Politics and views in the United States

Israel’s Netanyahu is defiant at the UN, as Senate rejects a move to end the Iran war, and a Trump ad sparks anger from a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

Transcript

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

On that darkest of days, our enemies expected us to collapse.

Well, we didn't collapse.

Instead, we rose and fought like lions.

Addressing the UN in New York, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly defended the nation's strikes in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

Former European allies are condemning Israeli military operations begun after a Hamas attack on October 7th, three years ago.

They've killed tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children.

In Washington, the Senate has by one vote rejected a resolution previously passed by the House to force President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from the Iran war.

Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman, an ardent supporter of Israel, joined Republicans in opposition.

Four Republicans voted in favor.

Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy says the war is wildly unpopular.

We are supposed to be a democratic body that listens to the will of the people.

The people, whether they're Republicans, independents, or Democrats, are telling us loudly and unequivocally, end this war.

Trump's administration is coming under bipartisan fire for a political ad produced by the government and paid for with tax money.

The 30-second spot features Trump's voice saying, quote, Together we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America, and America will never be a communist country.

Reporters for Politico, CNN, and MS Now have returned to the White House in line with a temporary order from a federal judge.

Voting rights advocates are bracing for the possibility that Trump could send armed troops to polling places.

Gloria Sweetlove, with the Tennessee NAACP, says people will be able to call a national hotline if anyone tries to stop them from voting, and attorneys will be ready to go to court on election day.

Everybody always says this is the most important election of your life.

But for sure in America, this is because if we don't get out and vote, we might not have a democracy left to vote in.

A joke made by Trump at a North Carolina campaign stop last week has angered some in the western part of the state.

Trump said voters need to elect Republican Michael Watley to the Senate in order to get more Hurricane Helene disaster relief.

The storm costs nearly $60 billion in damage.

And two years after the disaster, some are still struggling to rebuild.

Madison Maxwell is a piano teacher from Black Mountain, North Carolina, whose home was destroyed and studio flooded.

These disasters don't discriminate based on connection, political affiliation, or income.

The fact that our relief has been politicized is so deeply disturbing to me and destabilizing.

I don't have words for how insulting it is.

The California Supreme Court has ordered the return of Riverside County ballots, seized by a Republican sheriff and former governor candidate.

Chad Bianco seized the ballots after a local group spread a conspiracy theory later proven false that vote tallies didn't match the total number cast.

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

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.