Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Hillary Clinton derides her Epstein deposition as GOP political theater; More Democrats embrace universal child care as an economic priority; Michigan public health workers stand against EPA soot rollbacks.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast February 27, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Hillary Clinton derided her appearance Thursday before the House Oversight Committee as political theater and sharply questioned why the GOP-led panel insisted upon deposing her as part of this investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Clinton told reporters after the closed-door testimony, I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein.

I never went to the island.

I never went to his homes.

I never went to his offices.

Meantime, more Democrats in Wisconsin are embracing universal child care as a solution to rising costs and economic strain on families.

Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong has made universal child care a central part of her campaign for governor, calling it essential to addressing what she describes as a child care catastrophe. pollster Celinda Lake says her position reflects a broader shift within the Democratic Party.

The formula for success for any Democrat is to win women by more than you lose men.

And the caregiving agenda in general is a very big part of that and of making the economy work.

Lake says the COVID-19 pandemic served as a turning point to put child care front and center in the affordability agenda.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This story was produced with original reporting from Elliot Haspel for the Better Life Lab at New America and The Guardian.

Next, as part of a broader overhaul of federal climate and air quality policy, the EPA is asking a US appeals court to scrap tougher 2024 limits on PM 2.5.

The fines of pollution comes from things like car and truck exhaust, power plants, and wildfire smoke.

Michigan health advocates warned the rollback could put more people at risk and further strain the healthcare system.

At a recent Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action webinar, critical care nurse, Kendra White, said she sees the effects of air pollution firsthand.

In 2011, a landmark peer-reviewed study analyzing the previous 30 years of research was published by the National Institutes of Health.

It concluded then, what remains true today, fine particulate matter is damaging to our heart, lungs, and brain.

The EPA has previously said tougher rule could prevent about 4,500 premature deaths.

Crystal Blair reporting.

And hundreds gathered in Olympia Thursday asking state leaders to do more to prevent cuts to public programs they say will harm poor people and working families.

Sol Gonzalez is a single mom of three was at the rally.

She works with families of children with disabilities.

Working extra hours so I can make necessities and what my daughters are needing.

Gonzales says she and the families she works with rely on subsidies to be able to go to work.

This is public news service.

Next to Idaho where folks are watching the confirmation hearings for Steve Pierce as director of the US Bureau of Land Management closely.

Pierce is a former Republican New Mexico congressman and owner of an oil services business who, if confirmed, would oversee 245 million acres of BLM land.

But his past comments pushing for the sell-off of public lands has rankled people across the West.

Head of Conservation Voters for Idaho, Alexis Pickering, says public lands are treasured in the Mountain West.

"The idea of selling lands, of not staffing the BLM, to leave it vulnerable to wildfires is something that is deeply politically unpopular, especially in places like Idaho."

There are nearly 12 million acres of BLM land in Idaho, more than a fifth of the state's land area.

When confronted with his record on public lands, Pierce offered contradictory statements but noted that selling these lands is currently illegal.

I'm Eric Tagedoff reporting.

We head next to Indiana where college students brought research projects directly to the statehouse focusing on regional research that impacts communities across the state.

56 students from Indiana University regional campuses presented more than 40 research and creative projects during an event called Regionals at the Rotunda.

University leaders say the work supports workforce preparation and economic development.

Jerica Miles, an online student based at IU East, studied whether small pollinator gardens improve insect biodiversity and ecological health in rural Indiana.

My research examines whether or not small-scale pollinator gardens make a difference on insect biodiversity and whether or not these small community-based projects can work to help ecological health.

Lawmakers set higher education funding last year in the state's two-year budget.

University leaders will continue to make their case at the Statehouse today as the legislative session wraps up.

Finally, as rental costs continue to rise across Tennessee, some Nashville residents say the use of third-party building companies is adding to housing affordability challenges and creating confusion over charges and payments.

Nashville's average rent is over $1,650 per month as of February 2026, slightly higher than the national average.

Janelle Burns, a Nashville resident, says her base rent started at $1,300 but after additional fees billed through the third-party company, Conservice, her monthly housing costs are now over $1,600.

I don't qualify for a three-bedroom.

And the three-bedroom, I think it's 15-something.

It's cheaper than a 1610.

But I'm paying more for my two-bedroom than a three-bedroom would be.

According to the National Consumer Law Center, many landlords add harmful junk fees that people must pay to secure and maintain housing.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

Member and listener supported.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.