"Oslo, Norway’s unique approach to curbing carbon emissions" PBS NewsHour 11/20/2022
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SUMMARY: The capital of Norway is working to be nearly emission-free by 2030. Every year, the city of Oslo calculates how much emission-producing activity will contribute to greenhouse gases, then implements a carbon budget to keep those levels low. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Heidi Sørensen, director of Oslo's Agency for Climate, to learn more.
"Bluegrass icon Alice Gerrard on her trailblazing career" PBS NewsHour 11/19/2022
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SUMMARY: With their unique harmonies, the bluegrass duo of Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard blazed trails for female folk singers in the 1960s and ‘70s. They were also civil rights activists who used their music to speak out politically. To celebrate the pair's legacy, last month the Smithsonian released a selection of remastered versions of their music. Ali Rogin speaks to Gerrard about her career.
Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard — Long Black Veil
"Capehart and Abernathy on the special counsel appointed to oversee Trump investigations" PBS NewsHour 11/18/2022
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SUMMARY: Washington Post columnists Jonathan Capehart and Gary Abernathy join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including a special counsel appointed to investigate former President Trump, the balance of power in Washington [DC] and the battle for leadership on Capitol Hill.
"Migrant workers recount abuse while building stadiums for World Cup in Qatar" PBS NewsHour 11/18/2022
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SUMMARY: The World Cup starts Sunday in Qatar, but controversies have shadowed the event. To host, the nation went on a stadium-building spree, bringing in thousands upon thousands of migrant laborers. There are numerous stories about the workforce being mistreated and more than three dozen died on the job. We partnered with independent filmmakers Fat Rat Films to hear from some of those workers.
"How a criminal justice reporter built trust with prisoners to highlight conditions inside" PBS NewsHour 11/17/2022
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SUMMARY: A criminal justice reporter (Keri Blakinger - The Marshall Project) is using her background to build trust with men and women behind bars and to highlight conditions inside prisons. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports from Texas for our series, “Searching for Justice.”
"Drought’s impact on Mississippi River causes disruptions in shipping and agriculture" PBS NewsHour 11/17/2022
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SUMMARY: Up and down the Mississippi River basin, below-average rainfall has constricted one of the country’s major economic thoroughfares. Some areas along the river are reporting their lowest water levels in decades and it could affect consumers across the country. William Brangham reports.
"Michael Gerson, longtime NewsHour commentator, dies at 58" PBS NewsHour 11/17/2022
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SUMMARY: Longtime Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson died Thursday morning at 58. Gerson was a NewsHour commentator who regularly filled in for our Friday political analysis segment. We take a look at his lifelong career in public service.
"Pelosi steps down from Democratic leadership after Republicans win control of House" PBS NewsHour 11/17/2022
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SUMMARY: It was a day of momentous change in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans began laying plans after finally nailing down a majority and with the loss of the House confirmed, Speaker Nancy Pelosi surrendered her longtime position as Democratic leader. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports.
"Gap between pledges and action sparks criticism at COP27 climate summit" PBS NewsHour 11/16/2022
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SUMMARY: As nearly 200 countries negotiate at the COP27 climate talks on reducing emissions, there's a call for greater regulation and transparency around prior and future pledges. A United Nations report targets governments, corporations and banks for what's called "greenwashing," or making false or exaggerated claims of progress. Jamie Hannan of Fossil Free Media joined William Brangham to discuss.
"NASA’s Artemis rocket finally lifts off after political, financial, technical delays" PBS NewsHour 11/16/2022
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SUMMARY: For the first time in half a century, NASA is starting to make its way back to a lunar landing. The Artemis rocket was finally able to launch early Wednesday morning after prior delays, sending an unmanned capsule around the moon. At the same time, there are plenty of questions about the path NASA has chosen to make this happen. Miles O'Brien reports.
