News from around the nation.

Voters say future SCOTUS appointments are top-of-mind issue; President Biden issues a warning about power of the presidency and Trump after SCOTUS immunity ruling; summer meals for kids available to-go and by delivery in remote rural areas, and Indiana's 988 success sets example but report says all states must improve crisis support.

Transcript

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The Public News Service daily newscast, July the 2nd, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Former President Donald Trump has taken credit for placing three conservative justices on the US Supreme Court.

On Monday, the court awarded him a major win by giving him immunity from criminal prosecution for what are known as official acts taken while in office.

New data show that a majority of voters in Arizona and around the country are paying attention and understand the impact the next president could have on the future of the US Supreme Court.

Sarah Harris with Stand Up America says whomever wins the election in November could select and appoint up to four new justices, reshaping the legal precedent in the US for years to come.

It's important to think about generations after us because many of the people who could potentially be put on the bench will be on there for 50 to 60 years potentially as justices continue to be appointed younger and younger.

Harris adds that four of the current justices on the bench will be in their 70s in 2025 when the next president takes office.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Supreme Court reform initiatives have faced pushback from Republicans who argue it would jeopardize the separation of powers between Congress and the court.

And President Joe Biden Monday ripped the Supreme Court decision on immunity, which ruled the presidents have an absolute immunity from prosecution for core official acts.

And he issued a stern warning for a possible second term for Donald Trump.

That from CNN.

They quote Biden as saying, "There are no kings in America.

"Each of us is equal before the law.

"No one, no one is above the law, "not even the president of the United States."

CNN notes he went on to say with today's Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes, there are virtually no limits on what the president can do.

It's a fundamentally new principle and it's dangerous precedent.

And with school cafeterias closed for the summer, community groups and nonprofits are working to ensure that Colorado's one in five kids who go without food because their family can't afford groceries can still access nutritious meals.

Kristen Collins with Colorado Food Cluster says because rural families have longer distances to travel for in-person summer meal sites, her group is now delivering boxes of food directly to homes.

And the box includes seven days’ worth of breakfast and seven days’ worth of lunch.

All of those meals are shelf stable.

So you'll get tuna packets, chicken salad packets, goldfish, juices.

Collins says she expects to serve meals to 1800 low-income kids across 20 rural counties this year.

Last year, Congress exempted rural areas from rules that require summer meals to be eaten at a specific site.

And there are now to-go options available outside metro areas as well.

I'm Eric Galatas.

This is Public News Service.

Next to Indiana, where a new report gives high marks for its rollout of a 988 mental health hotline.

But our Joey LaRue reports, it also highlights that all states need to do more to support and reach people in every community.

The research by the nonprofit Inseparable evaluates state progress in implementing the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and shows Indiana continues to lead the nation in crisis response.

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Dan Resenayak says most Hoosiers who reach out for help are finding it.

Since we launched 988 last July, we have seen tremendous benefits already.

Indiana routinely is in the top five states for our in-state answer rate for 988.

And we have been over 90 percent.

988 launched nationwide in 2022 and sunsetted the Be Well Crisis Helpline, or 211.

While 10 states have implemented cell phone surcharges to fund the helpline, Indiana has not, relying instead on a combination of federal and state funds.

If you are in a crisis or know someone who is, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

And as summer kicks in to full gear, North Carolina dentists stress the importance of maintaining kids' dental health.

Dr. Miranda Kalaske with the North Carolina Dental Society says with more outdoor activities and changing routines, dental care can often be neglected, leading to cavities and dental trauma.

Her advice is that parents keep up with preventative care and encourage healthier eating habits.

Try to pick a healthy summer snack.

That can be fruit, that can be vegetables, just not something dry, not something processed.

And the more processed you have, the more dry it is, the more likely it is to fix their teeth.

She says it's that left behind food that can cause cavities.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Experts say kids should be seen by a dentist when they get their first tooth and then every six months after that.

Finally, Mike Mullen lets us know new polling shows that most Americans still favor non-fossil fuel energy sources, but support for certain renewables is not quite as strong these days.

The Pew Research Center is out with a new public opinion report on energy choices. 63 percent of those surveyed support the US taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050, but support for expanding wind and solar development has gone down from well past 80 percent to around 75 percent.

Dr. Kieran Gallagher of the group Clean Wisconsin feels it's important to remind residents that climate change is happening at their doorstep.

We can point to the drought that affected our farmers last summer.

And then in stark comparison, the intense rain and flooding events we've been experiencing this spring and summer.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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