♪ amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. geoff bennett is away. on the newshour tonight. the supreme court takes up the case of whether former president trump can be kept off the 2024 ballot. a longtime leader of the national rifle association steps down, raising questions about the organization's future influence on gun laws in america. and marking three years since the january 6th insurrection, president biden warns in a campaign speech that rising political violence poses a grave threat to the nation's

democracy. >> today, we are here to answer the most portentous questions, is democracy still america's sacred cause? ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour been provided by -- >> the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour. and the robert and virginia schiller foundation. >> the john s and james l knight foundation. fostering informed and engaged communities. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.

and friends of the newshour. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. amna: welcome to the newshour. there is a major development in a case that could upend the 2024 presidential election. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to decide whether donald trump can be barred from the ballot. the former president eligibility has been challenged in dozens of states. while many have been dismissed, maine and colorado have disqualified him under the insurrection because of the 14th amendment. the justices will hear arguments in the colorado case next month. for more on what this means, i'm

joined now by a former federal prosecutor. walk us through what you expect to see now that the supreme court has decided to take up this case. the colorado supreme court was decided narrowly on a 4-3 margin. did you expect the court to take up the appeal and what is the question they are seeking to answer? >> i'm not surprised the court is going to address this case. they are going to do it quickly. they will expect a briefing and arguments quickly. this is a matter of non-channel -- national importance. i'm not surprised they will address this. the problem is they have a lot to address. there is very little case law for them to go on. there is a lot of work for them to be doing in the next month or so. amna: oral arguments are expected to begin february 8. what does that mean for a timeline?

>> by the time they are at the oral argument stage, they may have a decision drafted, they may have a good idea of where they are heading and if they want to test out their decision in the courtroom. they may be able to issue a decision very quickly after that. i think they will devote a lot of time and attention to this between now and then when they truly can get it done if they want to. amna: there are a number of other states weighing this same question. with the supreme court decision impact those other states if they uphold colorado's decision? would it open the door? >> it could. the supreme court has an opportunity. they can issue a narrow decision , they can issue a decision simply on the process in colorado or a very narrow interpretation of something, or

they could issue a much broader decision that would have broader application. i expect given these other suits on the horizon and the main case that they will endeavor to issue a broader decision to give some guidance to these other states about ballot access. amna: when you look at these two states with the decision was made, they were made in different ways. the colorado decision was made by the state supreme court. in maine, it was the secretary of state who made the decision. also on the basis of the insurrection clause of the 14th amendment. is there a common standard or question being answered as each state weighs this same question? >> i think that really ties into your last question. ballot access issues are still -- so state specific. we have really different processes in each locale, towns, villages, things like that, to

determine access. all of a sudden, it is coming to a head here and we are seeing very different processes play out. but i expect the supreme court is going to try to issue a broad enough decision to embrace some of these other actions coming out of different states as well. amna: former president trump's appeal is based on two elements. one is enforceability. the appeal says the question of eligibility to serve is properly reserved for congress, not the state courts, to consider and decide. the other argument is just the wording of the 14th amendment. they argue the president is not technically an officer of the united states, that it wasn't an insurrection so he didn't engage in insurrection. do those arguments hold water? >> the trump team has some good arguments to make. the supreme court is operating without a lot of guidance here.

there is not a lot of law on these issues, so they are free to make new law and i expect them to do so. amna: in your view, is this the kind of decisions courts should be weighing on? whether they should be left up to the voters to decide? >> listen, i think that is where the supreme court may come out, they may punt this back and say this was not the purview of the states to block the former president from the ballot. but i think they may interpret section three of the 14th amendment in such a way to punch this back to the voters. amna: we will be waiting and watching for sure. that is a former federal prosecutor 20 us tonight. thank you for your time and insights. >> thank you. ♪

amna: in the days other headlines, the u.s. economy has turned in another strong showing despite higher interest rates. the labor department reports employers added a net 216,000 jobs in december -- more than analysts expected. the unemployment rate held at 3.7%. it has been under 4% for 23 straight months. the upbeat numbers contrast sharply with polls showing widespread public discontent with the economy. prices are on the rise again in europe after seven months of declines. inflation in the eurozone rose to 2.9% in december. that's up from 2.4% in november, and it could prompt the european central bank to delay cutting interest rates. in the middle east -- israeli planes and tanks pounded refugee camps in central gaza overnight, sending more people fleeing south. and in jordan, thousands of demonstrators rallied in amman, to show solidarity with gaza. they demanded an end to israel's

