"Record heat wave in the U.S. raises public health concerns" PBS NewsHour 6/17/2022
Excerpt
SUMMARY: More than 100 million Americans this week were under some sort of heat advisory, and were warned to stay indoors if possible. From Texas to California, a massive heat wave has set record temperatures, raising concerns about how hot is too hot. W. Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State, joins William Brangham for more on how extreme temperatures impact the body.
"U.S. House prepares for immigration legislation amid migrant surge at the border" PBS NewsHour 3/16/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The Biden administration had promised a humane approach to immigration but is now facing upheaval at the southern border, as illegal migrant crossings have skyrocketed in the past few months and authorities struggle to find proper housing for thousands of unaccompanied minors. Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose Texas district is located on the southern border, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"A Texas Democrat on the Lone Star State ending COVID restrictions" PBS NewsHour 3/10/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: As of Wednesday, Texans can work and gather without a statewide mandate for masks or social distancing, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order earlier this month that declared the state "100 percent open." Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat and head of Harris County's governing body, which includes Houston, joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss.
"Bill Gates on tackling climate change and the ongoing pandemic response" PBS NewsHour 2/22/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: All of us face the risk that extreme weather events like the recent one in Texas will become more common and more destructive occurrences because of climate change. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has studied climate change for years, and he has prescriptions in his latest book, "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster." He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"In storm-ravaged Texas, ‘a lot of black eyes’ among state leadership" PBS NewsHour 2/22/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Temperatures in Texas have warmed up considerably as experts try to determine just how many deaths in the state were tied to last week's winter storm. But as recovery efforts continue, the fallout is just beginning. Alana Rocha, a multimedia journalist with The Texas Tribune, joins Stephanie Sy for a deeper look at the cascade of issues facing Texans.
"Millions remain without power in frigid temperatures after major winter storm" PBS NewsHour 2/16/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Millions of American remained without power in frigid temperatures Tuesday as the U.S. continues to grapple with the effects of a major storm. The demand for energy is taxing power grids, most significantly in Texas. Stephanie Sy speaks with Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy program at the Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment, to learn more.
"Americans grapple with historic weather, with much of the U.S. still locked in deep freeze" PBS NewsHour 2/17/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Most of the nation is still locked in the deep freeze as a polar vortex that swept south is holding sway, claiming at least 30 lives and keeping the power off for more than 3 million people. Stephanie Sy reports, and speaks to Mayor Harry LaRosiliere of Plano, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Mayor David Holt about how the weather is impacting their cities.
"After brutalizing much of the U.S., storm surge shines a spotlight on disparities" PBS NewsHour 2/18/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The storms that have descended on much of the country, and their after-effects, have hit vulnerable groups the hardest, especially communities of color. Dr. Robert Bullard, a professor at Texas Southern University who focuses on wealth and racial disparities related to the environment, joins Stephanie Sy from Sugar Land, Texas to discuss.
"Power largely restored in Texas, but millions remain without drinking water" PBS NewsHour 2/19/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The lights are back on in much of Texas, but for millions the water isn't working. It is the latest crisis in a grinding week of winter storms that have claimed at least 60 lives. Stephanie Sy reports, and speaks to Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health System in the Houston area, to learn more about how water outages are severely impacting hospitals.
"Recovery may take months even as more help reaches storm-hit Texas" PBS NewsHour 2/20/2021
Excerpt
SUMMARY: President Biden declares a disaster in Texas on Saturday, allowing affected Texans to apply for emergency grants for housing and low-cost loans to cover losses from the winter storm, which has left millions in the state without heat, power and water. For more on community impact and response to the winter storm, Hari Sreenivasan spoke with Texas U.S. Representative Colin Allred from Dallas.
Once again, Republics prove they no longer support democracy.
"How voters are being ‘duped’ by Trump’s election challenges" PBS NewsHour 12/10/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: A lawsuit filed this week by the Texas Attorney General asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay certification of election results in four states won by President-elect Joe Biden. President Trump and 17 states, all with Republicans attorneys general, signed on to the case, which experts say has little chance of being heard by the justices. Judy Woodruff Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan to discuss.
"Supreme Court denies Texas attempt to overturn election results" PBS NewsHour 12/11/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: In a closely watched decision the U.S. Supreme Court late Friday denied an attempt by the state of Texas, supported by a large number of Republicans, to overturn the election results and President-elect Joe Biden's victory in four states. Judy Woodruff spoke with John Yang, Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.
SUMMARY: In Texas, seven people were killed and 22 wounded in Odessa during a mass shooting Saturday. After state troopers stopped the alleged gunman for driving his car erratically, he shot one of them and then sped away, firing at people randomly. The massacre comes less than a month after one in El Paso left 22 dead. William Brangham talks to Mitch Borden of Marfa Public Radio for the latest updates.
