News from around the nation.

President-elect Trump is now a convicted felon; At least 10 dead and whole neighborhoods destroyed in LA firestorms; Local concerns rise over Ohio's hydrogen project; New MI legislator rings in the new year with the pending new law; Ohio River Basin would get federal protection under the new legislation.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

After months of delay, President-elect Donald J. Trump this morning became the first American president to be criminally sentenced.

That from the New York Times.

They report he avoided jail or any other substantive punishment, but the proceeding carried symbolic importance.

It formalized Mr. Trump's status as a felon, making him the first to carry that dubious designation into his presidency.

It all happened after a 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting Trump's last-minute effort to block the sentencing.

The two conservatives who joined the liberals were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by Trump in his first term.

Next from CNN, four major wildfires are raging across Los Angeles County.

At least 10 people have died, with officials warning the true toll won't be clear until it's safe for investigators to go into neighborhoods.

CNN notes whole neighborhoods have been devastated, with as many as 10,000 structures destroyed by the coastal Palisades fire.

Curfews are in place as police patrol for and arrest looters.

Folks in Ohio are raising questions about the future of fracking and its environmental and community impacts following the Arc2 Hydrogen Hub open house held Thursday in Canton.

Advocates and residents voiced concerns about the potential risks of expanding fracking infrastructure.

Julie Betger, board of director co-chair for the Buckeye Environmental Network and a resident of Ashtabula, shared her concerns.

No community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits.

Betger notes that areas like Ashtabula, already heavily industrialized, could face additional challenges from the hydrogen hub.

On the other hand, proponents argue that hydrogen hubs offer opportunities for cleaner energy solutions and economic development.

R.S. Siddiqui reporting.

And just nine months into her tenure, Michigan State Representative Mai Song, a Democrat from Warren, is ringing in the new year with new legislation.

Song'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, Song says 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.

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.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Next, the EPA would be in charge of protecting and restoring the Ohio River Basin under recently proposed legislation.

Other waterways around the country, such as the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes, have dedicated federal restoration funding, but the Ohio River does not.

Michael Washburn is with the Kentucky Waterways Alliance.

We've had decades, if not longer, of people, communities and industries treating the river more like a machine than like an abundant natural resource that it is.

He says a large portion of the nation's commerce relies on the 204,000 square mile river basin.

This is Public News Service.

Monday is the start of the Arizona legislative session.

Groups like AARP Arizona are gearing up and say they're ready to work to ensure that older Arizonans have the quality of life they deserve.

AARP's Brendan Blake says one of their priorities is a bill sponsored by Republican Representative Quan Nguyen of Prescott Valley, which would allow family members to install a camera in their loved one's room at a long-term care facility.

Blake says they're eager to get to work with lawmakers regardless of political party.

It's meeting new faces.

It's getting to have a relationship with members on both sides of the aisle in both chambers.

So that way they know what we're all about.

I would say that that's our biggest hurdle is just getting to an introduction.

Blake says AARP Arizona also sits on the Vulnerable Adult Systems Study Committee, which will be meeting throughout the year to prepare legislation for 2026 to protect vulnerable adults.

He suggests all Arizonans learn about the legislative process and get involved.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Meantime coal, oil and gas are being used less as homeowners and businesses embrace solar energy for their heating and power.

We get more in this Energy News Network, Illinois News Connection collaboration.

One non-profit advocacy group works to make solar more accessible and affordable.

Vote Solar's Managing Director of Campaigns, John Delury, has concerns any future progress may hit a roadblock when a new president takes office soon.

President Trump has vowed to change the landscape of clean energy.

He has vowed to make the uneconomic and unwise choice to promote fossil fuels over renewable energy resources like solar.

And what happens in D.C. matters.

It doesn't make or break the prospects of clean energy, but it matters.

Delury predicts if Trump overturns the Inflation Reduction Act with the help of a Republican Congress, the country will see a dramatic loss in the ability of the U.S. to lead the whole world in the clean energy transition.

I'm Terry Dee reporting.

And finally, with a thud, the tranquil sounds of nature are shattered as a bird crashes into a glass window.

It's an all too common deadly occurrence.

The reflective surfaces of buildings trick birds into thinking they're flying toward the open sky or trees, only to meet a fatal impact.

These collisions are responsible for millions of bird deaths every year.

And at Florida Gulf Coast University, students and faculty are taking creative steps to tackle this silent crisis.

Ornithology professor Oscar Johnson says bird window collisions are a major threat to wild bird populations.

Some studies estimate as many as one billion birds die every single year just in the United States due to collisions with windows.

It's a major problem.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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