News from around the nation.

PNS Daily Newscast PM Update

Israeli and Lebanese Officials In Rare Direct Talks; China critical of U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; Bill hearing to allow CA to sue oil companies for climate losses; Fraud expert: AI is ‘supercharging’ scams in WA; Michigan moms push for child care reform as costs climb

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update, I'm Mike Clifford.

With Israel's bombardment of Lebanon and a widening ground invasion leaving the ceasefire with Iran on shaky ground, Israel and Lebanese officials expected to hold rare talks today in Washington to try to find a way forward.

Meantime, China has called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz a dangerous and irresponsible act that will further inflame tensions in the region.

CNBC notes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday the targeted blockade of the vital shipping channel risks undermining an already fragile ceasefire.

Next, lawmakers in Sacramento Monday considered a bill to hold oil and gas companies liable for climate-related disasters.

Our Suzanne Potter reports Senate Bill 982 would authorize the Attorney General to sue to recover damages after a natural disaster linked to climate change like floods or wildfire.

A new climate disaster fund could stabilize the state's FAIR plan, which is the insurer of last resort in areas that have been abandoned by commercial insurance carriers.

Marisa Aguayo lost her San Diego area home in a flood in 2024.

She says her $250,000 insurance policy was insufficient, and then the company canceled her policy altogether.

It was complete devastation.

The insurance process felt like being re-victimized.

The Western State Petroleum Association calls the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act a $32 billion climate tax.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And April is Fraud Prevention Month.

New data shows fraud continues to be a big concern for people of all ages with nearly 4 in 10 people saying they've already experienced it.

The data from AARP also shows growing confusion and overconfidence around artificial intelligence-driven scams.

Kay Tomlinson with AARP Washington says scams largely haven't changed how they operate, but they have been supercharged by AI.

Now, one person with the help of AI can implement multiple scams on multiple people all at one time, pretty much with the click of a button.

Tomlinson calls the financial impact on residents breathtaking.

The latest data from the FBI shows that Washington residents lost nearly $460 million last year to fraud.

AARP Washington is hosting a number of fraud prevention events this month, and people can find more information online.

I'm Isobel Charle.

And in Michigan, advocates say affording child care appears to be slipping further out of reach with monthly costs ranging between $800 and $1,500 a month.

Some parents are being forced out of the workforce and reshaping family decisions.

Cece Waltry is a facilitator with the grassroots group Chamber of Mothers.

Which of the three pillars, maternal health, affordable and accessible child care, and paid leave, which one felt the most important to our members and our mothers, and it was unanimously child care.

Original reporting for this story by Rebecca Sager with the Michigan Independent.

This is Public News Service.

An academic known for his research on rural economic development is calling on lawmakers to include support for the non-farm economy in the 2026 Farm Bill.

A draft proposal that would set national policy for agricultural nutrition and conservation for the next five years is currently making its way through the Congress.

Christopher Merritt is the director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University.

He explains that there's a critical connection between agriculture and other industries, and lawmakers must consider rural communities as a whole.

A healthy farm economy actually needs a healthy rural non-farm economy.

It's often the case that one spouse manages the farm and the other spouse works in a neighboring community because that's maybe where the health insurance comes from, where the retirement benefits come from.

Merritt notes the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office manages a range of grants, loans and technical assistance programs related to affordable housing, community facilities, cooperative development and broadband expansion.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Next, a Minnesota health expert says for those who fear missing out on life, tech conveniences like delivery apps can make things easier, but they also limit the need for physical activity.

April is Move More Month, and the American Heart Association notes that less than half of U.S. adults get the recommended amount of physical activity needed for heart health.

Dr. Mary Boylan, a retired Minnesota physician, says people have become too used to sitting and looking at digital devices, including online ordering from stores and restaurants.

She says those options are great for busy schedules, but people still need to make time for moving around when their calendar isn't full.

Now being physically active is another event to add into our life.

It's how a lot of people feel, but that's really not how we need to think about it.

I'm Mike Moen.

Finally, as winters get warmer and drier in Montana and the western U.S., environmental advocates say the ski industry should do more to address climate change.

An analysis by Yale Climate Connections of a ski industry report shows that the industry is taking action, but not with the urgency warranted by the rapidly warming climate.

Auden Schindler led Aspen Skiing Company's sustainability program for 26 years.

He says what's missing is a powerful voice.

You need a large publicly traded company like Vail to publicly lobby, advocate, use voice, use trade group pressure to push on change.

And that just hasn't happened.

Yale Climate Connections analyzed a National Ski Areas Association report called the Climate Challenge and identified several shortcomings with the ski industry's response to climate change.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

This story with original reporting by Karen Kirk with Yale Climate Connections.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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