Politics and views in the United States.

The federal megabill healthcare cuts remain central to the ongoing budget stalemate. The Dallas sniper acted alone and used ICE agent tracking apps and former FBI Director James Comey is indicted for obstruction of justice and false statements.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 20/25 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The Republican Party, especially, has kind of used Charlie Kirk as a symbol to suppress free speech, whether it's late-night TV show hosts or J.D. Vance encouraging people to report people who said things.

Arkansas high school senior Ariana Minkle says they're watching teachers get fired for online comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Minkle and some of her peers host a youth podcast on community radio in Little Rock, and she says they're concerned to see political speech censored.

Michigan authorities identified the gunman, who they say rammed a pickup into a packed Mormon church and opened fire, killing two.

They haven't said what the motive of 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a Narock war vet, was.

President Donald Trump meets with congressional leaders today in a last-ditch bid to avoid a government shutdown.

Tomorrow, he plans to address an unusual gathering of high-ranking military officers.

That meeting is being described as a pep rally for the services.

Domestic violence shelters say funding cuts and confusion about policy changes will put the lives of survivors and their children at real and immediate risk.

The White House now says shelters can't use federal funds to take in undocumented migrants or offer specific protections to trans individuals.

Krista Colon leads the California partnership to end domestic violence.

If I offer a night of shelter to someone who may be undocumented, is my entire funding at risk?

If I sex an individual's pronouns, am I now going to be a target?

Funding levels have never been enough, but federal funding is a cornerstone for programs nationwide.

Tomorrow is the last day to qualify for federal tax credits of up to $7,500 on new electric vehicles, ended in the Republican budget mega-bill.

Critics argue that will undermine clean energy jobs, but Ohio GOP Senator Bernie Marino says the government shouldn't be picking car market winners and losers. - That's not about what kind of car I like or I don't like.

What it's about is letting the marketplace choose.

So get rid of all the incentives, get rid of all the mandates. - Advocates for seniors are warning about the phase out of paper Social Security checks that starts tomorrow.

More than half a million Americans will be forced to use direct deposit or prepaid debit cards.

Maria Friess with the National Committee to preserve Social Security and Medicare says that could be tough for some rural and low-income seniors.

"They may or may not read the material that comes in with their checks.

They may or may not understand the material.

And they may not have any idea that this is coming."

The administration says it'll improve security.

Critics argue it risks payment delays for folks without bank accounts and gives a windfall to some payment companies.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has ended his re-election campaign amid extensive accusations of corruption.

Adams was running far behind Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.

I'm Farah Siddiqui for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.