Politics and views in the United States.

President Biden delivers a Memorial Day address, former president Trump's hush money trial is poised for jury deliberations, and the Justice Department warns of threats to election officials.

TRANSCRIPT

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

Freedom has never been guaranteed.

Every generation has to earn it, fight for it, defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few and the rights of many.

President Joe Biden in his Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery.

This week also marks the ninth anniversary of the death of the president's son, Beau, from what may have been a service-related case of brain cancer.

Speaking to families who've lost members, Biden said the pain they share is a raw presence every day, as is pride.

Nodding to the campaign, Biden noted that he's signed more than 30 bipartisan laws aimed at supporting troops and vets.

In stark contrast, former President Donald Trump posted an angry message on Truth Social, writing "Happy Memorial Day to all, including the human scum that is working so hard to destroy our once-great country."

Trump spoke at the Libertarian Party's national convention Saturday, a day after anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump's name was not formally submitted for presidential nomination, which went to a Georgia HR executive.

But Trump said the party would have been wise to nominate him.

The Libertarian Party should nominate Trump for president of the United States.

Only if you want to win.

Only if you want to win.

Maybe you don't want to win.

Trump critic and former FBI Director James Comey tells CNN there is a chance of a hung jury in Trump's hush money trial.

But Comey says he thinks the case set to the jury is very strong.

It's an 80 percent chance of conviction, given the case they've put together.

It's based on documents and texts and emails and the words of the defendant.

Comey says he's one of many worrying about violence towards poll workers and election officials.

Attorney General Merrick Garland last week cited a dangerous increase in threats, which he said wouldn't be taken lightly.

If you threaten to harm or kill an election worker, the Justice Department will find you.

The public servants who administer our elections must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their safety.

Nearly 70 million people were under severe weather warnings on Memorial Day as storms turned northeast after killing more than 20 and disrupting power across the plains.

Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster in more than a third of Texas counties.

We estimate there being close to 100 people who were injured.

More than 200 homes and structures were listed as destroyed.

Another more than 120 were listed as damaged.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency there, and the storms are snarling flights across much of the east and south.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.