Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour Weekend 20240622

Corporate funding is provided by mutual of america designing customized individual and Group Retirement products. Thats why we are your retirement company. Additional support is provided by and by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. From the tisch wnet studios in Lincoln Center in new york, Hari Sreenivasan. Sreenivasan good evening, and thanks for joining us. The mass shooting in chattanooga, tennessee, has claimed the life of a fifth victim. Randall smith, a 26yearold navy petty officer, died this morning, two days after being shot at a fencedin navy and Marine Reserve center. Smith was married with three eu four unarmed marines died thursday at the reserve center when gunman Muhammad Youssef abdulazeez opened fire with multiple weapons. Police killed the 24yearold abdulazeez at the scene. Abdulazeez was a naturalized american citizen from kuwait who grew up in tennessee. He spent seven months in jordan last year. Reuters is reporting a friend of abdulazeez says the gunman returned from jordan concerned over the situation in the middle east and that shortly before the attack, abdulazeez texted him an islamic verse whosoever shows enmity to a friend of mine, then i have declared war against him. Investigators have not offered any evidence that abdulazeez might be connected to any Islamic Extremist Group like isis. Saudi arabia announced today it has thwarted isis from carrying out several attacks by arresting 431 people in the past few weeks. The saudi government says some suspects planned to bomb mosques in the saudi kingdom, as well as diplomatic and security facilities, while other suspects were recruiting militants through social media. The government said it also arrested suspects who carried out several attacks, including a suicide bombing in may that killed 22 people. And there are new reports that isis may have used chemical weapons to attack kurdish fighters in iraq and syria. Field investigators and kurdish Officials Say isis launched shells loaded with toxic industrial or agricultural chemicals several times in recent weeks. Kurdish forces accused isis of using a chlorinebased chemical in at least one suicide truck bombing earlier this year, but firing chemical mortar shells from a distance would be a new tactic for the extremists. In iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is voicing his support for his countrys nuclear deal with u. S. And other world powers, but khamenei says that does not signal an end to hostilities with the u. S. Or israel. Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of palestine, yemen, syria, iraq, bahrain and lebanon. Even after this deal, our policy towards the arrogant u. S. Will not change. In his first public speech since the deal, khamenei called america aggressive and atrocious and told his audience iran did not need to be stopped from developing a Nuclear Weapon since such a weapon would supposedly be forbidden under islamic law. The ku klux klan and an African American group held opposing rallies today at the South Carolina state house. Both sides are demonstrating over the states decision to remove the confederate battle flag last week. The k. K. K. Says removing the flag is the governments attempt to erase white culture from history. The group black educators for justice was protesting for a different reason, saying the flags removal is an illusion of progress in race relations. Sreenivasan when a woman reports a rape, soon after it occurs, authorities are able to get a rape kit physical evidence extracted from the victims body which may contain the valuable d. N. A. Of the perpetrator. But what happens afterward . There have been stories over the years of cities like New York Los Angeles and detroit facing massive backlogs of untested rape kits, but this week we learned this is a much bigger problem nationwide. A new investigation by the u. S. A. Today Media Network finds at least 70,000 rape kits remain untested in more than 1,000 Different Police departments. Keep in mind there are more than 18,000 Different Police departments around the country. Police departments in 34 states have never even taken an inventory of the evidence still sitting on the shelves untested, and police in 44 states have no guidelines of when to test rape kits. There are several reasons why, and to help us understand is reporter steve reilly from u. S. A. Today. Its not just one newspaper. Tell us about how you pulled off this large scale investigation. Exactly. Well we surveyed Law Enforcement agencies as you said across the country and found figures that more than a law thousand Law Enforcement agencies identified untested assault kits. Each of our broadcast and current partners investigated the issue in their own communities and we looked at the scope and breadth of this issue across the country. Turned into a state or National Database so you can find say serial rapists across state lines. Exactly. Thats what many advocates are making the point about these days is the usefulness of state and federal databases has grown drastically over just about several decades. And this evidence is much more valuable and much more able to help Law Enforcement identify suspects than it ever has been. A point to remember, even behind this 77,000 number, theres a story, theres a person behind each one of them. This isnt even the complete number, it could be much bigger than this. Absolutely. Like you said we obtained data for about a thousand Law Enforcement agencies and thats a small portion of the nations 18,000 Law Enforcement agencies. No Government Entity has gone and comprehensively look add that. But like you said behind the figures, each kit is someones story and you know, testing individual kits you know, can mean a lot to a survivor of one of these this incidents. You