Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Two dead after 2 small planes collide midair in AZ; New research offers solutions to address violence in MS; Frozen funds hurting farmers in MO, nation; Bill to legally protect pesticide companies could be coming to ID.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, February 20, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Two people are dead after two small aircraft collided in midair at an Arizona airport on Wednesday.

That from CNN.

They report the Cessna 172 and the Landcare 360 collided near the Marana Regional Airport just northwest of Tucson.

CNN reports the Cessna landed uneventfully and the Landcare impacted terrain near the other runway and a post-impact fire ensued.

The incident follows a recent string of aviation incidents beginning with the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport which killed 67 people.

CNN notes that an NTSB investigator expected to arrive this morning to document the scene and examine the aircraft.

Next to Mississippi, a state grappling with chronic violence and unconstitutional conditions in its prisons, new research provides a roadmap for reducing harm and improving safety for both incarcerated individuals and staff.

The study led by Nancy Rodriguez, a professor of criminology law and society at the University of California, examined prison systems in seven states, highlighting the complex drivers of violence while offering evidence-based strategies to address them.

The findings show that there is a small fraction of people who will repeatedly engage in violence.

Approximately about 10 percent of people who are in our prison systems will continue to engage in violence.

Now if we know who these individuals are, state systems are able or have the capacity to identify them and target them in ways that would certainly reduce violence.

Including identifying high-risk...

Rodriguez's findings come as the U.S.

Department of Justice has condemned conditions in three Mississippi prisons, citing rampant violence, understaffing and inadequate medical care.

I'm Tramal Gomes.

And more than 130 farmers, ranchers and advocates gathered on Capitol Hill last week calling for action on the federal funding freeze and farm bill.

Missouri, home to over 95,000 farms, ranks second in the nation for the number of farms, with many relying on federal aid to survive.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, or NSAC, a nonprofit advocating for sustainable farming, organized the Capitol Hill gathering.

The coalition's policy director, Mike Lavender, says frozen conservation funds are hurting farmers nationwide by limiting support for things such as soil health and the protection of water resources.

Farmers aren't receiving their payments despite lawfully signed contracts with USDA.

If they have to use their savings to cover costs that their conservation contract can't cover, maybe they don't have enough in savings for their mortgage payment or to pay off their loan.

Lavender says NSAC is calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan farm bill that not only strengthens conservation, but also farm safety programs.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is public news service.

Legislation to provide legal immunity for pesticide companies has been introduced in state capitals across the nation.

Lawmakers in Boise could soon join them.

Research, including from the University of Idaho, has shown a link between agricultural chemicals and cancer rates in adults and children.

Head of the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, Irene Ruiz, says pesticide manufacturers know they're selling something potentially harmful.

To still have responsibility on a small farmer, on a pesticide sprayer, on other folks, that's just not a fair thing to do.

And for them to absolve themselves from this liability is not a good thing in the long run.

A poll from September found 90 percent of Idahoans oppose legally shielding pesticide companies.

In 2024, lawmakers introduced a bill to provide legal protection for companies that failed to warn people about health and safety issues from pesticides.

But the bill died in the Senate.

The sponsor of the legislation says potential lawsuits create uncertainty for farmers and ranchers.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

Next to Virginia, where lawmakers and clean air advocates are closely watching budget talks in Congress, they hope clean energy tax incentives passed in previous budgets are not stripped from the funding.

These include tax credits to retrofit homes with solar panels, incentives to make homes more energy efficient, and a $7,500 rebate for the purchase of a new electric vehicle.

Jack Pratt with the Environmental Defense Fund Action says Virginia is already benefiting from the programs.

That's particularly problematic in Virginia, where there are jobs and savings that are already coming from offshore wind or solar or other clean energy, renewable energy alternatives.

Virginia ranks ninth in the country for solar energy, employing more than 5,000 people.

Since 2019, solar installations in Virginia have increased dramatically.

I'm Zimone Perez.

Finally, nearly a thousand political scientists from across the U.S. have signed a letter saying American democracy is under threat, based on the early actions of the new Trump administration.

Those who added their names to the statement work for colleges and universities in both red and blue states.

They highlight six specific areas of concern, including the administration acting unilaterally to cancel spending approved by Congress.

They say moves like that undermine checks and balances, and North Dakota's Mark Jindraisik says he personally feels that the nation is in a constitutional crisis.

The presidency is attempting to basically render Congress superfluous to almost every important decision, and the most important decision, which is how money is raised and spent.

He says Congress, currently under Republican control, seems too willing to surrender that power.

In defending certain actions, the White House says it's ensuring that all federal agencies are accountable to the American people as required by the Constitution.

I'm Mike Moen.

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

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