PBS NewsHour | Season 2023 | September 8, 2023 - PBS NewsHour full episode
AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.
I'm Amna Nawaz.
GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.
On the "NewsHour" tonight: A newly unveiled report shows Georgia prosecutors did not bring charges against Senator Lindsey Graham and some of former President Trump's other allies, despite the grand jury's recommendation.
AMNA NAWAZ: President Biden arrives in India for the G20 economic summit, looking to strengthen relations with the host nation, as China flexes its power in the region and across the world.
GEOFF BENNETT: And New York City struggles to keep up with an influx of migrants, including thousands of schoolchildren, during the first days of a new school year.
ERIC ADAMS (D), Mayor of New York: This crisis is going to harm migrants and it's going to harm long-term New Yorkers.
We're all in this together.
(BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "NewsHour."
A newly released report reveals, a special grand jury in Georgia recommended charges for twice as many people than the 19 ultimately indicted for efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
AMNA NAWAZ: Those 19, including former President Donald Trump, all pleaded not guilty earlier this week.
But the Fulton County district attorney has not brought charges against the 21 others named in this report, including three U.S. senators and a former senior White House official.
Here to unpack the unsealed report and what it may reveal about the case is Chris Timmons, a former county prosecutor in Georgia and law professor at Georgia State University.
Chris Timmons, welcome, and thanks for joining us.
Before we get into this special grand jury report, I want to ask you about some news we just received late this evening.
A judge has ruled against the former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' request to move his case from Georgia to a federal court.
Tell us your reaction to that.
Is that what we expected?
CHRIS TIMMONS, Former Georgia Prosecutor: That's exactly what I expected, Amna.
I think, when you look at the case as far as the removal issue, what's important there is whether Mr. Meadows was acting under color of his office.
In other words, was Mark Meadows acting as the chief of staff to the president of the United States or was he acting as a part of the campaign?
And what the judge found in that opinion was that Mr. Meadows was acting as a part of the campaign, not as the chief of staff to the president.
Accordingly, it would not be proper to remove the case from state court to federal court.
AMNA NAWAZ: OK, so Meadows' indictment was a result of that grand jury process that also led to the indictment of 18 others, including former President Trump.
I want to ask you about this special grand jury in the report that was released today, just to start with briefly explaining who that special grand jury is.
How do they fit into the process?
CHRIS TIMMONS: Sure.
So there are two types of grand juries in Georgia.
One is called a special purpose grand jury.
And the other one is the grand jury that we think of just a regular grand jury.
A special purpose grand jury can be impaneled by the superior court judges of any county when they decide that there's an investigation that needs to happen that's going to last longer than the term of court.
And, in Fulton County, that's more than two months.
Here, knowing that there was going to be a wide-ranging investigation, massive in scope, they realized that the investigation wasn't going to be able to happen in the two months that's typically allotted to a grand jury.
So they constituted a special purpose grand jury that operated for a year.
And under that special purpose grand jury, they don't have the power to indict, like a regular grand jury does.
They only have the power to issue a report.
They did that when they concluded.
That report was then put under seal.
And that seal was broken today by the report being issued by or released by Judge McBurney.
AMNA NAWAZ: So, we know among those not charged, despite the fact that the special grand jury recommended indictments, are some familiar names to folks, including Senator Lindsey Graham, former Georgia Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn.
Chris, what are some of the reasons the prosecutors might not charge someone, even though a grand jury recommends they do so?
CHRIS TIMMONS: So, there's a couple of reasons.
I think you're going to find that, with regard to some of the individuals listed in the special purpose grand jury's report, that they have cut deals with the state.
In other words, they have flipped them.
And as a part of being flipped, they were offered immunity.
I think some of it also is, you have got a wide-ranging indictment.
It's about 98 pages' long with 19 defendants in it.
It's not uncommon when you have got a massive criminal scheme to narrow it.
I did a cocaine RICO conspiracy here in Georgia.
We started off with 45 defendants.
We ultimately whittled it down to, coincidentally, 19 as well just to make it easier on us.
And so the defendants that were left out of the indictment, out of the RICO indictment, may be charged in different indictments later on down the road, but just for ease of moving forward.
And if you have got deals cut, they're not going to appear within it.
And, finally, I mean, it's a RICO indictment.
And so, in order to move forward on a RICO indictment, you have got to prove that every person who's in the RICO indictment is a part of the conspiracy.
If you have defendants that don't neatly fit within the conspiracy, you're going to leave them out.
And I suspect that's what happened to some of the defendants here or potential defendants here.
AMNA NAWAZ: Could any of these individuals who are not charged now also be called to testify in the trials of the folks who were charged?
CHRIS TIMMONS: Absolutely.
They could be called by the state.
They could also be called by the defense.
So I suspect, particularly with regard to Senator Lindsey Graham, based on the comments that he made today, I would anticipate that the defense is going to call him.
We will see.
And then there's some logistical issues with regard to subpoenaing him, bringing him in from out of state, et cetera.
I wouldn't expect the state to call him when he suggests that he wasn't a part of a criminal conspiracy, but, nevertheless, he could be.
And, certainly, there are other individuals.
If they were flipped, if they cut deals with the state, you should expect to see testimony from them as this case moves forward towards trial.
AMNA NAWAZ: That is Chris Timmons, former county prosecutor in Georgia, law professor at Georgia State University, joining us tonight.
Chris, thank you so much.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
I appreciate the opportunity.
GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: The summer's latest heat wave spread its sweltering grip across New England.
Boston declared a heat emergency and opened cooling centers.
Some schools with no air conditioning in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire closed or sent students home early.
They also cut back after-school activities.
Earlier this week, the heat wave also disrupted schools from Michigan to Virginia.
Floodwaters began receding in parts of Central Greece today after three days of record downpours.
Dozens of villages have been inundated, with at least 10 people killed and 2,500 rescued so far.
Even today, there were new evacuations, and flood victims faced a new reality.
HARALAMPOS TSERGAS (Greece Resident): Tragic disaster, misery, pain, sorrow.
Such a tragedy.
We will suffer for a very long time.
The damage to our homes is irreparable.
A lifetime's worth of work was lost within two hours.
It is completely destroyed.
GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime, record rain in Hong Kong caused by a typhoon is blamed for two deaths, with hundreds of people forced to flee.
Officials say a quarter of the city's average annual rainfall fell in a single hour, triggering severe flooding and landslides.
Hurricane Lee has weakened slightly tonight after briefly becoming this year's first Category 5 storm in the Atlantic.
It's still swirling over open waters off the Northern Leeward Islands, on a track to pass north of the Caribbean region this weekend.
The storm's path after the middle of next week remains unclear.
In Ukraine, Russian missiles rained down on multiple cities again overnight, killing at least four civilians and injuring dozens.
The attacks badly damaged 10 buildings President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown.
Officials said one person died and more than 70 were wounded.
Also today, voters in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine begin voting in local elections.
They are meant to strengthen Moscow's grip on regions it illegally annexed.
The U.N. children's agency is warning that record numbers of migrant children are trying to cross Latin America and the Caribbean, headed for the U.S. UNICEF says the numbers making the dangerous trek have doubled this year.
It says many are under 11 years old and often traveling alone from places in Asia and Africa.
LAURENT DUVILLIER, UNICEF: Well, UNICEF is extremely concerned because, in the first eight months of this year, over 60,000 children have crossed the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama.
This is the highest number of migrant children crossing the Darien jungle ever recorded.
GEOFF BENNETT: UNICEF attributes the spike to rising violence, climate change and increasing poverty in the home countries of migrant children.
Spanish prosecutors accused soccer executive Luis Rubiales today of sexual assault and coercion.
They say he kissed Spanish player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent after the national team won the World Cup.
The incident has sparked protests across Spain, and Rubiales has been suspended.
He could get up to four years in prison if he's convicted.
Back in this country, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she will seek reelection to represent her San Francisco district in 2024.
In a social media post, the veteran Democrat wrote -- quote -- "Now, more than ever, our city needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery."
Pelosi is 83.
She's been in Congress since 1987 and stepped last year down as House speaker.
The IRS is gearing up to go after 1,600 millionaires who owe hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes.
The tax agency announced today it's targeting people who owe at least $250,000 and also looking at 75 large business partnerships.
The push follows a mass hiring effort with new funding from the Biden administration.
And on Wall Street, stocks closed slightly higher, despite renewed worries about interest rates.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 75 points to close at 34576.
The Nasdaq rose 12 points.
The S&P 500 added six.
And still to come on the "NewsHour": Mexico becomes the latest country in Latin America to loosen restrictions on abortion; nursing homes push back on new federal staffing requirements; and David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart weigh in on the week's political headlines.
The mayor of New York is warning that the city could be destroyed if it doesn't get more help to cope with an influx of migrants.
City officials describe a humanitarian crisis, straining resources, filling up shelters and putting pressure on New York City schools.
Among the over 100,000 asylum-seekers in New York City are thousands of children going back to school this week.
DAVID BANKS, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education: Are you excited to be back in school?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) GEOFF BENNETT: It is the largest public school system in the country, now educating some 21,000 students living in temporary housing, a number that reflects the increase in migrant families arriving in the city.
DAVID BANKS: We are welcoming all of these new migrant children into our schools with open arms.
GEOFF BENNETT: Open but strained arms.
ERIC ADAMS (D), Mayor of New York: This issue will destroy New York City, destroy New York City.
GEOFF BENNETT: Mayor Eric Adams has promised a humane response, while stressing, resources are overwhelmed.
MURAD AWAWDEH, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition: The real issue that we are seeing is not a resource issue.
It is actually making sure that we're spending resources appropriately.
GEOFF BENNETT: Murad Awawdeh is the executive director of the New York immigration coalition, which has worked to help incoming migrant families prepare for the school year.
MURAD AWAWDEH: One thing that we have been fighting for, for a number of years has been ensuring that we expand programs for English-language learners, as well as expanding English-language learner transfer schools in this -- in New York City.
It's a huge need.
It continues to be a huge need.
GEOFF BENNETT: Housing migrant families is also an issue.
ERIC ADAMS: Every night, we have to be creative to find places to allow people to stay.
GEOFF BENNETT: The city has opened 206 emergency shelters in hotels, parks and buildings.
But, still, migrants have lined the streets awaiting a bed, one the city government is required to provide to anyone in need, under the city's longstanding right to shelter mandate.
The influx could cost the city more than $12 billion over three years.
GOV.
KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): This crisis originated with the federal government.
And it must be resolved through the federal government.
GEOFF BENNETT: New York Governor Kathy Hochul took their cause directly to the White House in a meeting last week where she pushed for more, money and expanded pathways for migrants to legally work when they arrive.
