GEOFF BENNETT: Good evening. I'm Geoff Bennett. AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz. On the "NewsHour" tonight: Iran accuses Israel
of striking its consulate in Damascus, Syria, a potential major escalation
of the regional conflict. GEOFF BENNETT: We speak with the
former official who ran the Pentagon investigation into Havana Syndrome
among U.S. government personnel. AMNA NAWAZ: And Michigan's Governor
Gretchen Whitmer on Democrats' push to protect reproductive rights
in this critical election
year. GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): We know that
abortion rights, reproductive rights are in threat all across the country, as we have
the prospect of a potential second Trump term. (BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "NewsHour." There is an escalation of tension in the Middle
East tonight beginning in Damascus, Syria. AMNA NAWAZ: Earlier today, warplanes attacked a
building inside Iran's consulate complex there and killed some of the most senior members of Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Cor
ps. And, tonight, there are reports of new attacks on international ships
in the Red Sea and a base in Southern Israel. Nick Schifrin is here now, has
been following all of this. So, Nick, let's begin with Damascus. What do
we know about what happened there this morning? NICK SCHIFRIN: An official with knowledge of the
operation tells me that Israel attacked inside Damascus, killing three senior Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, including Brigadier General Mohammad
Reza Zahedi.
That is Zahedi there. This is the most significant strike
against the IRGC since the U.S. killed Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.
You can actually see Soleimani there on the left in the suit. And this photo
shows a lot, in this photo as well. Zahedi was extremely important to Iran's
efforts in both Syria and Lebanon. That is actually Qasem Soleimani's successor
right there. Zahedi was the point man with Iran-backed Hezbollah who oversaw
financing in both Syria and Lebanon, as well as
shipments of Iranian
weapons into Syria and Lebanon. Also killed was Zahedi's deputy, Mohammad Hadi
Hajriahimi. So you see him there, Hajriahimi, there. Essentially what happened today
is the decapitation of IRGC leadership in Syria and Lebanon. It wasn't only the
targets, Amna. It was also the location. You see that there inside Iran's consulate
in Damascus. That is the first time that Iranian sovereign territory inside Syria has been
struck, apparently by Israel. Now, I should say, the
official with knowledge of the operation told
me that there was not a diplomatic building, but, nonetheless, a very significant strike against
Iran's longtime efforts in Lebanon and Syria. AMNA NAWAZ: Nick, as you know better than most, there's always the concern about rising
tensions, escalating violence here. Has there been any kind of response yet? NICK SCHIFRIN: By Iran, absolutely. So, as you suggested at the top, there has been
confirmation by Israel of an attack in Southern Israel in
Eilat on a naval base there,
believed -- an Israeli official tells me, believed from Yemen, from Houthis in Yemen.
And we are also tracking reports both of a Houthi attack on international ships
off the coast of Yemen -- that would be the first time in a few days --
and a possible strike on Al-Tanf. That is the U.S. base in Syria that
has not been attacked since February. AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, we know senior
U.S. and Israeli officials also met today about Israel's plans for a potential
o
peration in Rafah, in Gaza. What do we know? NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes. So, President Biden, senior national
security aides and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's senior
national security aides met virtually today to talk about this operation in
Rafah. The U.S. does not want a major Israeli operation into Rafah, where
some 1.4 million Gazans have fled, but where Hamas' final four battalions are
hiding amongst that population in Rafah. Israel says there's no way to win the war without
def
eating those battalions. But what the U.S. wants is a much more targeted operation. Both
sides saying tonight they have the same objective, but the U.S. side expressed its concern and
the Israeli side agreed to take those concerns. AMNA NAWAZ: Nick Schifrin with the very latest. Nick, thank you very much. NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you. GEOFF BENNETT: For the last decade, American
diplomatic law enforcement and intelligence personnel have suffered grievous, often
life-altering injuries in the line
of duty. No guns or bombs or rockets were involved.
Many say they felt attacked by sound. That's debilitating waves of sound and pressure that
have left them with traumatic brain injuries, vertigo and other physical ailments grouped
under the government designation of anomalous health incidents. You may know it by
a different name, Havana Syndrome. Last evening, CBS News' "60 Minutes" reported more on this story and assigned blame to a
foreign adversary of the U.S., Russia. For perspective
, let's bring in Retired Army
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Edgreen. He ran an investigation at the Defense Intelligence
Agency about the sources of Havana Syndrome. He's now the founder and CEO of Advanced Echelon.
That's an organization that takes care of Havana Syndrome survivors and their families and works
to pursue those responsible for the attacks. Thank you for being with us. You have said that you are confident that Russia is behind these attacks.
What informs that confidence? GREGORY
EDGREEN, CEO and Founder,
Advanced Echelon LLC: I just went off of a large body of open-source reporting. You can go to The Insider. They put out a great
piece recently, along with Der Spiegel. There's a lot of arrows pointing to Moscow right
now. And I suggest you guys talk to some of the survivors, because they will give you some
very key insights into their backgrounds, what they were doing, things they were working on. It all paints a very clear picture to the
layperson about who could
be responsible for this. GEOFF BENNETT: You ran the military
investigation into Havana Syndrome. You told "60 Minutes" that the bar
for proof was set impossibly high. Tell me more about that. What was
the bar of proof and what was the motivation behind elevating it, in your view? GREGORY EDGREEN: Yes, Geoff, so I can't get
into specifics based on classification levels. What I can tell you is that, from my perspective, things and requirements from higher
levels of the government seemed to c
hange quickly. And you have to contact
those officials still inside the government to figure out why they were changing certain
requirements for the intelligence community. But I can tell you that this problem is not
going to get better with time. We need to address it head on. And, most importantly,
we need to start taking care of the Havana Syndrome survivors and their families. It's
about time to take action. And that time is now. GEOFF BENNETT: As we mentioned, you retired
from the Arm
y to start a company that helps the Havana Syndrome survivors. I
imagine every case is different. But, generally speaking, how are they
faring, the folks that you work with? GREGORY EDGREEN: They're not doing well.
