Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Montana drought fuels push for data center water review; Texas species could be at risk from changes to Endangered Species Act; Missouri expert says mental health begins in infancy; Trans kids rally against school sports ban on Colorado ballot; North Dakota families could owe thousands after student loan forgiveness; and gas companies profit while Ohioans bemoan lack of jobs.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for Thursday, October 15, 2026.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

The intended water use of a proposed data center in eastern Montana has prompted calls for a closer look at the project.

Laura Hatch has the story.

Montana's Department of Environmental Quality is taking public comments on plans to drill a well for a planned 5,100 square foot facility near Broadview.

Molly Bell with Montana Conservation Voters wants people to demand a more thorough review of the well because of its scale and concerns about water scarcity.

We're now in what is the sixth year of drought in parts of Montana, and we really need to be careful about how we are using water and making sure we're being good stewards of that resource.

The developer, Quantica Infrastructure, wants to drill about 4,500 feet down into the Madison Aquifer, which is more than 1,000 feet below the aquifer the area uses for drinking water.

The proposed Big Sky Campus is expected to use 150,000 gallons of water a day during construction and 20,000 gallons of water a day after construction.

The public comment period is open through October 29th.

Wildlife conservationists say proposed changes to the definition of legal terms in the Endangered Species Act could increase the risk of extinction for the golden-cheat warbler, ridley sea turtles, and other Texas animals.

More from Freda Ross.

An internal Fish and Wildlife Service memo shows the agency plans to change the definition of the word take in the legislation to cover only intentional acts that kill endangered animals.

Graham Jones with the Texas Conservation Alliance says the changes could mean developers won't be as cautious around animal habitats.

These guardrails are there to protect the most vulnerable species and the most vulnerable animals and their habitat that are out there.

And so what this would do is it really takes those guardrails away.

The Wildlife Service also narrowed the definition of the word harm in the ESA earlier this year.

The change removed safeguards against habitat modification and degradation that kills or injures protective wildlife.

Child development specialists in Missouri say infants may be too young to talk about their feelings, but they're not too young to experience emotional distress.

Crystal Blair explains.

They say those early experiences can shape a person's emotional well-being for years to come.

During a recent webinar hosted by Kansas City's Metro Council, clinical child psychologist Erin Hambrick explained why those formative years matter.

Even if people can't tell you what life was like as a one-year-old, it still shaped them significantly.

How they feel about the world around them and especially about people around them.

America's health rankings estimates nearly 18 percent of Missouri children younger than 18 have experienced at least two adverse childhood experiences such as household instability or exposure to violence.

Experts say nurturing relationships, consistent routines, and simple activities like playing together can help children build emotional security.

This is Public News Service.

Proposition 134 on Colorado's November ballot would ban transgender students from participating in school sports that do not align with their biological sex.

Eric Galatas has more.

In response, parents, kids, and advocates are holding a pep rally today in Denver to amplify a position held by many Coloradans.

Trans people belong everywhere, including in sports.

Mental health therapist Katrina Whitehead, who works with trans youth, plans to attend.

She says kids shouldn't have to worry about whether their gender will be questioned when they sign up for sports, and no one should be excluded from lifelong benefits that come with playing.

Well, I think it affects them being able to learn how to be on a team and work as a team and being included.

They just really want to be with their friends.

Prop 134 would require elementary schools through colleges to designate all sports as male-only, female-only, or mixed.

Supporters say allowing biological males to play on female teams creates an unfair advantage and can prevent females from winning scholarships.

Critics warn that if passed, student athletes, not just those who are transgender, could be subject to uncomfortable physical inspections.

The Trans Kids Belong Here Denver Summit pep rally kicks off at 4 p.m. at the Town Hall Collaborative.

North Dakota residents who qualify to have their federal student loans forgiven could face thousands of dollars in additional tax costs, potentially undermining the financial relief they've spent decades working toward.

Judith Ruiz Branch reports.

That's according to a new report from advocacy group Protect Borrowers that labels the changes as a tax bomb that could hit families with limited incomes and savings especially hard.

Jennifer Zhang with the group notes those who qualify for income-driven repayment forgiveness made less than $50,000 in 2022.

By and large, the people who will be forced to pay these tax bills will not be able to afford them.

The report estimates a married North Dakota borrower with two children could face more than $5,800 in additional tax liability and lost credits.

For a single parent with two children, the added tax costs could exceed $9,600.

Some Ohioans question the loss of natural gas industry jobs while mayoral candidates walk a political tightrope about the issue.

More from Terry Dee.

Fracking drills water, sand, and a chemical mix into cracked rock formations to release trapped oil or natural gas to produce shale gas.

Ohio River Valley Institute senior researcher Sean O'Leary explains there's been great interest in gas deposits in Northeast Ohio since the 2000s.

Many political leaders, certainly business leaders, saw the development of what would eventually become the richest natural gas field in the world would be a driver of economic development in the region.

Generating natural gas produces substantial revenue, O'Leary notes, and since 2006, micro seismic technology has advanced shale gas production and the need for workers has declined.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.