Politics and views in the United States.

The administration stands behind its tariffs, despite declines in markets. Advocates nationwide push back against federal rollbacks affecting military families, and the environment and big budget plans advance in Congress. 

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

President Trump is taking this economy in a different direction.

He ran on that, he promised it, and now he's delivering.

And yes, this is a big change.

I'm not going to shy away from it, but we needed a big change.

Vice President J.D. Vance says President Donald Trump's new tariffs are painful but necessary as they're causing sharp declines in stock markets here and overseas.

China says it will retaliate, while European leaders warn the levies from 10 to 49 percent could spark inflation and damage ties.

A federal appeals court has paused Trump administration moves to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Brian Johns with Virginia Organizing says military families need the CFPB's enforcement of the Military Lending Act to protect them from predatory lenders that cluster around bases and charge up to 400 percent interest. payday lending places, check cashing places, car title lending places.

It became apparent that many of those who were living on base were definitely the targets to get cash quick.

In a separate federal case, a judge says there's a fair likelihood the Trump administration violated court orders when going ahead with deportation flights to El Salvador.

The administration says at least one man was deported by mistake, and civil liberties groups charge errors like that could be avoided with due process protections now lacking.

Billionaire, Trump donor and White House advisor Elon Musk may be headed to a much less prominent, or at least public, role.

Musk has become unpopular with voters and personally backed a state Supreme Court candidate who was beaten soundly in Wisconsin.

The Republican-led Senate is moving forward with a budget resolution containing tax cuts and other administration priorities.

The package has a $5 trillion debt ceiling hike, a trillion dollars higher than the House version.

GOP leaderships say they want to to pass big Trump proposals, but House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing pushback from deficit hawks in his caucus.

In Ohio, survivors and community groups at the annual Statehouse Sexual Assault Advocacy Day say they want better funding for rape crisis centers and greater protections for youth seeking mental health services.

Danny Isaacson is a state representative from Cincinnati.

There is a known sexual predator in the White House right now.

It is more important than ever for people who are in the fight to end sexual violence, that we advocate harder.

Administration moves to eliminate funding for clean air and water initiatives and ease oversight of hazardous materials are sparking local protests.

Groups in hundreds of cities say they'll join a hands-off National Day of Action Saturday.

Sierra Club of Ohio's Erica Copeland says people there know firsthand what can happen when the rules on transporting hazardous materials are too weak.

We all can remember that this was glaringly evident in the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment a few years ago.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.