Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Over two dozen charged in a federal sweep of alleged noncitizen voters, ICE raids could cost Maine billions in lost economic output, and the Social Security increase raises questions about affordability.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for October 20th, 2026.

I'm Mary Sherman.

Federal charges were announced against 28 people in California accused of illegally registering to vote and in some cases casting a ballot as part of a sweep of non-citizen voters.

Last week, the DOJ warned state election officials that processing and tabulating ballots submitted by suspected non-citizen voters could expose them to criminal investigation and possible prosecution.

Federal immigration enforcement surged in Maine this year, and a new report shows the removal of immigrant workers could cost the state up to $3 billion in annual economic output.

The report highlights the contributions of more than 30,000 foreign-born workers in the state, particularly in the manufacturing, construction, agricultural and healthcare industries.

Julia Trujillo Luengo, director of Maine's Office of New Americans, says the arrest of even one employee can have a chilling effect on a workplace, keeping other workers home or dissuading new applicants.

We're gravely concerned as a state, if this continues, it's going to have devastating consequences, irreparable consequences for our state as a whole.

Close to 500 people in Maine were arrested by federal immigration agents through early August.

According to the Deportation Data Project, 98 percent had no criminal conviction.

I'm Katherine Carley.

The Social Security cost of living increase is renewing concerns about whether older Americans can keep up with the rising cost of everyday essentials.

Seniors will see a 3.6 percent increase in Social Security benefits beginning in January, which averages to an extra $75 per month.

With health care, groceries and utility bills putting pressure on household budgets, Josh Askvig, state director at AARP North Dakota, says it'll provide some needed relief.

But he stresses most adults age 50 and older in a recent survey believe it won't be enough.

With most reporting that a COLA of 5 to 8 percent would be closer to what they need to keep up with inflation.

Energy costs are a major culprit of the pressure consumers are feeling.

As Mike Moen reports, coinciding with those cost headaches is a new national poll showing Americans are pessimistic about affording basic needs.

October survey results from the Pew Research Center note that 74 percent of respondents say they're very concerned about gas and energy prices, up from 60 percent in July.

J. Michael Collins, associate director of the Institute for Research on poverty, says it mirrors other recent polls showing that when measuring economic prosperity, Americans generally don't care about how the stock market is doing.

People can't eat their assets.

You know, they need income to be able to pay for groceries.

And the fact that their 401k is rising might be great when they get to retirement age, but people are really worried about the day-to-day.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents also said the cost of food and consumer goods is something they're very worried about.

This is Public News Service.

Discussions about violence against transgender people often focus on individual acts of harm.

But one advocate for the trans community says that misses the bigger picture.

Yasmeen Prosper is founder and executive director of TransUnited, a Florida nonprofit that connects trans people to jobs, housing, and resources.

She says violence shows up in systems, too.

Violence is not just a physical action.

It also is shown up in oppression in the ways that the system is designed to keep trans people, specifically those who are most on the margin of poverty, black trans people, rural trans people, at harm.

At least 36 transgender and gender non-conforming people were killed in the U.S. in 2024, and the majority were black or Latina trans women, according to a report by the Human Rights Campaign.

Prosper says people who can't afford housing or stable work often have to make risky choices to survive.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Colorado advocates are pressing lawmakers and technology companies to do more to stop AI-powered scams aimed at older adults.

The effort is moving beyond public warnings.

The United to Stop Online Scams Coalition says its next phase will focus on state and federal legislation, stronger platform rules, and easier ways for victims to report fraud.

Kate Kleinert is a widow who was scammed by someone who posed as a doctor in Romance Tour Online.

Before it was over, she had lost $39,000.

She says the high-tech industry is to blame.

So many of us scam survivors carry so much shame.

And I'm here to tell you, it is not on you, it is on them.

Meta, Google, and other tech companies have allowed this to happen for years and made billions from it.

A proposed bill in Colorado and other states would give attorneys general oversight and let consumers sue tech platforms. 72 total human cases of bird flu have been reported in the U.S. since February 2024.

And in Arkansas, the USDA reports the virus has been detected in commercial broilers in Clay County.

We get the story from Freda Ross.

Bird flu is most prevalent during the fall and spring, and research from the University of Arkansas could help farmers and ranchers better protect their flocks.

Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics Jada Thompson says biosecurity measures implemented after previous outbreaks should be increased when waterfowl migrate into the region.

There are periods of time where you're going to have an increased risk of disease spread related to these birds migrating.

And so if we can start thinking about setting these signals up and then you know to become hypervigilant, adding in the extra things to try to really reduce introduction on your farm.

She says ranchers should inspect and repair fencing and netting to make sure waterfowl can't access the farm's perimeter and ensure food sources are also properly covered.

I'm Mary Sherman for Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.