Welcome to News Hour West LIVE, your trusted destination for in-depth coverage of today's top national and international stories.
🕒 Date: October 15, 2025
📍 Topics Covered:
Latest updates from Washington and global politics
Market trends and economic analysis
Major breaking news across the U.S. and the world
Technology, science, and environment highlights
Voices and perspectives from NewsHour correspondents
Stay informed with balanced reporting and expert insights.#NewsHourWest #BreakingNews #LiveNews #TopStories #PBSNews #USPolitics #WorldNews #Economy #NewsUpdate #DailyHeadlines #NewsLive #NewsHour #October2025
🕒 Date: October 15, 2025
📍 Topics Covered:
Latest updates from Washington and global politics
Market trends and economic analysis
Major breaking news across the U.S. and the world
Technology, science, and environment highlights
Voices and perspectives from NewsHour correspondents
Stay informed with balanced reporting and expert insights.#NewsHourWest #BreakingNews #LiveNews #TopStories #PBSNews #USPolitics #WorldNews #Economy #NewsUpdate #DailyHeadlines #NewsLive #NewsHour #October2025
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett.
00:03And I'm Amna Nawaz.
00:04On the NewsHour tonight, aid trucks enter devastated Gaza
00:08as the tenuous Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal holds,
00:11and both Gazans and Israelis take stock of what they've lost.
00:15The U.S. Supreme Court hears a Louisiana redistricting case
00:19that challenges a key part of the Voting Rights Act.
00:22And how students and teachers are faring in Arizona's school voucher program
00:27that could soon be adopted across the nation.
00:30I'm the canary in the coal mine.
00:32I can tell them what it's going to be ten years from now, because I'm living it.
00:48Major funding for the PBS NewsHour has been provided by...
00:57The Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation,
01:01upholding freedom by strengthening democracies at home and abroad.
01:08The Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide.
01:14I absolutely love my job, because I love the people I work with.
01:18Everyone is trying to connect on a personal level.
01:21We look out for one another.
01:25We love to see our teammates thrive.
01:29You don't have to change how you walk.
01:31You don't have to change how you talk.
01:33We can bring our authentic selves to work and do our best stuff.
01:37That's joy.
02:08And with the ongoing support of these institutions.
02:24This program was made possible by the contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.
02:31Welcome to the NewsHour.
02:37The slow process of returning dead Israeli hostages home continued today as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds.
02:45Israel accuses Hamas of stalling the return of hostage remains promised in the ceasefire deal.
02:52Hamas and the Red Cross say Israel's destruction in Gaza has made their recovery nearly impossible.
02:57And as Leila Malana Allen reports again tonight, Palestinians who survived the war are returning to ruins where their homes once stood.
03:06As the skies fell silent in Gaza after a long-awaited ceasefire, the clearing smoke revealed a post-apocalyptic scene.
03:15Once bustling neighbourhoods full of life, now a sea of rubble.
03:20Bodies of the people who once lived here scattered along Gaza's seashore as emergency workers attempted to identify their decayed remains and restore their dignity in death.
03:33While bulldozers have begun clearing the crushed and hollow ruins of this besieged enclave, once buzzing with life and community, for many Gazans, there is little left to salvage.
03:45Our home was targeted and demolished about a month ago.
03:50We were displaced to Deir al-Balach.
03:52We came back to the house yesterday, and we expected to finally return to a home to shelter us, but it was completely destroyed.
04:00Mohammed Zaku has finally returned to his home in Gaza City after being forced to flee south in the face of Israel's assault.
04:07But in place of his house, that was filled with love and laughter, all he found left was a crumbling concrete husk.
04:17Our memories are gone.
04:19All our dreams are gone.
04:21Our childhood is gone.
04:24I'm trying to see what I can pull out of the rubble.
04:26It's all burnt now, all these burnt clothes.
04:29It feels like there's no point trying anymore, because it's all destroyed.
04:33As Gazans try to rebuild their lives in the ash-covered ruins left by two years of relentless Israeli bombardment, here in Israel, having threatened yesterday to limit desperately needed aid supplies, this morning, the government allowed a lifeline into the occupied strip, trucks bearing food, water and medical supplies.
04:54But the resumption of aid deliveries and the ceasefire itself is shaky at best.
04:59Israel is demanding Hamas release the last of the bodies of deceased hostages still in Gaza, even as Israelis celebrate the war's end and mourn the loss of loved ones.
05:11Moshe Lahir's brother-in-law, Omri Miran, was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7th and finally returned home alive on Monday.
05:20But his community will never forget those they lost.
05:24He's in a stable condition and he will heal.
05:27Both the physical wounds and the mental scars will heal with time as much as possible.
05:33We as a family will continue to support Omri, Lishai and the girls as they become a family again.
05:40We have to keep fighting for the remaining hostage families and ensure that everyone has a closure.
05:47Do you believe in this ceasefire deal?
05:50And what are the challenges you now see ahead for your family, your country, this region?
05:56I trust that our society will be able to rebuild and heal once we close this chapter of the return of the hostages.
06:05And when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this ceasefire is not going to solve the conflict.
06:13I believe that eventually we will find a resolution to our conflict.
06:18I don't know whether it will be in my lifetime, but I will work with anybody who would want to find a resolution.
06:25Both Israelis, healing from Hamas's terror attack and the ensuing hostage crisis,
06:30and Palestinians trapped by war and occupation and tormented by two years of harrowing death and destruction,
06:39pray this fragile peace holds long enough for them to begin to move beyond the shadow of October 7th,
06:46to rebuild, to hope for a brighter future.
06:49The hope for civilians on both sides of the border here, but there's a long road ahead till they can get there.
06:56Jeff?
06:57And this initially seemed like a fairly straightforward agreement.
07:00What has made this process more challenging than expected?
07:06It did seem straightforward.
07:08The bodies of all the living and deceased hostages were to be returned within 72 hours of this agreement being signed.
07:14There was a stipulation in that agreement that all the bodies that Hamas knew their whereabouts would be returned,
07:21and then they could give information to Israel and the U.S. about where they thought other bodies might be for assistance.
07:28What happened is that on Monday, the 20 living hostages came back,
07:31and then in the evening, just four of the 28 bodies of the dead hostages were returned.
07:37That prompted a huge outcry from Israeli society, from the hostages' families,
07:41saying that that wasn't what they expected.
07:44That means that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been under incredible pressure
07:48to get the rest of the bodies back as quickly as possible.
07:52Hamas has returned to the other bodies in the last few days,
07:55and when those bodies were identified, it turned out that one was not even an Israeli hostage,
07:59but, in fact, the body of a Gazan person.
08:02Now, President Trump has put a huge amount of pressure on Hamas as well to get all those bodies back,
08:06but he did today, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, acknowledge just how difficult this job is.
08:11He said they're digging through the rubble.
08:13They're trying to find these bodies.
08:15It's a horrible job, and they don't know when they'll get there.
08:17So he seems to be trying to make this deal hold long enough that Hamas is able to return all the hostage bodies it can.
08:25They have confirmed that, thus far, they've returned everyone they know their whereabouts,
08:28and they need more time to search.
08:30So, remind us, what comes next in this peace plan, and how realistic is this next stage, given the situation on the ground?
08:40Well, the problem here, of course, is there is this huge Trump 20-point peace plan from the president that we're looking at,
08:47but most of that hasn't actually been negotiated.
08:49All that's been negotiated here is this very first phase.
08:52Now, there was a really telling quote last week from the prime minister of Qatar who said, after that deal was signed,
08:58he said, if we tried to go for full negotiation of this peace plan, we would never have got a deal.
09:03Now, this evening, speaking to reporters, officials in the White House confirmed that they are still in that deconfliction phase.
09:10They are still focusing on getting all the hostages out and getting aid into Gaza.
