Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Democrats say they've reached agreement to avert shutdown; ME nurses hold vigil for MN colleague, call on Congress to defund ICE; FTC orders GM, OnStar to stop sharing VA driver data; Caring 'grandmas' help Illinois girls navigate middle school; WA hydroelectric project approved on sacred site sparks outcry.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Newscast, January 30, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Senate Democrats said Thursday they struck an agreement to move forward with a package of bills to avert a partial government shutdown.

That from ABC News.

They report the agreement would see the Department of Homeland Security funding bill separated from a package of five other bills.

DHS will be funded for two additional weeks to allow lawmakers to negotiate on other provisions in the package.

And nurses from across Maine will hold a public vigil tonight in Portland to honor those harmed by federal immigration authorities.

Healthcare workers nationwide say they're outraged by the escalating violence that led to the killing of Minnesota VA nurse Alex Preddy and the continued presence of ICE agents in and around their hospitals.

Jody Friedman with the Maine State Nurses Association believes ICE has become a threat to public health.

We're upset about every single person that's detained.

We're upset about innocent people being killed.

We feel like we have to show solidarity with fellow nurses.

The vigil begins at 6 p.m. at the Western Promenade in Portland.

The event follows a nationwide week of action by nurses demanding Congress reject funding for ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies.

I'm Catherine Carley.

Next, insurance companies typically raise their rates due to increased claims or risk, but what if they could raise them based on information from your car?

That's what the FTC says happened to drivers of GM vehicles with the OnStar smart device feature.

Lena Cohen with the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation says some drivers had no idea they'd enrolled in this feature because car sales people signed them up without telling them to get an enrollment bonus.

Even drivers who did realize they'd signed up for these OnStar features, didn't realize the extent of the data they were sharing and what that data was being used for.

GM says it has shut down the SmartDriver program, unenrolled all users, and cut ties with data brokers LexisNexis and Verisk.

Under the FTC order, GM and OnStar are barred for five years from sharing certain data with consumer reporting agencies.

For the next 20 years, the company must get clear consent before collecting or sharing vehicle data, give drivers access to their information and allow them to opt out or delete.

I'm Zamone Perez.

A school-based support group is tapping into the warmth and wisdom of grandparents to help provide social and emotional support for girls in middle school.

The Grandmother Project is run by the nonprofit, the Juvenile Protective Association.

Carol Ann Bean is one of the grandmas who volunteers.

I think it's a wonderful experience.

It's kind of interesting how close you start to feel to the girls and what are with them over time. have seen them in their ups and in their downs.

The program operates in five Chicago public schools with plans to expand.

This is Public News Service.

As a potential government shutdown approaches, mounting anger over federal immigration enforcement led to rallies across Pennsylvania this week, with residents calling on Democratic Senator John Fetterman to vote against additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

In Wilkes-Barre, a crowd of over 80 constituents gathered outside his office, voicing their concerns and sharing stories of families impacted by ICE operations.

Alex Walker-Serrano with Pennsylvania Stands Up says the group planned to deliver a letter signed by more than 120 community and labor groups, but Fetterman's local office was closed so it was placed in a mailbox.

He adds that Pennsylvanians are standing with Minnesotans, calling for accountability, saying everyone deserves due process as local families face detention and deportation. $45 billion were allocated to ICE care.

So we want Fetterman to take a stand and say, "ICE already has enough money.

They don't need any more."

Danielle Smith reporting.

And since the Nutrition Education Program, known as SNAP-Ed, ended as part of federal budget cuts, food banks across Ohio are adjusting. are having hands-on cooking and nutrition classes, especially for older people on fixed incomes.

At Second Harvest Food Bank of Champaign, Clark and Logan Counties, the staff has expanded their cooking classes to local senior centers, focusing on meals built around foods seniors receive through assistance programs.

Natasha Reidenauer with the food bank says the classes grew out of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, or CSFP, which provides monthly boxes of shelf-stable foods to eligible seniors.

We can teach you how to make simple, easy, less costly meals and we based it off of our CSFP commodity box.

Reidenauer says the classes are held in person using a mobile kitchenette.

Participants cook at least two recipes during each session.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

Finally, Washington State tribes and environmental groups are speaking out against a proposed hydroelectric project near the Columbia River.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has permitted the Golden Dale Pump Storage Hydroelectric Project proposed by Rye Development.

Simone Anter with Columbia Riverkeeper believes FERC has shown a disregard for tribal sovereignty and rights throughout the permitting process.

It's not green energy if it's destroying tribal cultural resources.

The burden of green energy development really needs to be spread and not just placed on tribal nations who've already borne the majority of burdens for other energy development across this nation.

In a statement, the Yakima Nation and other local tribes claim the license was granted without adequate consultation and based on an incomplete environmental review.

I'm Isabel Charlay.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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