Public News Service

SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in five states Jan. 1; UT student loan borrowers in default could face collections; EPA delays tougher coal wastewater standards in Michigan, nation; Not much New Year's cheer for MT health insurance costs.

HHS says it's freezing child care payments to Minnesota after fraud allegations; Ohio civic group encourages engagement as New Year's resolution; AARP CT gets head start on 2026 legislative priorities; Study: 15% of pregnancies linked to cardiovascular complications.

Winter storm could become "bomb cyclone" over Great Lakes and Northeast; What Indiana shows the nation about Trump-era voting; New report offers roadmap for Michigan's Great Lakes in 2026; FL employers assist families with adoption policies, funding.

CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast; Report: Organic farming most reliable path to profitability; Ohio researchers address hidden concussion risks among police; Pennsylvanians to vote for the state's 2026 River of the Year.

Expert says it will take several election cycles to know what lies ahead for American politics; the federal government gets aggressive on student loans in default; President Trump says a Russia-Ukraine peace plan is almost done; 2025 saw a great deal of news but one group is highlighting stories that slipped through the cracks; Medicaid coverage could be lose as Missouri lawmakers gear up for another possible government shutdown and Ohio sees surge in immigration enforcement.

WV community protests closure of homeless encampment; a new report calls for greater investment in MA's public colleges and universities; video games are being used to teach Indigenous language; Trump Administration forces last WA coal-fired power plant to remain open; NM residents encouraged to comment on clean water rule change; and GA advocates work to end the death penalty nationwide.

Another storm slams California on Christmas Day with flooding rain, high winds and mountain snow; Ohio wastewater data signals early flu surge; NM's LGBTQ+ community champions expanded data privacy laws; NYC immigration judges fired in justice system purge; MI researchers create lab-grown human hearts for breakthrough study.

Nigeria averts unilateral US action by cooperating on airstrikes; More rain heading for southern California, Heightening flood risk; IL pushes clean energy forward; rural town reflects on community gains; CA Working Group fights for more oversight of AI; NYS advocates seek to improve clemency process, rates.

Flash flood, thunderstorm alerts in effect for California with heavy rain expected to last days; Reuters Exclusive: US Coast Guard lacks forces to seize Venezuela-linked tanker for now, sources say; MN state workers applaud push to restore federal bargaining rights; Plymouth PTA works to ease students' holiday hunger gap.

Supreme Court refuses to allow National Guard deployment in Chicago; Immigration advocates press for limits on ICE in hospitals; Medicare drug talks bring major savings for Ohio seniors; Indiana Guard member fears missing child's birth.