document how some of these survivors, until these tests went through was in fear not knowing whether their president predator was out there. When these kits arent tested, someone has gone through the terrible process ofthe terrible process having these kits collected as the process can take up to four to six hours after weve collected this evidence. And so its very sensitive process, and it can be difficult for some to hear that these kits arent being tested in some cases and it can mean its tremendously meaningful to have these cases resolved. One of the things the Police Departments are often likely to say hey, do you know what, as much as id like to have every one of these tested, its a thousand bucks a pop and i dont have the funds. But your reporting points out that there has been funds allocated for this theyre just not getting out there. Exactly. The funding has been there. Its more a matter of really policy makers and leaders at the local and state level taking initiatives and pursuing first audits of the number of Sexual Assault kits they do have in evidence that havent been tested. And then second, reviewing and testing those that should be tested. All right. Steve reilly of the usa today speaking to more than 90 papers that launched this investigation. Thanks so much for your time. Thank you so much. Sreenivasan for two decades somalia has been immersed in civil strife. A new federal government there has helped the east african nation regain some stability in the past few years, but somalia still lacks a functional banking system. Instead, the country relies on as much as 2 billion in Money Transfers from abroad every year to keep its economy going. A big portion of that money comes from somali immigrants in the united states. In tonights signature segment, the newshours stephen fee reports on how strict Anti Terrorism regulations could turn that money flow to a trickle. Reporter behind this row of unassuming storefronts on minneapolis east 24th street lies a little slice of somalia. Dozens of shops sell scarves and books, fried snacks and sweet somali tea pretty much everything you can buy in mogadishu, but in the heart of minnesota. Maryan abdi moved here from somalia 17 years ago and runs one of those shops. I sell rugs and flowers, she says, and its not just to support her family in the u. S. Who do you send money to at home . Who is still in somalia in your family . My brothers, uncles and aunts, she says. Each month, she sends anywhere from 300 to 500 to family and friends back home. So, this shop basically helps support not just your family but your family their neighbors, their friends. I mean, all from here, basically. Yes, she says, the whole family. I have this business, and i have to help them. Maryan abdi is one of 85,000 somaliamericans in the u. S. , roughly a third of whom live in minnesota. The majority fled east africa after somalias civil war in the 1990s. According to Community Leaders in minneapolisst. Paul, 80 of the somaliamericans here send money back to east africa. Aid groups say 40 of somalias population relies on those dollars known as remittances to survive. Mohamed idris runs araha, the American Relief agency for the horn of africa, based in minneapolis. It is estimated about 1. 3 billion are the. The amount of money that come on an annual basis to somalia from somalis in diaspora. So, the remittance is the lifeline, is the backbone for somalia. Reporter but now, the 215 million that flow from the somali diaspora in the u. S. Each year may be in jeopardy. The u. S. Government is increasingly concerned some of those remittances are going to terror groups that have taken hold in muslimmajority somalia particularly al shabaab, an Al Qaedalinked Organization Behind an assault on a Kenyan University this april that killed more than 140 people and an attack on a kenyan mall two years ago that killed 67. Adam szubin is the u. S. Treasury departments acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Any time youre talking about funds transfer mechanisms whether its wires, whether its the baking system any funds transfer can be exploited by bad actors, including terrorist groups. And obviously, when youre talking about somalia, al shabaab has a presence there and its had a very harmful influence on the people of somalia. Reporter as a result, treasury has imposed stricter controls on Money Transfers to somalia, where theres a weak central bank and limited financial oversight. Any time youre talking about funds transfer mechanisms whether its wires, whether its the baking system any funds transfer can be exploited by bad actors, including terrorist groups. And obviously, when youre talking about somalia, al shabaab has a presence there. Reporter but, according to ryan allen, an associate professor at the university of minnesotas Humphrey School of public affairs, treasurys strict antimoney laundering rules are having the inadvertent effect of pressuring banks that normally help facilitate remittances to somalia. Because of the expectations on the due diligence, the banks run a risk. If the money should fall into the wrong hands, despite their best efforts even, they can face some really significant penalties, you know, in the millions of dollars kinds of penalties. Reporter with that in mind, these intermediary banks that hold the accounts for these Money Transfer organizations started closing some of these accounts . Thats right. So, slowly, one by one, and then. And then a kind of rash of closings, many of the. Many of the banks are deciding that the risk is not worth the return. Reporter Money Transfers to somalia are complex. Senders, say, in minneapolis bring cash to a Money Transfer window. The money is then held in an intermediary bank, wired through a clearinghouse in the middle east and finally winds up in east africa. But if the money ends up