offensive and its western support. that came as secretary of state antony blinken arrived in turkey on his latest trip to the region. security forces in iran have arrested 11 suspects after suicide bombings claimed by the islamic state group. wednesday's attack killed 89 people in the city of kerman. at a mass funeral today, mourners wept over the victims' coffins. the crowd chanted death to israel and death to america -- and officials claimed both countries are linked to isis. >> there is no trace of the islamic state group on the world's political map. they have been hiding and can't be seen. they are holed up in their nests. you see no clear image of this power. they can only act as agents and mercenaries for u.s. and zionist policies. amna: iranian president ebrahim raisi vowed to take revenge, but he said tehran will decide when

and where that happens. iraq is launching a process to shut down the u.s. coalition that's in the country fighting isis. that comes a day after an american air strike in baghdad killed a militia leader aligned with iran. the iraqi prime minister made today's announcement in baghdad after he had sharply criticized the air strike. >> we affirm our firm and principled position in ending the existence of the international coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended. this is a commitment which the government will not back down from and will not neglect any matter that completes national sovereignty over land, sky, and waters of our dear iraq. amna: the announcement calls for a committee -- including u.s. representatives -- to begin making the arrangements. there are currently 2500 american troops in iraq. the death toll in japan has risen to 94 after earthquakes shook the country's west coast this week. but there was one moment of hope today amid the tragedy. an elderly woman was rescued

after almost three days under the rubble. teams are still searching for more than 200 people listed as missing. back in this country -- a former aurora, colorado policeman convict it of killing elijah mcclain was sentenced to 14 months in jail. he had been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and assault. mclean died in 2019 after a struggle with him and two other officers and after being injected with an overdose of ketamine. the number two republican in the house -- steve scalise -- will have to have a stem cell transplant as he battles blood cancer. the louisiana congressman's office said today he will not return to washington until february. that makes the house republicans' slim majority even slimmer -- with decisions on ukraine aid and government funding pending. and, on wall street -- stocks drifted into the weekend with modest gains. the dow jones industrial average added 25 points to close at 37,466.

the nasdaq rose 13 points. the s&p 500 was up 8. still to come on the newshour. the food and drug administration allows florida to import pharmaceutical drugs from canada. david brooks and jonathan capehart weigh in on the week's political headlines. extreme drought threatens to create a crawfish shortage. and a new musical on broadway explores the connections among autistic adults. >> this is the pbs newshour from weta studios and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. amna: the longtime leader of the national rifle association is stepping down after more than three decades. his announcement came ahead of a civil corruption trial brought by the new york attorney general alleging fraud and mismanagement.

james was seeking his removal as part of the case. for more on this and what it means for the future of the nra, i spoke with a senior writer for the trace and i asked him why lapierre is stepping down now. >> we can only really speculate. he cited health reasons but i've never heard of him having any health issues. it seems more likely that the trial is supposed to start on monday and that it is not looking super great for the nra. the organization had interestingly several years to make this decision and it would have saved them quite a bit of money had they made it sooner. i suspect the one thinghe ag is seeking of significance or was seeking of significance was to remove when lapierre from power. it could possibly be an offering of some kind. amna: tell us more about that

corruption trial. what is the attorney general alleging that he did? >> she is alleging he has done a host of things. in short, he is alleged to have presided over and engaged in an incredible culture of self-dealing and corruption that it is essentially pervaded every aspect of the organization's executive ranks over a period of 30 years and cost to the nra many many tens of millions of dollars that got shelled out for sweetheart deals, other very luxurious personal expenses. using vendors for trips on yachts to the bahamas. endless private jet usage. obviously, everyone heard about the hundreds of thousands of dollars on custom suits. there was nothing that it seems