"Monastery invests in craftsmanship by expanding its hand-crafted pipe organ" PBS NewsHour 11/15/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Pipe organs have a storied history throughout Western civilization, but demand for the king of instruments has seen a steady decline in recent decades. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on one attempt to change that. It's part of our arts and culture series, "CANVAS."
"Collapse of FTX raises questions about cryptocurrency’s viability" PBS NewsHour 11/15/2022
REMINDER: Cryptocurrency does NOT have any government backing, you have to trust someone you DO NOT know and likely can't get in contact with.
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The fallout keeps growing for the cryptocurrency industry after an unexpected bankruptcy involving one of the largest and most well-known exchanges, FTX. Its downfall has renewed concerns about the safety and credibility of many cryptocurrencies and their values have plunged as well. Roben Farzad of the podcast 'Full Disclosure' joined Amna Nawaz to discuss.
"United Kingdom and France agree to crack down on migrant crossings in the English Channel" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: Britain will pay France at least $75 million a year in a deal designed to reduce illegal migration across the English Channel. A record 40,000 asylum seekers have crossed so far this year. As part of the deal, the French will step up efforts to stop smugglers and British officers will be stationed in French immigration control centers. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.
"Digital database documents vital infrastructure created by the New Deal" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: It’s a hidden history right in front of our eyes. The buildings, artworks and so much more were created all over the country during the New Deal of the 1930s and 40s. To bring that hidden history to light, the online archive "The Living New Deal" documents those sites across the country. Jeffrey Brown has more for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS."
"Zelenskyy makes surprise visit to Kherson after city freed from Russian control" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Kherson after it was retaken from Russia. Jubilation in the streets has been almost non-stop since the Russians fled late last week. But after almost eight months of occupation, accounts of brutality mirror the experiences of many other Ukrainians freed from Russian control. Special correspondent Jack Hewson and videographer Ed Ram report.
"Deadly explosion reported in Poland as Russia unleashed missile barrage on Ukraine" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: The U.S. and western allies said they’re looking into reports of an explosion in NATO-member Poland. It happened as Russia conducted missile strikes across Ukraine. Local Polish media reported the explosion at a grain facility in an eastern village about four miles north of the Ukrainian border. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder joined Judy Woodruff to discuss the developments.
"Missile strike in Poland likely unintentional and tied to Ukrainian air defense, NATO says" PBS NewsHour 11/16/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The missile that landed in Poland and killed two people sparked emergency meetings of NATO and the world’s leading democracies. But initial findings suggest it was an errant Ukrainian air defense missile and not a Russian missile. Top U.S. officials say they support that initial assessment, but Ukraine rejects it. Nick Schifrin reports.
"Human traffickers exploit desperation of Ukrainian refugees and their children" PBS NewsHour 11/16/2022
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SUMMARY: More than four million people who fled Russia’s war in Ukraine have sought refuge in the European Union. Most Ukrainians receive a warm welcome and are offered access to temporary residence permits so they can work and receive social benefits. But the trying circumstances also created opportunities for sexual and labor exploitation. Special correspondent Rosie Birchard reports from Poland.
"Winter looms in Ukraine as Russian invasion enters 10th month" PBS NewsHour 11/19/2022
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SUMMARY: As the war in Ukraine enters its 10th month and snow falls in the country's capital, Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure and the electrical grid. Reporting from Kyiv, NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre joins Geoff Bennett for more on what the coming winter will look like.
"Republican leadership on Capitol Hill in flux after midterm results" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill after a drawn-out midterm battle for power. Democrats kept control in the upper chamber, but a Georgia runoff will determine if they gain a seat or return to a 50-50 Senate. The balance of power in the House is still pending as several races are still being counted. All of this has put several key leadership issues in flux for Republicans. Lisa Desjardins reports.
"How election deniers fared in their midterm races" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Nearly a week after Election Day, we're getting a clearer picture of the winners and losers. We're also seeing how the candidates who spread baseless lies about the last presidential election are faring. Tammy Patrick of the non-partisan Democracy Fund joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the results.
