Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20170612

Ally here in lebanon, hezbollah, while continuing to fight the common enemy of isis. Woodruff then, its politics monday tamara keith and Stuart Rothenberg look ahead to a busy week including tomorrows congressional testimony from attorney general Jeff Sessions. All that and more on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. And the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and individuals. 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 the white house isnt saying tonight whether recordings do exist of President Trumps conversations with former f. B. I. Director james comey. Over the weekend, several republican senators urged the president to answer that question, yes or no. At the white house today, reporters pressed press Secretary Sean Spicer on the subject. I think the president made it very clear on friday that he would get back as soon as possible on this. And his position on that conversation. Right, but what is he waiting for . Whats the delay . Hes not waiting for anything. When hes ready to further discuss it he will. Woodruff spicer also would not say if attorney general Jeff Sessions should invoke executive privilege when he goes before a Senate Committee tomorrow. Sessions faces questions about his contacts with russias ambassador during the president ial race. A second u. S. Appeals court has upheld a block on President Trumps modified travel ban. In seattle today, three judges of the 9th Circuit Court backed a ruling by a lower court, in hawaii, that the ban discriminates against muslims. A federal Appeals Court in virginia already issued a similar ruling in a separate case. The attorneys general of maryland and the district of columbia charged today that the president s ongoing business ties violate the constitution. They sued in federal court, citing the emoluments clause, designed to head off conflicts of interest. In washington, the two officials, both democrats, said its a matter of saving democracy. Were concerned that foreign governments are coming to the trump businesses for the single purpose of currying special favor from the president of the United States so that their interest can get a higher priority than the interest of the american people. Woodruff a white house spokesman said the suit is motivated by partisan politics. A similar suit is pending in new york state. The white house also condemned russias crackdown today on protesters against corruption. More than a thousand people were arrested across the country. Alex thomson of independent Television News filed this report. Reporter hundreds arrested in moscow alone on a day of protests nationwide against corruption generally and Vladimir Putin particularly. Putin is a thief the chant and russia without putin. All of this organized by the kremlins most prominent critic by far the anticorruption campaigner and president ial hopeful alexei navalny. If navalnys plan was to rain on president putins parade, its certainly succeeding in this part of the demonstration. Thousands of people gathered here, plainly the vast majority of them here pro navalny. Putin is killing our people. Hes killing you and me. Hes sending people to ukraine and syria to die for his interests. Lets tell him were not having it. translated i came here for the truth. Our government is not conducting itself properly. Reporter navalny was allowed to demo in moscow, just not here, on the main road leading straight up to red square. But late last night, he ordered his people to this illegal location. That made confrontation inevitable. Moscovites, he told people in a late night appeal, come to terverskiya street. Dont go anywhere else. Alexei navalny himself never made it to his own protest, arrested at his home in moscow. He could now be detained for up to 30 days. Across moscow, as across russia, these were the official Independence Day celebrations, the kind the kremlin wanted people to see. And lets face it most russians. Putin remains hugely popular. Navalnys support runs at just two percent. translated i dont think protesting today makes any sense. People are celebrating. Theyre happy. Why spoil the mood . Reporter this was vladivostok demonstrations and arrests well before most of moscow had even got up this morning. North to siberia, novosebirsk, and another of more than 200 cities where anticorruption protesters gathered. And west to st. Petersburg. The same pattern gathering chanting and arresting. Woodruff back in this country, newly elected montana congressman Greg Gianforte will not go to jail after all, for assaulting a reporter. The republican pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge, and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service. Hell also attend 20 hours of anger management counseling and pay a fine of 385. A pennsylvania jury has begun deliberating in bill cosbys Sexual Assault trial. The defense rested abruptly today. Cosby himself, accompanied by his wife for the first time, declined to testify. His defense team argued the comedian and his accuser had a consensual relationship. Prosecutors argued cosby drugged the woman. In orlando, florida today, they remembered the deadliest mass shooting in modern u. S. History. A gunman, omar mateen, killed 49 people at a gay nightclub last june 12th, before Police Killed him. Hed pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. This morning, a vigil began at 2 00 a. M. , the same hour as the rampage. Names of the victims were read aloud, and hundreds carried candles and laid flowers. We are not here to relive the horror of that day. Were here for a greater purpose. Were here to remember the innocent lives that were lost, were here to honor them. Woodruff the owner of the pulse nightclub said she plans to turn the site into a memorial. The interior department is recommending the Bears Ears National monument in utah be downsized. It now covers 1. 