But meaningful solutions likely need congressional approval, leaving an ever-growing number of migrants and their children waiting.
And New York City Mayor Eric Adams joins us now.
Mr. Mayor, welcome back to the "NewsHour."
ERIC ADAMS: Thank you very much.
Good to be here.
GEOFF BENNETT: Let's start with a focus on New York City public schools, as classrooms work to accommodate the thousands of newly arrived migrant children, many of whom speak little to no English, many of whom are living in shelters.
First of all, how did the first couple of days of school go?
And then, beyond that, how is the city aiming to meet the immense need of school-aged migrant children in particular?
ERIC ADAMS: Well, it went well, extremely well.
It's always exciting, the beginning of the school year, watching the optimism, some crying faces leaving mommy for the first time.
But it was extremely, extremely smooth transition ending summer.
And when you talk about the 20,000 unsheltered children, a large number of them are migrant asylum seekers.
We already had 18,000 last year.
We need to be clear on that.
And we absorbed those 18,000, and we're continuing to do what's right.
And it is exciting when you see a child enter the school system at the beginning of the year, not speaking English at all, but leaving at the end of the year able to communicate in English, learning new ways of learning and interacting and embracing new friends.
So we're going to continue to do our job to educate these scholars and these young people.
GEOFF BENNETT: Does the city have the capacity and resources to do what you say you want to do, which is to help those young people?
ERIC ADAMS: Oh, we need more.
We have been extremely clear on this.
New York City has been carrying its burden, for the most part, on its own.
We commend the governor and the billion dollars she got in the last budget that we have to spend down on.
But when you look at what is costing the city, in not only dollars and cents, but also in man and woman power, it is an awesome responsibility.
We were creative this year to allow those teachers who are Spanish speakers or dual language to be able to leave and get there - - to leave their current assignment, if they desire to do so, and use their tenure and not lose their tenure.
This was a technical issue that we were able to overcome with the state's help.
And so we're going to always need more to address this major issue that we're facing here in New York City.
GEOFF BENNETT: Let's talk a bit more about some of the short-term solution, because New York is trying to unwind the right to shelter mandate in court, citing the strain that the influx of migrants have put on that system.
Both you and the governor of New York want the federal government to expedite work permits, so that migrants can support themselves and not be as dependent on the city and state for basic services.
What more could the White House do unilaterally, in your view, to help you deal with the pressure and the strain on public resources?
ERIC ADAMS: One thing we need to be extremely clear, this is unfair to migrants.
It's unfair to New York City residents.
It is unfair to this entire country, when you're looking at what's happening in big cities across America, Chicago just acknowledging they're moving their migrants out of police precincts and into tents, the same thing you're seeing in Los Angeles and other parts, El Paso, Brownsville.
This is just wrong.
And what we believe the federal government can do is just simply, one, have a real decompression strategy all over the entire country, so cities are not absorbing this issue.
And particularly in those areas where you're having these major concerns, there should be a state of emergency that the federal government is calling to make sure that we are getting the support to these cities right away.
And this is within the control of the federal government.
And then we need to expedite this labor-intensive process of allowing people to have the right to work.
And I believe we need to extend the TPS status to give them the right to work, so they can provide for their own care.
This is all they're asking.
Migrants asking to be able to work like every other American that came to this country, that's the precursor to the American dream.
And if we don't do that, we are harming not only the migrants.
We're creating the black market of employees and workers that is extremely harmful and dangerous to the city and this country.
GEOFF BENNETT: You're facing some criticism for saying at that town hall this past week that the migrant crisis will -- quote -- "destroy New York City."
There are Democrats who accuse you of sounding like a Republican.
There are immigration advocates who say that those comments in many ways villainize migrants.
What exactly did you mean with those remarks, and also by saying that, "The city we knew, we're about to lose"?
ERIC ADAMS: Well, let's be clear.
I did not say migrants would destroy this city.
This crisis is going to harm migrants, and it is going to harm long-term New Yorkers.
We're all in this together.
And many of those who are criticizing, they didn't spend nights in a migrant humanitarian relief center.
They have not been down at the hotels.
They have not communicated with family members who have lost loved ones.
I see on the ground what is happening.
This is going to be $12 billion price tag over three years.
This is going to have a major impact on migrants, the delivery of services to them, the delivery of services to longtime New Yorkers, who are already struggling.
We need to be clear on that.
We already had a homeless population.
We already had low-income New Yorkers that were struggling to feed themselves and stay into their homes.
We are going to transform this city, if this is not under control, with a price tag of $12 billion during the time we're going -- we're going to have a fiscal cliff of federal dollars running out and dealing with the financial challenges we are already facing.
We don't get this right, it is going to destroy this city, and it's going to harm them.
And I cannot sugarcoat this to the New York City public.
They need to know what we are facing right now.
GEOFF BENNETT: Let me ask you this, because there are leaders of border states who say that, if this migrant influx is a national crisis, as you say it is, why shouldn't New York, why shouldn't Los Angeles and Chicago have to help shoulder this burden?
Why should it all be the responsibility of Texas alone?
ERIC ADAMS: And they are right.
And I join them.
That's why I went down to El Paso.
I communicated with the mayor of Brownsville.
I have communicated with the mayor of Houston.
They are 100 percent correct.
I share that with them.
And that is why those Republicans that have blocked immigration reform for years and have gotten in the way of real immigration reform, we came close at one time of, yes, this is a problem that the national government must resolve.
I say this over and over again.
No city should be carrying the weight of a national problem.
