Proficiency mark, its very difficult for states. They have to tell people, are our kids getting dumber . Why are our kids not performing well . Sreenivasan those are some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by lincoln financial committed to helping you take charge of your life and become youre own chief life officer. Supported by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information at macfound. Org and with the ongoing support of these institutions 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. Sreenivasan this christmas brought all the traditional celebrations of the day, but along with them, new calls for an end to suffering. The most ardent of those appeals came from the vatican. The crowds who filled st. Peters square heard a holiday lament from pope francis. There are so many tears this christmas, he said the ravages of ebola, fighting in the middle east and ukraine, and terror attacks, like the one that killed scores of students in pakistan. And, he decried the persecution of christians and others by Islamic State militants. translated i ask him, the savior of the world, to look upon our brothers and sisters in iraq and syria, who for too long now have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict, and who, together with those belonging to other ethnic and religious groups, are suffering a brutal persecution. Sreenivasan but many of those beset by strife, including refugees in iraq, still found ways to celebrate. And Health Care Workers in sierra leone brought what cheer they could to ebola patients, despite a government ban on public celebrations. Meanwhile, christmas in cuba took on a new air of hope that renewed relations with the u. S. Will change lives. translated it is a gift, it really is a gift. I hope everything works out in the best possible way because it would bring a lot of benefits to work in better conditions. Sreenivasan in london, Queen Elizabeth took up a similar theme with her own annual message to the world. Even in the unlikeliest of places hope can still be found. A very happy christmas to you all. Sreenivasan it was a sentiment that echoed high into the heavens. Hello from the International Space station. Sreenivasan where astronauts Barry Wilmore and terry virts shared seasons greetings, a miniature floating christmas tree. And, this image of a celestial sunrise on christmas morning. Back on earth, some of the more unusual traditions played out, as members of the berlin seals Winter Swimming Club took their annual Christmas Day plunge into a freezing lake. Christmas eve brought a second night of protests in berkeley, missouri. A night earlier, a black 18 yearold was shot dead by a Police Officer after he allegedly pulled a handgun. Last night, demonstrators marched down interstate 170, blocking traffic. They also held a vigil and staged a diein at the gas station where the shooting took place. Police say they made a handful of arrests. The loss of a jordanian military pilot in syria prompted appeals from his government and family for his safe return today. He went down yesterday, in a region controlled by Islamic State fighters. The u. S. Military said his plane crashed and was not hit by enemy fire. We have a report from Nelafur Hedayat of independent television news. Reporter captured by Islamic State, the first u. S. Led Coalition Soldier in the hands of the terrorist organization. 26yearold muath safi yousef alkaseasbeh, a jordanian pilot, was captured by i. S. After his f16 fighter jet crashed. Initially, Islamic State claimed responsibility for shooting the jet down, celebrating with a macabre victory parade through thetreet. None of this matters much to lt. Muath safi yousef alkaseasbeh. Islamic state are well known for brutal treatment and beheading of the captives. Today his father youssef alkasaebeh has added to the many voices pleading for muath safi yousef alkaseasbeh to be released unharmed. I sent a message to the brothers in syria to be generous toward my son. I asked god to fill their hearts with love and to return him home in safety. Reporter muath safi yousef alkaseasbeh has been a pilot for the Jordanian Air force six years. Jordanian air force have joined other states forming the 40strong coalition. Continuing the fight against terrorism and we know that we will win because this is the right thing to do for the sake of our security and stability of this country. Reporter u. S. Led campaign against i. S. Started back in september. This month, air strikes have been intensifying as the mission to degrade and destroy Islamic State in iraq and syria continues. This is the first time a Pilot Coalition hs been captured. So far, there have been no public demands or conditions set for his release. Islamist gunmen in somalia attacked the main base of African Union peacekeepers today. The alshabab militants struck in mogadishu, the capital city. An a. U. Military spokesman said eight of the attackers were killed in the resulting gun battle. Alshabab controlled much of mogadishu for four years, until 2011, when the peacekeepers drove them out. And in indonesia today, thousands remembered a day of disaster. Ten years ago tomorrow a catastrophic tsunami killed nearly some 230,000 people in 14 countries, most of them in indonesia. Today, a church in banda aceh, a city that was all but wiped out by the giant wave, held a special christmas service. And, thousands flocked to a mosque that was one of the few buildings to survive. Still to come on the newshour inside the push to bring the interview to a theater, or computer, near you. A movement to prevent prospective employers from asking about convictions. How pope francis cultivated his populist appeal. Religion, the other front in the ukrainerussia conflict. The backlash against common core, as states pick and choose what elements to keep. And, walking the fine line between enjoying our National Treasures and