Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Kennedy defends downsizing, clashes with Democrats in tense hearings; Under budget plan, KY would face large gap in SNAP funding; MI corrections officers rally over stalled pension bills; 1000 Women Strong mobilizes Black women in NC to get engaged locally; Trump's proposed budget threatens Chesapeake Bay Restoration efforts in PA.

Transcript

The Public News Service daily newscast May the 15th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a defiant defense on Wednesday of his drastic overhaul of federal health agencies, insisting to members of Congress that he had not fired any working scientists and was not withholding money for life-saving research.

That's despite evidence to the contrary.

That is from the New York Times.

The report in back-to-back appearances before the House and Senate committees, Mr.

Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccination, also made clear that he did not think the health secretary should be in the business of making vaccine recommendations.

He ducked questions about whether if he had young children today, they would be inoculated against measles, chicken pox, or polio.

RFK Jr. added, "I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me."

And from Reuters, Boeing landed its biggest deal for wide-body airplanes Wednesday when the state carrier Qatar Airways placed firm orders for 160 jetliners, plus options to buy 50 more.

And next, Congress is mulling over a budget and tax proposal that could leave states picking up more of the tab for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

The changes, an estimated $230 billion in cuts, could cost Kentucky nearly double what it spends on public preschool statewide, says Dustin Pugel with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.

He says the state will be forced to absorb the difference.

What they're discussing could be asking Kentucky to pay 15 percent or more of the cost of that, which could be, if you're doing the math, anywhere between $160 or more million.

Proponents of the SNAP cut say the program is bloated and will save the federal government $300 billion over the next decade.

Nadia Ramlagon reporting.

And corrections officers and their supporters are rallying in Lansing today.

They're urging lawmakers to stop stalling and act on bills that would give them the same pension benefits as state police.

Under the stalled legislation, corrections officers would move from a 401(k) only plan to a hybrid pension system shared with state police, a step aimed at improving hiring and retention in the corrections department.

Michigan Corrections Organization President Byron Osborne says he questions the integrity of the legislative process, and he's frustrated that the bills passed both chambers with bipartisan support last year but are still being withheld from Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk.

We believe 100 percent that this was an orchestration of sorts.

We don't know who orchestrated it or why, but the fact remains that nobody has offered up any reason as to why these bills still have not been sent to the governor.

Osborne emphasized that Michigan's corrections system has faced a staffing crisis for almost a decade, and he says his organization has spent years working with lawmakers to fix the retirement plan for their officers.

He warns that this delay in passing these pension bills is hurting their recruitment efforts.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is Public News Service.

Next to North Carolina, where an organization working largely in the South is encouraging Black women to become more civically engaged.

1,000 Women Strong is organized in rural parts of the state and more populous counties like Durham and Wake.

In 2024, the organization knocked on more than 50,000 doors in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

But National Outreach Director for 1,000 Women Strong Aja Gaddy says the group is focused on getting people engaged outside of presidential campaigns as well.

Our goal is to build lifelong voters and making sure that they are not just voting during a presidential election but to understand that there's always an election.

There's local leadership that needs to be found and also keep accountable and what does that look like.

The organization is hosting in-person events including sister salons, empowerment hubs, and student debt clinics.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

Environmental advocates warn President Donald Trump's proposed budget would cripple Chesapeake Bay restoration.

More on that from our Daniel Smith.

Federal agencies have long partnered with six watershed states to protect its waterways.

Harry Campbell with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says the cuts would severely impact Pennsylvania and beyond.

He adds that the EPA, which oversees the Chesapeake Bay program, faces a 54.5 percent budget reduction from $9.1 billion to $4.2 billion.

This would eliminate critical state grants and other support mechanisms that Pennsylvania relies upon in working with farmers, upgrading wastewater treatment plants, and improving fisheries that are so critical to the health and condition of our rivers and streams but also to our economic vitality.

Campbell notes the EPA supports states in improving water quality by funding projects and offering low-interest loans for upgrading drinking water and wastewater systems.

Finally, a groundbreaking radio show from the early 1990s is returning this weekend in Arkansas.

The Fat Lip Youth Talk radio show will be back on the airwave Saturday on KABF 88.3 FM Community Radio in Little Rock.

The show, produced by Ouachita Foothills Youth Media Arts and Literacy Collective, features young people between the ages of 16 and 24.

Director Kwame Abdul-Bey says the broadcast gives teens and young adults a chance to express their feelings about a variety of topics.

We want all young people involved in the conversation, so you'll be hearing what they have to say, particularly as it deals with civic engagement and electoral justice.

The show will air from 3 until 5 o'clock on the first and third Saturday of each month.

It can also be heard on KABF.org and internationally via the shortwave relay service.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

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

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