Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Presidential powers and corporate abuses predicted after SCOTUS move; New Mexico awaits SCOTUS decision on transgender sports participation; the high court also rules mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day can be counted; Missouri farm leader says the 'Agriculture system is failing.’

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service, Daily Newscast, July 30th, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

It was a busy day for the Supreme Court Monday.

Presidential powers now expanded following a Supreme Court opinion dealing with the firing of people who oversee independent federal agencies.

Environmental voices warn about the implications for states like North Dakota.

The court's conservative majority says President Donald Trump had the authority to fire a former Federal Trade Commission member without cause.

Legal observers say that nullifies long-standing precedent involving the role of Congress.

The League of Conservation Voters Doug Lindner worries about losing checks and balances and shifting more power to corporations.

So many agencies across the government are created by Congress for the purpose of reining in big business and ensuring that it's accountable to the law.

Lindner predicts political pressure within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, he says for North Dakota and its large presence of fossil fuel infrastructure, polluters could be held less accountable.

Chief Justice John Roberts contends the president must have the assistance of officers he can trust.

I'm Mike Moen.

In addition to environmental harms, opponents of the decision warn it could lead to fewer consumer protections and more dangerous workplaces.

And the U.S. Supreme Court has promised rulings today in two cases that could determine whether transgender athletes can compete in girls' and women's school sports.

The cases originated in Idaho and West Virginia, two of more than 25 states to pass bans that require sports participation be based on an athlete's biological sex at birth.

New Mexico is not one of them.

Leila Garcia with the advocacy group Equality New Mexico says voters generally support progressive issues and welcome the LGBTQ community.

In New Mexico, rarely, rarely does an anti-trans piece of legislation go anywhere, but this would be a huge blow for states that are already experiencing hostile laws towards trans folks.

I'm Roz Brown.

The West Virginia case claims that allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports violates Title IX, the federal law designed to ensure equal athletic opportunities for women.

Legal experts have said the Supreme Court is likely to allow but not force bans against transgender sports participation.

Also Monday, the Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law that allows officials to tally mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrived later.

The Washington Post notes in the 5-4 ruling that justices turned aside a challenge by Republicans and Libertarians who argued that federal law preempts a Mississippi statute that allows the counting of such ballots that arrive up to five days after the polls close.

The decision keeps voting procedures in place in several states as the midterm elections approach.

This is Public News Service.

Missouri farm groups are reacting to the Senate Agriculture Committee's newly released Farm Bill draft, While the proposal includes changes from the House version, some ag organizations argue it still falls short.

Joe Maxwell, president of Firm Action Fund, says his organization sees the proposal as more of the same, pointing to repeated federal bailout packages for farmers that he says haven't solved the industry's underlying problems.

This system is failing.

Agriculture system is failing. 63 farmers a day are going out of business and families can't afford the food at the grocery stores.

And this bill does nothing to change the structure of that.

But Maxwell says the Senate draft also gets some things right, including moving the process forward and preserving some state-level agricultural protections.

Lawmakers are expected to consider amendments after the July 4th recess.

Crystal Blair reporting.

And Maryland lawmakers passed a number of bills aimed at supporting primary caregivers this session.

Advocates argue the laws will increase support for people taking on this role, particularly those who are unpaid.

House Bill 1434 orders the Maryland Department of Health to create and maintain a centralized webpage to provide resources for caregivers with children with disabilities, aging adults, and individuals with behavioral health needs.

According to AARP Maryland, nearly 1.2 million Marylanders are family caregivers.

Sarah caregivers to find the best resources for them.

Sometimes there's such a plethora of information in so many places, it can be hard to navigate.

And so the aim with this bill is really to streamline and have a starting place for family caregivers to go.

Estimates by AARP put the total value of that labor at $12.5 billion.

I'm Zamone Perez.

Finally, wind energy is a powerhouse in Minnesota, generating a massive proportion of the state's electricity.

As of 2023, wind powered about 25% of the state's total electricity generation.

A significant percentage of that power comes from wind generation on Minnesota farms, which use available land to place wind turbines.

Farmers like Bill Gillen, a six-year participant in the Freeborn Wind Project in southeastern Minnesota and northern Iowa, says wind power is a welcome addition to many Minnesota farms.

It allows us farmers to continue to farm the land as well as generate the revenue off of the wind project itself.

So that's what makes it very compatible.

According to the Clean Grid Alliance, Minnesota ranked seventh among the 50 states with more than 3,800 megawatts of wind energy.

Gillen didn't say how much income he makes from leasing part of his acreage, but he says it helped him buy two new tractors, a combine and a corn planter.

I'm Mark Richardson.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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