09:14But what comes next is incredibly complicated, and none of it has been confirmed.
09:19Firstly, will Hamas demilitarize? Will they lay down their arms?
09:23They have not confirmed that they will do so.
09:25And Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel says that there is no way this deal will go ahead unless they do.
09:30Secondly, will the IDF really withdraw and hand over to this international stabilization force
09:36that hasn't really been particularly identified yet how it's going to take form?
09:40Right now, they are pulling back to half of the strip, 53 percent.
09:44They're then supposed to pull back to a further 40 percent and then a buffer zone in the long term.
09:49But that really isn't clear whether or not they will be able to pull back to that point
09:54and whether that international stabilization force will be able to control Hamas.
09:59Thirdly, we have the reconstruction issue.
10:01They have so much rubble to clear to try and build homes, to try and make Gaza liveable again.
10:07And then after that happens, what is the future of Gaza?
10:11What's the future of the Palestinian territories?
10:13What is this technocratic committee that's going to run the Palestinian territories as they stand?
10:19Netanyahu has said that he will not allow the Palestinian Authority to be in control of that.
10:23It's very unclear who would be there and what could be agreed upon between all the different forces at play.
10:29So the road ahead is incredibly long, wildly complex and really undefined.
10:34We may not see peace in the near future.
10:36Layla, Milana, Allen again for us in Tel Aviv tonight.
10:40Layla, our thanks to you.
10:53I'm Stephanie Sy with NewsHour West.
10:55Here are the latest headlines.
10:57Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary truce.
11:01The 48-hour ceasefire follows days of deadly clashes.
11:05Tensions flared last week after an airstrike in Kabul, which the Taliban blamed on Pakistan.
11:12Ground fighting has since been reported at several military posts along both sides of the long-contested border.
11:19Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring armed groups in the region, which the Taliban-led government denies.
11:26Dozens have been killed.
11:28Key border crossings remain closed.
11:30And civilians say the violence is taking its toll.
11:33Firing started from both sides.
11:38In our village, shells and bullets started hitting people's houses.
11:42Our request is for both our government of Pakistan and the Taliban fighters to immediately stop this war.
11:49Pakistani and Taliban officials disputed which side had requested the truce.
11:54Kenya has declared a week of national mourning to mark the passing of former Prime Minister, Ryla Odinga.
12:01In his passing, we have lost a patriot of uncommon courage, a Pan-Africanist, a unifier who sought peace and unity above power and self-gain.
12:15President William Ruto says flags will fly at half-staff and Odinga will receive a state funeral.
12:22Today, Kenyans publicly mourn the man they called Baba, or Father.
12:26Odinga started as an activist in the 1980s and was frequently detained by the authorities.
12:32He later ran unsuccessfully for president five times.
12:36Ryla Odinga was 80 years old.
12:38Back here in the U.S., the city of Los Angeles is under a state of emergency tonight in response to President Trump's immigration crackdown.
12:46The measure passed last night, and it gives the L.A. County Board of Supervisors more power to assist residents impacted by ICE raids in recent months.
12:56That includes providing rent relief to tenants and funneling state money for legal aid.
13:01Separately, in Chicago, an order from a county judge took effect today, barring ICE from arresting people at courthouses.
13:10It's become a common tactic for federal agents who have been stationed outside courts for weeks.
13:16A federal judge in Montana dismissed a lawsuit today brought by young climate activists who tried to stop President Trump's executive orders on fossil fuels.
13:25Their lawsuit argued that actions to boost drilling and mining and discourage renewable energy will endanger the planet for future generations and violate their constitutional rights.
13:38The judge today agreed that the plaintiffs had shown, quote, overwhelming evidence that climate change will get worse under Trump's orders.
13:45But he said blocking them was, quote, an unworkable request that was not for the courts to decide.
13:52Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was pushing back on President Trump's threat to move World Cup matches out of the city next year.
14:00Trump made the claim while meeting with Argentina's president yesterday, saying that the city had been, quote, taken over.
14:07World Cup sites are worked out with FIFA, the world's soccer governing body, and not under the president's control.
14:14A point Mayor Wu made to a radio program this morning.
14:17All of that is in conversation and in many, many, many, many months of planning now.
14:21Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it.
14:29In this case, it's a little bit of a, you know, there's no ability to take away the World Cup games.
14:35There's no real threat when it comes to saying cities are so unsafe that they can't host the games.
14:41Boston is one of 11 U.S. cities set to host World Cup matches next year.
14:46In Oklahoma, the state's new public school superintendent says he is rescinding an order from his predecessor that required biblical instruction in classrooms.
14:57The directive from former superintendent Ryan Walters had drawn criticism from civil rights groups and prompted a lawsuit.
15:04He resigned from his post last month.
15:06Today, attorneys for the plaintiffs in that case applauded the decision, writing that the attempts to promote religion in the classroom and the abuses of power should never happen in Oklahoma or anywhere in the United States again.
15:20The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded the deadly implosion of the Titan Exploration Submersible was caused by faulty engineering.
15:30An NTSB final report released today said the craft's engineering failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements and that the submersible was not adequately tested.
15:42Five people died in the 2023 disaster while the Titan was on a mission to explore the Titanic wreckage.
15:48Still to come on the NewsHour, we hear from federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown.
15:55And an Australian mining executive becomes an advocate for reducing industry's carbon footprint.
16:05This is the PBS NewsHour from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington
16:11and in the West from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
16:18The Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled today it could upend a central pillar of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act,
16:28a move with the potential to reshape electoral maps across the country.
16:32The question at the heart of today's arguments is whether lawmakers can use race as a factor when drawing congressional districts.
16:40Justices must consider whether the 2024 creation of Louisiana's second majority black district violated the Constitution.
16:47Here to break down the arguments and the case's potential effects,
16:50I'm joined by Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog and David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.
16:57So, Amy, how did we get here?
16:59So, this is a long and complicated story, even by the standards of redistricting cases.
17:04So, every 10 years we have a census and then states have to redraw their congressional maps, among others.
17:11So, Louisiana redrew its congressional map and in 2022 it enacted a new one that contained one majority black district,
17:19the states out of six, and the state's population is roughly one-third black.
17:24So, a group of black voters went to federal court arguing that the new map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,
17:32which prohibits discrimination based on race in voting because they said it diluted their votes based on race.
17:41A federal court in Louisiana agreed with them that the new map likely violated the Voting Rights Act,
17:48and it instructed Louisiana to draw a new map.
17:51So, Louisiana drew a new map in 2024 that contained two majority black districts.
17:57A group of voters who described themselves as non-African-American voters went to court,
18:03arguing that this map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander,
18:08that it sorted voters based on their race.
18:12And a three-judge district court in Louisiana agreed with them.
18:15So, Louisiana and the black voters defending the 2024 map came to the Supreme Court asking the justices to take up their case.
18:25The justices heard oral argument in March on the propriety of the map.
18:32They didn't decide the case by late June the way that they do with the overwhelming majority of their cases,
18:38and instead decided to hear argument again in the fall and ask the litigants to brief a new question,
18:46which is whether the intentional creation of a second majority black district violated the Constitution.
18:52And among some of the questions that the justices asked were whether or not the Voting Rights Act
19:00and the protections in it were meant to be permanent.
19:03Here's what Justice Brett Kavanaugh said.
19:06This court's cases, in a variety of contexts, have said that race-based remedies are permissible
19:14for a period of time, sometimes for a long period of time, decades in some cases,
19:22but that they should not be indefinite and should have an end point.
19:28And what exactly do you think the end point should be,
19:32or how would we know for the intentional use of race to create districts?
19:37And so the topic that Kavanaugh was talking about there, the permanence of the Voting Rights Act,
19:42is that something that featured elsewhere in this argument today?
