Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump set to sign executive order 'shuttering the Education Department' as Colorado takes him to court over efforts to abolish it; Arizona rallies protest possible U.S. Postal Service 'reforms;' Audit shows Allegheny County public defenders overwhelmed with caseloads.

Transcript

The Public News Service daily newscast for March the 20th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday to close the Education Department, fulfilling a years-long pledge to dismantle the federal agency.

That from NBC News.

They report that Trump will hold an event at the White House to sign the order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the DOE and return education authority to the states.

USA Today first reported Trump's plan to sign the order on Thursday.

We head next to Colorado where educators and parents are raising concerns about the impacts on kids with disabilities and civil rights.

Nearly half of the agency's staff has been laid off or resigned since President Donald Trump's second inauguration.

Carrie Bingham is a Colorado mother of a special needs student and says the speed and haphazard nature of the staffing cuts is alarming.

Cutting it off by the knees is going to have such serious repercussions on literally kids, like individual kids around the country.

And that's just not okay.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon says staffing cuts are the first step in plans to abolish the agency she oversees.

Colorado's Phil Weiser and 20 other state attorneys general have asked a federal judge to block the cuts because they would prevent the education department from fulfilling its legal duties.

The Trump administration claims it will deliver on all statutory programs including funding for special needs students.

Affected staff are set to be placed on administrative leave on Friday.

I'm Eric Galatas.

Next, rallies in Tucson and Phoenix are taking place today opposing the Trump administration's potential decision to privatize the Postal Service.

The Arizona rallies are two among many happening around the country.

President of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimenstein, says the move is concerning and could jeopardize jobs and USPS operations.

The other huge impacts are pricing and jobs.

So what happens when you privatize generally is service goes down, cost goes up, and good living wage union jobs get eliminated.

In addition to the possible privatization of the agency, Trump is also entertaining moving the USPS under the control of the Commerce Department.

Dimenstein says either proposal could translate to some of the most significant reforms in the agency's history.

Opponents to the plan contend it could limit folks' access to services.

Currently, the USPS is obligated to provide universal service to all Americans.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

And from the Associated Press, the environmental group Greenpeace must pay for more than $660 million in damages for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with the protests against the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline's construction in North Dakota.

This is Public News Service.

An audit by Allegheny County reveals most public defenders face excessive caseloads and lack of resources, putting clients at a disadvantage.

Our Daniel Smith lets us know it shows that 36 of 42 trial attorneys carry caseloads above the national average.

Attorney Robert Perkins says the state has a history of underfunding public defenders, allowing only $100,000 per county annually.

But he adds that this is the first time the county controller's office has reviewed public defense focusing on areas of improvement in a neglected system.

On average, your typical public defender trial lawyer has two or three times as many cases as they should.

And you can be the best lawyer in the world if you have triple the caseload that you should per national standards, then you can't do a good job for every client.

You end up having to pick and choose.

Perkins notes that while the American Bar Association outlines 10 key principles for an effective public defense system, the recent audit only examined one for both the public defenders and court-appointed counsel system.

And many Texans feel strongly one way or the other about the proposed school voucher bill that's currently before state lawmakers.

Governor Greg Abbott proposes a plan to provide $10,000 vouchers to parents to help cover the cost of private schools.

Christina Sanders with the nonprofit Polychic Engagement Fund says taxpayers should pay close attention to the details of the policy.

Taking that money away from schools and forcing our districts to shut down schools and forcing teachers to not be able to have living wages.

So just the school conversation in general is something that people should really pay attention to.

Hundreds of Texas school teachers spent their spring break testifying before lawmakers against the bill.

The governor says vouchers give parents the freedom to make the best education choices for their children.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Finally, the organization Practical Farmers of Iowa helping urban crop growers use beneficial insects to control pests, boost soil health and increase pollination.

Farmers don't like most bugs, but in some cases they can help.