They continue to see government products, such as the recent NIH reports, or
intelligence community assessments that basically gaslight them and tell
them that their problems don't exist. But we have been here before. This
happened with the Moscow Signal for decades. This has ha
ppened with
PTSD. This has also happened with Agent Orange. We need to start taking
care of people that signed up to protect America and America's values and their
interests abroad, because, if we don't, America's eyes are going to be blinded and our
ears deafened in every embassy across the globe. GEOFF BENNETT: Our Nick Schifrin reached
out to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for a response in
regards to this reporting by "60 Minutes." And they directed reporters to pr
evious
remarks by director Avril Haines, part of which read this way: "Most
I.C.," or intelligence community, "elements now have concluded that it is
very unlikely that a foreign adversary is responsible for the reported AHIs,
anomalous health incidents. And there are different degrees of confidence associated
with that. At the same time, we are going to be and continue to be vigilant about looking for
information that undercuts those assumptions." What's your reaction to that statement? G
REGORY EDGREEN: I would ask whoever
wrote that statement to watch the "60 Minutes" episode and to read The
Insider's recent reporting on it. It paints a very clear picture
to most Americans. And it also lists some clear evidence that's been
uncovered with open-source reporting. GEOFF BENNETT: Do you believe the
federal government is covering this up? GREGORY EDGREEN: I won't get into
discussions of cover-ups and conspiracies. But what I will say is that hundreds
of families have been impa
cted, and this is also affecting our national
security. It needs to be addressed. GEOFF BENNETT: So, one of the survivors who
spoke to "60 Minutes," she's an FBI agent who was identified as Carrie. She referred to this attack
as being the result of next-generation weaponry. And she said that she and the other survivors,
she viewed them as being test subjects. And yet, as I understand it, the federal government
has not been able to pinpoint or replicate whatever this weapon is. Can you
help
us understand more about that? GREGORY EDGREEN: I believe what the survivor
was referring to was a directed energy weapon. And I imagine after this "60 Minutes"
episode aired and recent Insider reporting, there's going to be an avalanche of FOIA
requests to uncover what the government knows and research that has done on this,
what countries are using these technologies. But one might just go to Google and search
for directed energy weapons in Russian and see what comes up. You can -- there
's plenty of
examples of President Putin pinning on of medals and various awards to Russian scientists
in the field of directed energy weapons. Look at the comments that he made in
September about fielding more directed energy weapons. And also look at the
national security adviser in Moscow, what he said in the Rozniki (ph) article
in September of 2023 about how Moscow has successfully removed hundreds of U.S. intelligence
officers from the field in the past decade. I'd like to know more
about that. GEOFF BENNETT: That is retired Army
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Edgreen. Thanks for your insights, and
thanks for your time this evening. GREGORY EDGREEN: Thank you, Geoff. Take care. AMNA NAWAZ: In the day's other news: Israeli
forces withdrew from Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa, after a two-week battle
that left much of the area in ruins. The U.N. health agency said more than 20
patients died. The Israelis denied that claim, but said they killed and detained hundreds of
Ham
as fighters and others. By today, mangled buildings and piles of rubble spread across
the hospital complex and surrounding blocks. Palestinian patients said Israeli forces allowed
them only limited supplies amid the strikes. BARRA AL-SHAWISH, Al Shifa Hospital Patient
(through translator): They let in a very small amount of food. We were 150 patients and 50
medical staff members. It was not sufficient at all. No treatment, no medicine and bombing for
24 hours that immense destruction to the
hospital. AMNA NAWAZ: The Israeli military said
some Hamas fighters had barricaded themselves inside hospital wards and others
launched mortar rounds into the complex. In the meantime, ships carrying some 400
tons of food and supplies arrived off Northern Gaza today. They left from Cyprus on
Saturday, organized by the United Arab Emirates and a Spanish charity for the more than one
million Palestinians on the brink of famine. In Israel, anti-government protesters lingered
in Jerusalem tod
ay after tens of thousands turned out over the weekend. Hundreds
slept in tents outside the parliament building overnight demanding a hostage
deal with Hamas and early elections, insisting that Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu must go. GUY PORAN, Israeli Protester: If good leaders
or a new coalition is not taking over, we are doomed. We cannot imagine him not being replaced,
because we are -- he's driving us to the abyss. AMNA NAWAZ: Also today, Ultra-Orthodox
Israeli Jews protested the e
nd of their military exemptions after an Israeli
Supreme Court decision. The issue could divide Netanyahu's coalition,
which includes Ultra-Orthodox parties. Turkey's political opposition is celebrating
sweeping wins in Sunday's local elections. The center-left Republican People's Party kept
control of mayor seats in Istanbul and Ankara and even scored victories in more conservative
provinces. Opposition supporters said the gains inspire hope for change, especially as
the country grapples
with economic turmoil. AYSE POPLATA, Opposition Supporter
(through translator): To be honest, we woke up to a good day. I believe the results
will be beneficial for our country. We all live on the same land. I am sure everyone will do
whatever they can for our happiness, our peace. AMNA NAWAZ: Back in this country,
the Florida Supreme Court upheld a ban on abortions after 15 weeks
of pregnancy. That, in turn, could pave the way for the state to enact a
stricter ban after six weeks of pregn
ancy. At the same time, the High Court today allowed a referendum on abortion rights
to go before voters in November. California is drying out from destructive
downpours over Easter weekend. In Big Sur, the deluge caused a chunk of the iconic
Highway 1 to collapse into the sea. Some people were stranded before police
began escorting them out on Sunday. Forecasters say the storm will dump more
rain and snow as it moves east this week. Most fast-food workers in California will earn