abusing them. Sreenivasan less than a week ago, sony indicated that under pressure of threats, the moviegoing public was not going to be able to see the comedy, the interview at a theater today. But that decision hit quickly on a tripwire of criticisms about geopolitics, freedom of expression, terrorism and more. And in a quick reversal of fortune, the movie opened in more than 300 locations today, mostly at small, independent art house theaters. Christmas day is usually a busy day for the movies, but this is unlike anything weve experience before. Sreenivasan even before the first screenings, the film was selling out at smaller theaters. Costar and codirector seth rogen made a surprise appearance at a midnight screening in los angeles. We thought this might never happen at all. Sreenivasan president obama, who was on vacation in hawaii and criticized sonys initial decision, wouldnt say if he would watch it, but he said, im glad its being released. Sreenivasan the release of the comedy, about a c. I. A. Plot to assassinate north Korean Leader kim jong un, was canceled last week after hackers threatened potential attacks at theaters. The president has said north korea is behind the hacking of sony. Moviegoers were out early at washington, d. C. s west end cinemas. Including mohammed shouman. I decided to show my personal support for theaters that show it and my personal support for freedom of speech. Sreenivasan sarah arlinghaus admitted the rogen franco style was not her usual movie fare. I wouldnt have seen it if the North Koreans hadnt decided i shouldnt see it. I would like to sit near the exits just in case we have to evacuate quickly. Sreenivasan the interview is also available as video on demand. It can be seen on google play, youtube movies, and microsofts xbox. Still, before major exhibitors pulled out, the movie was originally scheduled to play in 3,000 theaters. Arthouse convergence, a coalition of about 250 independent theaters, wrote an open letter to sony earlier this week offering to show the movie. I spoke to the groups director, russ collins, yesterday in ann arbor, michigan, where he also runs the state theater thats showing it today. Russ collins, why did so many of the members of your organization, the independent theaters, decide to run this movie . There were two reasons. One, we initially reached out to the employees and the sony corporation, but their employees in particular, the folks who we have the interface with, just to express our empathy pore the difficulties that theyve encountered the last month after their company was hacked and their emails went down and their telephone went down and all of the records went down, its just been a very, very difficult time for sony employees. We wanted to express how we felt and that we wanted to support them and one of the ways we could support them is if sony decided to release the interview, we as independent theaters would be willing to screen that, or at least we thought we might. When the word got out among the art house Convergence Group that this might be a possibility or something that we could offer, they were enthusiastic in their response, and it just kind of took off from there. Sreenivasan no disrespect but a seth rogen movie and r. House Convergence Group dont usually go in the same sentence. This isnt usually the fare of independent movie house. Thats true. Independent movie houses are dedicated to diversity of program, documentaries, independent american films, classic films, but were also strongly committed to freedom of speech and artistic expression dynamics. Art houses do this on a regular basis. When this particular exhibition became a freedom of speech issue, it aligned with the values of independent theaters, making the offers work with our values and our capabilities and the diversity of the programs and facilities and locations that are out there in north america for independent cinema. Sreenivasan so one of the things people might be thinking about whether theyre going to see this movie at one of your theaters or a different one, are there additional safety precautions youre taking into consideration . Were encouraging each theater to consult with local Law Enforcement officials, have the Law Enforcement officials work their channels to see if there is any concerns. In our particular case, the university of michigan has a Korean Studies Program and we contacted them to get their input. So we are out there concerned and vigilant about seeking any unusual telemetry about unusual behavior. So far we havent encountered any, at least in our particular market, but im sure theaters are going to do what they need to do to assure that their customers and their employees are safe at these screenings. Sreenivasan weve seen reports that some screenings of this movie are selling out. I look at some of the web sites like Rotten Tomatoes and so forth and its not particularly because this movie is oscarworthy to put it mildly, do you think its because of the publicity in it that people are attracted to this . I think there is two reasons. One is when the initial release was planned, they looked to screen it at two to three to 4,000 screens. The way its turning out, its going to be 200 or 300 screens that are actually showing the interview. Obviously, all of the National Press thats occurred and all of the issues about the film have resonated a particular interest in the notion of the film and the difficulties sony encounter. So i think theres a lot of curiosity. Is curiosity will be satiated quickly and the film will have a long life based on how its received by audiences. Sreenivasan do you see this as an opportunity for more people to reintroduce themselves to the independent or small theaters in their neighborhoods versus the big chains that usually run a movie like this . Yes, independent theaters, art houses are out there all over the country. The objective