that the folks at the top were not engaged in over the time that the nra was bringing in lots of money. amna: when lapierre is 74 years and has been at the helm for more than three decades and transformed gun culture in america, including making it a major political force. this is the guy who after the sandy hook shooting in which 20 children were killed said the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with the gun. does him stepping down change the influence the nra has had politically? >> yes, it does change the influence it has had politically. wayne was the last symbol that carried any meaning. the rest of the organization that people interfaced with over the last bunch of years is all gone. it's messaging infrastructure is dead. its ability to spend money on political elections went bye-bye once the lawsuits started. the last recognizable face was

his and he is gone now. and so its ability to affect change in the moment is more or less nonexistent. but its presence is still felt every day because the machine that it created over a period of decades and its success every socializing a portion of america and the republicans of america is not going anywhere. you are either an absolutist in which you are in the nra's camp and you are a member of the republican party or you are in favor of regulation, in which case you identify with democrats. a group like the nra doesn't really need to cast that kind of influence anymore because the machine is already working on autopilot if you will. amna: that civil corruption trial scheduled to begin next week. does him stepping down shield him from prosecution? >> it doesn't.

he is still listed as a defendant in the case. it is hard to know what is in store for him. one of the things the ag was seeking was a range of financial penalties, money that would redound to the nra, not money that would go into the state of new york's coffers. as she is alleging, it was money wrongfully taken from members and used for personal benefit. amna: that is a senior writer from the trace joining us tonight. thank you. >> thanks so much for having me. ♪ amna: speaking today near valley forge, pennsylvania -- a pivotal site in america's revolutionary war -- president biden framed the stakes of the 2024 election. >> whether democracy is still america's sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time. it is what the 2024 election is all about.

amna: marking the three-year anniversary of the january 6th insurrection in his first campaign speech of the year, biden condemned political violence. >> i'll say what donald trump won't. political violence is never, ever acceptable in the united states. political violence, never, never, never. it has no place in a democracy -- none. [applause] amna: white house correspondent laura barron-lopez has been covering this closely. it's good to see you. president biden said trump is willing to sacrifice democracy. why is the president making this the central theme of his reelection campaign? >> because he really believes this is the most important issue facing the country right now, that it is an existential threat and that president biden decided to run in 2020 because of the and -- the neo-nazis he saw marching in charlottesville. his campaign sees a through-line from that until now.

valley forge was a place george washington united the continental army and they wanted to draw a contrast between george washington and donald trump. george washington gave a power twice, the continental army and give up the presidency after two terms. amna: he was also meeting with historians before the speech and does the reelection campaign think that this is a message that is going to resonate with voters? >> i spoke to multiple historians who met with president biden and these are historians who have met residents in the past and their meetings with biden a much more urgent and are very serious given the moment they see the country facing. the president wants to understand potential historical parallels throughout u.s. history. they see this moment as a second lost cause. the lost cause being the mid perpetuated after the civil war

that romanticized the south, that tried to revise the history of slavery andrew that parallel to the revisions of january 6. a senior advisor said reminding voters about january 6 could be motivating, particularly for democrats and independents. they said they have been hearing for more voters as they have started campaigning about fears of political violence, so they see it as a salient issue. amna: you have been talking to experts and monitor political violence and monitor extremist groups. what do they say about this moment in time? >> they are very concerned about the increased risk of violence and a lot of them cited some recent polling that we have seen from the washington -- excuse me, they cited pulling from the public religion research institute. when people were asked if they agreed with the statement that true american patriots may have to resort to violence to save our country, 23% of all

americans agreed. 33% of republicans agreed compared to just 13% of democrats. that is an increase from past years were more and more americans believe that violence may be justified. i spoke with dr. rachel klein felt the carnegie endowment who monitors political violence and threats and she said that she does not believe that there will be violence on the scale of january 6, but that the country is at risk of heightened violence. >> what we are likely to see is very directed violence at the people involved in the court cases against trump. we are likely to see broad violence against minorities and immigrants that are being directed by really ugly campaign rhetoric. we are likely to see a lot of violence in schools because kids tend to take on the polarization of their parents, but they are

much more impulsive and willing to act. >> the other type of violence she said could be seen is something known as domestic terrorism and that means when an individual hears former president donald trump attack migrants or colorado judge's or anyone he perceives as a political enemy and places a target on their back, that that individual may go out and act on it. that that is something they are seeing more and more frequently. that it doesn't mean that person is a lone wolf, that that is a bit of a myth. that they are part of a larger ecosystem where they are watching disinformation across online channels and are influenced by extremist groups in a way that wasn't really possible before we had social media in the way that we do. amna: the question it begs is is there anything that can be done or more that can be done to stop that kind of political violence before we get to that point? >> there are some small steps that can be taken.

