News from around the nation.

Prosecutors to seek grand jury indictments today for 14-year-old suspect in Georgia school shooting; Former President Jimmy Carter, age 100, votes early in presidential election from hospice; AARP survey reveals key issues for Michigan seniors with 20 days to the election; Sale of Ohio's Gavin coal-fired power plant sparks uncertainty among residents, energy experts.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for Thursday, October 18th, 2024.

I'm Joe Ulery.

A 14 year old allegedly planned a Georgia school shooting, killing four and injuring nine.

The Washington Post reports he reportedly kept a notebook and shrine to school shooters.

His father charged with providing a gun faces 180 years if convicted.

Prosecutors will seek formal indictments against both from a grand jury today.

Former President Jimmy Carter, now 100, cast his early vote this week in Georgia's presidential election.

Carter, who's been in hospice care, expressed a strong desire to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

A Carter Center spokesman didn't disclose his choice, but hinted at previous family remarks about his preferences.

A new bipartisan AARP survey reveals the key issues driving Michigan seniors as the countdown to the election ticks below 20 days.

The results show a neck and neck race with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, both locked at 46 percent support.

For most voters, some key issues vary along the cultural and political divide, such as immigration and abortion.

However, AARP pollster Bob Ward says, economic concerns cross party lines.

Things like inflation, jobs, and since we're talking about older voters, I'll throw in social security.

When you roll those three issues up, 57 percent of older Michigan voters say that's their number one or number two issue.

The rising cost of prescription drugs are another top concern for older voters.

In the US Senate battle, among voters aged 50 and older, Democrat Alyssa Slotkin leads Republican Mike Rogers 48 percent to 46 percent.

Crystal Blair reporting.

The sale of Ohio's Gavin Coal-Fired Power Plant is sparking uncertainty among residents and energy experts alike.

The plant, which has been one of the state's largest electricity providers for the past 50 years, is now being sold.

The Gavin Power Plant, notorious for its high emissions, is the fifth largest carbon dioxide emitter in the US, releasing more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide in the past seven years.

Dennis Womstead with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says the sale raises questions about Gavin's future operations and impact on the environment.

The Gavin Coal-Fired Power Plant is being sold from one private equity company to another private equity company.

And that brings great uncertainty into whether that plant will continue to operate into the future.

As part of the sale, Gavin will be separated from three gas-fired plants also included in the deal.

Some argue that this separation could indicate the new owner energy capital partners may not see Gavin as a long-term asset, raising speculation about a potential shutdown or conversion.

Farrah Siddiqui reporting.

This is public news service.

Colorado is one of a handful of states that allows water utilities to purify sewage for use as tap water.

And cities like Castle Rock are preparing to make that happen within a few years.

Right now, they just use the purified water to recharge the groundwater, but they say it is clean enough to drink.

Professor Daniel McCurry with the University of Southern California predicts that at least half of states will adopt wastewater recycling in the next 20 years.

Places that you wouldn't normally think of as dry or water stressed at all are starting to build these plants.

Anywhere that's primarily reliant on groundwater is gonna have water reuse in their future.

California's Orange County Water District, a leader in the field, already purifies 130 million gallons of wastewater per day and sends it down into the aquifer.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and health professionals are urging women to get screened at earlier ages than previously suggested.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer for women in the US.

Dr. Anne Gaiman with Kaiser Permanente in Seattle says there's been an increase in breast cancer rates in women in the 40 to 50 age range.

She says previous recommendations were that women should speak with their healthcare provider after age 40 about when to start screening.

These new recommendations from the United States Preventative Services Task Force states that all women should begin screening now at age 40 and repeat screening every other year through age 74.

About one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society, which also says breast cancer rates in Washington State are higher than the national average and screening rates are lower.

The state has the ninth highest cancer rate in the country and the 10th lowest screening rate.

One in three Americans lives paycheck to paycheck and that includes many artists.

A Minnesota organization is expanding its guaranteed income program for these individuals so they can carry on with their creative contributions.

This fall, Springboard for the Arts announced it was tacking on more years and recipients to its pilot initiative launched early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group's Ricardo Beard says the changes mean that over the next five years, a total of 100 participants will receive monthly payments of $500, no strings attached.

He says they're building a case for systemic change in how artists are supported.

Artists are vital to the cultural and economic fabric of our communities.

They help us imagine new futures.

They help us rethink public spaces.

But he says artists tend to operate in a gig economy and often fall through the cracks because financial stability is out of reach.

This effort is part of a patchwork of similar programs surfacing around the US for low-income populations, including one led by the city of St. Paul.

I'm Mike Moen.

This is Joe Ulery for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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