$20 an ho
ur after the state's new minimum wage law took effect today. California has
more than 500,000 fast-food workers, and many are adults supporting families in a
state with a notoriously high cost of living. The law applies to fast-food chains
with at least 60 locations nationwide. At the White House, officials say the
annual Easter egg roll brought out an expected 40,000 people despite a delay
for thunder and lightning. After that, children in raincoats and boots set to rolling
their hard-boi
led eggs across the lawn, and some even got a helping hand from the president
himself. The tradition goes back to 1878. On Wall Street today, strong
manufacturing data undercut hopes for interest rate cuts. The
Dow Jones industrial average lost 240 points to close at 39566. The Nasdaq
rose 17 points. The S&P 500 slipped 10. And the last known survivor of the USS
Arizona battleship, Lou Conter, has died in California. He was a Navy quartermaster when
the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on De
cember 7, 1941. The Arizona exploded and sank, killing
nearly 1,200 sailors and Marines. Conter, eventually flew 200 combat missions and
survived being shot down. He was 102 years old. Still to come on the "NewsHour": Tamara Keith
and Amy Walter break down the latest political headlines; a look at why access to government
nutrition programs varies across the United States; and a Rhode Island artist fuses design
and accessory, creating art you can carry. GEOFF BENNETT: The U.S. Coast Guard h
as opened
a temporary alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris at the site of the
collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Over the weekend, one of the largest floating
cranes on the East Coast arrived to the site, capable of lifting up to 1,000
tons. But before it can start removing steel and concrete,
officials have difficult work, like removing a section of the steel
bridge that's draped over the cargo ship. Today, Maryland Governor Wes Moore explained
how larg
e of an undertaking the cleanup is. GOV. WES MOORE (D-MD): We're talking about
a situation where a portion of the bridge beneath the water has been described
by unified command as chaotic wreckage. Every time someone goes in the water, they are taking a risk. Every time
we move a piece of the structure, the situation could become even more dangerous.
We have to move fast, but we cannot be careless. GEOFF BENNETT: President Biden
is expected to underscore the government's commitment when
he
visits the area on Friday. For more on the recovery efforts, we're
joined by one of the key people in charge, Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, commanding
general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Thanks so much for coming in. LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON, Commander,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Geoff, thank you for having us on the program. If I could just begin by saying on
behalf of all the men and women in the United States Army, certainly all the
men and women in Army Corps of Enginee
rs, our thoughts are with those families
who lost loved ones in this terrible accident. We're going to do everything in
our part to help the governor achieve his number one priority, which is to return
those loved ones to their families. GEOFF BENNETT: Absolutely. How are you and your team approaching the
Herculean task of reopening that main channel, that main shipping lane? Walk us through
the process that you have envisioned. LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON: Right. So, President Biden called me
shortly after the
bridge collapsed and wanted us to know that the Army Corps of Engineers' number one priority in
this mission was to reopen that federal navigation channel. Geoff, we're really going about this in
three steps. We know that channel is 700-feet-wide by 50-feet-deep. And we know we have a large
section of steel truss bisecting that channel. We have to get that very heavy truss out of the
channel, and then we have to get the concrete, the reinforcing bar, containers, any other
wreckage
that's at the bottom of the channel off the floor. When these ships, like the Dali, come into the
Port of Baltimore, they're drafting 48-and-a-half feet, and I just told you the bottom of that
channel is 50 feet deep. That's only 12 to 18 inches of clearance, and that's why it's important
that we have a clean floor of that channel. And then the second step, we will work with
the Coast Guard and their counterparts. We have to move the Dali. That's right on the
lip of that federal n
avigation channel. We have to refloat that vessel and get it to
a safe portion of the harbor. And what that will allow us to do is restore normal two-way
traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore. And then finally, we have to get the concrete, the asphalt, and the remaining
structure off of the river bottom. GEOFF BENNETT: And the stretch of bridge
that remains draped across the cargo ship, that weighs something like 4,000 tons? LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON: That's correct. GEOFF BENNETT: How
long might this process take? LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON: What
we're doing right now is, we're going through the math on each one of
those members for that particular portion of the structure. And if you can imagine
each one of those beams like a rubber band, when we go to cut that rubber band, that
steel, it will respond in the same manner. But instead of snapping like a rubber band, think of thousands of tons of force. So we
want to know how it's going to behave before we put that first div
er or that first steel
worker up next to that beam to make a cut. So we're doing all that math and analysis now
around tables around Baltimore. And our teams are also placing gauges on all of those steel
members, so we understand the forces that are at play. As you mentioned, as soon as we cut
one member, all of those forces redistribute, and we have to go back and re-engineer and
re-analyze before we make that next cut. GEOFF BENNETT: This incident is obviously
unparalleled, but are there
any previous Army Corps Projects that can inform the
work that you need to do in Baltimore? LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON: Certainly, back in
2007, the Corps was very much involved with the recovery of the I-35 collapse in Minneapolis
over the Mississippi River. And we have gone back and looked at lessons learned and things
that we can take forward to this mission. But I think, more recently, our ongoing
recovery of the Maui wildfires,when we started off on that effort, we did
not know if all t
he casualties had been found. And it's much the same today.
