News from around the nation.

Wisconsin voter hopes Biden's speech leads to more meaningful discourse; Xcel Energy says its facilities may have started largest wildfire in Texas history; International Women's Day: 50+ women make up influential voting bloc; Racial Justice Act case could affect North Carolina death row inmate.

TRANSCRIPT

(upbeat music) - The Public News Service DOA newscast, March the 8th, 2024.

I'm Mike Clifford.

From the economy to humanitarian aid, President Joe Biden touched on many topics in the State of the Union Address.

With attention now back on the presidential race, a Wisconsin voter hopes policy, not political drama, is the focus. - President Biden has been scrutinized over such factors as his age and his bid for a second term, with supporters noting his likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, isn't much younger.

Diana Valencia, a retiree from Racine, says the horse race coverage often distracts from issues of substance.

Valencia, who has voted for both Republicans and Democrats and now supports Biden, says she wants direct talk. - I expect a responsible person in a political position to give me facts and explain to me, as a nation, what are we supposed to do to make things possible. - For example, she wants to hear more about the bipartisan infrastructure law that came together on Biden's watch, noting it's spurring public works projects in her community.

Biden has visited states like Wisconsin to tout the law.

However, some national polling indicates voters are largely unaware of the policy.

I'm Mike Moen. - And Xcel Energy Facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of a giant wildfire that's been blazing across the Texas panhandle since last month.

That from NBC News.

In a statement, Xcel Energy disputed claims it failed to maintain and operate its infrastructure.

However, at the same time, they said, we encourage people who have had property destroyed by or livestock lost in the Smokhouse Creek fire to submit a claim to Xcel through our claims process.

And today, well, it happens to be International Women's Day.

AARP is highlighting the important role older women will play in next year's election.

We get more from our Eric Tingenhoff.

The organization recently conducted a survey on the priorities of women voters age 50 and older in the 2024 election.

The rising cost of living tops the list for this group, along with concerns about caregiving.

Bhandana Shrestha is head of AARP Oregon. - Women have varied life experiences.

They're not a monolith, but there are certain things that really stand out related to financial security, related to family caregiving.

They also feel like their voices are not heard and that they want elected officials to really pay attention to the issues that matter to them most. - Women in this age group are split nearly evenly when it comes to a choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

However, among women age 50 to 64, 15% are undecided, making this a large group that could swing either way. - People age 50 and older, comprised nearly 60% of voters in Oregon's 2022 election, with over half of them being women.

This is Public News Service.

A first of its kind case in Johnson County could affect the futures of more than 100 people on death row in North Carolina. - It's the Racial Justice Act case of Hassan Bakot.

Gretchen Engel with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation says what sets this hearing apart is that it examines patterns and implications of racism and the death penalty for the entire state rather than focusing solely on Bakot's individual case. - This is a case that will allow the court to consider an unprecedented amount of evidence related to the question of whether the death penalty is administered fairly in North Carolina or whether race affects who sits on the jury. - Bakot was sentenced to death in 2007 for his role in a deadly robbery.

Engel said last week experts showed how racial disparities in jury selection disproportionately affect black jurors across the state.

Shantia Hudson reporting. - And this is Consumer Protection Week.

Nationwide, people's losses to fraud have topped more than $10 billion.

That's a 14% increase from just last year. - President of the Better Business Bureau of Ohio, Judy Dollison, says consumer education and awareness of scams is an ongoing challenge.

Scammers are constantly changing their tactics and using AI and other technology to bait more people.

She adds scams are increasingly complex and overlapping and often involve emotional and psychological manipulation. - We're seeing a crossover between romance scams and crypto scams because now instead of the romance scammers just asking for money, they're asking their victims to invest in crypto exchanges which aren't real. - Dollison says 80% of people who've reported losing money to investment scams involving cryptocurrency lost on average more than $3,000.

Nadia Ramligan reporting. - And finally, from our Farah Siddiqui, Michigan researchers are examining a possible link between high pollen counts or allergy days and worsening mental health and an increase in suicide risk.

The idea is that allergies act as a stressor that disturbs sleep and causes irritability, contributing to poor judgment and in some cases, mental health crisis.

The study examines emergency department visits and suicides on high pollen days.

Dr. Shushan Dhanagulian who teaches economics at Wayne State University says climate change is increasing allergy season length and intensity which could be contributing to rising mental health issues. - When I have allergies, I tend to be more irritable, more sluggish and tend not to make good judgment.

So I wanted to find out if this affects behaviors more widely.

This is Mike Clifford and thank you for ending your week with Public News Service.

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