Politics and views in the United States

Iowa’s GOP Senate candidate is hailing a Trump steel mill announcement, as polling shows hope for Democrats in deep red seats, and older voters highlight affordability.

Transcript

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

We appreciate this investment in American manufacturing because Iowa does a lot of things really, really well.

We feed and fuel the world, and now we're going to continue to be a part of the American manufacturing story.

Republican Representative Ashley Hinson is embracing President Donald Trump's plan to build a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa, which would create 2,000 jobs and be the largest mill in the country.

Hinson is running for Senate and trails Paralympian and Democratic State Senator Josh Turek by 8%.

Trump transforms former Vice President Kamala Harris by more than a dozen points in Iowa, but farmers are now struggling with high diesel prices and weak exports, thanks to the Iran War and administration trade fights.

Two Iowa Republicans in close House races voted for a resolution to end the war.

One Wall Street Journal poll finds Trump's approval rating the lowest of any president a month before the midterms since George H.W.

Bush more than three decades ago.

Generic congressional polls are favoring Democrats by more than 10 points, and surveys suggest they have a chance to win the Senate.

An AARP poll has former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper up by 11 points in his bid to flip the North Carolina seat.

Democratic State Representative James Tallarico has seen a slate of strong numbers in his effort to flip Texas.

Blue hopes may hinge on swing state older voters, who, like many, seem focused on this election's top issue, affordability.

Seniors are a huge electorate nationally, but one in seven live in poverty.

Raj Shukla with AARP Wisconsin says Congress must expand options to save for retirement.

He says that's big for the one in three Wisconsin private sector workers who lack retirement plans at their jobs.

And he says voters are demanding solid protections for Social Security.

We are seeing conversations around Social Security and the prospect of scaling back that program.

And that's just unacceptable for people who are at their very edge right now and being able to afford their way of life. near Indianapolis, one teacher is working to inspire the youngest voters.

Fifth grade social studies teacher Kaylee Dominguez won this year's American Civic Education Teacher Award, in part by setting up a mock Congress with students working on the House and Senate legislative process.

By the time they are 18 and it's time for them to really be active and engaged citizens, they know how to do their research, they know who to talk to, they know how to vote, and they know how all of those processes work.

More than 30 Senate Democrats have ran to warn Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen against sending immigration officers to the polls.

Mullen has repeatedly said agents would only go to polling sites to serve outstanding warrants, but earlier this month, he said they could show up to, quote, enforce specific threats.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says U.S. Cyber Command and military intelligence are preparing to defend against foreign election interference.

Five men arrested when thought to be planning an attack on a U.K. airbase used by the U.S. have been released on bail.

English authorities have not explained the about face.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.