Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Eyes on US Supreme Court as NY's highest court rejects Trump's bid to postpone sentencing in hush money case; Advocates: NYS needs real solutions to improve child care; Farm workers rally as deportations threaten NC families, economy.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, January the 10th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

New York's highest court Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump's bid to postpone his sentencing in the Hushmoney case.

That leaves the U.S. Supreme Court as his last chance to delay today's sentencing hearing.

That from CNN.

They report the U.S. Supreme Court can act at any time on Trump's attempt to intervene and stop the sentencing, which was filed Wednesday after the New York Court of Appeals also denied the Trump request to stay the sentencing.

And advocates for working families in New York say they want less talk and more action to improve childcare in the state.

Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed a childcare construction fund and a task force to address the issue, which they say will make a dent in the childcare shortage but doesn't do enough.

Estimates show New Yorkers spend a grand total of $14 billion a year on childcare or about $22,000 per year per child.

And high childcare costs are cited as a major reason young families leave the state.

Rebecca Bailin with New Yorkers United for Childcare says universal childcare is possible if the state will fund plans to implement it.

That childcare would be free, easy to apply, nearby, and accessible to all families.

There's no reason with a budget of $237 billion she cannot start to implement universal public childcare now.

Bailin says a lack of political will has been the biggest hurdle for universal public childcare since 74 percent of New Yorkers say they want it.

Feedback from some state lawmakers is positive, although enacting a universal plan could cost $12 billion a year, 6 percent of the state's current budget.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

Next, organizations supporting farmworkers are ramping up efforts to protect immigrant laborers in light of looming mass deportation threats.

About 40 percent of farmworkers are not authorized to legally work in the U.S. according to the Department of Agriculture.

But Elizabeth Wally with the Food Chain Workers Alliance says immigrants play critical roles in keeping North Carolina's grocery shelves stocked and local economies afloat.

She explains the possibility of large-scale immigration crackdowns has fueled anxiety among these workers, many of whom already endure harsh working conditions.

Something that is a consistent problem for farmworkers is obviously people using their status as a way to control them, right?

Whether you are undocumented or if you are like an H-2A visa temporary worker, that's like really an ongoing theme that's obviously going to be ramped up.

About 100,000 farmworkers call North Carolina home.

Wally says these workers are essential not only to the food system but the broader economy.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found in 2022 undocumented workers paid almost $700 million in North Carolina state and local taxes.

Beyond immigration threats, Wally cites growing concerns about potential rollbacks to labor protections.

For Public News Service, I'm Sheen-Tia Hudson.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.

This is Public News Service.

Monday is the start of the Arizona legislative session.

Groups like AARP Arizona are gearing up and say they're ready to work to ensure that older Arizonans have the quality of life they deserve.

AARP's Brendan Blake says one of their priorities is a bill sponsored by Republican Representative Quan Nguyen of Prescott Valley, which would allow family members to install a camera in their loved one's room at a long-term care facility.

Blake says they're eager to get to work with lawmakers regardless of political party.

It's meeting new faces.

It's getting to have a relationship with members on both sides of the aisle in both chambers, so that way they know what we're all about.

I would say that that's our biggest hurdle is just getting to an introduction.

Blake says AARP Arizona also sits on the Vulnerable Adult Systems Study Committee, which will be meeting throughout the year to prepare legislation for 2026 to protect vulnerable adults.

He suggests all Arizonans learn about the legislative process and get involved.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Meantime, coal, oil and gas are being used less as homeowners and businesses embrace solar energy for their heating and power.

We get more in this Energy News Network, Illinois News Connection collaboration.

One nonprofit advocacy group works to make solar more accessible and affordable.

Vote Solar's managing director of campaigns, John Delury, has concerns any future progress may hit a roadblock when a new president takes office soon.

President Trump has vowed to change the landscape of clean energy.

He has vowed to make the uneconomic and unwise choice to promote fossil fuels over renewable energy resources like solar.

What happens in D.C. matters.

It doesn't make or break the prospects of clean energy, but it matters.

Delury predicts if Trump overturns the Inflation Reduction Act with the help of a Republican Congress, the country will see a dramatic loss in the ability of the U.S. to lead the whole world in the clean energy transition.

I'm Terry Dee reporting.

And finally, with a thud, the tranquil sounds of nature are shattered as a bird crashes into a glass window.

It's an all too common deadly occurrence.

The reflective surfaces of buildings trick birds into thinking they're flying toward the open sky or trees, only to meet a fatal impact.

These collisions are responsible for millions of bird deaths every year.

And at Florida Gulf Coast University, students and faculty are taking creative steps to tackle this silent crisis.

Ornithology professor Oscar Johnson says bird window collisions are a major threat to wild bird populations.

Some studies estimate as many as one billion birds die every single year just in the United States due to collisions with windows.

It's a major problem.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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