And so I agree with them 100 percent that no city should be going through this.
And when you look at the numbers that are coming here to New York City, over 110,000 entered our system.
We're getting 10,000 a month.
That's not sustainable.
And it's unfair to those who came here to pursue the American dream.
GEOFF BENNETT: New York City Mayor Eric Adams, we appreciate your time this evening.
Thank you.
ERIC ADAMS: Thank you.
Take care.
AMNA NAWAZ: Facing persistently weak poll numbers at home, President Joe Biden set off for a two-day gathering of the G20 in New Delhi.
The meeting among leaders of the world's largest economies comes at a time of increasing geopolitical divisions.
Notably, both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are skipping this year's summit hosted by India.
For President Biden, the trip, which includes a stop in Vietnam, is meant to position the U.S. as a more reliable partner to the global South.
Laura Barron-Lopez joins us now to discuss the significance of the president's travels in Asia.
Laura, good to see you.
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Good to be here.
AMNA NAWAZ: So we know President Biden has already met with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.
What are we hearing about what came of that meeting?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Coming out of that first meeting today, White House officials were saying that they were hopeful that a potential deal could be struck on a railway infrastructure project.
That deal would be between India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Emirates.
It would link the Gulf and Arab countries, as well as linking them to India via seaports.
And one White House official described it potentially as an earth-shaking corridor.
But, again, those talks are still developing, and they haven't come to a deal just quite yet.
Beyond that, Amna, the prospect of real big developments out of this summit are slim, and because of the fact that India does not want to alienate China or Russia.
And, also, India watchers are skeptical that there is going to be any type of supportive joint statement behind Ukraine that comes out of this summit.
And critics are also warning the administration that, as Biden tries to improve his relationship with India, reminding him that India is again a human rights abuser, as well as their democracy is backsliding.
AMNA NAWAZ: We should remind folks that India remains neutral when it comes to the war in Ukraine.
But China, we know, is a big focus for this administration, both on the economic and the security front.
What is the White House saying about the fact that Xi Jinping is not even at this summit?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Publicly, the White House says that they're disappointed.
But one of the big goals for the president at this summit is to bolster the ability for alternative lending to developing middle-income countries, specifically trying to improve institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and their ability to provide lending to these different countries.
Again, though, the ability for Biden to leverage a U.S. commitment and getting other Western allies to do the same, again, watchers are skeptical that this -- that much is going to materialize at this summit.
AMNA NAWAZ: He goes to Vietnam on Sunday.
Why Vietnam and why now?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Vietnam.
I spoke to National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby, said that the president is excited about this trip, especially at a time where the country's two militaries are getting to know each other.
They want to take this relationship to the next level.
But, again, the White House is trying to say, this isn't about China.
This visit is very much about China, Amna, and trying to improve relationships with someone in China's backyard.
AMNA NAWAZ: As we mentioned at top of this discussion, back home, of course, to tough polls for the Biden reelection effort.
Does that, in some ways, raise the stakes for this trip abroad for President Biden?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Amna, you're right.
Those polls not only showed low job approval ratings, but also voters were concerned about Biden's age.
So the White House will actually -- I should say, Biden's campaign put out an ad actually the same day that the president left for this trip.
And the ad was focused on him traveling to Ukraine, traveling to a war zone, which he did earlier this year.
And, in it, they were trying to show that, look, these trips aren't easy, that he has the stamina to continue this job, that he is trying to be presidential and bolster relationships with key allies on the world stage and defend democracy.
It was no accident that that ad, Amna, was released on the exact same day that the president left again for another foreign trip.
AMNA NAWAZ: Laura Barron-Lopez, our White House correspondent covering a key summit for President Biden.
Laura, good to see you.
Thank you.
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.
GEOFF BENNETT: In a sweeping decision this week, Mexico's Supreme Court broadened abortion rights in that country.
As Ali Rogin reports, it's part of a trend across parts of Latin America.
ALI ROGIN: For Mexico's abortion advocates, a historic victory.
The country's Supreme Court this week struck down a federal law criminalizing abortion.
MARLENE MORAN, Psychology Student (through translator): Mexico has deeply rooted traditional ideals.
Having a legal context that supports our decisions represents a big change.
ALI ROGIN: The new ruling requires that abortion be removed from the federal penal code and that federal hospitals and clinics offer abortion to anyone who wants one.
In 2021, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled for the first time that punishing abortion was unconstitutional, but it only applied to the northern state of Coahuila.
While 12 Mexican states out of 32 had already decriminalized abortion, the new decision applies nationwide.
REGINA TAMES, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch (through translator): The decision regarding the federal penal code is setting an enormous precedent.
We hope that the decriminalization in the remaining states will speed up.
ALI ROGIN: But the path to legalizing abortion has required years of activism, not only in Mexico, but across Latin America, where the abortion rights movement became known as the Green Wave.
It got its name in 2018 after more than a million Argentinean activists wearing green scarves took to the street to demand abortion be legal.
And it was a movement with decades in the making.
It took hold in Argentina in the 1980s, but it wasn't until 2020 that that country legalized the procedure up to the 14th week of pregnancy.
Other countries followed suit, including Colombia and Ecuador, where women can now seek an abortion in case of rape.
Latin America has historically had some of the world's most restrictive abortion policies.
But the recent regional trend towards legalization stands in contrast to the United States, where the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade ended a right that was upheld for decades.
But, back in Mexico, some still continue to resist the changes.
