Six minutes of news from around the nation.

DHS: Boulder suspect's wife, kids in ICE custody; Pennsylvanians with disabilities question GOP's proposed Medicaid cuts; MT funds early literacy programs but school district buy-in is low; Study says a focus on positive youth traits is key to justice reform in AL.

Transcript

The Public News Service daily newscast, June the 4th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The wife and children of Boulder, Colorado, terrorism suspect Mohamed Salomon are in the custody of ICE enforcement and the family is being processed for expedited removal according to the Department of Homeland Security.

That from ABC News.

They report Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Tuesday, "We're investigating to what extent his family knew about his heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it."

Salomon, who was arrested after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails in an act of terrorism during a pro-Israeli demonstration Sunday, has been in the U.S. on an expired tourist visa.

The father of five was granted a work permit, but that also had expired in March.

And as the U.S. Senate debates major cuts to federal services in the budget reconciliation bill, Pennsylvanians living with disabilities are worried about the potential of $700 billion dollars to cuts to Medicaid.

Medicaid supports nearly one in four Pennsylvanians, including roughly 750,000 with disabilities.

One of them is Josie Baggard, a disability rights advocate, who says she receives a waiver through Medicaid to help pay for a power wheelchair, ventilator and other services.

Baggard says Medicaid is her lifeline and a loss or reduction of benefits would be life-changing.

"I have a 24-hour parent.

I could not get out of bed every day without that care, let alone work, have a business, be a foster mom, own a home, any of that.

Without that coverage, Josie would not be here."

The budget bill passed the U.S. House by a single vote.

Every Republican House member from Pennsylvania supported it.

This story was produced with original reporting from Ann Augustuson for the Pennsylvania Independent.

I'm Danielle Smith.

Next buy-in, a Montana's first state-funded early literacy program has been lower than expected in its first year.

A school administrator group aims to offer training to help increase the numbers.

State lawmakers in this year's session added math literacy to a 2023 reading literacy program for K-3rd graders, which is voluntary for both students and schools.

Rob Watson with School Administrators of Montana says the most successful early literacy programs are aligned with their associated upper grade levels.

"Everything down to how the curriculum aligns, how the assessments align, how you identify which kids need extra help.

The strategies have to be aligned in grades pre-K all the way through three."

Watson applied for a grant to help train elementary school principals in that alignment, which he thinks could increase use of the programs.

Participation varies widely by region, which he says is likely related to the availability of accredited teachers.

According to his research, nearly 70 percent of districts in north central Montana have launched the program, compared to only five percent in northeast Montana.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

This is Public News Service.

Senior advocates are sounding the alarm of the impact of social isolation on older people in states like Illinois, saying loneliness is compatible to smoking and can increase the risk of an early death by 50 percent.

Research shows a lack of social connection is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Jean Hyde Grubman with Chicago Methodist Senior Services calls social isolation and loneliness in seniors a silent epidemic, explaining the older people get, the more likely their interactions with others will decrease.

"A lot of attention is paid to medical issues, physical issues, but it's that social aspect of us as human beings that I feel is kind of neglected."

About 40 percent of adults over age 60 in Illinois live alone.

Grubman says community initiatives like their organization's Senior Connections program that matches people for intergenerational friendships, aims to encourage connectedness, citing studies that show social connection increases the odds of survival and happiness.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And a new study spotlights what might actually help young people stay out of the juvenile justice system, and it might not be what you'd expect.

As Alabama and other states work to respond to youth violence and mental health needs, these findings are worth a closer look, says Josh Weber with the Council of State Governments.

"We do have a responsibility to try to make sure we identify the young people that are most at risk of violence and victimization and ensure that we are developing and implementing evidence-based strategies to provide those young people with the services and supports they need."

The Youth Protective Factor Study followed thousands of young people in three states.

While most teens didn't re-offend after supervision, those who did weren't always the ones with obvious red flags.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Finally, like many major cities across the country, Houston has a landfill problem.

The city is projected to produce more than five million tons of trash annually by 2040 and only has five landfills.

The former director of solid waste management, Mark Wilfolk, says the city is working on a plan to deal with waste and is looking for alternatives to landfills.

"Some places instead of having landfills, they have waste energy plants that converts all the waste into energy.

Then that energy gets sold off into the grid and just trying to repurpose for that more aggressive recycling programs to kind of find other alternatives that waste disposal separating organics out."

A 2021 report commissioned by the city showed that Houston needed to start the process for a new landfill as soon as possible.

This story was produced with original reporting from Elena Briss with Houston Landing.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

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

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