Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Advocates for those with disabilities in Idaho and nationwide are alarmed by proposed Medicaid cuts, programs that provide virtual crisis care are making inroads in rural South Dakota and Wyoming and the mighty bison returns to Texas.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Joe Newscast, March 5, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to wage war in Iran has failed in the U.S. Senate as the strikes continue.

The War Powers Measure was rejected in a 53-47 vote that was largely along party lines. would have halted US military action in Iran without congressional approval.

The BBC notes Democrats argue that Trump has sidelined the Congress and offered shifting reasons for the war.

Most Republicans blocked the resolution, but some said they could change course if the war expands in coming weeks.

Next to Texas, where Republicans will return to the polls in May to select their candidate to run for the US Senate.

Incumbent Senator John Cornyn didn't receive enough votes in Tuesday's primary to beat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jilson says Cornyn represents the old school Republican Party.

The Bush wing has faded and the Magdalene of the party is in the saddle.

So the question is whether Cornyn can survive this because Paxton is seen as more of a knife fighter who will toe the Republican line and follow Donald Trump and the MAGA base of the party.

President Donald Trump hasn't endorsed either candidate.

The runoff election is slated for May 26th.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

And the sunshine state of Florida sits on the front lines of the climate crisis facing rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion into drinking water and worsening drought conditions.

At next week's eighth annual Climate Correction Conference, Meenakshi Chaba, an ecosystem scientist with the Everglades Foundation, will make the case that restoring the Everglades is not just an environmental project, but a climate resilience strategy with measurable economic and human impact.

I often call Everglades restoration a resilience multiplier as we are continuing to document and recognizing surprising dividends that emerge from this mega engineering project, but one that works with nature.

Chaba says Everglades restoration helped South Florida become more resilient to climate change.

According to a 2025 Everglades Foundation report, the Everglades ecosystem generates over $30 billion annually and benefits largely from the economic value of real estate, tourism and flood mitigation.

The two day conference kicks off on March 10th in Orlando.

I'm Trammell Gomes.

Only 2 percent of global philanthropy goes to environmental causes even though pollution drives everything from childhood asthma to climate disasters.

This is Public News Service.

Environmental groups in Illinois have been pushing to hold one of the state's last coal-fired power plants accountable for what they say are illegal pollution levels.

The Prairie State Coal Plant in Southwest Illinois has been operating without a federally required Clean Air Act permit for more than a decade.

Christine Nanachelli with Sierra Club Illinois calls it one of the deadliest coal plants in the country, reportedly contributing to millions in health costs for residents.

She says after years of advocacy and legal action, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has finally drafted a new operating permit that includes setting air pollution limits for the facility.

This is a really important time for residents across the state to speak up and to make sure that a strong permit is finalized and to demand really strong air quality protections behind one of the largest sources of air pollution.

The state EPA has set a deadline of March 9th for public written comments.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And in New York, disability rights advocates want state lawmakers to help disabled people with employment.

It comes after a state comptroller report pointed out glaring disparities for workers with disabilities despite progress to make workplaces more accessible.

State lawmakers now have a number of bills before them to consider, including one that would increase certified rehabilitation counselors.

Dr. Sharon McLennan-Weir with the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York says these can be monumentally helpful.

These are the mental health providers that work specifically with people with disabilities and trying to deal with occupational barriers and also dealing with biopsychosocial adjustments disability that would impede them if they can work.

She adds they can help people with disabilities review career options. 25 percent of New Yorkers with disabilities lived below the poverty line in 2024.

I'm Edwin J. Viera.

And finally, about 20,000 foreign born truckers in California are at risk of losing their commercial driver's licenses as early as tomorrow, unless the state grants a reprieve.

This week, a federal court ordered the state to fix a problem that affects people whose legal papers expire before their driver's license renewal date.

Amarjeet Singh is a commercial truck driver who runs a grassroots group for drivers of Sikh descent in California called Freedom Drivers.

He's also affiliated with the civil rights group United Sikhs.

He says even a temporary pause on his license threatens his livelihood.

I have a wife and two kids.

That means I don't have an income. mean I can need to sell my truck or do the bankruptcy.

It's been five years.

I worked hard for that, invested money in my business.

Many drivers got a letter last fall saying their license would be revoked on March 6th.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles hasn't announced a workaround and didn't respond to a request for comment.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

This is Mike Clifford from Public News Service

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