"Factions of the GOP wrangle for power and influence" PBS NewsHour 11/15/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: With all but a handful of races decided, next year's Congress will be one of the most evenly divided in the country's history. Legislative leaders will wrangle with fragile coalitions within and across parties, complicating even basic functions. But first, leaders will need to convince their colleagues to put them in charge. Lisa Desjardins reports.
"Republicans on the state of the party and Trump’s role in it" PBS NewsHour 11/15/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Disappointing midterm outcomes for Republicans prompted the party to question its future and its leaders. Nearly all of former President Trump's hand-picked candidates in key races were defeated, but he may soon announce another run for the White House. Republican strategist Barrett Marson and Daniel McCarthy joined Laura Barrón-López to discuss the Republican party and Trump's role in it.
"A historical perspective on Trump’s 2024 presidential bid" PBS NewsHour 11/20/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Former president Donald Trump launched a third bid for the White House this past week as he faces multiple investigations. Meanwhile, Democrats are eyeing a generational shift in House leadership as Nancy Pelosi announced she will not seek reelection to the role of Speaker. Beverly Gage, a professor of history and American studies at Yale University, joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.
"Seven college students killed in separate homicides in Virginia, Idaho" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2022
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SUMMARY: Two universities are grieving the tragic loss of students. In Moscow, Idaho, four University of Idaho students were found dead in a home near campus on Sunday. And in Charlottesville, Virginia, three University of Virginia students were shot and killed. John Yang reports.
Correction: Our story said that the four people killed In Idaho were shot to death. But police have not yet released the cause of the deaths, saying only that it was being investigated as a homicide. We are awaiting more information from authorities on the cause of death.
"Community mourns deadly Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs" PBS NewsHour 11/20/2022
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SUMMARY: A gunman opened fire late Saturday night inside Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and wounding at least 25 before being subdued by patrons and taken into police custody. People who were inside the club are mourning the lives lost, and what the attack means for the LGBTQ community. Geoff Bennett speaks to Colorado Public Radio's Hayley Sanchez for more.
"Benjamin Franklin’s literary legacy lives on in country’s longest-running lending library" PBS NewsHour 9/12/2022
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SUMMARY: As millions of students return to school across the country, we take a look at how a gift from a founding father helped spark a movement to make public education a reality. Pamela Watts of Rhode Island PBS Weekly reports for our arts and culture series, “CANVAS.”
"Honoring lives lost in the 9/11 attacks 21 years ago" PBS NewsHour 9/11/2022
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SUMMARY: Today, the nation mourned the nearly 3,000 lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, in the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. We look at how Americans marked this somber anniversary.
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| 9/11 Memorial, Manhatten |
"Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, dead at 96" PBS NewsHour 9/8/2022
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SUMMARY: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch in history, has died at the age of 96. Elizabeth was 25 years old when she assumed the throne in 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI. This year marked the queen's platinum jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne. During that time, the queen has seen the world go through times of war and great turmoil and change.
"Crowds flock to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to mourn Queen Elizabeth II" PBS NewsHour 9/8/2022
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SUMMARY: Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II's death was announced, large crowds gathered outside of royal residences to mourn. Special correspondent Willem Marx joined Judy Woodruff from Buckingham Palace where a sparkling rainbow appeared after the queen's passing and Malcolm Brabant traveled to Windsor Castle and was there as Britons absorbed the news.
"Uncle’s abdication led to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign on the throne" PBS NewsHour 9/8/2022
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SUMMARY: Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving monarch in Britain's history, but it was a decision by her uncle that cleared Elizabeth's path to the throne. King Edward abdicated in 1936 so he could marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, making Elizabeth's father the new king. Anne Sebba, the author of "That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor,” joined Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"United Kingdom enters national mourning period following death of Queen Elizabeth II" PBS NewsHour 9/9/2022
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SUMMARY: Britain awoke to its first day in 70 years with a new monarch as King Charles III returned to London from the side of his mother's deathbed in Scotland. The mourning period that began with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II continued as thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace and across the world, tributes poured in for the late queen. Special correspondent Willem Marx reports from London.