We know we still have four workers missing, and we have to take a lot of care and
a lot of diligence into our planning. GEOFF BENNETT: Do you have all of the
resources and equipment that you need? LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON: We have everything
that we need to accomplish this mission. GEOFF BENNETT: Lieutenant Spellmon, we appreciate you coming in, and our best
to you and your team there. Thank you. LT. GEN. SCOTT SPELLMON:
Thank you,
Geoff. Thank you. AMNA NAWAZ: Since Roe v. Wade was
overturned by the Supreme Court, Democratic leaders have worked to protect
reproductive rights in their states. In Michigan, voters enshrined abortion rights
in the state's constitution in 2022. And the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has pushed
for several reproductive rights measures. Just today, she signed new laws protecting IVF and
decriminalizing surrogacy contracts in the state. Governor Whitmer joins us now. Governor, welcome
back to the
"NewsHour." Thanks for joining us. GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Good to be with you. AMNA NAWAZ: So, today's bill takes one really
big step when it comes to surrogacy. It lifts a ban on compensated surrogacy that's
been in place in Michigan since 1988. But there are IVF protections you
also signed into law. Why were those necessary? Are IVF treatments currently
at risk or under threat in Michigan? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Well,
we know that abortion rights, reproductive rights,
are in
threat all across the country. As we have the prospect of a
potential second Trump term, we thought it was very important for us to
be very clear IVF is something that we value, that we protect here in Michigan. And we
wanted Michigan to finally get on the right side of the law when it came to letting
people create families through surrogacy. We were the only state out of -- in
the whole nation that criminalized this way of creating a family. So in Michigan, we want Michigan women a
nd their families
to be able to decide when and if they bear a child and what way they go about creating
their family. All those rights are important. AMNA NAWAZ: I think a lot of folks
will remember the February Alabama court ruling that really put IVF
back in the national spotlight. But it's worth reminding folks, too, it was
Republican lawmakers who stepped in very quickly to take steps to protect IVF in Alabama.
And since then, a number of Republican leaders, former President Trump amo
ng them, have
come out and said that they support IVF. By taking this action today, are you
saying that you don't believe them? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Well, listen, let me
just tell you what happened here in Michigan. We put this measure before the Michigan
legislature, and only two Republicans voted for it. I think that's a really important message,
right, when you have got the standard-bearer for the Republican Party who has changed his
position abortion many times, who appointed the thr
ee Supreme Court justices that gave
us the Dobbs decision in an overruled row. We cannot trust where they are at on any of
these reproductive freedoms, whether it's creating a family through surrogacy or IVF,
or it is the right to make your own decisions about your body and whether and when they bear
a child, or even the access to contraception. And one thing I would add too, Amna, is
that we know that this extension could be applied to things like embryonic
stem cell research. That means
cures, the race for cures for things like
Alzheimer's or juvenile diabetes could be impacted by this morass of
what Republican policy looks like. And so the fact of the matter is,
we have got to secure these rights, and we wanted to be very clear here
in Michigan we protect these rights. AMNA NAWAZ: You clearly and other
Democratic leaders also believe this is a key issue in mobilizing
Democrats, also independents. You have said previously that maybe President
Biden should speak about rep
roductive rights and should say the word abortion more frequently than
he does. He's displayed some discomfort with that, changing the language even in the State
of the Union to avoid saying that word. If this is such a key issue for Democrats, does his reluctance to say
that word hurt him politically? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Listen, President
Biden is on the right side of this issue. He has undertaken every effort to protect
a woman's ability to make her choices. They have worked very hard
through DHHS
or even their policies in other branches of government to ensure that this right is
protected. And he has vowed to make sure that, if he is given a second term, he will utilize
every appointment to ensure that a woman's ability to make her own decisions and a
reproductive freedom is secure and safe. And so I have got every
confidence in President Biden, and I think every one of us should be
very skeptical about a possible Trump second term about what it could mean for our
rig
hts and the foundations of our democracy. AMNA NAWAZ: We have seen that actions
like the one you have taken today have helped to mobilize Democrats
and independents in the past. Do you think that mobilization,
especially in a state like Michigan, is enough to overcome some of the weaknesses
we have seen President Biden displayed so far, especially with those more than 100,000
people in the primaries voting uncommitted? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Well, Michigan is
a state where we are always go
ing to have close elections. It's not going to be a
surprise to any of us here in Michigan that this race will be close, probably
close all the way up until Election Day. But I will tell you, during my reelection,
there were a lot of polls and people writing my political obituary, and I won by
almost 11 points. I think it's because I stayed focused on the fundamentals
that matter to the people of Michigan. President Biden has done the same, whether it
is putting resources into ensuring tha
t we are rebuilding our infrastructure, to onshoring
supply chains, to making sure that people are respected and protected under the law. This
president has delivered on those fundamentals. And we're going to be talking about that
story all the way through Election Day. But, in Michigan, elections are always close. AMNA NAWAZ: As you know, those
more than 100,000 people, though, were voting as a protest to oppose
President Biden's stance in Israel, their conduct in the war in Gaza.