of the art house convergence is to increase the quantity and quality of art houses. So, yes, this might be a nice introduction to customers who are more interested in going to Seth Rogen Stoner comedy than those who tend to go to the art house fare. However, who knows. This would be the citizen cane of stoner comedies. Sreenivasan what about competition with streaming sites . I know youtube an and others are planning to make this available. Is the competition shifting away from amc and regal versus art his to art house versus streaming . Well, in the art house market, video on demand, day on date release streaming has occurred for a couple of years. Were used to that. We like theatrical clearance. If you have a monopoly, you tend to do better. But day in date release and diversity ability through online and cable access is normal. Sreenivasan thank you for your time. Thank you, happy holidays. Sreenivasan now, a move to make it easier for people who have been convicted of a crime to find employment after being released from prison. Several states and municipalities are preventing employers from asking about criminal convictions up front. The socalled ban the box movement would eliminate a checkbox on initial job applications. Brandis friedman from our affiliate wttw in chicago has this report. How do i know i can trust you . Reporter it is a question any employer might ask the students in this room. Each has a felony conviction and has served time in prison and each of them wants to prove to a future employer that he or she can be trusted. 26yearold karl lynch is one of the students receiving job Readiness Training from the safer foundation, a nonprofit that helps released prisoners transition back into society. The economy is always changing, jobs are always getting tougher. I feel like it will just prepare me to get ready to reenter into the workforce. Reporter lynch was released from Illinois State prison in early july after serving two years for breaking into a car with someone inside. He said a new job will help make him the father he once was to his two children. I know i cant get the time back, but its importance for me to be there and let them know dads back. Reporter hes hoping to get a job in hospitality or Customer Service but its been difficult and he thinks its because of the box on applications which asks candidates if theyve ever been convicted of a crime. It gives you anxiety when you get to the box, going, wow, how are they going to feel about this crime i committed. That has kept a lot of people out of the interview. With this question removed, that would really help you. Reporter illinois is the latest in a series of states and municipalities to pass a law prohibiting employers from asking applicants if theyd been convicted of a felony on initial job applications. Phil is a labor and Employment Opportunity in chicago. Essentially, it delays when a prospective employer can inquire about a candidates criminal history until the employer has notified the employee that the employee will be granted an initial interview. Reporter while each law is slightly different, the goal for each is to get job applicants with convictions past the initial screening. Hawaii says you have to have a conditional offer of employment. Most laws have exceptions that vary from state to state as well. Reporter the illinois law which takes effects january 1, 2015, applies only to private employers with 15 or more employees. It provides exemptions in situations where state or federal law prohibits hiring applicants with certain convictions where the new hire would require a Fidelity Bond that eninsurance employees who work with money or where the new applicant would need to be licensed under the medical Emergency Assistance act. A bill like this has been in the long time in the making. Employment is the biggest link to reduce recidivism. The first thing they want to do is get a job to show their worthiness and viability first of all to themselves and families. Employment discrimination routinely denies that opportunity. Reporter safer foundations director policy advocacy anthony lawrey says governments are looking at the ways to cut expense of incarceration and communities are looking to turn former inmates into productive citizens. It is the biggest challenge of their lives. The criminal worker is the new civil rights issue. People denied employment no matter how mild or old the record is. Reporter the Illinois Department of corrections releases about 30,000 inmates a year and half return to chicago. Of those 15,000, experts say 80 come to one of seven neighborhoods like this one, often unfortunately known for its culture of poverty and violence. When entire communities are filled with people who cant get jobs, the cycle of poverty keeps spinning. I see people recommit and commit crimes theyve done in the past and think Something Different is going to happen, but its not. Thats why i dont want to go down that route again. I want to try to find work. Reporter under existing federal and state a whraws, employers arent allowed to use a conviction as a prescreening tool. Advocates say its not working. Todd is the lead at the justice unit. Screening is done in nearly every state and thats why the movement precipitated because people are frustrated. Were asking people who commit crimes and endure the time to get education to get extra training and get their lives back on track. When they do, theres no Job Opportunities because theyre being denied outright. Reporter attorney jeffrey wish who chairs the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Employment Council argues the ban the box arent necessary. Before ban the box, there was title 7, before ban the box, there was the illinois human rights act. There are a variety of federal laws that protect candidates from having employers use criminal convictions or arrest records as filters. Those