Politics and views in the United States

Maine Senate candidate Platner considers his campaign after rape allegations. A New York man sues ICE, saying it tried to bully and silence him. And, the White House criticizes how the Smithsonian presents Indigenous history.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, when mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Plattner says he's considering his next steps after an accusation of sexual assault.

Politico reports messages between the woman and her therapist support the rape allegation, which he denies.

Polls show Plattner is ahead of incumbent Republican Susan Collins in the key Senate race despite earlier accusations of sexual harassment.

But now party leaders in Maine and nationally are calling for him to drop out.

Maine law would allow him to be replaced on the ballot if he withdraws in the next week.

A replacement would have to be named by the 27th.

A free speech group is suing ICE for a New York man who says the agency stalked and harassed him.

In January, David Strever emailed ICE's acting director criticizing the killing of Alex Preti in Minnesota.

Five months later, agents went to Strever's home and pursued him to Finland where he was vacationing with his daughter.

They said the email may have broken the law.

A Syracuse woman was also just visited by ICE over a social media post naming the agent who shot and killed Renee Good.

Jeff Zeman with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression says people can't be scared into silence.

We are representing David because he is exercising his right to free speech, criticizing the government in the way he saw fit, and everybody should be able to do that.

Nobody should be scared.

The government will come knocking on their door because they sent an email.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are backing a package of bills to bar ICE enforcement from sensitive spaces.

State Senator Lindsey Williams is co-sponsoring the Protecting Our Vote Act, a bill to prevent voter harassment and intimidation by ICE at voting locations.

She says constituents worry about federal agents interfering in the midterms.

It restricts all law enforcement from being within 100 feet of a voting location, both polls and ballot return sites for mail-in ballots, because being able to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy.

A national law already bans soldiers and federal police from interfering at polling sites, but watchdogs fear the current Justice Department may not enforce the statute.

A new White House report criticizes the Smithsonian Institute for narratives about the U.S. government forcibly removing indigenous people from their ancestral land.

The almost 200-page report argues these place too much emphasis on racial justice while downplaying the nation's accomplishments.

But North Dakota University Law School's Dan Loren says the land theft and treaty violations are key parts of the American story.

It's important to remember history accurately.

A part of that is remembering for purposes of the Declaration of Independence, Indians were used as a propaganda tool by the colonists.

The report comes amid a larger push by President Donald Trump to reshape how federally supported institutions present the past, but scholars are warning against what critics call the whitewashing of American history.

The House is taking up the Save America Act again, despite the mail-in ballot limits and national voter ID law failing in the Senate.

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

Find your trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.