And lots of snoring. Why would these kids actually sign up for this . Soledad im soledad obrien. Welcome to matter of fact from new york city. Republican senator jeff flake of arizona a vocal critic of President Trump is going to sit out the next election. Why . In a blistering speech on the senate floor, he blamed the contentious tenor of politics. Sen. Flake if i have been critical, it is because i believe that it is my obligation to do so, as a matter of duty and conscience. Soledad flake joins fellow republican senator bob corker of tennessee in his decision to abandon a reelection bid all as incumbent republicans find themselves on the political hit list of former white house chief strategist steve bannon. Within the gop ranks, bannons pledge that no one is safe is being taken seriously. Joshua green spent hours interviewing steve bannon over the last six years. The result, a book called the devils bargain. Nice to have you. Joshua great to be here. Soledad trying to decide who is the devil in the devils joshua well its sort of a choose your own adventure novel. You can pick either one. The idea basically is that bannon came up with these ideas that he thought could get someone elected, and trump took them up, got elected. The problem is, as soon as trump house, they didnt really know what they were doing. Trump brought in all sorts of people he campaigned against wall street bankers, people like gary cohn and Steve Mnuchin from goldman sachs. People like Reince Priebus and sean spicer. Soledad the swamp joshua members of the swamp and the Republican Party establishment. And almost immediately, you have the white house break out into warfare which inhibited anything from getting done. Soledad his new strategy of backing candidates and sounds to me like he is just trying to blow the established candidates out of the water. Joshua i think that is exactly right, and the reason for that is, i think that the big challenge that donald trump and steve bannon have is to explain away the failures of the Trump Presidency to accomplish what it was they said they were going to do. In order to explain that away, you need a bad guy. Well, the bad guy cant be trump. Hillary clinton is no longer on the scene, although republicans are constantly trying to pull her in. Soledad definitely trying. Joshua so the bad guy bannon has decided and trump has decided are the republican establishment. And the line that bannon sells repuand donald trump as their president. Th. They are working behind the scenes to undermine his agenda. We have seen public confirmation of that in the outspoken criticism from republicans like john mccain or senator bob corker, or just this past week, senator jeff flake. So i think there is a real sentiment that mainstream republicans dont like what trump is doing. And bannon is using that to point to them and say, we need to destroy establishment, replace them with people loyal to trump. Soledad how about mcconnell . Joshua mcconnell has become the new bad guy in then universe. We have seen trump criticize him publicly. And the one litmus that bannon has for this slate of insurgent will you promise to vote against mcconnell as majority leader . As a consequence of this, mcconnell, who was previously a very popular and quite effective republican leader, hag among Republican Voters to 13 . So it is clear that the trump bage Mitch Mcconnell and his allies are to blame is resonating and being believed by ordinary rankandfile voters. And that is going to make it much harder for mcconnell to do his job. Soledad how successful do you think steve bannon can be . I mean, clearly, the gop is afraid of him joshua absolutely the Republican Party is afraid of him, particularly political washington. Yeah. Bannons idea was of these incumbent republicans are insufficiently loyal to trump. And so he is going to get a slate of candidates and he is going to go them after personally and directly. It would put the fear of god in mainstream republicans to toe the trump line or risk being ousted. I think bannons threat is so powerful it doesnt even requir running candidates against the incumbents. They are just giving up. Soledad do you bannon . I mean, you have talked to him a lot probably more than any other journalist. Joshua d am author, he is my favorite character, because he is so consequential, so interesting, and so multidimensional. You dont often get that in journalism. And bannon, from the first time i met him in 2011, has been thi, wildeyed bomb thrower who happens to have some very interesting ideas and ideas that it was clear, even back then, were going to have agency and salience with Republican Voters. Because even back then, in tea party uprising, you could see this strain of populist anger bubbling up on the right. And bannon has always been at the vanguard of that movement. Soledad thank you so much, josh green. Appreciate it. Joshua thank you. Great to be here. Next on matter of fact, a democrat, a lawyer, running to become the first africanamer in the country. Abrams this is the state to watch. But politics isnt her only passion. Abrams i love writing romantic suspense novels. What . Well introduce you to the wom who wants it all. And later, a growing number of Puerto Ricans abandoning their island. Soledad florida has already opened Disaster Centers for storm victims at airports in orlando and miami. What airports are doing that could get victims resettled and families to a new normal. And now, i help people find discounts, like paperless, multicar, and safe driver, that help them save on their car insurance. Any questions . Yeah. How do you go to the bathroom . Great. Any insurancerelated questions . Mmhmm. Do you have a girlfriend . Uh, im actually focusing on my career right now, saving people nearly 600 when they switch, so. Wheres your belly button . [ sighs ] ive got to start booking better gigs. [ sighs ] what ifmy chest hurts. Cal emergeni cant breathe. E . What you need is mobile help. Americas premier mobile medical alert system. Most systems only work at home. But with mobile help, you get help outside the home, with coverage nationwide on one of the largest cellular networks, at the press of a button. Call the number on your screen for a free, full color brochure. Well send you everything you need including this base station, the patented mobile device, and the