Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20140221

Are here to analyze the weeks news. Those are just some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff ukraine pulled back from the brink, just a bit, today. The prorussian president reached agreement with pro western opposition leaders to limit his power and speed up elections. Protesters are supposed to disarm and withdraw, but its far from clear they will, after scores were killed and hundreds wounded this week. James mates of independent Television News filed this report. Independent square in kiev for once at a stand still. The only signs that chanting increased is the coffins of yesterdays dead hoisting up above the crowd. So many is making it extremely difficult for those who live to make it anything less than total victory. The deal that was signed today by a battle president yanukovych opposition leaders and two european Foreign Ministers is less than total victory. Its a compromise that will see a new constitution and fresh elections later this year. The Foreign Ministers of germany and poland shuttled to the site for almost 24 hours. Overheard warning the hard line protesters there will be terrible consequences if this didnt end. Warning from a man who himself had fled marshall law in poland in the early 80s. He later confirmed to me he had been deadly serious. You were overheard warning them of the possibility of marshall law. Is that a serious threat or even a possibility. The army could have been sent in. To my knowledge troops were being ready. Reporter do you realize the brink what youre saying. The reactionists within minutes of the agreement being signed. Reporter indeed the police were everywhere heading back to barracks. This morning they had ringed the countrys parliament. An hour or so later that was not a sign. And the only police near independent square today were a group of 40 who deserted their posts in the western city and traveled here to join the protests. Little wonder perhaps that some protest leaders have no time for compromise among the president both as to office and on trial. They go away from ukraine. There is not a president here. Reporter the sentiments you hear in over corner of the square. They dont seem to be about to return to their homes leaving behind them the shrines to their dead. There is a deal. The deal in my time bring this crises to an end but that is not a certainty. Woodruff later in the day, ukraines parliament voted for the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from prison. Shes a major rival of president yanukovych. In washington, white house officials welcomed the turn of affairs and said president obama and russian president Vladimir Putin discussed the situation by phone. Well return to ukraine, right after the news summary. Woodruff in moscow, eight russians were convicted today of rioting at a 2012 protest against president putin. Opponents called it a show trial, and outside the courthouse, police waded into a crowd that had gathered in support of the protesters. More than 200 people were arrested and carried off to waiting buses. The judge postponed sentencing for the eight defendants until monday, after the Olympic Games conclude in sochi, russia. Woodruff as for the competition at the olympics, a spoiler alert, tune out for a moment, if you dont want to know the results just yet. In mens hockey, canada beat the u. S. , onenothing, and plays sweden on sunday, for the gold medal. Canadian men also won gold in the curling competition. And 18year old american Mikaela Shiffrin became the youngest ever goldmedallist in olympic slalom skiing. In somalia, the president ial palace came under attack today by islamist militants linked to alqaeda. A car bomb exploded at the compound in mogadishu, and al shabaab gunmen then opened fire on the guards. When it was over, the site was strewn with wreckage. But the security minister said the president was unharmed, and the militants were dead. translated the attack was carried out by nine men equipped with machine guns. Seven of the nine men were shot dead by the Security Forces after a brief face to face fight and the other two were driving the vehicles which exploded. Woodruff this was the latest in a series of recent attacks by alshabab. The group had been ousted from mogadishu in 2011. A federal judge has ruled the new York City Police departments surveillance of muslims in new jersey was legal. The n. Y. P. D. Was accused of spying on mosques, restaurants and schools in the state since 2002. The judge ruled the operation was a legal effort to prevent terrorism and did not violate civil rights. Arizona could become the first state to let Businesses Refuse Service to gays on religious grounds. State lawmakers approved it last night. Supporters cited the example of wedding photographers who decline to work at gay ceremonies. Gay rights advocates warned the bill amounts to a license to discriminate. Governor jan brewer has not indicated whether she will sign it. President obama held a private meeting with the dalai lama today, over strong objections from china. Beijing has accused the exiled tibetan spiritual leader of inciting violence in his quest for an independent tibet, a charge hes long denied. Today, the chinese denounced his white house visit. translated the dalai lama is a political exile who has long used the cloak of religion to engage in anti china, separatist activities. The meeting is a gross interference in chinas internal affairs and a serious violation of the norms of international relations. It will also seriously damage chinau. S. Relations. Woodruff the meeting was closed to the press and the dalai lama left later without speaking to reporters. The bankrupt city of detroit filed its plan today on how to restructure its 18 billion of debt. It calls for the plan is subject to approval by a federal bankruptcy judge. The nations railroads will adopt voluntary standards for hauling crude oil, after a series of deadly accidents. The Associated Press reports the industry has agreed on slower speeds for oil trains in major cities and increased inspections, among other things. The number of tanker cars carrying crude has risen 40fold since 2008. Mortgage giant Fannie Mae Reports its ready to finish paying back its entire federal bailout. The company will send a dividend of 7. 