Politics and views in the United States

Livestreamed military execution draws heavy, bipartisan criticism. No King rallies scheduled for the weekend, and South Dakotans asked to vote on previously rejected ballot measures.

Transcript

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

He took them at their most vulnerable and gunned down these people where they live.

So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people.

Now that said, if it's ultimately live stream, I'm not going to be watching it.

Vice President J.D. Vance said he would forego watching a live stream execution of an Army officer convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring dozens more.

President Donald Trump told reporters he would ultimately decide whether the capital punishment is live-streamed.

Trump approved the death penalty by firing squad for Army Major Nidal Hassan earlier this month, marking the first U.S. military execution in 65 years, and first by that method since World War II.

The proposed live-stream has drawn a flurry of bipartisan condemnation.

Utah GOP Senator John Curtis urged the Pentagon to reconsider.

This weekend, thousands of No Kings rallies will promote early voting across the country in the run-up to the midterm elections.

The rallies come as the Trump administration attempts to curb mail-in voting have been blocked by the Supreme Court.

Beth Osborne, with Indivisible Las Vegas, urges everyone to make their voices heard.

Voting is the ultimate act of resistance toward an authoritarian regime.

The regime has tried every trick to suppress voting, to intimidate people, to create uncertainty.

A new poll shows 60% of voters want Trump and Congress to focus on affordability and lowering the prices of common goods.

The survey also showed Americans have dwindling faith in Trump's tariffs and tax cuts.

Respondents pointed to Trump's budget bill and associated cuts to social programs, along with a less-than-ideal jobs and economic environment.

Chris Fleming with Americans for Affordability says people aren't able to make ends meet.

Everyone is talking about how expensive things are and how they're having to make choices on whether or not they're going to buy a certain meal for dinner or are they going to put gas in their car all the way.

South Dakota voters may get hit with a case of deja vu when they cast their ballots this year.

The Republican-dominated state legislature added two measures to this year's ballot that voters have already weighed in on in the past.

One would repeal expanded Medicaid coverage if federal funding dipped below 90%, and the other would require a 60% vote to change the state constitution through a ballot measure.

Currently, a measure needs 50% of the vote to pass.

Chase Jensen, with Dakota Rural Action, expects these ballot measures to be rejected like the others.

He hopes the state legislature will respect the voice of the people and stop bringing measures back to voters year after year.

It's very frustrating, and I think that the votes in 2018 and 2022 are very telling that South Dakotans hold these political traditions and this high trust in the majority of our citizens very deeply.

Meanwhile, Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

It's not clear whether both sides agreed to the ceasefire when the president made the announcement.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.