Six minutes of news from around the nation.

At least 10 killed after vehicle drives into crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans; AARP Connecticut looks to 2025 legislative session to help residents; Rural towns face proposed postal delays in 2025; SD's Native population sees 'double whammy' of health barriers.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for New Year's Day, January 1, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

At least 10 people were killed and at least 26 injured in New Orleans after police said a vehicle intentionally drove into a crowd during New Year's Eve celebrations early today.

That's from NBC News.

The report, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the incident a horrific act of violence.

In a post on X, he said he was praying for the victims.

WGNO-TV reports the mass casualty incident happened around 3.15 a.m. at the corner of Bourbon and Iberville streets.

At this time, the NOPD is reporting about 10 fatalities and possibly 30 others injured.

EMS is on the scene.

Bourbon Street has been shut down at this time, according to the NOPD.

And with 2025 just arriving, Connecticut organizations are preparing for the next legislative session.

The 2025 session won't be as short as 2024's, and after some committee shortcomings, there's growing hope more legislation will be passed to help the state's older residents.

AARP Connecticut says it will target topics like predatory lending, making utilities more affordable, and improving nursing home care.

Nora Duncan with AARP Connecticut says they want to focus on pocketbook issues.

We need to fight for the priorities that can impact the most amount of people to help reduce their cost of living, to make Connecticut a great place for people to live, age, and retire.

The latest ALICE update finds salaries for most Connecticut jobs don't pay enough for monthly expenses like rent and utilities.

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed, referring to folks who are working but still can't cover their bills.

Electric utility Eversource has announced a 24 percent rate increase starting in 2025.

Federal data shows Connecticut has some of the highest energy costs in the country.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

Meantime, the Postmaster General has proposed reduced delivery days and other changes starting in the new year, which could impact rural states like New Hampshire.

In addition to forever stamp price increases, residents farther than 50 miles from a regional processing center could experience at least a one-day delay in mail delivery.

Annie Norman with the Save the Post Office Coalition says mail is a virtual lifeline for medicines and needed farming supplies.

We're talking about seniors and veterans, folks with disabilities, indigenous communities, and they all need the Postal Service to pay bills and get their social security checks.

Adjusting mail pickup and drop-off times between post offices and New Hampshire's two processing plants to lower transportation costs is another idea under consideration.

The changes could save the agency $3 billion annually.

The Post Office relies on postage and product sales and services to fund its operations.

The USPS has faced declining mail volume due to more online services.

Rising fuel costs for delivery trucks have hurt its bottom line, as well as competition from private delivery companies.

Norman says the Postal Service knows its traditional mail delivery model is outdated.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is Public News Service.

Funding for Indian Health Services has increased over the past decade, but the agency remains underfunded.

In 2021, the life expectancy of a Native American or Alaska Native in the US was just over 65 years.

That's 11 years less than non-Hispanic white people and the biggest gap since 1940.

The IHS must provide health care for Native people, but former Tribal Health Administrator for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Damon Ledercharge, said in a panel discussion that care can be hard to get.

He says people in his tribe who want to use IHS to give birth have to travel 90 miles to Pine Ridge.

We're not having our babies within our tribal homelands.

If our young parents don't have those type of teachings in terms of maternal child health, that sacred being is going to really start off on the wrong foot.

IHS funding has increased 68 percent over the past decade, but experts say it's still too low.

In 2017, IHS spending per capita was less than half the spending for veterans and less than one-third for Medicare, according to the National Council of Urban Indian Health.

Danielle Kenyon with USD's Sanford School of Medicine says the problems are multi-pronged, so the solutions must be two.

In our state, the tribal lands have a double whammy of facing both the historical piece and being rural.

So we really need to not only grow the hospitals and the providers, but approach this from that health equity lens.

She says that means looking at social determinants of health, which include other qualities of life that relate to health, like access to healthy food and educational and economic opportunities.

I'm Kathleen Shannon with Public News Service.

Finally, former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at 100 years of age, had a huge impact on the Golden State, far beyond the presidency, as according to California nonprofit leaders.

Carter and his wife Rosalind volunteered for four decades with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build more than 200 homes in California and more than 4,000 nationwide.

Erin Rank, president of Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles, says Carter's selfless example has inspired thousands of people over the years.

And we hear from the homeowners who talk about the impact that had on the trajectory of their life, both to have a stable place to live, but also to have a president who is humble enough to show up and get his hands dirty and really build.

Rank says she'll join a number of families helped by the Carters to pay homage in Washington, D.C. next week when he lies in state at the Capitol Rotunda.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

They note that Carter was also a major opposition figure, condemning the failed Briggs Initiative that would have banned LGBTQ+ people from teaching in public schools.

Wishing you a happy New Year.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Hear us on interesting radio stations, your favorite podcast platform.

Find our content and trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.