2 billion to the u. S. Treasury next month. Added to what its already paid, that will more than cover the 116 billion it received in 2008. Smaller sibling freddie mac has also fully repaid its bailout. The two agencies own or guarantee half of all u. S. Mortgages. On wall street today, the Dow Jones Industrial average lost almost 30 points to close at 16,103. The nasdaq fell four points to close at 4,263. For the week, the dow lost threetenths of a percent. The nasdaq rose half a percent. Still to come on the newshour what todays deal means for the upheaval in ukraine; two governors weigh in on whether states are as divided as washington is; the controversy over jailing teens in solitary confinement; shields and brooks on the weeks news; plus, what the Winter Olympics tell us about life in russia. Woodruff the potential breakthrough in ukraine today was lauded by leaders of the opposition, but protestors are still calling for the president to step down immediately. Jeffrey brown has more. Brown and joining us once again to look at todays peace deal is Adrian Karatnycky, a senior fellow at the atlantic council. Welcome back. So do we know first what finally forced this agreement . I think a panic on the part of mr. Yanukovych that he was losing control. And i think sort of a sense that his backing is collapsing. Yesterday the parliament had met and a clear majority including defectors from his ruling party signaled that, you know, the bottom had fallen out of his base of support within the ukrainian establishment. That part that supported him. So i think he was almost forced into this kind of a step. Brown earlier in the program some of the key elements here, earlier elections limit on president ial powers. How definitive are these, are these strictures at this point . Well, today the parliament had a vast majority with a veto proved majority returned to the 2004 constitution, which basically gives the president the right to appoint the foreign minister and the defense minister. For example the militia, head of the militia and police is appointed by the parliament. The government is shaped in effect by a coalition of Political Parties that shape the majority, and then deal among themselves for the distribution of many of these posts. Politics will be drifting away from mr. Yanukovychs pervoo view. Until a government is in place theres a lot of mischief and a lot of trouble and potentially theres still possibility of violence. Fundamentally power is driving from mr. Yanukovych. Even though theres talk about an election no later than december, i believe mr. Yanukovych will be gone in a matter of weeks, if not a matter of days. Brown of course as weve heard many of the demonstrators want him gone immediately. Theres still a lot of concern whether this agreement will hold for them or abide by it. Well, i think that they will. I think theres a lot of anger obviously after the terrible events of the last few days. But a bill was already tabled for mr. Yanukovychs impeachment. And given the fact that majorities and veto proof majorities have emerged in the parliament and the elite including many of mr. Yanukovychs former backers is working hand in glove with the opposition, suggests that the signals being sent that his future is not very secure, even through institutional means. So i think there will be, you know, once a new prosecutor general is appointed, are again not one that the president , the parliament can remove that the parliament approves. All these kinds of changes is going to put mr. Yanukovych in peril. There will be normal function of institutions. Meaning once theres a government, once theres a normal Prime Minister and a prosecutor general they will conduct investigators. Locals can also conduct investigations for others who have died in the regions and try to trace back where the orders were given. Which i think puts mr. Yanukovych as the ultimate person in charge of the power structures and the Police Ministries and the militia ministries puts him in peril under these investigations. So i think he will feel very uncomfortable. Today he left. His plane took off for Eastern Ukraine where a congress that is trying to stir up some degree of federalism is going to be meeting tomorrow and i believe hes heading to russia the next day. So i think hes either bargaining for his future or looking for some ability to fight back with a few cards in his hands. Brown i want to also ask you about the importance of the potential release of the former Prime Minister yulia tymochenko. Where does this play into all of this. That was another sign. That was another veto proof authority. It can be dragged out for 15 days. If the president doesnt sign bill it goes back for a revote in the parliament and if the 310 back it that law is changed and shes obligated then, the courts will be empowered to release her and obligated to release her because the charges under which she was sentenced have been decriminalized. Once she enters into the fray, i think theyll