waterproof pendant and wrist button. You can also add the fall button that automatically detects falls and signals help. Call today and receive a riskfree 30day trial. There is no equipment to buy and no longterm contract. For a limited time, you will also receive a free emergency key box with your plan purchase. Remember, mobile help keeps you safe coast to coast. Call soledad its been nearly a year since the president ial election that stunned political insiders, pollsters, and to be sure, the democratic party. They are looking to 2018 as a chance to gain ground with voters. It will be an uphill battle in the states where 27 of the 38 governorships in play are held by the gop. Take georgia. The odds against a democrat winning seem insurmountable. No nonincumbent democrat has been elected to statewide office there in nearly 20 years. That doesnt seem to bother Stacey Abrams,a democrat running toward history, set on becoming the first africanamerican female governor in the country. Jessica gomez visited abrams on the campaign trail to find out why she thinks a win could be a matter of simple math [knocking] jessica knocking on doors in suburban atlanta, Democrat Stacey Abrams hoping to become georgias next governor. Abrams we have a plan that would create 45,000 jobs. Jessica they are doors that have a way of opening for the 43yearold abrams, when they havent for those before her. If she is elected, she will not only be the first africanamericanhistory who is n the unitedjessica abrams is usg first the first female valedictorian in her high school. She went on she said her prograd parents instilled the idea of civic rem abrams they wanted ue very intentional and t they used to say no matter how lie had, there was someone with less. It was our job to sert person that sense of service led abrams to the state legislature, and morshe was thet africanamerican to lead, and the first female to lead the general assembly. Abrams i like infrastructure, and how yo join how you build a capacity for ci am stacn you from the great state of georgijessica speaking from the democratic convention, she has already raked in big endorsabrams this is the stateo watch. We are further ahead in demographic changeorgia today ha million registered, elig leanino simply dont votemy job is to st can be achieso yes, i would be o convince republicans to vote democro is pretend to be a republican to make that happen. I am not going to pretend to not believe in labor. I am not going t n be prochoice. I am not going to pretend that Climate Change isnt real. Jessica known as aunt stacey to her nieces and nephews, abrams is quickwitted and a selfproclaimed talker. She spends her free time with her family and writing. Shes authored eight romantic suspense novels under the pen name selena montgomery. Abrams i love writing romantic i love writing. I like to write about the men that will one day find me. Hopefully, he will step out of these pages and show up at my front door. Jessica i was g have written all of these books and you are single . Abrams it is hard. Dating is hard. I have been a little busy and focused on when you hear the words the the u. S. , what does that mean to you . Abrams im proud. But i am also excited, because i am helping change the face of what we think leadership looks like. I dont expect anyone to vote for me because i am black. I dont expect anyone to vote for me because i am a woman. But i do expect you to know that because i am a black woman, there are experiences that i have. There are barriers i have overcome that signal to you my resilience, my fortitude, my ability to be a strong leader. You got one. Jessica should she win, abrams sag than being first is that she wouldnt be the last. Abrams i want my nieces, in particular, to be able to look at their aunt stacey and say, she is in charge of the state of georgia but more importantly, i want them to say they could be too. Thank you so much. [applause] jessica in georgia, for matter of fact, im jessica gomez. Soledad Stacey Abrams needs to win the primary in georgia before moving on to the general election in november of 2018. Abrams is running against another stacey on the democratic ticket, stacey evans. 39yearold evans is also a lawyer and a former state representative. She says she grew up in poverty in rural georgia, and was the first in her family to go to a recipient of georgias hope scholarship for academic achievement, evans says if she is elected she will restore gop cu hope to georgias families. Evans i was able to fight to piece back cuts to the hope scholarship after that program was viciously cut in 2011 during my first session. My lifeline cut to shreds leaving folks out from the same path that got me into that chamber. I fought to piece back as many cuts as i could, but i couldnt get all the way there, and you know where i kept getting stopped . The governors office. So i am running to bring hope and opportunity to all georgia families. Soledad georgias gubernatorial primary is in may. Next on matter of fact, from new york city, republicans control more state legislatures than the democrats by a lot. Soledad talks to the woman in charge of winning them back. And later, remember this night at the museum, when artifacts came to life . Come inside this National Treasure and see the past make an appearance if you dare. Soledad welcome back to matter of fact, from new york city. On november 7, voters in new jersey and virginia will elect new governors. Because of term limits, there is no incumbent in either race. The Democratic National committee is using both states to test new voter outreach technology. State Party Leaders say its l part of an effort to rebuild after losing critical ground. In fact, the democrats have ceded a lot of ground to the republicans since 2008. Republicans now control the majority of the state legislatures. Jessica post, executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign committee, is in charge of winning back those legisl it is nice to have you with us. Jessica thanks so much for having me. Soledad so, do yo if you think 56 of the seats are going to the republicans, i think 42 democrats . That is quite a hill to climb. Jessica well, we have had Great Success this year. We have fl republican to democrat since trump was elected. We are feeling a lot of momentum in the states. Soledad why