Six minutes of news from around the nation.

White House taps top RFK Jr. deputy as acting CDC director; Texans plan 'Workers over Billionaires' protests; MI workers to join Labor Day rallies for democracy, fairness; NM parents should not ignore mood changes in school-aged kids; VA Head Start programs struggle as federal funds remain uncertain.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, August 29, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The White House Thursday selected a top deputy of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a clash over vaccine policy and in the departure of several agency leaders, according to two people familiar with the decision.

That from The Washington Post.

Their report, the selection of Jim O'Neill, currently the deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services as interim leader of the CDC, potentially clears a path for Kennedy to continue his efforts to overhaul vaccine policy after the agency's previous leader, Susan Monteres, balked at his requests.

And for the Associated Press, Russia launched a major attack on Kiev early Thursday that included a rare strike on the center of Ukraine's capital, killing at least 21 people, wounding and damaging European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

Next, with Labor Day coming up Monday, some workers in Texas will use the day to voice their displeasure with how the country is changing under the Trump administration.

Workers over billionaires protest are being held in 19 different cities across the state, from Burleson to El Paso to Harlingen.

Mackenzie Barris with Jobs with Justice says workers feel like they're losing their rights.

We are seeing right now a full-scale attack on our basic democratic rights to organize and to come together at work to protect our rights and to collectively work for better conditions through labor unions.

We're seeing that first at the federal level.

She says they believe the way to stop the takeover is with collective action.

The protest or a continuation of a movement launched in May, protest information is available at mobilize.us.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Meantime, organizers say rallies across Michigan will spotlight issues ranging from fair wages to healthcare and school funding.

The aim is to push back against what organizers call a billionaire takeover of democracy.

Labor leaders say the holiday is more than just a chance to fire up the grill.

It's about building a stronger movement for workers' rights.

In Michigan, where the top 1 percent take home nearly 14 times what the average worker earns, organizers say the message is much needed.

Mary Ann Mahoney and the Novi Democratic Club notes the significance of unions in the Great Lakes State.

We can thank union and unionized labor for building the middle class, especially in Michigan and the Detroit area.

You know, we can go back and talk about UAW.

They really were pivotal to growing the middle class.

Mahoney says her group will rally in the city of Novi on Novi Road and Grand River, along with dozens of others.

The May Day Strong campaign launched May 1st and now spans all 50 states.

Crystal Blair reporting.

This is public news service.

Mental illness is being investigated as a motive for a school shooting in Minnesota this week in which a 23-year-old former student killed two children and injured 14 others.

Youth mental health is a growing concern in all states, including New Mexico.

The nonprofit Mental Health America says a major depressive episode typically lasts at least two weeks and include symptoms like low energy, feelings of hopelessness, poor concentration and changes in appetite.

University of New Mexico psychiatry professor Christina Soar says it's important that parents and caretakers identify what helps, whether that's music, a hobby or even journaling.

I think it can be kind of nice as kids are getting older to help them build a toolkit of what things they can do to help them when they're feeling upset or overwhelmed.

I'm Roz Brown.

And as President Trump continues his assault on federal spending, Head Start programs have felt the strain of spending cuts.

The Trump administration originally proposed zeroing out funding for Head Start in the 2026 budget, but the released budget did not mention Head Start.

Trump froze the funds in January for federally funded childcare and preschool programs, but laid a reverse course.

Despite that, staffing cuts make it more difficult for local programs to receive funding.

Kami Rittenhouse is with the Children's Center, a Head Start provider in Virginia's Western Tidewater region.

She says years of no funding increases have left them struggling to keep up with inflation.

Everyone looking at the economy knows that everything is more expensive.

It means adjustments have to be made to budget to reflect the rising costs in one area.

You have to reduce expenses in another.

About 14,000 children from birth to age five in the Commonwealth are enrolled in Head Start, according to data from the program.

This story was produced with original reporting from Will Fritz for the Virginia Independent.

I'm Zimone Perez.

Finally, Pennsylvania farmers warned the one big beautiful bill acts cuts to safety net programs will hurt both low-income families and the growers who feed them.

About 144,000 people in Pennsylvania are at risk of losing SNAP benefits and over 310,000 would lose Medicaid coverage.

Jane Kaminski, co-owner of John Paul's Farm in Indiana County says SNAP cuts could be the biggest hit to her organic farm under the bill.

My farm serves people in a community where there are folks who depend on SNAP to purchase fresh, healthy food from my farm and other farms in the area.

And a reduction in benefits could very well mean a reduction in revenue.

Kaminski says earlier this year, federal cuts to the Farmers Market Nutrition Program serving seniors and weak families, hurt farmers, and limited access to fresh food for low-income shoppers.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Mike Clifford.

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