have a populist voice and i think it will be a little bit destabilizing. But i think theres kind of a maturity that is present there. A firmness, the chance used to be [indiscernible] which means con be gone, excon since he served prison as a young man. The new chance is death to the prisoner. So there is a call for a capital penalty, even though ukraine no longer has the death penalty. But theres rage out there in the public. And i think he is aware of that. Its been said that some of his valuable are being removed from his lavish residence north of kiev which has over 10,000 square, 100,000 square feet and these lavish ponds and lakes in which over 100 million has sunk. Valueables have been removed from his offices in the president ial administration. I dont even know if hes coming back. Reporter all right, Adrian Karatnycky of the council. Thank you once again. Thank you. Woodruff the nations governors have gathered in washington this week for their winter meeting. And with action in the Nations Capital stymied by partisan gridlock, many are looking to the states for solutions to the countrys challenges. For a sample of whats happening we are joined by two governors, Tennessee Republican bill haslam and illinois democrat pat quinn. Governors welcome to you both. People think with all the polarization in washington, the stay things must be a lot less polarized. I was reading a story in the Washington Post suggests that really whats in the states is what happened here in washington. Governor in red states go in one direction governor in blue states go in another. When he became governor five years ago there was a pragmatic approach of governors, whatever the party to solve problems whether its building roads or doing Early Childhood education. Those are fundamental things that everybody understands. I sure hope that keeps going, dont you think bill. I think what governors have in common is were forced to solve problem. Governors have to balance their budgets every year so they have to make some hard decisions. We have to provide real every day services to people with Mental Health issues or running prisons or billing roads. We live in a much more practical world that washington does. Woodruff lets talk to some areas they either Work Together or not. For example president obama urging the governors toert work at the federal level or the state level to raise the minimum wage. I know governor quinn, this is something thats important to you to get it up. How do you see that issue and Governor Haslam, how do you see that. Im ready to go. We have a minimum wage right now of 8. 25 which is higher than the federal by 1. And we want to get it over 10. I was with the president this morning and i think he looks forward working with states around the country to get this done. Even if congress doesnt act because theres a principle as oval as the bible. If you work 40 hours a week. If youre a mom or dad raising kids, you shouldnt have to live in poverty. I think this is a value issue. I think some of the republican governors need to take another look at this issue because we should raise the minimum wage. Its a fundamental issue for every day people. If you look the Congressional Budget Office says if you do that youre going to lose 500,000 jobs. You always have to look at the costs of an action like that. Will this make a dramatic difference in income inequity issue were talking about . I think it will make some but i think theres a lot of other issue that will make more difference and i think the president s focus on education, i think long term, will make more differences. Thats what youre seeing out of a lot governors. You have to address income equal is address speculation. We invest in Early Childhood education, making sure our Community Colleges are up to getting our Work Training going. But when you talk about the minimum wage, this is a5 its as old, i think, appropriate Francis Pope Francis talked about it. Theyre working hard jobs and i really feel that this is an issue thats going to be in our country all through this year. And our president s going to make sure everybody understands it. Woodruff do you see it having a chance in your state. I dont think theres a big movement. If you look again, im not certain that those are the families that the president s talking about addressing. I do think theres a lot, theres an issue to address. Income inequity is a fair issue, its a right one, im just not sure. Woodruff you were one of the folks in tennessee who was arguing very much against the United Auto Workers having a right to organize. That vote did not succeed. Does this really say that organized labor just is not going to be anywhere in the south despite the lower wages. No, absolutely not. Organized labor has been there. I think the workers actually at the end of the day got to vote on that. Its a valuable proposition there for themmor not. Volkswagon is providing great jobs. We put together and sent a package for them and theyre looking at expanding and theyre saying they want to keep their costs down so its an important piece. I think that was just clean rotten. That was wrong for the governor to interfere with the Union Election. We have ford, chrysler and mitsubishi which is organized with the United Auto Workers. All three of those companies, theyve grown enormously. Mitsubishi has a new product line. But for a governor to interfere with Union Election is just plain wrong. They dont think you were doing the right thing. The state is interesting. The other thing is volkswagon said to us what i costs to build a car and number two we want to attract a network closer. Neither of those will be easier. Suppliers