exist. They still exist. Reporter he says employers already following existing laws wont have a problem obeying yet another one, and employers will still be allowed to learn an applicants criminal history, just not up front. How recent, whats the nature of the underlying offense, what facts can we gather, and what exactly, precisely is this person going to do for the employer . All that has to be taken into consideration. Reporter and thats exactly what advocates for people like karl lynch are hoping. It motivates me to see a person go out there and get a job. Im going to feel like ive got a good chance every day. If im going to sit back and be sad and blue, thats not going to get me anywhere. Reporter in illinois, it could make a difference for 3 Million People who have a criminal background. Sreenivasan now,change at the vatican. Pope francis is ushering in a new era in rome. Jeffrey brown has that. Brown this is the second time pope francis has delivered a christmas message to the worlds catholics. Almost two years ago in march of 2013, averagen tine Cardinal JorgeMario Bergoglio became the first noneuropean pope since the year 741. He was a surprise choice and has captured the worlds attention ever since. Francis chose a simpler lifestyle residing in the guest house rather than apostolic palace, having a plain black sedan instead of should ever mercedes. He has taken more active role in diplomacy, visited turkey where thousands fled the forces of the Islamic State. While there he reaffirmed the use of military force against i. S. Now weve learned of his key part in shepherding negotiations led to an opening between the u. S. And cuba. In september of next year, francis will travel to philadelphia for an International Meeting on the family and is expected to stop in new york city. A new biography begins to fill in more of the story of the man, the great reformer, francis in the making of a radical pope. Its author was austin ivory, british journalist, former advisor to a top english cardinal and cofounder of catholic voices, a lay group that works to improve the churchs reputation in the media. And welcome to you. Thank you. Brown when you go back to pope francis childhood, his roots in argentina, what pictures do you see . I see a man of lowermiddleclass italian immigrants who understands the pain and suffering of the poor and people who move the new country to the world. A man whos profoundly religious from an early age but not in a particularly pious way. Brown not expected he would go to the priesthood . His policies and intelligence were noticed since childhood. I think you see the future pastoral pope we have now. Brown the understanding of the poverty and the poor comes from from his family. He grew up, actually reasonably comfortably but they didnt throw their money around. They didnt take vacations, they recycled clothes. I think its more from him. I understand from his childhood friends, he was always doing things for others and helping people and concerned. When he spoke about his future, he said, i dont want to be stuck in the cathedral. I want to be on w the people on the frontiery the poor are. Th brown the years in argentina in the jesuit order were horrible. Did he do enough to stop the killings and disappearances going on in the socalled dirty war . It was an extremely tough time where there was a polarization in argentina as well as the jesuits. We have one to have the western hemispheres largest Guerilla Forces which generally threatened the state and a ferocious dictatorship which then killed thousands of them to exterminate them and he takes over the jesuit order in a time of internal crisis and refocuses on the mission and the poor and he tries to detach them from ideologies, and that was his role during that time. Time. He stood a delicate line. He protected the jesuits from the dictatorship, the regime. On the other hand, protecting those the dictatorship was after. Brown you know how he looks back at those years at that time . Does he feel that he did enough then . No. Hes said so publicly. Hes tortured by the fact that there were people who came to him for help whom he couldnt help. But he sheltered dozens of poem and got dozens of people out of the country. People lived through that time realized later what happened. Brown the book is called the great reformer. What does that mean . A reformer in what sense . Its quite a provocative title for people in the church. Reform in the Church History has made a schism. But another kind of reform goes wack to testimony sov the great medieval popes who wanted to return the church to the former mission. To reduce dependency on wealth and power, depending on jesus christ and the holy spirit, focusing on the poor. I see him in that tradition and thats why i say hes a great reformer. And i show in the book, in every position hes been in the church, hes actually done that. Hes reformed. Brown it does not mean, though, overhauling Church Teachings, does it . There was much attention when he spoke out about, for example, saying the church seems t to put too much attention on homosexuality or abortion. It was understood by some as weakens or diluting church doctrine. Shes saying there is another part of Church Teaching which is god wants the heal you, save you, the church is a mother as well as a deeper. Thats what he thinks has gotten lost in perhaps the effort of the church in the last few years to have a kind of clarity of doctrine. Hes not changing Church Teaching, hes showing it in its fullness. Brown some of what he has done as stirred controversy within the church. The opposition to francis is really, and it came to the fore in october when he came together with the worlds bishops to consider difficult questions. Some of them disliked even that and the way the media was interpreting it. I reckon its 20 or 30 out of 90 or 100. Were not talking a majority, but nonetheless