News from around the nation.

HHS says it's freezing child care payments to Minnesota after fraud allegations; Ohio civic group encourages engagement as New Year's resolution; AARP CT gets head start on 2026 legislative priorities; Study: 15% of pregnancies linked to cardiovascular complications.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

An official with the Department of Health and Human Services says the agency has frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota after allegations of fraudulent daycare centers.

That from ABC News.

They report Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill sent in a post that HHS is tightening requirements for payments from the Administration for Children and Families to all states requiring a justification and a receipt or photo evidence.

ABC notes the move comes after an unverified online video from a conservative influencer, Nick Shirley, alleging fraud in child care and Somali communities in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis officials dispute the allegations.

Meantime, as folks in Ohio prepare to enter the new year, the League of Women Voters of Ohio is urging residents to consider civic engagement as part of their New Year's resolutions, arguing it can help people feel more connected to decisions that affect their communities.

The nonpartisan organization says the start of a new year is often when people reflect on personal goals and consider changes they want to make in their lives.

Jen Miller, executive director of the League, says civic participation fits naturally into that moment of reflection.

The new year is a great reset.

It's a time for us to think about who we've been and where we've been and what we want to be different.

Thinking about how government represents us is a critical piece of that.

Miller says many Ohioans closely follow political developments, but don't always see civic participation as something they can actively do on a regular basis.

Farah Siddiqi reporting.

And as 2025 comes to a close, Connecticut advocacy groups are looking to hit the ground running in 2026.

The coming legislative session will be shorter than the one in 2025, running from February to early May.

Despite this, there's hope legislation on various social and consumer issues will pass.

AARP Connecticut is focusing on laws providing supports for caregivers, consumer protections and affordable high-speed internet.

John Erlinghauser with AARP Connecticut says given the pushback from providers, defending the net equity program is a high priority.

It's necessary because when the affordable connectivity program expired at the federal level, it left a big void.

And high-speed internet is not only important in fighting social isolation, but also helps with telehealth and safety, other things, and it keeps people connected.

Along with this, Erlinghauser hopes to see the state implement no-excuse absentee voting after a state referendum lifted a ban on it.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

And a new study finds that pregnancy raises the woman's risk of cardiovascular complications like heart attack, stroke, hypertension, and even death.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital looked at medical records from 56,000 pregnancies.

Dr. Amir Ahmed is a cardiologist with Dignity Health and a volunteer with the American Heart Association.

Pregnancy itself is a big cardiovascular risk factor for patients who have underlying risk factors, but even patients who don't should be aware that there could be cardiovascular complications related to pregnancy and that may have longstanding implications for them.

Heart disease is the number one killer of new moms.

This is public news service.

With Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring today, many folks in Montana will ring in the new year with higher health insurance costs.

While the US House is set to vote on the subsidies in January, it doesn't help people who've already made coverage decisions for the month.

That includes former University of Montana adjunct professor, Bradley Cook.

He lives in Hamilton, Montana, and says his premiums went from $260 a month to almost $700 a month.

He says his deductible also more than doubled, which he describes as simply prohibitive.

My social security isn't doubling.

So it in effect was like a $15,000 expense out of pocket before I get any real insurance help.

So I had to just cancel that.

People making more than 400 percent of the poverty level will no longer get the ACA extended subsidies.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

In Minnesota now accepting applications for paid leave benefits under a new statewide program.

The high profile law takes effect Thursday.

State lawmakers say they want to ensure a smoother rollout by welcoming enrollees early.

The legislature approved startup funds, but over time benefits will be covered of a $50, giving birth to a child.

This program is not linked to the fraud fallout seen in human services programs in Minnesota, but Rowe acknowledges the scrutiny over state government right now.

I'm Mike Moen.

Finally, West Virginia and other Appalachian states counting on federal investment in clean energy are seeing those funds vaporize, leaving communities uncertain about jobs, reduced emissions, and their economic future.

A new report from Reimagine Appalachia outlines specific projects across the state in limbo, including a $129 million grant from the Department of Energy to build utility scale solar farms on two former surface mine sites in Nicholas County.

Rika Rothenstein, a senior research associate for the group says the frozen funding has huge impacts on the region.

Those solar farms would produce 250 megawatts of electric power and that's enough to service around 39,000 homes.

The findings show nearly 70 percent of projected clean energy jobs in Appalachian states are now at risk.

This is Nadia Ramlagon for West Virginia News Service.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listeners supported.

You can find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.