Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump accuses Democrats of 'seditious behavior, punishable by death,' for urging military to ignore illegal orders; FCC commissioner defends 'free speech,' one stop at a time; Survey finds bipartisan support for stronger animal welfare policies; Report: USDA's grocery list leans too much on industrial ag; FL groups condemn new White House offshore drilling plan.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, November the 21st, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President Trump accused a group of Democratic lawmakers of sedition in an outburst on social media Thursday morning, and said their behavior was punishable by death.

That from the New York Times.

They report their crime, recording a video that reminded members of the military they are not supposed to obey illegal orders.

Trump wrote in one post that issues behavior punishable by death.

He shared a different post written by another person that said “hang them, George Washington would.”

The Times notes the video that enraged the President had been put out online two days ago by six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom had served in either the military or intelligence community themselves.

Meantime, folks in New Mexico are among the Americans recently surveyed who believe that free speech is under attack by the Trump administration, and they are supported by the first Latino to serve on the Federal Communications Commission in more than 20 years.

Ana Gomez is on a nationwide tour, amplifying the message of free expression.

After Congress voted to defund public media, Gomez declared the agency had ceded its independence to the White House and allowed itself to be turned into an instrument of censorship and political retaliation.

This administration is using the weight of government to suppress lawful expression because it challenges those in power and reflects views that they oppose.

And it is an administration-wide campaign.

Gomez has previously visited New Mexico to discuss the FCC's work on increasing Internet connectivity, particularly for tribal lands.

As more places become news deserts.

I'm Roz Brown.

And despite ongoing controversy about industrial agriculture in Illinois and across the country, the latest survey shows bipartisan public support for stronger animal welfare policies.

And for the political officials who back them.

The study by nonprofit Fonalytics includes hypothetical congressional candidates with varying stances.

Allison Troy with Fonalytics says the goal is to understand how Americans perceive and support different policies related.

To farmed animals.

She says one of the most significant findings was more than 60 percent of people surveyed said they would support a candidate who advocates for stronger regulations.

This is really a popular policy position, really across party lines, which is not currently.

Commonly seen with a lot of other policies.

So we thought that was a really striking finding.

By some estimates, Illinois is home to more than 20,000 concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.

Troy notes the survey findings challenge the assumption that increasing attention to animal Welfare on these farms is an unpopular or fringe position.

She says the data suggests voters care about humane treatment of animals and would support elected leaders who include the issue in their platforms.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This is Public News Service.

When the USDA buys food for its nutrition programs, nearly half the purchases go to food companies aligned with industrial agriculture.

That's according to a new report, which includes details about a well-known firm in Minnesota.

In fiscal year 2024, Friends of the Earth researchers say the federal government spent $4.8 billion on food for programs that support school and senior meals. food banks and tribal communities.

Nearly half of that spending went to just twenty-five companies, and Minnesota-based Genio Turkey landed at number six.

Chloe Waterman with Friends of the Earth says whether the government saves money with these contracts, it's leaving out too many smaller farms that emphasize sustainable practices.

Some of these foods may have a low sticker price, but a high cost to communities and to public health.

The USDA doesn't discuss production practices associated with the food it buys, but the report authors say it's likely the overwhelming majority of Food comes from vendors using common industrial lag approaches, including concentrated animal feeding operations.

I'm Mike Moen.

And Florida political leaders and environmental advocates are pushing back against a new White House plan that could open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling.

It's a significant shift from a decades-long bipartisan consensus in Florida to keep oil rigs away from its coastlines.

The announcement comes after a years-long fight by coastal communities, resulting in a state ban on drilling in the Apalachicola River, which was Signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in June.

Adrienne Johnson with Apalachicola Riverkeeper says the local victory was crucial, but the new federal threat puts everything at risk again.

Without good water quality, we don't have.

Commercial shellfish production.

Our farms would not be able to operate.

And so a move of this sort would be devastating for the working watermen and women that depend on clean water.

I'm Trammell Gomes.

Finally, an Alabama study committee is working to strengthen support for first responders living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alabama Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell says first responders deal with many of the known risk factors every day, getting people to be able to do it.

People help early can prevent long-term harm.

The good news is with PTSD, if we can address it at the time it occurs. you really can avoid all of these things on this list.

That's one of the things that makes PTSD different from what I traditionally think of as a mental health issue.

Boswell says first responders can get confidential help through the state's Connect app, which lists mental health, substance use and prevention resources along with Alabama's 988 crisis line.

And six twenty-four-seven crisis centers.

Shantia Hudson Reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

We are member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice. org.