3 million acres. President trump has said the protective designations amount to a massive federal land grab. Hes ordered reviews of bears ears and 27 other sites. Wall streets week is off to a sluggish start. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 36 points today, to close at 21,235. The nasdaq fell 32, and the s p 500 slipped two. And, the first family is finally under one roof, again, at the white house. First Lady Melania Trump and the couples 11yearold son, barron, arrived sunday night to take up residence. Theyd stayed in new york until the school year ended. Still to come on the newshour the former acting ambassador to china explains why he broke ranks with the Trump Administration. Democrats speak out about the way republicans are making decisions on health care. A Lebanese Militant Group gaining power as it fights in syria, and much more. Woodruff last year, former president obama and chinas president xi xinping announced on the same day that the u. S. And china would join the paris climate agreement, in an effort to forestall Climate Change through capping and reducing emissions. Chinas participation was seen as key it is the Worlds Largest emitter of carbon dioxide, with the United States running second. But on june 1st, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the agreement, citing possible economic harm to the u. S. Four days later, the top american official in china, the charges daffaires in beijing, tendered his resignation, citing the president s withdrawal. His name is david rank, and he served 27 years in the Foreign Service. He joins me now for his first interview since leaving government. David rank, welcome. You knew, when donald trump was running for president , that he had said the u. S. Shouldnt be in this climate accord. What was your thinking then . Boy, i served five president s over 27 years, i have been through a lot of president ial campaigns, ive heard a lot of things spoken about the u. S. China relationship and about other issues. I suppose i thought, boy, thats bad idea but there are a lot of bad ideas talked about in president ial campaigns and well see what happens when he becomes president. Woodruff and, so, when he made that announcement, what was your rams . Yoreaction . Know, judy, up until the day before, it caught me offguard. It seemed improbable the u. S. Would pull out because paris is a symbol of u. S. Leadership in the region, in this world. I mean, the benefits that accrue from being a leader and being in paris just seem to be so obvious that it sort of caught me offguard. Woodruff what were interest benefits, in your mind . Look, how many agreements are ere in the world where all but two or three countries are members . Once who are the closest partners weve had for 70 years, one of the most important issues to those countries. So the benefits of being the leader, as you said, working with china to bring about to make the Paris Agreement possible and to be the true leader on climate issues really is a remarkable benefit. Woodruff why does climate matter to you . Well, as i explained to my staff as i went, not only did it bother me from the perspective of bad policy but also the obligation we have to our kids and, frankly, the moral obligation i feel to take care of the plant we have been given and the plant we leave our children and their children and, you know, realizing, even to take small steps, i couldnt do it, i couldnt in good conscience be party to the u. S. Way the drawl. We have a disciplined service. You either agree to implement the president s policy or you step aside, so that was the solution i put forward. Woodruff so his argument this was going economic harm to the u. S. , he talked about draconian repercussions to the u. S. Thanks to the accord, and he said he wanted to negotiate a new deal on climate. Im quick to admit, im not an expert on climate and, had there been a serious proposal, had we said, look, paris is instead of paris, we want to do x, y or z, probably would have changed the way i looked at it. There hasnt been any real indication of that, and i suspect well, ill wait and see from the outside. Woodruff how difficult a decision is this for you . You have been in the Foreign Service for 27 years. Yeah, i love my job. I love the people i work with. I think id like to think i got up every morning with a feeling of gratitude for the ability to do what i was doing to serve the american people, to work with a group of colleagues who were committed to the same sorts of goals i am, and it was tough. It was very difficult. Woodruff and you could have stayed. I guess did anybody make the argument you could stay and fight and stand up for what you believe in . Absolutely. I think theres honor in that and i think i made the case to the folks because there are a lot of people who not just in the embassy and beijing but across the state department and government who are asking themselves, if i fundamentally disagree, what do i do . And my answer to that is, look, i have my own particular personal situation, im relatively close to the end of my career, but if you have 20 years ahead of you, then theres real honor to doing the tough work, the slow and steady work that we as diplomats and really people throughout the u. S. Government, i mean, thats the role of the civil servant, the role of the public servant, and i think it is and will continue to be an honorable role. Woodruff last thing, and separate from this decision, how do you see the state of relations now between the United States and china with President Trump pressing the chinese in particular to lean on the North Koreans to pull back their Nuclear Program . I think were early in the Trump Administration. I think its a positive thing that the president and his senior advisors have made it clear its an important issue, that we have to grapple with north korea. You know, its not the only issue between the United States and china, but certainly it is the one that is on the front burner. But i think it will be a challenge. It will take hard work every day, not just by the president , not just by the secretary of state but by the colleagues of mine who are still in beijing and colleagues in the state department and the department of defense and elsewhere in the u. S. Government. Its a real challenge to the United States. Woodruff david rank, former charges daffaires at the u. S. Embassy in beijing, china, up until about a few days ago. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Woodruff this is an important week for the fate of a bill designed to replace and potentially overhaul the Health Care Law often referred to as obamacare. Republican senators are hoping to finish drafting key portions of their own bill affecting coverage and costs. But democrats say the entire battle over repealing the law is quite different from standard operating procedure, and not nearly transparent enough. Lisa desjardins looks at how its playing out in the senate. Desjardins right now the debate over health care is red hot in congress, but only behind closed doors, as republicans privately try to craft a senate bill. And that is something democrats, like Claire Mccaskill last week, have been raising publicly. We have no idea whats being proposed. Theres a group of guys in a back room somewhere that are making these decisions. There were no hearings in the house. I mean, listen, this is hard to take. Because i know we made mistakes on the Affordable Health care act, mr. Secretary. And one of the criticisms we got over and over again that the vote was partisan. Well you couldnt have a more partisan exercise than what youre engaged in right now. Were not even going to have a hearing on a bill that impacts onesixth of our economy. Desjardins mccaskill wants something called regular order. What is that . What used to be the normal process, a bill goes through committee hearings, where experts and those affected by an issue ring in, then senators on the committee can vote to change the bill with amendments. And then when a bill gets to the senate floor regular order means another chance to change it with amendment votes there too. In 2009, with the Affordable Care act, two Senate Committees held three months of hearings and went through weeks of voting on amendments. More recently, Senate Leader Mitch Mcconnell said he wanted regular order when republicans took over in 2015. We need to open up the legislative process in a way that allows more amendments from both sides. Desjardins but thats not how republicans so far have planned this health care debate. Again, in regular order bills go through committees and amendment votes. Instead, Senate Republicans have indicated they may send their Health Care Bill straight to the senate floor with little,maybe no, chance to amend it. And theyve held no hearings on the bill so far. Leading this process is Republican Senate finance chairman orrin hatch. Well i dont know theres going to be another hearing, but weve invited you to participate. Desjardins who stressed to mccaskill that he wants democratic ideas, if not more hearings and votes. But that differs from hatch in 2009, when republicans were the minority, and he thought democrats were moving too fast on health care. We at least ought to take the time to do it right. Desjardins in the end, it took democrats 14 months to pass their Health Care Bill in 2009. Thats why this moment is critical the senate will make or break health care reform. And Senate Leaders, including hatch, have said they want to pass a full Health Care Bill by the end of this month. Thats just nine or ten legislative days away. For the pbs newshour, im lisa desjardins. Woodruff stay with us, coming up on the newshour its politics monday. A look at the week ahead for the white house. Cancer screening tests traditions in india. And why professional baseball teams are trying to win over this baby. But first, there is a new and potentiallyexplosive battleground shaping up in syrias civil war, in the countrys southeast, as isis retreats from its makeshift capital, raqqa, and the larger fight for syria grinds on. Along the border shared by syria, iraq and jordan, american and British Special operations troops are training rebel fighters, operating in close proximity forces from the syrian army, russia, iran, and hezbollah. As special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports, the Lebanese Militant Group is a unique force among the patchwork of overlapping allegiances in the mideast while it has been integral to the syrian regimes survival, it also remains committed to its original goal, the destruction of israel. Reporter forged amid the bloodletting of lebanons civil war from 1975 to 1990, hezbollah was created to fight israel, whose army invaded and occupied the country half way through the conflict after attacks by palestinian groups. Hezbollah means party of god in arabic, but members often call themselves, simply, the resistance. It is a secretive, militant movement of the shia sect of islam, largely funded and armed by iran. To the u. S. And many of its allies, hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Inside lebanon it regarded as much a political and social movement as an armed one. In 2006, they fought israel to a bloody draw during a 33day war, which the militants declared a victory. It was celebrated around the arab world, where the groups popularity rose. After the war, with irans help, hezbollah reorganized to become one of the most powerful militant groups in the middle east. In 2013 however, it entered a much more controversial war, stepping in to syrias chaos to shore up the regime of president Bashar Al Assad. Timur goksil was the spokesperson for the u. N. Peacekeeping mission in lebanon throughout the civil war. He has seen first hand the emergence of hezbollah and its evolution