They we
re doing it to send a message. I guess, as one of the co-chairs of the
Biden/Harris reelection campaign,where would you point those protesters to
say they heard you, they see you? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: I can tell you this. Recognizing that we're all human beings, the
humanity in all these innocent people who are losing their lives or who are at risk of losing
their lives is real pain. And that's something that I understand, that I'm going to continue
to work with a variety of communities i
n my state to keep people safe here at home, but
also try to build bridges and make sure that we focus on really all the different things
that are at stake in this upcoming election. AMNA NAWAZ: As you know, Governor, you're seen
as a rising leader in your Democratic Party. There was a recent New York Times column by
Michelle Goldberg I want to ask you about, because she wrote this. She said --
quote -- "There are many reasons that people regularly fantasize about Whitmer
replacing Biden o
n this year's ticket and, assuming that doesn't happen, see her as
a likely presidential prospect in 2028. She insists she's not interested, but
few seem to believe her" -- end quote. I want to ask you, how much of that
speculation do you think is fueled by what we know is low enthusiasm and
dissatisfaction for the Democratic candidate in President Biden right now?
And how does that change before November? GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: You know, I
don't know. I didn't read the article. I can tell
you, in talking with people across
Michigan, these are good, hardworking people, just like across the country, people who just want to
know that their government is as good as they are, if not better, and is working as hard, if not more
than they are. And everyone wants a fair shot. And I think that's really what the Biden
administration has always been about. That's what President Biden has always been about. And
that's why, as a co-chair, I'm proud of the work that he has been able to do
. And I'm proud to
stand by his side as he goes for reelection. This is a -- these are unique times. This
is another high-stakes election. Everyone's exhausted. And yet we have all got to --
we have all got to roll up our sleeves and get involved, because this is going to
have ramifications not just for us today, but for generations of Americans to come. AMNA NAWAZ: That's Democratic Governor of
Michigan Gretchen Whitmer joining us tonight. Governor, thank you. Good to speak with you. GOV.
GRETCHEN WHITMER: Thank you. GEOFF BENNETT: House Speaker Mike
Johnson signals a vote on Ukraine aid will come next week, and the Biden
campaign courts disaffected Republicans. It's time for a check-in with our Politics
Monday team. That's Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter and Tamara
Keith of NPR. It's good to see you both. So we just heard Governor Gretchen Whitmer
talk about the Michigan Family Protection Act, which supports surrogacy and IVF
and LGBTQ+ parents. We
have seen obviously reproductive rights emerge
as a major driver in this election season. But this is additional action
by Democrats on issues beyond abortion. Amy, what kind of impact does this
have in a swing state like Michigan? AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report:
You know the challenge right now that the Biden team has politically is that the
people who turned out for him in 2020, many of whom were inspired maybe not so much
by Joe Biden, but voting against Donald Trump, they just a
re not as engaged in the
election as Trump supporters are. And if the Biden campaign can give these voters, especially younger voters, a reason to show
up and believe this election is important, even if they're not excited about him
-- I mean, in Michigan, for example, there was that big uncommitted vote that
Amna talked about with the governor. So there is certainly reticence on the part
of many of these voters to show up and vote affirmatively for Biden, but by putting either
issues on t
he ballot, which we're seeing in states like Nevada and Arizona, or making sure that
this is part of the conversation, it could help to motivate some of those voters to show up, even
if they're not particularly excited about Biden. This is an issue that does give them
an incentive to go to the polls. GEOFF BENNETT: What about that, Tam? Is this
enough to bring out Democrats and independents, that Democrats can preserve that
so-called blue wall? And we also learned today that abortion rights
will
be on the ballot in Florida in November. TAMARA KEITH, National Public Radio: Right. So this bill is -- in some ways, it's
like a technical correction. Several of the items in it are technical
corrections and not the kind of thing that seven months from now
voters are going to be like, wow, Democrats in our state passed this thing, we are
so happy, we are going to vote for Joe Biden. That is not the kind of spillover effect that I
would expect to see. However, as the discussion about
reproductive rights happens all over the
country, as the state of Florida is likely seeing a more restrictive ban at the same time that there
is now going to be a ballot measure on the ballot, this is going to be a conversation that is
going to be very live all over the country. And, obviously, the Biden campaign is going
to make sure that Democratic voters know all about what's going on all over
the country. In terms of Florida, the Biden campaign six months ago, eight
months ago, a year
ago would say, oh, we're going to compete in Florida.
They do not mention Florida anymore. The farthest they go is to say that they're still
planning to compete in North Carolina. Florida was always a stretch. I don't know that adding a
ballot measure is going to be enough to overcome real organizational challenges that Democrats have
had on the ground in Florida for a generation. GEOFF BENNETT: Well, meantime, House Speaker
Mike Johnson is raising expectations for a vote on Ukraine fundin
g when the House
returns next week, even at the risk of Johnson potentially losing his speakership, since
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has invoked that measure that would allow her to call for
vote on his speakership, on his leadership. So here's what Johnson said to FOX
in an interview yesterday about it. REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Marjorie is a friend.
