News from around the nation.

Delegate says Arizona GOP is 'united,' supports withdrawing Ukraine aid; VP Harris addresses reproductive rights in Michigan visit; Thousands of teachers expected in Texas for annual convention; Minnesota poised to complete one of nation's largest solar farms after permit vote.

Transcript

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The Public News Service Noah Newscast, July the 19th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

More than 2,400 delegates are gathered in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention and delegates from around the country, including Arizona, showed support for former President Donald Trump and his selection of Ohio Senator, J.D. Vance, for VP.

While other key swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were seemingly given preferential seating close to the main stage, Arizona didn't get so lucky, as earlier this summer, it was discovered that some Arizona delegates were planning to challenge a Trump nomination.

But Arizona Congressman Alexander Kolodin was there and says that isn't what happened.

Arizona Republicans are 100 percent unified behind Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance, and we are going to take them home to victory in November.

A new YouGov poll shows in seven battleground states, one of which is Arizona, Trump is leading over President Joe Biden with less than four months until election day.

And while the poll might be welcome news for Trump and his supporters, it also shows Democratic Senate candidates are leading in every swing state race, posing a potential challenge to another Trump administration.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Democrats see it differently and argue the U.S. must assist Ukraine in its war with Russia to maintain international order.

Meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris focused on reproductive rights at a campaign event in Michigan on Wednesday.

Harris's remarks come as President Joe Biden has fallen behind former President Donald Trump in the state according to the latest polls.

She said in front of a crowd of hundreds that abortion rights are at risk if Republicans win this November.

She says Biden has vowed to veto any attempts to ban abortion nationwide.

We believe in freedom, freedom from the government telling us what to do about matters of heart and home.

We believe in the right of people to make basic decisions like when and if they will start a family and how.

Meanwhile, Trump's pick for Vice President, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, has supported national abortion bans and opposed exceptions for rape and incest.

Democrats are hoping this distinction will lead them to a victory this year in the key battleground state of Michigan.

I'm Will Waukee.

And thousands of educators from across the nation will be in Houston starting this weekend for the American Federation of Teachers annual convention.

Zeph Capo is president of the Texas Federation of Teachers.

Students in Houston complete their public school education and may never know the story of the individuals that established this area within their own city because it's not something that is prioritized.

It's certainly not something that the State Board of Education has said is important.

In the 1920s and '30s, the Fourth Ward neighborhood was dubbed Houston's Black Wall Street.

Educators also planned to revitalize the community space where an historic church once stood.

This is public news service.

Construction could begin in Minnesota later this year in the final phase of one of the nation's largest solar energy developments.

That's after state regulators green-lighted a key permit.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved the site permit requested by Xcel Energy.

The utility is moving forward with plans to replace the Sherco coal plant site in Becker about halfway between St. Cloud and Minneapolis.

Two other solar arrays that are part of the development have already been approved and construction began last year.

PUC Chair Katie Seibin summarized the significance of approving phase three.

It's certainly a very important project for Minnesota and the upper Midwest.

Once fully operational, the company says the combined solar capacity would generate enough electricity to power more than 150,000 homes each year on average, regional utilities are under pressure to meet the state's goal of carbon-free electricity by 2040.

I'm Mike Moen.

Over the winter, Xcel closed the first generator of the Sherco plant.

The remaining units will be phased out over the next five years.

And counterfeit medicine sales are on the rise nationwide.

We get this perspective now from Connecticut.

The state faced trouble with growing sales of counterfeit Xanax pills laced with fentanyl in 2021.

Raids on two Westbury mini markets that year uncovered sweeping pill press operations.

Now criminals are counterfeiting the weight loss drug Ozempic.

Some variations are insulin pens with an Ozempic label.

Shabbir Imber-Sofdar with the Partnership for Safe Medicine says telehealth pushes people to take medications they wouldn't normally qualify for.

To do something significant, like to go on an injectable drug for a long period of time that is going to have serious consequences for your health and nutrition and your weight, you really need to see your real doctor, not a computer doctor, not a doctor in a chat room.

And I think some telehealth companies have normalized the fact that that's not important.

Some pharmacies and clinics face lawsuits for selling these knockoff drugs through telemedicine.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

There are reports that some counterfeit Ozempic has led to hypoglycemia or dangerously low blood sugar.

And finally, from Marterre D. and this Arts Midwest-Illinois News Connection collaboration, schools will soon open their doors for the fall semester.

Like many arts programs in the U.S., O'Fallon Township High School's band is challenged every year for adequate funding.

Melissa Gustafson-Hines is OTHS Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Bands.

She explains equipment, uniforms, transportation costs, and bus driver shortages have meant creative maneuvering on her part to keep the department functioning.

There's a lot of extra endeavors because of the way things are now.

And without the proper funding, students are not going to get the experience they deserve.

This is Mike Clifford, and thank you for wrapping up your week with Public News Service.

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