over the years from a small group of fighters to a massive movement. Hes asking the same question many others are. Why did hezbollah get so much involved in syria . Because of their love for Bashar Al Assad . I dont think so. In that case you have to think of what is happening in lebanon and what are hezbollahs concerns for their own survival. Reporter the answer to that question lies in geography. Designated by foreign governments as a terrorist organization, hezbollah is blocked from using the sea and air. To the south sits israel, with whom lebanon is still officially at war. Hezbollahs weaponry and financing comes from iran, across shiadominated iraq, through syria and into lebanon. The shia axis as it is often called would be broken if the sunnidominated opposition took over syria. So for them survival of the syrian regime, a friendly regime in syria, is hezbollahs existence. Its their survival. Reporter on the battlefield in syria, hezbollah has proved its effectiveness. Those injured during battles in syria rely on the organizations Extensive Network and assistance. The newshour was given exclusive access to this hezbollah Treatment Center in beirut, where the groups warwounded from syria received treatment and physical therapy. We were not allowed to speak to these fighters, but imad khoshman, who lost a leg fighting the israeli army in the past and now runs the center, told us about the kind of injuries he sees here. translated they are normally very painful, such as spinal cord injuries or in the brain. They lead to a person being paralyzed, not being able to speak, not being able to move, or losing limbs. Reporter this young fighter is recovering from a devastating head injury, struggling to relearn names for everyday objects. However, the war wounded are just one type of patient here. The center mostly offers medical care to civilians from the local community. Its all part of a policy cultivated by hezbollahs leader, hassan nasralllah. Since becoming the groups leader in 1992 after israel killed his predecessor, nasrallah has expanded hezbollah as a militant group, and supervised the creation of extensive social programs for its community, effectively creating a state within a state inside lebanon. Hezbollah run its own schools, medical facilities and even sports clubs across lebanon. They may also be used to control that society, too. Andrew exum was the top middle east policy official at the pentagon at the end of the Obama Administration and lived in lebanon for several years. The services that hezbollah provides to its constituency are services that quite frankly the lebanese government has failed to provide historically. And so, you cant blame Lebanons Shia constituency for accepting the Services Provided by hezbollah. On the other hand, it creates a real dilemma for them when they, if they were to think about ever moving away from hezbollah. Reporter hezbollah is estimated to have lost over 1,300 fighters in the war, more than they ever lost fighting israel. Most of these women have male lovedones fighting in syria. This woman lost a son. As the mother of a man seen as a martyr, her emotions are complicated. translated the feeling of my son being martyred is powerful. He will attain a high position in heaven for what he did for us and for our dignity even though it is difficult because he is my child; it is difficult. Reporter to followers of hezbollah, this sacrifice is not made for politics. It is a religious duty. And that duty is absolute devotion and loyalty to the global shia communitys guardian regardless of national boundaries. Currently that guardian is iranian cleric and Supreme Leader ayatollah khomeini. Hezbollah have increasingly been accused of taking irans side in the regionwide rift between shia iran and sunni saudi arabia. And syrias r is part of that rift. Saudi arabia and iran back opposing sides in the sectarian conflict. While hezbollahs supporters in lebanon remain loyal, its popularity in sunni countries across the middle east, which had risen after the 2006 war with israel, has now plummeted. The group is now perceived as killing sunni civilians inside syria on irans request. They very much played a role in the regime tactics to isolate, surround and starve out communities, the siege and ultimate fall of eastern aleppo had hezbollahs fingerprints all over it. Reporter but hezbollah claims it is fighting terrorists in syria and making sure they dont cross over into lebanon. translated our fighters are injured fighting terrorists and protecting our borders. They are protecting our people, our villages and our towns. Reporter however, for all it has lost in regional popularity, the group has become hugely strengthened militarily. And it is capitalizing on that by pursuing further involvement in the region. The group is also fighting in iraq, taking on the sunni extremists, isis. At the same time the u. S. Led coalition is also fighting the Islamic State in iraq, and operating on the same side as shia militias, including hezbollah. This indirect relationship of convenience is an irony of the war against the Islamic State. The Trump Administration talked tough about containing iran, but given little explanation of how it would play a role in curbing iran and its ally here in lebanon, hezbollah, while continuing to fight the common enemy of isis. America has always viewed hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and a deadly enemy. In 1983 the group killed 241 u. S. Servicemen in lebanon when they blew up a u. S. Marine barracks. Israel is anxiously watching hezbollahs evolution. The Israeli Military has conducted air strikes against hezbollah targets inside syria throughout the war, although that hasnt stopped the group from expanding its arms supplies which could threaten israel. In february, hezbollah leader nasrallah leader threatened to strike a Nuclear Facility in israel translated they also know that if