overall, the system is really sound, our democratic election system is solid, but small steps like removing addresses and names of election workers that sometimes are public on websites for people to see that leads to them being doxed and attacked. safety training, educating the public on how our elections work. but she did say that there is one thing that would be more effective than anything else. >> americans have done a lot to combat violence, but it has not been enough. the biggest actor that needs to reduce violence is the political leaders whose side is fomenting violence. right now, that is republicans. it might not always be. what we need is for republican politicians to speak out against violence from their side. >> right there, she said that if republican officials were to speak out more, than it would have the greatest effect. she's not just saying that

because she believes it, but repeated studies have shown that if a person of a specific political ideology hears from a leader or officeholder that has the same political affiliation that they do, they are much more likely to be impacted. it would mean they are less likely to try to seek out and commit acts of violence. she has soap that may be more republicans, like we have seen from senator mitt romney, like we have seen from congresswoman liz cheney, would come out and forcefully condemned violence. but at this stage, we haven't seen much of that. amna: our white house correspondent, thank you as always for your great reporting. ♪ after years of pressure from lawmakers and consumer advocates, the fda today gave

the go-ahead to allow a state to import drugs from canada for the first time. lisa desjardins looks at what it could mean and whether it will deliver the savings people want. >> amna, florida plans to import drugs to treat diabetes, hiv and hepatitis c among others. that would lower state spending for things like medicaid and prisoner health care. florida officials believe it can save them as much as $150 million a year. state proposals to import drugs finally gained traction in 2020 after president trump pushed to make it easier for states to do so. the following year, president biden issued an executive order directing federal officials to move forward. to help assess what this all could mean, i'm joined by stacie dusetzina, who studies all of this at the vanderbilt university school of medicine. this decision has taken 20 years to get to this point, but how significant is it? >> i think this has to be viewed in light of some substantial

challenges, but it is a big step forward for people who have been interested in doing drug importation in the united states , for states who are thinking about this policy. you can think of it as a door with multiple locks and this is unlocking one of those first big locks with the fda suggesting there is a path forward with importation of drugs for florida. >> you mention one of those locks. one is who saves money here? will this mean cost savings. >> one of the things that is important here is the scope of the importation plan. this is for individuals who don't have to pay as much out-of-pocket when they are filling their prescriptions.

it could have savings for the state and taxpayers, but it depends on the scope of drugs we are talking about and how much savings we really do see once you put in place all of the protections that are required to get this program off the ground, which could be pretty substantial. >> the details matter here and it seems simple at first. let's try to import drugs that are less expensive from canada. but how about canada? what does canada think of this? >> they have historically not been favor of this and have tried to move forward legislation to prevent some sharing of drugs or allowing for importation of drugs to the united states through canada. this is always my first question when historically we have seen this come up, even with the trump administration as you mentioned at the outset is what does canada think of the plan to import drugs from canada?

often, that is a nonstarter. this would be another one of the locks on the door that i think hasn't been solved and really dampens my enthusiasm for thinking that this would be a way for the u.s. or states to save money anytime in the near future. >> your enthusiasm may be dampened, but other states are more enthusiastic. if you look at the map, we know of eight states that are considering or who have made it legal to try to engage in this sort of program and i'm sure many others are considering it. what you are saying here is that this does not seem like this will affect right now prices at the pharmacy for most people, but could a snowball effect do that if many more states are able to somehow bring in drugs from canada? >> i just think it is highly unlikely that they will be able to bring in the drugs through canada. maybe one of the things that would be important here is that drug manufacturers are really

opposed to this type of importation plan because the u.s. pays more than canada for those same products from those same companies. manufacturers may limit the supply of drugs they sell to canada, where canada would then have to take from their own population's supply if they were going to allow for importing drugs from them. it makes me really skeptical given the opposition from manufacturers and from canada that these plans would move forward. there may be opportunities for states to look into this and i understand the reason this is so popular is that the public really does view importing drugs , it seems very clear cut that you should be able to get drugs from other countries. because those prices are lower and they are the same drugs sold by the same companies. from a political standpoint, it is a very popular idea. it is just very difficult to operationalize. >> something else is happening.

