Politics and views in the United States.

White House downplays stock market plunge, calling it "transitionary." House Republicans pass a stopgap funding bill, and the Department of Education is the latest agency to see mass layoffs.

TRANSCRIPT

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

Some people are gonna make great deals by buying stocks and bonds and all the things they're buying.

I think we're gonna have an economy that's a real economy, not a fake economy.

It's a fake economy.

President Donald Trump is now saying there won't be a recession after refusing to rule one out Sunday on Fox.

All three major indexes dropped sharply after his weekend comments and after he threatened, but then walked back a doubling of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

The White House now argues the US is experiencing a period of economic transition and calls the market volatility just blips.

But Trump's approval rating is already taking a hit as voters across the country grow concerned.

House Republicans passed a stopgap funding bill Tuesday in an effort to avoid an end of the week government shutdown.

Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote yes, and Thomas Massey of Kentucky, the only Republican no vote.

Speaker Mike Johnson is pressing for Democratic support in the Senate.

Falls on the desk of Chuck Schumer.

He must determine whether he wants to fund the government, do the responsible thing, or whether he wants to shut the government down.

The US will be restoring military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the nation agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Russia should accept it now that Ukraine has.

Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation.

Ukraine targeted Moscow with drones Tuesday.

Russia has begun attacks intended to retake territory in its Kursk border region.

France and other European nations have begun meetings on assembling a possible peacekeeping force.

The Department of Education is starting its expected mass layoffs with a third of the 4,000 employees getting the axe.

Janiah Nelson with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund says Trump's plan to eliminate the agency is a mistake.

Our country is at an inflection point and so is American education.

We can build a system in which all students can thrive or allow our schools to remain spaces of division and inequality.

A new report commissioned by faith leaders highlights moral issues in administration plans to cut federal programs to pay for extending tax cuts that mostly go to the wealthy.

Author Karen Dolan with the Institute for Policy Studies points to a House budget resolution that would slash $900 billion for Medicaid.

92 percent of people who receive Medicaid work either full-time or half-time or have disabilities, are over age 65, are taking care of children or elderly adults, or are attending school.

Republicans argue the tax cuts boost the economy.

I'm Alex Gonzalez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.