Politics and views in the United States.

Supreme Court considers loosening rules for candidates to challenge election laws. Pope Leo encourages bishops to voice concerns on immigration policies, as federal court gives Trump control of the Oregon Guard.

TRANSCRIPT

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

If you ask candidates, would you like to win this election by 60 percent of the vote or 51 percent of the vote, I think 100 percent of the candidates are going to say, I'll take the 60 percent.

Speaking for an Illinois Republican congressman, former Solicitor General Paul Clement is arguing to the Supreme Court that his client has standing to sue to overturn a state law that allows the counting of late mail-in ballots.

Representative Mike Bost won, but had to pay staff for two weeks as ballots postmarked by Election Day arrived and reduced his margin of victory.

The state is arguing that saying any candidate can sue over election rules would cause chaos and clog the dockets.

A federal appeals court is temporarily letting President Donald Trump federalize two Oregon National Guard units.

He's still barred from deploying the soldiers anywhere in the state.

Trump critic and former FBI Director James Comey has pled not guilty to charges he lied to Congress.

He may move to have the charges thrown out on the grounds of selective prosecution.

Trump announced on social media that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first stage of a Gaza ceasefire.

The agreement could return all the hostages and mean humanitarian relief for nearly 2 million Palestinians.

Pope Leo XIV is urging US bishops to openly object to Trump's immigration crackdown, restating a position Leo and the church have long held.

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz tells the Catholic News Service he's given the pope letters for migrants who escaped repression in other countries and are terrified that they could be returned.

We're gonna send you back to Cuba.

We're gonna send you back to Venezuela.

We're gonna send you back to Afghanistan.

Does that mean that crossing the border, seeking refuge in the nation that is made up of immigrants is now a capital crime?

Democrats and Republicans are no closer to a funding agreement to end the government shutdown.

Vital federal employees like staff at VA hospitals or air traffic controllers are still working, although without pay.

Boise State political scientist Charles Hunt says it's still open facilities like national parks, conditions will get worse the longer the shutdown lasts.

Maybe in some cases you can still access these national parks, but they aren't gonna be well cared for.

There aren't gonna be people cleaning the bathrooms or taking care of the trails.

Republicans have pushed for a continuing resolution at current funding.

Democrats are demanding the extension of Obamacare insurance subsidies cut in the GOP mega bill to make room for tax breaks for the wealthy.

Cuts to the federal agency that monitors threats to election cybersecurity is prompting concern among local officials.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says it almost looks like the reductions to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are intended to weaken election integrity just when it's needed most.

It's like, you know, you've got an army advancing against the castle and you let down the drawbridge instead of strengthening, you know, your defenses.

It's confounding why the administration has chosen this path.

The Trump administration says the cuts are part of its trimming waste from the budget to reduce the deficit and make the government more efficient.

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

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