Waverly, Iowa flower farmer Tricia Engelbrecht introduces ground beetles, lacewings and parasitic wasps into the habitat to stay ahead of the pests that like to feed on her flowers.

I can never get rid of pests.

They're just part of the ecosystem.

But if I could manage them, that would be very helpful to me.

Like aphids, they suck the plant, so they're like killing the plant.

You know, some bugs go after the bloom.

Engelbrecht uses native insect strips and beetle banks, which allow the good bugs to integrate into the habitat and keep the pests under control.

I'm Mark Moran.

This is Mark Clifford for Public News Service.

We are member and listener supported.

Hear us on radio stations big and small, your favorite podcast platform, Find our content and trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.

And folks in Colorado who have low bank balances would be on the hook for an extra $225 a year.

If Congress votes to roll back a new rule that caps overdraft fees at $5.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency behind the new rule, recently lost its offices and all 1,700 workers as Doge, informally run by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, went to work remaking the federal government.

Christine Chen-Zinner with Americans for Financial Reform says the CFPB is critical for protecting American consumers.

This is a law enforcement agency that protects everyday people when financial institutions cheat and defraud them.

And in the short 14 years that it's been around, it has already recovered $21 billion for everyday people.

The CFPB was set to regulate X, Musk's social media site, as it rolls out financial transactions similar to PayPal and Venmo.

After workers were sent home, Musk posted CFPB RIP.

The financial industry also disagrees with the agency over what it calls aggressive policing of wrongful home foreclosures and credit reports, fraudulent credit card charges, and predatory junk fees.

I'm Eric Galatas.

This is Public News Service.

We head next to Iowa where farmers are pushing back on a plan to make cuts to the popular agriculture checkoff program, which has generated billions of dollars to promote corn, dairy, beef, pork, and other ag products.

We get more in this segment, Iowa News Service collaboration.

The first voluntary ag checkoff program for U.S. producers was formed in 1966 by the Cotton Board.

Congress formalized it 30 years later.

University of Iowa ag economist Sylvia Seki says the U.S. Department of Agriculture program tends to fund research at large institutions that don't really help Iowa's small family farmers.

You're the kind of farmer who is doing a lot to promote soil health on their farm or, you know, is really concerned about animal welfare and things like that.

Project 2025, which is considered a blueprint for the Trump administration's agenda, has labeled the checkoff programs as among the most egregious run by the USDA.

Small farmers are pushing for policymakers to rework checkoffs so the funds are directed to smaller producers.

I'm Mark Moran.

Meantime, a documentary takes a deep dive into the Illinois Prisoner Review Board through one man's fight for a second chance.

In Their Hands follows the life of Ronnie Garaskio, who was charged with murdering a plainclothes Chicago police officer in 1976.

He was 18 years old when a judge sentenced him to 200 to 600 years in prison.

Despite earning a bachelor's degree in theology and creating a committee with other prisoners focused on education and rehabilitation, Garaskio was denied parole more than 30 times.

Every year I went to the parole board.

They said, you're the same guy.

You're still the same game kid.

You're still the same gang leader.

So they can evolve, but they want to marginalize me and hold me in that position that you're still this.

So I used to say, I'm the oldest 18 year old that you know.

Garaskio spent nearly 50 years in prison before finally being released at age 65 in 2023.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And finally, our Daniel Smith reports.

Tennessee is emerging as a key hub for global nuclear energy innovation with recent investments in the state and a commitment for the governor to expand nuclear.

Backed by the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Fund, East Tennessee is attracting global industry leaders such as Kairos, X Energy and Orono.

Curtis Roberts with Orono USA says the state's largest ever investment in Oak Ridge will play a critical role in meeting the nation's growing energy demands, provide energy security and economic opportunities.

You know, for this facility, more than 300 folks are going to be hired by this facility.

We're going to become a very strong employer for the area.

And we always watch out for our employees.

It's always safety first.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Hear us on radio stations big and small.

Your favorite podcast platform, find our content and trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.