rockets hit this reactor what would befall them and their entity. They are aware of the risks which would be inflicted on them. Reporter both israel and hezbollah know a war between them would bring more devastation than ever before for communities on each side. This, for now, seems to be the most effective conflict prevention. It is not one, however, guaranteed to keep this fragile truce. For the pbs newshour, Jane Ferguson. Woodruff despite President Trumps claims of total and all this amid growing criticism from some fellow republicans over the weekend. For more on how all of this is affecting the white house we turn to christopher ruddy, c. E. O. Of the conservative newsmax media and a friend of President Trump. Christopher ruddy, thank you for joining us again. We know you have been talking to folks inside the white house. Last week had to have been one of the most difficult weeks for this young presidency, with the comey testimony, other matters out there. How is the president and his team doing . Well, i think they came out of last week pretty good. I spoke to the president late last week, and i think he was pretty optimistic and things and happy that things i wouldnt say overly happy but i think he felt he had won a victory, that director comeys testimony once again proved there was no obstruction, the director doesnt want to describe what the president said to him as obstruction, there is no evidence of collusion. We have a special prosecutor, judy, who has been appointed here where there was never an allegation or evidence of a crime. This is a very highly unusual situation, but its also, i think, politically driven, and i think that thats getting the president and a lot of his top aides concerned that there is an effort here to undermine his agenda in washington by people who want to focus on these investigations. Woodruff youre saying it may be politically motivated, but even republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee Said of former director comeys testimony that they found him credible, that they view him as someone with integrity and hes someone who said the president lied about the situation with the f. B. I. And was afraid the president would also lie about their meeting. Look, it can director comey is a good guy but i also think he violated viewero policy when he held a press conference explaining why he wasnt going to indict Hillary Clinton in june of last year. The f. B. I. Doesnt indict people. Theyre an investigative agency. Im not sure what he gave that press conference. I think he violated f. B. I. Rules when he interfered in the election two weeks before and opened an investigation into Hillary Clintons emails. The democrats were very angry. I think he violated f. B. I. Rules again last week when he admitted he leaked confidential documents he compiled as the f. B. I. Director to the new york times. Some people say that might have been ethically very bad but also possibly a criminal violation. I just think that he engaged in very unusual pattern of activity. Im not saying everything the president has done has been right in this case, but when you look at the facts, you have to wonder who would you trust more here . Woodruff well, you mentioned the special Council Robert mueller and i think i heard you suggesting that there is a question about the purpose of his investigation. I want to ask you about that because there are some republicans out there saying that Robert Mueller shouldnt be doing this job. Is President Trump prepared to let the special council pursue his investigation . Well, i think hes considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think hes weighing that option. I think its pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently. I personally think it would be a significant mistake a, even though i dont think there is a justification dr. Woodruff you dont think there is a justification for a special counsel in this case, but also i mean, Robert Mueller, there are real conflicts. He comes from a law firm that represent members of the trump family. H he interviewed the day before, a few days before he was appointed special counsel with the president who was looking at him potentially to become the next f. B. I. Director. That hasnt been accomplished but its true. I think it would be strange that he would have a confidential conversation and then, a few days later, become the prosecutor over the person e prosecutor of the person he may be investigating. I think mueller should not have taken the position if he had a private meeting with the president and had thoughts about that investigation or other matters before the bureau. Woodruff you know for a fact Robert Mueller was offered another position before he became special counsel . I know for fact he was under consideration and the president did talk with him in the days before he was named special counsel. I think theres a conflict there. My position is mueller is a man of integrity, but we all know in the history of these special investigations they go far and wide and they go well beyond what the original jurisdiction was. Hes bringing in some of the top prosecutors that have worked in the Justice Department. This is not going to be rosy for the white house, and i have to look at when you say theres no judy, i think we both have to agree, so far theres been no evidence of wrongdoing, theres been no allegation the president engaged in wrongdoing or any member of his staff did. Woodruff let me ask you one thing, chris ruddy, and that is the president s declined so far to say one way or the other whether there is audio recording in the oval office nrkts white house in the white house, and whether his conversations with director comey could have been recorded. Do you know whether there is a recording system in the white house . I hope not. I dont want any of my conversations with him out there. I dont know. I cant remember half the things i