News from around the nation.

Director of the National Counterterrorism Center steps down over opposition to the attacks on Iran; libraries shake off politics, lean into community support; climate change takes a backseat in media coverage; and Ohio groups work to prevent young men from being pulled into the ‘manosphere.’

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Afternoon Update.

I'm Joe Ulory.

Joe Kent has resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, citing opposition to the Trump administration's war with Iran.

Kent says Iran posed no imminent threat and he could not support the conflict, marking rare high-level dissent.

March is National Reading Month and public library directors in South Dakota hope to keep momentum on their side as they reach out to their communities.

Tara Perrion, who leads the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, says in the past year they've seen a steady uptick in library card requests.

And the most recent American Library Association survey data showed Gen Z and millennials are visiting their local libraries at higher rates than older generations.

Perrion says the book selections are much more expansive for teens and young adults than they used to be.

It was either like Little House on the Prairie books or Harry Potter.

Like there wasn't a lot in between.

The library systems have been swept up in culture war debates in recent years as special interest groups and right-wing politicians push for book bans or more restrictive laws.

Perrion says as a library administrator, there's a lot of second-guessing and watching things closely with the broader scrutiny.

I'm Mike Moen.

Climate change drove major disasters in 2025 from the L.A. fires Southeast Asia, but a University of Colorado report says media coverage of climate change fell 14 percent last year and dropped 31 percent in February from a year earlier.

Professor Max Boykoff says that hurts public understanding.

Because many people rely on media accounts to make sense of the world around them.

Boykoff says less coverage can also slow public action.

He says some climate reporting has shifted to the Trump administration's pullback from global climate agreements, cuts to renewable energy funding, and the fight over Boulder's National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Groups in Ohio are working to raise awareness about why so many boys and young men are being pulled into what's being dubbed the manosphere, online communities that encourage misogyny and have been linked to a rise in sexual and domestic violence.

Manager of Engaging Men Initiatives, Javon Howard, at the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual violence, says many young men and boys are looking for role models but finding them in the wrong places.

He adds while there isn't enough research yet to pinpoint specific red flags, changes in language and low self-esteem can be indicators.

Are they being transparent about usage of their internet?

Are they being transparent about like who they're talking to and who they're watching online?

The Alliance to End Sexual Violence hosted a panel discussion last week on how advocates in the Buckeye State can help local communities prevent young people from becoming radicalized, and how to better engage men and boys.

This is Nadia Ramlagan for Ohio News Connection.

This is Public News Service.

Indiana lawmakers are taking a closer look at how social media and smartphones affect young people.

New proposals debated at the statehouse focus on stronger parental involvement, improved age verification, and limits on some platform features seen as addictive for minors.

Youth advocates say the discussion comes as research shows many teens already worry about their own online habits.

Dr. Tammy Silverman with the Indiana Youth Institute says even young users recognize the problem. 45 percent of teens say they believe they're spending too much time on social media.

To have the young people themselves acknowledge that it's probably too much was new information.

Research also shows mixed effects.

Many teens say social media strengthens friendships and creativity, but others report anxiety, cyberbullying, and sleep disruption, especially young girls.

Kentucky House lawmakers have green-lighted a bill that would strengthen consumer protections for cryptocurrency kiosks.

The bill now moves to the Senate for action.

According to AARP, as of 2024, there were more than 30,000 crypto kiosks nationwide.

Our Nadia Ramlagan with the story.

Fayette County resident Kathy Rice lost $19,000 to tech support scams involving crypto.

She says she never thought she would be the type of person to get scammed.

She believes state leaders need to do more to protect residents.

I thought I was educated enough that I would not be scammed.

Cryptocurrency kiosks look like traditional ATMs and allow users to buy or sell legitimate cryptocurrency.

But criminals are increasingly exploiting them to defraud consumers.

According to CoinATM Radar, some 470 crypto kiosks are in operation today across Kentucky, located in gas stations, supermarkets, vape shops, and liquor stores.

Oregon lawmakers have passed a bipartisan bill that increases the state's lodging tax to direct new revenue to statewide conservation efforts.

The 1.25 percent tax is expected to generate over $30 million per year for environmental and wildlife programs.

Colin Reynolds, program advisor at Defenders of Wildlife Northwest, says over time advocates were able to overcome opposition from the lodging industry.

We had a coalition of over 100 businesses.

People who either visit or move to Oregon will patronize our business.

So the better our environment is, the more people will come.

A 2024 report found Oregon's outdoor recreation generates $16 billion in consumer spending and supports 192,000 jobs.

Reynolds says even with the increase, Oregon will still have the third lowest lodging tax in the U.S.

I'm Mark Richardson.

This is Joe Ulory for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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