News from around the nation.

Congress returns to a messy fall with Democrats 'ready to fight'; Building a special ed case: MN parents learn the IEP ropes; Medicaid coverage proposed for doulas in SC childbirths; NH revenue crisis leaves working families with fewer child-care choices.

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Congress is bracing for a politically bruising fall as lawmakers return to D.C. today with massive fights upcoming on government funding, the Jeffrey Epstein files, and President Trump's policing push.

That's the take from CNN.

They report after a summer of simmering tensions on Trump's nationwide deportations, National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., and a string of high-profile firings, Democrats are ready to fight back.

CNN notes the minority party won't have to wait long for its opportunity to spar with Trump.

Republicans and Democrats are already entering a high-stakes funding standoff ahead of a September 30 funding deadline.

And with a new school year here, roughly 150,000 Minnesota K-12 students are receiving special education services.

Districts are mandated to craft learning plans for kids with disabilities, but for parents, requests can sometimes involve a maze of phone calls, documents, and meetings.

Our Mike Moen has part one of a two-part series.

State data shows steady growth in families asking for support like individualized education programs.

Advocates say after a diagnosis parents encounter a process where school staff want to ensure the child's needs meet certain criteria before an IEP is put in place.

The PACER Center's Beth James assists families in these situations.

That line is not super clear.

However, a student does have to demonstrate educational need in order to be eligible for those special education services.

That means the school has to see evidence of the disability affecting a student's learning.

If staff say the time isn't right for an IEP, parents have options, including an evaluation done by the school.

I'm Mike Moen.

You can hear part two Wednesday morning on our daily newscast.

Next, two bills introduced in the South Carolina General Assembly would require both Medicaid and private insurers to cover the cost of doula services for parents.

Doulas offer critical support before, during, and after childbirth, improving health outcomes and reducing racial health disparities.

Amy Chen with the National Health Law Program says doulas augment what's provided by the health care system.

They do provide non-medical, physical, emotional, mental, and informational support during the prenatal period, during labor and delivery, and then also during postpartum and after the end of the pregnancy.

I'm Mark Richardson reporting.

This story with original reporting by Lauren Saucer for KFF Health News.

And next to New England where advocates for working families in New Hampshire say a lack of state investment in child care harms families and hinders the state's economic growth.

Megan Brabeck with the Save the Children Action Network in the Granite State says some parents are driving up to two hours a day to get their kids to and from care.

Folks are having a hard time finding a slot, affording the slots that they do find and really having any sort of choice in care.

It's estimated New Hampshire parents lost nearly 180 million dollars in earnings in 2023 due to the child care shortage.

This is public news service.

Last week's deadly shooting in Minnesota has students, parents and teachers again filling the weight of gun violence.

Educators hope in states like South Dakota, classroom leaders will get their say on how to keep everyone safe.

In the aftermath of a school shooting, familiar about reducing gun violence emerge from banning assault rifles to arming teachers.

Longtime educator, Abby Clements is a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and co-founder of Teachers Unified to End Gun Violence.

She says her fellow teachers often feel scrutinized by their employer if they want to share their views.

To be honest, the message to teachers who endure these tragedies is, you know, don't speak.

Union leaders with the South Dakota Education Association agree the tone should be more welcoming for teachers around the state to speak up.

In a statement the state education department says it respects the First Amendment right of all citizens including educators to contribute to the public square of debate.

I'm Mike Moen.

And you know how some car dealerships tell people one price to get them in the door then jack it up with a bunch of add-ons?

That would become illegal under a bill being considered in California.

The Combating Auto Retail Scams, or CARS Act, is expected to get a vote in the state assembly this week.

Rosemary Sheahan, with the non-profit Consumers for Auto Safety and Reliability, says the change would save California car buyers millions.

It will require car dealers to disclose the total price up front. flat-out prohibition against charging more than what they advertise as the total price.

Initial opposition came from the car dealers, auto lenders, the Chamber of Commerce and the Civil Justice Association, but they negotiated amendments and dropped their objections.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Finally, conservation groups are saying the proposed removal of the federal roadless rule could open pristine areas of New England forest to commercial logging.

The Trump administration has directed agencies to find ways to bypass environmental protections on public lands to increase timber production by 25 percent.

Sarah Adloo with the Old Growth Forest Network says building roads in unspoiled areas will damage wildlife habitat, important water resources, and outdoor recreation.

With the biodiversity issues and climate crisis, we are in no position to be opening up our for even more damage on our environment.

Federal officials say the rules removal will help land managers better protect communities from wildfires, but studies show most wildfires ignite within 50 yards of a road.

A shortened three-week public comment period on the proposed policy change runs through September 19th.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is by Clifford for Public News Service.

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