News from around the nation.

A 25th anniversary reflection on how the September 11th attacks galvanized patriotism, health leaders say wildfire smoke, extreme heat and flooding are becoming a medical emergency, and after 50 years, and sovereign land is returned to the Winnebago Tribe.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

America is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which produced a swell of national pride.

Veterans Rights Attorney and Disabled Air Force veteran Benjamin Krauss says 9-11 has shaped a generation.

Many demonstrated their allegiance to America by signing up for military service in the days that followed the tragedy.

It really galvanized patriotism amongst Americans.

Being attacked and having that attack be such a remarkable experience for the country, to a negative way, inspired young men and women to come to the aid of the country.

Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.

Over 9,000 on the ground, first responders and survivors, have died from 9-11-related illnesses.

Meantime, wildfires, smoke, extreme heat and flooding aren't just environmental problems.

Wisconsin health leaders say they're becoming a medical emergency.

More than a dozen doctors and nurses from Wisconsin's largest health organizations want the state's next governor to prioritize climate change as a public health emergency.

They say recent wildfire smoke alone caused a spike in ER trips for breathing problems, chest pain, and worsening heart conditions.

Pediatrician Dr. Andrew Lewandowski warned that children are also feeling the effects.

Preterm birth, epilepsy, diabetes, autoimmune disease, allergies, asthma, heart disease, mental health disorders, and even coughs and colds are medical conditions that are getting harder to treat because of climate change.

The coalition calls on the state to prioritize clean energy and stop building fossil fuel power plants to help address what they call a public health crisis.

I'm Judith Ruiz-Branch reporting.

At a conservation camp in Idaho this weekend is bringing sportswomen together to hunt, fish, and find their voice as leaders in protecting the environment.

Artemis, a group that gets women into conservation leadership through the outdoors, Anita Lucchese is the group's director.

Hunting and fishing is hard.

It takes a lot of prep work and a lot of grit and research and careful thought and planning.

And so if you can do that, you can make a difference in conservation.

She says they'll focus on how women can use their outdoor skills to step up and lead as they grouse hunt in the Karabu Targhee National Forest and fly fish on the Teton River.

Next, Minnesota lawmakers heard testimony this week about domino effects felt by people closely tied to human service programs as the state combats fraud.

A Senate committee hearing included examples from patients and care professionals who detailed service disruptions.

Addison Carpenter depends on home-based disability services and says the administrative logjam has been a nightmare for her.

My life is still spent going back and forth to clinics, emergency departments, and hospitals.

Being without nursing affects my ability to be a parent, to work, to spend time with my family, to participate in my community, to advocate for the things I'm passionate about, and even to make ordinary plans.

The federal government threatened to withhold $2 billion in funding for the state if it didn't quickly double-check the status of providers with paperwork concerns.

This is Public News Service.

The federal government has now officially returned 1,600 acres of land to the Winnebago tribe in Nebraska that was condemned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers more than 50 years ago.

The area was supposed to be turned into a recreational water park, but will now be left in its natural state and governed by the tribe.

The Winnebago Treaty of 1865 created a reservation for the tribe, but 54 years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of engineers used eminent domain to condemn the land.

It stayed that way until the Biden administration signed the Winnebago Land Transfer Act in 2024.

The tribe recently celebrated the land's official return.

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Vice Chair Ben DeCora says the land is important to the sovereignty of Native people.

It's upholding the treaty, right, the Treaty of 1865, which we stand on, which gave us the land to thrive, raise our children, live with our grandparents, live amongst ourselves.

Decorah says the land in the northeast corner of the state is used for hunting and fishing and will stay in its natural state.

I'm Mark Moran.

And some Hawaii seniors may be missing out on a health plan that could cut medical costs and add extra benefits.

New special needs plans or DSNIPs combine Medicare and Medicaid coverage and can include hearing, dental, vision, and transportation help.

With grandparents a day weekend approaching, United Healthcare Medicaid expert Marion Cabaneas says families should check whether their loved ones qualify.

Many times grandparents end up being the support system for their families.

We want to make sure that grandparents and caregivers are aware they may qualify for a decent plan.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, seven percent of grandparents in Hawaii live in the same home as their grandchildren across all races combined, compared with 12 percent were native Hawaiian grandparents.

A little over 8,600 Hawaiian grandparents are primary caregivers.

I'm Mark Richardson.

Finally, Texas college football fans will need to make a plan to stay cool if they're planning to see the Longhorns take on the Buckeyes this weekend.

Heat index values expected to be in the triple digits in the Austin area on Saturday.

That kind of heat is now lingering into October and early November, according to Shell Winkley, chief meteorologist for Climate Central.

There are signs that a cool and crisp tailgating season may soon be a thing of the past.

We can use science to understand that there is a fingerprint of climate change, meaning that our early season football matches are getting hotter, and that is something that is becoming more likely as our planet continues to warm.

A new analysis from the federal agency NOAA finds that this year the U.S. recorded its hottest August and hottest meteorological summer since record-keeping began in 1895.

This is Nadia Ramlagan.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.