Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump eyes cuts to 'Democrat Agencies' in government shutdown; Indiana braces for flu season as vaccines roll out; NYC ballot propositions address affordable housing crisis; Line 5 contested hearing case wraps up today in WI.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, October 3, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President Trump said he will meet with Budget Director Russell Vought on Thursday to determine which Democrat agencies to cut, as he looks to inflict pain on his political opponents in the second day of a government shutdown.

That's from Reuters.

Trump said in a social media post, "I can't believe the radical-left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity."

Reuters notes Trump has already frozen federal transit and green energy funding for Democratic leading states and has threatened to fire more federal workers during the shutdown, which began on Wednesday due to a partisan standoff in the Congress.

Meantime, Indiana health officials say now is the time to prepare for the flu season.

Doctors recommend Hoosiers get vaccinated before cases begin to rise this month.

More now from our Joe Uleri.

Blue season usually peaks between December and February, and health experts say early protection is the best defense.

They warn the virus spreads quickly once cold weather sets in.

Dr. Sarah Nosal, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says the outlook for this year is a little different.

"We're expecting this year to be moderate, but last year was severe.

We had more illnesses, more hospitalizations, and more preventable deaths of children."

Health officials stress that predictions are not perfect and the severity of each season can vary.

That is why they continue urging everyone who is eligible to get a flu shot with very few exceptions.

This year's vaccine protects against three different strains of the virus.

Nossel recommends Hoosiers talk to their doctor about which vaccine will work the best for them.

This story was produced with original reporting from Greg Montgomery for Wish TV.

And this year, folks in New York City will vote on several housing-related ballot measures.

Ballot Propositions 2 through 5 are designed to overhaul how the city's government addresses housing affordability.

The measures will streamline the approval process for various housing and infrastructure projects, modernize city maps, and create a land use appeal board.

Amit Singh Baga, with the Yes on Affordable Housing campaign, says this is because the city hasn't built enough affordable housing.

We are at a population of 8.5 million, which is 1.2 million higher than in 1990.

And according to the Department of City Planning, we are on track to be at 9 million by 2035.

Our pace of housing construction has simply not kept up.

As popular as these measures are with residents, they face opposition from the City Council.

Members of the Council's Common Sense Caucus and Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis filed a lawsuit arguing the Charter Commission didn't conduct an environmental review before putting the measures forward.

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition finds New York City is one of several cities accounting for almost a quarter of middle-income renters, but 48 percent of those renters are severely cost burdened.

This comes as the fourth rent increase of Mayor Eric Adams' administration takes effect.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

This is Public News Service.

As the contested case hearing for the Enbridge Line 5 relocation project wraps up today in Madison, supporters of the project are urging people to remember what's at stake for rural Wisconsin.

Environmental groups and the Bad River Tribe are challenging permits the Wisconsin Department of natural resources issued to Enbridge in November for rerouting the pipeline.

After weeks of testimony, final statements are expected today.

Nate Zimdars with Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation emphasizes what's at stake for farmers who depend on propane, a byproduct from Line 5.

Oftentimes our farmers are forgotten about in conversations like this.

Just think about the food that's getting put on your table.

It's got to come from somewhere.

It comes from our farmers who are working really hard during this time of year and are dependent on that energy.

He emphasizes farmers are already experiencing the strains of the federal government shutdown and difficult economic conditions.

Opponents of the pipeline are just as determined, saying rerouting Line 5 would be detrimental to the environment, increasing water contamination and threatening cultural resources.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And the number of women behind bars in New Mexico and across the globe has increased by nearly 60 percent in the past 25 years, according to a new Prison Policy Initiative report.

New Mexico ranks 17th among the states, with women ages 29 to 49 making up 9 percent of the confined population.

Wanda Bertram with the initiative says many states are doubling down on prosecuting low-level offenses that women are vulnerable to when going through hard times.

Offenses that are associated with homelessness, right, like sleeping on the street, panhandling, trespassing. offenses that are correlated with poverty, like petty theft, drug offenses.

Among U.S. states, South Dakota had the most women incarcerated, followed by Montana and Idaho.

I'm Roz Brown.

Finally, an environmental group is voicing concerns about the safety of drinking water in Tennessee.

According to the EPA monitoring data, 14 water systems in the state show PFAS levels that exceed federal limits.

Dan Firth with the Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter says the EPA issued a drinking standard for what are often called forever chemicals, and it was expected that the water treatment plants would need to remove them.

But under the Trump administration, Firth says the EPA is now delaying or scrapping those rules.

"In regards to the reason why we still have them is because the EPA is not letting the rules go into force that would require the treatment of that water to bring it down to regulatory acceptable limits.

EPA data shows more than a hundred and seventy two million people have been exposed to these forever chemicals this year.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Mike Clifford thanks for ending your week with Public News Service.

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