Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Black smoke signals no pope was elected on first day of Vatican conclave; Nine in 10 people surveyed back climate action; 'Three-Fifths' comments ignite Indiana controversy; In Minnesota, SNAP benefits reach farmers markets, other parts of the economy.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, May 8, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Lawyers representing a number of immigrants asked a federal judge on Wednesday to urgently block the Trump administration from deporting a group of people to Libya, Saudi Arabia, or any other country until the U.S. government gives them a chance to contest the removals.

Now for The Washington Post.

The report lawyers asked Judge Brian Murphy in Boston to rule quickly after reports of federal immigration officers were preparing to expel people from Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines to Libya.

Next, nine in ten people in Colorado and across the globe are worried about climate change and want governments to do something about it, according to a new survey.

But they mistakenly assume that others do not share their view.

Anthony Leisowitz with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication calls this a "perception gap."

The average person believes that other people in their own country tend not to worry about climate change that much, when in fact the majority of people in most countries do worry about climate change.

That gap in perception has real-world policy implications.

In the U.S., almost 80 percent of congressional staffers underestimated their constituents' support for reducing climate pollution, sometimes by more than 50 percentage points.

Leisowitz says helping more people understand that they're not in the minority could unlock a social tipping point that moves leaders to act.

I'm Eric Galatas.

And a debate in Indiana over history and power.

The lieutenant governor there, recently defended what's called the "three-fifths compromise" in a social media video.

Our Joe Uliery has more.

The compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxes.

Governor Beckwith called it a "great move" for America at the time and praised the group Wall Builders.

He described them as the gold standard for teaching U.S. history.

The Indiana Citizen investigated both claims.

Publisher Bill Morrow says Hoosiers should pay attention.

Lieutenant Governor Beckwith is literally one heartbeat away from being governor.

If Beckwith became governor, he could shape education policy.

That includes choosing textbooks.

The Indiana Citizen's report found Wall Builders promotes views rejected by most historians, some Hoosiers agree with Beckwith and say his views reflect America's religious roots.

And from the Guardian, plumes of black smoke have emerged from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel.

That signals that the 133 cardinals sealed off inside have so far not elected a new pope on the first day of the conclave.

The report after the formal procession to the Sistine Chapel and each of the cardinals swearing the oath of secrecy, the first voting round only got underway at around 545 local time.

This is Public News Service.

Congressional Republicans are poised to move forward with a proposal that would bring major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SNAP benefits cover certain grocery costs for low-income Americans and the program could be swept up in $230 billion worth of funding cuts over the next decade if the plan passes.

One provision calls on states to pick up some of the funding, even though many legislatures would face difficulties in finding the money.

Sophia Lennars-Coy with the Food Group in Minnesota says beyond recipients, local economies would be disrupted too.

Certainly folks are going to farmers markets to use their SNAP.

So that's going to be an impact to farmers' bottom lines.

She says it's also likely local grocery stores will see reduced activity, especially in rural areas where program participation is higher.

The USDA argues the Trump administration is trying to right-size the program, but even some House Republicans express worry.

I'm Mike Moen.

And veteran lawmakers from Georgia and across the nation warned that rolling back federal climate protection threatens Americans' energy security and democracy.

At a D.C. summit, elected officials to protect America underscored how the Inflation Reduction Act has delivered clean energy jobs and environmental justice gains.

Actress Shetida A. Badaki was among them and cautioned that this progress is now under threat, urging Americans that now is the time to take action for justice and defend key climate laws.

Until January 2025 were the first time communities that had been left behind from the American dream were experiencing economic and environmental justice opportunities with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Badaki reminded the audience that protecting climate laws isn't just about policy.

It's about ensuring opportunity, justice, and a better future for communities across the country.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Finally, over the past 15 years, folks in West Virginia have been shelling out more of their income each month on energy bills.

Emmett Pepper with Energy Efficient West Virginia says coal is now an expensive choice for producing energy compared with renewable resources.

He adds Big Coal's grip on the state is costing households.

We have monopolies in West Virginia for our electric utilities, so they should be run in a way that is the most cost-effective, reducing the bills for West Virginians.

Residents have seen their average electricity price jump by 90 percent since the early 2000s, according to Conservation West Virginia.

The West Virginia Coal Association argues ramping up coal production will lower consumers' bills.

Nadia Ramligan reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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