IRMA BARRIENTOS, Director, Association for the Rights of the Conceived (through translator): We're not going to stop until Mexico guarantees the right to life from the moment of conception.
ALI ROGIN: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Ali Rogin.
GEOFF BENNETT: For more on Mexico's landmark ruling, we turn to Maria Antonieta Alcalde.
She serves as the director of Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean.
That's a regional organization advocating for women and abortion rights.
Thank you for being with us.
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE, Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean: Thanks for the invitation.
GEOFF BENNETT: Well, as we heard, Latin America is in the midst of a so-called Green Wave, as countries like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, they have knocked down major abortion restrictions in recent years.
What's behind the move to liberalize abortion access?
Because abortion laws have historically been fairly strict across Latin America, which is a predominantly, as you well know, Catholic region.
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE: Well, it's still a predominant Catholic region.
And I think that one element has been, of course, the women's movement, the feminist movement.
This has been part of the agenda of this movement for a very long time.
And, also, I think that the region has been moving to acknowledging that, beyond the personal religious beliefs of the people, like, we need laws that serves everyone.
And putting women in jail for having an abortion is not the solution.
I think the solution is also not forcing anyone to continue a pregnancy that doesn't want and/or doesn't -- or cannot continue.
I think that there is a cultural shift, like also more progressive governments.
There are, most of all, a very strong civil society movement behind this.
GEOFF BENNETT: Do you see Mexico becoming a sanctuary for American women who are seeking abortion services?
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE: Mexico is already a sanctuary for American women seeking services.
More and more, I think that we -- like, in the past, Mexican women used to go to the U.S. for looking for safe abortion services.
But since S.B.8 in Texas and with the Dobbs decision of the Supreme Court, we are seeing more and more, like in really large number, American women coming to Mexico or seeking for help.
There are different networks of women mostly supporting other women to have abortions at home.
And I think that, with this decision of the court, that safety net that makes women feel safe when they come to Mexico to look for an abortion is growing even bigger.
GEOFF BENNETT: There are now abortion rights advocates who are looking south to parts of Latin America and the Caribbean for guidance on how to win back reproductive rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe.
What lessons might they learn?
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE: I think, in the past, the U.S. movement used to be very isolated from the global movement.
The Green Wave is in all Latin America, but,also, we learn from Poland from Ireland from other countries.
The U.S. used to be very isolated, thinking that the -- like, the Roe v. Wade decision was it.
And I think that that prevent them from learning.
I think the second lesson is that, in the U.S., the movement used to be, in a way, very branded by some of the organizations, the big organizations that have done an amazing work.
But, in a way, the abortion agenda was kind of like the same that some of those organizations.
And I think that one of the lessons learned is the importance of a vibrant movement that is very organic.
And that's the lesson of the Green Wave, when young people can be -- maybe they are not in favor of one or the other party, but they are in favor of the agenda.
So, having a more organic, more vibrant, less branded movement and less controlled movement, it may be another one.
And the third one, I think it's very relevant, is like, in the U.S., the access to abortion is -- it's very linked with the idea that access has to be in a clinic.
And, again, like, abortion is a service that could be very safely managed at home by the woman.
So, Well, those are three of the lessons that I think that we are sharing right now with the American movement.
GEOFF BENNETT: So, when you refer to home management, you're referring to medication abortion.
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE: Absolutely, medication - - like, I'm referring to medication abortion using two pills like -- well, two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol.
And that's completely safe, according with the WHO guidelines.
GEOFF BENNETT: And we should also say that there are anti-abortion advocates who are now training their focus on Mexico to restore some of those restrictions, as we talk about the broader effort to ease restrictions across Latin America.
Maria Antonieta Alcalde, thank you so much for your time and for your insights.
MARIA ANTONIETA ALCALDE: Thank you very much for the space.
AMNA NAWAZ: The Biden administration has proposed new staffing standards to improve care for the 1.3 million Americans living in nursing homes.
And while it is the biggest change to regulations in three decades, many patient advocates say it still falls short of what's needed.
Stephanie Sy has the details.
STEPHANIE SY: The COVID pandemic spotlighted how understaffing and low pay in nursing homes led to many tragic outcomes, with a disproportionate number of nursing home residents and workers dying.
The new proposed rule called for more nursing care, the equivalent of about three hours of care per day per resident, with 33 minutes of that care being delivered by a registered nurse, the rest by nurse's aides.
Currently, three-quarters of nursing homes do not have enough staff to meet these minimums.
David Grabowski is a health care policy expert and professor at Harvard Medical School.
He joins me now to share his reaction.
David, thank you for being on the "NewsHour" again.
There are currently, from what I understand, no enforceable standards for nursing home staffing.
Is it widely agreed that this was needed?
And do you think it's enough to address the problem?
DAVID GRABOWSKI, Harvard Medical School: So, I think it was absolutely needed.
We have been talking about this as far back as the 1986 Institute of Medicine report, so this has been longtime coming.
We have had a number of us nursing homes that are understaffed, too much turnover, low safety, poor quality.
Is it enough, to the second part of your question?
I don't think so.
You said the numbers there, three hours per resident per day.
These individuals are medically complex.
They have a lot of functional limitations, a lot of needs.
So, three hours is a great start.
The administration deserves a ton of credit for putting this rule forward.
It's probably the biggest reform in nursing homes in decades, but we still have a ways to go.
STEPHANIE SY: But the reality is, as you know, the nursing home industry is already having a hard time attracting and retaining staff as it is, without the standard.
