Politics and views in the United States.

Senate Republicans seek new leadership. Many want less separation of church and state and President Biden says the Port of Baltimore could be back up and running next month.

TRANSCRIPT

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

I think the Senate is broken and it really hasn't been functioning as the world's greatest deliberative body, which historically people have thought of it that way.

Texas Senator John Cornyn hopes to get a chance to improve the working of the Senate if he can replace outgoing Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Cornyn and Minority Whip John Thune are the only declared candidates, though others are rumored.

McConnell's fundraising might be hard to replace.

The longest party leader in Senate history raised more than $1 billion since 2015.

New data from Pew confirms Republicans are twice as likely than Democrats to say the Bible should influence U.S. laws.

Some politicians, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, argue it would be good.

But Rob Boston, with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, says what's known as Christian nationalism is corrosive.

We've seen examples of this play out in states like Texas and Florida, where there's a lot of book banning, where LGBTQ rights are being attacked, where reproductive rights are being assailed.

According to the Republica reports, former President Donald Trump received a proposal to back his full half-billion-dollar civil bond.

Billionaire Don Hankey would have let Trump put up cash and real estate as collateral.

But Trump's lawyers may have violated ethics rules by not alerting New York's appeals court of the deal, which Trump didn't take.

As some states make it harder to vote, others are making it easier.

In Washington state, which votes by mail, lawmakers recently passed a bill to cut ballot rejection rates for things like a mismatched signature.

Jasmine Smith is with youth voter group the Washington Bus.

When people turn in their ballot and they want to have their voice heard, they're going to be heard.

And we can maintain the security of our elections while also not disproportionately impacting communities of color and not counting their votes.

Vasectomies are on the rise since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v.

Wade.

A 2023 report shows requests for consultations are up by a third, with men reassessing the reproductive landscape.

Dr. Jill Gibson is with Planned Parenthood Arizona.

And so I do think that that is part and parcel of the whole picture of how we have to look at bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health care and sexual health care, is that if we continue to have all of these regulations and restrictions, we won't have providers to provide this service at all.

President Joe Biden was in Baltimore last week to announce federal grants to help Baltimore pull the Francis Scott Key Bridge from the Patapsco River.

While there, he gave an update on the port's reopening.

Our team has been able to clear two small channels for essential ships helping clear the wreckage.

And yesterday, the Army Corps announced that by the end of April, they'll be able to open the third channel for some commercial traffic, including car carriers.

And by the end of May, we'll open the full channel.

A co-defendant in Trump's Georgia case is threatening Fulton County District Attorney Fawnie Willis with legal action if she doesn't recuse herself.

A Christian legal organization's petition for Willis to recuse herself also reached more than 40,000 signatures.

House Republicans introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles Airport after former President Trump.

But Democrats have countered with legislation to rename a Miami federal corrections facility after him, saying that's more suitable.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira for Pacific Network and Public News Service.

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