the u.s. is about to be allowed to directly negotiate with drug manufacturers on a few drugs because of the inflation reduction act. how much bigger of an effect could that have? >> i think it is going to mean much bigger effect. one reason is that because it is a smaller number of drugs, it is in the medicare program, medicare is a priory rarity payer -- party payer, so that ends up being a group of americans use more prescription drugs, so i think in total, the negotiations from the inflation reduction act will be cost savings. >> thank you for helping us sort this out. >> thank you so much.

amna: the question of whether former president donald trump can remain on the ballot in colorado is in the hands of the supreme court. on that and the other political issues driving the start of the new year we turn to the analysis , of brooks and capehart. that's new york times columnist david brooks and jonathan capehart, associate editor for the washington post. good to see you both. big news. we have the supreme court deciding they will consider former president trump's appeal of the colorado state supreme court decision to remove him from the ballot. that was on the basis of the insurrection clause of the 14th amendment. this puts the highest court in the land squarely in the center of one of the hottest political battles this year. what is your reaction to them taking the case up and how it will unfold? >> they have to take it up because this is one of those questions, there's ballot access question, primary ballot access question, and the immunity

question has never been tested in our lifetimes were in recent memory. the fact that colorado and maine have booted him from the ballot, illinois is trying to join the effort, minnesota and one other state -- michigan -- have said no, you have a patchwork of states, state decisions. i think the prosecutor who you had on earlier makes a good point, what we have to look for now is whether the supreme court does a big, broad, universal decision org is very, very narrow. for a court that puts a lot of emphasis on the constitution and what the framers meant and strict originalist interpretation, i'm looking forward to seeing them may upholding the colorado decision. amna: a lot of this does come down to the wording. how do you look at this, david?

>> i would be stunned if they upheld the colorado routing -- ruling. i would be absolutely stunned. i look at the crisis of legitimacy we are living through. a lot of americans have no faith in any of our systems or the other half of the country. we are in danger in my view of coming apart at the seams or entering a terrible era of violence, political violence. in my view, if some lawyers took donald trump off the ballot, half the country would say, that is it, we're done, this is a totally rotten system. i'm hoping the supreme court will not uphold colorado but let the voters decide and it might be that we have to let the voters handle this one. but the supreme court is not without its legitimacy problems either. how does the supreme court handle this? if it becomes a partisan decision, the legitimacy of the supreme court is even more in trouble. i'm hoping and expecting that john roberts will work super

hard to make this 9-0 or 7-2 and if not restore some legitimacy, at least not have a legitimacy freefall. amna: i want to redo part of a statement from the trump campaign. they say in a statement from mr. trump's spokesman, we welcome a fair hearing at the supreme court. they argue this is a bad faith election suppressing argument to remove him from the ballot. at the end, they say, we are confident the fair-minded supreme court unanimously affirmed the civil rights of president trump allowing him to remain on the ballot. >> the one phrase you left out in your summation -- democrat back and bite and lead 14th amendment abusing decision -- i focus on that because that is untrue. these challenges are being brought by republicans in those

states challenging his ability to be on the republican primary ballot. this is nothing to do with democrats. >> democrats are surely cheering what is happening. >> but they are not the driving force behind this. the former president doesn't want to go there or even touch it. he tries to reverse it and put it on democrats when the call is coming from within his own party. amna: is there a way for the supreme court weigh in on this and have it not be perceived as political? [laughter] >> no. >> you can predict whether people like or dislike donald trump that he should be thrown off the ballot, so course people will think it is political. if it is a 9-0, then i think we have dodged a bullet. if it is 8-1, 7-2. if it is 6-3, it will just be another step toward the fragility of our system. amna: i want to ask you about

tomorrow which marks three years since the january insurrection. i'm sure you saw president biden deliver that really powerful speech at valley forge. he is making the threat to american democracy a central part of his reelection campaign. what did you make of his speech and him centering that message for voters? >> this is going back to the beginning, this was his fifth speech since his election on this theme of threats to democracy. this is going back to the beginning because when he announced he was running for president in 2020, he zeroed in on charlottesville and talked about this is a fight for the soul of america. the speech today did not have that as the title, but that is what he is talking about. that is what he has been talking about. i think it is right for him to do this, to focus on that. because without democracy, none of the other things that

