Politics and views in the United States

Sanders stumps for billionaire tax in California. Faith leaders mobilize voters in Iowa, while public land sales meet voter resistance.

Transcript

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

The whole country, and frankly people around the world, are paying attention to what is happening here.

People are asking, is it possible?

And you are going to do it and show the world it is possible.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders rallied voters in California over the weekend in an attempt to revive a ballot measure that would tax billionaires in the state.

Support for the ballot measure has dropped in the polls, as billionaires have poured millions to oppose the measure.

If passed, the measure would require a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state to offset federal budget cuts to health care.

The ballot initiative does have Democratic opponents, like Governor Gavin Newsom, Planned Parenthood, and a number of California labor unions.

They argue the one-time tax could lead to billionaire flight and harm long-term budget stability.

In Iowa, faith organizers are encouraging Hawkeye State residents to reimagine Catholic social teaching to, quote, see, love, and vote.

Events across the state aim to bring together voters of different faiths and backgrounds to engage on issues that affect them in similar ways.

Sister Eilish McCullough is an organizer with the Network Lobby for Catholic Justice.

She says organizers are encouraging voters to take what they learn to the polls when they choose their leaders in the upcoming midterm elections.

How are some policy choices making groceries or rent or health care unaffordable?

How are policy choices tearing apart families or trying to keep us from voting?

How are we responding with love for our neighbors, our families, and all of our communities?

In the latest of the polls PNS is highlighting ahead of the election, inflation and consumer prices are vastly outpacing other issues voters are worried about ahead of the midterm elections.

Mike Moen reports.

UGA's weekly tracking of voters' concerns shows that at the end of September, nearly 32 percent said increases in the price of goods and services topped their issue list.

That's more than double the second-highest result jumps in the economy.

Frank Manzo is an economist at the Midwest Economic Policy Institute, and he says it's hard for a lot of people to not feel retail price pain, including this part of the country.

Gas prices are over $4 in every single Midwest state except for one, and diesel is over $6 per gallon everywhere.

Then you, of course, have high mortgage rates.

And so what you're hearing is that people are struggling to afford the basic essentials, and they're not very happy about it.

I'm Mike Moen.

In the West, the sale of public lands is a hot topic this election season.

A poll from the Nature Conservancy shows 80% of Americans oppose the sale of public lands to private interests, despite efforts from the Trump administration.

Jayna Mowen is with the Nature Conservancy.

So many people oppose selling them off because they recognize the value of having these wide open spaces to take your family out to go camping and hunting and fishing and hiking and driving.

Proponents of these sales argue land can be used to address housing shortages and other economic needs.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.