Politics and views in the United States.

Democrats protest Elon Musk's meddling in federal payment systems, Trump directs Cabinet secretaries to funnel federal dollars to private and religious schools and Virginia lawmakers aim to restore felon voting rights.

TRANSCRIPT

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

You may have illegally seized power over the financial payment systems of the United States Department of Treasury, but you don't control the money of the American people.

The United States Congress does that.

Democratic Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin says billionaire Elon Musk has no right to access systems controlling trillions of dollars in federal payouts or the ability to shutter USAID.

Democratic lawmakers rallied outside that international humanitarian agency after the workers were locked out.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared himself its acting administrator, despite it being an independent body for 60 years.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says President Donald Trump agreed to pause tariffs for 30 days.

The announcement followed a similar agreement with Mexico's president, after she vowed to send 10,000 troops to the border to track down on drug trafficking.

The stock market fell sharply on news of the tariffs, but rebounded when they were paused.

A federal judge in Washington says she will likely extend a temporary ban on a Trump spending freeze, noting what she called potentially "catastrophic impacts."

One Trump executive order instructs multiple cabinet secretaries to find ways federal spending can better support private and religious schools.

Dan Hintz with Cleveland Heights University Heights City Schools in Ohio says that will accelerate a drain on public education funding.

Ohio is a state where families earning $60,000 a year are subsidizing the private school tuition of families earning $300,000 a year.

Supporters say vouchers provide choices for low-income students, but data show most students using them have never attended public schools.

Meanwhile school officials nationwide are trying to reassure parents worried about potential classroom immigration raids.

Former superintendent of California's Coachella Valley Unified School District Luis Valentino says schools will find it hard to recover from the fear.

The amount of stress that is being placed on the students and on communities, it could be irreparable.

It's going to be as bad if not worse than COVID was.

Data show that one in 10 children in California has an undocumented parent.

Virginia lawmakers have approved an amendment to the state constitution to automatically restore voting rights for convicted felons upon their release.

Democratic delegate Elizabeth Bennett Parker says the measure has to pass the legislature again next year before voters can weigh in.

The right to vote is fundamental and the amendment ensures that if a person has served their time they deserve to have their right to participate in democracy restored.

Virginia is the only state that prevents convicted felons from voting upon release unless their rights are restored by the governor.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.