said to him. But woodruff why do you think he has declined to clarify that . Well, i dont know. I think the way i interpreted the president s remark was that, if there were tapes, that they would vindicate the president and not comey. Maybe he loves having that out as a mystery out there, but im not interpreting that, that theres actual, physical tapes. Woodruff all right, chris ruddy with newsmax, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Great to be on with you, judy. Woodruff to continue our politics conversation were joined now by tamera keith of npr and stu rothenberg, Senior Editor at inside elections. Thank you both. Good to have you. Tam, you just heard chris ruddy who does talk to people in the white house, he said he talked to the president on friday say that he thinks the president is considering terminating Robert Mueller. Is that something we were aware of . Certainly there has been stuff around on twitter of other republicans raising questions about mueller, but the way that ruddy just couched that, he made it clear that maybe he was protecting himself and the president , but he made it clear that he was baying that on something that one of the president s lawyers had said on tv over the weekend. The other thing that stood out to me is talking about Robert Mueller having had a meeting at the white house, having met with the president , possibly to take the job of f. B. I. Director which is a job he had held before. Npr and Carrie Johnson my colleague at npr reported that mueller met with Justice Department and white house officials but the idea he also met with the president himself is new to me, at least. Woodruff stu rothenberg, these are the story just keep bubbling up about mr. Mueller, mr. Comey, the president , the russia investigation. This is a white house that, this week, is trying to clearly get away from this. Right. Woodruff theyve labeled it Workforce Development week. Can they have can they make any progress in changing direction when you have this kind of conversation going on . I think its a great idea they should try to change the discussion and narrative, but in this case as you point out, too much is going on. During Workforce Development week, tomorrow we have testimony on the hill, two attorneys general announcing they will sue the president over emoluments clause. The 9th Circuit Court issued an opinion upholding the travel ban. Its as if the president has already kind of broken so many bottles and glasses that there is glass strewn ant floor and any step he takes hes going to crunch something, so i think it would be a wonderful idea for the white house the change the subject, but you can see what happened in the last 24 hours. Woodruff but, familiar, theyre still trying. Last week, it was infrastructure week. Mr. Comey week is actually what it was. So the president is flying tomorrow, hes going to wisconsin to tour a Technical College and talk about apprenticeships. On a slow news day, any other president , that might sort of be a headline, but it certainly wouldnt be a front page headline. If youre trying to distract some very big headlines, going to a Technical College isnt necessarily the answer. Heres the other thing, we have been trying to press the white house to find out what policy change the president actually envisions or if they say they want more private to private partnerships to do more woodruff around this Workforce Development. Exactly, but then theyre saying, well, you will have to wait till wednesday to find out exactly what were talking about, and thats a long time to wait and expect people to Pay Attention to something that is not related the biggest news of the day. Two other points. One is are there tapes . That hasnt been answered, so every day, reporters are going to ask that. The other thing, i think chris ruddy made news today. He said the president is considering the firing of the special counsel. Isnt that the next weeks discussion now . So its hard to believe woodruff and as tamara was saying, we couldnt tell if he was just referring to what one of the president s lawyers is saying, but the fact he said id ant the way he said it. Woodruff has to make us wonder. As you mentioned, stu, youve got the travel ban decision today by the federal court. There doesnt seem to be good news. I mean, healthcare reform seems to be at least, for the time being, flogged, stopped up, is that the word in the senate . There is nothing happening yet, maybe it will happen. We havent seen a tax reform plan. Are we just going to watch the news develop every week like this . Yeah, i think so. So there is a problem for the white house on a number of levels. The president wants to change the narrative, wants to accomplish things, hasnt yet, maybe he will. But one of the things for a number of weeks of months, he has to worry about the fatigue factor on the american public. I remember bill clinton and the drama in the Clinton White house. The people were like, another thing this is the same thing. There is another crisis every day. After a while, people dont want that. They want things to return to norm. The whole premise of donald trump is upsetting normal. You can only do that if you accomplish certain things and people start to feel better abut themselves in the country. Woodruff how much do they recognize this in the white house, tam . Theyre obviously trying to correct it. Theyre trying to do things normal president s do like hold a Cabinet Meeting as they did today. It turned into an unusual session of every cabinet head praising the president in very eve fusive ways that is sort of beyond what would be normal for one of these types of events, of photo ops. Woodruff we Pay Attention to parts to have countries outside washington occasionally, but there are a couple of elections coming up tomorrow in virginia. Theres a primary as they choose their governor. A week from tomorrow, theres a muchwatched vote to choose