She's very frustrated about, for example, the last appropriations bills. Guess what? So am I. As we
discussed, Trey, these are not
the perfect pieces of legislation that you and I and Marjorie would
draft if we had the ability to do it differently. But with the smallest margin in U.S.
history, we're sometimes going to get legislation that we don't like. And the
Democrats know that when we don't all stand together with our razor-thin majority,
then they have a better negotiation position. GEOFF BENNETT: So, Amy, is that
enough to mollify his right flank? AMY WALTER: I don't know that some of these
folks are mollifiabl
e, if that's even a word. And the point is not that -- about policy. This
is really, I think, about the ability for many of these members just to show that they can
do it. And Johnson doesn't have any margin, as he pointed out. He's got the smallest
margin in history. There is a one-seat margin. Now, a call to vacate the chair, if indeed that
comes to the floor with a one-seat margin, that is courting disaster, one. -- this is not likely,
but possibility that actually a Democrat wins the sp
eakership. But more than that, if we thought
that the McCarthy vote was drawn out or getting Johnson into that job was drawn out, just imagine
how difficult this is going to be with one seat. What Johnson seems to be doing right now, though,
is trying to mollify conservatives by saying, one, I'm going to put -- maybe we will put
legislation in here or put additional aspects into this legislation that
deal with liquefied natural gas. Also, let's make this more of a loan. Let's use
assets, R
ussian assets we have taken in this country, use those to pay for it. But again,
I don't -- we know, at the end of the day, he's going to need Democrats. This bill
does not make it without Democrats. So, whether it's mollifying them or not, it's still going to pass because
Democrats decide to go along. GEOFF BENNETT: And Speaker
Johnson referred to those measures you mentioned as important innovations. Tam, House Republicans have blocked
President Biden's request for additional Ukraine aid
for nearly six months.
How do you see this coming together? TAMARA KEITH: It's not clear yet
exactly how it will come together. Johnson is -- he has taken on this remarkably
pragmatic tone, laying out the challenges that exist in divided government when you have
a very narrow margin. It's not the kind of thing he would have said when he wasn't
in leadership, but now he is in leadership. And I will say that he avoided a government
shutdown. He has avoided a couple of other cliffs by innovat
ing, really not
actually changing the underlying numbers or changing the underlying
thing that they ultimately agreed to, but by changing a deadline or sort
of rebranding funding the government. And that appears to be potentially what
he is doing again, but, as Amy says, in the end, he would be very lucky if a
majority of Republicans supported Ukraine funding or a broader supplemental, national
security supplemental. He would be very lucky if a majority of Republicans supported it. He's
g
oing to need Democrats in order for it to pass. GEOFF BENNETT: Well, in the time that remains,
let's talk about the 2024 race, because President Biden fresh off that record-breaking fund-raiser
in New York, his campaign released a digital ad we can put up now which really is making
a direct appeal to Nikki Haley supporters. This is obviously a coalition of Republicans
and moderates who were turned off by Donald Trump. Are there enough Republicans in
the middle who are winnable by President
Biden? Or are these folks really just
Democrats, as the Trump campaign has said? AMY WALTER: Yes, I think that when you
look at the group of people that voted for Nikki Haley in the primaries, they
probably fall into three categories, one, never going to ever, ever vote for Donald
Trump, probably didn't vote for him in 2020. And then there's a group of, I really would
like somebody other than Donald Trump, but I will probably end up voting for him.
And then there's the question -- and I wa
s talking to people today trying to figure out
how big is that group of people of those who, I voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and
I don't want to vote for him again. I think the key for the Biden campaign
isn't necessarily that they win them over, but even if those voters show up and skip the top
of the ticket, vote third party, or maybe not go to the polls at all, that's a vote for Biden
because it's a vote that Trump got last time. GEOFF BENNETT: How does the Biden campaign see it? TAMARA
KEITH: Right. And I will go to the Michigan primary, where Nikki
Haley got more than 25 percent of the vote. Now, some of those people probably were
Democrats, but not all of them, and you saw similar numbers in every state.
The Biden campaign is aiming for addition, rather than subtraction, or rather
than keeping things where they are. As that ad points out, Trump has in
his rhetoric, publicly, at least, said, if you wanted Nikki Haley, then you aren't --
you're not MAGA, you're not me.
And so the Biden campaign is targeting that ad very specifically
to areas where Nikki Haley got a lot of votes. GEOFF BENNETT: Tamara Keith and
Amy Walter, thanks, as always. TAMARA KEITH: You're welcome.
AMY WALTER: You're welcome. AMNA NAWAZ: The program SNAP, formerly known
as food stamps, is one of the nation's largest welfare systems, helping to feed more
than 40 million low-income Americans. But for people in need, what that assistance
looks like and who can access it varies greatly.
Laura Barron-Lopez and producer
Maea Lenei Buhre have this report, the final part in our series America's Safety Net. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: For single mother Betsy Cruz, every trip to the grocery
store is a tightrope walk. BETSY CRUZ, Snap Recipient: I always
have to calculate down to the penny, because when I get to that register,
I don't need any surprises, because, if it comes over than the amount that I
have, I have to ask them to put it back. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: That amount is usually
$
56 a month, the total benefit she and her 21-year-old son, Colton (ph), receive from SNAP,
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Is it enough to support and cover your food costs? BETSY CRUZ: No, it's not. You go
to the grocery store and you come out with maybe three or four bags and
that's it. That's it for the month. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: To bridge the gap, Cruz
gets help from food banks like this one, near her home in Gilbert, South
Carolina. She says she's grateful, but she can't
rely on this help for healthy food. BETSY CRUZ: Most of the stuff that you get at
the food banks are like very high-carbureted or starchy items. And my son's a diabetic,
but we have to use it. We have no choice. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: This struggle is new for
Cruz. She worked a steady job as a government meat inspector for nearly three decades, but
she was forced to retire early and take a reduced pension after her son's struggles with the
developmental and behavioral disability worsened. BET
SY CRUZ: You know, it's not that
I don't want to work. It's, I can't. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Yes, you
have no choice right now. BETSY CRUZ: I have no choice. I'm a mother first, and it's been 21 years of
it. He has to come first. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The Cruz family is not
unique. About 90 percent of SNAP recipients live in households with older adults,
children, or someone with a disability. To qualify for SNAP, a family
of two in South Carolina must make less than $25,700 a year.