"King Charles III faces many challenges as he takes throne" PBS NewsHour 9/9/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: King Charles III's ascension to the throne heralds a new chapter in the lengthy and turbulent history of the British monarchy. His reign starts amid high inflation, war in Europe, an energy supply problem and a new Prime Minister. Malcolm Brabant spoke to people outside of London about the challenges facing the new king.
"Capehart and Gerson on Queen Elizabeth’s political impact and new polls ahead of midterms" PBS NewsHour 9/9/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and Washington Post opinion columnist Michael Gerson join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including Queen Elizabeth's impact on the American political landscape and a look at new polls that paint a fresh picture of the electorate just two months ahead of the midterm elections.
NOTE: This is from the e-newspaper, so no link to article.
"David López Jiménez accused in Jan. death of Tijuana photojournalist" by Wendy Fry, San Diego Union-Tribune 8/25/2022
Mexican federal authorities on Wednesday arrested David López Jiménez, who goes by the nickname “Cabo 20.” He is accused of ordering the murder of Tijuana photojournalist Margarito MartÃnez Esquivel.
Jiménez was taken into custody in the early morning in the eastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. Baja California state Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio announced the arrest at a news conference.
“He is being detained as the intellectual author of the (murder) of photojournalist Margarito MartÃnez Esquivel and other charges will be sought (against him),” Carpio said. MartÃnez, who covered stories on security and crime in Tijuana, was fatally shot in front of his home on Jan. 17 as he left his home for work.
The arrest of the high-profile target comes just weeks before prosecutors are scheduled to present their case against three other defendants who are accused of carrying out the hit.
The prosecutor said Jiménez’s motive for ordering MartÃnez killed was that some photographs of Jiménez and his collaborators or family members “had been published in some news publications and social network and this caused (Jiménez) annoyance.” Carpio said MartÃnez happened to live in the same neighborhood where much of the criminal activity of Jiménez’s network took place, which made him vulnerable.
Carpio clarified MartÃnez had not been the one who published the photos that annoyed Jiménez. The prosecutor also said one person participated in both the murder of MartÃnez and that of journalist Lourdes Maldonado, who was shot dead in her car in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Tijuana a week after MartÃnez was killed.
He said the suspect involved in both murders belongs to the same cartel as Jiménez, but stopped short of saying the two cases are connected. He said the investigation into both murders is not yet complete.
Carpio said in addition to orchestrating the murder of a journalist, Jiménez was responsible for other street violence in Baja California. Jiménez works with the Arellano Félix cartel, the prosecutor said.
“We are coordinating a prosecution strategy with the prosecutor’s office in the state of Nuevo León and the Republic to set a strategy that benefits the State (of Baja California). We’re still analyzing and counting how many crimes” Jiménez will be charged with, Carpio said.
The Baja California prosecutor said Jiménez or “El Cabo 20” was trying to live under the radar in Nuevo León under a fake identity with false identification papers from Baja California Sur.
“Elements of the special forces from Sedena ([Mexico] Secretary of National Defense) and intelligence from the federal government and the Attorney General of Nuevo León participated. Our intelligence identifies him as the main generator of violence and the person behind the disappearances of people in the city of Tijuana and in other cities,” said Carpio.
According to Mexico’s National Registry of Detentions, the arrest of “El Cabo 20” took place in the municipality of Apodaca, Nuevo León, on Avenida de la Concordia street in the Centro neighborhood, at 8:25 a.m. on Wednesday. Carpio said there are still more people authorities are trying to arrest during the same operation, who are part of the same criminal group.
