Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump says 'our nation is back' as he delivers State of the Union address; 30 lawmakers skip Trump address for 'People's State of the Union'; Man fatally stabs 4 people in Washington state as deputies head to serve him a restraining order; Local activists claim victory as ICE cancels NH warehouse plan; Report: Economic security policies boost PA kids' long-term well-being.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, February the 25th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

At his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump hailed his record on immigration and sounded optimistic notes on the economy, two issues that powered his return to the White House.

Trump told the Congress, "The State of our Union is strong."

Trump added, "Our country is winning again."

Next, he introduced the U.S. men's hockey team who had just won gold at the Olympics.

Meantime, the People's State of the Union, hosted by Mightiest Touch, MoveOn.org, and other community organizing groups, started an hour before the Trump address.

Speakers included members of Congress, Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivors, families impacted by immigration enforcement, fired public health workers, and Americans struggling with rising costs.

And a man fatally stabbed four people in Washington State Tuesday as sheriff's deputies were on their way to hand him a domestic violence protection order.

We're next to New Hampshire where activists are celebrating the federal government's decision not to pursue an ICE detention facility in the state.

Governor Kelly Ayotte made the announcement after what she says were productive discussions with the Department of Homeland Security, which had plans to convert an industrial warehouse in Merrimack into a regional processing center with up to 600 beds.

Grace Kandeki with the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity says she's proud of the local residents who pushed back.

When we say we don't want these facilities, we don't want concentration camps in our backyard, we absolutely mean it, and we will make sure that they do not continue to operate.

Documents show the warehouse was part of DHS's $38 billion master plan to grow detention capacity to more than 92,000 people nationwide.

It is the only New England location listed in ICE's expanded detention model.

I'm Catherine Carley.

And a new report urges policy makers to boost economic security for kids and families through investments in healthcare, education, housing and financial support.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Policy Lab report reveals economic hardships, peaks during pregnancy and infancy.

Nearly half of US kids experience poverty before kindergarten and three and five grow up in families struggling to make ends meet.

Rebecca Rosenquist with Policy Lab says the goal is to help lawmakers understand how early investments in families can change a child's life trajectory.

We looked across 10 policy domains and looked at what the research evidence can tell us about the impact of those policy areas is specifically in pregnancy and early childhood.

The partnership is led by Maternity Care Coalition in collaboration with the CHOP Policy Lab, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Children First.

Rosenquist says it's a strong group that brings different strengths and areas of expertise.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Public News Service.

Virginia workers and businesses are preparing for increases in the minimum wage to $15 an hour by the year 2028.

Legislation to increase the commonwealth's current $12.77 an hour minimum wage passed the state senate and house of delegates on largely party line votes.

Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger says she will sign the legislation into law.

The increases will be at the start of each year, with the rate going to $13.75 in 2027 and to $15 in 2028.

Ashley Kenneth with the Commonwealth Institute says working people are struggling with an affordability crisis.

We are in an affordability crisis.

We're consistently hearing from folks that they are having trouble making ends meet, putting food on the table, helping to care for their families and just pay for the necessities of life and we need to attack this affordability crisis from all angles.

Raising wages is one way to do that.

Opponents of raising the minimum wage argued that an increase in wages will strain small businesses and raise the cost of goods and services.

I'm Zamone Perez.

Next, a lawsuit has been filed in North Carolina challenging a ban on gender-affirming care for incarcerated people.

The ban is part of House Bill 805 which was passed by lawmakers in 2025 despite a veto from Governor Josh Stein. 

The law includes other provisions that target transgender people.

The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of North Carolina and Emancipate N.C.

Jacqueline Maffetore, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of North Carolina, says the state is responsible for people in custody.

Prisons have a constitutional obligation to provide everybody that they choose to punish by incarceration with all medically necessary health care, and failing to do so is a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

The groups have also filed a class action claim and are currently representing five plaintiffs.

Supporters of the provision in HB 805 say it's necessary for defending women in the state.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

Finally, upcoming changes to Medicaid eligibility will impact Kentucky's refugee and asylee populations, even those with green cards.

More than 60 percent of recently arrived refugees with health insurance have Medicaid healthcare coverage, according to federal data.

They've been invited to make a life in the U.S. and it's important to help them succeed, says Melissa Colston, partnership coordinator with Kentucky Refugee Ministries in Lexington.

Many of them have been through a lot of trauma, have injuries and disabilities from what they've been through.

They have some complex needs sometimes and we want them to be able to participate in our society to the best of their abilities.

President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act removes refugees and asylees from the definition of qualified immigrants beginning on October 1st of this year.

This is Nadia Ramligan for Kentucky News Connection.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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