News from around the nation.

Iran's Khamenei rejects Trump's call for surrender as thousands flee Tehran; CDC vaccine advisers who were removed from committee by RFK Jr. speak out; Trump's plan to lower egg prices, explained; Big Senate budget bill would 'decimate' national parks in NC; Report: NY, US nonprofits uneasy about political, economic turmoil.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah al-Khomeini rejected President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender Wednesday, that as Iranians jammed the highways out of Tehran, fleeing from intensified Israeli airstrikes.

That's Reuters.

And from ABC News, the 17 members of a federal vaccine advisory committee who were ousted last week argued their abrupt dismissal has left the U.S. vaccine program critically weakened.

The group speaking collectively for the first time since Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed them said his actions have stripped the program of the institutional knowledge and continuity that have been essential to its success over decades.

Meantime, avian flu experts are questioning the effectiveness of the Trump administration's plan to lower egg prices.

The government has paid farmers more than $1 billion so far to kill their entire flocks if they detect one case of the virus.

But UC Davis veterinary professor Maurice Pitesky says it isn't working because requirements to improve biosecurity to prevent wild birds from infecting flocks are not sufficiently enforced.

What they're suggesting conceptually makes sense.

Practically, it is not a solution.

This is beyond any farmer's or state's ability to address.

We need every tool that we can use.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Next the budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. Senate would mean drastic cuts for national park spending, including in North Carolina.

If it passes, proponents of public lands say the cuts would be devastating.

The Senate version of the reconciliation bill, already passed in the House, would slash $267 million for rebuilding staffing at the National Park Service.

That's on top of a more than 16 percent reduction in staff since 2023.

Southeast Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association, Ebony Preston-Goddard, notes these proposed cuts come even after National Parks saw record-breaking visitor numbers last year.

It's really hurting the parks and the staff when they're already in a crisis, to be frank.

Parks across the system, the staff are really struggling to keep visitor centers open.

They prioritize safety in these spaces.

Preston-Goddard says staff also ensure that walking trails and roads are clear, campgrounds and picnic areas are open, and programming is running.

North Carolina is home to 10 national parks.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

And a new report finds non-profit leaders in New York and nationwide are worried about the country's political and economic climate.

Alicia Smith-Ariaga with the Center for Effective Philanthropy says non-profit leaders feel the current climate exacerbates long-term feelings of burnout.

Their staff are concerned about their own personal safety, that at a moment where the work they're doing in communities is needed now more than ever, a lot of organizations talk about either their work or their funding being under attack.

The 2025 State of Non-Profit Report finds risk to funding from federal budget cuts and polarization of non-profit work are top concerns.

This is Public News Service.

Central Georgia's Macon-Bibb County is shaking up its approach to public safety by confronting a long-standing problem - people stuck in jail simply because they can't afford to get out.

Mayor Lester Miller introduced the new reform plan, which he says aims to make the system more efficient and more supportive of long-term community safety.

He says the goal isn't to offer a get-out-of-jail-free card, but to ensure the system is more fair while still being smart on crime.

We must eliminate a two-tier justice system where individuals who can afford it are at home while those that cannot are in jail.

He says one way to do this is to cover the cost of ankle monitors for non-violent offenders.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Next Colorado is already considered a national leader in workforce development and now is aiming to raise the bar even higher.

Governor Jared Polis recently issued an executive order calling on state agencies to create a more integrated system that meets learners where they are so they can access the education and training they need to get good jobs in Colorado's evolving economy.

Dr. Angie Piccioni with the Colorado Department of Higher Education says the challenge is to restructure siloed agencies and initiatives and design a system that works even better.

Bring together the best of what each individual division and department is doing and bring it together in a way that's going to make it easier for individuals to navigate and also ultimately get the skills and training that they need for the jobs that they want.

Colorado ranks first nationally tied with Massachusetts for its percentage of residents who have a credential or degree beyond high school but there's room for improvement.

There are currently two available jobs for every unemployed person in the state.

More than 90 percent of top paying jobs require some form of post-secondary education but just half of graduating seniors are signing up for college or certificate programs well below the national average of 61 percent.

I'm Eric Galatas.

And June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.

The research examines the connection between dementia and awareness about money management skills.

Binghamton University's Ian McDonough co-authored a new study that says people with dementia aren't aware if they're making errors in handling their bank accounts and other financial tasks.

For those without cognitive decline, that awareness improved over time.

When you're aware of those declines, you can adapt.

You can ask for help.

You can use calculators.

If you're not aware, you might be going on your daily business, doing some mental arithmetic and then that's when those errors might be introduced.

McDonough says that increases their vulnerability to fraud at a time when Americans, including older adults, are losing more money to scammers.

He says preventative efforts by caregivers are important so people with dementia can avoid being taken advantage of and still have some autonomy over their finances.

I'm Mike Mowen.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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