Jiménez had been arrested at least three times previously in Tijuana: in 2010 for robbery; in 2014 for vehicle theft, and in 2017 when he was captured during a criminal investigation about a large drug lab. It remains unclear when he was released and if he was ever charged with the prior crimes.
"Examining Salman Rushdie’s lifelong fight for free speech" PBS NewsHour 8/15/2022
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SUMMARY: Three days after being repeatedly stabbed onstage as he was preparing to give a lecture, author Salman Rushdie is recovering while the man accused of attacking him has been charged with attempted murder. Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist and president of PEN America, joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss Rushdie's life, work and the wider impact of the attack against him.
"One year after evacuating Afghanistan, teen refugee pursues musical dreams" PBS NewsHour 8/13/2022
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SUMMARY: This month marks one year since the U.S. withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghan nationals since last August. Now, one teen refugee is pursuing her musical dreams thanks to a guitar donated through a youth-led organization in Phoenix. PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs' Alexis Schmidt reports.
"How a Trump-era policy that separated thousands of migrant families came to pass" PBS NewsHour 8/13/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy separated over 5,000 children from their parents, with no tracking process or records that would allow them to be reunited. Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Dickerson joins Geoff Bennett to discuss her investigation into the policy.
"Brooks and Capehart on the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, the investigations surrounding Trump" PBS NewsHour 8/12/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the multiple investigations hanging over former President Trump and primary victories by his supporters who are election deniers.
Judy Woodruff (News:Hour): The press, politicians and the public are struggling to untangle a knot of questions, new and old, following the unprecedented FBI search of a former President home earlier this week, which leads us to the analysis of Brooks and Capehart.
That's New York Times columnist David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post.
Hello to both of you. It's Friday night. Good to have you with us again.
And there's one story that's dominating the news today.
Jonathan, I'm going to start with you.
I hardly know where to begin. But what do you make of this? I mean, the FBI carted off 11 boxes, we're learning, of various degrees of confidential material this week.
Jonathan Capehart (Washington Post): My head is still spinning.
And not just any material. Some of the material, we now know from the released warrant, have to — have either classified markings, top-secret markings, or sensitive, compartmented information, which is probably the highest level of security intelligence documents there are. You can only read those in secure locations, and they're not meant to be taken out of those secured locations.
Judy I'm trying to look at this, not from a partisan lens, not from my particular perspective, as someone center and left, but as just an American, taking out the name of the person involved.
We have just seen a former President of the United States be subpoenaed in June for documents, ignored the subpoena. The FBI gets a search warrant based on three aspects of the Espionage Act. They wait three days to execute it. They execute that search warrant against a former President of the United States.
And now we're learning that some of the most sensitive information a government official can have access to, he had with him more than a year after being out of office at his private residence.
Judy Woodruff: What should we make of this?
Jonathan Capehart: Under normal circumstances…
Judy Woodruff: Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were stopping.
Go ahead, Jonathan.
Jonathan Capehart: No, I was just going to say, under normal circumstances, everything's should be on fire, because we should not be in the situation. No President has done this. No President should do this. But Donald Trump did it.
David Brooks (New York Times): Yes, when I first heard about it, I have to confess my stomach sank.
And my reaction was, does the FBI understand the political firestorm they're about to set off? As the days have gone by, the gravity of what the FBI did and the justification for what they did have grown.
And so, first, we learned this was not a rash thing, that it has been months in the making. They did issue a subpoena. They walked through this step by step. And then, even in the last few hours, we have learned that, as Jonathan said, if these documents are top-secret documents, the people who know more about this than I, they say that's a really big deal.
And the — one of the acts the President is being investigated for is the Espionage Act. This is a serious act, which could be a decade in prison for a normal human being. And there are other acts, the potential falsification and mutilation of documents. That's also years in prison.
And so these are — these are not small crimes. These are major, major criminal, if they get to it, accusations. And if you have that kind of crime, and you're a law enforcement officer, you have got to do something.
