Just nine months into her tenure, Michigan state Rep. Mai Xiong, D-Warren, is ringing in the new year with new legislation. Now on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, Xiong's bill allows public employers to increase contributions to workers' health plans.

A former Macomb County commissioner and the first Hmong American woman to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives, Xiong said she's passionate about helping people live better lives.

"With inflation and rising prices at the grocery store and the gas pump, it's just really hard," she said. "The cost of living has gone up - and so, whatever we can do as a government to help Michiganders, that's something that I want to contribute to doing."

Her bill also requires public employers to cover at least 80% of the total annual costs of the medical benefit plans they offer or contribute to, for their employees and elected public officials.

Xiong also has sponsored and supported legislation related to reproductive health data privacy, maternal care expansion and a resolution honoring Hmong soldiers who fought for the United States in the Vietnam War. Speaking on the House Floor in the Michigan Capitol last summer, she shared how her heritage and education have influenced her.

"My parents fought hard to bring me to this country because they knew how important education was," she said. "It is because of the teachers that I am here today - Miss Nolan, Miss Merriman and so many others - who shaped me into being who I am today."

Xiong started Mai&Co., a clothing business inspired by Hmong traditions, in 2017. She ran it from home while raising four young children, and said that experience helped shape her views on supporting small businesses and economic growth.


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As the Appalachian Trail turns 100, conservation groups are sounding alarms over federal funding freezes and staff cuts.

The trail runs through the broader Appalachian region, including parts of southern Ohio and is a popular destination for thousands of Ohio hikers. Conservation groups warned recent layoffs at the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service could slow maintenance and repair work on the 2,200-mile trail.

Hawk Metheny, vice president of trail management for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said Federal funds remain tied up in Congress, leaving local volunteers to carry the weight.

"We're carrying on. We've been here 100 years and we'll endure through this," Metheny emphasized. "It is the people's trail, the citizens' trail, so it's an all-hands effort."

More than 3 million people visit the Appalachian Trail each year. In Ohio, the outdoor recreation economy supports more than 125,000 jobs and brings in $11.8 billion annually, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Metheny noted recent extreme weather, such as flooding from Hurricane Helene, has damaged hundreds of trail miles. Volunteers have stepped in to relocate or reinforce affected areas but long-term stability requires federal support for land conservation and public access.

"It's an important resource for scenic values, recreational values, wildlife habitat, biodiversity protection," Metheny outlined. "The AT provides all those values across the entirety of the Appalachians from Georgia to Maine."

Several Ohio-based groups, including the Buckeye Trail Association, said public lands and trail systems provide vital health and tourism benefits. Events along the Appalachian Trail this summer aim to raise awareness and celebrate a century of stewardship and public access.

The dismantling of the 30-year-old AmeriCorps national service program by the Department of Government Efficiency will have significant effects in New Mexico.

Last year, AmeriCorps recruited more than 4,500 participants in the state to help meet local needs and strengthen communities. Program grants are administered by the Serve New Mexico Commission, working under the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Kristin Hsueh, executive director of the commission, said funding was eliminated for a planning grant and six of 10 operational programs, leaving only four still functioning.

"These program were offering services to the communities, everything from tutoring to after-school programming, mentorship, trail restoration," Hsueh outlined. "It's a significant cut, it's almost about two-thirds of our programs."

New Mexico has joined 24 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit suing over the Trump administration's cuts. The state's Attorney General said the action will hurt students, families and underserved communities. In New Mexico, a fourth of all AmeriCorps workers identify as Hispanic or Latino, the highest percentage in the nation.

Hsueh pointed out at least 84 AmeriCorps members in New Mexico were affected immediately, and 100 who were expected to participate this summer have been notified their positions have been defunded. She noted members and senior volunteers have previously served at more than 300 locations across the state.

"They are gaining a lot of experience," Hsueh observed. "They are serving something that's greater than themselves, which is really what AmeriCorps is all about, dedicating a portion of your life to make sure that you are improving the lives of others."

Initially known as Volunteers in Service to America or VISTA, AmeriCorps was created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and renamed under President Bill Clinton. Nationwide, more than 75,000 people work in service each year, with land trusts, schools, public agencies and community and faith-based groups. Funding made up less than 1% of the federal budget.


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Results of a new survey of nearly 900 small business owners across the country show they are concerned about an uncertain economy, including the owners of small mom and pop operations in Nebraska.

The survey, conducted by Small Business for America's Future, shows that nearly 70% of small business owners think the Trump administration fell short on economic leadership during its first 100 days.

They cited tariffs as a key factor in creating instability.

Gladys Harrison, owner of Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering in Omaha, said the tariffs will affect the cost of the imported seasonings she uses for her family's oven-fried chicken recipe.

"They're telling me," said Harrison, "that they could see a 25% to 145% increase with these tariffs in what they're going to charge me for my seasonings."

The Trump administration has said it is imposing tariffs in an effort to create more U.S.-based jobs and improve the domestic economy.

Harrison said she is thinking of ways to avoid closing her doors or passing the price increases on to her loyal customers, many of whom have been eating Big Mama's fried chicken for generations.

"And we don't want to have our food so expensive," said Harrison, "that the people who live and work in our community can't come and spend their money with us."

Harrison said higher costs will also hinder her ability to be involved in the community, a tradition she said her mother and grandmother taught her was critical to any small, family-owned business.




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