Public News Service

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Future of IRS uncertain as Trump chooses agency critic as commissioner

  Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   The Internal Revenue Service will be in the crosshairs in the second Trump administration. That’s because the president-elect’s choice to run the agency has called for it to be abolished. Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long, Trump’s recently announced pick for IRS Commissioner, cosponsored a bill to get […]
Thursday, December 19, 2024

“Hope for the Holidays” campaign welcomes refugee families

Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   This holiday season, a nonprofit campaign is asking Americans to write holiday cards to welcome newly arrived refugee families. The 10th annual “Hope for the Holidays” campaign is spearheaded by Global Refuge, a charity founded in 1939, previously named Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, […]
Friday, December 13, 2024

The hard life of migrant workers who provide labor for Christmas tree growers

  Trimmel Gomes, producer/reporter, Virginia News Connection, a bureau of Public News Service.   The joy of decorating a real Christmas tree is a time-honored tradition for many people across the country. But the story behind the real trees is often overlooked. A closer look reveals a labor-intensive industry supported by migrant workers who face difficult conditions to provide a […]
Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Pro-choice wins in November election signals major support for reproductive rights

. Eric Tegethoff, producer/reporter, Northern Rockies News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Voters across the country approved a majority of measures in November to affirm abortion rights. Therefore,  supporters of an initiative to legalize abortion in Idaho say they are feeling momentum. Voters approved seven of 10 state abortion-rights measures, including in Montana. A Florida measure received a […]
Saturday, November 30, 2024

CA health experts speak out against Trump nominee RFK Jr.

  Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Groups fighting to improve access to health care are asking the U.S. Senate to reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer who ran for president, then threw his support to Donald Trump in August. Objections to […]
Monday, November 25, 2024

CA community colleges lose millions to financial aid fraud

Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   Glitches last winter with federal student aid forms, known as the FAFSA, led the feds to temporarily relax document verification standards – creating fertile ground for bad actors seeking to defraud California colleges. State data first reported by EdSource show that fraudsters have stolen more than $7.5 million […]
Monday, November 18, 2024

New CA rebate program aims to cut home energy costs

  Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   A new rebate program could save California families up to $8,000 on an electric heat pump for home heating and cooling. The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program is funded by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Deana Carrillo, director of the Reliability, Renewable Energy and Decarbonization Incentives […]
Saturday, November 16, 2024

New coalition to reaffirm California values holding meetings this weekend

  Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   This weekend, a new coalition called “We Are California” is holding meetings up and down the state, preparing to resist what it sees as anticipated attacks from the incoming Trump administration. Hundreds of nonprofits have joined the coalition, which promotes inclusion, community, and democratic norms. Angelica […]
Friday, November 15, 2024

CA undocumented student groups worry about incoming Trump administration

  Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.   As President-elect Donald Trump announces immigration hard-liners as his deputy chief of staff and border czar this week, groups supporting undocumented college students in California are vowing to stand up for people’s rights. Golden State colleges serve 83,000 undocumented students, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. […]