Judy Woodruff: Jonathan, how much of this depends on what actually was in those documents, how secret, how confidential, how explosive that material was?
Jonathan Capehart: Well, I think that sort of gradation depends on what potential charges could come down the road.
But we're still talking about documents that should never have left the White House, should be in the possession of the National Archives, because they are the official custodian of Presidential records.
There are laws to ensure that those records go to the National Archives. No President, no former President, should have the documents that Donald Trump had before the FBI took them out, so — out of Mar-a-Lago. So that's what we should be focused on, that, to my mind, yes, it matters what's in the documents.
What's even more important is that he took them, against the — against statutes, once he left the White House. I cannot express how serious the situation is that the country finds itself in right now.
Judy Woodruff: David, you started a minute ago by saying, initially, you had the sinking feeling that this could lead to sympathy, greater support for former President Trump.
How much is that still something that's a concern?
David Brooks: Yes.
No, I do think this is — both things are true. The FBI was probably right to do what they did. This will help Donald Trump. And it helps Donald Trump in a number of ways.
First, as a number of his potential primary opponents' consultants have been saying off the record on — in the media, their campaigns are now — have the air taken out this — out of their sails. A couple — a month ago, a couple of months ago, half of all Republicans were saying they want to move on.
Now, in the last week, at least, and maybe short term, in the last week, the whole party is rallying around Donald Trump; 80 percent of Republicans say they're more motivated to vote in 2022 because of what they call this raid.
The vast majority are saying this is not an impartial investigation, [it] is a political hack job, something like 75 percent. Half of all Americans believe that. And so you get this situation where Trump — people are rallying around Trump. His opponents now have a little to run on, because everyone's defending the guy who has been attacked.
And then here's where I get to the nightmare scenario. What happens if, in a couple of years, a year or two from now, Donald Trump is cruising to the Republican nomination because he's winning primary after primary, and he gets convicted of something?
What happens if, a year-and-a-half from now, the American public decides he's going to be elected President…
Judy Woodruff: Yes.
David Brooks: … and the American legal system decides, oh, no, he's going to prison? What happens then to our country?
Because I assume he has to be arrested. And I assume half the country is just going to erupt in rage and, frankly, political violence.
So this — the presupposition for all this, we live in a society where there's incredibly low social trust. [A] So people don't trust the institutions. And (B) in a normal party, your candidacy is hurt if you're investigated by the FBI. That is not the current Republican Party right now, at least right now.
And so the — this is — you can see down the road to a potential where our legal system and our political system crash, and society is really disrupted.
Judy Woodruff: And, Jonathan, it's not even having a charge leveled against the former President.
I mean, just this week, this man went after the FBI in Cincinnati. He was later killed. He was somebody involved in January 6. He's a very, very strong Trump believer.
I mean, so, how much do you think the former President is helped by this politically, as David is saying, and how worried are you about it leading to something else?
Jonathan Capehart: Oh, Donald Trump is absolutely helped by this. The people who believe in Donald Trump and love Donald Trump will believe everything that he says and believe that anything that is done — quote, unquote — "against him" is persecuting him and therefore persecuting them.
I do not think that fear of potential violence or fear of whatever political benefit could come to Donald Trump should factor into the wheels of justice turning. He cannot be allowed to be above the law.
And if the Justice Department or the wheels of justice were to cower in the face of the potential of benefiting him, then our democracy is lost. He must be held accountable, just like anyone else potentially accused or investigated, tried for or found guilty of the things that we're talking about right now.
Just because he was a sitting President, a former President of the United States does not mean he's above the law. And if — let's say that crash happens that David is talking about, and he's elected, but he's convicted.
Well, he won't be President of the United States. I just — Judy, David, I am so — I am so concerned about where we are right now, because we are in uncharted territory. We don't know what the charges are going to be, what the real impact is going to be.
I do agree with David, however, that anything that happens negative, from Trump and Trump supporters' perspective, is going to lead to things that I don't think we're prepared for. But we must get prepared for it, because our democracy is on the line.