americans want will get done. to make a focus on the potential republican nominee, someone who has said even today saying that i'm only going to be a dictator for one day and all of the other plans that we know he wants to put in place if he wins the election again, democracy as we know it will end if donald trump is reelected. that is the message the president put forth today. he did it powerfully. he did it in a joe biden kind of way. i think once he set the table with that, all the other things he will talk about another campaign trail from the good economy and the other things he has been doing for four years i think will jell into a bigger message that by the time you get to the election, there will be a reason to vote for him that goes beyond fearing for american democracy. amna: i know we have talked about this before, the economy

has been a big art of their message and even though the data show it is doing really well and you look at the big picture numbers. 216,000 jobs added in december. the inflation rate is down. unemployment below 4% for nearly two years. and yet that is not catching on with voters. is this message going to resonate? >> it is important, but not enough. i think when he continues to give powerful speeches like this, people continue to rebut that he is out of it. he's a passionate guy running this administration. there are a couple of things. i have this nice subtle gallup poll from a few months ago. who do you trust to keep you safe? republicans have a 14 point advantage over democrats. who do you trust to keep the prosper -- country prosperous? republicans have a 14 point advantage. it is hard to win an election when the voters think the other

side has a bigger advantage. he has to start with this, all the stuff he is running on, but he has to have an answer that your life is going to be better under me men under him. >> listening to david, i was scribbling down some notes, listening to you talk about those gallup numbers because it takes me back to 2022 and the midterm elections. president biden did the speech at independence hall that everyone focused on because it looked so dark with the red and the blue and why is he talking about threats to democracy when gas prices are high, inflation is high? he doesn't have his finger on the pulse of america. and then we find out from the 2022 midterm elections that actually people did care, they did care about threats to democracy. you know, i listen to the numbers that you pointed out

about folks who want republicans think they will be better on this, that, or the other. the same thing was said in 2022 and i would argue that the american electorate is nuanced enough to hold both things equally and then decide which is better, which person is better for my safety and security writ large. amna: it did strike me the number of times he mentioned which is new and different. >> 46. amna: thank you for keeping track. mr. trump still holds a commanding lead in iowa, which will be a first step for republican primary voters to decide who they want to be the republican nominee. i just want to play for you quick soundbites of how they weighed in on mr. trump when asked about him in town last night on cnn. >> i agree with a lot of his policies, but the reality is

rightly or wrongly chaos follows him. and we all know that is true. chaos follows him. we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. >> i think the 2020 four election with the democrats get to run against a candidate that is going through all this stuff, that is going to give the democrats an advantage. that is just the reality. amna: what are you watching for in these final days before iowa? >> those are good arguments. it assert a little bit by the fact that donald trump is leading joe biden in the polls. we have seen surges in iowa. obama surged into thousand eight. mike huckabee had a wonderful surge. but then i read a statistic that has depressed me. nobody has surged more than 12% in the last month in iowa. it is looking pretty likely

donald trump is going to win. amna: how are you seeing it? >> i see it that way and that is why i'm more focused on what is donald trump's actual vote spread in iowa versus his lead in the polls? if he is leaving by 50 points in the polls, but he only wins by 12 in actual voting, what does that tell us as we move into new hampshire? that's what i'm looking for. amna: days to go before those crucial caucuses and many more head. thank you so much. always great to see you. ♪ louisiana leads the nation in crawfish production, but heading into this year's season, months of high temperatures and dry conditions have devastated crawfish farms. geoff bennett spoke yesterday with one of our communities correspondents about the impact.

