News from around the nation.

Military brass says Straight of Hormuz blockade complete, as Trump signals rapid end to war with Iran; On Tax Day, union calls for tax cut for working families; Debate over data center expansion heats up in Michigan; Native women shaping North Dakota’s political future.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

For now, it is full speed ahead on President Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a social media post, U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper said, In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted all economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.

At the same time, Trump is projecting a quick end of the war and a booming stock market.

ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl in a post on X said Trump told him, I think you're going to be watching an amazing two days ahead, adding he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that expires next week.

Meantime, in honor of Tax Day, labor advocates are calling on Congress to cut taxes for middle and low-income families.

The Working Americans Tax Cut Act would exempt 104 million American adults from federal income taxes if they earn less than a living wage, which is about $46,000 for a single adult.

Americans who make $50,000 a year would save about $2,800.

Carl Williams, a custodian in Lawndale, serves as national vice president of the American Federation of Teachers.

He says the current tax structure favors the wealthy and leaves millions to struggle in poverty.

It's a sad case of affairs when we have folks who are really trying their best to live the American dream, and because of the current tax laws, it's impossible for them to get there.

A family of four earning $95,000 would get a tax cut of $6,000.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And as North Dakota makes strides in electing Native women to office, Indigenous leaders say they're working to build upon the momentum to create a stronger foundation for representation in rural and tribal communities.

The state currently has two Native women serving as legislators.

Representative Jamie Davis of the 9th District has her eyes set on a Senate seat in 2027.

She says something she learned early on is that the experience of those in office that look like her comes with a different level of responsibility.

Indian country touches all of it.

I have highways, I have health care, I have banking, I have foreign affairs.

We don't really get that luxury of choosing just one or two things to be passionate about.

Looking ahead, Davis aims to support and prepare future Indigenous candidates by addressing challenges like fundraising.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And debate is intensifying now in Michigan over the rapid expansion of those large-scale data centers.

Nearly a dozen communities are moving to restrict or ban new projects.

Liz Jacob with the Sugar Law Center in Detroit says many residents are questioning who really stands to benefit from the centers.

It's big tech companies like Oracle, OpenAI, Meta, Amazon, who are going to extract our Michigan resources to drive their businesses, not even house in our state, and not even employing at scale Michiganders.

Less than two years ago, Michigan approved generous tax incentives for data centers, allowing companies to avoid certain taxes through 2050 if they invest at least $250 million and create as few as 30 new jobs.

This is Public News Service.

In the Lone Star State, Texas educators are reacting after the State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a mandatory school reading list created by the Texas Education Agency.

Books on the list will be taught in classrooms from kindergarten through the 12th grade, starting in 2030.

Kelsey Kling with Texas American Federation of Teachers says the list takes control away from local school districts and teachers.

Having any sort of state-mandated reading list really goes against what we know teachers value in their classrooms and what we think communities value about being able to conduct the education of the children in their community.

The TEA says it used suggestions from roughly 5,700 teachers to create the list of approximately 200 titles.

A final vote on the list is scheduled for June.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

And tomorrow is National Health Care Decisions Day.

One advocate is urging people to speak with their loved ones about their plans for death.

According to the Journal of Palliative Medicine, non-white Americans are less likely to have an advanced directive than their white counterparts.

As many as two-thirds of older white Americans have one, compared to just 35 percent of black Americans and 30 percent of Hispanic Americans.

Charles McNeil is the pastor of Unity Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

He says planning ahead can avoid disagreements and conflict between family members down the road and give a person the dignity they deserve as their life ends.

From a spiritual standpoint, this mortal body is going to decay.

So you really want to make sure that you have stuff in order where your family knows your last wishes, what you want, so there won't be any disputes.

More than half of Americans lack any form of estate planning documents whatsoever, from wills to trusts to medical and financial power of attorney.

I'm Zamone Perez.

Finally, conservation groups are lining up to oppose a proposal in Congress that would jeopardize National Monument protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.

They're also warning that other landscapes, like Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, could be next.

Tracy Coppola with the National Parks Conservation Association says 30 years ago, a range of stakeholders stepped up to preserve Grand Staircase, which is sacred to tribal nations as an ancestral homeland.

She says the monument is also a lifeline for the gateway communities that welcome visitors from all states and around the globe.

So when it was designated, it really was a promise to all of those voices that were standing up for it.

If that designation goes away, that will be a betrayal of that promise to tribes and to the American people.

Citing a recent report from the Government Accountability Office, Utah's congressional delegation has introduced a resolution to overturn a resource management plan for the 1.9 million acre preserve that was formally adopted just days before President Joe Biden left office.

I'm Eric Galatas.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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