Politics and views in the United States.

Speaker Johnson accuses demonstrating students of getting support from Hamas. TikTok says it'll challenge the ban. And the Supreme Court dives into the gray area between abortion and pregnancy healthcare, and into former President Trump's broad immunity claims.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

I'm one of many talented and promising students with bright futures who have been banned from campus.

But Mike Johnson, who is an open racist and white supremacist, along with people like Gavin McInnes, the head of the Proud Boys, they were welcomed on campus.

Sarah King, a Jewish Columbia University grad student suspended from school for protesting the war in Gaza, compares that to the treatment of Republicans and members of the far right.

Hundreds of students were arrested at over a dozen protests across the U.S. and Canada this week.

On social media, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson accused demonstrators of getting support from Hamas.

Johnson was heckled when visiting Columbia and calling for the National Guard to restore order.

I'm committing today that the Congress will not be silent as Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and stay home from their classes hiding in fear.

Hearings on two huge cases show a deeply divided Supreme Court.

Defending a near-total abortion ban Wednesday, lawyers for Idaho argued an exemption for the life of the mother is clear and broad enough to allow effective care.

But Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogger says the ban violates a federal law that hospitals have to give treatment in emergencies.

She says it's often unclear when pregnancy complications become life-threatening.

Women in Idaho today are not getting treatment.

They are getting airlifted out of the state to Salt Lake City and to neighboring states where there are health exceptions in their laws because the doctors are facing mandatory minimum two years in prison, loss of their license, criminal prosecution.

On Thursday, the court seemed unlikely to accept former President Donald Trump's position that he has near-total criminal immunity.

But citing the issue's possible impact on future presidents, some of the justices seemed willing to wrestle with the issue, which would likely stall one of Trump's more important criminal cases past the election.

The repeal of Arizona's 1864 abortion ban now awaits approval of the state Senate and the governor.

Yolanda Bejarano, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, spoke after the successful repeal vote in the state house.

The contrast between our two parties could not be clearer.

Democrats are fighting for abortion rights.

We are fighting to protect Arizona values.

The Republican Party is taking away our rights and are under sole control of Donald Trump.

If the laws repealed, Arizona would go back to a 2022 15-week ban.

TikTok says it'll challenge a law President Joe Biden signed forcing its Chinese parent company to divest from the U.S. or see the app blocked.

TikTok CEO Xiaojie Qiu addressing TikTok users in a video.

Make no mistake.

This is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.

Critics say the ban's a form of censorship fueled by anti-Chinese sentiment.

Supporters say the app would allow Chinese surveillance.

I'm Farah Sidiqi for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.