>> nearly 80% of louisiana remains in a severe drought which will lead to fewer crawfish and higher prices for the state's multi million dollar crawfish industry. our communities correspondent roby chavez has been talking to farmers and joins us now from new orleans. so, roby, quantify the impact for us. how significant is this expected to be? >> well, geoff look for now. it's a waiting game. we're all waiting for those tiny crustaceans to you emerge from their underground burrows, but it has been slow. some have dug down way too deep waiting looking for moisture. others have had the tunnel's collapsed on them, and in the meantime, the rice fields where they grow, and they thrive where they feed on have been damaged as well. the crawfish is a staple of louisiana cuisine as you know, but this year, there is worry on crawfish farms across the state. the problem, mudbugs as they are sometimes called. they don't have enough water to grow and thrive and temperatures have been way too hot. predictions are that crawfish farmers could lose nearly $140

million. drought stress will impact all of the state's 1600 farmers and a third of the states 250,000 acres of crawfish ponds. the culprit -- rainfall in louisiana has been down nearly 44% and temperatures rose three degrees from may through october, compared to the four year average. as a result, there is some concern in the crawfish capital of the world that they will take a significant financial hit. >> in the peak season, as i understand it runs from march to may. so time is clearly running out. how are farmers there are coping? >> we spoke with a fifth-generation farmer who's been hauling crawfish out of the pond since he was in high school. he can't remember anything like this for the lt 30 years, josh trahan says he normally will farm 800 acres on his land. he's already lost half of that, and he says the financial losses started to add up even before this season started. >> in the past, without the

crawfish, we couldn't survive. crawfish was our backbone. the crawfish kept us floating, kept the cash flow going. that's -- without the crawfish and come this year, it's going to be a struggle unless we get financial help down the road. >> you could argue that crawfish are louisiana's culinary gift to this country. how does the shortage affects the community and the culture across louisiana? >> in the short-term, it's hard to imagine a spring without crawfish, but that looks like where we are heading. as you know, right after christmas, people start planting these traditional crawfish boils that start at carnival and last all the way through easter and even beyond. we got a glimpse of what it would look like without these crawfish gatherings during the pandemic when the social gatherings were halted. many people, including a lot of the farmers, worry that this problem will also open the door to cheap imports. with nearly eight inches of rain in trahan and other farmers are december, hopeful, but they say

it may be too little, too late. they're not seeing the new hatches, nor are they seeing the so called mama's with eggs attached under the tail of the crawfish. this time of year he'd be pulling in 60 sacks a day from his 3000 traps, but he says he's lucky if he gets five pounds. the crawfish are just not there. >> we lost 35%, 40% of our population due to the heat of the water we had this summer. i'm very worried because i rely on this. this is my living. >> farmers argue that if their crops continue to be impacted by the changing climate patterns, they may need more protections from congress similar to those given to corn farmers and wheat farmers. >> thanks so much. >> thank you. amna: and you can read more of roby's reporting online at pbs.org/newshour. ♪

a new musical recently debuted on broadway that puts the stories of seven autistic young adults front and center as they face the challenges of leading independent lives. adapted from a documentary, jeffrey brown talks to the creators behind the musical and some of its stars for our arts and culture series, canvas. [applause] >> welcome, we are going to do a show for you. >> it's a musical with an unusual opening, in which the cast members introduce themselves. >> the show is based on things that actually happened, but partially embellished. >> seven autistic actors, playing seven autistic characters, with a message about their community. >> there is this saying, if you have met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. you are now meeting seven autistic people.

[applause] >> it's nice to have that little connection with the audience at first and just be like, this is what's going on. >> we're also establishing that, this is a place where neurodivergence is welcome and accepted. >> 22-year-old madison kopec and 27-year-old imani russell, both with autism, are two of the stars of how to dance in ohio. >> the experience of being autistic is so different from person to person, and you see that in the show and people connect with that in the audience. but it is really important to understand that, like whatever ideas that people might have going into the show about what it means to be autistic, we're here to be like, that's one idea. that's one example. >> when i'm out, i don't talk much. i have trouble making facial expressions. it's not that i don't care about what you are saying. sometimes i don't. [laughter] >> one common thread here -- the

challenges of navigating daily life and making social connections, especially as they strive to be more independent as young adults. madison kopech, who was diagnosed with autism at age 17, portrays meredith, who often turns to facts to avoid emotions and potentially disturbing personal contact. this focus on social interaction and the difficulties of that. that, you are familiar with? >> yes, i'm very familiar with difficult social interactions. i wish i could be like meredith sometimes where she just kind of says, no thanks and then leaves. and i do to a point. but also i think the journey she goes on is really important because she tends to block herself out from having any sort of like interactions because she is afraid.