a group of people who i think are uncomfortable who want a certain kind of clarity they think francis is threatening. I think he exposes peoples ideology rather than the gospel. Brown where kyung his biggest impact will be . Two achievements, the first the reform for which he was elected, clean up of the vatican, finances, that kind of thing. I think it is a very important thing. And in the book i kind of break the story of the remarkable breakthrough happening between catholics and evangelicals, particularly important here in the u. S. , most protestant christians are now evangelicals. The Catholic Church hasnt had much relationship with them. He is very much a charismatic catholic who knows evangelicals as well as i think there will be an important declaration in the coming years between catholics and evangelicals which will meant the rivalry between them. Brown the great reformer austin ivory. Thank you so much. Thank you. Sreenivasan we turn again now to a country which has dominated headlines for much of the last year ukraine. While much has been reported about the overthrow of its former leader, new government, the annexation of crimea, and russian incursions into the country, tonight, special correspondent kira kay brings us a story on the less known battle thats happening in the former soviet republic, over religion. The story was produced in partnership with the bureau for international reporting. Reporter in the western Ukrainian Village of butyn sits a picturesque blue church. It has survived two world wars and the communist and atheist soviet union. Now in 2014, with its nation gripped in war, st. Nicholas has become another battlefront in the conflict one of beliefs and even political influence. It used to belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox church of the moscow patriarchate, the countrys largest denomination, with a direct link to russias own politically influential orthodox church. But villagers in butyn say it all began to unravel when their priest refused to pray for the protesters who were calling for the overthrow of a prorussian president in kievs city center a year ago. translated that was my child there. They were students and children of other parents that were residents of our village. That was the last straw reporter Svetlana Evgenievna and her neighbors felt they had to remove their priest. translated there was a gathering of the village, there were shouts and quarrels, and we werent sure what to do. One man proposed a referendum how many for and how many against. Reporter villagers voted to switch allegiance to the smaller, unofficial but overtly proukrainian church, called the kyiv patriarchate. In october, a new priest arrived and prokyiv parishioners, backed by ultranationalist activists, took over the grounds. And the village of butyn isnt alone. More than 30 other ukrainian communities have removed priests belonging to the moscow patriarchate. The process has sometimes been chaotic, even violent. In butyn, moscow patriarchate loyalists, like tamara kaznovetska and olga tsimbaluk, were locked out. translated someone told me you are a bandit, you are a separatist, you pray in the language of the aggressor. I was just going to church; i pray to god, i dont pray to putin we are not against ukraine. We are simply christians who cannot leave our 1,000yearold faith. Reporter the kyiv patriarchate was started in 1992 by a breakaway priest named filaret, who felt ukrainians deserved a Church Separate from russia. Last year it grabbed the political moment and not only joined protestors, but protected them. 18yearold protester irina kocubinskaya was hurt in an attack by riot police and found refuge with others at a Monastery Run by the church. translated the church played not just an actual but also a symbolic role. People remarked that we were hiding here just like they did from barbarians 1,000 years ago. That the priests here opened the doors i think is important, because the moscow patriarchate would hardly do the same. Reporter the simmering perception that the moscow patriarchate is on the wrong side of history in ukraine was too much for some priests, like father vitaly eismonth. translated i was anxious. I thought the church would speak, but the church was silent. And when Russian Forces intruded in the east, the church i was serving for 23 years, and was defending all this time, turned its back on its people. I couldnt defend it any more. Reporter eismonth defected to the kyiv patriarchate and joined a church 100 miles from home, subordinate to much younger priests. He says the sacrifice it worth it. translated people are awakening, and i think its only the beginning. And of course its alarming for the priests because their influence is not the one they thought they had. Reporter kyiv patriarch filaret openly supports ukraines political changes, and doesnt pull any punches when talking about his rival church. translated in the moscow patriarchate, there are priests and bishops that are openly supporting putin and are calling our government a junta. And when people hear that, they want to leave. Reporter Bishop Kliment is the spokesman for the moscow patriarchate. translated this slander and informational filth has become a real propaganda war against our church, that has escalated to the point where it destabilizes ukraine. Reporter kliment says that although his church is affiliated with russia, it makes its own decisions. translated we have both a political and military conflict in ukraine and some religious groups are using this to play some kind of card. Factually what is happening is a raider seizure. They are unconstitutionally taking away the rights of people. They are the opening a second front inside of ukraine. translated the moscow patriarchate reacts as if we are invading its churches. We are not invading, we are accepting parishes that want to switch. Reporter one of the