Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. Announcer a now, bbc world news. This is bbc world news america, reporting from washington. Counting down to the state of the union. Just hours fromen now, pres trump will deliver his first address against a background of political fights. S president putin calist of oligarchs an unfriendly act, but falls short of calling for retaliatn. And, taking their case to capitol hill. Gymnasts who spoke out against a dr. Larry nassar are now calling for greater protection. Welcome to our viewers on Public Television in america and around the globe. In just a few hours, President Trump will deliver his first state of the union address. In the chamber will be members of both parties. Millions of americans will be watching at home. On the domestic front, expect the president to highlig economy and immigration. When it comes to foreign policy, north korea and russia are key areas people will be listening for. Tonight we hear from both sides. ,we start with republican congressman scott taylor, who spoke with my ryan, a short time ago. Jane thank you for joining me. T who do you thi president most needs to reach out to tonight . I think the president can and should speak to all americans, number one. I think there are a lot of things we have in common, whether it is infrastructure, defeatg isis, things like that that democrats and republicans agree on, he does need to speak to the other side and speak to those who sethemselves as independents, the fastestgrowing population, politically. It is important that he speak outo l americans, and certainly that population. Host looking at this from the outside, it seems to be a very divided union at the moment. Do you think there is any chance all sides can come together on these issues such as immigration . It has just provoked a shutdown. I do. When you look at the economy, the improving economy, and folks ipving more money in their pockets, that is atisan issue. That is one thing he can tout, k lk about, talk about successes there and then talabout immigration. A lot ofhe public does want to see more Border Security and disincentives for illegal immigration. At the same time, they want to daca. Ith immigration and i think we can come together for that. As you said, the democrats shut the government down over this, shut the american government, funding for troops and all of those things. It would be very disingenuous if they did not come to the table. Now t serious proposal. As a i think we can come together and solve the immigration problem. Host how important is tone going to be . Extremely important, good question. When you are speaking to to thedents, speaking other side of the aisle, spking about how we can move the country forward, tone is very important. The president would do well to have a conciliatory tone. Host this is your first state of the union as well. R a year. Been there what surprised you the most about working in washington . Is it the gridlock . Is it the lack of bipartisanship . I try to have no expectations so that i would not be let down, but i am surprised by thene divisi in the country right now. I am from virginia. In virginia, we reach across the aisle to move forward. I am a military guy. In the military, you dont care if you are white, black, brown, gay, straight, rich, poor, you hold hands and get it done. I would like to see mo of that in washington. Host congressman scott taylor, thanks very muchor joining me. Thank you. Host now to the docrats, who are livid about a republican vote to release a secret memorandum said to accuse the fbi and Justice Department of misusing their authority in the russia investigation. Mithe memo was cioned by the republican chair of the house intelligence committee. The president now has five days elto decide whether tose it. Democratic congresswoman jackie spear sits on mmittee. I caught up with her. The state of the union is taking place tonight against a particularly dysfunctional backdrop and the Key Committee that you sit on seems to be zed by political, partis bickering. Has trust between democrats and republicans completely evaporated . It has. Regrettably so, because this was always bipartisan. It was always about protecting the security of our Intelligence Community to promote american safety, to make sure classifiedo ments were maintained as classified, and that is all out of the window because of this effort by devin nunes and the committee to politicize the work. It shows us, unfortunately, that they are willing to own a path that exposes classified information and accept what is being written that has no merit, necessaril host lets talk about the consequences if that memo is released, which republicans on the Committee Say is going to show some missteps by the fbi and department of justice. What impact will it have . The biggest impact it will have is that our allies aroundth world are going to be less inclined to share intelligence with us for fear we will not retain the classified nature of it. All of a sudden, the committee is becoming edward snowden, really. For a committee that last year was talking about how terrible unmasking was, they are now attempng to do so. Host you have been very tspoken in your criticism of the president and how he has been critical of the fbi. If he was to try to fire robert mueller, the special cou investigating the campaigns ties to russia, would you think that was grounds for impeachment . I aolutely would. Host would you be a minority of one . I dont think so. I think the american peopleth recogniz you cannot tear down the institutions that have kept them safe and free. The president is attacking the media, the department of justice, the fbi, the judiciary. What more before we wake up and realize that our country is under attack from inside, helped by the russians . Host you and other Democratic Women are wearing black tonight in a protest against sexual harassment. If you had to sum up the mood the state of our union right now, how would you describe it . Divided and fractured. Which is not what the state of the union is normally all about. Its about unifying the countryt unforty, the president has shown over and over again that. E is willing to tear it apart. Instead of build u sparecongresswoman jackie cash spear, jackie beer thank you for joining us. The Trump Administration