News from around the nation.

Missouri House is about to enact new US House maps that erase a Democratic seat; IN Democrats fight GOP push for mid-decade redistricting; NC's role in focus as war in Gaza continues.

Transcript

The Public News Service Tuesday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The Missouri House expected to approve a new congressional map today that would eliminate a Democratic-controlled U.S. House seat as Republicans around the country scramble to boost their chances of retaining control of Congress after next year's midterm elections.

That from CNN.

They report on Monday night, lawmakers in the chamber cast a preliminary vote approving the new district lines, although several Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the plan.

Even so, final passage in the GOP-controlled state legislature is expected by week's end, putting Missouri on track to become the third state in recent weeks to press ahead on new House maps as part of the national battle over redistricting.

Next, Indiana, where lawmakers remain divided over calls for a special session to redraw congressional maps.

President Donald Trump met with Republican legislators at the White House in late August, and Vice President J.D. Vance also discussed redistricting with Governor Mike Braun.

Democratic State Representative Cherish Pryor of Indianapolis is pushing back on the proposal.

That is a bad idea.

They know their policies are failing American people, and they know their policies are failing Hoosiers.

So they want to redistrict mid-decade so that they can maintain power in Congress.

Republicans argue a mid-decade map would better reflect population shifts since the 2020 census and strengthen representation ahead of 2026.

The governor has not said whether he will call lawmakers back.

I'm Joe Ulari, Public News Service.

Indiana last redrew its map in 2021, leaving Republicans with seven seats and Democrats with two.

And supporters of Palestinians are calling for scrutiny of North Carolina's role in the violence in Gaza.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars recently passed a Resolution that says Israel's actions meet the definition of genocide.

Even AIDS sites have become places of massacres, including sites set up by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where 1,000 people have died.

Samira Haddad is a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement's North Carolina chapter and was born as a Palestinian refugee in Kuwait after her grandfather was displaced from Palestine in the 1948 Nakba.

She knows that the company, Davidson North Carolina-based UG Solutions, provided security at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites.

When we see that there are mercenaries and veterans going from North Carolina as part of UG Solutions, which is based out of or operating out of North Carolina, this makes North Carolina complicit in genocide.

In a statement to the media, UG Solutions says accusations of wrongdoing at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid site are false and came from a disgruntled former contractor.

The Palestinian NGO network is calling for a global day of action on September 18th.

I'm Eric Tagetoff reporting.

Local officials place the number of people killed by Israeli forces at around 64,000.

Other estimates say the number could have surpassed 300,000 after nearly two years of war.

This is public news service.

We head next to the Empire State where New York's aging electrical grid infrastructure is causing higher utility bills.

The U.S.

Energy Information Administration finds the state's electricity costs have been steadily rising since 2020 and are among the highest in the nation.

A report from the New York Independent System Operator adds the state's grid infrastructure is past its prime and struggling to keep up with growing demand.

Marguerite Wells with the Alliance for Clean Energy New York says this stems from decades of deferred maintenance.

The Public Service Commission has not wanted the utilities to spend money on that stuff, so they haven't spent the money.

And so it's finally catching up with us.

Now we have very electrified lives, not just because we're electrifying transportation in in our homes, but also because people didn't expect more from the electric system.

Aside from replacing old infrastructure, Well says the PSC can also expedite certain projects, though this isn't happening.

In August, the Public Service Commission rejected a petition from New York's Power Authority to expedite the Clean Path Project, which would relieve transmission congestion between upstate and downstate New York.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

And this November, Pennsylvania voters will decide whether three state Supreme Court justices keep their seats.

All three are Democrats and losing one could weaken the party's five to two majority.

Maria Andrews director of power building at Pennsylvania stands up says the state Supreme court has shaped everyday life for residents by protecting rights such as collective bargaining, abortion access, and voting.

They've upheld reproductive and equal rights under the state constitution, which directly impacts me as someone who cares about reproductive rights.

They've ruled that the state has a duty to protect public natural resources from fracking and other harmful mining practices.

And they also struck down unfair election rules and gerrymandered maps.

Andrews points out Pennsylvania voters will decide in the Supreme Court retention race with a simple yes or no vote.

She also emphasizes that voting by mail remains a secure, accessible option for all voters, despite attempts by President Donald Trump to discredit it.

Danielle Smith reporting.

Finally, spending too much time on a smartphone or iPad is a bad habit that health researchers are paying more attention to.

A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association says increased time on digital devices or watching TV among children and young adults is linked to risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The University of Minnesota's Jamie Lohr, a pediatric cardiologist, says the findings align with her research into childhood obesity.

She says kids don't suddenly shake out these effects when they become adults, and in good habits take hold at younger ages.

These are the times that we form habits for daily exercise, for healthy eating.

Study authors also point out excessive screen time makes it harder for kids to get quality sleep, elevating the heart health risks.

I'm Mike Moen.

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

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