Six minutes of news from around the nation.

The conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran is intensifying. An Indiana jail is in legal limbo over decay, overcrowding. Independent Colorado doctors could see relief on reimbursement rates.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service daily newscast for March 12th, 2026.

I'm Joe Ulery.

Missile strikes and attacks on shipping are raising fears of a wider Middle East war.

The conflict between Iran and Israel and the United States continues with retaliation across the region.

The Associated Press reports the fighting is also driving new concerns about global energy supply.

The decades-old Monroe County jail in Bloomington is in extreme disrepair and at overcapacity.

A 2008 class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Indiana alleges the facility's lack of space violated inmates' contact.

In 2011, a private settlement agreement was reached between the organization and the city's Board of Commissioners.

The ACLU of Indiana and board members agreed to pause on legal action if steps were taken to reduce overcrowding.

Executive Director Ken Falk toured the facility in November and says in its current state, determining an inmate's public safety risk, medical and treatment needs and housing assignment is impossible.

There were 47 prisoners, this is according to the jail staff, with serious mental illness.

The jail had only four observation cells.

There's only one ADA compliance cell on the men's side, none on the women's side.

There are only two women's units, so it's impossible to classify them.

The County Council must approve any financial expenditures while the Board of Commissioners is responsible for the facilities maintenance, according to the Monroe County Correctional Center.

The jail design is documented as inefficient, expensive to maintain, and a high risk for liability and harm to inmates staff and visitors.

A former city council member living in the Mon Valley says the region's already poor air quality could worsen after the Environmental Protection Agency revoked the endangerment finding, a key legal finding for regulating air pollution.

Daniel Smith has the story.

Federal data show the U.S. saw $27 billion in climate disasters in 2024. says Mond Valley residents already face serious air quality issues even during winter storms.

Without scientific restraints on the industry, more communities will suffer.

Rolling back these EPA protections would just lead to in increased emissions and it would lead to poor air quality overall.

Environmental advocates argue the change comes at a time when climate impacts are intensifying nationwide.

Quinn points out the endangerment finding, first established in 2009, determined that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane threaten public health.

That determination provided the legal authority.

This is Public News Service.

A new bill introduced in Congress this week could help doctors who provide care in office-based facilities stay open for business by bringing Medicaid.

Between 2019 and 2024 the number of independent physicians in rural areas dropped by forty-three percent, according to a new Physician Advocacy Institute report.

Treats vein disease at offices in Colorado Springs and Denver.

He says over the past two decades reimbursement rates have dropped dramatically.

The report shows last year reimbursement rates for 300 services listed in the Medicare Physician fee schedule were below the actual cost of providing care.

Some 7,300 independent medical practices were either closed or acquired by corporations between 2019 and 2024.

I'm Eric Galatas.

New York ranks as one of the top states for online scams, Edwin J. Viera reports.

A Consumer Federation of America report finds state consumers lose six and a half billion dollars a year, or $325 per person, to scams.

It notes Facebook, Instagram, Instagram and WhatsApp are the top sites for scammers, but new state legislation would prevent bogus advertisements from suckering people in.

State Senator Andrew Gernardas, the bill's co-sponsor, says these sites should have to verify that their advertisers exist, have to have a physical address.

There has to be a phone number.

There has to be some type of tax ID or other type of financial identification so you know exactly who you're dealing with.

He adds people who've lost money to these scams would be able to file a complaint with the social media site itself.

Data from New York Attorney General Letitia James finds online scams received the second highest amount of complaints behind retail scams.

The bill is under review by the State Senate's Internet and Technology Committee.

International events may have energy prices soaring, but Utah may have a homegrown solution to power generation.

The Beehive State is a top producer of geothermal energy, one of only seven states that produce utility-scale geothermal electricity.

And while Utah's geothermal power output is currently small, experts say its potential is massive.

Michael Vanderberg, Energy Manager for the Utah Geological Survey, says Utah's bright prospects are driven by its geology.

Three utility-scale geothermal plants operating in western Utah, along with a number of direct-use facilities that use thermal energy for greenhouses aquaculture and recreational purposes.

The U.S. Department of Energy also operates a major testing site, Utah Forge. near Milford.

This is Joe Ulery for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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