News from around the nation.

Judge in Harvard funding lawsuit calls Trump administration's arguments 'a bit mind-boggling'; Ohio bill reignites debate over public drag performances; Program prepares AR youth for a career in politics; New trauma tool shows high adversity levels for children in southern IL.

Transcript

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

The Trump administration's legal case for cutting nearly $3 billion in federal aid to Harvard University was met with skepticism Monday from a federal judge who described the government's arguments as a bit mind boggling, that from the Boston Globe.

The Globe notes that Judge Alison Burroughs did not issue a ruling Monday, but in questioning from the bench, she asked the Trump administration how it could make ad hoc decisions when there's no documentation, no procedure justifying the fund cuts on the basis that Harvard failed to combat antisemitism.

Meantime, Ohio lawmakers are reigniting efforts to restrict public drag performances with new legislation opponents say targets LGBTQ plus expression.

Republican representatives, Angela King and Josh Williams have introduced House Bill 249, known as the Indecent Exposure Modernization Act.

Williams says the measure updates outdated language in Ohio's criminal statute. there's no definition for private part, but there is a definition for private area under the criminal statutes.

So that was simply a one word change to update the indecent exposure statute.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio opposes the bill citing concerns over vague obscenity standards.

This story was produced with original reporting by Ivory Herman for Kent State News Lab in association with media in the public interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.

Next, Stand Up Arkansas is working with Washita Foothills Youth Media Arts and Literacy Collective and students involved with the Fat Lip, You Talk radio show to get more young people in Jacksonville involved in the political process.

Young people are learning everything from how city governments work to how to organize a campaign.

Stand Up Arkansas director Steve Grapp says the students have dubbed their organization, We the People.

I'm teaching them how to use AI to teach yourself how to write code and the code that they're learning how to write using AI is the website they're building for this We the People which is just kids 16 to 24.

I'm Frida Ross reporting.

The Illinois Department of Education has a new tool to measure adversity in children by identifying areas where they may have been exposed to potential sources of trauma.

Colleen Cicchetti with Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children's hospital helped in the development process, she says the goal is to hold schools accountable while acknowledging outside factors.

It's really important to understand that it was never designed to say that this is a burden that only schools need to address.

This really is talking about what is the community context that schools are operating in.

The Illinois Children's Adversity Index is an interactive map that compares the risk factors of school districts around the state using three categories that measure community and economic barriers.

The index will be updated every two years and aims to guide resource allocation more efficiently across state agencies to address the root causes of potential issues for kids.

This is public news service.

After another sweltering weekend and more dangerous temperatures in the forecast this week for North Carolina and other parts of the country, experts say the U.S. cannot ignore the impacts of extreme heat.

Research has found extreme heat is becoming more deadly with data from 2023 showing more than 2,300 people in the U.S. dying from it.

Ashley Ward is the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability.

She says there are health effects and also impacts on people's productiveness at work, especially if they labor outside.

Heat is impacting infrastructure as well, such as weakening bridges.

Ward notes that people's social and economic well-being is affected as well.

I often run into people who tell stories of rationing their energy use in the summer so they can afford to buy medicine or food.

So heat affects so much of our lives and it's important that we think about it holistically as part of our health but also well-being.

For North Carolina News Service, I'm Eric Tegethoff.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.

Next to New York, where groups and lawmakers are coming together to oppose Con Edison's latest rate increase.

The proposal calls for an 11 percent increase for electricity and a 13 percent increase for gas, equaling about $2 billion over several years.

It'll fund infrastructure projects and address extreme weather.

Bill Ferris with AARP New York says the utility company should justify why it needs more money from New Yorkers when it received a rate increase just three years ago.

So what's the result of that rate increase and why is two billion this magical number that Con Ed needs?

Can it be lower?

Can it be spread out?

Where do they justify $500 million to deliver gas in New York City.

The Energy Information Administration, a governmental body, finds New York electricity costs are much higher than the national average.

Ferris notes seniors in the state mostly live on fixed incomes like social security, so their household budgets are tight.

Growing utility costs and inability to pay them could lead to more seniors having their service terminated.

I'm Edwin J.

Vieira.

Finally, Ohio lawmakers are reigniting efforts to restrict public drag performances with new legislation that opponents say targets LGBTQ+ expression.

The bill would limit drag shows and similar performances to adult-only venues.

Republican Representatives Angela King and Josh Williams have introduced House Bill 249, known as the Indecent Exposure Modernization Act.

It's a revised version of the 2023 proposal that stalled in committee.

Williams says the measure updates outdated language in Ohio's criminal statutes.

It's in the state of Ohio where in the indecent exposure statute there's no definition for private part.

Farrah Siddiqui reporting.

This story was produced with original reporting by Ivory Herman for Kent State News Lab in association with media in the public interest and funded in part by the George Gunn Foundation.

The bill remains in the House Criminal Justice Committee and could move forward when lawmakers return for recess.

This is Public News Service.