Politics and views in the United States.

Millions join nationwide No Kings protests against the Trump Administration. The congressional stalemate on healthcare continues and educators worry about federal cuts to special education programs.

TRANSCRIPT

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

They're masked, they're heavily armed, and they're destroying the lives, the apartments, and the belongings of all these people.

And they don't even know who they're gathering up.

Minnesota activist Sue Durgance was one of around 7 million people at nationwide No Kings protests this weekend.

They're objecting to the ongoing indiscriminate ICE raids, National Guard deployments to democratically led cities in funding cuts to vital programs to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.

Several Republican leaders condemned the protests as "hate America rallies."

Two men have been arrested for a July 4th attack on a Texas ICE detention center where a federal officer was injured.

They have been charged with attempted murder and for providing material support to terrorists because they're accused of being part of a North Texas Antifa cell.

The lawyer for one says there's no support for the terrorism charge, calling it politically motivated.

The government shutdown approaches its fourth week with no deal in sight and both sides are unwilling to move.

Department of Agriculture officials warn if the shutdown continues into November, more than 40 million low income people could lose their food stamp benefits.

House Minority Leader Joaquin Jeffrey says federal spending bills should help Americans not harm them.

These are working class Americans living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to get by, can barely survive, yet alone thrive in this country.

President Donald Trump and Republicans say they're open to extending Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, though they won't commit to saving the tax credits.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Democrats couldn't care less about Americans accusing them of being the party that can't say yes.

We offered Democrats a clean, non-partisan CR, no Republican policies for them to swallow, nothing for them to object to.

They said no.

We offered to accommodate their healthcare demands by guaranteeing them a vote on their proposal if they vote to reopen the government.

The answer is no.

The Trump administration is laying off education department staff who handle special education programs.

Nearly all the workers have been fired from the office implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees disabled students an education.

These cuts have drawn bipartisan ire.

Becky Pringle with the National Education Association says the administration is turning its back on the seven and a half million disabled students in public schools.

By eliminating experts and gutting the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, they are dismantling the critical supports students and parents depend on.

Authorities on international law warn Trump's so-called war on drug cartels blurs the line on allowable use of force already clouded by the decades of war on terror that followed September 11th.

US attacks on six small ships have killed nearly 30.

The White House says, without proof, they were smuggling drugs.

While the US Coast Guard would normally stop vessels like this, Trump says that strategy hasn't worked.

But Brian Finucane with the International Crisis Group says the President doesn't have the authority to start this kind of war.

An armed conflict, whether it exists, is a question of fact.

The President of the United States cannot simply declare an armed conflict exists.

Furthermore, as a matter of US constitutional law, is of course Congress and Article 1 of the Constitution has the power to declare war, not the US president.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.