In 2022, a
bout 600,000 people, 12 percent of the state's population, were
on SNAP. That reflects the national picture. LYNDON JOHNSON, Former President of the United
States: We must distribute more food to the needy. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Food stamps started
in 1964 as a key part of president Lyndon B. Johnson's war on poverty aimed
at feeding low-income Americans. As the program expanded, rising sharply after
economic downturns like the Great Recession and later the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become
a t
arget for conservative lawmakers, who argue the country can't afford a welfare program
that costs more than $100 billion annually. MAN: The bill is passed. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: In last
year's debt-sealing agreement, Republicans in Washington negotiated a raise in
the age limit for SNAP's work requirement from 49 to 54. And states too have experimented
with more stringent SNAP requirements. For nearly a decade here in
Kansas, Republican legislators have passed laws restricting who
qualifies
for food assistance, from implementing higher work requirements
to forcing people to apply for child support. Kansas is one of five states
that make single parents seek child support in order to receive SNAP benefits. STATE. REP. FRANCIS AWERKAMP (R-KS): I
think it's an absolutely good policy. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Republican
Representative Francis Awerkamp is the chair of the Kansas House
Committee on Welfare Reform. STATE. REP. FRANCIS AWERKAMP: It's an
opportunity to find that other paren
t and make sure they're doing their duty, so
that that child and the custodial parent, typically the mother, has the resources they
need to kind of have -- run a stable life. CECILIA DOUGLASS, Kansas Resident: It seemed
like a very drastic move just to feed my family. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: In 2017,
six months into a pregnancy, Cecilia Douglass' partner unexpectedly abandoned
her and her two daughters. The Kansan had just taken a pay cut to focus on her pregnancy, and
she says her ex left her
with crippling debt. CECILIA DOUGLASS: When I found myself single,
there were a lot of financial responsibilities that were left on my shoulders, and it was very
difficult to recover from that financially. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: After giving birth,
she decided to apply for SNAP and quickly realized that, to enroll, she would be
required to apply for child support. CECILIA DOUGLASS: It was an immediately
-- a moment of pause, because I knew that my intention was not to rely on this
assistance
longer than I absolutely needed. You tell me when to let go. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: For Douglass, that
meant opening a case against her newborn son's absent father and working with the
Department for Children and Families to establish a child support order
in court, a daunting prospect. CECILIA DOUGLASS: I felt that if I applied, it would create an unhealthy environment
for my son, but also my older daughters. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Weighing her
options, Douglass chose to go without. CECILIA DOU
GLASS: It's heartbreaking
when your child comes to you and says, "Mom, I'm hungry," and the only thing you have to
feed them is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Chairman Awerkamp notes
parents can apply for exemptions from the rule if pursuing child support could create a
dangerous situation for them or their children. STATE. REP. FRANCIS AWERKAMP: If
there is good cause for an exemption, the exemptions are granted. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But an exemption
requires offic
ial evidence, like a police report or witness statement. KAREN SIEBERT, Harvesters: This
doesn't affect the noncustodial parent. This is affecting the mom and the kids. Who do you have packing it? LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Karen Siebert
is a policy adviser for Harvesters, one of Kansas' largest food bank networks. She
supports efforts to repeal the requirement. KAREN SIEBERT: The child support services
has many levers by which to get child support. They have -- they can garnish
wages. They can do
all sorts of things. Bringing food assistance in as a weapon
is what we really have a problem with. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Siebert says she
sees the effect of these kinds of requirements up close at the food
pantries her organization serves. KAREN SIEBERT: The effect of all of these
restrictions is that people are no longer on these programs or can't access these programs,
and so they're turning to the charitable sector. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: When asked
about some criticism of the state's rest
rictions on food assistance,
Chairman Awerkamp said the policies are about creating -- quote -- "a
life of self-sustainability." STATE. REP. FRANCIS AWERKAMP: I think
it's so important to understand the spirit of these programs. What are they for? It's not to keep people on food welfare.
It's actually to help them move off. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Kansas ranks third
from the bottom in access to SNAP, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
And experts say three in 10 Kansans who would
otherwise be eligible for the benefit do not
receive it, largely because of state policies. Despite that, Kansas' food stamp reforms,
particularly its time limits for the benefit, have been held up as a model by right-wing groups. And nearly a dozen states have made
changes based on the ones in Kansas. EDWARD BOLEN, Center of Budget and
Policy Priorities: They tend to go to state legislatures where they
might have a receptive audience. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Ed Bolen is the
director of SNAP
state strategies at the Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities, a progressive think tank. EDWARD BOLEN: We have seen troubling indications that folks are losing benefits
without any positive outcomes. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: With this year's
election, SNAP may soon be on the line. Former President Donald Trump proposed
major cuts to food assistance while in office, and has nodded again towards welfare
restrictions on the campaign trail. DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United
States (R) a
nd Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: So, first of all, there is a
lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting, and in terms of also the
theft and the bad management of entitlements. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Bolen worries that further
restrictions to SNAP would hurt America's poorest. EDWARD BOLEN: The independent and sort of
academic research has increasingly shown that those time limits don't work, that the
only real outcome is less SNAP participation. And, hopefully, we can
get past the
idea of threatening to take away food assistance from these folks
in order to get them into work. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Back in South Carolina, with the nation's patchwork of food
assistance programs, Betsy Cruz is glad her family can access the benefit. But it's
still a struggle to put food on the table. BETSY CRUZ: Yesterday, I spent 2
cent over. I was digging through my purse trying to find two pennies
just to pay the rest of my SNAP. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: What does that feel
like? BETSY CRUZ: It's indescribable.
