Six minutes of news from around the nation.

A father gets a 15-year prison sentence for giving his son an Arkansas-15 that was used in a Georgia school shooting; Colorado and Congress consider taxing the rich for basic needs; Oregon ranked among the best states to see nature's fireworks; Wisconsin farmers push rural priorities ahead of primaries.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service, Delany Newscast, July 31, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A dad who gave his 14-year-old son an AR-15 assault rifle that the teenager then used to unleash a mass shooting at a Georgia high school was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.

NBC News notes a jury in March convicted Colin Gray on multiple charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter over the Christmas gift his son used in the September 4, 2024 shooting at Appalachee High School.

The shooting killed two teachers and two 14-year-old students.

Nine other people were injured.

Meantime, as folks in Colorado and families across the U.S. struggle to pay for food, rent, and health care, efforts to raise taxes on the richest Americans are gaining momentum.

A new bill introduced in Congress targets the nation's 938 billionaires.

Instead of taxing reported income, which often obscures their net worth, the measure would tap 5% of their total wealth, including stocks and real estate.

Colorado Center on Law and Policy CEO Lydia McCoy says the nation's tax code has always been evolving.

As the way that people make wealth is changing, the way we tax wealth has to change.

As we see greater disparities in income generation, as we see increases in the cost of basic necessities, we have to make adjustments to make it more fair for the average American.

Supporters say the Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act would raise enough money to pay every public school teacher at least $60,000 a year, cap child care at 7% of a family's income, and restore $1 trillion stripped from health care under the GOP's signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

For decades, lawmakers have worked to lower taxes, particularly for higher earners, arguing that if people kept more of their own money, it would boost the economy.

I'm Eric Galatis.

And a new study from the Action Network ranks Oregon among the top 10 states to catch one of nature's most awe-inspiring sights, meteor showers.

The state boasts large areas without city lights, especially in the east, as well as plenty of clear days to make for optimal viewing.

Robert Lunsford with the American Meteor Society says most meteors are the size of a pea and they're not very bright.

But he adds sometimes meteors can be the size of a tennis ball known as a fireball, which will make for a brighter display.

Every now and then you get one even larger size of a volleyball or a basketball, And those will be brighter than the full moon.

And they quite often leave persistent trains in the sky that look like smoke trails that last a minute or two.

The yearly Perseid meteor shower is active until August 24th and will peak overnight on August 12th with up to 100 meteors per hour.

The moon will also be new that night, making for a darker sky.

Lunsford encourages people to get away from city lights to catch the best view.

I'm Isobel Charle.

This is Public News Service. as wisconsinites prepare for the high stakes august primary sustainable farmers are highlighting urgent rural and agricultural issues they say federal policies have contributed to an economic downturn but eastroy farmer jim studi believes state programs can help strengthen farms he supports increased investment in conservation efforts such as producer-led watershed groups which he says can multiply the impact of state funding.

Studi notes the state program supporting these groups incentivizes practices that benefit farms, natural resources, and the local economy.

This program is wildly successful and we have a lot of groups and the funding level has remained constant.

So we have more groups chasing the same amount of money and the result is less money to each group.

So we really need to see an increase in funding.

Studi says farmers are under pressure to conserve farmland while maintaining productivity to meet demand.

And as growers are currently facing a drought, he says it's never been more important to ensure soil can withstand the assault from severe weather.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Next to Nebraska, where students will soon return to the classroom and doctors say a healthy start can make a difference in how they learn and perform.

Nebraska state law requires physical exams for children entering kindergarten and seventh grade, along with students transferring from another state.

Dr. Rachel Johnson, a pediatrician with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, reminds parents that medical checkups can address other concerns too.

Any learning concerns that a family might have for a kiddo, I think sometimes people forget that we as pediatricians and family doctors can often help families navigate some of those challenges because I think at the end of the day we want kids to succeed in school.

Johnson says doctors can also help families identify nutrition, sleep, or developmental concerns that could make it harder for a child to thrive in school.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Finally, families across South Carolina can still make the most of summer camping trips, fishing days, and backyard evenings.

While public health officials say they should take a few simple steps before heading outside.

Experts warn that bites from ticks in South Carolina can carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or other serious infections.

Dr. Amy Shai, a public health physician at the South Carolina Department of Public Health, says ticks are a major concern because the state's warm winters can keep them alive all year.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases in South Carolina, it's actually year-round.

And that's due to our mild winters, as well as we have different types of ticks, and they have overlapping life cycles.

So we see the most tick activity April through September.

The A says mosquito bites are also dangerous and can cause a variety of serious illnesses.

I'm Mark Richardson.

This is Mike Clifford, and thank you for wrapping up the week with Public News Service.

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