Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Under threat of a potential chemical explosion, 50,000 people in SoCal have been ordered to evacuate; The Trump administration says U.S. and Iran agree in Principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; A new guide tells North Carolinians which waterways are safe for swimming; Tenant town halls across Virginia inform renters of new housing laws.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for Memorial Day, May 25, 2026.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Authorities prays for the possibility that a damaged chemical tank in Southern California could leak or explode as an evacuation order continued into Memorial Day weekend for 50,000 residents with no timeline on when they can return.

Local source KSL.com reports firefighters have been spraying the outside of the tank with water hoses in an effort to cool the chemicals heating up inside and prevent an explosion.

Orange County Fire Authority officials said the pressurized tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors at a company site in Garden Grove, about 40 miles south of downtown L.A.

And a senior U.S. administration official says the U.S. and Iran have agreed in principle to a deal that would wind down the war in the Middle East by reopening the Strait of Hormuz and by committing Iran to dispose of highly enriched uranium.

The New York Times knows neither Iran's leaders or official state media have publicly commented on what is in any potential agreement or what is being discussed.

Meantime, as folks in North Carolina prepare for the summer months and long weekends, clean water advocates are testing waterways to ensure the public knows which are safe to swim in.

The Swim Guide, an online resource from Swim Drink Fish Canada, offers real-time information on the status of more than 400 swimming holes across North Carolina.

Water sites are tested weekly during the peak swimming season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend.

Nicole Eastman with Yadkin Riverkeeper says swimming conditions change often, and factors like rainfall can lead to agricultural runoff entering waterways.

That allows us to go investigate the source of pollution and then share that data with regulatory agencies.

It might fluctuate week to week.

That's pretty common.

It's really dependent on the local land use around the site, but then also if there's been a rain event.

Yacken Riverkeeper tests 26 locations weekly for E. coli bacteria to ensure water quality for swimmers.

I'm Simone Perez.

The group of many other organizations that participate in the Swim Guide program use a standard of 235 bacteria-forming colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

To find your nearest swimming-safe water source, go to theswimguide.org.

And 10 Earth Rights groups are hosting a slew of town halls across Virginia in the coming weeks to educate renters about new protections going into effect.

The Virginia Poverty Law Center will hold seven gatherings across the Commonwealth to talk with renters about new laws that will go into effect later this summer.

Christy Mara is Director of Housing Advocacy for the Law Center.

We want to make sure we're making every effort to teach residential tenants and people working with them about the new laws that go into effect July 1st of each year so that they can use them to their benefit.

The town halls also serve as a way for residents to discuss other issues that may need attention when the General Assembly meets again at the start of next year.

This is Public News Service.

Columbia County has agreed to change their policies after they were found to be out of compliance with Oregon's sanctuary laws, which prohibit local law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration cases.

The Oregon Law Center filed a lawsuit against the jail after finding that people were being held purely for immigration offenses.

Alexis Ferguson with the Columbia County Coalition for Human Dignity says the county agreed to settle the case by changing their policies.

It's really sending a message that if you have policies or procedures that are not in compliance with the Sanctuary Act, you're in violation of Oregon law.

And it's very important that you review your intake forms, you review your policies to make sure that you are, in fact, following the law.

Ferguson says Columbia County will no longer ask people where they were born during jail intake or ask them to check a box labeled illegal on booking forms.

The county also agreed to stop holding people for U.S. marshals solely for immigration offenses.

I'm Isabel Charlay.

And for many Ohio families, managing life with diabetes can be challenging, especially when there are barriers to accessing affordable, healthy food.

Our Nadia Ramlagan lets us know Dining with Diabetes.

An Ohio State University Extension Program offers hands-on education designed to help people turn medical advice into everyday habits.

Ohio State University Family and Consumer Sciences educator Emily Marison says many participants in Coshocton County lacked proper resources after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

They were left on their own to really figure out what it meant to have diabetes and to live well with diabetes and manage that well.

Around 300 Ohioans participate in dining with diabetes each year, including those who are newly diagnosed or pre-diabetic. along with caregivers and family members who support someone with diabetes.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, in 2024, more than 1.2 million Ohio adults were living with diabetes.

Finally, lawmakers in Missouri have approved a provision in a broader health care bill that would let people with private insurance to receive a 12-month supply of contraception at one time.

Supporters say the change would reduce gaps in use and make birth control easier to obtain.

Phyllis Langsdorff, president of the St. Louis section of the National Council of Jewish Women, says it's a major step for Missouri family planning.

It now expands the access to contraception, which is a critical step toward ensuring that everyone has the freedom to decide when, if, and how to grow their family without unnecessary barriers.

Missouri Medicaid already covers an annual supply of contraception.

The measure would extend the standard to many privately insured patients.

The provision is part of House Bill 2596 and was sent to the governor.

All the best on Memorial Day.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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