I just feel like trash, that I'm here for a free handout and
I'm just nothing to this country. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm
Laura Barron-Lopez in Gilbert, South Carolina. AMNA NAWAZ: You can find more of our coverage of America's Safety Net online.
That's at PBS.org/NewsHour. GEOFF BENNETT: One artist has taken ever-popular designer handbags to a whole new level,
transforming artwork into accessory. As Pamela Watts of Rhode
Island PB
S Weekly reports, instead of his creations hanging on the wall,
he decided to put them right in your hand. The story is part of our arts
and culture series, Canvas. KENT STETSON, Artist: Twenty-two years ago, if
someone had told me I would be making purses from my artwork, I don't know if I would have been
happy hearing that. Now I'm living the dream. PAMELA WATTS: The dream for Rhode Island artist
Kent Stetson is being a designer of handbags, whimsical, colorful, topical. They are all made
by hand in his mill workshop and sold
in hundreds of boutiques worldwide. The purses are clutched by celebrities such
as Martha Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Megan Thee Stallion. Not only do his bags
star on the red carpet; they fly down the runway. These are not your mother's pocketbooks.
They are a fusion of art and accessory. KENT STETSON: I think, in terms of art, it's interactive, it's modular. I think
it speaks in kind of an interesting way. PAMELA WATTS: And an interesting twis
t carried Stetson into the world of
high-fashion accessories. Stetson grew up in this cabin on a working horse
farm in New Hampshire. He studied studio art and philosophy at Brown University and started
out creating these digital hybrid paintings. KENT STETSON: So, computer-generated paintings
at the time, we called it new media. Today, I think it's just called digital art. And so
these were very colorful, abstract pieces. PAMELA WATTS: But Stetson admits
he was unsuccessful selling his mo
dern art. So he pivoted. His
plan B translated to in the bag. KENT STETSON: I worked at a shoe store at the
time, though, and I had a gift for convincing people to buy shoes and handbags that they didn't
particularly need. And so I connected the dots. PAMELA WATTS: How did you land on
purses as the frame for your artwork, of all things you could have picked? KENT STETSON: It was a way to package my art in
a format that had some use. A handbag gave me much more license to be fun than I ever
felt I had
permission to do with a piece hanging on the wall. And so, almost instantly, I made pieces that were a little bit of
reverence and tongue in cheek and funny. PAMELA WATTS: Funny, as in notoriously tasteful.
Stetson's popular confections feature doughnuts, animal crackers, sushi and even Rhode
Island's famous New York System Wieners. KENT STETSON: Three all the way.
New York System is an iconic Rhode Island comfort food. And so we
had to translate it into a bag. PAMELA WATTS: Ste
tson says, when you
carry one of his designer handbags, it starts a conversation and might
make a friend, whether it's one of his doggy bags or a selection from
his bar cart of popular cocktails. They're a statement piece. KENT STETSON: It's an exclamation
point on your outfit. I mean, it does not get the silent treatment. When you
carry one of my pieces, it gets acknowledged. PAMELA WATTS: Kent Stetson's signature handbags, which sell for between $150 and $300,
support a number of charita
ble causes. One style references the lace collar of late
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. KENT STETSON: When she passed, Mariska Hargitay used this bag on
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." ACTRESS: Just got an alert. Irene is building. MARISKA HARGITAY, Actress:
OK, Kat, you and I will go up. KENT STETSON: Sales for this piece sort of went haywire. And so we donate
the proceeds to the ACLU. PAMELA WATTS: Others may tote an alligator
handbag supporting Everglades preservation. K
ENT STETSON: Everything starts
to finish is done right here. PAMELA WATTS: Stetson says making each purse
takes 50 steps and three days to complete. First, he creates an image, formats it on his
computer, prints and laminates the canvas. But while the process begins with high-tech
innovation, the rest is old-world craftsmanship, hand tracing and hand sewing. In general,
Stetson's signature bags are slim envelope styles. A lot of people look at it and say, I can't
get anything in this bag.
What do you say? KENT STETSON: It's a fun little going out bag.
Listen, if I made a larger bag, I'd have to leave Rhode Island. We're the smallest state
in the country. I got to be making small bags. PAMELA WATTS: Describe what it is you
want people to see in this form of art. KENT STETSON: Well, I think I want people
to know that I made this with love and a sense of Joy. And I know that it's going
to make an outing just that much more fun. It's come from my hands, my studio. I sign inside
each piece as we sew them up. And so I want people to feel like they have a real connection
to the creation of this piece, where it came from. And I think this is sort of like the
farm-to-table version of personal accessories. PAMELA WATTS: Accessories
that will do all the talking. KENT STETSON: People are going to say something,
you're going to light up the room. So if you want to be left alone, if you want to chill,
low-key evening, do not carry one of my pieces. (LAUGHTER) PAMELA WATTS:
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm
Pamela Watts in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. GEOFF BENNETT: And that's the "NewsHour"
for tonight. I'm Geoff Bennett. AMNA NAWAZ: And I'm Amna Nawaz. On behalf of the entire "NewsHour"
team, thank you for joining us.
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