everywhere said if it comes flat out well be a lot less interested. Our state, i have ford and i have chrysler and i have mitsubishi and all of them and their suppliers want to have the workers organized. They like to work with people who get a fair wage and decent fits. I think this is a value difference again, whether its the minimum wage or the right to organize an union. These are fundamental american issues. So fundamental we let the workers vote and they voted if you interfere with the election. The president tried to interfere as well. Woodruff we know theres a lot of dispute in the country about the new healthcare law. When it comes to expanding medicaid which was offered to the states is something that illinois is interested in, something tennessee youre still trying to figure out what youre going to do. We think more people being covered is the right idea but we think expanding the system that was designed years ago and i dont think anybody argues works the right way. The history of management care, were one of the very first states 20 plus years ago to institute managed care. My predecessor who is a democrat thought it was too big of a piece of the budget had to cut the roles. We want to make sure we have a system with Better Outcomes for anyone. Over a quarter Million People today in illinois have Health Coverage that didnt have it a year ago. And we took the opportunity to hit federal resources to expand our Medicaid Program. Our Health Coverage for hard working people. These are folk that work and do important jobs. They ought to have Health Coverage. I actually want to cross our state from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan to have a decent healthcare for everyone. For tennessee indiana, wisconsin, turned down an opportunity to give people more healthcare is just plain wrong. Its something you got to keep an eye on. The states have to be focused on outcomes and we want a Medicaid Program that does focus on outcomes. We want a Medicaid Program that doesnt squeeze everything out of oust whether it be higher education, forcing higher tuition or Mental Health services or anything else. Woodruff in the final minute, let me ask you too what are some issues that you think republicans and democrats can agree on out there in the country. Were hearing about some things where you see differently. We had some education issues. Theyve led the way. Woodruff Early Childhood. I think basically k12. Weve worked very closely on improving outcomes for students. So there are some real ways were working together. I think Early Childhood education is a key part of it. Our state is involved in that we want to work with every governor republican or democrat making sure that children from birth to five get a great healthy start an educated start. Thats something everybody should work on and we should put our foot to the wheel. Tennessee was the fastest improving state when it came to education results. What we are putting together is coming together put people together for the work force. Maybe you can raise the minimum wage, what do you think. We have jobs thats not an issue. Woodruff in balance are you too together. This policy difference. We get along personally you have to be civil. But philosophy ways we have to make sure we invest in people and go forward. I think the great thing is there are laboratories of democracy and you can see the states that have done things to citizens to track jobs and make it a place where people can live. Thats the thing about statements everyone can take one approach, tennessee going to take another. Lets see how that place out. Woodruff Governor Haslam and governor quinn, we thank you. Thank you. Woodruff now we turn to an issue many state and local penal systems are increasingly concerned about the impact of solitary confinement on teenage inmates. This week, new york state announced it will ban the practice in its prison system. A new report published by new york Citys Department of health and Mental Hygiene found teenage inmates held in isolation at Rikers Island prison were more likely to harm themselves than other inmates. This weeks changes do not apply to Rikers Island, which is run by the city, not the state. Special correspondent daffodil alton of the center for investigative reporting filed this report on the situation there. Reporter every day across the country jail is built for adults. New york state wants to turn teenagers prosecuted as an adult no matter what the charge. That means people arrested in new york city end up at Rikers Island. Separated from manhattan by a long bridge over the east river, rikers holds 12,000 inmates including hundreds of teens. Almost all of them are still awaiting trial. They have not been convicted. Officials at rierk rikers told new york board is the teen agessers are in solitary confinement. They are in solitary confinement. It is more than ten times the normal utilization in solitary confinement in the united states. It is off the curve. Reporter dr. Robert cohen is a former medical director at Rikers Island. He now sits on the new york city board of corrections. They need to exercise and run around. We cant lock them up all day long and expect them to behave like anything approaching a model citizen or to be repenitent. Its hard to imagine that response being facilitated and enhanced by being treated buying a log. Reporter last year the board of correction issued two scathing report, rikers use of solitary confinement as punishment for teens and the mentally ill. They are locked in six foot by eight foo cells for 23 hours a day. They wake up at 6 00 a. M. You can sign up to exercise for an hour alone in