Politics and views in the United States.

President-elect Trump promises to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on day one. President Biden touts the fall of Syria's Assad regime as an "act of justice," and a North Carolina Supreme Court recount brings charges of attempted vote suppression. 

TRANSCRIPT

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

People have suffered long and hard, and there may be some exceptions to it.

I have to look.

But, you know, if somebody was radical, crazy.

President-elect Donald Trump is repeating that on day one he plans to pardon people convicted for January 6th.

In his first sit-down interview since the election, he also doubled down on his immigration plans and vowed to support his controversial cabinet picks.

Trump promised not to go after his political opponents, but did say members of the House Select Committee that investigated the insurrection should go to jail.

The Syrian government has fallen, ending decades of ruthless Assad family rule.

After years of brutal civil war, rebels captured Damascus in a matter of days.

President Joe Biden calls the fall of Bashar Assad a fundamental act of justice and a historic opportunity for the people of Syria.

It's also a moment of risk and uncertainty.

As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria.

Assad's allies in Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah have been stuck in other fights and did not send forces to prop him up, as they previously had.

On social media, Trump is calling for an immediate ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, citing Russian withdrawal from Syria as a sign of limited capacity.

Former Trump National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster says the war in Gaza will continue until Hamas is destroyed.

McMaster says the Palestinian group needs to be crushed before any ceasefire, but says he's confident Trump can help make that happen.

So I would like to see us working more actively with the Israelis and others to get the hostages back but also to make Iran pay the price for their terrorist and proxy network across the region.

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy is calling for the Democratic Party to broaden its tent while charting a more economically populist direction.

Attacking power is not easy for everybody in the Democratic Party because we have become a party that is dependent on high-income elites.

The race for the North Carolina Supreme Court is still not over.

A second recount is expected to finish this week after previous tallies show incumbent Democrat Allison Riggs beating Republican Jefferson Griffin by around 700 votes.

Riggs says Griffin's continued challenges could mean throwing out 60,000 legitimate votes.

We should not be weaponizing the systems that exist to defend election mechanisms and election integrity.

We shouldn't weaponize it to avoid conceding.

A Georgia-based transgender rights activist says a recent Supreme Court case and Trump's re-election means her many battles for acceptance may have to be fought all over again.

Monica Helms transitioned to live as a woman in the 1990s.

She fears people who are transgender may always have to fight for acceptance.

It's always going to be a battle.

They figure out one thing or another.

Trans people have targets on their back.

I'm Alex Gonzalez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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