19:46Jenae Wilson, who was the lawyer representing the black voters who were defending the map in this case,
19:56and some of the liberal justices, pointed out that when you're talking about potential violations of Section 2,
20:02you actually look at current conditions.
20:05So this is not a question of whether or not there's a logical end point.
20:10What are the potential outcomes here?
20:12How might the justices decide to rule?
20:14So there's a couple of different outcomes.
20:16There's a couple of roads that they could go down.
20:18You know, one outcome could be to say that Section 2 is unconstitutional, standing alone.
20:24Another one would be one that Justice Amy Barrett raised during the oral argument,
20:30which would be to say not that Section 2 is unconstitutional,
20:33but that the way that the Supreme Court had applied it in the past few decades is itself unconstitutional.
20:41There was some suggestion that the Supreme Court could, depending on the verb that you want to use,
20:46clarify or modify some of its decisions interpreting Section 2 in a way that wouldn't strike down Section 2,
20:54but would undermine the power of Section 2 and the use of race in redistricting.
21:01David, what are the implications potentially of this case,
21:07and how might it affect the landscape of redistricting around the country?
21:13Ali, it's hard to overstate the potential impact if the Supreme Court strikes down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,
21:20which is the only provision really stopping Republican legislatures in the Deep South
21:25from completely eliminating districts held by Democrats and, in particular, Black Democrats.
21:31Already, we are in the midst of a gerrymandering war between the two parties
21:35where, under the direction of the White House, Republicans in a number of states
21:40have redrawn or are attempting to redraw their districts to maximize their share of seats.
21:46They've primarily gone after Democratic seats in places like Texas, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina
21:52that are not majority-minority districts. But if Section 2 were struck down,
21:57then the robust number of districts held by Black Democrats across the South
22:04in states like Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina,
22:11they could be eliminated, leaving Republicans with 12 more House seats
22:17and really reducing the competitiveness of the House overall.
22:20And, David, it does seem like, however the justices rule, it's going to make a big impact.
22:25But is any of that going to have an effect on next year's midterm elections?
22:32That's doubtful. And that's because we're likely to get a ruling at some point in the late spring
22:36or early summer of next year. By then, most states will have seen their filing deadlines close,
22:43and a lot of states will have held primaries, so it would be too late to alter the election maps.
22:48That said, if Democrats do take back the House in 2026, this could give Republicans an avenue to undo that
22:57with some margin, given that up to a dozen seats or more in the Deep South could be eliminated
23:05if there were no protections for minority-majority districts.
23:09And if there were a middle ground ruling, then a number of districts that are similarly unusually shaped
23:16alongside Louisiana's 6th District could be revisited in federal courts, and that could take years to adjudicate.
23:23Big day at the Supreme Court. David Wasserman, Amy Howell, thank you so much, both of you, for breaking it down for us.
23:28AMNA NAWAZ, Amy Howell, As the Trump administration throws its weight behind a national school voucher
23:46program that it says will give parents more educational options, critics point to the negative
23:51impacts that school choice is already having on public schools. Arizona introduced the first
23:57universal school voucher program in the country back in 2022, and it may provide clues for what's
24:03to come. Stephanie Sy takes a look at how the program is faring.
24:07Hey, Ben!
24:08Three, two, one, go!
24:11This may look like a typical school, but it's actually a weekly gathering of homeschooled students.
24:18Fridays are fun days. We really wanted this to be focused on enrichment.
24:23Hey, hey, homeschoolers! Hey, hey, it's Caitlin!
24:27AMNA NAWAZ, Amy Howell, As the President, Caitlin Redfield-Ortiz, a former lawyer, and Brooke Bentley,
24:31a real estate agent, started Path Collective in 2024.
24:35BROKE AND I HAVE SEVEN KIDS COMBINED, AND WE'VE BEEN PARENTING FOR OVER A DECADE.
24:40SO WE HAD MET AND FOUND, LIKE, THE BEST YOGA TEACHER AND THE BEST CHESS COACH AND THE BEST ROBOTICS
24:45TEACHER. AND SO WE REALLY WANTED TO BRING THEM TOGETHER AND HAVE A FUN DAY FOR OUR KIDS.
24:49BUT THAT WAS LED BY EXPERT PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS.
24:52THE PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE RESULTS OF ARIZONA'S UNIVERSAL SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM CALLED
24:59EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNTS, OR ESA'S. ESA'S DIRECT PUBLIC FUNDS TO PARENTS TO PAY FOR THINGS LIKE
25:06HOME EDUCATION EXPENSES OR PRIVATE OR PAROCHIAL SCHOOL TUITION. OVER 90,000 STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE STATE,
25:15UP FROM ABOUT 11,000, BEFORE THE PROGRAM EXPANDED TO COVER ALL ARIZONA STUDENTS IN 2022.
25:21TAKING ESA HAS BEEN A REAL GIFT FOR OUR FAMILY, A REAL BLESSING, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS
25:28THAT MY KIDS CAN DO NOW THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITHOUT ESA THAT WE CAN MAKE.
25:33I CAN MAKE THEIR EDUCATION CURATED TO EXACTLY MY CHILD'S INTERESTS, THEIR ABILITIES, WHAT THEY'RE READY FOR.
25:40THE MAJORITY OF ESA'S ARE BETWEEN $7,000 AND $8,000. THAT MONEY CAN BE USED TOWARD PROGRAMS LIKE
25:47PATH COLLECTIVE, WHICH CHARGES $285 A MONTH PER STUDENT. BRETT FIELD ORTIZ, ALSO A FORMER EDUCATOR,
25:56STARTED TEACHING AT HOME DURING THE COVID CRISIS.
25:59AND WERE THERE THINGS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOL PRIOR TO COVID THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE, THAT YOU DIDN'T THINK
26:04WERE SERVING YOUR KIDS?
26:05YES. I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT BULLYING IN SCHOOLS. I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY.
26:11STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TOM HORN HAS LONG SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE.
26:17WHICH SCHOOLS AND HOME SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT ESA FUNDS FROM FAMILIES?
26:26OH. NO RESTRICTIONS?
26:28ANYONE.
26:29YEAH.
26:29SO I COULD START A SCHOOL WITH NO TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS AND GET MONEY FROM FAMILIES IN ARIZONA
26:38WHO ARE TAXPAYER MONEY.
26:39IF THERE WERE PARENTS CRAZY ENOUGH TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO YOU. THE ASSUMPTION, NOW THIS WAS THE
26:45LEGISLATIVE DECISION, NOT MY PERSONAL DECISION, BUT THE LEGISLATIVE DECISION WAS PARENTS ARE THE
26:50ONES THAT KNOW BEST FOR THEIR KIDS.
26:52HORN ARGUES THAT SCHOOL CHOICE WILL FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO BE BETTER.
26:56I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT COMPETITION IN THE SENSE OF SCHOOLS FAILING.
27:00I'M TALKING ABOUT COMPETITION IN THE SENSE OF ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS BEING MOTIVATED TO
27:04DO THEIR BEST.
27:06AND BY AND LARGE, GOVERNMENT MONOPOLIES ARE NOT EFFICIENT AND OR IN THE CASE OF SCHOOLS,
27:12THEY DON'T NECESSARILY DO THEIR VERY BEST.
27:14ARIZONA STUDENTS HAVE LONG HAD A LOT OF OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT SCHOOLS THEY CAN ATTEND.
27:20BUT ALL OF THOSE CHOICES HAVEN'T NECESSARILY LED TO ACADEMIC GAINS.
27:24ARIZONA IS OFTEN NEAR THE BOTTOM WHEN IT COMES TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
27:28AND THE NEARLY $1 BILLION ESA PROGRAM HAS COME UNDER FIRE FOR WHAT CRITICS SAY IS A LACK OF GUARD RAILS.