more contentious turnovers, which Bishop Kliment complained about to the ukrainian parliament, was in the village of khodosy. translated putin stop no go to ukraine reporter there was a vote here too, but the moscow patriarchate priest and his followers barricaded themselves inside, using a fire extinguisher to ward off the crowds that had gathered. Several people were injured, and local officials, like ruslan siviy, say they are not equipped to handle such chaos. translated by law, the government shouldnt intervene into religious affairs. But unfortunately we cant stay out of this, since the tensions are physical. Government officials locally and in kiev should create mechanisms to satisfy the people, so that it will be easier for us to manage. Reporter ukraines Church Crisis is now drawing Strong Language from moscow, the kremlin labeling it a human rights violation and president putin himself deriding activists for their silence on the seizures, that he calls a tragedy. Back in butyn, parishioners dont see it that way and are embracing their new church. translated today we are hearing a prayer for our dear ukraine. We are a hearing prayer for our kids that died. We are hearing a prayer for those who are fighting for our freedom. Thats why i am enormously happy. Reporter meanwhile, holdouts tamara and olga are journeying to a Moscow Patriarchate Church in a nearby town, that has welcomed them and also their priest. It can be seen across the valley from the Little Blue Church of st. Nicolas, one more division in a nation at war. This is kira kay in western ukraine. Sreenivasan Public Schools across the country are transitioning to the common core, a set of new academic standards in math and language arts. But increasingly, protests to them have gotten louder this year, and some states are even rethinking their decisions. With a little help from hollywood, special correspondent john tulenko of learning matters helps break down where things stand at years end. Reporter 1950s hollywood drama tells a story of a life bet of survivors of a ship wreck. Too full, turns out cant save all your lives. There are too many people in this boat reporter to keep the crowded lifeboat from sinking, some have to get tossed overboard i have to let you go not me let me stay reporter the dilemma of the old film, who stays on board, who gets thrown over, thats a great way to think about the common core these days. It was launched in 2008, a lifeboat full of big ideas to save Public Schools. But out on open seas, its had to toss aside key parts of the plan just to stay afloat and the water is getting rougher. No more common core reporter according to a recent surveys, 60 of americans dont want teachers to follow the common core. Then i look at the problems and its like bill has three goldfish, he buys two more, how many dogs live in london . Reporter to help us navigate these troubled waters, weve turned to three experts. Neil of the conservative cato institute. Clearly, the Public Opinion of the common core has moved against it, especially if you use the term common core. Reporter chris, who made the council of chief state school officers, the group who helped write common core. Given the amount of attention on the negative side, it is amazing to me were at a place where we still have all of the states being willing to work together. I think its a sign of strengthening of standards. Reporter and katherine of Education Week who has been following the journey from the start. Theres different stripes of criticism and much of it has been not about the content but how the standards came about. Reporter common core state standards were created to raise the bar for everyone, developed by the states governors and others, not the feds, and the expectation was that states would adopt them voluntarily. That idea was the first to go when states were slow to sign on. Weve got the act now. Reporter in 2009, washington grabbed the helm through what it called the race to the top. States that agreed to a list of reforms including high standards could win a share of 4. 3 billion in federal education funds. This at the height of the great recession. First, lets start with the big picture. Reporter 45 states signed on to common core. And the backlash came because suddenly in 2011 and 2012, districts get confronted with these new standards and they say, what are these . Where did they come from . Im looking at the math, it doesnt make sense. How come im hearing good literature is being thrown out . So we moved to a system of National Standards without ever having had a meaningful, National Debate about doing that. Reporter and then when the standards reach schools, the boat was rocked by the sudden challenge of getting teachers equipped and ready. Theres an incredible look and ive seen some of it but in a lot of places weve seen it shown up in the polls. Teachers are not getting what they need at all. Reporter including books and curriculum aligned with the common core, why large number of Public Schools and teachers have jumped ship. 41 of teachers in favor, 44o supposed. So depending on which states youre in, there are states who have great implementation stories where teachers are polling much higher than those you mentioned earlier, an in the places where its not, we need to make sure we take that and solve the problems. Quite frankly, this is going well across the country right now. Reporter but there is one thing teachers almost unanimously oppose. Where weve seen a big change in opposition to common core is not to the standards themselves, its to the testing and accountability thats connected to it. And the tests are in the spring and a lot of teachers feel like were barely getting our curriculum and tests. You will value teachers based on it, reward teachers, value schools based on it, so a lot of teachers and especially statelevel you knowous have said we dont like the