News from around the nation.

Trump threatens federal takeover of D.C. after attack on DOGE worker; TVA privatization debate sparks concerns about MS jobs, energy costs; PA bill would expand compassionate release for prison population; Thousands of miles away, Gulf's 'Dead Zone' fortunes tied to MN.

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update, I'm Mike Clifford.

A protege of Elon Musk and former Doge staffer was injured in an attempted carjacking Sunday morning in DC.

A police report said, it's an attack that captured the attention of President Donald Trump and re-inspired his threats to take over the nation's capital.

That for the Washington Post.

They quote Trump on social media, if DC doesn't get his act together and quickly, we'll have no choice but to take federal control of the city and run the city how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore.

Labor leaders say the Tennessee Valley Authority, a cornerstone of Mississippi's energy infrastructure and the nation's largest public power provider, could be privatized under the Trump administration.

Advocates say privatization would result in higher costs for families and instability for thousands of workers.

Stephen Farner, with the Laborers International Union of North America, which represents TVA employees, says selling the utility to investors would prioritize profits over public needs.

Investor-owned utilities, their obligation is to their shareholders, not to the citizens, not to the communities, not to the public entities that exist there, not to the employees, certainly.

So privatization would be a terrible move for the people in the Valley.

All across the board, it doesn't matter which state they're in.

I'm Tramell Gomes.

And a bipartisan push in Pennsylvania would reform what's known as compassionate release for older or seriously ill people who are incarcerated.

House Bill 150 would repeal restrictive rules on transferring prisoners for medical care and allow sentence modifications due to illness.

Celeste Trusty with the group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, or FAM, says 27 percent of people behind bars are over age 50 and treating their chronic health conditions costs Pennsylvania $34 million a year.

HB 150 would allow people who were extremely sick, terminally ill, to petition the courts to be allowed to go home and serve the rest of their time in the community, whether that's with their families who would be able to take care of them in congregate care settings.

Danielle Smith reporting.

And NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration just issued its latest reading on how big the Gulf Dead Zone is.

At 4,400 square miles, it's the 15th smallest measurement on record.

Each summer, when nitrates push out of the river's mouth in Minnesota and rest near the shores of Louisiana and Texas, they form this zone which sucks most of the oxygen out of the water.

Matt Roda is with the group Healthy Gulf.

There is so little oxygen or no oxygen that sea life, things like shrimp, crabs, fish, either need to swim away, and if they can't swim away, they suffocate and die.

Noah calls this year's report encouraging As collaborative partners, I have a goal of reducing the dead zone's five-year average to fewer than 1,900 square miles by the year 2035.

This is public news service.

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office is leading a Know Your Rights training this Saturday in response to community concerns about the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics.

Hosted by Modus Theater, the training will cover protections that the U.S.

Constitution immigration offices and for crime victims.

Cristian Solano-Cordova with MODIS says members of local law enforcement agencies will also be there to answer questions.

To really talk about what kind of immigrant protections there are under state law and where there aren't protections so people are aware of their rights.

All individuals on American soil, regardless of their immigration status, have rights guaranteed under the U.S.

Constitution.

For example, you have the right to refuse searches of your belongings, car and home under the Fourth Amendment unless an officer has a valid warrant signed by a judge.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees your right to legal representation.

You can learn more at the event, which kicks off at 3.30 p.m. this Saturday at the Boulder Public Library.

I'm Eric Galatas.

Next to Wisconsin, where the state's largest farm organization wants what it calls meaningful immigration reform rather than aggressive federal detention and deportation efforts.

With the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Tyler Wensloff points out that rural Wisconsin supported President Donald Trump in large numbers despite immigration threats being a central part of his platform.

But immigrant labor is vital to the state particularly for large dairy farms that require a year-round workforce.

Wenzeloff says they would like to see the H-2A visa program expanded to include dairy workers.

I just want to make sure that we emphasize that moving forward a critical step in addressing labor shortages is modernizing immigration laws.

It's unrealistic to expect workers to enter legally when the current system is broken.

He says Wisconsin farmers want both a secure border and a legal, stable workforce.

It's estimated that undocumented immigrants perform about 70 percent of the labor on dairy farms.

Wenzloff says they hope to address the labor shortage and ensure current workers don't feel the need to retreat into the shadows.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

And finally, Massachusetts colleges and universities are increasingly finding ways to create more age inclusive campuses.

At least eight schools have joined what's called the Age-Friendly University Global Network, which promotes healthy aging habits and ways students and older adults can learn from one another.

Professor of Health Sciences at Springfield College, Pamela Higgins, says local retirees are taking part in campus mobility clinics, art projects, and even considering new careers.

Many of the folks, they not only want to connect with our students, but they maybe want to audit a class.

Research shows intergenerational learning helps improve students' relationship and decision-making skills while providing emotional and health benefits for older adults.

I'm Catherine Carley.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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