27:35SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPETITION, IT'S JUST NOT A FAIR COMPETITION.
27:39RACHEL MAMANI IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IN PHOENIX AND AN ORGANIZER WITH SAVE OUR SCHOOLS ARIZONA,
27:46WHICH HAS BEEN FIGHTING PRIVATIZATION IN SCHOOLS SINCE 2017.
27:50RACHEL MAMANI, If we're talking about using taxpayer dollars and healthy competition,
27:56then we should all be playing by the same rules. They should be accepting every student that presents
28:00to their door, just like in a public school. You should have clear and transparent accountability
28:07for how you use the money.
28:08RACHEL MAMANI, Local news reports have covered various instances of misuse,
28:12and the attorney general's office has convicted several people in connection with schemes to
28:17defraud the voucher program. MAMANI says public dollars should prioritize raising pay for public
28:23school teachers. Arizona also ranks almost last in the nation for per-pupil spending.
28:29I, as a teacher, would love to see 90 percent of the funding being prioritized for our public schools.
28:36THE DEAR VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN NORTHWEST PHOENIX IS AN A-RATED DISTRICT.
28:42BUT EVEN HERE, SUPERINTENDENT CURTIS FINCH SEES WHAT HE CALLS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENTATION
28:48SINCE UNIVERSAL VOUCHERS BECAME AVAILABLE. OFTEN, THE KIDS COME BACK WHEN THE EXPERIMENT FAILS.
28:54WHAT WE FIND IS THAT SINCE THEY AREN'T DOING THE STATE STANDARDS, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERNET
29:00CURRICULUM THAT YOU CAN BUY THAT SAYS, OH, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE STATE STANDARDS.
29:04BUT WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT. AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THE PACE AT WHICH THE
29:11PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT IS UNDER FOR LEARNING. WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY'RE OFTEN BEHIND.
29:16AND SO IT TAKES MORE RESOURCES FOR ME AND MY TEAM.
29:19WHILE THE UNIVERSAL ESA PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO GIVE STUDENTS OF ALL SOCIOECONOMIC
29:25BACKGROUNDS ACCESS TO MORE OPTIONS, SINCE ITS START, THE MAJORITY OF THE ESA PROGRAM'S PARTICIPANTS
29:32HAVE LIVED IN HIGHER-INCOME ZIP COATS. MORE RECENT DATA HAS SHOWN A SLIGHT SHIFT TO MIDDLE-CLASS AREAS.
29:399TH GRADER XAVIER DUDLEY USED TO ATTEND A CHARTER SCHOOL.
29:43I HAD BAD DAYS ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND I WAS ALWAYS GETTING INTO TROUBLE A LOT.
29:48USING ESA FUNDS, HIS MOM, TIFFANY, SWITCHED HIM TO THIS SO-CALLED MICROSCHOOL.
29:54IT WAS LAUNCHED BY THE BLACK MOTHERS FORM TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIONAL SPACE FOR BLACK CHILDREN.
29:59THIS IS A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND SO WITHOUT THAT ESA, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PAY THAT TUITION.
30:04AND SO IT IS ALLOWING ME TO PUT HIM IN THIS SMALLER PRIVATE SCHOOL SETTING,
30:08SO HE CAN GET THAT ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION THAT HE NEEDS,
30:12HAVING SOMEBODY THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE HIM, THAT UNDERSTANDS HIS THOUGHT PROCESS,
30:16AND HELP HIM WALK THROUGH THE EMOTIONS OR WHATEVER ACADEMIC CHALLENGES THAT HE FACES.
30:21HERE, THE STUDENTS LEARN ONLINE IN A CLASSROOM, AND THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM ARE CALLED COACHES,
30:27INSTEAD OF TEACHERS.
30:30IF YOU LOOK AT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY OUT IN ARIZONA, OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT DOING VERY WELL.
30:33THEY ARE FALLING FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND, AND THIS IS WITH OUR CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
30:37DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION THAT YOUR KIDS CAN GET IN ARIZONA?
30:42I THINK IT IS THE BEST FOR MY CHILDREN NOW.
30:45I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE IS A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION,
30:50BECAUSE CHILDREN LEARN DIFFERENTLY.
30:51AS MORE AND MORE PARENTS MAKE THE CHOICE TO FIND BETTER FITS FOR THEIR KIDS,
30:57THE SUPERINTENDENT IN DEER VALLEY, CURTIS FINCH, SAYS HE SEES SCHOOL CHOICE
31:01AS ANOTHER POINT OF POLARIZATION.
31:04I'M THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.
31:06I CAN TELL THEM WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW, BECAUSE I'M LIVING IT.
31:10AND THE WARNING YOU'RE SOUNDING IS WHAT?
31:13WHAT ARE YOU SINGING, CANARY?
31:14YEAH, YEAH.
31:15THE WARNING IS THAT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR OUR SOCIETY.
31:18I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS.
31:20ANY TIME YOU TAKE GROUPS OUT OF SOCIETY AND THEY FORM THEIR OWN SYSTEMS,
31:26IT'S NOT GOOD FOR SOCIETY.
31:28AND WHEN WE DON'T KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS, WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
31:31THAT'S COMING FROM UNPLUGGING FROM THE COMMUNITY SYSTEMS.
31:35AND ONE OF THEM IS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
31:36AFTER DECADES OF DEBATE, THE TIDE IS CLEARLY TURNING TOWARD SCHOOL CHOICE.
31:4218 STATES HAVE NOW FOLLOWED ARIZONA'S LEAD,
31:46EXPANDING THEIR VOUCHER PROGRAMS TO BE UNIVERSAL.
31:49FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR, I'M STEPHANIE SAI.
32:05WELL, IT IS DAY 15 OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN,
32:09ONE OF THE LONGEST LAPSES IN FUNDING IN U.S. HISTORY, WITH NO END IN SIGHT.
32:13AND THE EFFECTS FOR FEDERAL WORKERS ARE FAR REACHING.
32:16HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN FURLOWED.
32:18MANY OTHERS ARE WORKING WITHOUT A PAYCHECK.
32:20AND SOME MAY BE OUT OF WORK PERMANENTLY AFTER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
32:24ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR MASS LAYOFFS, WHICH HAVE BEEN BLOCKED IN COURTS FOR NOW.
32:28NEWSHOUR HAS SPOKEN TO DOZENS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN RECENT DAYS.
32:33MANY WON'T RISK SPEAKING PUBLICLY.
32:35BUT OTHERS WHO ARE PROTECTED BY THEIR POSITIONS WITH WORKERS' UNIONS
32:39ARE SHARING THEIR CONCERNS AND FRUSTRATIONS ABOUT THE SHUTDOWN AND HOW LONG IT'S ALREADY LASTED.
32:45MY NAME IS MIKE GALLETLEY.
32:47I LIVE IN TUELLA, UTAH, AND I WORK FOR THE UNIT STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
32:53AS AN I.T. TECHNICIAN.
32:54MY NAME IS YOLANDA JACOBS.
32:56I WORK WITH THE CDC OUT OF ATLANTA.
32:58MY NAME IS IMELDA AVILA-THOMAS.
33:01I DO WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
33:05MY NAME IS TRIKA HENRY. I WORK FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
33:11AND I LIVE IN LENEXA, KANSAS.
33:13I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF ALL OF THESE WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN.
33:18AND I JUST CAME TO A FOUR-LETTER WORD, HELP.
33:21WE'RE READY TO WORK AND TAKE ON THAT BACKLOG, TAKE ON ALL THAT EXTRA WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN HANDED.
33:28AND THEN NOW WE'RE PUT AT A STANDSTILL.
33:30BEING A FEDERAL WORKER RIGHT NOW IS, IT'S, SORRY, I'M JUST, I'M, WE ARE JUST REALLY TIRED.