Judy Woodruff: David, should any of this worry about what this could lead to affect the judicial process in any way?
David Brooks: Yes, I absolutely think it should.
We're all responsible for the consequences of our actions. And prosecutors and investigators use discretion every single day. And so they — if they're indicting a candidate for a major party (A), my own personal opinion is the bar should be pretty high, that they really — (A) it's a very serious crime, and, (B) it's a very crystal clear case that the whole country can see.
That doesn't mean you don't — as the experts of even the last few hours have talked about what Donald Trump may have done with these documents probably clears the bar. January 6, I became more to think it clears the bar.
But you just can't ignore the society around you. You can't ignore a society that is in perilously close danger of rupturing. And does that determine what you do? Do you let somebody get away with a major crime? Obviously not.
But you can — and none of us can be blind to the consequences of our actions. And I think prosecutors are comfortable with that.
Judy Woodruff: What about that, Jonathan?
Jonathan Capehart: Well, I don't disagree. I don't disagree with David.
I do think that the facts as we know them now, in terms of that FBI surge, that high bar was there, and that the Justice Department cleared those bars, and then some, because they understand the consequences of what they're going to do and the public, the public reaction, knowing that the subpoena was issued in June and ignored, that they got the search warrant three days before it was — it was executed.
Judy Woodruff: Right.
Jonathan Capehart: That, to me, says that the Justice Department and those people are exercising extreme caution and care.
Judy Woodruff: Just a little bit of time left, but I do want to ask you both about more election results this week.
David, it's the election deniers who are doing well in so many of these primary contests. And, in race after race, they seem to be the folks Donald Trump has endorsed.
David Brooks: Yes, I'd say, in some weeks, we have had a mixed bag, that some non-Trump people did well.
But pretty much, in the recent ones, Arizona, Wisconsin, elsewhere, Trump people more or less swept the field. The election, I can't remember if it was the day before or after the house raid. I can't remember if it was affected by it. But they had a very good — and then progressives did pretty well.
And so I'd say the overall story from all these primaries so far is increased polarization.
Judy Woodruff: Jonathan, less than a minute.
What does this set up November to look like?
Jonathan Capehart: A wild November, Judy.
But the thing that I'm looking at is, we now have five Republican gubernatorial candidates across the country who are election deniers, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Any one of them, if they actually become governor of their particular state, the 2024 Presidential election is in deep trouble.
Judy Woodruff: Well, on this light note that we're ending on, on this Friday night…
David Brooks: Another sober week in politics.
(LAUGHTER)
Judy Woodruff: Another — Jonathan Capehart, David Brooks, thank you. Thank you both.
David Brooks: Thank you.
Jonathan Capehart: Thanks, Judy.
"Charlottesville reckons with trauma 5 years after a deadly white supremacist rally" PBS NewsHour 8/12/2022
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SUMMARY: Five years ago on Friday, extremists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in a violent demonstration that forced the city and the nation to confront the growing threats of white supremacy and domestic terrorism. Laura Barrón-López visited the city to see what's changed and how residents think President Biden and the country have reckoned with what they witnessed that summer.
"Assessing threats of political violence and rising extremism on the far-right" PBS NewsHour 8/12/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: In response to the FBI search at Mar-a-Lago, Trump supporters have increased calls for a civil war. Those dangerous threats are being fueled by conspiracy theories, and mistrust of the FBI and Justice Department promoted by many Republican politicians. Barbara Walter, professor at UC San Diego and author of “How Civil Wars Start," joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss.
#StandAgainstTheNRA Murder Incorparated
"Firearms industry scrutinized for how it markets to consumers" PBS NewsHour 8/11/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The debate over gun control in America often centers around firearms production and distribution. But in recent years gun company marketing techniques have come under scrutiny, as major manufacturers seek out a new and arguably vulnerable audience. Paul Solman has the story.