has decided not to slap new sanctions on those doing business with ruia. What they have done is to release a list of politicians and oligarchs seen as senior figures, a move the kremlin has described as an unfriendly act. Betweene n relations o countries, i was joined by the chair of the Woodrow Wilson kanaan institute. What was the reason for releasing thisist of russians . The list was mandated by legislation passed by an overwhelming majority in both iduses of Congress Last july and signed by the prt, largely because the majority was vetoproof. There was nothing he could do about it. It mandated a report ahich russns are close to putin, w among the oligarchs and other elites might be involved in the illegal or nefarious activity. But it did not mandate sanctions. What the administration d was give a list that was almost downloaded from the internet. These are the richest russians and we are not going to sancti em. Host they could be sanctioned in the fwoure . I seeides. One is the administration is no sanctionshave planned. On the other hand, they are saying if we do sanc anybody is fair game. They are not saying anybody is protected. Hostmeanwhile, the administration saying they will not impose sections on those doing business with Russian Defense and intelligence firms, but congress is saying it should. Why not . These are thirdparty companies or couries they are saying should be punished. If you think about the america first, probusiness, proeconomic Development Philosophy of the administration, they are not finding that to be to their benefit. They are getti a lot of folks ocking on the door saying hey, this is bad for business. The message has been look, we have signaled to the russians t like what they are doing. Weve already punished those who need to be punished. Host democrats are saying this of an example of him being on russia. In some ways, there was no way the president would escape that criticism. Especially ihe interpreted the more as it wasn drafted, which did not require sanctions. He would have had to have gone abovbeyond and do something beyond what the legislation required to reassure those on the hill who are making th argument. St the director of the cia has told the bbc he fully expects russians to try to g tervene in midterm elections. So its not go go away. The issue of perhaps trying to sanction t russians. The u. S. Russia conflict is not going anywhere, in terms of election interference, in terms of ukraine, syria, issues on which we have disagreewith the russians, up to and including nuclear security. Were accusing them of violating a fundamental treaty in u. S. Ssia relations. That is not going anywhere. The problem is the administration is severely hemmed in politically in being able to conduct gotiations. At the end of the day, we are not going to defeat these people militarily. We have to talk to them. In todays political environment, that is difficulty. Very much foru joining us. In afghanistan, attacks by Islamic State inhe taliban ha soared to this month. The u. S. Is planning to se a more troops hanistan this year. A new report by the bbc shows the scale of the challenge they face. The taliban is now active in 70 this is malik. He i11, and too traumatized to speak to us. Phe wying in his garden when he lost his legs and his best friend to a taliban. Andmine today, malik is walking for the First Time Since the explosion. Go through fear every night. It is a horrific life. It is so volatile that we live by hours and minutes. We are a living death. Reporter last year, doctors at this red cross clinic an treated all 1000 pple without the very old to the very young. The violence does not discriminate. Helmet province, hundreds of soldiers died to defend the streets,r ut since theitreat, the violence i spreading. Just 10 minutes from the hospital, the front line. It is very rare for International Journalists to come this far. The soldiers say the militants are so close, they exchange insults. Today, swearing isnt enough. We just got fired at by the taliban from thatection, and now the police are returning fi. This is their front line. T shows how volatile it is this is normally quiet during es shootingt this prtherwise. Danger, defending the area is crucial. If the city fallol so does the of helmand. It is a responsibility the commander of this battalion takes seriously. The man they affectionately call the terminator. Underneath his uniform, half machine. The back of my head was blown off by a rock. Soldiers reported that o i was dethe spot. My brother came to collect my body. T doctors realized i wasnt dead. They patched up my skull with a metal plate. Not long after, i stepped on a landmine a afghanistan right now, it is not fit for an active commander to sit at home. This war has continued for 15 years. Helmand is bleeding, and its people feel rgotten. Bbc news, helmand province. Host so much difficulty still there in afghanistan. You are watching bbc world news america. Still to come ononights program, the president isnt the only one with a high profile speech tonight. Could this kennedy be the future of the Democratic Party . Will hold ad referendum in may about one of its most historically contentious issues, abortion. The republic of ireland currently has a near total ban on terminating pregnancies, except when doctors consider a womans liferi a. The archbishop has encouraged ministers not to become embroiled in attacks during the referencum. Catholic country already permits samesex marriage. Here is andrew. It is aissue that polarizes opinion in ireland, now subject to be set in a referendum now set to be the subject of a referendum. Seeland has a near total ban on abortion, even in of rape or incensed, or if the fetus has no chance of survival. Currently, thousands of women travrs os for abortions each year, or order pills online thatre are notribed by a physician. Now, ireland will hold a referendum on whether laws on abortion should be changed. We already have abortionan in ir but it is unsafe, unregulated, and unlawful. In my opinion, we cannot continue t export our problems and import our solutions. As a former minister for health, i dont believe we can proceed with a situation whereby women in crisi are risking their lives by using unregulated medications. The campaigners want to see it it criminalized, and polls