News from around the nation.

Trump can keep National Guard in Los Angeles for now, appeals court rules; Experts warn of normalization of political violence; FL shellfish industry, communities push governor to ban Apalachicola drilling; Utah weighs cost of repealing clean-energy tax credits.

Transcript

The Public News Service Friday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A federal appeals court in San Francisco said Thursday that President Donald Trump can keep the California National Guard in L.A. for now, delivering a win for the president as he aims to use the military to police protests against his deportation efforts.

That from the Washington Post.

They report the unanimous decision from the three-judge panel on the U.S.

Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said that Trump appears to have lawfully deployed the National Guard in the city, even though he did not consult Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Post notes the appeals court judges disagreed with the federal government's stance that Trump's authority to deploy the National Guard could not be scrutinized by the courts.

Next up, the nation continues to feel the emotional weight of political violence following last week's assassination of a top Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota.

Another lawmaker was shot and severely wounded.

The incidents follow a trend of political violence beginning with this spring's arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion.

David Schultz, a political scientist at Hamlin University, says the current mood mirrors the violence toward prominent leaders seen in the 1960s.

Once violence starts to occur, people get used to violence or it becomes part of the game.

And that seems to be where we're degenerating now.

These events also follow last year's assassination attempt on President Donald Trump on the campaign trail along with increased threats against poll workers.

Schultz says in a healthy democracy, it's ballots and elections that resolve differences, not violence.

He worries the attacks will discourage elected officials from meeting with constituents or holding public debates.

I'm Catherine Carley.

Meantime, a critical decision now rests with Governor Ron DeSantis as Florida's coastal communities and shellfish farmers urge him to sign a bill permanently banning oil drilling near the Apalachicola River.

They see the river as a lifeline for the state's aquaculture industry and a fragile ecosystem.

House Bill 1143 passed the legislature with a single no vote in the Senate.

It would block drilling within 10 miles of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Adrienne Johnson with the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association warns the region's economy and environment hang in the balance.

The area is really unique. 75 percent of our oyster farmers operate across Franklin, Wacola and Gulf counties.

So those three counties that are downriver from the proposed oil drilling sites, protecting that water is absolutely critical to the livelihood of our farmers.

I'm Tramiel Gomes.

Next to Utah, where the tax cut spending proposal known as One Big Beautiful Bill could derail progress on clean energy projects, Sarah Baldwin with the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation says the proposed changes could cost Utah 9,400 jobs by the year 2030 and another 2,900 jobs in 2035.

When you continue to hitch your wagon to the fossil fuel roller coaster, what you end up doing is you are locking in higher costs for Utah households.

Republican Utah Senator John Curtis is one of a handful of lawmakers who say they want to preserve the clean energy tax credits the bill would end.

This is Public News Service.

Critics of Congress' budget reconciliation bill warn taking away energy tax credits could impact job prospects and pocketbooks for folks in states like North Carolina.

The House has already passed a version of the bill repealing the tax credits for clean energy projects, and the Senate version similarly strips them.

Passed under the Inflation Reduction Act, the clean energy bill from 2022 has already added 400,000 jobs.

Chris Carnival with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says the tax credits lower costs to produce energy.

It's not just the taxpayer who claims the tax credit on their return that gets the financial benefit of the credits.

The clean energy credits actually lower electricity costs for every American.

The Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill could increase average spending on household energy in North Carolina by more than $290 per year by 2030, according to a report from the think tank Energy Innovation.

Carnival says the bill could also make it harder to meet growing electricity demands.

Republicans in Congress who support the cuts say they're saving the country money.

I'm Eric Tegethoff reporting.

This week, Tennessee has joined two dozen other states in banning gender-affirming medical care for young people who are transgender.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban in a 6-3 decision.

Detractors see it as a form of discrimination.

Chase Strangio with the ACLU says a high court opinion will leave families across the country scrambling to maintain health care.

Strangio says some young people who are losing access to treatment are doing everything they can to continue care approved by doctors and parents.

The most immediate effect is on our clients and other young transgender people in Tennessee and across the country who need medical care that the government has stepped in to ban.

And for them, we are devastated and we know that we will continue fighting so that government discrimination against transgender people will end.

Chief Justice John Roberts said the court found Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors does not violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

I'm Danielle Smith.

And finally, a biology professor nicknamed Dr. Beetle is using art to spark students' curiosity about the world of insects.

From hand-knitted vests decorated with Salt Creek tiger beetles to cocoon-style coats that commemorate the 2024 double cicada emergence, Dr. Tierney Brocious has a growing collection and reputation as the entomological fashion maven.

While she describes her insect-themed needle craft as a bit of a granny hobby, she says the artistic outlet serves as an organic way to encourage conversation about science and bugs.

You always knew a tiger was cool, that they were beautiful.

There was never any question.

But even like a drain fly, like the silliest little thing.

But if you really get up close and look at them, they're like little teddy bears with wheat.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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