Politics and views in the United States.

Rural officials push Congress to change FEMA, as a hurricane nears Cuba. Blue states sue the USDA over SNAP, vaccine exemption laws spread, an OH foster-care program delivers a 4-to-1 return, Israel renews Gaza strikes and a KY center aids migrant families.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

We went through this disaster and luckily some of the vendors that we utilized didn't ask for funds up front.

We only have a budget of about $8 million.

The FEMA Act will definitely be beneficial to rural areas.

Telfair County Commissioner Dakia Bradshaw says rural Georgia is still recovering from last year's Hurricane Helene and warns that Congress should act as another devastating storm plows through the Caribbean.

Bradshaw is one of a group of local officials lobbying for the bipartisan FEMA Act now in the House.

It would replace the agency's slow reimbursement system with direct grants, giving small counties faster access to aid.

Democratic states are suing the USDA to force the release of $5.5 billion in emergency food aid as the government shutdown stops SNAP benefits for more than $40 million.

They're arguing the White House is unlawfully withholding the money.

An increasing number of state lawmakers are challenging what had been standard public health guidance on vaccines.

ProPublica reporter Audrey Dutton says the recently passed Idaho Medical Freedom Act makes it illegal for schools, businesses or even local governments to require vaccines.

She says it's being promoted as a national model.

The Health Freedom Defense Fund created a toolkit for activists in other states to talk with their legislators.

It's got talking points to get this law out into other states.

The law has drawn praise from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who calls Idaho the home of medical freedom.

President Donald Trump says he's prepared to send, quote, "more than the National Guard" to cities to crack down on crime and migrants.

Meanwhile, a federal judge is criticizing immigration officials for their use of force and tear gas in Chicago.

Kentucky community groups are providing migrant services stopped by the federal government.

Jim Bennett with the Centro de San Juan Diego in Lexington says their volunteers give medical care, counseling, food and English classes to thousands of immigrant and refugee families a year.

It's everything from stress, depression, suicidal thoughts, domestic violence and abuse, sexual abuse, marital problems.

In Ohio, a new model for child welfare is showing results.

Melanie Allen of Sandusky County Job and Family Services says their specialized foster homes for kids with complex needs help children stay near home rather than sending them to distant institutions.

By licensing our own treatment foster homes, we were able to keep kids closer to home, avoid separating siblings, reduce caseworker travel and reunify children with their parents more quickly.

Yes, we saved money, but even more importantly, we avoided additional trauma for these kids and the long-term negative consequences of that trauma.

An Ohio University study finds the program delivers $4 in returns for every dollar invested.

I'm Farah Siddiqui for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.