Inside the Americas

With just one year to go before the US presidential election, polls aren't looking good for President Joe Biden, but Democrats are banking on safeguarding issues like abortion rights in order to keep the White House. The US president's approval rating has dropped to 39 percent; not the lowest it's ever been, but still a source of concern. In another poll, Biden is seen trailing Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in five key states. We take a closer look and get analysis from Sean Safford, an associate professor at Sciences Po in Paris.

On November 5, 2024, one year from now, US voters will go to the polls to elect a new president. Joe Biden is seeking a second term, but former president Donald Trump is hoping to make a comeback. We speak to our Washington correspondent Fraser Jackson about the different candidates throwing their hat into the ring and the issues already influencing the campaign, such as the war in the Middle East.

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages, the number of hate crimes in the United States is on the rise. The Department of Homeland Security is warning of a heightened threat targeting Arabs, Muslims and Jews in the near to medium term. Vigils have been taking place after a Palestinian American child was stabbed to death by his neighbour in Chicago. The man has been charged with a hate crime. The Jewish community is also worried about the rise of anti-Semitism. This is especially the case in Pittsburgh, five years after a mass shooting at a synagogue there. Our correspondents Fanny Allard and Wassim Cornet report.

The above photo, posted to Joe Biden's social media accounts, shows the US president and vice president receiving an update on the Hamas attack in Israel and deciding their next steps. The US president expressed sympathy, solidarity and support for Israel. We take a closer look at the US military aid provided to the Jewish state, which is being boosted in the wake of the attacks. Plus, there have been numerous pro-Israeli rallies in the US, which is home to the largest Jewish community in the world. Our correspondent Wassim Cornet reports from Los Angeles.

This week, former president and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was in court for the opening of a civil fraud trial against him. Trump and his adult sons are accused of deceiving banks and insurers by overstating his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion. This isn't the only case against Trump at the moment. For more, we speak to former federal and state prosecutor Eric Lisann. 

If you happen to be in San Francisco and need to take a taxi, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Some 600 driverless taxis are now in operation. But even in a city famous for being at the forefront of technology, these cabs are still hitting a few bumps in the road. Our France 2 colleagues take a closer look.

This week, five US citizens freed from prison in Iran were able to embrace their loved ones back home. Under the deal brokered by Qatar, five Iranians detained in the United States were also released. The agreement included the unfreezing of nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets. So is the deal a sign of warming ties between Washington and Tehran? We put the question to David Smith, Washington bureau chief for the Guardian.

In the US, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says the House of Representatives will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. That's a long-shot effort to remove the Democrat from office after two impeachments of former Republican president Donald Trump. The focus is on Biden's youngest son, Hunter, and allegations of corruption in business dealings as Catherine Viette explains. 

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr called for civil and economic rights for Black Americans; an end to racism in the United States. But 60 years after that iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, much more still needs to be done. In this second instalment of Inside the Americas from Atlanta, FRANCE 24's Genie Godula meets the people who are fighting for racial equality today in all its forms. 

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave one of the most iconic speeches in history. "I have a dream" was a defining moment of the US civil rights movement, changing the course of the nation and paving the way for a transformation of American law and life. Sixty years after that speech, we head to his hometown of Atlanta where we speak to his daughter, close friends and fellow civil rights activists to discover the man behind the myth.