>> a lot of times, people can't read my emotions because i don't put any expressions into my face. >> the characters and story are based on a 2015 hbo documentary of the same name by director alexandra shiva, which captured a real-life counseling clinic for teens and young adults with autism in columbus, ohio, as they prepare to hold a spring formal dance. for composer jacob yandura, himself from ohio and with a younger sibling with autism, turning it into a musical was deeply personal. >> my sister maria has been a part of this for since the beginning. i mean, she was the first person i told about, that there's this documentary, i think it's a musical. and we watched it together because it was right around when i was home for the holidays. and we immediately cried. and she was like, jacob, you know, now the world can understand what it's like to be me. that's what i hope. it's been the most beautiful gift. this show. i'm getting emotional thinking about it. >> when she said that you

thought, i've got to make this musical. >> i have to make this. >> for director sammi cannold, who also has an autistic sibling, making accommodations for the autistic actors and some members of the larger team meant adjusting her role. >> the main piece of feedback in terms of direction that i got from from mostly our artistic performance, performers was that they, what they wanted from me was very clear and very specific direction. not coming you know, can you go over there by the door? can you go to eight and turn left and then go to 10? so very specific. >> and that makes it easier for them to follow the script. >> yeah. and i think that absolutely is an extra level of work and preparation on my end. but it's work in preparation that i'm thrilled to do because it allows our performers to do their best work. ♪ >> in fact, the two actors told us that acting, and following a script, are plenty familiar to

them. it's how they and many autistic people get through even the most routine interactions. >> even like with friends being like, ok, i've got to practice what i'm going to say. i'm going to make up a little script before i go hang out with people just just so i have something prepared. >> people always ask how can you perform in front of this huge crowd of people and then be scared to perform in front of three family members when they asked? >> or even go to the store. >> yes, exactly. >> know how to order. >> and because i know what i'm doing when i go on the set, mostly. i know what i'm supposed to be doing. i, i know this character that i'm playing. and even when it does come down to a little bit of improv, which i've gotten more comfortable with over the years, like i've still got this character, so i have a basis for how she would react in certain situations. >> and it's not like we don't know how to adapt. we've had to adapt for our entire lives. the world is not necessarily built for us. i also just think that theater

brings us joy. i don't like going to the score -- store, it doesn't bring me any joy. [laughter] but i love to perform. >> for this show, accommodations are also made for the audience, with the availability of aids and cool down spaces for those who need to step away due to sensory sensitivities. ♪ imani russell hopes how to dance in ohio not only helps people in the autistic community feel represented, but also fuels change in theater inclusivity more broadly. >> we're really doing something that is connecting with people who are coming and being like, i've never seen myself, like, i've never thought that i could do this. and seeing the seven of you on stage is giving me hope that i can do this. that theater, which already feels like a home to a lot of autistic people, but that they can actually do it, which feels really, really important to me. >> in that sense, says director sammi cannold, this is

entertainment, plus also a form of advocacy. >> what is important is that when people hear the word advocacy, they think may be people picketing on the street or like someone lecturing at you about what you should care about. and i think that what i love about art like this, is that if you come into it off the street and you know nothing about it, you're probably not going to leave and say, i just saw advocacy. right? but you are going to leave with a better understanding of a community that you may not have had an understanding of before. or if you are a member of that community, you may leave feeling you've seen yourself represent on stage. ♪ >> how to dance in ohio is now on broadway with an open-ended run. for the pbs newshour, i'm jeffrey brown in new york. amna: great to see those stories on a big, joy filled stage.

be sure to tune into washington week with the atlantic later tonight right here on pbs. jeffrey goldberg and his panel iverry of -- will discuss the pivotal election your head. and watch pbs news weekend tomorrow for how to stay safe and healthy during this latest covid surge. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm amna nawaz. on behalf of the entire newshour team, thank you for joining us. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour. the walton family foundation. working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people and nature can thrive together. the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years advancing

ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world. and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.]

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♪ ♪ hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour & company." here's what's coming up -- on the ground in gaza, i speak to the woman leading the humanitarian efforts there about the ever-worsening situation. then, a turning point for democracy in 2024. my conversation with yale historian timothy snyder, author of "tyranny" and tells me about his hopes and fears for the year ahead. also, it ain't over until it's over. rock star on lenny kravitz being short