Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Hegseth starts proceedings against Sen. Mark Kelly over his remarks; AR public school enrollment falls as vouchers are available to all; IN coal plants benefit from EPA pause; Vigils outside MA ICE facility attract growing number of activists; Postal changes threaten rural mail-in voters in FL, advocates say.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service daily newscast, January the 7th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

On the fifth anniversary of the pro-Trump mob attack on the Capitol, the Trump administration created a new page on the White House website that represented Trump's most brazen vignette to rewrite the history of the January 6th riot, aimed at absolving him of responsibility.

That is the take from the New York Times.

The report the site blames Capitol Police officers who defended lawmakers that day for starting the assault, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who rejected falsehoods about the 2020 election for allowing the results to be certified.

CNN notes Trump is long sought to whitewash the violence and vandalism committed on January 6.

Meantime, many banks, financial firms, and insurance companies have made bold public commitments to do their part to rein in climate change.

But the Pulitzer Center for Investigative Reporting has revealed that those same companies are financing the search for new sources of fossil fuels and new infrastructure to burn them.

According to Global Scientific Consensus, tapping any new oil and gas reserves will likely produce catastrophic outcomes.

Josephine Moulds, a reporter with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, says there's enough oil and gas already in the pipeline to fuel a clean energy transition.

We've got enough in terms of the projects that we've already got running.

We've got enough to keep us going as long as we shift over to solar and wind and all of the other renewables.

Companies continue to promote their climate commitments and argue that if they didn't do business with corporations searching for new places to drill, they wouldn't be able to work with any existing oil and gas company.

President Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax and has put the brakes on US efforts to transition to clean energy.

The administration is also making good on campaign promises to ramp up oil and gas production and has laid claim to the world's largest oil reserves in Venezuela.

I'm Eric Galatas.

And California continues to lag behind other states on many issues affecting child well-being.

That's according to the new 2026 Children's Report Card.

Researchers from the non-profit Children Now looked at 30 indicators of health, education, child welfare, early childhood, and online safety, and awarded the Golden State a C- or below on nearly half the issues researched.

Kelly Hardy with Children Now says one of the lowest grades came in early intervention and special education.

There's not enough support for special education so very low numbers of special education teachers compared to what's needed and the kids who are being identified for support are often just not getting the support that they need.

The state also got a D for student connections with adults because California schools have fewer teachers, counselors, nurses, and other support staff per student than almost any other state.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Public News Service.

People concerned about voting rights say they are prepared for continued attacks on state elections in 2026.

The Trump administration has now filed lawsuits against 18 mostly Democratic-led states demanding access to voter registration lists, including driver's license information and partial Social Security numbers.

Jen Lancaster with the League of Women Voters of Maine says that information could be used to create a national database exploited to make false claims of voter fraud.

We're very proud to fight back and stand up for Maine voters, their right to their own privacy and to push back against a pretty unlawful demand.

The White House has proposed expanding the federal SAVE program which checks immigration status to also confirm voter eligibility.

But Lancaster says it's been found to wrongly flag U.S. citizens.

The Department of Justice says it needs voter information to ensure states are complying with federal election laws.

I'm Katherine Carley.

And the popularity of collecting vinyl records hints that the public isn't completely content with owning things digitally.

Library leaders in North Dakota say the renewed passion is leading more people to look into their physical media offerings.

Andrea Plaker leads the Williston Community Library.

She and her fellow directors around the state report elevated activity and people requesting library cards.

Blaker explains some users feel that options like e-books aren't for them and word of mouth is fueling interest in physical copies.

There is a huge craze out there right now, right?

And people are getting out there more and they're saying like, "Oh, there's all these great authors and talking to each other about, "Oh my gosh, did you read this great book?"

The American Library Association confirms that younger generations are making frequent use of their local branches.

National Library Week isn't until April, but Laker says libraries like hers will amplify community messaging in February through special programs.

I'm Mike Moen.

And finally, an historic Dallas church can keep its rainbow-painted front step without following a unanimous decision by the Dallas Landmark Commission.

Leaders of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church say they painted the steps the colors of the Progress Pride flag as a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ community after Governor Greg Abbott ordered Rainbow Crosswalks be removed across the state.

Compared to a standard pride flag, a progress pride flag features more colors and represents more communities.

During a hearing before the commission, Senior Pastor Rachel Griffin Allison said painting the steps was not an act of defiance.

Our intention was and remains simple to communicate to every person who approaches our building that they are seen safe and well.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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