So, even with this rule, can it be implemented?
DAVID GRABOWSKI: Timing is everything, and we're in the middle of a staffing shortage.
So this is a terrible time to implement a staffing standard in U.S. nursing homes.
That said, it's never been more needed than it is today.
So that's really the balancing act that the administration is facing.
I think the administration built in a lot of measures within this policy to help out nursing homes that are suffering from staffing shortages in their local markets.
So they have given any facility that can't find staff at the prevailing wages, and they meet a series of criteria, they have been given an exemption under this policy.
They have also given a long implementation period in nursing homes, three to five years.
And then, finally, the administration has put $75 million into this growing the next generation of nursing home caregivers.
So, is that enough?
No.
We need to figure out ways to grow this work force.
But I think these measures are a way to sort of help nursing homes that are really facing an unprecedented work force shortage.
STEPHANIE SY: Part of the problem Biden administration officials have pointed to are private equity firms' buyouts of private nursing homes.
They say that that's contributing to the staffing shortages, because they imply those firms put profit over patient care.
Have you seen evidence of that?
Is that a big factor here?
DAVID GRABOWSKI: I think that's a big part of the story.
Ownership -- we don't have a lot of those mom-and-pop-owned nursing homes that we had 20, 30 years ago.
There are -- these are corporations.
They're often very complex corporations with many layers.
And it's hard for policymakers to follow the dollars.
And, so, many of those dollars don't end up in direct resident care.
They don't end up in the pockets of staff.
They unfortunately end up in other parts of the organizations through what are called related party transactions.
So, private equity, real estate investment trusts and lots of other complicated ownership structures have emerged in this industry and really, I think, helped push along the kinds of reforms that we're now thinking about, like a minimum staffing standard, where I think 20, 30 years ago this -- we were talking about this policy, but it wasn't as needed as it is today, because we didn't have the same set of owners that we do today.
STEPHANIE SY: And should the government be ponying up more money to pay nursing home staff?
DAVID GRABOWSKI: If you talk to individuals in the industry, it's a billion-dollar question.
So, there are some nursing homes that haven't put enough dollars back into direct resident care and.
This policy will help discipline those nursing homes.
They can no longer siphon off dollars away from direct resident care, those private equity groups we were just talking about.
They will have to put those dollars back into direct resident care.
Other nursing homes may really struggle.
I said earlier this policy is hopefully a start.
It's not just a start with staffing.
I hope it's a start towards a more comprehensive set of reforms.
STEPHANIE SY: We will see.
David Grabowski at Harvard Medical School, thanks so much for sharing your expertise with the "NewsHour."
DAVID GRABOWSKI: Thank you, Stephanie.
AMNA NAWAZ: It's been a busy week in politics in Washington and across the country.
To delve deeper into all of it, we turn now to the analysis of Brooks and Capehart.
That's New York Times columnist David Brooks, and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post.
And welcome to you both.
It's great to see you.
David, let's start with this news we learned today about the report from the special grand jury in Georgia that basically shows there were 21 other people they recommended be indicted that the DA there, Fani Willis, decided not to indict.
The fact that 21 Fulton County residents looked all this evidence for months, heard from all these witnesses, said, yes, we think these people, three senators, a former senior White House official, should be indicted, what does that say to you about the strength and the scope of that case?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, I think it may be a strong case.
I imagine it's a pretty strong case against the indicted 19.
But back many, many years ago, when Rudy Giuliani was still a semi-normal person, he was indicting people on Wall Street.
And he used the RICO statute to roll up lots and lots of people.
And his critics said RICO is just badly structured and that you can get -- you can roll up masses of people whether they're really involved in the core indictment -- the core conspiracy or not.
So I worry that RICO was once against used to broaden that out to anybody who was supporting Donald Trump.
And I'm glad the prosecutors in the end picked the 19, because we just don't need to be rolling up anybody who supports Donald Trump.
That weakens the case against the core people who actually were involved in the conspiracy.
AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, what did you make of that when you heard that news, the decision not to indict people like Senator Graham, former Georgia Senators Perdue and Loeffler, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn?
What was your reaction?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: My reaction was, one, the restraint of the prosecution, to David's point, but also the fact that there was a footnote.
There was a footnote on, I can't remember which page, but it's footnote number six.
And it explained why one of the people on the grand jury voted against indicting Loeffler and Perdue.
And it was because they were concerned -- they saw that what they did was political and not part of the conspiracy.
And when I read that footnote, it made me, hmm, is this the venue, the avenue that Donald Trump will be able to use to get out from under his indictment, to get a jury to find him not guilty or to say that he wasn't part of this conspiracy?
I don't know.
But the overall thing, Amna, that I take away from this is that a lot of attention has been focused on DA Fani Willis and her motivations and her skill.
And what we're seeing with every release, with every document, it is that she is more than up to the task of try -- of bringing this case, and she is running a well-oiled, very smart shop.
AMNA NAWAZ: I just want to say, leave it to Jonathan Capehart to be digging into the footnotes on this.
Thank you for that.
DAVID BROOKS: I read the bibliography behind the footnotes.
So I... (LAUGHTER) AMNA NAWAZ: OK. You get credit as well.
I do want to talk about other legal news this week, though.
We learned federal prosecutors will be moving ahead with an indictment against Hunter Biden, most likely related to gun charges, expected by the end of the month.
