News from around the nation.

The U.N. warns this year’s El Niño effect is becoming “Supersized,” bringing drought, flood, and extreme weather risks, a new report finds Texas petrochemical expansion lacks rewards for coastal cities, and after two years of Kentucky camping ban, more fines and arrests.

Transcript

The Public News Service Thursday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The United Nations issued a stark warning Wednesday.

They said this year's El Nino is growing into a supersized weather factor that will last well into February 2027.

CNBC notes that El Nino is raising the risk of floods, droughts, and extreme heat in many countries.

Countries in Asia Pacific and Latin America are set to bear the brunt of the immediate impact, but the entire world is set to feel the impact in commodities from corn, cocoa, and coffee.

Meantime, along the Texas Gulf Coast, a 15-year push for more petrochemical activity promised jobs, growth, and prosperity.

But a new report released today says cities that hosted that expansion haven't seen those promises materialize.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis Study examines the coastal bend, home to Corpus Christi, the Houston Ship Channel, and the Beaumont-Port Arthur region.

Drake Cowan is an oil and gas analyst for the Institute.

He says the region didn't get much of a return on its investment.

You've got this mass $40 billion expansion that occurred over the last 15 years.

How did that translate to the population and the communities around it?

The basic findings were that it didn't really change the economic indicators very much for those cities.

Texas Petroleum Industry Groups were contacted for a comment on the report but didn't respond.

I'm Mark Richardson.

And more homeless people have been cited or arrested for unlawful camping in the Commonwealth.

Two years after House Bill 5, the state's unlawful camping statute went into effect.

Arnania Ramaghan reports over the past year, police officers filed 460 unlawful camping charges in the district court across 14 counties, up from 438 across 31 counties during the previous year.

This upward trend is especially concerning amid skyrocketing housing costs and cuts to safety net programs, says Ashley Spaulding with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.

She adds that while first offense unlawful camping doesn't result in arrest, it creates a series of challenges for people in vulnerable situations.

A person who's cited has to go to court and in going to court comes with court costs.

And then also with this violation, they can be fined.

In year two of the ban, the majority of unlawful camping charges were for a first offense.

Next up, one of Illinois' largest and most influential public sector unions wants lawmakers to use the state's recent $768 million meta settlement to help fill statewide education gaps.

Kurt Hilgendorf with the Illinois Federation of Teachers says some schools are operating with just 75 cents for every dollar they need.

And so if we're in a situation where students aren't getting their needs met and we've got a windfall from a company that's made billions of dollars to help make sure that a student can go to the chess club, then that seems like a pretty easy answer for us.

The majority of public school students across the state attend classes in an underfunded district.

This is Public News Service.

The Yellowstone County Commission is considering a data center moratorium as the community continues to fight a massive project in eastern Montana.

The commissioners will consider a request today at 9 a.m.

It follows months of opposition to nearly eight square mile campus near Broadview.

That's about 30 miles northwest of Billings.

Community advocate Cassie Solberg, who led a ballot initiative requiring two-thirds voter approval for data centers, says county commissioners repeatedly blocked her efforts, including her arrest at the Montana State Fair in August.

He said that you've been trespassed.

And I said, me?

And I pointed to myself, for what?

And he's you're gathering signatures on a political petition.

And I said, no, I have a clipboard under my arm.

Solberg says she wasn't collecting signatures at the time and feels she was targeted at the fair.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

Next, rising affordability challenges are forcing some folks in Maine to drop their health insurance coverage, but health care advocates say financial help is still available.

Residents who utilize the state's marketplace, CoverMe.gov, will see increases of more than 13 percent next year, while small group market rates jump nearly 15 percent, another double-digit increase.

Anne Willison, executive director of the Augusta-based Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says local assisters are available both in person and online to help people choose the right plan for them.

Our assisters on our helpline are very well trained in the private insurance market, public insurance market, and then safety net programs that help people afford the care that they need.

She says people can check their eligibility for sliding scale community health centers or free care offered by hospitals.

I'm Katherine Carley.

Finally, a state commission has found that court fees in the state of Alabama vary widely depending on where you live and that some fees may not even be legal.

The Joint Interim Study Commission on Court Costs led by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Stewart found that court costs are derived from more than 250 separate local statutes and about 73 local constitutional amendments.

Leah Nelson is a senior research associate with the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, or PARCA, which hosts the commission's report on its website.

Nelson says the system creates real disparities.

It doesn't make sense that it costs more to file for a divorce in Madison County than it does in Limestone County.

It doesn't make sense that it costs more to have a felony conviction in one county compared to another county.

So these things should be standardized.

According to the commission's report, the state fee for filing a civil action is $244, but local fees can vary enormously.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

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

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