common core because of all the ramifications attached to it. Reporter sharp criticism from teachers forced u. S. Secretary of education arne duncan, arguably, the ships captain, to alter course. We think many states want to take the precious off teachers who are working extraordinarily hard this year. Reporter the secretary belatedly offered states oneyear reprieve from using common core test scores to evaluate teachers. Even states are backing away. Of the 45 who started, 14 have thrown common core tests overboard in favor of developing their own. Many cited the costs of the test. The ultimate goal is to have them being online. Thats expensive. You have to have the band width, the computers. A lot are concerned what happens when something goes wrong on test day. The other thing is possible they dropped out of the test because they know if you leave the test youre essentially leaving common core, and if you control your own test, you can set your own proficiency scores again. Thats makes them nervous. Anytime more kids dont meet the proficiency mark, its a political very difficult position for states. They have to tell people are our kids getting dumber . Why are our kids not performing well . Are we raising expectations . But its harder, tough politically. Reporter theres within reason the many states have helped common core stay afloat in treacherously political waters. Common in, darling reporter 25 have dropped the name. Ever heard of the next generation content standards and objectives . No, but im not surprised that someone came up with that name. Reporter is this rebranding . Sure, it is. States recognize that this is tricky stuff. So, yes, some states have renamed, some have rewritten. Some have bailed. Reporter of the 45 states and the District Of Columbia that originally signed on, north carolina, tennessee, missouri and georgia are rewriting common core standards. Indiana and oklahoma have opted out, with South Carolina to follow next year. But that still leaves 38 states more or less on course. This is to be expected because as you raise the expectations on any system, there will be pain points. But i think weve weathered the storm. Were alive. Reporter the boat hasnt landed safely yet and this springs common core tests could produce another storm. John tulenko in new york, reporting for the newshour. Sreenivasan now, a second look at land disputes in the american west. Jeffrey brown has the story of a split over how to enjoy and experience natural beauty. Stretch a hightech nylon line some 400 feet above a canyon near mo ab, utah. Its tight. Brown strap on a harness. Going barefoot on a line in between the two. Brown and step out into the air. Its called high lining, in the on public lands, a perfectly legal activity that most of us including your correspondent who stayed far back from cliffs edge would never dream of undertaking. Im always a little nervous no matter how many i do. Brown but haley and he do this several times a week. You are forced to focus. Im thinking about the anchor at the other side, how bad i want to get there, how long its been since i took my last step, when ill take the next and what my foot feels like on the line. Its a rush of overwhelming happiness because you have done something you were terrified and overcame that fear and then all of a sudden youre proud of yourself, you know, you feel empowered, like you can do anything, really. Reporter brown in high liy walkers are tethered to the line. As this video of scott rogers shows, thats not the case in other sports like base jumping in which jumpers launch themselves off stationary objects like cliffs and pull a parachute at the key moment. Timing is everything. The room for error very small. Rogers and ashburn know people who have died when the wind blew them back into the cliff or their parachute was opened too late. But that doesnt stop them and certainly doesnt stop them from capturing their exploits on video and posting them online. I love spreading the joy because i feel like we know the secret about life, about when you do things that are scary and you overcome your fears, not only is it the most fun you will ever have, but its so empowering and changes the whole rest of your life. Doing what were doing, making media is our goal for sure. Its taking something thats part of our life and then showing it to the world and saying, hey, look, you can have fun doing things you didnt even realized existed. Brown theres another way of looking at and being a part of the extraordinary landscape, one thats quieter, calmer, and sees the beauty, drama and extremes in the land itself. The red rock walls, towering spires, winder rivers, plunging canyons. In this way of experiencing the wilderness, the long walk, the light footprint, the contemplation of mans small part in the universe take precedence. The question is what sort of Land Protection do you want and what sort of ethic do you want to evolve with the younger generation. Part of what the struggle is now is for quiet users to have the space they need. Brown colorado historian and nature writer andrew gul gullford says cultural shifts in how people view the outdoors raised important new questions. We have a long tradition of public land use in the american west. The new kinds of outdoor activities, though, the extreme sports activities, theres not a lot of nature involved, so todays generation is treating the outdoors as a dirty gym, and thats not what was thought about 50 years ago with the 1964 wilderness act, with the wild and Scenic Rivers act. So those conservation laws were about preserving nature for natures sake, and weve got a new generation of extreme sports enthusiasts who simply want to go out, use the outdoors, photograph themselves with, you know, special little cameras, and hit the blue pod by dark and talk about their exploits. Brown theres been much talk about this particular exploit, the