this chain link cage. Adult suicides among detained juveniles happen while theyre in isolation. The Educational Programs which they have allowed the media to cover. But during the past year, the senate for investigative reporting made dozens of requests to make the adolescent solitary confinement units. Officials would not let us see those units and defined to speak with us on camera. Theyre hiding. They dont want people to see whats really going on in Rikers Island. Reporter new york council Councilmember Daniel drum is one of the few outsiders have seen what the conditions are like for teens in solitary. We went into the cell, we saw a rusted bed. We saw a mattress, foam rubber mattress this thick with mold on it. There was graffiti and writing all over the wall. Wasnt painted. There was dirt around the edges of the floor of the cell. There was a small window to the outside about this big. And there was a small window on the door as well. And that is the condition that people who are in solitary confinement, young people, adolescents have to live in 23 hours a day on Rikers Island. That to me is torture. Reporter experienced that firsthand. Now in the Youth Council in brooklyn, he was a teen when he was in and out of rikers on assault and robbery charges. Without being convicted he says he spent a total of 300 days in solitary. The longest stretch was four months. Your eyes begin to play tricks on you. You start seeing black dots and you focus on them. Its kind of crazy. It looks crazy. I was sitting and demonstrate how it used to look. It looks crazy. You see the black dots and youre focusing on the black dots and your eyes are following them around in your cell all over. You just look, you know, and you try to escape seeing the black dots but you cant. You think that black dots is it. Theres no black dots there, you know, its crazy. Reporter i was in there for months at a time. He was desperate to talk to someone, anyone. You talk to yourself. Speaking outloud, you just start pacing back and forth. Its crazy. When i was in the studio, it was real, being in the cell [bleep] theres no visit. I cant wait until tomorrow. Like that. Its crazy. Reporter he also remembers how inmates yelled to each other. Its a little crack on the side of the door. You get close to it and you scream, you know. You scream let me out, let me out. So many people have been in that cell when they screamed on the gate. It smells like a bunch of breath and drool. I cannot make this up. Reporter United Nations considered solitary confinement to be cruel and inhumane. The investigator on torture is juan mendez. In legal term the convention on the rights of a child specifically says that solitary confinement for Young Offenders is prohibited. Its prohibited as a matter of international law. And its not capricious. Its because the medical and the psychiatric literature demonstrates that Young Offenders suffer isolation and very different in much worse forms than adults. Reporter the u. N. Classifies solitary as a form of torture. For juveniles it should never be used. For people with mental disabilities, for women who are pregnant or feeding children. And even for people who are completely healthy, it should not be either prolonged or indefinite. Those who work in jail say solitary is a necessary tool for dealing with aggressive adolescent population. If you walk in the shoes of a correction officer inside the citys jail system pass judgment on us because do you know what, its a tough job. Reporter norman, president of the union for new york city correction officers is the closest we got to an official response from inside Rikers Island. You go into the belly of the beast and you handle whatever comes your way but you have been to be smart enough to articulate to those young men in there. Its like flying off the wall and these guys are going at it and theyre going and going and going and going like the energizer rabbit, they just dont stop. Sometimes you have to use force. And when you use force i instruct my officers use whatever force thats necessary to terminate that threat. Reporter for sea brook, that means using solitary confinement for 16 year olds when correction offices see fit. We fought vigorously to ensure that those that committed fractions in the citys jail system are sentenced to penal segregation. Reporter the judges own rules say that teens with get 90 days of what officials call punitive segregation for fighting. More than a week minor infractions like horse play. But little is known about what exactly goes on here because the dent of correction is not required to publicly report much beyond how many teens are in solitary at any given time. Weve had difficult time trying to find out exactly whats going on in Rikers Island in regard to punitive segregation. Reporter next month, introducing legislation calling to be more transparent about solitary. What were looking for are numbers. How many people are they putting into the Mental Health units. How many adolescents are going into solitary confinement. Who are these people. What are the infractions, what are the age. We need to unveil the secrecy around solitary so that we can understand what exactly is going on. Reporter the new York City Department of corrections says it has already taken steps to minimize its use of solitary confine many. Similar to those now proposed by the state. Rikers has not allowed us inside to show what its like for teens in solitary. Woodruff you can hear more on this story on reveal, a new program from the center for investigative reporting and p. R. X, the public media exchange. Reveal airs on public radio stations beginning march 1. And to