Politics and views in the United States.

Wisconsin voters will determine the future of a strict voter I.D. law, a federal judge pauses Trump's order to end birthright citizenship, and Democrats warn a disputed North Carolina Supreme Court race could set a chilling precedent.

TRANSCRIPT

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

I got people right in my neighborhood who can't get an ID, who can't vote.

This is about voter suppression.

Everything you do is about voter suppression.

Wisconsin Democratic State Representative Christine Sinecki says enshrining a strict voter ID law into the state constitution would perpetuate discrimination against her Milwaukee constituents.

The state's GOP-led assembly voted to put the amendment before voters this spring.

A federal judge in Seattle has placed a two-week pause on President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, calling it blatantly unconstitutional.

Angelica Salas with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights says her Southern California community is still on edge.

What we need to ensure is that our community is not paralyzed by fear, that they understand that there are laws in this country, civil rights, constitutional rights, labor rights, that still protect us.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House has passed the Lakin Riley Act.

The bill allows ICE officers to detain undocumented immigrants for even suspicion of minor crimes.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warns people could be deported without getting their day in court.

That is what is inside this bill, a fundamental suspension of a core American value.

She notes some members of Congress with investments in private prisons are set to profit from the bill's passage.

Senate Republicans are set to vote on the confirmation of Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth today.

Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Maine's Susan Collins say they'll vote no, citing allegations against Hegseth by his own family members of excessive drinking and serious abuse of women.

Meanwhile, senior military officials are bracing for an executive order to create a so-called warrior board to determine whether they're loyal to Trump's agenda.

Sarah Strater with the military families organization Secure Families Initiative says politicizing officers would erode the confidence of troops in the top brass.

Once that is gone, that will forever disrupt our military's ability to be the strongest fighting force in the world.

And the North Carolina Supreme Court has dismissed a suit by a candidate to that same court seeking to throw out 60,000 ballots.

A lower court and the state board of elections had already turned away the challenge by the losing GOP candidate.

Anderson Clayton, chair of the state Democratic Party, says going to court to overturn elections is not good for democracy.

What's happening in North Carolina is sinister, and it will have a chilling effect on our democracy and our country if they're able to get away with what they're trying to achieve.

Three recounts show the Democratic candidate won the race by more than 700 votes.

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

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