David, as you well know, those questions around Hunter Biden continue to fuel Republicans' threats to impeach President Biden.
Is this becoming a liability for the president?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, it's certainly a liability.
It sort of feeds into the narrative that he's part of the Washington establishment, everybody's self-dealing.
So that's a liability.
The gun charge, he was a sick man, frankly, who had some drug issues.
And the gun charge, to me, is an ancillary issue.
To me, I want to know -- he was clearly trying to peddle influence.
Did he successfully peddle influence?
Was any law changed?
Did Joe Biden's policies change?
Did Joe Biden sit on any of those meetings?
I kind of doubt it on all counts.
But I do think now I have sort of underestimated the Hunter Biden story.
I think it's probably worth a look to see if there was actual influence peddling.
But, for the Republicans to talk about impeachment, you got to have a crime.
Like, you got to have some accusation you can make.
And they don't really have anything right now.
It's worth looking into, but they're way premature in talking about impeachment.
AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, what do you make of that?
Is it worth a look by both the Department of Justice and House Republicans, as they say they want to do?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, it's worth a look by the Department of Justice, because they're already looking.
And with the special counsel having already been appointed, there apparently is a reason to look.
But the one thing I want folks to remember, and to always remember, and that is the legal predicament surrounding Hunter Biden, the son of the president, it is nowhere near and it is not the same as what is facing the former president.
twice impeached, four times indicted on 91 counts in four different jurisdictions.
I mean, they're -- Republicans, especially congressional Republicans, have been spending a lot of time trying to focus attention on Hunter Biden and the -- quote, unquote -- "weaponization" of the Justice Department because of what is happening to Donald Trump, as opposed to focusing in on the fact that the guy has got four indictments, 91 counts for some very serious, very serious crimes, but also affronts to American democracy.
And that is nowhere near -- what Hunter Biden may or may not have done does not even come close to the level of legal drama that's facing the former president of the United States.
AMNA NAWAZ: David, does this fuel that political whataboutism?
DAVID BROOKS: Yes.
AMNA NAWAZ: Someone says, Trump's indicted and they say, well, what about Hunter Biden?
DAVID BROOKS: Yes, well, whataboutism is not the greatest thing to be doing.
So I do think I agree with John other than 100 percent it's not even close.
It's, like, what Donald Trump admits to doing is a way worse than what the Bidens deny doing.
Nonetheless, he's the son of the president.
He's got lots of money from the Ukrainians.
He's got lots of money from the Chinese.
There's a reason he got lots of money.
And it's not because of his skills.
It's because his last name is Biden.
And so when you get a case like that, set aside what needs to be done to Donald Trump, it's worth looking into.
And it's worth answering the fears that a lot of people have, which is, they're focusing on the gun issues, which is trivial, frankly, so they don't focus on the real issues, which is the influence peddling.
AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, I want to ask you about the interview that Geoff did earlier with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
His city is one of many that's under pressure, as you have more numbers of migrants arriving from the Southern border and making their way into different cities across the country.
And he's among the many Democratic leaders who are now criticizing the president, saying, you need to do more.
We need more help.
Is that criticism fair?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: The criticism is fair, if you also keep in mind that he's focusing on the president because he's the president.
But he also, in his criticism, talked about Congress, talked about the federal government, talked about Washington.
And so that is an acknowledgement of the fact that, yes, he can yell at the president because the president is a member of his own party and someone who will listen to him.
But if there's ever going to be anything done about what's happening at the border, about what's happening about those migrants that those Republican governors are using as human pawns, sending them to Democratic -- Democratically run cities and states, you're going to need Democrats and Republicans in Congress to sit down like adults and come up with a comprehensive immigration plan that can pass both chambers and get the president's signature.
This is a federal issue.
And, by federal, it is not just the president.
It is Congress has to give the president something he can sign.
And so I understand the mayor's frustration.
I understand Governor Pritzker's frustration in Illinois, Governor Hochul's frustration in New York.
At some point, the focus has to shift from President Biden to Congress, and particularly Republicans on Capitol Hill, who I'm old enough to remember and I'm sure David is old enough to remember when Senator John McCain was working real hard with Senator Lindsey Graham to come up with a comprehensive immigration bill, and it failed.
AMNA NAWAZ: David, what's your take?
Are there Republicans who want to see that comprehensive immigration reform?
DAVID BROOKS: Yes, they're hiding in the closets, but there are still a few of them.
(LAUGHTER) DAVID BROOKS: They're all in the old folks home with, whatever, Lindsey Graham.
I guess I'd say, at first, obviously, Jonathan's right.
We have to fix the immigration system.
Republicans need to understand that we need immigrants and we need to open the door.
Democrats need to understand we need to control our borders and that you have to use the language of fences or whatever.
They can avoid the word walls if they want to, but we just have to control our borders.
And if you're going to have a sanctuary city or whatever you're going to do and say, welcome, people, come here, then, when the people are allowed to come in through our dysfunctional system, they're going to come to your city, it's going to cost you a lot of money.
And so I think Democrats just have to understand.
My colleague Tom Friedman puts it well.
We need a big wall with a big gate.
And both sides have to give a little on that.
And then the final thing I will say for Democrats, this is becoming a problem for the Democratic Party, which is that a lot of the most seemingly dysfunctional cities are now the most progressive cities.
That's Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and they're looking to be ungovernable.
And so I think for the Democrats, they have to take a look at a lot of the programs that have led them to this spot and say, how do we rethink urban government, so it doesn't look like we're looking over a bunch of cities that aren't working?