the analysis of shields and brooks. Thats syndicated columnist mark shields and New York Times columnist david brooks. Welcome gentlemen. Good evening. Woodruff our lead today and for the last few days has been yew cane really just exploited in the mayhem yesterday but mark, today, there seems to be a truce. The president has signed an agreement with the opposition. Its a little bit surreal. Were watching the olympics take place in russia but next door in ukraine that is whats happening. How do you see whats going on there. Like ever else judy, just been following it and hoping for the best. The latest developments certainly are encouraging. It seems to be fitting a pattern where the united states, theres a government that uses repressive power against its own citizens. And its, it seems to be the pattern of an oligarch government that is out of touch with its own people. And we hope that this is moving in the direction. I mean it chose the limits what we, the American Interest but theres not an american solution. Weve seen these things as mark said all around the world. Theres color revolutions, people out in the streets in various squares. I think our first instinct a couple years ago was always root for the people in the streets. I think we still root for them but we should be soakered for the effects especially egypt and syrian places like that. You do have the potential of these rounds of destabilization. In ukraine certainly the lows, the political lows, the dangers are greater than the highs are high. The lows are low and the highs are highs. There should be a need for caution. And i think that was denied denied by the national community. We had an agreement and its a pretty good agreement for the protesters. Its a negotiation and settle. Its a little bit of a half a low. Given the history of these things in the last couple years half a low is pretty good. We hope they do not top the government. The constitution is preserved. When things are bad and the lows are lows and highs are highs. Half a loaf is pretty good. Woodruff is it clear whats at stake here for the west, for europe and the u. S. It seems tush in the part of russia, they brought their influence there. The old fashion way was 15 billion to the administration to bail it out. This is a new country. So im not sure judy. Its between europe and russia. Its obvious and real. I covered the Ukrainian Independence Movement when they were first declaring a move for independence. If you asked me i thought ukraine would be way ahead of russia. It seemed like a more humane place in political culture sense. It hasnt turned out that. Partly because of the divisions and they dont know how to divide, partly the corruption has gotten so bad. Its a graduate process of roping them into the european system i think. Ukraine naturally belongs in sort of the or bit of the eu but thats decades long. Woodruff let me ask you about partly international but certainly have very much a domestic component, mark, and that is a trade. The president s been pushing something called the Transpacific Partnership in an effort to get closer to asia. Hes in favor of it but a lot of democrats arent. Explain why the split and where do you see this going. Every president judy, irrespective of party wants Fast Track Authority to negotiate without the interference of congress. Every Congress Wants to have its order in and be a part of it. Theres a natural tension there. But were dealing here with the shadow of nafta. Its 20 years since the trade agreement. There was much promise it was going to be great for everybody involved. Its going to elevate mexico to the point where the immigration problem would disappear. Mexican middle class would flourish and what were seeing has not been really, theres been Economic Growth no question bit. But its not been broadly shared prosperity. And its reached now to the point where democrats have grown skeptical. Not simply the hollowed out towns of ohio and so much of the industrial belt of this country. But to the point where the most Sophisticated Technology developed in this country. Its ingenuity, its genius and sent overseas to be manufactured. Not because theres better education there but because theres repression of workers and pression of wages. So its cheaper. And that has caught up, i think, with the free trade side of the argument and i think theres a great skepticism not only on the part of democrats but on the part of the american people. Woodruff does that say any kind of trade agreement is a problem. Theres no question about that. Nafta, my reading of the evidence is it didnt turn out to be that big a deal one way or the other. It was a wash economically and other things. We have much more than nafta. Since world war ii weve got years of trade. And the grade agreements are with europe and theyre not middle age countries and across the pacific with asia. These are trade agreements we have six or seven years of pretty guaranteed growth out of these agreements. Theyve destroyed global paws parity for this time. I mentioned in my column today since 1970 the number of people in this world making a dollar a day has declined by 80 . The greatest decline in global poverty in human history. And why is that . Because of global trade. Every president of every party has traditionally been a proponent of trade or this one is and i think theres a strong evidence its growth agenda. And so i understand the political fears about it but i dont think theres merit. I do think when the congressional leaders are bucking their own president , theyre doing some harm for political reasons. Woodruff what do you think. I dont, i mean i understand very much where