Politics and views in the United States.

Fallout from the first presidential debate continues. Advocates are upset by a recent Supreme Court ruling on homelessness, and House Republicans plan to sue the U.S. Department of Justice.

TRANSCRIPT

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

I don't walk as easy as I used to.

I don't speak as smoothly as I used to.

I don't debate as well as I used to.

But I know what I do know.

I know how to tell the truth.

Speaking at a North Carolina rally, President Joe Biden addressed fears about his performance in Thursday night's debate.

His rambling answers sparked more questions about the mental fitness of history's oldest president.

Republicans are searching for alternatives if Biden decides to step aside but lack a consensus replacement.

Republicans are cheering former President Donald Trump's debate performance, despite him either avoiding answers to multiple questions or lying entirely.

During a Virginia rally, Trump again said without proof the criminal justice system is rigged against him, and he charged that Biden has made America a global punchline.

Our country is being laughed at all over the world.

Biden is using the weaponization of his Justice Department, the FBI, local district attorneys and attorneys general to try and win an election.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. couldn't be in the debate but gave a real-time reaction on social media.

On government spending, he said Trump and Biden have both damaged America by increasing the national debt.

We have a $34 trillion debt now.

The interest alone on that debt is costing us more than our military budget.

Within five years, 50 cents out of every dollar that we collect in taxes will go to servicing the debt.

The Supreme Court is quickly handing down big decisions as the term ends.

The justices issued a limited ruling allowing emergency abortions in Idaho, but a limited deference to federal agencies on areas they regulate.

And Ann Oliva with the National Alliance to End Homelessness objects to the court's grant's past decision that municipal camping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.

Nationwide, we have a shortage of about 7.3 million units of available and affordable housing for people with the lowest incomes.

So as a result of that shortage, there are more than 256,000 people living unsheltered on a given night across America.

The Supreme Court also threw out a charge against some January 6th rioters.

The high court ruled federal prosecutors overstepped when using a law against obstruction of an official proceeding.

Legal observers say while the ruling will give many a basis for appeal, it's unlikely to result in a wave of lower sentences.

Tomorrow the House Judiciary Committee will file suit against the Justice Department trying to enforce subpoenas for the audio from President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Herr.

Talking to reporters on Friday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said they're not trying to embarrass the president, but seeking to fully understand further why Herr didn't bring charges against him.

The president of the United States has told the attorney general not to turn over the tape.

I think after last night's debate, I think we all understand very clearly why that is.

He will very likely sound exactly on that tape as he did on the stage last night, and that's embarrassing to the president.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.