Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Nonpartisan group explains Tennessee’s lengthy ballot questions; a new study finds Ohio is well-positioned to meet skilled trades demand; polls show private sector at fault for housing crisis, Congress urged to act; El Segundo, California officials extend moratorium on data centers; North Dakota child poverty rising as school meals face November vote; and new research finds dogs make Colorado bear encounters dangerous.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily News cast for Thursday, October 22nd, 2026.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

Residents of Tennessee will vote for more than just candidates on November 3rd.

There's ballot questions to consider too.

Danielle Smith has more.

More than 4.3 million registered voters will have the chance to vote on three proposed constitutional amendments that appear on this year's ballot.

With early voting underway, Debbie Gould with the League of Women Voters of Tennessee says the amendments could catch some voters by surprise.

She says the questions are lengthy and complex and voters should take sufficient time to consider them before they cast their ballots.

The first one has to do with who is eligible for bail or bond if they're arrested.

Amendment 1 will ask voters if they want to strip bail from defendants who have been charged with one of 73 high-level felonies.

Every year, trade industry employers across the nation look to fill around 1.7 million positions.

As current workers retire and new jobs are created, Ohio is tasked with filling vacancies in more than 120 vocations.

Terry Dee reports.

According to the State of America Skilled Trades, a national report, Ohio currently has almost 800,000 people working in these roles. 25 percent are age 55 and older and are transitioning out of the workplace with fewer incoming workers to fill the gap.

Despite these troubles, jobs for the future president and CEO, Maria Flynn says the state is in a good place.

Ohio has a very well-established apprenticeship system.

They currently have about 30,000 registered apprentices statewide, so that's a good foundation to start from.

Flynn sees high school guidance counselors playing a role in broadening the idea of what success looks like after graduation, beyond the traditional four-year path.

The report shows that one in four guidance counselors currently recommends apprenticeship as a stepping stone to certification in a trade as an attractive career option.

Americans point the finger at the private sector, but new polling shows they want Congress to do more on the affordable housing front, and researchers say solutions aren't gaining enough traction for buyers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

More from Mike Moen.

In a new national survey from Clever Real Estate, 33 percent of respondents blame mortgage lenders and banks for the affordable housing crisis with equal blame for builders and developers.

And around 78 percent want the next Congress to prioritize this issue.

Separately, a panel discussion on the lack of starter homes included Julia Gordon of the Center for Affordable Housing Lending.

It is not likely the private market and private builders all on their own are going to want to serve the population that's looking for starter homes.

Congress recently adopted reforms by passing a landmark bill, but they won't take effect until federal agencies act on directives and lawmakers provide additional funding.

This is Public News Service.

Opposition to data center projects in El Segundo are getting a boost from the city council and the school board.

Suzanne Potter explains.

On Wednesday, the city council extended its moratorium on data centers until September of next year.

This comes on the heels of a vote by the governing board of the Weisburn Unified School District in September to oppose data center construction near school sites.

Board member Rebecca Hamburg-Cappy, who's seeking re-election, says air pollution from data centers is problematic.

We have an obligation to protect the health and safety of our students, and proposing a large-scale data center in such close proximity to our school facilities threatens that.

Opponents at the city council meeting objected to the amount of water and energy data centers consume and said they worry about the effect on their bills.

New research shows rising poverty and food costs are leaving more North Dakota families struggling to afford basic necessities.

Judith Ruiz-Branch reports.

A report from North Dakota Kids Count finds roughly 13 percent of the state's kids are living in poverty.

Zanna Berg, who works with the group, says more than 25 percent of North Dakota children live in households earning just above assistance cutoffs.

The report shows families both above and below the poverty line are having to choose between groceries and other essentials like housing or medical bills.

The data shows us poverty is rising in North Dakota, which is very concerning.

The reality, though, is just because you go over that threshold doesn't mean that you're still not struggling.

North Dakota expanded eligibility to allow more students to qualify for free school meals.

Still, 61% of black children and 58% of American Indian children in North Dakota qualify for assistance.

The findings come as voters will decide in November whether to guarantee free school meals for all public school students.

Many outdoor enthusiasts assume that if they bring dogs into bear country, they'll act as an early warning system and deterrent.

Eric Galatas has more.

But according to a new report, dogs actually increase the odds of dangerous bear-human conflicts.

In at least 27 cases studied, unleashed dogs created what's known as a boomerang effect, where dogs run off, encounter a bear, and bring it back with them.

In those incidents, 70% of dog owners were injured or worse.

Report co-author Lana Charniello says people who do decide to bring their pets into wilderness areas are safer if they keep them on a leash.

Incidents involving unleashed dogs outnumber those involving leased dogs by almost 6 to 1.

So basically, you want that dog on the leash.

What we also found is that dogs were on a lease.

There was no human fatality.

Bear encounters become more likely in October during hyperphagia, when animals consume 20,000 calories a day or more before hibernation.

Charniello says people are safest when they travel in large groups.

Because encounters can happen in a second, experts advise practicing how to use bear spray in advance and carrying it where you can grab it in an instant.

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

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