pelosi and senator reid are. On this broadcast its called high productivity poverty. Yes, its Economic Growth. The trade agreements, judy and european exception has concentrated on protection of all the corporate rights of copyright, of licensing. But there were workers rights. You cant work at the outsourcing of production to asia in Southeast Asia and not say theyre doing it to the lowest unit cost of work. If theyre doing it not to invest there, they invest there to do so, not to sell but to bring stuff back here. I just think thats the skepticism and its legitimate. Were beginning to see manufacturing jobs coming back from china because their wages are coming up. Were doing okay but the reason the economy is hallowed out not because of globalization but technology. Each employee got the equivalent, they didnt get, they paid the equivalent of 347 million per employee. That means we got companies where very few employees have very high value. I dont think its because of globalization. I just add one thing. I think broadly when you say the ukraine as well. Broadly shared prosperity is not only a social value and a social justice value, its a civic value. And i think that its really something that is overriding importance to us and should be in every policy we develop. Woodruff in a way, this is connected to the conversation i had with the governors which i think the two of you heard. Governor quinn of illinois democrat and Governor Haslam of tennessee. We ended up talking about the minimum wage, the uaw vote in Governor Haslams home state. Governors are finding a way to Work Together but mark, what were hearing is that, you heard them, theyre divided on some of the same issues. All politic is local. Pat quinns running for reelection in illinois and he came on and duked it out with Governor Haslam. I think theres a little bit of political standard even. The differences are real, dont get me wrong. I think the problem is running in tennessee. He believe it so good for him. Just on the issues, first on the minimum wage because we just had this big ceo report come out in washington. Its a mixed bag with a lot of policies. There are winners and losers. The losers, many more millions of people see the wage increases. The losers would be some loss of jobs potentially in the ballpark of 500,000. How do you weigh that. I would say two things. When you take people out of the labor force especially when our labor foreis so decimated youre really doing long term harm to them. I weigh that very heavily. Im a little subsequent cull o f skeptical of minimum wage. We have another policy of income tax credit that provide the same sort of benefits to low income workers without the labor market effects. Why are we not talking about that instead of the minimum wage. We see that transparently, the minimum wage polls really well for the democrats. Talking about tax credits where you see republican buyin its just not politically useful. Woodruff is it fair. 25 seconds. You can do both. The income tax credit, the child of Milton Friedman and jerry ford, it was a great idea it worked enormously. But at the same time you have to raise the income. Thats why the minimum wage has to be raised. Lets not put it all on american taxpayers. Costco already is, gap is. Lets join in having some Economic Justice to our workers. Woodruff the two of you bring justice to this bring every friday. Mark shields, david brooks, thank you. Woodruff finally tonight, as the Winter Olympics close out this weekend, we conclude with a broader look at the host country. At its people and the contrast between the past couple of weeks and daytoday life of ordinary russians. Jeff is back with our conversation which he recorded earlier in the week. Brown Gregory Feifer first came to his interest in russia through a personally connection. His mother grew up there are in communism. He worked there as npr and other news organizations and is working with people along the way and eventually covered in the new book, russians, the people behind the power. Welcome. Thank you. Brown the starting point is that even while the worlds spotlight is in russia during the olympics, we americans really dont know it or understand it. Is that your feeling. Absolutely. The idea behind the book was to try to get behind after two decades after soviets slaps do americans find russian behavior mystifying in some way. We tend to explain what we dont know about russia by saying that perhaps russians have a mystical russian soul that weve heard about and its different so we cant understand it. I dont believe thats true. My approach has been to look at russians daily behavior, the family life, work patterns. In my many travels across russia, it seems to me that russian behavior is understandable and there are patterns behind it. Brown so lets look at that through the guise of the olympics, right, because were seeing the olympics from the opening ceremonies to the whole stage. How does this russia that you see manifest itself. Well i think the olympics are a very Traditional Russian event. I mean, this is a country that has built st. Petersburg to be the european city on a swamp, professed it wanted to spread communism around the world. The olympics in a way are another grandiose project to try to catch up to the west. But i think what really characterizes these games to me is they show how much russia actually lags. Because if you look at whats going on in russia, moscow may be full of luxury cars and fancy restaurants, thanks to the riches from russias vast energy wealth. But you dont have to go to siberia, you drive 50 miles out of moscow and see a country side thats literally dying. I visited many villages there where there were two, sometimes even one elderly person living in what used to be villages on tracks. Poverty, alcoholism, disease in many ways russias heading towards crises. Brown two of the things you write a lot about and again i think were seeing it from your writings and others, power and corruption. Tell us what you see. And again how do they manifest. Weve heard a lot about corruption in the sochi Olympic Games, the most expensive games ever, more than 50 billion. 