Politics and views in the United States.

Lawmakers race to end the longest shutdown in history, as food aid and safety net services hang in the balance. Utah's redistricting ruling reshapes that state's congressional maps and the U.S. expands its naval presence in Latin America.

TRANSCRIPT

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

This is another distraction campaign by the Democrat in the liberal media.

And it's why I'm being asked questions about Epstein instead of the government reopening because of Republicans and President Trump.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt denies the importance of damning accusations from the files of late millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

One old Epstein email newly released by congressional Democrats on House Oversight says President Trump spent hours at Epstein's house with an underage girl.

A separate one quotes Epstein as saying Trump obviously knew about the girls being sex trafficked.

Levitt says the emails show Trump did nothing wrong.

After a long delay, the House swore in Arizona Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva.

One of her first official acts was to become the last needed signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the long sought-after Epstein files.

Trump is railing against the petition, but Speaker Mike Johnson says a move to release at least some Epstein files will get a vote next week.

The House has also formally voted to end the history's longest government shutdown, but it's not clear if it will take up Democratic plans to extend ACA health insurance subsidies.

Senate Republican leadership has promised them a vote, and some of the House GOP might support an extension.

But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is critical of Johnson for refusing to guarantee it will get to the floor.

We believe that working class Americans, middle class Americans, and everyday Americans deserve the same level of certainty that Republicans always provide to the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected, the same level of certainty.

A coalition of environmental groups want a federal appeals court to force large-scale factory farms to report emissions, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

Ryan Mehar with the Center for Biological Diversity says those air pollutants kill thousands of people a year, and the public needs to know.

It's really a transparency concern when it comes to controlling pollution from factory farms.

Requiring reporting when there's an emergency, when public health is at risk, is really the bare minimum.

Industry groups, including the Cattlemen's Association, argue the reporting rules are burdensome and would raise the cost of food.

They say they're following the law as written.

Financial incentives appear to be spurring local law enforcement to increase arrests of undocumented immigrants.

Ashley Spalding with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says 1,100 state and local agencies in 40 states have agreements with ICE.

She says departments in her state and others are now working to meet quotas in the deals.

The efforts to arrest people are becoming more aggressive.

So we're, you know, we're gonna see more Kentuckians be arrested for immigration reasons.

Homeland Security describes the sweeps as targeting criminals, but data shows fewer than a third of immigrants detained nationwide have a criminal record.

A federal judge yesterday ordered the release of some of those arrested in ICE's Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois.

Attorneys estimate 300 people could be let go because ICE made the arrests without warrants.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.