Six minutes of news from around the nation.

In a close vote, the US House Passes G.O.P.'s $70 Billion Immigration Bill; And the US began attacks against Iran in response to the downing of an Army helicopter; Texas cattle ranchers are wary of New World Screwworm infestation; Vermont poverty rates may mask a growing number of kids who are homeless.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service daily newscast June the 10th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

It was a close call, but the House Tuesday narrowly passed the GOP's $70 billion immigration crackdown bill.

The vote was 214 to 212.

It was along party lines with every Democrat opposed.

The New York Times notes the action capped a dysfunctional journey to push through a multi-year bill to fund immigration and border protection.

And U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that U.S. forces launched strikes against Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter.

In a social media post, CENTCOM said the self-defense strikes are a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.

We head next to Texas, where the cattle industry is being threatened by an infestation of the New World screw worm.

According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, if the fly isn't contained, it could cost the state's cattle industry more than a billion dollars.

The parasite is carried by flies and targets the flesh of warm-blooded living mammals, including humans.

The USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission are on the ground in South Texas working to eradicate the insect.

Jennifer Kojel with Texas Tech University says now that the blowfly is in the state, everyone should remain vigilant.

In those infested zones, Texas Animal Health Commission and their partners are going from ranch to ranch, operation to operation, spreading the news, developing surveillance plans, management plans with those people.

Everybody has a stake in this.

Texas is the top cattle producing state in the country.

Officials say beef is safe to consume, but the infestation could cause prices to soar.

Sterile male flies are being released in the region in an attempt to stop the spread.

The technique halts the insect's reproductive cycle.

I'm Frida Ross reporting.

And child poverty rates in Vermont are improving, according to a new report.

But support organizations warn homelessness among families with kids is a glaring issue.

The 2026 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E.

Casey Foundation shows more Vermont parents have secured full-time employment. 18% of families are considered rent burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income on housing.

That's an improvement, but Michelle Fay with Voices for Vermont's Children says the data may not provide the full picture.

Are fewer families burdened by high housing costs because they're unhoused?

That's clearly not the hope for outcome.

And I think it calls for legislators to really act urgently to ensure every child has safe, secure housing.

Vermont has experienced a dramatic spike in homelessness since 2020, with more than 630 homeless children identified in the most recent statewide count.

Lawmakers are being urged to expand rental aid and other supportive services while building a long-term strategy for permanently affordable housing.

I'm Katherine Carley.

This is Public News Service.

Later on this summer, the U.S. Senate expected to dig deeper into the next farm bill following House approval back in April.

A farmer in Minnesota hopes politics stays out of the final push and fairness for non-corporate operations is a priority.

James Conney is a dairy farmer from Renville County who recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to push for certain provisions in the sprawling agricultural policy.

He says the process in recent years has become so fraught with partisan approaches that smaller independent operations like his are left fighting for scraps.

We're just playing whack-a-mole.

We're just trying to bat down the biggest of the problems and to support maybe one or two things that we can add to the farm bill that would be a positive.

In the Senate version, he'd like to see language that compels federal agencies to enforce existing antitrust rules covering agriculture.

In defending their version, House Republicans say it bolsters risk management for food producers.

I'm Mike Moen.

Next, government officials and researchers argue that state and federal policy shifts will exacerbate family instability in Ohio and bring more kids into the state's child protection system.

Arnadia Ramagan lets us know they point to federal cuts to safety net programs, new state matching requirements, and Ohio's new Medicaid anti-fraud legislation as the source of the problem.

Fawn Goodell runs the Ohio START program for the Public Children's Services Association of Ohio.

She says her agency is focused on providing support funds to parents struggling with substance use so they can keep their children safe while they recover.

START has recently implemented a new funding stream for stability supports to support the families that are participating in Ohio START.

Expenses that are meant to help prevent the removal of kids from their home or reduce barriers to reunification.

Finally, the Snoqualimli Indian Tribe in Washington State is wrapping up a project designed to identify and reduce the effects of drought within the nearby river basin.

The basin located east of Seattle is in its fourth consecutive year of drought, and climate change models predict they'll become more common.

Matt Bearwald, senior environmental policy analyst for the Snoqualmie tribe, says their analysis shows the river itself is the most impacted by drought.

By par, the greatest need is for river ecology in terms of the amount of water that is absent or retined.

And when we look at the relative amount of water, the loss of snowpack is just clearly the biggest threat.

He says protecting the river's flow, which is impacted by the diminished snowpack, is vital for endangered salmon, other fish, and everything else living in the floodplain.

I'm Isobel Charle.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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