in the wrong hands, the intermediary banks may he held responsible. This february, one of those institutions Merchants Bank of california, responsible for up to 80 of u. S. Tosomalia remittances decided to get out of the business. Right now, for regular somalis in the twin cities, the number of remittance. Somali remittances that are doing this business are shrinking. Reporter mohamed idris, whose group has offices throughout east africa, is still able to send money to his colleagues in somalia, but the remittance firms in minneapolis are capping amounts he can send abroad and charging higher fees. Remember, there is no Traditional Bank in somalia. And. And thats. Even the u. N. Uses these wire transfers because thats the. Its the only means to send money to somalia. Businesses, charities, government. Reporter but some of those dollars have made their way from the u. S. To militant groups in somalia. In 2011, two somaliamerican women from rochester, minnesota were convicted of sending 8,600 to al shabaab. That same year, a somali cab driver in st. Louis pleaded guilty to providing 6,000 to help al shabaab buy a vehicle. And in 2013, a jury in san diego found four somali men guilty of conspiring to raise funds for the terror group. So far, the u. S. Government has only been able to find some isolated cases of this right. And so, how much more widespread it might be is really hard to determine. Reporter acting treasury undersecretary adam szubin wont say exactly how much money he believes has made its way from the u. S. To al shabaab, but his concern lies with the lack of any formal banking infrastructure on the somali side of remittance transactions. And so, what were talking about is a very opaque if you will, a black hole where those funds are going. Thats the root concern of banks who are asking hard questions about how do we know the funds are going where theyre supposed to be going . Reporter Money Transfer offices in the u. S. Can check the names of money senders and recipients against a government list of known terrorist supporters, but their counterparts in east africa have no such ability. Abdulaziz sugule runs a trade group for Money Transfer offices in minnesota. How do q this money might not eventually get into the wrong hands . They know their customers. They know people who send money. If they see somethings happening, they can also. Theres a way you can report to the government. Reporter sugule says lack of transparency is an issue, but the risk is negligible. If you look at the average person sending, if you look at that, its going to be 200 less than 200. And that moneys going to the needy people, the people in refugee camps, the people who are destitute. Reporter and somali americans like 24yearold truck driver abdi salad say theyre as concerned as the u. S. Government about militant groups back home. After all, their families are in danger. Were not terrorists. Were not supporting terrorists. We just want to send money to our families. Reporter minneapolis mayor betsy hodges has teamed up with her states congressional delegation to press for a national solution, one that balances security concerns with her constituents desires to aid their families. Its a question of banks federal regulators, the state department, treasury working together to find solutions that will both keep our country secure and keep the world secure as we should and as we must, but that would also allow folks to send dollars back home. And frankly, not being able to send dollars back home, in some ways, is a larger security issue. It gives a reason for people to say at one point you had access to resources from home, now you dont; the west doesnt care about you. Which, you know, we dont need to add to that pile of messages. Reporter in washington, minnesota congressman Keith Ellison has taken up his constituents concerns, as well. Hes proposed reducing the liability for banks that facilitate remittances so if money goes to the wrong people the banks would face less severe punishment from regulators. Couldnt that help at least loosen up the gears a little bit . I dont think thats the answer in that its not a question of regulatory liability. Banks dont want to be handling money flows if they dont know where theyre going, especially into a highrisk area like somalia. And we cant be in the practice of saying you dont have to worry about your antimoney laundering or counterterrorist financing regulatory obligations. Reporter the Treasury Department and other u. S. Agencies are working to strengthen banking oversight in somalia. University of minnesota professor ryan allen says that could reduce the risk of money ending up in terrorists hands and help keep the remittance pathway open. If we have a wellestablished and Strong Central Bank in somalia, if we have a Banking Sector that is capable of doing assurances on whos getting money and keeping tabs on where the moneys going, thats the best longterm solution to this problem. Reporter but its the short term that has somaliamericans in minneapolis most concerned. And mohamed idris, who runs the Relief Agency araha, says slowing the remittance flow could sabotage somalias gradual steps toward greater political stability. It means that our work will be doubled. It will be. Means that the fragile situation that is Getting Better right now in somalia is going to reverse. Sreenivasan read the personal stories of somali immigrants trying to send money back home to their families. Visit us online at www. Pbs. Org newshour. To the middle east, where tensions between arabs and jews are welldocumented. But there is an ongoing effort to channel some of that tension into a more peaceful form of fighting. Newshours Martin Fletcher has the story of using martial arts to bridge the divide. Reporter a sea of white. Karate teachers from all over israel, men and women