Politics and views in the United States.

President Trump credits tariffs for a Hyundai Steel investment in Louisiana, but residents say the governor is betraying them over health concerns there; and other states double down on climate change as the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations.

TRANSCRIPT

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

These are not normal times, right?

These are not a situation of business as usual.

Speaking at a town hall, New Jersey Democratic Congressman Andy Kim says the U.S. may face a constitutional crisis under President Donald Trump.

The administration's accused of ignoring orders from federal judges and calling for them to be impeached.

Trump has also used his office for personal retribution and to sell cars.

Members of Congress have been hosting volatile town halls where Trump is a main topic and been met with both cheers and jeers from their constituents.

Democrats are facing boos for not pushing back effectively, but some Republicans have gotten an earful on Trump's economic impacts and the slash-and-burn cuts from Elon Musk and his advisory group.

One Wyoming veteran told a representative cuts to the VA have damaged services without reducing real waste or corruption.

Having looked at Musk's Doge website, you are a lawyer.

Where is this fraud?

Republicans reported by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have been riddled with errors and misstatements, but the Government Accountability Office estimated there was as much as half a trillion dollars in budget waste over four previous years, citing emergency small business loans, a lack of tax law enforcement, and several areas within the Department of Defense.

Some lawmakers are simply not showing up to events their offices had planned.

Overflowing Iowa crowds came to talk about possible changes to Social Security, cuts to government agencies, and rollbacks of diversity programs.

But Iowa AFL President Charlie Wishman says Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn refused to face them.

And if they don't show up, we still have crowds that are standing room only or overflowing just to try and talk to an empty chair.

This comes as the administration plans to cut agricultural research in Iowa and close IRS, Food and Drug Administration, and Fish and Wildlife Service offices.

Wishman says groups are working to get people to call, write emails, and send postcards.

Meanwhile, with Congress debating a possible $900 billion cut to Medicaid, some Kentucky lawmakers want to add mandatory work requirements.

House Bill 695 calls for able-bodied adults with no dependents to work 20 hours a week and prove it to get health coverage.

But Emily Beauregard with Kentucky Voices for Health says that would mostly add red tape that pushes eligible households out of the system.

The majority of Kentuckians with Medicaid coverage are already working.

They're working full-time, part-time.

They're students, they're caregivers taking care of children or older family members, people with disabilities.

Kentucky is one of the top 10 states by portion of the population covered by Medicaid.

Supporters of the work requirements say the current system incentivizes people not to work, but rural hospitals say many of them would have to close without it.

The Internal Revenue Service is working out an agreement to share data on undocumented immigrants with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A draft agreement shows the IRS will help verify if ICE has the right addresses.

Estimates show more than 5 million undocumented immigrants paid $100 million in local, state, and federal taxes.

I'm Edwin J. Vieira for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.