News from around the nation.

Trump promised a markets boom. 100 Days in, stocks have only seen damage; Advocates warn proposed cuts to Medi-Cal will cripple school budgets; Campaign shares playbook for organizing Black communities in NC; OR hits recycling milestone: 10 million gallons of paint.

Transcript

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

Donald Trump promised Americans a boom like no other if they elected him president, but based on the stock market's performance during his first 100 days in office, it depends on what you mean by "boom."

That from Bloomberg.

They report the action certainly has been explosive, just not in the way investors were hoping.

By April 30th, Trump will have closed out his first 100 days in office.

Despite last week's rally, the S&P 500 index is down about 8 percent since its inauguration and on track for its worst run during a president's first 100 days since Gerald Ford in 1974, following Richard Nixon's resignation.

Meantime, Medicaid is in the crosshairs as Republicans in Congress are expected to lay out proposals in May to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget.

That's prompting strong opposition from educators. 15 million Californians rely on Medicaid, known here as Medi-Cal, for their health care.

But as Myra Alvarez with the Children's Partnership notes, the cuts would also deal a devastating blow to schools.

Medicaid is the third largest source of funding for K-12 public schools to help children have access to routine health screenings, preventive services, and physical speech and occupational therapy.

The Trump administration is looking for savings to fund the president's other priorities, including extending his 2017 tax cuts, which primarily benefit the wealthy and corporations.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And a collaborative of political organizers has launched a campaign to advance black leaders and communities in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Black Leadership and Organizing Collaborative, or BLOC, has started its Protect Black Freedoms campaign.

It supports organizers across the state by hosting gatherings and sharing models for political action.

Jasmine Wright is campaign lead for Protect Black Freedoms.

She says the organization has built up the infrastructure needed to change communities.

What does it look like to hold these local and state powers to these alternatives or to these ideas that we've gotten from the folks on the ground?

Trying to figure out what does it look like to develop and create these alternatives to these existing institutions?

BLOC says the campaign will last through 2027.

They say the effort is guided by the North Carolina Freedom Papers, which the organization developed on topics like generational trauma, climate change, and policing.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

Next to Oregon, where folks have now recycled more than 10 million gallons of leftover paint through the non-profit Paint Care.

Lauren Shear is the Oregon and Washington program manager for Paint Care, which was established by paint manufacturers.

Taking all that paint and making it into a new product, which then could be sold at a price point that is available to everybody.

And what we can't recycle, we'll make sure that it's properly disposed of.

Last year, Oregonians recycled nearly 650,000 gallons of paint.

This is public news service.

Next to Iowa, where despite pushback from the Trump administration on colleges and universities recruiting foreign students, the University of Northern Iowa is part of a new exchange program.

UNI is partnering with a university in Thailand to allow students to earn international business degrees.

It's called the 2+2 Business Degree Partnership Program.

Students from Assumption University in Thailand can take two years of classes at home and finish their international business degree at UNI's Wilson College of Business in Cedar Falls.

UNI Global Opportunities Coordinator Chris Schrage says the opportunities run the gamut.

Accounting, finance, management, marketing, supply chain, all of our majors align with their majors.

Schrage says the 2+2 program is largely self-funded by students and private donors, which should allow UNI to sidestep the controversy over international students in the U.S.

I'm Mark Moran.

And low-wage workers in Pennsylvania haven't seen a minimum wage increase in over a decade.

A new bill with bipartisan support would change that.

For now, from our Daniel Smith.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025, introduced in both chambers of Congress on April 8th, aims to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 per hour by 2030.

Andrea Grove, the owner of Elementary Coffee in Harrisburg, says the change would lead to bigger paychecks and boost the economy.

There has been a lot of movement, a lot of momentum, a lot of bills presented to hopefully get the minimum wage increased, even just incrementally.

And I would really love to see this actually go through this time.

An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute finds that increasing the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030 would affect 1 million workers in Pennsylvania and more than 22 million workers nationwide.

And finally, both water quantity and quality are important in the dry climate of Nevada.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says he wants to reduce protections granted under the Clean Water Act in an effort to undo unfair burdens on farmers and landowners.

The 1972 federal law aims to maintain and restore the nation's waters.

Natasha Majeski with the Nevada Wildlife Federation says the waters covered by the act have changed over the years, but it's all an interconnected system.

Lincoln County doesn't have the same amount of resources as Clark County, and yet water is still flowing from that county into tributaries such as the Muddy River that goes into the Colorado River that will end up being drinking water.

In 2023, the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of waters of the United States.

It determined only wetlands that are physically connected to other federally recognized waters qualify for protection.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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