Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Senators reach deal that could end longest government shutdown in US history; MT nonprofit gets creative with food distribution; A year away from midterms, election tone still speaks loudly; ME Dems aim to strengthen medical debt law despite Trump threats; National task force releases guidelines for AI in criminal justice.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for November the 10th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Senators struck an agreement on Sunday projecting confidence it will be sufficient to end the lengthy U.S. government shutdown.

That from NBC News.

They report the agreement was reached by eight Democrats who teamed up with Republicans.

NBC notes the measure will still need to pass the House and earn President Trump's signature to become law and reopen the government.

Meantime, with the elapsed SNAP benefits shining a spotlight on food insecurity, a Montana nonprofit group is getting creative with getting food to people who need it.

Bozeman-based Hope a Mountain invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders to help strengthen their communities.

Executive Director Bonnie Saccitello-Sawyer says the number of people visiting food pantries has grown since COVID, so they've been raising funds to support them.

We have definitely ramped it up in the last couple of weeks and we are looking to continue to build partnerships with food pantries, farmers and ranchers and families that are in a position to buy food and help get it to their local food pantry.

Satchitello-Sawyer says she's seen thousands of Montanans step up to meet the need, from pop-up food pantries at coffee shops to community groups filling backpacks so kids have fresh, nutritious food on weekends.

Hopa Mountain is issuing emergency grants to food pantries in rural communities and small grants to Montana farmers and ranchers with locally grown food to sell.

I'm Laura Hatch reporting.

And after voters in some states took part in local elections last week, the political world now looks ahead to the 2026 midterms.

The nation finds itself in a familiar situation with misinformation about election integrity still out there and North Dakotans have a chance to foster healthy civic engagement.

The Brennan Center for Justice recently issued an expert brief highlighting concerns it has about the Trump administration taking steps to undermine next year's vote.

It aligns with continued false claims from President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was stolen.

Barbara Hedrick of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota says that messaging can have staying power when it comes from the top.

And when that gets reinforced by elected officials, including people around the president himself, whoever the president might be, then that's going to get people to doubt their election system.

Hedrick says the public needs to remember that elections in the U.S. are carried out effectively, especially when you consider the size of the country.

And her group, which is nonpartisan, wants North Dakotans to embrace the idea that when someone near you votes for a different party, they're not an enemy of the nation.

And if you have policy or voting concerns, she recommends calling your representative or election office to talk it out.

Hedrick says these healthy habits can be formed well before you make plans to vote next year.

I'm Mike Moen.

This is Public News Service.

We head next to Maine where lawmakers say they'll introduce legislation to strengthen the state's landmark medical debt law as tens of thousands of residents could soon lose their health insurance.

The law prevents consumer credit agencies from including medical debt on their reports but does not prevent debt collectors from getting a lien placed on a person's home or by garnishing their wages.

Democratic state senator Donna Bailey says no one should have to live with that kind of fear.

People don't choose to get cancer.

People don't choose to get a heart attack.

It's not really a good gauge of someone's creditworthiness.

Consumer advocates say medical bills are often inaccurate and are not predictive of a person's ability to pay their debt on time.

Opponents state laws will lead to more costly lawsuits or disincentivize people from paying their health care providers.

I'm Katherine Carley.

And as artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, a national task force is urging caution and careful implementation for its use in courts, policing, and corrections.

The Council on Criminal Justice Task Force warns that while AI can make the system faster and more efficient, it also carries significant dangers.

Nathan Heck is a court who serves on the task force.

He says the technology is here to stay, so the focus must be on using it safely.

"We think the answer is to come together to develop ways of using AI that are very efficient and helpful to the system without having the dangers that we all know exist."

Heck notes the task force includes people with deep experience in criminal justice, newly released principles call for rigorous evaluation and human oversight of any AI tools deployed in the justice system.

Even as some experts in the Center for Justice Innovation advocate for outright bans on its use in high-stakes decisions such as sentencing or parole.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Finally, an Ashland County Youth Treatment Center is under renewed scrutiny after a series of violent outbreaks.

The Marshall Project's investigative report found repeated brawls and emergency calls at the 110-bed facility, despite new leadership promising reform.

Reporter Brittany Haler, the author of the report, says the problem extends beyond the campus walls.

These facilities are an ecosystem.

When that chaos erupts, it's bleeding out to the staff, it's bleeding out to first responders, and it's bleeding out to community members.

And it's a was produced with original reporting from Brittany Hayler for the Marshall Project in association with media in the public interest and funded in part by the George Gunn Foundation.

This is Mike Clifford.

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