the next peb of congress from the sixth district in atlanta. And i think that special election is a big deal. Georgia democrats have been waiting for a victory to take off over a republican seat. This is close. Donald trump won it by a point in november and the democrats feel they have a great opportunity here and, if they do, then well have another news story, another data point that the white house will have to respond to. If the democrats lose, i think, after losing in kansas and montana and the democrats kind of exceeded expectations but losing in the georgia seat, there will be a sense of are the voters really turning on donald trump north. So i think its a big deal for both parties. Woodruff is the white house p watching that one . Absolutely. Today President Trump was saying we did well in kansas, montana, democrats think they have something going on but, no, they dont, look at what weve done. So the president himself is watching this closely. Woodruff and he said complimentary things about karen handel, the republican candidate. I think he would take it as a personal loss if she loses. Woodruff would it be a statement about donald trump . Yes. Neither karen handel or the democrat are perfect candidates. Theyve raised a lot of money, there is a lot of energy, mostly National Money and energy, but i think theres no doubt. If there was a democrat in the white house, i would expect republican to win the race easily and, now, with a controversial republican in the white house, no, this election is about donald trump. Woodruff than stu rothenber, tamera keith, this is about the two of you. Thank you. Thank you. Woodruff next, screening for Cervical Cancer in places where the disease rarely gets priority amid other pressing problems. Special correspondent fred de sam lazaro has a report on one effort to prevent a disease that afflicts about 500,000 women across the world every year but has the most deadly outcomes in india. Its part of his ongoing series, agents for change. Reporter in a village just outside lucknow, india, recently there was a rare opportunity for many women like 35 year old kiran rawat. For the first time in her life, she saw a doctor. Her timing couldnt be better. translated there are some white spots that i found when i applied the medicine. Its nothing to be afraid of. Reporter the white spots are lesions. If left untreated they can lead to Cervical Cancer in women usually between 30 and 60 years old. It is preventable and treatable if detected early. Yet, more than half the cases worldwide are fatal, the vast majority of them in developing countries. In india, Cervical Cancer claims almost 70,000 lives a year, more than anywhere else in the world. Thats because for millions of women here, seeing a doctor is the last resort, an unaffordable luxury but a Pilot Program run by the global nonprofit, Population Services international or p. S. I. , aimed to change that. The organization has set up medical screening camps in uttar pradesh, indias most populous and impoverished state. 60 women came to this one. Four tested positive for the precancerous lesions pick up a nice ball of cotton, dip it in freshly made acetic acid solution. Reporter in rich countries, pap smears and follow up treatment are the standard but thats neither affordable nor practical here. Instead, obstetrics professor uma singh demonstrated to students a low tech, low cost alternative being used in the pilot. A simple swab of the cervix with vinegar. After one minute, you do the inspection with good light. So if you see a white area, you treat it by a procedure which is called cryotherapy. Reporter literally freezing it off. Yeah, thats the right word, freezing it off. Reporter the lesions are a virus called h. P. V. , a common female patients cant see or feel it and the immune system usually fights it off. However about one in every 100 infections turns cancerous. Vaccines are available to prevent h. P. V. But the cost puts them out of reach of most indian women. Dont be afraid, i will remove them, ts a very simple thing, just 10 minutes. Reporter the approach here is to remove any lesions right away. Theres no time or resources to monitor or biopsy, no assurance the women will return for follow up treatments. It is likely that in many if not most cases, you are over treating the patient, but thats theres no doubt about it, but it has been seen that it does not produce any substantial harm to the woman in relation to producing any longterm effects on the cervix. Reporter women who test positive are scared off by the prospect of the cryotherapy. They think, i dont know, theyre probably going to do a afraid and at times they do not give consent for the cryo. Reporter p. S. I. Canvasser pinky rawat says that happens for a simple reason. translated they hear the word cancer and they say, if i do have cancer what can i do . They get very scared when they hear cancer. Reporter but even as theres fear of cancer, getting women to the screening was a tough sell. These women complained that they need help for far more mundane Health Care Issues which no one provides. translated my legs hurt all the time. Give me something for my gout. Reporter many women labor in the field and in households struggling to get by and neglect their own health. translated its affected my own family, its been three months since my mother died. Reporter p. S. I. Worker soni gupta says early screening and treatment might have saved her mother, who died from Cervical Cancer. translated i feel terrible, even though i work in this field for women my own mother died, we didnt catch it. Reporter of the four women who tested positive for the precancerous lesions, the social workers the next morning were only able to find one willing to go in and get treated. translated i have four children. Reporter it was kiran who needed a lot of coaxing and reassurance by a p. S. I. Outreach worker. translated theres nothing