Politics and views in the United States.

Texas Republicans unveil a map that further gerrymanders districts before midterms, as a Senate committee advances a bill to ban stock trading by members of Congress. Seattle voters will soon decide whether to continue its so-called "democracy vouchers" program. 

TRANSCRIPT

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

This is not redistricting, this is rigged districting.

It is an absolute farce and disrespectful to every black and brown citizen in this state, Mr. Chairman.

And I'm not gonna move from that position.

Texas Democratic State Senator Boris Miles is slamming Republicans for proposed congressional maps.

Midterms generally cut against the party in the White House.

So President Donald Trump has asked GOP House leaders to use unusual mid-decade redistricting to help the party gain five seats.

State Democrats may resort to breaking quorum to stall all legislative action, as they did during a 2003 redistricting fight.

California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is threatening a mid-decade redistricting there in response.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she won't run to replace Newsom.

She had been leading in polls.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee is advancing a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, their spouses and other officeholders.

Missouri's Josh Hawley, the bill's only Republican sponsor, says Americans are demanding the reform.

"We have an opportunity here today to do something that the public has wanted us to do for decades, and that is to ban members of Congress from profiting on information that, frankly, only members of Congress have in the buying and selling of stock."

Two multimillionaire Republican senators have blasted it, arguing it's not wrong to make money and saying it would disincentivize people from serving in government.

The bill's restrictions would only expand to include the president and vice president once Trump leaves office.

Democrats on the Homeland Security say they're using a century-old law to force the release of Justice Department files on millionaire financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

A letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi cites the law requiring the White House to release information when five committee members demand it.

Trump says he kicked Epstein out of his Florida resort for taking a spa employee who later accused Epstein of sex crimes.

But Trump apparently still went on later to praise Epstein, while at the same time noting that he liked young women.

Seattle voters will decide next week whether to continue public funding of local elections.

The Democracy Voucher Program gives voters vouchers to give candidates who have accepted fundraising and spending limits.

Spencer Olson with People Powered Elections Seattle calls it a model for inclusive democracy.

To help empower more candidates, more diverse candidates, women, renters, people of color to have equal access to be able to run and run competitive elections without having to rely on wealthy donors, special interests.

Judicial system watchdogs are calling out violence towards judges.

The U.S. Marshal Service says nearly 300 judges have been threatened since October, with the number spiking this spring when Republicans attacked judges who struck down Trump policies.

Attorney Paul Kiesel founded the nonprofit Speak Up for Justice.

There's a lot of rhetoric about our judges.

We need to address it by all of us recognizing the importance of our justice system and not getting on a bandwagon simply because we don't like their decisions.

I'm Zamone Perez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.