Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Denmark tells Trump to stop threatening to seize Greenland; Santa Fe links minimum wage to high cost of housing; ME small businesses, older adults struggle to cover new ACA premiums; Student loan wage garnishment set to resume for Georgians in default; 'You got this day': resources for Wisconsinites to quit smoking.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, January 5, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, warned President Donald Trump to stop threatening to acquire Greenland, just a day after the U.S. carried out a military operation that captured the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro.

That from CNBC.

The Prime Minister said in a statement Sunday the Kingdom of Denmark, and thus Greenland, is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the alliance's security guarantee.

Adding, "We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the U.S. today, which gives the United States wide access to Greenland."

She added, "I would therefore strongly urge the U.S. to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and other people who have said very clearly they are not for sale."

Meantime, Santa Fe is New Mexico's most expensive city, especially for housing, but it will soon be the first in the nation to link the minimum wage for consumer prices as well as fair market rental prices.

A new ordinance to take effect in 2027 will increase the city's minimum wage from $15 an hour to $17.50 and tie future increases to rental costs.

University of New Mexico professor Riley White is among those who worked on the proposal.

He says a blended formula will now be used to calculate the annual wage increase with the Consumer Price Index making up one half and Fair Market Rental Data making up the other.

We know that it's an expensive city, but it's an expensive city around one particular dimension, and that's real estate.

Grocery costs, other living costs, utility costs actually are favorable in Santa Fe compared to other places.

In recent years, many cities and counties have raised their minimum wage higher than the state wage.

For example, Washington's state minimum wage is about $17 per hour, but it's $21 in the city of Tukwila, the nation's highest, with multiple other Washington cities close behind.

I'm Roz Brown.

We head next to New England, where health care advocates in Maine warn the loss of enhanced tax credits through the Affordable Care Act will create significant challenges for the state's network of small businesses and nonprofits.

About 65,000 Mainers get their insurance through the federal marketplace, and average premiums are expected to jump nearly 80 percent this year.

Jess Maurer with the Maine Council on Aging says thousands of people are expected to lose coverage as employers are forced to shift costs onto their workers.

Maine is literally run by small businesses and so with the loss of the subsidies, we are all just trying to continue to provide health insurance.

State officials report enrollment through CoverMe.gov is down 7 percent compared to last year, with nearly 6,000 people already cancelling their plans for 2026.

Republicans argued the subsidies were too expensive and primarily benefited insurance companies.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is Public News Service.

Now that 2026 is underway, nearly 43 million Americans with student loans in default are expected to resume repayment.

Beginning this month, the U.S. Department of Education is sending notices that the administration's wage garnishment is restoring.

The action applies to federally held loans that have gone unpaid for at least 270 days.

The Education Data Initiative reports Georgia has roughly 1.7 million student loan borrowers, with a total debt exceeding $70 billion.

Jack Wallace is director of government and lender relations at private loan company YRFI.

He says borrowers should act sooner rather than later.

We need to not put our head in the sand and pretend like this is going to go away.

So if you're getting an email from your servicer, which you should be, or getting an envelope by the U.S.

Post Office from your servicer, you need to open it up and find out what's going on.

The Treasury Offset Program is the automated system the federal government would use to collect delinquent debts.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

And a New York City bill designed to help renters was defeated in the 11th hour of the Eric Adams administration.

The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act allows vetted nonprofits the first opportunity to buy certain multifamily buildings when a landlord decides to sell them.

It comes as the city grapples with real estate companies buying buildings and letting affordable units fall into disrepair.

Elena Rodriguez with the New Economy Project says this last-minute veto isn't the will of Adams' now-former constituents.

New York City can't allow the actions of a lame-duck mayor acting to appease powerful real estate interests to override the will of the city council and the communities it represents.

This veto is not only an attack on needed housing policy.

It directly undermines the council's role as a democratic institution.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

Finally, almost 20 percent of people in Wisconsin use tobacco, and for those who want to quit in the new year, keeping that commitment can be hard.

The group Truth Initiative has resources for folks who've decided to stay away from nicotine in 2026.

The second Friday of the year is sometimes called Quitters Day because it's when people often backslide on their resolutions.

To counteract this, the Nicotine Prevention Organization has launched You've Got This Day in its place.

This year, it's January 9th.

Megan Jacobs, with Truth Initiative, says the group offers information about its research-driven X program.

We introduced this back in 2024 to introduce young people to our free quitting program called X program to drive awareness of that resource through a series of different mechanisms that celebrate the everyday victories that lead to breaking free from nicotine addiction for good.

He adds that the X program is a partnership with Mayo Clinic that provides a free anonymous digital quitting program.

Mark Richardson reporting.

This is Mike Clifford, thank you for starting your week with Public News Service.

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