Politics and views in the United States

Vance defends his wife at a campaign stop, cancer rates and water quality define the Iowa agriculture secretary race and the top military officer says troops won't be at the polls.

Transcript

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

It's kind of weird when you talk about another guy's wife.

I think the people in Michigan would like you to talk about the public policy ideas.

I think the people in Michigan would like you to talk about how you're going to protect auto workers.

Campaigning in Michigan, Vice President J.D. Vance is attacking Democratic Senate nominee, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.

On social media, the progressive former Detroit public health official said Vance's late grandfather wouldn't be pleased Vance married a child of Indian immigrants.

El-Sayed is working to unify a party divided by an ugly and expensive primary, reaching out to a Jewish community unsettled by his alliance with accused anti-Semite Hassan Piker.

But it already looks like the general election campaign will be nasty, personal, and close.

Meanwhile, a conservative Michigan group is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to put a referendum on the state's November ballot.

The measure would require future voters show proof of citizenship, and it could draw MAGA supporters to the polls this fall.

The State Board of Elections rejected the referendum after a partial survey of submitted petition signatures found only 6 in 10 valid.

The National Campaign Arms of House and Senate Republicans are also asking SCOTUS to nullify a lower court decision on campaign advertising rates.

An appellate court in Virginia ruled that party committees are not entitled to the same discounts as individual candidates.

The highest-ranking U.S. military officer says no troops will be sent to polling places this November.

In a letter replying to questions from a Democratic senator, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Cain says the military has no plans to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election material.

Cain wrote that he hasn't gotten what he calls any unlawful orders regarding the midterms.

Meanwhile, the White House continues to purge military officers and Pentagon officials.

The latest to go is the Army's top civilian, reportedly after clashes with the Secretary of Defense.

Virginia activists are criticizing GOP lawmakers over their votes to cut billions from Medicaid and allowing Affordable Care Act premium subsidies to lapse.

Christina Rivera with Cult Justice says lawmakers, not voters or consumers, should be stressed about that.

Their votes should keep them up at night.

That every day that goes by is their missed opportunity and their failure to do right by their constituents and to reverse these cuts and bring back the tax credits.

In the Iowa State Secretary of Agriculture race, cancer and water pollution are joining affordability as a top issue.

The state has a high and rising cancer rate.

Democrat Chris Jones is a water scientist and is pointing to the nitrates and pesticides farming puts into drinking water.

Republican Mike Nagg is a fifth-generation family farmer, supported by agricultural interests.

Political scientist Max Shelley says the Republican is walking a fine line between acknowledging Iowa's water issues and alienating his donor base.

Anything that sounds like an attack on corporate agriculture, particularly among Republicans, they tend to think you're against ag in general and therefore you're not really in favor of rural interests.

Polls show the race is all but tied.

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

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