33:41WE'RE REALLY TIRED OF GOING THROUGH THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE, YOU KNOW,
33:47WHETHER IT BE A CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR A SHUTDOWN, IT'S JUST, WE ARE NOT POLITICAL PONS.
33:54WE'VE GOT TO STOP TREATING US LIKE POLITICAL PONS. I'M SORRY, LISA.
34:01OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY THAT I KNOW IS CONCERNED ABOUT A RIF.
34:07I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN REALLY CUT MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE.
34:14INSTEAD OF US BEING ABLE TO BREATH PAST ONE INCIDENT BEFORE WE CAN CATCH OUR BREATH,
34:20THERE'S ANOTHER AND THERE'S ANOTHER. AND, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE, WE'RE AT THE SHUTDOWN AND
34:24THE MAJORITY OF US HAVE BEEN FURLOWED.
34:28I RECEIVED MY PAYCHECK ON FRIDAY.
34:30IT WAS A PARTIAL PAYCHECK.
34:32NOW I AM IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME TO PAY NOW
34:39AND WHAT CAN WAIT.
34:40MY HUSBAND IS ALSO NOT GETTING PAID.
34:44HOWEVER, HE IS HAVING TO REPORT TO WORK BECAUSE HE'S AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER.
34:48IT'S SERIOUS EVERY DAY. I THINK, AS EACH DAY GOES BY, THAT I DON'T WORK.
34:54AND EVEN THOUGH MY LETTER SAY GUARANTEED BACKPAY, WHAT'S BEEN THROWN OUT THERE, I DON'T KNOW.
35:01I'M CONCERNED.
35:02I HAVE ALREADY STARTED CUTTING BACK.
35:05AND THAT'S SOMETHING I DID BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY DECIDED WHETHER THERE WOULD ACTUALLY BE A SHUTDOWN
35:11BECAUSE SOMETHING TOLD ME, GO WITH YOUR GUT.
35:13WE'RE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. I'VE GOT A MORTGAGE PAYMENT, JUST LIKE MOST OTHER AMERICANS.
35:17I HAVE A CAR PAYMENT. I'VE GOT A CHILD WHO'S FINISHING COLLEGE.
35:22CUTTING TUTORING FOR MY DAUGHTER WITH DYSLEXIA, YOU KNOW, IT IS NECESSARY.
35:27HOWEVER, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE TO SAVE.
35:31I HATE TO EVEN PUT ON A POT OF SPAGHETTI TOO MANY DAYS IN A ROW.
35:35BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
35:38I WENT AHEAD AND I FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
35:41AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, BUT THAT'S JUST HUMILIATING.
35:48THIS IS ME NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY ADEQUATELY, AND I DIDN'T DO THIS.
36:00YOU KNOW, WE SHOW UP TO DO OUR JOBS EVERY DAY, AND JUST CONGRESS NEEDS TO DO THEIRS.
36:07I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, SAY WHO NEEDS TO BACK DOWN ON WHAT AND WHO NEEDS TO COMPROMISE,
36:13BUT THEY ALL NEED TO GET TO THE TABLE.
36:21WE DON'T DESERVE THIS.
36:31MY PEOPLE DIDN'T DO THIS.
36:35WE JUST WANT TO WORK.
36:37THOSE WERE JUST A FEW OF THE FEDERAL WORKERS AFFECTED BY THIS SHUTDOWN.
36:42FOR A BIGGER LOOK AT HOW MANY WORKERS ARE OFF THE JOB,
36:45LISA DESJARDINS HAS BEEN PIECING TOGETHER THE NUMBERS,
36:47AND SHE'S BACK AT THE SUPER SCREEN TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND.
36:50GOOD TO SEE YOU, LISA.
36:51HELLO.
36:52SO, WALK US THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW.
36:53HOW MUCH OF THE GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY SHUTTERED, AND WHO COULD MISS A PAYCHECK?
36:57ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET SPECIFIC HERE.
36:58AND LET'S START WITH THE CORE OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
37:01THESE ARE CIVILIAN WORKERS.
37:02THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO RUN MOST FEDERAL AGENCIES.
37:05HERE, EACH FIGURE IS 100,000 FEDERAL WORKERS.
37:09SO, ALL TOGETHER, YOU'RE SEEING THE 2.1 MILLION CIVILIAN WORKERS IN OUR FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
37:14HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN FURLOWED?
37:16GOING THROUGH THE AGENCY PLANS FOR THIS SHUTDOWN, IT'S ABOUT 700,000.
37:21THESE FOLKS ARE ALL STAYING HOME, NOT ON THE JOB.
37:24BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS, OF COURSE, MOST OF THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE IS STILL ON THE JOB.
37:29AND THIS IS JUST ONE CHUNK OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
37:33BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE, OF COURSE, ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY.
37:36THAT'S MORE THAN 1 MILLION TROOPS.
37:38NONE OF THESE FOLKS HAVE HAD THEIR PAYCHECKS APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS.
37:43THAT ALSO IS ONE PRESSURE POINT THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
37:46BUT ONE REASON THE PUBLIC MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FEELING THIS SHUTDOWN SO MUCH IS BECAUSE,
37:51LOOK AT THIS, ALL OF THESE FOLKS HERE ARE STILL ON THE JOB.
37:54SO, ONE PRESSURE POINT WE'RE WATCHING FOR IS THE PAY OF THESE MILLIONS OF FEDERAL WORKERS.
38:00LET'S LOOK AT SOME DATES HERE.
38:01TODAY IS A KEY ONE.
38:02THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE MILK ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS WERE SET TO GET THEIR PAY IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS.
38:08NOW, AGAIN, CONGRESS HASN'T APPROPRIATED THIS,
38:10BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DIRECTED THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THIS PAY.
38:14SO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT LAWMAKERS ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
38:17BUT LET'S WATCH NEXT WEEK, AMNA.
38:19THAT'S WHEN THESE MILLIONS OF CIVILIAN WORKERS ARE TO GET THEIR PAYCHECK.
38:23AND RIGHT NOW, THEY WILL GET NOTHING.
38:25THAT WILL BE THEIR FIRST FULL MISSED PAYCHECK FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
38:28LISA, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON THE MASS FIRINGS AS WELL.
38:31WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW LARGE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY HIT?
38:33KEY QUESTIONS.
38:34AND LET'S START WITH SOME CONTEXT.
38:35AGAIN, 2.1 MILLION FEDERAL WORKERS IN THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.
38:40SO, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED FRIDAY 4,100 LAYOFFS.
38:44BUT, WAIT A MINUTE.
38:45OVER THE WEEKEND, THEY RESCINDED 800 OF THEM REVERSING IT.
38:49SO, THIS IS THE NUMBER, AS OF NOW, THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
38:51SAYS IT LAID OFF IN THE PAST FEW DAYS.
38:53THIS IS ALSO THE FIGURE, THESE 3,300 FEDERAL WORKERS,
38:58THAT A FEDERAL JUDGE TODAY PAUSED THE FIRING OF.
39:01SO, WE ULTIMATELY DON'T KNOW THE FATE OF THIS GROUP.
39:03THIS NUMBER MAY LOOK SMALL COMPARED TO THE OVERALL FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
39:07BUT, THIS IS A TARGETED GROUP.
39:09PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID HE'S TARGETING DEMOCRATIC AGENCIES.
39:12WE HAVEN'T EXACTLY KNOWN WHAT THAT MEANT UNTIL NOW.
39:15LET'S LOOK AT THE FIVE AGENCIES THAT HAD THE BIGGEST LAYOFFS HERE.
39:18TREASURY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, HOMELAND SECURITY, AND ENERGY.
39:23WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?
39:24THEY ALL HAVE SUB AGENCIES THAT ARE TAKING LARGE LAYOFFS IN THIS RIFT OR REDUCTION FORCE FROM THE PRESIDENT.