SUMMARY: A gunman firing indiscriminately from his car on Saturday in Odessa, Texas, killed seven people and wounded 22 more. Many of the victims were sent to Odessa's Medical Center Hospital. William Brangham talks to Russell Tippin, the Medical Center Health System’s CEO, about the harrowing experience of becoming a trauma center for a mass shooting and how the community and first responders are coping.
SUMMARY: The seven people killed in a mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, over the Labor Day weekend ranged in age from 15 to 57. They were parents and siblings, a truck driver, a mail carrier and an Army veteran, and they were going about their lives when they became victims of a random deadly episode of violence. Judy Woodruff remembers them, in the words of their families and friends.
SUMMARY: Amid the roiling national debate about immigration and a border wall, construction crews in El Paso, Texas, are busy replacing 20 miles of wire mesh fencing with a bollard-style structure. Border Patrol says this kind of barrier is crucial for preventing people from crossing the border illegally. Special correspondent Angela Kocherga talks to El Paso residents about how it affects their community.
SUMMARY: It’s commonly believed that you need money to start a company, but a pair of British entrepreneurs are spreading a different message. Through their initiative PopUp Business School, Alan Donegan and his team train people with little capital, but a lot of ideas, how to turn their entrepreneurial visions into reality. Paul Solman reports on how the free program encourages aspiring innovators.
SUMMARY: Considered one of the most expensive races in the country this election year, the Texas Senate race could transform Texas politics. Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) and his Democratic opponent, El Paso Congressman Beto O'Rourke, faced off in a combative debate last night. Tomeka Weatherspoon of Houston Public Media reports.
SUMMARY: A handful of competitive House races could tip the balance of power in Washington this November. Judy Woodruff discusses the state-of-play with public television reporters Scott Shafer of KQED in California, Briana Vannozzi of NJTV in New Jersey, and Mary Lahammer of Twin Cities PBS.
SUMMARY: Students, parents and teachers suffered the agony of a school shooting on Friday morning near Galveston, Texas, where at least 10 people were murdered and 10 more wounded. The suspect, a 17-year-old according to media reports, is being held on a capital murder charge. Judy Woodruff learns more from Gail Delaughter of Houston Public Media.
SUMMARY: The prime suspect in a series of bombings that terrorized Austin, Texas, took his own life overnight, blowing himself up when a SWAT team approached, and shot at 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt. Police say Conditt built the bombs that killed two people and wounded four others. Hari Sreenivasan learns more from Syeda Hasan of KUT.
SUMMARY: President Trump, a number of other Republicans and the NRA have ramped up calls for arming teachers. But it's an idea that generating a lot of criticism among educators. Jason Villalba, a Texas state representative and the architect of the School Marshal Program that allows Texas school districts to train and arm teachers, joins John Yang to discuss how it works.
SUMMARY: What do teachers think of calls from President Trump and others for arming educators as a response to mass shootings at schools? Becky Pringle of the National Education Association joins John Yang to share opposition to the proposal and why many teachers can’t imagine the responsibility of carrying a firearm in the classroom.
SUMMARY: Houston is 627 square miles of urban development, highways, office parks, strip malls, and neighborhoods -- and it keeps growing farther and farther out. Five months ago, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast, dropping more than 50 inches of rain across Houston and raising questions about the consequences of limitless development. Hari Sreenivasan reports.
SUMMARY: Houston, known as the Bayou City, is no stranger to flooding. But the record-breaking rains and devastating deluge of Hurricane Harvey helped expose a disconnect between developers building on flood-vulnerable land and home buyers who might not have realized the risk. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how the region is confronting the likelihood of more floods, and long-term measures for mitigation.
SUMMARY: Five months after Hurricane Harvey tore through Houston with record rainfall and 130 mph winds, 33,000 Texans are still displaced and living in temporary federal housing. Meanwhile, 80 percent of hurricane victims did not have flood insurance, and for many, help is not coming fast enough. Produced in partnership with the Texas Tribune, Hari Sreenivasan looks at what keeps them from returning home.
SUMMARY: The First Baptist Church in the small town of Sutherland Springs was the site of the largest mass shooting in Texas history on Sunday. Twenty-six-year-old Devin Kelley opened fire during services, killing 26 people and wounding 20. John Yang speaks with Joey Palacios of Texas Public Radio and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) about the how the community is reeling and the investigation into the shooter.
SUMMARY: The man who shot and killed dozens at a Texas church had been convicted of assaulting his wife and a child, and he may have been motivated by a "domestic situation," say officials. The latest tragedy underscores a link between mass killings and domestic violence. John Yang talks with Deborah Epstein of the Georgetown Law Domestic Violence Clinic and James Fox of Northeastern University.
SUMMARY: The victims of a deadly church shooting included a grandmother who shielded her grandson from the attack, a cancer survivor and a couple who were visiting the church for the first time. We remember eight of the victims through the words of their loved ones.
SUMMARY: President Trump has sided with Democrats in a deal to tie $7.9 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief to funding the government and raising the debt ceiling. The deal complicates relations with Republicans, who wanted a longer-term fix to the debt ceiling. John Yang unpacks the proposal and what it means for the agenda awaiting Congress with Erica Werner of the Associated Press.
