Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Trump says now is the wrong time to pull the brakes on AI; working across political divides to mitigate wildfires in Colorado; a new survey finds Texas teachers stressed going into the new school year.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service, daily newscast, September the 14th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

President Donald Trump says despite worries about the rapid growth of AI, the nation should not pull the brakes.

On the sidelines of his Irish gold open, Trump said, we are leading China in AI.

We're the most sophisticated country in the world, and frankly, I want to keep it that way.

The Washington Post notes Trump has staked much of his economic record on speeding up AI advances as a boom in the technology drives historic highs in the stock market.

At the same time, that hands-off approach is facing new scrutiny after three of the AI industry's most prominent leaders called for the pace to slow down.

Meantime, some Texas teachers aren't so happy about heading back into the classroom this year.

An American Federation of Teachers survey shows many are stressed, and 64% of them said they wouldn't recommend a career in teaching to their kids.

Zef Capo with the Texas American Federation of Teachers says educators have been sounding the alarm for years.

They're expected to be the teacher, the counselor, the social worker, the nurse, and in a lot of ways the parent.

They're expected to discipline students that have severe behavior problems but then are blamed for actually doing so.

The survey found that many instructors are working second jobs and spending hundreds of dollars to buy supplies for the classrooms and food for hungry students. 2,000 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers participated in the nationwide survey.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Additional concerns for some AFT members include the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

They say schools don't have clear AI policies or training for students or educators.

And as folks in Colorado face the impacts of another destructive wildfire season, a new report shows how Republicans and Democrats in Congress can work together and strengthen community resilience.

Advancing conservation through bipartisanship examines the ongoing legislative process behind the Fix Our Forests Act, introduced in April of last year.

Report author Max Metz says lawmakers have become more open to working across party lines, in part because the political risk is outweighed by an urgent need to address one of the West's most pressing challenges.

Colorado is a clear example of why we need to move faster on forest and wildfire resilience.

We're seeing fires grow to extraordinary sizes, which puts communities, watersheds, and firefighters at risk.

Prolonged wildfire seasons and increasingly severe fires threaten lives, livelihoods, public lands, and vital water resources.

In Colorado, this year's Aspen Acres and Gold mountain fires, destroyed hundreds of homes, and damaged critical infrastructure.

Met says these events underscore the need for proactive forest management and sustained investment in emergency readiness and community resilience.

I'm Eric Galatas.

This is Public News Service.

Alaska faces questions from children's advocates about how it will use its share of the $17 billion settlement with the social media company Meta.

Alaska could receive up to $23 million over a decade is part of the deal.

Most states are using their share for youth mental health programs, crisis hotlines, and school initiatives.

Alaska Children's Trust President Trevor Storrs says the lack of youth mental health programs presents a grave concern given Alaska's teen suicide numbers and social media's youth mental health.

We have six times higher rate of teen suicide and or attempted suicide compared to the rest of the nation.

That's just one indicator that we're seeing Our kids are struggling.

In a press release, Alaska's Attorney General Corey Mills says as a mom, she's incredibly relieved the settlement installs safeguards around kids and social media.

I'm Mark Moran.

An extreme heat represents an urgent workplace safety hazard in Midwestern states like Michigan, but competing measures in the Congress have blocked a solution.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, proposed a rule requiring that employers provide water, rest breaks, and cooling for workers.

But it's since stalled, and legislation has been introduced to prevent OSHA from enforcing the rule.

Nicole Hernandez-Hammer with Service Employees International Union says hotter outdoor temperatures aren't going away.

Conditions, whether you're indoor or outdoor during extreme heat, or even just the hotter times of the summer, can be and have been life-threatening. fast food workers as an example of that in hot kitchens without proper cooling.

Union members submitted more than a thousand public comments supporting the standard.

I'm Roz Brown.

Finally, Congress is considering funding to repair public lands in New York and nationwide.

Since 2020, the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund has funded billions and not addressed maintenance issues.

More than a billion dollars has gone to several New York public lands.

However, the fund expired in 2025 with more than $35 billion in repairs still needed nationwide.

Michael Oates with the Hudson Valley Economic Development Council says national parks are important to the local economy.

There's over 400,000 visitors that come to that part of the Hudson Valley supporting close to 200 jobs.

And these sites are a critical component to keep people staying in the valley, spending money at restaurants, hotels, and shops.

Data show New York still needs another billion dollars to clear the rest of its repairs from the federal backlog.

Bills in both chambers of Congress to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund have widespread bipartisan support, but there are divisions on what specifically the money should be spent on.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

Between 2020 and 2025, the Legacy Restoration Fund helped fund more than a thousand repairs.

This is Mike Clifford.

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