referred to as the tailpipe of the nation.

Studies show Mainers have significantly higher rates of asthma, with some 22,000 children affected.

Bender says eliminating emissions standards will increase the impacts of climate change and the prevalence of lung disease.

This is Public News Service.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is eyeing New York State for expanding detention capacity.

The agency considered a location in the town of Chester, but the Orange County Legislature voted unanimously to reject the proposed facility.

Edwin J. Viera has more.

Now Rosa Santana with Envision Freedom Funds says a bill in Albany, the Dignity Not Detention Act is essential to doing more to protect immigrants' rights.

The bill will prohibit any person or any entity in the state of New York from owning or operating an immigrant facility, such as counties that have a contract with ICE.

It will also prohibit any entity from entering into a new contract or receiving payments from immigrant detention.

In 2018, Orange County made close to $9 million from the almost $134 daily fee ICE paid the county for housing detainees.

Other concerns about ICE scouting for locations have been raised based on the conditions of their existing facilities.

And surveillance of Americans is expanding and New Mexico lawmakers are leaning toward increased protections.

The Driver Privacy and Safety Act passed the state Senate Thursday and now heads to the House. would ban state law enforcement from using automated license plate readers for general surveillance or civil traffic enforcement.

It also identifies personal information that cannot be given to out of state third parties.

The American Civil Liberties Union says cameras installed on streets and poles by a company called Flock collect data on people who are not suspected of any crime.

Danny Zendejas with Media Justice says Flock's reach is massive.

There are currently over 80,000 FLOG cameras installed across the country, with FLOG self-reporting that they are in 49 states.

I'm Roz Brown.

Finally, this Valentine's Day, some Mississippi residents are sending love letters, but not the kind you'd expect.

Instead of candy and flowers, community members in Gloucester are mailing satirical Valentine's Day cards to DRAX, an energy giant based in the United Kingdom.

The cards accuse DRAX of greenwashing its environmental record while residents suffer from pollution.

Caden Love is Gulf South manager with the Dogwood Alliance, which organized the campaign.

And he says the company's version of love for the community doesn't match his name.

Well, the goal is to make the issue more public.

What Pellet Biomass is a greenwashed issue, meaning it's seen as a clean solution, a non-dirty solution.

But in actuality, they’re still burning trees.

There's still a carbon output. there's still pollution that negatively affects communities.

DRAC celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Gloucester this past December.

The company says its Gloucester facility supports nearly 70 permanent jobs and has $158 million annual economic impact in Emmitt County.

The company also donated more than $250,000 last year through a community fund for local schools.

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

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