SUMMARY: Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Miles O'Brien to discuss the week's news, including how Hurricane Harvey might redirect Republicans' fall agenda, the Trump administration's response to the emergency, how the government will pay for the long and arduous recovery, whether the storm will shift political discourse about climate change and more.
MILES O'BRIEN (NewsHour): In addition to the grueling work of rescue and recovery on the ground, Hurricane Harvey has stirred up political challenges and marked the first natural disaster on President Trump's watch.
For what's at stake, we get the analysis of Shields and Brooks. That's syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks.
Gentlemen, good to have you with us.
To what extent has the storm on Friday and what has ensued changed what's going to happen in Washington in September? Do you think this is a reset in a sense, David?
DAVID BROOKS, The New York Times: I have decided to take the most willfully confident or least optimistic point of view just maybe post-flood, that the dove comes bearing the olive branch.
And I do think there's potential for things to get better. The Republicans were headed toward dysfunction this fall with the budget showdowns, with this fight over the wall, possible government shutdown.
And now they at least have a pretext, all the while knowing they look dysfunctional and they have to get something done. Now they have a pretext to change the subject, to put some budget relief in there for the flood, without doing offsets, without trying to rip the money out from other programs.
And they could say, hey, we can't do the wall right now. We got to rebuild Texas. And, by the way, on the background, a lot of people are going to need a lot of construction workers in Texas. And this is a construction with a construction worker flourish.
So, maybe this isn't the time to crack down on immigration. And so I think there's a possibility, if they want to look functional, to seize this moment, whether they will or not. But I'm going for maximal optimistic unrealism.
MILES O'BRIEN: So, Mark, would you agree that the storm has given Republicans some cover for a kumbaya moment?
MARK SHIELDS, Syndicated Columnist: Not necessarily kumbaya moment, because I think that's impossible with Donald Trump; because he's so mercurial, so volatile, and so self-obsessed.
But I think it's great political opportunity for Republicans, partly for the reasons that David said. The old maxim in combat in World War II was, there are no atheists in a foxhole. There no libertarian, conservative, small-government people at a time when they're in the wake of a hurricane.
People turn — what's the government going to do? I want it done. Even the much ridiculed — and legitimately so — Ted Cruz, who ran for President proclaiming he was the most unpopular man in the Senate, earned that epithet, sobriquet by opposing any hurricane aid to the citizens of New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.
And 22 of the 23 Republican members of Congress from Texas, including John Cornyn, the senator and Cruz, opposed it [Sandy relief]. Now, of course, they are the biggest exhorters for federal aid, federal involvement, national government rushing in.
But I do think it's an opportunity for Republicans to unite and to get away from the wall and President's empty threat to close the government if it weren't funded.
-----
MILES O’BRIEN: What about tax reform? That was something that, in the midst of this storm, President Trump was talking about. Is there any chance there will be any traction on that?
MARK SHIELDS: There is no tax reform.
What it is, is a tax cut. And they have concluded that there’s a real problem in this country when it comes to money distribution, that the poor have too much and the rich don’t have enough. [Republican view] And this is the solution.
DAVID BROOKS: Just to make Mark feel good, I don’t think anything is going to pass.
I was thinking, who was in office, who was in power in 1986? You had Dan Rostenkowski in the House, a guy named Bob Packwood in the Senate, James Baker,
MARK SHIELDS: Patrick Moynihan.
DAVID BROOKS: Patrick Moynihan, Bill Bradley.
MARK SHIELDS: Bill Bradley. Dick Gephardt. Yes.
DAVID BROOKS: This was like the dream team of legislative skill.
MARK SHIELDS: Yes.
DAVID BROOKS: And there’s just nobody like that, because they don’t — people do not have the experience to pass complicated legislation, let alone a White House.
Tax reform is incredibly hard, because every time you cut a loophole, there’s an army that wants to preserve it. And it’s just hard to…
MARK SHIELDS: Dick Darman.
DAVID BROOKS: Dick Darman is another figure.
(CROSSTALK)
MARK SHIELDS: Yes. Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID BROOKS: We have sort of lost human capital in Washington of people who know how to do complicated stuff.
MARK SHIELDS: It’s a good point. We have devalued it.
When you run against Washington long enough, and deprecate public service, I mean, after a while, you stop attracting or making it appealing for talented people to come and to stay. And [back] then public service was an honorable and important…
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID BROOKS: The talent is a side, but the experience is low.
Those people had put through, over the previous 20 or 30 years, lots of complicated legislation, especially under Johnson, and even under Nixon.
And the people now, they just don’t have the experience of doing that.
SUMMARY: In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Houston is facing catastrophic housing loss and the dangers of damaged chemical plants. As the waters begin to recede, rescue crews are going door-to-door, hoping they won't discover more bodies, while evacuees began to return home to assess what's left. William Brangham joins Miles O'Brien from Houston to discuss what he's seen.