AMNA NAWAZ: We know immigration is, of course, going to be a key issue moving into next year's presidential campaign as well.
I'm sure we will have lots more to talk about that.
David Brooks, Jonathan Capehart, thank you so much.
Always great to see you.
DAVID BROOKS: Good to see you.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Amna.
AMNA NAWAZ: The U.S. Open has been heating up with surprising upsets heading into the finals, as well as the soaring temperatures across the East Coast, prompting officials to partially close the stadium roof in New York.
And while European players have dominated the top spots in years past, this year, it's the Americans who have taken the courts by storm, specifically Black American players who are making history.
To talk about this continental and cultural shift in tennis, I'm joined by Ava Wallace, who covers tennis for The Washington Post and joins us now from the U.S. Open in New York.
Ava, it's great to see you.
And I have to start off with the name everyone's talking about, Coco Gauff.
She's 19 years old.
She has now made it to the U.S. Open finals.
It's being called the summer of Coco.
What's behind the incredible success she's seeing right now?
AVA WALLACE, The Washington Post: Yes, that's something that Coco Gauff doesn't quite have an answer to herself.
You kind of fast -- or rewind two months to a first round upset loss she had at Wimbledon, where she was in the press room afterwards telling us she had to go back to the drawing board.
She did that a little bit.
She brought in two new coaches, worked on a forehand that was kind of giving her trouble, and also had an attitude shift, where she's told us she's having more fun on court.
She's a little bit more relaxed, taking some pressure off herself, and that has brought wins.
So she's won two tournaments heading into the U.S. Open, and she is on fire here, thinking her way through matches, using her athleticism, which is among the best on the women's tour, and she finds herself in her first U.S. Open final.
AMNA NAWAZ: She's also the first American woman to make it to those finals since Serena Williams.
What do you think?
Can she win at all?
AVA WALLACE: I do.
I think she has a chance based on the way that she's playing.
She has a really tough competitor, maybe her toughest yet, in a pretty stern lineup there in Aryna Sabalenka, who's just absolutely excellent on hard courts, has 11 titles already on hard court to her name, is a really hard-hitter, and is definitely going to challenge Coco and have her running across the court, for sure.
AMNA NAWAZ: Coco was also part of this foursome that made history for U.S. tennis earlier this week.
Four Black American players, Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, and Ben Shelton, reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
That's the first time that's happened in the sport's Open era going back to 1968.
Just, Ava, give us some context here.
How big a milestone is that?
AVA WALLACE: It certainly felt like a really big moment.
I was out there on Arthur Ashe Stadium for Frances Tiafoe when he played Ben Shelton.
And it wasn't just a moment.
James Blake was there doing a coin toss.
And they were, of course, playing on a court named for Arthur Ashe.
And it felt a little different than things usually do at the U.S. Open.
There was a lot of rap and hip-hop music playing, which you do not hear usually at tennis tournaments.
Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton absolutely took the moment and kind of ran with it.
They were razzing up the crowd.
They played with so much fight and heart, and it was really excellent to see.
Of course, these late-night matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium tend to get pretty loud.
So it was a very, very fun atmosphere.
AMNA NAWAZ: They tend to get loud, and they have been very hot lately too.
We have been reporting on these extraordinarily high temperatures and high humidity.
How is that having an impact on the players and the matches?
AVA WALLACE: Yes, it's creating for some dramatic matches, for sure, and getting everyone a little bit more stressed out.
Technically, it kind of hurts players' serves.
They're talking about how it's actually physically harder to grip a racket when you're dripping in sweat.
And then, of course, it's tiring a lot of players out.
Coco Gauff, in her semifinal, had a 40-shot rally, which it lasted longer than a minute.
It was incredibly tiring just to watch.
But she won that, and she was telling herself: I knew I didn't have another one in me, so I had to win it right there.
And she won the match next point.
AMNA NAWAZ: I have only got about less than a minute left.
But I have to ask you because you're there.
There's a lot of conversation around the new generation of fans who are now following tennis because of this new generation of players.
How have you seen that show up at the Open?
AVA WALLACE: Oh, you see it in the celebrities, and you always see people in the stands.
Anna Wintour is always here, Spike Lee.
You have kind of got the old standbys.
But I have never seen Justin and Hailey Bieber out.
You have got a ton of NBA players who are out here.
Jimmy Butler's been out here pretty much every day.
So it's kind of interesting to see a different kind of celebrity, a new generation of celebrity that Gen Z people know, millennials know.
It's really cool to see that shift and track it kind of through the celebrities in the stands.
AMNA NAWAZ: That is Ava Wallace, who covers tennis for The Washington Post, joining us from the U.S. Open in New York.
Ava, great to see you.
Thanks for your time.
AVA WALLACE: Thanks for having me.
GEOFF BENNETT: And there is much more online, including our own Laura Barron-Lopez with a rare look inside the newly renovated White House Situation Room, where some of the most consequential U.S. military decisions are made.
And later tonight on "Washington Week With The Atlantic," moderate Jeffrey Goldberg and his panel take stock of the Biden presidency so far and the challenges he faces as he seeks reelection.
AMNA NAWAZ: And tune in to "PBS News Weekend" tomorrow.
A new United Nations report sheds light on the environmental and financial cost of invasive species.
And that is the "NewsHour" for tonight.
I'm Amna Nawaz.
GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.
Thanks for spending part of your evening with us.
Have a great weekend.
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