to worry about. It will just take a few minutes. And you have my phone number, you can call me for anything. Reporter a few minutes later, accompanied by her husband, they were on the way to dr. Smitha singhs clinic. Soon the tenminute procedure was done. translated i was afraid at first. But today no problems, right . No problem today. But i didnt sleep all night. Reporter the hope is that shell help spread the wordand a cultureof Preventive Care says dr. Uma singh. So it is like motivating them to go for the checkup for prevention of cancer, for hypertension, for diabetes, for anemia and multiple things. Then you have to ensure that there have to be good facilities. Reporter that much larger job of building a Better Public Health system will take time, but p. S. I. Says its Screening Program is set to scale up. The State Government has begun to train workers to offer it in all Public Health clinics based on results in the pilot, which concluded in january. 7,000 cases were positive for the precancerous lesions. About two thirds of these women had them removed. For the pbs newshour, fred de sam lazaro outside lucknow, india. Woodruff freds reporting is a partnership with the undertold stories project at the university of st thomas, in minnesota. Woodruff now to our newshour shares, something that caught our eye that may be of interest to you, too. Allegiances to sports teams run deep in many families. But one virginia man decided to let the nations Major League Baseball franchises make their own pitch for his sons affection. The newshours Julia Griffin explains. This photo is good for two astros tickets. Reporter so when are you going to redeem that . You know what, if it were up to me, were having such a good year, wed go this season but that would be unfair for jack. Reporter right, because he wouldnt remember it. So. He wouldnt remember it. Reporter jack wouldnt remember a Houston Astros game, because he was just born in february. And while his father, pete van vleet, is a lifelong astros fan, he wants jack, like his fiveyearold daughter madeline, to choose his own allegiance. I didnt want to force anything on my own kids, especially in the realm of baseball, so i let them pick their own team. Reporter a few seasons ago, madeline picked detroit, reasoning that tigers are fierce. a friend of mine asked when, after jack was born, is he going to be an astros fan. I said no, he can root for whomever he wants. And then it dawned on me, why not let the teams have a say. Reporter when spring training got underway, pete who, for the record, is an employee of pbs, mailed letters to all 30 Major League Baseball teams. The query was simple, but serious. I want to give you, the new york yankees, the washington nationals, the San Francisco giants a chance to make your own case as why my son should pick your team to root for. I must tell you i do not take this lightly. Friends may come and go. Political affiliations and beliefs in higher powers may change, but ones team is ones team. Forever. Reporter it wasnt long before responses, or arguably bribes, began to arrive. From the Milwaukee Brewers a letter and autographed baseball. From matt garza, their ace pitcher, so thats great. Reporter from the Miami Marlins countered our mascot is goofy, adorable and is blatantly superior to all other major league mascots. If hes fishing for a team, the marlins will get him. Reporter Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly wrote a personal note the pirate ship has plenty of room on it for a young fan from ashland, virginia. Reporter meanwhile, Nationals Team manager dusty baker sent pintsized team gear and an invitation we want to get you started by inciting you out to the ballpark to catch a game, visit the field during batting practice, and of course a sharp outfit for you to start your collection. Reporter and the chicago cubs sent an array of 2016 world champions memorabilia, and made a play for madeline. I know sisters have a lot of influence over their little brothers, so maybe you can convince jack to become a cubs fan. Why not . Thats very smart of them. Reporter not only did they send all the swag, but they are going after the sister vote as well. Exactly. Reporter a total of 13 teams have replied, so far. But have any knocked their argument out of the park . Is threemonthold jack persuaded . Thats a smile well for now. No. Comment. Jack is just enjoying the pennant pursuers pursuit. For the pbs newshour, im Julia Griffin in ashland, virginia. Woodruff on the newshour online right now, a historian of economics weighs in on the ramifications of a more and thats the newshour for tonight. On tuesday well wrap up the testimony of attorney general Jeff Sessions, who faces senators of the select committee on intelligence. Im judy woodruff. Join us online and again here tomorrow evening. For all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you and see you soon. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and by the alfred p. Sloan foundation. Supporting science, technology, and improved Economic Performance and Financial Literacy in the 21st century. 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 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 newshour productions, llc captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org rose welcome to the program. We begin with continuing coverage of President Trump. He held a joint press conference with the president of are you mania today and addressed the testimony of former f. B. I. Director james comey to the Senate Intelligence committee yesterday. And we talked to Jonathan Karl of aives who was at that press conference. When his lawyer yesterday responded to the comey testimony if the president s lawyer but also the president would accuse comey of lying and, if so, would the president be willing to sit down under oath and give his version of what happened in those conversations that he