Politics and views in the United States.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces federal bribery and wire fraud charges, new federal legislation aims to limit open-carry firearms at polling places, and Utah Republicans fail to give the legislature control over citizen ballot initiatives.

TRANSCRIPT

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

We do not participate in straw donors.

We do not participate in foreign donors.

We know what those rules are and we comply with those rules.

My attorneys are going to reveal that as we move forward.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is refuting federal charges of bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions.

Prosecutors contend Adams sought and accepted donations, luxury gifts and travel from foreign business people and Turkish officials seeking to gain influence.

Adams is the city's first sitting mayor to be charged with a crime.

He says he will not resign.

Democratic California Senator Alex Padilla says the fear of violence should not prevent Americans from voting or prevent election workers from doing their jobs.

At this moment, we need to lower the temperature on political rhetoric and make sure that all Americans feel safe enough to participate in our democracy.

Padilla has introduced federal legislation to limit visible firearms in and around polling places, citing what he calls America's long dark history of voter intimidation.

Twelve states and Washington, D.C. already banned firearms at the polls.

New legislation in the Senate aims to expand the Supreme Court by adding six more justices over 12 years.

It would also require federal appeals or Supreme Court decisions overturning any law passed by Congress be signed by two-thirds of the court's judges.

Lenita King with Demand Justice says it would make the courts better reflect the will of the people.

Term after term, the people of this country come away with fewer rights.

We cannot and will not accept this as our new normal, and we are not powerless to stop it.

The bill would also increase financial transparency by Supreme Court justices, requiring them to make their tax filings public.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says plans to consolidate mail processing centers to make delivery more efficient are on hold until after the election.

On Thursday, he sought to reassure House lawmakers that all mail-in ballots will make it on time.

Let me be clear.

The Postal Service is ready to successfully deliver the nation's mail-in ballots.

DeJoy rejected suggestions from state and local election officials that the Postal Service has failed to address problems that led to ballots arriving too late or without postmarks.

The Utah Supreme Court has rejected an amendment to the state constitution asking voters to cede power over ballot measures to the legislature.

The GOP-backed effort would have given lawmakers the authority to rewrite measures or repeal them entirely, including those from previous election cycles.

State Senate President Stuart Adams says they want to avoid the numerous ballot measures seen in California.

We want Utah to stay Utah.

We're the best managed state.

We don't want 20 or 30 initiatives on the ballot every year.

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

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