39:31IRS, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN EDUCATION, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS
39:37DIVISIONS, BIG LAYOFFS THERE, AT HOMELAND SECURITY, A CYBER SECURITY SUBAGENCY THAT DEALS WITH INFORMATION
39:44AND MISINFORMATION ON THE INTERNET, AND AT THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT, I JUST CONFIRMED TODAY,
39:49GREEN ENERGY PROGRAMS ARE WHERE THE MASS LAYOFFS HAPPENED THERE.
39:52AGAIN, THE THEME HERE IS TARGETING FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
39:57THESE ARE WHERE HE AND REPUBLICANS HAVE POLICY AND POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS,
40:02SOME OF THESE DIVISIONS BEING NEARLY ELIMINATED.
40:04AMNA?
40:05OF COURSE, THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES.
40:07LISA DESJARDIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
40:09WELCOME.
40:10AND FOR MORE ON THE POLITICS OF THE SHUTDOWN,
40:12WE'RE JOINED NOW BY DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST FAZ SHAKIR AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST DOUG HIGH.
40:17GREAT TO SEE YOU BOTH.
40:18GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
40:19SO THERE IS A REAL DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE PAIN THAT FEDERAL WORKERS ARE EXPERIENCING
40:23AND THE LACK OF URGENCY AMONG LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL.
40:27HOW DO YOU MAKE SENSE OF THAT GAP?
40:28I THINK IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
40:30AND IT'S THAT HISTORY DOESN'T REPEAT ITSELF, BUT IT RIMES.
40:33IF WE GO BACK TO THE 2013 SHUTDOWN, REPUBLICANS SAID,
40:36WE HAVE TO FIGHT OBAMACARE.
40:38WE DIDN'T HAVE A STRATEGY TO LAND A PUNCH,
40:40TO WIN THE ROUND, TO KNOCK DOWN OUR OPPONENT.
40:43AND IT BLEW UP IN OUR FACES.
40:45DEMOCRATS RIGHT NOW, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
40:46WE HAVE TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP. IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE A STRATEGY
40:50TO WIN THE ROUND, TO LAND A PUNCH, TO BEAT TRUMP.
40:53AND SO WE HAVE THIS IMPASSE WHERE YOU HAVE TWO PARTIES THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY
40:56COMMUNICATING TO THEIR BASE.
40:58EVERYBODY WHO WAS IN THAT PACKAGE YOU PLAYED EARLIER IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
41:01OF THESE POLITICS.
41:02AND BOTH SIDES NOT ONLY THINK THEY CAN WIN, THEY THINK THEY ARE WINNING.
41:06NOW, THAT MAY BE AN IMPOSSIBLE THING POLITICALLY FOR BOTH SIDES TO WIN SOMETHING.
41:10BUT IF THERE ARE NO ELECTORAL IMPACTS COME NOVEMBER,
41:13THEY ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN THIS POSITION, AND THIS IS GOING TO GO ON A LOT LONGER.
41:16HOW DO YOU SEE IT, FAZ?
41:17WELL, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SITTING ON THE SIDELINES QUIETLY,
41:20AND I THINK AT THIS POINT DEMOCRATS HAD HOPED THAT HE WOULD BE ENGAGED.
41:22HE HAD THAT ONE MEETING THAT YOU REMEMBER HE BROUGHT
41:25SCHUMER AND JEFFRIES IN, THREW SOME HATS AT THEM APPARENTLY,
41:27AND DID SOME TOMBRERO MEMES AFTER THAT MEETING, AND SINCE THEN HAS REALLY NOT ENGAGED.
41:34AT ONE POINT I REMEMBER A FEW DAYS AGO PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID,
41:37WE'RE HAVING NEGOTIATIONS WITH DEMOCRATS, AND HE QUICKLY HAD TO WALK THAT BACK.
41:41AND THE IRONY OF THIS WHOLE THING IS THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN OFFERING A SOLUTION
41:44THAT WORKS FOR HIM POLITICALLY.
41:45YOU DON'T WANT HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS TO GO UP FOR 20 MILLION PEOPLE,
41:48DO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT?
41:49WE'RE GIVING YOU A WAY OUT.
41:50SO POLITICALLY YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A SOLUTION AT THE TABLE FOR HIM
41:54THAT WORKS AS A WIN-WIN, ACTUALLY.
41:56AND YET, HE'S NOT ENGAGED ON IT.
41:59AND I THINK HE COULD, IF THE PRESIDENT DOES GET ENGAGED,
42:01I THINK YOU COULD END THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.
42:07AND I THINK YOU COULD END THIS PARTY LEADER, ERIC KANTOR, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES
42:10BETWEEN NOW AND THEN?
42:11IN 2013, WE WERE WORKING OUR TAILS OFF.
42:14I REMEMBER THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE SHUTDOWN, I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND HOME IN
42:19NORTH CAROLINA WHO ASKED ME IF I WAS ENJOYING MY VACATION, AND I REPLIED WITH SOME LANGUAGE
42:23I WON'T FULLY REPEAT HERE, BUT I TOLD THEM IT WAS ABOUT 9.30 IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY,
42:27I WAS AT MY DESK, AND EVERY DAY WE WERE HAVING PRESS CONFERENCES AND WE WERE PASSING BILLS.
42:32LET'S KEEP THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OPEN, LET'S KEEP THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OPEN.
42:35MIKE JOHNSON HAS A VERY DIFFERENT CONGRESS, A VERY DIFFERENT CONFERENCE, AND HE'S DOING
42:41THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND I THINK HE ULTIMATELY FEELS, EVERY TIME I SEE HIM DOING A PRESS
42:45CONFERENCE, AND HE'S ALL OVER THE PLACE, BY THE WAY, MORE THAN WE TYPICALLY SEE HIM,
42:49HIS MESSAGE IS A VERY SIMPLE AND DEFENSIBLE ONE.
42:52LET'S NOT HOLD THE GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE.
42:54WE'VE ALREADY PASSED THIS.
42:55LET'S JUST MOVE FORWARD.
42:56WE SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN DOING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
42:59AND THE BALL'S IN THE SENATE'S COURT.
43:03THE INTERESTING THING HERE IS, LEGISLATIVELY, THE SENATE, THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS,
43:06HAS PROBABLY BEEN MORE PRODUCTIVE IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST YEAR.
43:10WELL, THEY'VE BEEN PRESENT IN WASHINGTON IN A WAY THAT THE HOUSE HASN'T.
43:14AND THE POLITICS FADS FOR DEMOCRATS HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY,
43:17CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SPRING WHEN THEY CAUGHT SO MUCH BLOWBACK FOR AVOIDING A SHUTDOWN.
43:22WELL, THEY GOT THE RIGHT ISSUE.
43:24I MEAN, YOU THINK OF THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT MOST AMERICANS ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS
43:27UNAFFORDABILITY, COSTS OF LIVING.
43:29WE'RE SEEING IT PLAY OUT IN THE NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL,
43:31WHICH WILL PROPEL I THINK ZARAMAMDATI TO WINNING THAT ELECTION.
43:34AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT'S GOING ON IS BECAUSE,
43:36YOU KNOW, THEY GOT THE ISSUE OF HEALTHCARE COSTS ARE GOING TO GO UP THROUGH THE ROOF UNNECESSARILY,
43:40RIGHT?
43:40YOU COULD HAVE RESOLVED THIS IN ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.
43:43THEY DID NOT.
43:43NOW HERE WE ARE SITTING ON POTENTIALLY A VERY GOOD SIMPLE SOLUTION.
43:47I'M SURE DOUG AND I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN.
43:49WE COULD EASILY RESOLVE IT, RIGHT?
