Politics and views in the United States.

Kristi Noem incorrectly defines habeas corpus during a Senate hearing. Senate passes a bipartisan bill to eliminate taxes on tips, and Native American civic engagement fosters legislative wins in the West.

TRANSCRIPT

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

Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their right to

Let me stop you, ma'am.

And suspend their right to Habeas corpus

Excuse me, that's incorrect.

Homeland Security Secretary Christine Noem's description of the constitutional right during a Senate hearing dissatisfied Democratic New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hanson.

Habeas corpus is the due process for challenging an arrest and requires the government to justify detaining someone.

The Trump administration has complained that due process protections bog down mass deportations and White House advisor Stephen Miller said they're looking at suspending habeas corpus.

Groups fighting hunger say they fear the threat of detention will prevent immigrants from getting food assistance.

Jacob Sperati with Northwest Harvest runs two food distribution programs that serve migrants among others.

We believe that access to food is a basic human right.

And people shouldn't fear needing to get food.

And so we just continue to make our spaces as open and welcoming as we can. - United Nations says no aid has been distributed in Gaza despite a few trucks entering as a blockade is lifted.

Israel faces criticism from the UK, Canada, and France, and UN officials say 14,000 babies could die within days unless they get aid.

The White House says it's stepping back from demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine and from a European push more Russia sanctions.

Pressure from President Donald Trump does not seem to have dislodged House GOP opponents to his big, beautiful budget bill.

Balancing demands for deeper cuts with higher deductions for local taxes and protecting Medicaid is proving difficult, given the narrow majority.

According to the New York Times, the bill would push federal debt to an all-time high.

Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unveiled their plans for protection from missile attacks through what they're calling the Golden Dome.

The estimated $175 billion project would deploy missile sensing and destroying satellites by the end of Trump's term.

The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill to eliminate federal taxes on tips, one of Trump's campaign promises.

Democratic Senator Jackie Rosen says that will help ease pressures on many tipped workers in her home state.

"Nevada has more tipped workers per capita than any other state.

So this bill would mean immediate financial relief for countless hardworking families. - Montana advocacy group, Western Native Voice, has been organizing meetings aimed at boosting Native American civic engagement.

Montana's former state superintendent of public instruction, Denise Juno, says it's working. - There was a sense of pride in seeing what got accomplished through the 12 native legislators who got elected from all these different communities.

And I think really a glimmer of hope about what can happen when people get engaged.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.