News from around the nation.

D.C. attorney general sues Trump administration over 'hostile takeover' of police; Trump departs for high-stakes meeting with Putin in Alaska; Appalachia's gas boom fails to deliver jobs, economic growth in Ohio; Why some IL farmers rely on synthetic fertilizers; Social Security rallies planned for UT and across the country.

Transcript

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

DC Attorney General Brian Schwab has sued President Donald Trump over his executive actions, asserting control over the DC Police Department and attempting to install an emergency police commissioner.

One of the most extraordinary exertions of federal power in the city's half century of home rule, drawing immediate legal pushback from Schwab and Mayor Muriel E. Browser.

That from the Washington Post.

And from the Associated Press, President Trump departed for DC for his face-to-face meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine, but also the fate of European security.

Meantime, gas-producing counties in Ohio are struggling economically despite years of shale drilling, according to a new report. 30 counties in the Ohio River Valley produce 95 percent of Appalachian natural gas.

Researcher Sean O'Leary with Ohio River Valley Institute calls the area Frackalatcha and says the promised economic benefits never arrived.

He notes Cleveland State University data show the gas industry has invested $110 billion in some Ohio counties since the boom began.

And yet jobs, incomes and population growth have still declined or lagged behind the nation.

The vast majority of which is concentrated in just those eight counties.

Those eight counties have seen more job loss, more population loss, and less income growth than any other set of counties in Ohio.

Danielle Smith reporting.

And in central Illinois, a farmer is speaking out about the conundrum he faces.

He doesn't want to pollute the waterways, but he has to use synthetic fertilizer to make ends meet.

Nitrogen fertilizer helps increase crop yields, leading some farmers to over-apply it to their fields.

Downs has been farming for decades and grows mostly corn and soybeans.

He says synthetic fertilizer provides a way of life for him and many Midwest farmers.

Corn will grow without applied nitrogen.

It just won't grow and produce as well without additionally supplied nitrogen.

Downs is trying to cut back by participating in a program that offers incentives for climate-friendly farming practices that reduce phosphorus and nitrogen runoff.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This story based on original reporting by Garrett Hazelwood and Eric Schmidt with the Food and Environment Reporting Network and WWNO.

And rallies are planned in Utah and across the country this weekend to support the federal social security program and protest Trump administration staff and budget cuts at the agency.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has introduced the Social Security Expansion Act.

At a time when 22 percent of seniors are trying to survive on less than 15,000 a year and nearly half of older workers have no retirement savings,

Our job must not be simply not to cut social security.

We have got to expand social security.

The group Social Security Works and Protect Our Checks, sponsoring rallies in more than a dozen cities.

This is public news service.

People in Connecticut nationwide protesting today against the banking giant, Wells Fargo.

Earlier this year, Wells Fargo became the only bank so far to end its 2015 net zero financed emission goals.

It also rescinded its 2030 emission targets for specific economic sectors.

Critics say Wells Fargo has been among the top institutions contributing to global fossil fuel financing.

Steve Simon with the group Third Act Connecticut describes the bank's decision to end its climate goals as an outrageous abdication of responsibility.

Banks are important to finance energy and other kinds of things that are critical.

And instead of using a significant influence to drive the energy transition and help address the climate crisis, it's hiding behind the excuse it can only passively follow its clients' actions.

He says the protest theme is for Wells Fargo to be a better bank, so they're also suggesting it divest from companies partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its backing of a plan to privatize the U.S.

Postal Service and address allegations of racially biased lending practices.

The protest begins at 1 p.m. at the Wells Fargo location in Hartford's Statehouse Square.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira.

And Indiana Democrats join colleagues from Texas Wednesday in Chicago to fight mid-cycle redistricting proposals.

The process typically happens once every 10 years.

Indiana Democratic Representative Ed Delaney of Indianapolis warned changing maps in the middle of a decade risk destabilizing democracy.

And the Republican supermajority cannot shut up about how much they hate special sessions.

I don't wanna play this game, ritual gerrymandering.

If these idiots get their wishes, what happens if they lose one of those five congressional races?

Republicans currently hold seven of Indiana's nine congressional seats.

GOP leaders in several states argue adjusting maps now could help protect their slim US House majority ahead of 2026.

Vice President J.D. Vance visited Indiana last week to pitch the idea to Governor Mike Braun, who has not committed to moving forward.

I'm Joe Ulari, Public News Service.

Finally, public school advocates say the charter school system is broken in California, citing low academic standards, excessive expenses, and poor management.

In California and many other states, laws give parents the option of sending their kids private charter school rather than public schools and using state funds to pay the tuition.

Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, says charter school growth is out of control and it's hurting public education.

The growth in charter schools of late have been in what we call a mega charters.

Very, very large charter schools, many of them online charter schools.

They have been really prone to some pretty outlandish scandals.

Assembly Bill 84 focuses on enhancing accountability and financial oversight for schools, particularly in charter schools.

This is Mike Clifford, thank you for ending your week with Public News Service.

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