do these state legislature wins matter for the national picture, really . Jessica state legislatures are critically important. The first wall of resistance against trump is in the states. So in a state like oregon, where we have democratic control, they were able to put a womens righ to choose and womens right to access Birth Control in state law in advance of the executive order. But i think the looming priority is redistricting. So, after 2020, when the census is done, all of the districts in 2020 will be redrawn nationally, and in 37 states, the state legislatures draw both the legislative and the congressional districts and that is really impactful. Soledad but what have you learned . I mean, has there been a big strategy shift from the mistakes of the 2000s . Jessica yeah, i think so. We thought that if we invested in the presidency, if we spent more money on paid communication, all of that would simply trickle down and legislative candidates would get elected. The reality is, all candidates need to run their own campaigns with shoe leather, Smart Digital engagement, and better funding to get their own messages out. They cant just run under the banner of the National President ial candidate, which i think was a longtime assumption. Soledad republicans are a mess, democrats also a mess. The party seems split. Should it go farther left . Is it a failure to be centrist . Is it really two parties, and they are just under the umbrella of one party, which same thing happened on the republican side, to some degree . How much is that affecting you . Jessica i think that is a great question nationally. In the states, when there is a special election, that is proven to be a unifying motivator for democrats. So the democrats will step up and say, we will put innerparty divisions maybe we had aside, because we all know that we need to elect Stephanie Hansen in delaware. We all know in a huge election we are following closely in Washington State that we need to elect manka dhingra. We will figure out the rest later. But right now, we are go out and door knock, we are going to d at the campaign office, and we are raise money through our lowdollar communities to get these folks elected. Soledad well, figuring it out later might be sometime before 2018 which i know is looming large on your calendar. Thanks for talking with us. Soledad coming up next on wild fires in california. Flood victims in texas. Puerto rico in turmoil. How close have we come to bankrupting the aid fund for the victims of those disasters . Plus, the Founding Fathers signed this famous document and outlined our freedoms. Why kids sleeping next to it might actually preserve the nation. Soledad a weekly featurt we call were paying attention even if youre too busy. Here in new york, a manhattan city councilman is asking the Port Authority to open Welcome Centers at laguardia and jfk airports to assist Puerto Ricans fleeing the aftermath of hurricane maria. The centers would offer help with food, clothing, housing, and job referrals. Florida has already opened Disaster Centers for storm victims at airports in orlando and miami all to serve a growing number of Puerto Ricans abandoning their island home. More federal emergency aid will go to the devastated island, along with the u. S. Virgin islands, florida, and texas, after President Trump signs a 36 billion relief measure passed by congress. The funding will help make those payments, and allow new claims on the more than 8400 homes devastated by california wildfires. When we return, matter of fact spends a night at a famous museum. Why are we camping the constitution . Soledad rememe night at the museum, where artifacts come to life at night . Imagine what it would be like if history could come alive in much the same way. Thats exactly what happens periodically at the National Archives in washington, d. C. Where i sit on the board, by thg thist over the archives, and fod brave e ornate halls, setting up camp willing to sleep on a marble floor to curl up as close as possible to our consititution. It is not the marble floor that will get you. Itll be the snoring. We have great acoustics. In the rotunda. Welcome to the artifacts. Soledad . 60 kids from around the country said, count me in. Checking in at the National Archives home to the declaration of independence, the bill of rights, president ial letters, and records of our greatest explorations. One of the things the sleepover does for the National Archives is, it lets kids understand the importance of history and our documents. For kids, it makes a connection for them. There isnt a focus anymore on Civic Education in the k12 curriculum. Kids are growing up without knowing how their government works, and that is one of the things we do here. Soledad traveling from as far away as california, these Young Explorers spent an exciting night Digging Deeper into our nations history and our Space Program the theme of the evening, in honor of president John F Kennedys centennial. Given free range of the museum, these adventurers spent the night investigating some of the more than 13 billion records of famous speeches, blueprints, and photographs. Building and launching rocket ships, examining chunks of meteors brilliant young minds racing, anxious to learn more. But still, facing bedtime, too soon, sleeping bags were down, kids were tucked in, and the lights were out. Let the snoring begin. Im soledad obrien. We will see you back here next week for matter of fact. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] robert handa hello, and welcome to Asian Pacific america. Im robert handa, your host for our show here on nbc bay area and cozi tv. First, we take a snapshot of san joses japantown with the help of longtime jtown photographer jim nagareda, who has not only run one of the top photography studios with his family since 1920, but was involved in a 15year project documenting the history of japantown. We will see and hear more about that. And jim will also help guide us through the japaneseamerican museum of san jose, where he currently serves as executive director. Then, Asian Pacific america takes you on a tour of bay area restaurants with an asian influence. Today, we hit the north bay town of sebastopol to try ramen gaijin, known for sourcing most of their ingredients
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