7 billion are reported to have gone to companies connected to the one man, this man happens to have been putins childhood friend and former g. O. Partner. What happens at the top reflects whats going on in the rest of the country. A former central banker said in 2012, 50 billion were sent illegally outside of russia. But its more than that. I think way have this idea that putin ruled according to a social contract according to which as long as Living Standards keep rising, the kremlin is more or less free to be authoritarian as it likes. I dont think thats quite true. I think the glue binding putins regime to the russian people is corruption, because bribery involves everybody. Brown thats what i was going to ask you. Why is it accepted. Explain that. Why would corruption be the glue if there is, and i recently spoke about pussy riots, some of the members showing up in sochi and weve had reports of them being attacked. But the general population seems, at least from the outside, to accept the system. Sure, because theyre part of the system. I was saying about how russia has, russians have practical motives for acting the way they do. I think this gluebinding thats been put together as i said is bribery. Ever has to pay a bribe. If you drive a car, you will certainly have to pay a bribe when youre stopped by a traffic policeman which happens almost every day. If youre the owner of a corner store, for example, you have to way the fire safety inspector, the health inspector, the Building Code inspector. Everybody pays bribes. And i think bribery not only coerces people because it enable the authority to prosecute everybody but it also crops people. If youre paying a bribe you get something out of it. If youre the corner store owner and youre paying the police to make sure no harm comes to your business, you feel youve got something over the competition a couple blocks away. Brown how does this play out on the world stage. Of course were watching whats happening in the ukraine and the relations have hurt the united states, a reset that never seemed to actually happen. Right. Well we see putin as this caricature of an aging dictator. I think one of the reasons for his success and he has been successful, hes been in power for 14 years and it doesnt look like hes leaving any time soon, is that hes very good at creating images of himself. To us, as i said, he looks like this dictator. But to russians hes popular to the majority of russians. Most russians are envious, Many Russians are envious of the west and putins nationalism plays into that. Brown your book is russians, pete pull behind the power. Gregory feifer, thanks so much. Thank you. Woodruff again, the major developments of the day ukraine pulled back from the brink, just a bit, as its president and opposition leaders signed a political agreement. But it was unclear if protesters in kiev would accept the deal. And the president ial palace in somalia came under attack by islamist militants linked to al qaeda. Police killed nine of the attackers, and the president was unhurt. On the newshour online now, the firstround talks for a Long Term Plan to regulate Irans Nuclear program concluded this week. Find a birdseye tour of seven of Irans Nuclear facilities, and find out how each location will be affected by the interim deal, on our world page. And an editors note in our series late last year of personal stories about the effects of the new health care law, we profiled martha monssona, a colorado woman who was diagnosed with cancer just before her husband lost his job and their health insurance. We are sad to report martha lost her battle with cancer and passed away yesterday. Here is an excerpt from her story. The problem, i think, is a lot of people think if theyre healthy, theyre going to stay healthy forever. I had insurance. I thought i was going to stay healthy forever. Woodruff martha monsson was 59 years old. You can watch her entire story on our website, newshour. Pbs. Org. And a reminder about some upcoming programs from our pbs colleagues. Gwen ifill is preparing for washington week, which airs later this evening. Heres a preview president obama and putin had a lot of stake this week as upheaval unfolded in ukraine. We make that connection and we examine the minimum wage and the Kentucky Senate race. Yes all that later tonight on washington week. Judy. Woodruff tomorrows edition of pbs newshour weekend looks at how one georgia woman is struggling to get by, after congress did not approve an extension of emergency Unemployment Benefits in december. And well be back, right here, on monday. With the Supreme Court hearing arguments over the e. P. A. s rules to curb Greenhouse Gases from power plants. Thats the newshour for tonight. Im judy woodruff, have a nice weekend. Thank you and good night. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Captioning sponsored by Macneil Lehrer productions captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org this is bbc world news america. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newmans own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. 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