jews, muslims, christians, druze bedouin together for a karate master class on the shores of the mediterranean, north of tel aviv. The attraction everybody, yo reporter imad khalil who runs the Karate Association of neighboring jordan. But this isnt only about the martial arts; its about bridging the gap between jews and arabs. Hoping that the jordanian teacher will introduce more israelis to jordan and to the arab world. A step toward a wider peace. Its help for peace. If you have a neighbor and never you see him, and they see you, how you going to have relation with him . Friendship . Reporter khalils friendship visit to israel got off to a rocky start, though. There were supposed to be eight jordanians here taking part in these karate exercises, but six of them werent allowed into the country of israel, they couldnt get visas. Very disappointing. Reporter danny hakim, the founder of budo for peace, the Nonprofit Group that invited the jordanians, called it just a bureaucratic hiccup. You know, as a karate person, you know, its just one obstacle. Next time, well definitely get them to come. Reporter budo for peace has 24 martial arts clubs in israel and 60 more affiliated clubs that follow the same creed. We do two things. One is teach values; values like respect, selfcontrol, harmony within yourself, harmony for others, selfdevelopment. The other side, we bring people and communities together. Theres so many different ethnic groups in israel and all over the world, every country. We try and bring them together. Reporter for all the violence and hostility between jews and arabs, there are hundreds of organizations devoted to bringing them together, many through sports. In addition to budo for peace there is soccer for peace, basketball for peace, surfing for peace and even ultimate frisbee for peace. Eightyearold idan noit has been learning karate since he was five. And as his mother, inbar, watches, she says she dreams of peace and that her son wont need to fight in the israeli army. We keep hoping that until he becomes 18, he wont have to go but im not so sure. Reporter thats been every generations dream here . Exactly. Reporter karate isnt only about the body, but the mind too. And in jerusalems alyn hospital, the karate colleagues brought their message of hope to children who can really use it. Theyre not able to do a full punch. They just do this. But for them inside, its a huge achievement. Reporter khalil does similar work in jordan, bringing martial arts to children who benefit in the body and maybe the mind. All the parents, all the people who are in charge in the hospital, they told me, the children are Getting Better physically and mentally. Well i said, oh, make me happy this. Reporter fighting for peace, for young and old. This is pbs newshour weekend, saturday. Sreenivasan and now to viewers like you, your chance to comment on our work. We return to last weeks segment about harper lees new novel, go set a watchman, and the revelation that lees beloved character from to kill a mockingbird, Atticus Finch, holds racist views. Someone who joins an organization to resist the Integration Movement that happened after brown versus board of education. Sreenivasan writerfromtexas said it was clear in to kill a mockingbird that atticus defended his client because that is how the law in this country is supposed to work. Kudos to him for that. The book hinted that this was despite atticus beliefs. Would that all persons today received adequate representation. Calipenguin hoped schools would embrace the change in Atticus Finch will School Districts ban that novel now that atticus turns out to be a segregationist in the sequel . I hope not. Teachers should use this opportunity to discuss the spectrum of civil rights issues in our nations history. Phoebe gavin defended harper lee im very annoyed by the reactions. No matter how invested you are in a character, you dont own them the author does. Only the author knows who any particular character truly is. Michael mclellan added both are fiction, both are separate entities. Reading this new novel should have no effect on how you view mockingbird. david uffer lamented are there to be no heroes left standing in this crazed tormented world . Kathi duginski wanted no part of the new book if that is true, i wont read it. I love the Atticus Finch i have known since i was a child. And john hergt took a more cynical approach its simply an inferior earlier effort that was scrapped and now resurrected for money. As always, we welcome your comments. Visit us at www. Pbs. Org newshour, on our facebook page, or tweet us at newshour. Finally tonight a new study published in the journal nature Climate Change finds Global Warming is changing the jet stream over the Pacific Ocean adding a minute per round trip to airline fly times. Researchers say that extra minute applies to every commercial u. S. Flight could cost 300,000 hours of flight time and a billion gallons of jet fuel per year. Thats all for tonight. Im Hari Sreenivasan see you back here today. Captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org pbs newshour weekend is made possible by Corporate Funding is provided by mutual of america designing customized individual and Group Retirement products. Thats why we are your retirement company. Additional support is provided by and by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Marcucci hello. Im cynthia marcucci, and im here with greg sherwood. And wed like to talk with you about something we know you appreciate everything you discover when you spend time with kqed. Sherwood so, over the next halfhour or so, well bring you a behindthescenes look at kqeds most exciting initiatives and explain how you can help with an innovative kind of membership that will make you an ongoing partner in all our efforts. 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