Politics and views in the United States.

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

TRANSCRIPT

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

Whatever color you are, whatever sexual orientation you are, whatever your heritage is, you wanna be safe.

Republican New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew says Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg worries more about pronouns than the safety of America's infrastructure.

Since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, right-wing comments have linked the accident to diversity programs, immigration, even COVID lockdowns.

Baltimore natives like TV producer David Chase have reacted to that with rage, calling it an insult to politicize the tragedy.

Safety officials are investigating if contaminated fuel is what actually caused the cargo ship to lose power before it crashed.

A federal court says it's too close to the June congressional primary to change South Carolina's districts, even though the map discriminates against black voters.

The Supreme Court has yet to rule on a racial gerrymandering case about the state's first district, now held by Republican Nancy Mace.

But Marvin Neal with the South Carolina State NAACP says the state shouldn't be rewarded for not dealing with the issue.

The black voters of South Carolina and across this nation deserves voting maps that work to empower, not diminish the black vote.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will start in two weeks after Congress returns from break.

The largely symbolic articles of impeachment pass the House by a single vote, but Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer insists Mayorkas has failed to enforce federal immigration laws.

House Republicans fulfilled our constitutional duty by voting to impeach.

I can only hope my colleagues in the Senate will step up and do the same.

Meanwhile, Schumer is pressing Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a House vote on an aid package for Ukraine.

Ukraine needs more help.

And our allies around the world are looking at the House of Representatives, are looking at Speaker Johnson to step up.

Johnson says he'll try to pass billions in funding for Ukraine and Israel once the House returns, but his right flank opposes Ukraine aid and is already angry over his working with Democrats on the budget.

Unions in Maine want a law to say thousands of farm workers will get the state's $14 minimum wage.

State AFL President Cynthia Finney says farm workers were intentionally left out of federal labor laws covering wages, the right to unionize, or even demand rest breaks.

Those are things that other workers are entitled to already, and farm workers are not, and certainly farm workers work hard enough.

And finally, President Joe Biden raised an estimated $25 million at a star-studded New York City event with former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The two are helping Biden expand his already significant cash advantage over former President Donald Trump.

I'm Katherine Carley for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.