skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

WI: Children's

According to the Wisconsin Literacy organization, a child of parents with low literacy is 72% more likely to have low literacy themselves. (Adobe Stock)
In helping people read better, experts tout accessibility, incentives

Even though March is barely underway, parents of Wisconsin kids are being encouraged to plan for summer reading activities - especially if their …

play audio
According to the World Resources Institute, more than 1,200 electric school buses are operating in the United States, with several thousand more either on order or being delivered. (Adobe Stock)
Electric bus movement looks to accelerate

Most school and transit buses on the nation's roadways these days are still powered by diesel engines but in Wisconsin and elsewhere, there is hope …

play audio

According to the USDA, Wisconsin is among the top ten states for farmers' markets. Officials with a new grant program said it is one reason why the Badger State can serve as a leader in getting more locally grown food into school lunches. (Adobe Stock)
New grants designed to give WI 'farm to school' efforts more muscle

In making school meals healthier, so-called "Farm to School" programs are nothing new but Wisconsin might see the efforts reach new heights with a …

play audio
According to the advocacy group Kids in Danger, there were 100 children's product recalls in 2022, the highest number since 2013. (Adobe Stock/Generated with AI)
Did your child receive a 'smart toy'? Experts urge parents to research them

The "smart toy" market is now a more than $16 billion industry, and is expected to double by 2027, and this holiday season, experts are warning …

play audio

Just like community libraries, Wisconsin's school libraries blend traditional reading with technology. The Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium says more than 200 K-12 school districts provide more 50,000 e-books and audiobooks to over 400,000 kids, for $1.65 per student. (Adobe Stock)
School libraries no longer just defined by Dewey Decimal System

American Education Week is underway, and those who work with Wisconsin school libraries are highlighting the value they provide to students. School …

play audio
Conservative-linked groups such as Moms for Liberty have established local chapters in states such as  Wisconsin in hopes of getting more supporters elected to school boards. But education observers say voters have had a lukewarm response to the movement. (Adobe Stock)
As other states mull results, recruiting starts for WI school board candidates

While many other states analyze school board races from this week, Wisconsin candidates will soon begin filing paperwork for elections next spring…

play audio

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says nationwide, up to 600,000 eligible people would be turned away from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children under a spending proposal from House Republicans. (Adobe Stock)
WI Families Could See 'Double Whammy' From Budget Policies

Congress is again steeped in a looming budget crisis as lawmakers face a deadline to approve a new government spending plan. In Wisconsin, policy …

play audio
According to the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, more than half a million children have been disenrolled from Medicaid in just 21 states that post child enrollment data on a more-timely basis. (Adobe Stock)
WI Kids Losing Health Coverage in Medicaid Unwinding

As Wisconsin kids head back to school, families who rely on Medicaid are reminded to ensure their children still have health insurance. States are …

play audio

Health equity groups said dental therapists can go out into settings like schools and federally qualified community health centers, and provided much-needed oral health care to underserved populations. (Adobe Stock)
Dental Therapists Touted as Key to Advancing Dental Care Equity

The term "food deserts" is used a lot in the fight against hunger, but groups calling attention to the shortage of oral health care professionals say …

play audio
In key categories measuring child well-being, Wisconsin consistently ranks among the top 20 states in an annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)
Despite High Ranking, Child Well-Being Concerns Persist in WI

An annual report measuring child well-being in the U.S. said several benchmarks have worsened overall. States like Wisconsin fared better in the …

play audio

Wisconsin is among the handful of states that have yet to formally adopt expanded postpartum health coverage through Medicaid. So far, nearly 40 states have done so. (Adobe Stock)
WI Budget: Renewed Push to Include Expanded Postpartum Health Care

Wisconsin policymakers have less than a month to adopt a new state budget. Advocates for extending postpartum health coverage through Medicaid hope …

play audio
In the past two years, 12 states saw significant declines in their rate and/or number of uninsured children. Wisconsin held steady at 4%. (Adobe Stock)
Despite Stable Numbers for WI, Concerns Linger Over Kids' Uninsured Rate

A new report found Wisconsin is holding the line in preventing children from going without health insurance, but advocates for families who qualify …

play audio

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021