43:50THAT THE SOLUTION IS THERE.
43:51YOU JUST SAY WE'RE GOING TO REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.
43:53YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO ATTACH THE ACA SUBSIDIES TO THE REOPENING OF THE GOVERNMENT,
43:56BUT YOU AGREE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A VOTE HELD RIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY AFTER IT,
43:59RIGHT?
44:00SO THAT YOU REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE A VOTE ON ACA SUBSIDIES.
44:02I GUARANTEE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS A SIMPLE ENOUGH SOLUTION THAT ALL SIDES CAN COME TOGETHER ON.
44:07THERE'S A NEW NEW YORK TIMES ANALYSIS THAT LOOKS AT THE WAY THE ADMINISTRATION IS USING
44:12THE SHUTDOWN TO PUSH THROUGH LONG-DESIRED FIRINGS OF FEDERAL WORKERS AND TO REALLY
44:17SQUEEZE POLICY AND AGENDA ITEMS IN DEMOCRATIC-LED DISTRICTS.
44:21ACCORDING TO THIS ANALYSIS, MORE THAN $27 BILLION IN HALTED FEDERAL GRANTS HAVE BEEN IN DEMOCRATIC AREAS,
44:27COMPARED TO JUST 739 ROUGHLY MILLION DOLLARS IN REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS.
44:33WHAT'S YOUR READ OF THIS, DUCK?
44:34YOU KNOW, OBAMA DID SOME OF THIS IN 2013,
44:36BUT IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A COKE ZERO VERSION
44:38OF WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO DO AND HAS DONE.
44:40AND WHAT SURPRISES ME ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVEN'T LEARNED SOME OF OUR LESSONS.
44:45WHEN YOU HAVE THE MESSAGE OF FIGHT BEFORE YOU HAVE A STRATEGY FOR WHAT THAT IS,
44:49IN A SHUTDOWN, YOU GIVE A PRESIDENT MORE POWER.
44:52BARACK OBAMA HAD MORE POWER.
44:54GEORGE BUSH DURING SHUTDOWNS.
44:55WHOEVER THE PRESIDENT IS GETS MORE POWER OF WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO.
44:59SO BY HAVING A MESSAGE OF FIGHT, DEMOCRATS ARE GIVING DONALD TRUMP
45:02A LOT MORE POWER TO DO THINGS THAT THEY DON'T WANT HIM TO DO.
45:05THAT SHOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR THEM.
45:07WHAT ABOUT THAT?
45:08FROM THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, THIS GUY'S ALREADY AMASSED POWER THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE.
45:11HE'S BEEN ACTING ILLEGALLY IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS,
45:14FIRING FEDERAL WORKERS WELL BEFORE THIS POINT.
45:16SO I DON'T THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES,
45:18YOU WOULD BE CONCERNED, OH, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT UNDUE POWER.
45:21THIS IS NOT A PRESIDENT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT.
45:23SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT YOU'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT.
45:25HOW DO I MESSAGE TO PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR YOU?
45:28I MEAN, YOU'VE LOOKED AT THESE DISTRICTS.
45:29I THINK 80% OF THE ACA PREMIUM INCREASE WILL HIT PLACES THAT VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP,
45:33STATES THAT HE WON.
45:34AND YOU'RE TALKING TO THOSE PEOPLE AND SAYING,
45:37THIS PRESIDENT IS NOT FOCUSED ON YOU AND YOUR NEEDS.
45:40AND WE HAVE A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION ON THE TABLE.
45:43I THINK THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION ON THIS BEARS WELL OVER TIME, BY THE WAY.
45:46AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT'S WHEN THE TAX SUBSIDIES EXPIRE.
45:50IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR OF CONGRESS,
45:52THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 30 LEGISLATIVE DAYS LEFT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
45:55SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SOLVE FOR THIS, MIKE JOHNSON?
45:57WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SOLVE FOR THIS?
45:58THERE'S ONLY A SMALL PERIOD OF TIME.
46:00AND I THINK THE DEMOCRATIC ARGUMENT JUST GETS STRONGER AND STRONGER,
46:03ESPECIALLY AS PEOPLE GET THESE NOTICES THAT THEIR PREMIUMS ARE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH THE ROOF.
46:06THERE'S A QUESTION I'VE BEEN PUTTING TO DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WHO COME ON THE PROGRAM.
46:10I'LL ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.
46:11IS THERE ANYTHING THAT DEMOCRATS CAN LEARN FROM THE WAY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
46:15HAS BEEN PLAYING HARDBALL ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND APPLY IT TO HOW THEY MIGHT GOVERN IF
46:20THEY EVER RECLAIM THE WHITE HOUSE OR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP?
46:23LISTEN, I MEAN, USING EXECUTIVE POWER, HE HAS PUT THE BULLY IN THE BULLY PULPIT.
46:28AND I DON'T AGREE WITH HIS VALUES, BUT WHEN YOU SAY HE TAKES STAKE IN INTEL,
46:32HE TAKES SOME STAKE IN RARE EARTH MINERAL COMPANIES,
46:35HE GOES AFTER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS, HE BULLIES MEDIA COMPANIES KNOW WELL.
46:40I DON'T AGREE WITH THE VALUES, BUT IMAGINE IF YOU HAD A BETTER VALUES ORIENTATION,
46:43AND YOU PUT THE BULLY BACK IN BULLY PULPIT AND SAID,
46:45WE HAVE CERTAIN OUTCOMES WE NEED TO IMPROVE FOR WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE'S LIVES.
46:49AND I SEE THE ROLE OF A PRESIDENT TO ASSERT IT AGGRESSIVELY AND TO URGE YOU,
46:53NOT ACTING UNLAWFULLY, BUT TO URGE YOU WITH MY VALUES AND WITH MY PUBLIC ARGUMENT
46:58THAT I'M GOING TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR. A LOT CAN BE DONE.
47:01AND CERTAINLY TRUMP HAS SHOWED THE WAY FOR HOPEFULLY A NEXT DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT TO SAY,
47:05YOU KNOW, YOU'VE LAID THE TABLE FOR US TO ACT IN WAYS THAT IMPROVE THE LIVES OF REGULAR WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE
47:10IN WAYS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE BEFORE.
47:11THERE IS NO OFF-RAMP IN SIGHT FOR ENDING THIS SHUTDOWN.
47:15THEY'RE NOT EVEN TALKING, THE DIFFERENT PARTIES. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO GO?
47:19IT'LL GO PAST HALLOWEEN. FOR ME, I THINK MAYBE ONE OF THE PRESSURE POINTS MAYBE
47:22WHEN WE GET TO VETERANS' DAY, ESPECIALLY IF VETERANS' PAY OR PAY FOR OUR MILITARY BECOMES AN ISSUE.
47:28BUT NEITHER SIDE SEES A REASON TO BACK DOWN RIGHT NOW.
47:30THEY BOTH FEEL NOT ONLY RIGHT IN THEIR CAUSE, BUT RIGHTEOUS IN THEIR CAUSE,
47:33WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO INCENTIVE AT THIS POINT FOR THEM TO MOVE TOGETHER AT ALL.
47:37I MEAN, I WAS TALKING, YOU SAID, WHAT COULD YOU LEARN FROM TRUMP?
47:41YOU TOOK STAKE IN INTEL, RIGHT? YOU COULD JUST TAKE STAKE IN UNITED HEALTH GROUP.
47:45HERE'S A COMPANY THAT'S DEPRIVING PEOPLE OF HEALTH CARE.
47:47YOU KNOW, LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE IN THIS YEAR UNNECESSARILY.
47:50THAT, TO MY MIND, FIX A UNITED HEALTH GROUP, FIX A BROKEN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
47:55THIS IS THE PATH FOR DEMOCRATS TO REGAIN THEIR FOOTING ON HOW YOU FIGHT FOR REGULAR WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE
48:00AND CARVE INTO SOME OF THE SUPPORT THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS PREVIOUSLY HELD.
