News from around the nation.

The UK’s Starmer announced he is resigning as Prime Minister; Vance says a foundation has been laid in US-Iran talks; California legislators to consider bill on cockfighting and rooster breeding; Some Texas GOP lawmakers turning away from wind and solar; Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ groups amplify trans voices for Pride Month.

Transcript

The Public News Service Monday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Keir Starmer of Britain announced he will step down as leader of the Labour Party and resign as Prime Minister.

Starmer said Monday he would remain as Prime Minister until a new party leader is selected by September.

And Vice President J.D. Vance says U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland have laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal.

A key component is that they've agreed to establish a de-escalation working group that includes Lebanon to address the fighting between Israel. and Hezbollah.

Meantime, cockfighting is illegal in California, but a new bill helps authorities target the people who raise roosters as fighting animals.

The State Senate Committee on Business, Professional, and Economic Development holds a hearing today for the California Cockfighting Cruelty Act, which would set civil fines of $2,500 for people who raise more than 25 roosters and tether the birds.

Jenny Berg, with the non-profit Humane World for Animals, says the birds are kept in cruel conditions, often in small cages or on a leash.

It's the same thing as you would typically see in dog fighting practices.

You would have a rooster that can see another rooster and they're conditioning aggression so they can be used in fighting.

During a fight, the birds are fitted with sharp blades on their legs so opponents slash each other to death.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

And Texas is a national leader in generating renewable energy.

The state gets more than 30 percent of its power from wind and solar, but that may be changing.

For decades, the Republican Party has had an all-of-the-above philosophy supporting all forms of energy production, but recently some GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation that's considered anti-wind or anti-solar.

Josiah Neely with the R Street Institute says some people see clean energy as a threat to the oil and gas industry.

Natural gas is the largest portion of our fuel used for electricity and we use it for all sorts of other stuff.

And you know, wind especially and increasingly solar, as they emerge under the grid as real competitors, some people don't like that.

Some conservative lawmakers argue wind and solar aren't reliable during Texas extreme weather.

Several I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Next in Pennsylvania and across the country, there has been a surge of violence against transgender and non-binary people most recently at a Pride event in Philadelphia.

JG A-Loving is with the Genders and Sexuality Alliance Network, says her organization is focused on empowering youth voices and helping students build safer school environments.

We teach young trans and queer people that actually one of the first and foremost things that you can do is to respect what you know about your body and your community and what you need.

National data show LGBTQ plus individuals are five times more likely than heterosexuals to experience violent crimes.

This is Public News Service.

An amendment to the massive federal transportation bill currently in the House would leave rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft immune to charges filed against their drivers in cases of sexual assault.

That's according to nearly 300 lawmakers who signed on to a letter opposing the change.

Part of the Build America 250 Act, the amendment would raise the legal burden of proof for holding rideshare platforms liable for harm.

State Representative Jamila Taylor from South King County says the onus needs to be on the companies to provide a safe experience for riders and drivers.

Just like when I'm going into a grocery store, I'm expecting to not have to walk on a floor that is full of water and slip and fall.

I'm expecting the door to not hire someone who is going to harm me as I'm just trying to buy my groceries.

The letter cites proponents of the amendment say it's designed to stop abusive litigation and insurance costs.

I'm Isobel Charle.

And New York City is working to approve public meetings.

The city's Civic Engagement Commission and several good government groups created the Better Public Meetings NYC initiative.

It examines the best ways to make community board public meetings more inclusive, productive, and transparent for city residents.

Matt Leninger with the National Civic League describes what this work entails.

Part of what we want to be able to do is help community boards learn more from each other.

What kinds of practices have they used?

What kinds of ways have they recruited people to come to meetings?

How have they engaged people online or off?

People who might never come to a meeting at all, but still have ideas or interests or questions they want there.

This portion of the work also includes a digital civic engagement scorecard so residents can evaluate and provide feedback on public meetings.

A pilot program could begin later this year across many more New York City public meetings.

I'm Edwin J. Vieia.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York.

And finally, an Emmy-nominated Montana filmmaker is breaking his no-politics policy to help protect public lands.

Wildlife filmmaker Casey Anderson has spent his career filming grizzly bears and other animals in the wild.

He's hosted shows for Nat Geo Wild and the Discovery Channel and is now in an ad campaign called Vote Like Your Lands Depend On It.

He says he's kept politics out of his work for three decades, but now feels it's time to speak up.

Lately, it seems like public lands are under attack more than they've ever been in my entire life.

And I have this platform and at some level responsibility.

Anderson urges voters to research candidates and elected leaders and ask them how they're supporting public lands ahead of November's election.

In a University of Montana survey this spring, 84% of Montana voters said the sale or transfer of national public lands should be banned.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

This is Mike Clifford.

Thank you for starting your week with Public News Service.

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