News from around the nation.

Harris trolls Trump over rallies during debate; Former Walz colleagues bring education record into focus; MO veterans remember 9 11 with acts of service; Childcare, tax cuts expected focus of upcoming WV special session; AR officials consider new ways to address food deserts.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, September the 11th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Vice President Kamala Harris took a moment during the Tuesday debate to needle former President Trump over his rallies, mocking his tangents about windmills and fictional characters in a bid to get under his skin.

Harris said, "I'm gonna invite you to attend "one of Donald Trump's rallies "because it's a really interesting thing to watch."

That from the hill.

Trump clearly irked by the comment, asked to respond.

She said, "People start leaving?

"People don't go to her rallies," Trump said.

So she can't talk about that.

People don't leave my rallies.

Harris said, "People start leaving his rallies "out of exhaustion and boredom."

She added, "One thing you will not hear "Trump talk about is you."

The start of a new school year in Minnesota has a new twist.

Intense focus from national media and voters across the US, with Governor Tim Walz running for Vice President.

Many are trying to measure his impact from the classroom to policy decisions.

On the campaign trail, Governor Walz has talked about his career as a public school teacher.

On the governing side, his push to help adopt free school meals for all students has drawn attention.

Some of his former colleagues from Mankato West High School are speaking out, including retired social studies teacher Bob Eyrig.

He says Walz exceeded their expectations when they hired him.

He's just outstanding role model for any future teacher.

There's a lot of hope and inspiration with Tim Walz.

In politics, Walz maintains strong support from unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, for actions like taking a hard stance against private school vouchers.

But his opponents argue he kept schools closed for too long during the pandemic, subsequently hurting student test scores.

I'm Mike Moen.

And on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, veterans throughout Missouri and beyond are dedicating themselves to community service as a tribute to the fallen.

A St. Louis-based nonprofit called The Mission Continues that engages veterans in supporting under-resourced communities spearheads this homage with United in Service honoring 9/11, one of their four National Service Days.

Keith Thomas, who leads communications and marketing for the program, explained the deep connection between 9/11 and veterans nationwide.

That is probably the single most highest recruited day for people to join the military.

That was all voluntary.

So there was no draft.

People signed up by the hundreds and thousands to join the military to do their part.

Close to 3,000 people died in the 9/11 attacks, including those on the four hijacked airplanes in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. 411 victims were first responders.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Do you remember the Sky Campaign by the 9/11 Memorial invites people globally to post sky photos today using the hashtags #NeverForget9/11 and #RememberTheSky.

This is Public News Service.

West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a special session September the 30th with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax credits, and supplemental appropriations on the agenda.

The Mountain State's spending on child care is much lower than neighboring states and has steadily declined over the past decade.

According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, it's estimated around 26,000 children and their parents currently lack affordable child care options.

In a video message this week, the governor reiterated his push for child care tax credits.

Absolutely try to get our tax break across the finish line with child care.

There's supplemental appropriations that need to be done and we need to get the money out the door.

Previous bills proposing a child care tax credit for households with incomes less than $65,000 a year have stalled in the legislature.

Nadia Ramlagon reporting.

And several neighborhoods in Central and Southwest Little Rock are considered food desert, meaning there aren't any grocery stores in the area.

Most of these neighborhoods are in low-income communities and have an impact on Alice residents who are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed.

They're working but don't make enough money to cover all their needs.

Virgil Miller is on the Little Rock Board of Directors and says grocery stores in the area closed or relocated because they weren't profitable.

He says the city is considering mimicking a program used in Tennessee.

A mobile grocery store is almost like an 18-wheeler that has been adapted to have a aisle in the middle of it and on each side they have food.

The mobile grocery store in Memphis has fresh produce and other staples and travels around the neighborhoods, stopping at different locations throughout the day.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Kroger has applied for a grant to buy a new bus and plans to deliver food to two new micro-home villages currently under construction.

The developments will provide temporary housing to people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Meantime, pediatricians are ordering their COVID vaccines now for the winter season, but waning interest from families means many doctors are struggling to predict how much to stock.

That's according to reporting from KFF Health News.

Some medical practices are only ordering about 5 percent of what they normally order for flu shots.

Orange County pediatrician, Dr. Eric Ball, says the COVID vaccine has been very effective in protecting kids and adults from severe disease.

And unfortunately, we are still seeing some children who are getting quite ill.

We are still hospitalizing children with COVID, particularly the youngest children, and I'm still seeing some children who are having symptoms of long COVID, and there's a lot of evidence that vaccination is probably the best way to prevent any of that from happening.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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