suggest most people would vote change theaw and make abortion legal in some circumstances. Now, irelands Health Minister will draft aen law to the countrys constitution in time for a vote at the end of may. Bbc news. Host gerning bodies for amateur athletics could soon be required by law to promptly report sexua abuse claims thanks to a bill that is making its way through congress. This follows the case of dr. Larry nassar who last week was sentenced to 175 years in prison for abusing over 150 women and girls. Today, some of the women who stood up in court joined senator Dianne Feinstein in washington. Among them wpl jamie, who ned how empowered she felt by telling her story. I have never really been able to be proud of my elite career or speak the truth about how hard, how intense, how abusive it really was, because nobody would listen. So, to speak up and finally have not only one person listen, but to have so many people supporting us and on o side, i finally feel proud. Host she was speaking to the bbc reporter who covered the naar trial for us and who joined us a short time ago. We just heard from one of the gymnasts you have been s to. Ng what does it mean to them to come to the corridors of power and share their stories . It is part of a long joney at saw the moving and powerful testimony that those gymnasts clivered in the courtroom. But they have beling for this law to be brought in far before those hearings. Even a year ago, workih senator feinstein and other politicians to try to make sure the institutions governing bodies of sport are held to account. That is what they hope this will bring about. Host itinteresting, the transition those women are making. First so long, they were abused by dr. Nasser. They were silenced. Nowec they havee this powerful voice for change. What is it like for them . D t think they realized it was going to be as watched or as powerful as it turned out to be. If you were in the courtroom, from day omething like 90 women had signed up to speak or deliver written testimony. By day,course, day every morning, the clipboard would say more women had come forward. They want to try to channel the movement they have created into something, activism. They are not sure at the moment, but they know something has changed arou them. Host without the judge in that trial giving them the ability to speak, do they even el they would be at this point . As we saw at the hearing, testimony after testimony began anwith them ng her for giving them the opportunity. Certainly, that helped them have their voice. Stjamie was one of the fo speak out. Rachael was meant to be there. Unfortunately, she was sick. She was the first one to speak out afr the Indianapolis Star investigation. A few of them did speak out. So many more behind them didnt have the courage or felt they werent believed and thats why they couldnt be more open. They certainly hope that now that by Holding Institutions to account, things will change going forward. This is not just about the world of gymnastics. This is about sports altogether, young, Vulnerable People put in compromising positions. They just dont know what to do. Host thank you for joining us. State of now to the the union a dress, which President Trump will deliver in. Ust a few hours time well as substance, everyone is trying to guess what the tone will be. And of course, the president o wont be ty one giving a speech tonight. Joined now by anthony. What kind of tone do you think he is going to strike tonight . I is supposed to be upbeat. Last year, we heard a lot of bold promises, things like ructure,are, infra taxe they got taxes, but a lot of the other stuff, immigration, that didnt happen. We may see those rolled ou again on the parade route, but the test will be what happens in the months ahead. Host is this an opportunity for the president to craft a message he then goes out and sells to the cntry during midterm leading up to the midterm elections without distracting with tweets . Exactly. He can deliver a teleprompter speech, and if he sticks to the script, it will be well received. Last year, after a successful spee, he started tweeting after wiretaps a few days later. The question is what he does next. If he doesnt start tweeting about the special counsel investigation, he might find some success. But this is a big year. Elections. Term host lets turno the democrats and who they have chosen to deliver the response to the state of the union. Joe kennedy, grandson of anrobert kennedy, ephew of president john f. Kennedy, obviously, there arens some conc about dynastic emphasis after the clintons. Now the kennedys are back. Matsage the the demoare trying to sell is young, charismatic, focusing on the economy. Be giving this speech in fall river, b massachusetts,ecollar town. These is a mixed bag with responses. Some in the past marco rubio, the response has cost them more than they gained. Completely fascinating. Thank you so much for that. Stay with the bbc throughout the night. I will beew here on world with special state of the union coverage. Our team will be providing full analis online. Thanks so much for watching bbc news world news america. With the bbc news app, our vertical videos are designed to work around your lifestyle, so you can swipe your way to the news of the day and stay uptodate with the test headlines you can trust. Download now from selected app stores. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, and kovler undation, pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. Planning a vacation escape that is relaxing, inviting, and exciting is a lot easier than you think. You can find it here, in aruba. Rifamilies, couples, and fds can all find their escape on the island with warm, sunny days, cooling tradewinds, and the crystalblue caribbeanea. Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. Bbc world newswas presented by kcet los angeles. Captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc p woodruff welcome to o newshour special live coverage of President Trumps first stat of the undress. Im judy woodruff. Mr. Trump is said to want to strike some bipartisan notes before a ngress and nation deeply divided. Pr will refer to building a safe, strong and america, touting his economic record. The future of an immigration deal and the fate of socalled dreamers face a looming d