News from around the nation.

Trump picks former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA; NY group establishes new veterans' direct care program; Following election results, questions emerge about labor impact; Investors and activists both work to shape companies' climate goals.

Transcript

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The Public News Service Dailly newscast, November the 13th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President-elect Donald Trump Tuesday named John Ratcliffe as his pick for CIA director in the next administration.

That from NBC News.

They quote Trump as saying, "I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both the nation's highest intelligence positions."

Trump added he will be a fearless fighter for constitutional rights of Americans while ensuring the highest levels of national security and peace through strength.

Next, a New Yorker group has a new program to help veterans.

The Center for Independence of the Disabled New York's Veteran Direct Care Program helps veterans choose a home care provider.

Initially, the program began with a few veterans on Staten Island but has grown to include people from other New York City boroughs.

Dr. Sharon McLennan Weir with Sydney says this program has been a year in the making with some challenges along the way.

There was a lot of paperwork to become a provider through the federal government, the Veteran Administration.

It required a lot of background checks.

It required developing a manual, a lot of training with getting connected to the VA portal system, their referral system, their payment structure.

Since the program's launch, she says feedback has been positive since New York City didn't have one of these programs before.

McLennan Weir notes this also provides benefits for veterans' caregivers who can earn income from this program.

An AARP report shows caregivers for veterans spend an average of $11,500 of their own money since they often require more advanced care.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

And changes in leadership at the federal level are likely to have some effect on the labor movement.

In Minnesota, election results have spurred thoughts about topics like the future of OSHA's worker safety standards.

It may be too early to get a firm read on what will happen under a second Trump administration.

Meanwhile, at the state level, Democrats still control the Minnesota Senate, but the House is locked in a tie between both parties.

Mike Wild leads the Fair Contracting Foundation in Minnesota.

Moving forward, no matter the policy, he says enforcement is key.

We can have all the laws we want on the books, but unless they're enforced and meaningful, they don't do anybody any good.

While campaigning, President-elect Donald Trump made attempts to appeal to unions, but his first term saw a big cut in the number of federal safety inspectors for job sites, and analysts expect his staff to curtail a proposed heat safety rule.

Wild says OSHA isn't the only tool out there, but notes it plays a big role in protecting rooftop construction teams.

He agrees more resources and flexible enforcement options are needed in this area.

I'm Mike Moen.

Next up for "The Guardian," Florida at risk of being hit by yet another tropical storm, only weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated towns in the state.

Meteorologists are currently tracking a new disturbance predicted to evolve into a storm in the Caribbean Sea.

The storm, to be named Sara, will form in the Western Caribbean later this week.

This is Public News Service.

Looking ahead to this weekend, a new coalition called We Are California is holding meetings up and down the state, preparing to resist what it sees as anticipated attacks from the incoming Trump administration.

Hundreds of nonprofits have joined the coalition, whose mission is to promote inclusion, community, and democratic norms.

Angelica Salas is with CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

So, what are we bracing for?

Exactly what Donald Trump said he was going to do.

Mass deportations, family separation, worksite raids.

These are all things that he has done in the past, but what we're expecting is a scale of attack on our community that is unprecedented.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

In 2017, lawmakers passed the California Values Act, which says no state or local resources can be used to assist federal immigration enforcement, and it declares schools, hospitals, and courthouses as safe spaces.

The food we consume is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with beef production key to the fast-food industry among the leading sources.

Pressure on major fast-food chains to set measurable climate goals has begun to build, not only from environmental groups, but also from a somewhat unexpected source - shareholders.

This shift reflects a broader trend in shareholder activism, says Dr.

Kevin Chua, a business professor at Northeastern University.

The public campaigns tend to be those that include shareholder proposals, can involve litigation.

It could be as simple as writing a public letter to a company or to a group of companies asking for a demand.

He says these strategies have led companies like Jack in the Box and Wingstop to set broad climate goals, driven by nonprofits focused on environmental accountability.

He notes to avoid resistance from large investors, these goals tend to stay general, allowing companies some discretion in defining their environmental commitments.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

This story produced for "The Original Reporting" from Grace Hussain for "Sentinent."

Finally, our Mark Moran lets us know a federal court in Montana has held a hearing more than two years after a coalition of environmental advocates sued the U.S.

Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service over expanding cattle grazing in the Paradise Valley.

The coalition, which includes Alliance for the Wild Rockies and the Western Watersheds Project, sued the agencies for extending the cattle grazing season by a month on nearly 1,400 acres of forest land.

Wild Rockies Executive Director Mike Garrity says that plan will mean more interactions between young, unattended cattle and grizzly bears, which wouldn't end well for either one.

Putting calves out a month early when they're very small just provides a fast-food snack for a grizzly bear.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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