News from around the nation.

Russia pummels Kyiv in apparent retaliation for Ukrainian drone assault; Federal program shake-up leaves Ukrainian workers in ND in limbo; Clean energy credit repeal could cost NC jobs, raise bills; Report: MS earns failing grade for maternal mental-health support.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Russia Friday launched one of the largest barrages of missiles and drones of the war at targets across Ukraine, killing at least four people and damaging buildings in Kiev in what Moscow suggested was retaliation for Ukraine's recent audacious assault on Russian strategic bomber bases.

That from the New York Times.

They report over the course of some five hours after midnight, Russia launched 407 drones and decoys, nearly 40 cruise missiles and six ballistic missiles from land, air and sea at towns and cities across the breadth of Ukraine.

Meantime, Ukrainians who fled the war in their home country for temporary roots in North Dakota are waiting with worry about their ability to keep working in the U.S. as the future of a key support program is up in the air.

Separate from refugees or asylum seekers, humanitarian parole gives people escaping a global conflict a chance to work and live temporarily in an American community.

As reported by North Dakota News Cooperative, several hundred Ukrainians in North Dakota fall under that status, taking on a range of local jobs the past two years.

Yaroslav Ryzhanov is one of them, and with the Trump administration trying to roll back immigration relief, he's living day to day.

My work permit expired in a couple of days.

I need to work because I have a lot of bills to pay, you know.

Legal wrangling continues over humanitarian parole, with the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowing programs with four other countries to be suspended.

Supporters of the Ukrainian designation say there's still too much uncertainty about applications for those folks, renewing concerns they'll be forced back to a war-torn region.

I'm Mike Moen.

Next to North Carolina, a state that has seen a surge in clean energy projects from solar farms in the east to electric vehicle manufacturing hubs across the state.

Advocates warn the momentum is now in jeopardy as Congress weighs a rollback of clean energy tax credits.

Will Scott with EDF Action says the credits have fueled job growth and help lower energy costs for families, particularly in rural communities.

Scott says eliminating these incentives could be detrimental to families and economic growth.

Repealing these credits could increase North Carolina families' power bills by $200 a year.

At a time of continued inflation, we can't afford to reduce our access to the cheapest available energy sources that are clean.

So repealing these incentives would not only damage our economy, but it would leave us ill-prepared to tackle the rapidly rising demand for energy.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Next, Mississippi ranks among the worst states for maternal mental health care, receiving an F on a new national report card far below the national average of C-.

Kaitlin Murphy is a research scientist at George Washington University's School of Public Health.

It's becoming increasingly well known that the scope of maternal mental health need in the U.S. is massive.

Right now, maternal mental health disorders do impact one in five mothers in the U.S.

These conditions now represent the leading cause of maternal mortality.

This is Public News Service.

New reports show that the state of New York faces multi-billion dollar budget cuts if the federal budget reconciliation bill passes in its current form.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report finds what's known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would cost the state government more than $15 billion annually and kick one and a half million New Yorkers off their health insurance.

Medicaid cuts of this magnitude would also affect hospitals statewide.

Nathan Gustorf with the Fiscal Policy Institute says the domino effects wouldn't end there.

The act will also reduce federal funding for food stamps or SNAP, a program that keeps three million low-income New Yorkers from going hungry.

But it requires state governments to fill in these spending gaps, which could cost New York State up to $2.1 billion annually.

He notes New York elected officials will have to choose between spending cuts to safety net programs or new tax measures to fund them.

Proponents of the federal budget reconciliation bill as it's now written say it would cut wasteful government spending and extend tax breaks.

But the CBO report finds it would add almost $2.5 trillion to the federal deficit.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

The Mississippi River tops a new list of America's most endangered rivers in part because federal officials propose shifting flood disaster costs to the states.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA's acting chief, advocates moving recovery responsibilities to state governments.

But Eileen Shader with the group American Rivers, which issued the new report, warns this could destabilize flood protections for communities along the Mississippi.

The Trump administration has called for FEMA to be dramatically changed, if not eliminated.

And we thought it was really important to highlight the importance of FEMA and the federal role in managing disasters like flooding to our local communities.

The 2025 Most Endangered Rivers report points out that this is the Mississippi's 13th appearance on the list, citing the river's history of catastrophic floods that have shaped national disaster policies.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Finally, folks in New Mexico will gather in Las Cruces, Talos, and other locations tomorrow for a day of action to defend national monuments and public lands.

The second Trump administration has renewed calls to sell off public lands to save the government money.

Maya King-Flaherty with the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter says advocates are rallying to prevent public lands from being turned over to states, industry groups, and developers.

We're really trying to inform the public about the senseless attacks on our public lands that the administration is moving forward with.

To call on our congressional delegates in New Mexico to keep pushing back and letting them know that their constituents are behind them.

I'm Roz Brown.

The Washington Post reported the Trump administration had included New Mexico's Organ Mountains Desert Peaks in a list of six national monuments for potential mining activities and a reduction in protections.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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