48:03BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FEELING LET DOWN.
48:04THIS ISN'T WHAT I VOTED FOR.
48:06HE IS NOT FOCUSED ON COST OF LIVING NEEDS THAT I CARE MOST ABOUT.
48:08FAST SHAKIR, DOUG HIGH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.
48:11THANK YOU.
48:11GREAT CONVERSATION.
48:11THANK YOU.
48:19THIS WEEK, A GROUP OF COUNTRIES MAY APPROVE WHAT IS WIDELY SEEN AS THE FIRST CARBON TAX ON
48:34THE GLOBAL SHIPPING INDUSTRY.
48:35THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION IS POISED TO APPROVE NEW LEVIES ON SHIPS FOR
48:40THEIR EMISSIONS.
48:41PAYMENTS WOULD BECOME MANDATORY NEAR THE END OF THE DECADE AND ARE DESIGNED TO GET COMPANIES
48:46TO CUT BACK EMISSIONS SUBSTANTIALLY BY MID-CENTURY.
48:49BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ARGUES IT'S A HARMFUL TAX AND IS THREATENING TARIFFS.
48:54WILLIAM BRANGHAM HAS A LOOK NOW AT A KEY BUSINESS PLAYER WHO'S ATTRACTING ATTENTION
48:58FOR HIS EFFORTS TO MAKE THAT INDUSTRY AND OTHERS GREENER.
49:03SAILING INTO NEW YORK HARBOR, IT MAY LOOK UNREMARKABLE,
49:06BUT THE GREEN PIONEER IS A SHIP WITH A DIFFERENCE.
49:10IT'S THE FIRST CARGO SHIP PARTIALLY POWERED BY GREEN AMMONIA,
49:14A CARBON-FREE FUEL THAT SOME SAY COULD HELP DECARBONIZE THE NOTORIOUSLY
49:19DIRTY GLOBAL SHIPPING INDUSTRY.
49:21THAT INDUSTRY'S TRAFFIC MAKES UP 3% OF ALL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS,
49:26WHICH IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE POLLUTION OF FRANCE OR ENGLAND.
49:29WE CAN GET SUN, WIND, WATER, OR YOU GET TO MAKE AMMONIA. THAT'S IT.
49:38Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest is the force behind the green pioneer,
49:43and he is a surprising climate activist. Forrest runs Fortescue, one of the world's largest iron
49:49ore mining companies. But, three years ago, he pledged to eliminate nearly all carbon emissions from
49:55his operations by 2030. As soon as we worked out that there is a way and that technology development
50:02was totally on our side, but we could go, if you like, fully green, we could stop burning fossil
50:08fuel. There are economically powerful, profitable solutions for you to stop burning fossil fuel.
50:14So why keep doing it?
50:16WILLIAM BRANGHAM Forrest now travels the world, evangelizing this message,
50:20meeting with everyone from legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle to world leaders.
50:26That included a stop last month in New York, during the United Nations General Assembly,
50:31where he publicly criticized President Trump's speech to the U.N.,
50:35where Trump belittled the facts of climate change and efforts to address it.
50:39DR. DONALD TRUMP, President of the United Nations General Assembly, President of the United Nations
50:41It's the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion.
50:46If you don't get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.
50:51I want to say to the President, you had no basis of fact to make that statement.
50:57No matter how many times someone must repeat a lie, it doesn't change it to a truth. It's still a lie.
51:04And I don't mean my comments to be offensive. I think you will see the adoption of green energy,
51:11simply because it's in the best interest of the American people to have a lower cost of power.
51:16So for the same money, they can have a higher standard of living.
51:19WILLIAM BRANGHAM At Fortescue,
51:21Forrest is deploying the full suite of renewable technologies, including solar and wind farms,
51:27newly engineered battery powered trains and long haul trucks. The company just announced layoffs
51:33in the U.K. and Australia, and will instead outsource more from other countries, including China.
51:39WILLIAM BRANGHAM Forrest is frequently attacked by other mining and fossil fuel
51:44interests for his stance on green energy. He was also just mentioned in a defamation case brought
51:50by ExxonMobil in California, where the oil giant is suing the state and some activist groups he funds
51:57of smearing the company.
51:58WILLIAM BRANGHAM Forrest, Forrest is frequently attacked by other mining and fossil fuel interests,
51:59for his stance on green energy. He was also just mentioned in a defamation case brought by ExxonMobil in California,
52:04to change our course. We have everything on our side. All you can do is hide the truth.
52:10OK? The truth is going to win out. You might delay it, but that's the best you can do.
52:16WILLIAM BRANGHAM So how did a mining executive,
52:23a man whose past carbon footprint is likely bigger than some small island nations,
52:28end up a climate advocate? Forrest says it was two things. One, after studying for a Ph.D. in ocean
52:35ecology a decade ago, he learned the true extent of the climate crisis. And, two, the rapid evolution
52:41of green energy technology convinced the capitalist in him that he could make a difference and make a profit.
52:48WILLIAM BRANGHAM All of this ecosystem of creating 24-7 energy, but the cheapest in human history.
52:57Unapologetically green. Why green? Not because we're woke, but because we are ruthlessly good business
53:05people. And we are taking the best choice to create the greatest margin for our shareholders and our
53:12countries. WILLIAM BRANGHAM Sailing his ammonia-powered ship into New York was another part of Forrest's
53:18Clean Energy pitch. He also wanted to pressure delegates who were about to vote at the International
53:23Maritime Organization, the IMO, on new binding clean emissions standards for the shipping industry.
53:31The Trump administration has been trying to block them,
53:33arguing they would help China and harm U.S. consumers.
53:36WILLIAM BRANGHAM When I found that the U.S. were threatening countries
53:40who were going to vote for the IMO with visa denials, with tariffs, with economic coercion,
53:47then I thought, I'm going to sail the Green Pioneer straight into the United Nations General Assembly
53:53city for climate week, and we're going to prove that green shipping is already here.
53:58WILLIAM BRANGHAM The Green Pioneer, the little ship that can,
54:02is now sailing to Brazil for the next United Nations climate conference set to begin next month.
54:08For the PBS NewsHour, I'm William Brangham.
54:12WILLIAM BRANGHAM Remember, there's a lot more online, including a look at the feud that's been brewing
54:28over House Speaker Mike Johnson's refusal to swear in Congress's newest Democratic member
54:33during the government shutdown. That is on our Instagram.
54:36WILLIAM BRANGHAM And that is the NewsHour for tonight.
54:38I'm Jeff Bennett.
54:39WILLIAM BRANGHAM And I'm Amna Nawaz.
54:40On behalf of the entire NewsHour team, thank you for joining us.
54:43WILLIAM BRANGHAM Major funding for the PBS NewsHour has been provided by
54:55Friends of the NewsHour, including Jim and Nancy Bildner,
54:59and the Robert and Virginia Schiller Foundation.
55:01WILLIAM BRANGHAM Certified financial planner professionals are proud to support PBS NewsHour.
55:06CFP professionals are committed to acting in their clients' best interests.
55:09More information at letsmakeaplan.org.
55:12WILLIAM BRANGHAM In 1995, two friends set out to make wireless coverage accessible to all.
55:18With no long-term contracts, nationwide coverage, and 100% U.S.-based customer support.
55:24Consumer Cellular, Freedom Calls.
55:26WILLIAM BRANGHAM And with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.
55:42WILLIAM BRANGHAM This program was made possible by the contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.
56:00contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you.
56:11This is PBS NewsHour West from the David M. Rubenstein Studio at WETA in Washington
56:16and from our bureau at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
56:30You're watching PBS.
Comments