Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Justice Department faces subpoena over Epstein files by House Oversight Committee; CNC federal plan for AI data centers removes environmental safeguards; WA joins national Families First protests on Saturday; Poll: Social Security a lifeline for increasing number of Americans.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, July 24th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A House Oversight Subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Department of Justice to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

That from ABC News.

They report the motion passed by a vote of 8-2, notably three GOP lawmakers.

Representatives Nancy Mace, Scott Perry, and Brian Jack joined with Democrats on the subcommittee to approve the subpoena.

The move defied the Republican leadership.

ABC notes the House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer must sign the subpoena before it can be officially issued, per committee rules.

Comer plans to sign off on the subpoena, a Republican committee source told ABC News.

Meantime, conservation groups warn the Trump administration's long-term plan for artificial intelligence will have long-term environmental impacts in Maine and elsewhere.

The plan calls for the removal of environmental and land use rules considered prohibitive to the construction of AI data centers.

Ben Murray with the nonprofit Food and Water Watch says fossil fuel plants are already being reopened to help power their high energy demand.

We just need to be aware that anything that prolongs our reliance on fossil fuel is gonna increase the problems that we're seeing from the climate crisis.

Marie says technological advancements shouldn't come at the expense of the planet or increase household energy prices.

The Trump administration argues environmental and permitting regulations will only slow America's dominance in the AI field.

I'm Catherine Carley.

The report last year found emissions from data centers owned by Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft were more than seven times higher than officially reported.

And this Saturday is a national day of protest in response to the Trump administration's recently signed Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts funding for Medicaid, food assistance, and other programs.

Hundreds of peaceful protests are planned across the country, including at least nine in Washington State.

Liz Moore of the Peace and Justice Action League Spokane is organizing an event with local healthcare unions, highlighting how federal cuts will hurt healthcare access and rural hospitals. -This bill robs hospitals and clinics of funding, including rural hospitals, and makes our already tenuous healthcare system strain and probably break at the seams.

It steals healthcare coverage from 16 million adults and children. -Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner of Spokane praise the act's $50 billion allocation for rural health care, though the act is expected to cut total rural health spending by $155 billion.

Rally locations can be found at mobilize.us/familiesfirst.

For Public News Service, I'm Isabel Charlay.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.

This is Public News Service.

A growing number of Americans now rely substantially on social security payments.

That's according to a recurring survey led by a key senior advocacy group with fresh insights from Minnesotans as well.

Every five years, AARP asks the public how it feels about this retirement and disability safety net.

The new survey issued this week found 65 percent of respondents indicating it's a key source of their monthly income.

That's a slight gain from the 2020 poll and well above the 2005 result.

Kathy McClure is the group's state director in Minnesota, and she says the numbers speak volumes.

So many people rely on those monthly payments to keep food on the table, to pay for healthcare.

Due to financial pressure, analysts say the program could be forced to reduce monthly payments as early as 2034 if congressional action isn't taken.

Also in the survey, 43 percent of Minnesotans, 65 and older, rely on Social Security for at least half their income.

I'm Mike Moen.

And if you've got an extra five minutes, you can save a life.

Now you can learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no cost from a new mobile hands-only CPR kiosk.

The new kiosk is in the lobby of St.

John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

The machine's touchscreen gives a brief overview of hands-only CPR.

Then you get to practice right there on a mannequin.

Cardiologist Rigved Talwalkar says it's an easy way for people to get more comfortable giving chest compressions in an emergency.

It's a lot like a video game, but of course a lot more important than a video game.

It gives real-time feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, proper hand placement, which are all factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.

The American Heart Association operates the St.

John's Mobile Kiosk and a stationary model at LAX with support from the hospital.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Finally, in the wake of recent devastating floods in West Virginia and with climate change, expected to increase the frequency and intensity of storms, more communities are looking to nature-based solutions to reduce local flood risks.

More than 90 percent of West Virginia communities are considered special flood hazard areas, which means they're at high risk of flooding, says Mark Buchanan, project coordinator at Marshall University's West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center.

He explains urbanized landscapes strip away natural buffers that can impact how fast and how much water reaches homes and buildings.

When we're looking at around 75 to 100 percent impervious cover, a lot of roads, roofs, parking lots, all of those types of settings, it really alters the hydrology. 55 percent becomes runoff.

All of the state's 55 counties have experienced flooding over the past 15 years.

This is Nadia Ramligan for West Virginia News Service.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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