rope swing at corona arch, an iconic landmark just outside moab. A you tube video put out in 2012 has more than 20 million views online. It also got the attention of the federal bureau of Land Management which recently has taken over the arch from the state of utah in a land swap and which administers so much of this state and other parts of the west. And its created over time. Brown Megan Crandall is a b. L. M. Spokeswoman. We learn about this on videos, how do you learn about it . The same way you do. Brown whats your reaction . Holy cow. Thats incredible. Brown what happens . You have to figure out how to manage this. Right. Certainly we have a responsibility to manage for some of these new uses. As weve seen with these activities, its a fire storm. It took off, gained in popularity and we saw the usage surge. Brown the surge included one death and one serious injury by rope swingers who misjudged how long their ropes needed to be. Randal says blm policy is people use public lands at their own risk but the agency looks at a variety of factors including damage to the rock and the impact on those who want to experience the arch the oldfashioned way. And while they study the impacts, federal officials proposed a ban on rope activities at corona. We are putting out for Public Comment a suggestion that we institute a temporary twoyear restriction on roped activities to give us the time and space we need to evaluate if continuing to allow the activities here is the most appropriate use of the area. Brown the moab monkeys, of course, say they love the land, too, and are happy to share it. Seems like a long flight. Brown but Haley Ashburn says there are plenty of places for those who complain about the extreme sports. They can go to any national park, i call those no fun allowed zones. Brown National Parks . Yes, nice and quiet, nobodys going to be base jumping, nobody going to be screaming and yelling and having a really amazing time. Its something we need to explore. Brown the b. L. M. s Megan Crandall suggests that argument works both ways, that theres as plenty of room for roped activities if the ban is mutt in at corona arch. There are other places where you can engage in the activities, but at least for us, we want to take the time to really think about whether its appropriate for those to continue here. Brown the b. L. M. Is taking Public Comments on tissue through the end of the month. Sreenivasan the bureau of Land Management is expected to issue a decision regarding the temporary closure of corona arch in early january. Sreenivasan and finally we leave you with a story about giving back. Connor morgan, a High School Senior at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City donates his time by serving those who have served. I decided that i wanted to volunteer at the v. A. Because when im older i want to be a doctor, and also i really love military history. So volunteering at the v. A. Kind of combined my two great interests, and i also just wanted to give back to my community. I work in the transport office at this v. A. Hospital and that entails taking patients to various appointments throughout the hospital. Theyre on wheelchairs, gurneys, or beds and i also pick up and deliver Lab Specimens to the blood lab. Just flow with the traffic. I mean, unless youre in a rush. Nah. Alright. I really enjoy helping here are the v. A. I mean, as we all know, veterans have done so much for us and most people i dont think truly believe that or appreciate that, so i wanted to do something to help them back. So thats why i volunteer here. Sreenivasan to see more stories from our giving back series, produced by schools in our student reporting labs network, please visit pbs. Org newshour. Sreenivasan again, the major developments of the day. This Christmas Day brought all the traditional celebrations, and a lament from pope francis for victims of ebola, terror and wars. He told a throng in st. Peters square, there are so many tears this christmas. The father of a jordanian military pilot, downed in syria, appealed to Islamic State fighters not to harm his son. There was no response from the group. And hundreds of independent theaters began showing the interview, a comedy about a plot to kill north koreas leader. Sony pictures initially canceled its release after threats from a hackers group. On the newshour online right now, we look back 100 years, to a unique moment of joy and peace in the midst of world war i, a legendary game of soccer between british and german troops during a christmas cease fire. See photos of soldiers playing during breaks from war. All that and more is on our web site, pbs. Org newshour. And again, to our honor roll of American Service personnel killed in the afghanistan conflict. We add them as their deaths are made official and photographs become available. Here, in silence, are three more. Sreenivasan and thats the newshour for tonight. On friday, well look at how young people get their news. Plus well have the analysis of mark shields and michael gerson. Im hari sreenivasan. Well see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. For all of us here at the pbs newshour, thank you and we hope you had a wonderful and peaceful christmas. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. Lincoln financial committed to helping you take charge of your life and become youre own chief life officer. And with the ongoing support of these institutions 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 kneeling msh. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newmans own foundation, giving all profits from newmans own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, and mufg. Build a Solid Foundation and you can connect communities and commerce for centuries. Thats the strength behind good banking relationships, too. Which is why at mufg, we believe financial partnerships should endure the f