U.S. security officials are issuing new warnings about potential election-related violence at the hands of domestic extremists. The Department of Homeland Security’s assessment cited the biggest threat would likely come from anti-government U.S. citizens who are likely inspired by partisan policy grievances or conspiracy theories. Officials say the concerns go beyond election day and into January when the new president will be sworn in. We’ll talk about it with VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin.

Abortion is a contentious issue among Democrats and Republicans that could play a role in deciding the next U.S. president. Former President Donald Trump takes credit for overturning the U.S. Supreme Court decision called “Roe v Wade” which guaranteed the right to abortions in the United States. His opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has promised to reinstate a national abortion protection law. We talk with Clifford Young, president of polling and societal trends at Ipsos, about how the issue is playing in the final weeks leading to election day.

An ominous report from the UN paints a dire picture about the direction the planet is heading without immediate climate action. The report says if the current pace continues it will result in global warming of more than 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century - more than twice the rise agreed to nearly a decade ago. The world has currently warmed by about 1.3 C. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says a three degree rise in global temperatures would be “catastrophic.” Tapio Schneider Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at the California Institute of Technology.

The United States confirms it has evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia. Questions remain as to whether the North Korean soldiers are being trained to support Russian forces on the battlefield in Ukraine. South Korean officials worry the Kremlin may reward the North by giving it sophisticated weapons technology targeting South Korea. We speak with Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia on the National Security Council staff joins us for analysis into what it could mean for Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

The world is experiencing its largest loss of life since the dinosaurs, with around 1 million plant and animal species now threatened with extinction. That's according to the United Nations Environment Program. It's also the focus of this week’s UN Biodiversity Summit where leaders and environmentalists from nearly 200 countries are meeting in Cali, Columbia to debate ways to reverse the trend and save nature. We speak with Tanya Sanerib International Legal Director with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Palestinian families in East Jerusalem are being evicted from the homes they’ve lived in for decades as Israeli demolition orders escalate in an apparent effort to make room for Jewish settlers. Despite the war in Gaza and now in Lebanon, Jerusalem has been relatively peaceful, but simmering tensions over these displacements could add another layer of turmoil. Correspondent Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem joins us for perspective on the timing of this latest effort and how it squares with the broader ongoing conflict.

South Korea’s spy agency says North Korea has sent 1,500 special forces troops to Russia for training and likely deployment for combat in the war in Ukraine. The allegation comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the war, based on intelligence information. The U.S. expresses concern. We talk with Naoko Aoki, a political scientist at RAND who specializes in East Asian security issues.

Israel says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks in Israel. Families of the hostages still being held in Gaza, plead with the Israeli government to do everything possible to bring them home. For analysis on the significance of Sinwar’s death and if this could be a turning point in the war, we speak with Boaz Atzili, Professor at American University’s Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security at American University’s School of International Service.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told lawmakers Wednesday that Ukraine’s Western partners are increasing pressure to negotiate with Russia, but he hinted such talks would be unfavorable to Kyiv as he unveiled what he called his “victory plan” for the war. President Biden announces a new Ukraine security assistance program, but Ukraine’s future may likely be decided by the U.S. election. We talk with Doug Klain, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and policy analyst for Razom for Ukraine.

The U.S. sends a detailed letter warning Israel it must improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza within 30 days or risk U.S. military aid. We talked to Stephen Van Evera, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Political Science Department.