wow, you get to wah all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. the xfinity 10g network. made for streaming. ♪ >> good evening. i am amna nawaz. geoff bennett is away. the supreme court takes up the case of whether former president trump can be kept off the 2024 ballot. a longtime leader of the nra steps down, raising questions about the organization's future influence on gun laws in america. and marking three years since the january 6 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 enter the most important of 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 including jim and nancy bill burr and the robin and virginia children are 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 tonight in a case that could upend the 2020 four presidential election. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to decide whether donald trump can be barred from the ballot. the former president's eligibility has been challenged in dozens of states. while many have been dismissed, maine and colorado have disqualified him under the insurrection clause of the 14th amendment. the justices will hear arguments in the colorado case next month. for more on what this means, i

am joined by former federal prosecutor sarah christoph. the colorado state supreme's court decided nearly on a 4-3 margin. what's the question they are seeking to answer? >> i'm not surprised the court is going to address this case. and they are going to do it quickly. because this is just a matter of national importance and we have these primaries looming on the horizon. i'm not surprised they are going to address this. the problem is they have a lot to address. there's 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 very 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 are going to devote a lot of time and attention to this between now and then and they can get it done if they want to. amna: a number of other states are weighing the same question. would the supreme court decision impact those other states? >> the supreme court has an opportunity here. they can issue a narrow decision, a decision simply on the process in colorado or very narrow interpretation of colorado law, or they could

issue a much broader decision with broader application. i expect given these other suits on the horizon, they will endeavor to give some guidance to these other states about ballot access. amna: when you look at the states where the decision has been made, they were made in very different ways. the colorado decision was made by the state supreme court. in maine it was the democratic secretary of state who moved to disqualify him based on the insurrection clause. is there a common question being answered as each state weighs the same question? >> this ballot access issue in election losses is so state specific. we have really different processes in each state and frankly individual locale to determine access.

all of a sudden that is coming to a head here. 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. amna: president trump's appeal is based on two elements. one is enforceability. and the other argument is just the wording of the 14th amendment. they argue the president inot technically an officer of the united states as the language specifies, it wasn't an insurrection so he didn't engage in insurrection. do those arguments hold water in your view? >> 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: is this the kind of decision courts should be weighing on? or should this be left up to the voters to ultimately decide? >> that's where the supreme court may come out. they may punch this back to the voters and say this was not the purview of the states to block the former president from the ballot. they may interpret section three in such a way to punch this back to the voters. amna: thank you for your time and insights. >> thank you. ♪

>> i'm stephanie sy with newshour west. the u.s. economy has turned in another strong showing despite higher interest rates. the labor department reports employers added 216,000 jobs in december. the unemployment rate held at 3.7%. it has been under 4% for 23 straight months. polls show widespread public discontent with the economy. prices are on the rise again in europe after seven months of declines. inflation rose in december and 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. thousands of demonstrators in jordan rallied to show solidarity with gaza.

they demanded an end to israel's offensive and its western support. that came as 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. at a mass funeral today, mourners wept over the victim's coffins. the child granted death to israel -- child -- crowd chanted death to israel and death to america. >> there is no trace of the islamic state group on the world's political map. they have been hiding and can't be seen. you see no clear image of this power. they can only act as agents and mercenaries for u.s. and zionist policies. amna: the iranian president

vowed to take revenge. iraq is launching a process to shut down the u.s. led coalition that's in the country following the islamic state. that comes a day after an american airstrike in baghdad killed a militia leader. >> we affirm our principled position in ending the existence of the international coalition after the justifications for its existence have ended. this is a commitment goverent will not back down from and we will not neglect any matter that completes national sovereignty over land, sky and waters of our dear iraq. amna: it calls for a committee including u.s. representatives to begin making the arrangement. the death toll in japan has risen to 94 after earthquakes shook the country this week.

an elderly woman was retrieved after almost three days under the rubble. teams are still searching for more than 200 missing people. a former police man convicted of killing a young unarmed black man, elijah mcclain, was sentenced to 14 months in jail. he had been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and assault. mclean died in 2019 following a struggle with officers and after being injected with ketamine. the number two republican in the house, steve scalise, will have a stem cell transplant as he battles blood cancer. he will not return to washington until february. that makes the republican's slim majority even slimmer. the u.s. supreme court said it will allow idaho to enforce its strict abortion ban even in medical emergencies.

the court will hear a biden administration challenge to the law in april. federal law requires medicare funded hospitals to provide abortions in emergency situations. still to come, 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 in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. amna: with the longtime leader of the national rifle association, wayne lapierre, is stepping out after more than three decades. a corruption trial alleges fraud

and mismanagement. for more on this and what it means for the future of the nra, i spoke with a senior writer for the trace and asked him why wayne lapierre is stepping down now. >> we can only speculate at the moment. he cited health reasons, but i have never heard of him having health issues. it seems more likely that the trial is supposed to start on monday and it's not looking great for the nra. the organization has had several years to make this decision and it would have saved it quite a bit of money before now. the one thing the ag's seeking of significance in this stage or was seeking was to remove wayne lapierre from power. by taking that off the table, it could possibly be an offering of some kind. amna: tell us about the corruption trial.

what is the attorney general alleging wayne lapierre did? >> are a host of things, but in short he is alleged to have presided over and engaged in a incredible culture of self-dealing and corruption that's essentially pervaded every aspect of the organization's executive ranks over a period of 30 years and cost the nra 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. there is really -- everyone heard about the hundreds of thousands of dollars on custom suits. there is really nothing that it

seems the folks at the top are not engaged in over the time the nra was bringing in lots of money. amna: wayne lapierre is 74 years old and has been at the helm for more than three decades and transformed gun culture in america including making it into a major political force. he said after the sandy hook shooting, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. does him stepping down change the nra political influence? >> yes. he was the last symbol the carried any meaning for americans. 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.

so the last recognizable face was his, and he's gone now. so it's ability to affect change in the moment i think is more or less nonexistent. but its presence is still felt every day because the machine that it created over decades and its success of re-socializing a portion of america and the republican party is not going anywhere. effectively we have a split, either you are an absolutist, in which case 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. amna:. civil corruption trial was scheduled to begin next week. does stepping down from prosecution shield him in any way?

>> it doesn't. he is still listed as a defendant in the case. one of the things the ag was seeking was a range of financial penalties, not money that would go into the state of new york scoffers, she is alleging it was wrongly taken from members and used for personal benefit. amna: thank you. appreciate your time. 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

and it's what the 2024 election is all about. amna: marking the three year anniversary of the january 6 insurrection, biden condemned political violence. >> i will say what donald trump won't. political violence is never ever acceptable in the united states. it has no place in a democracy. amna: white house correspondent joins me now. president biden said trump is willing to sacrifice democracy. why is the president making this the central theme of his reelection campaign? >> he really believes this is the most important issue facing the country, that it's an existential threat. president biden decided to run in 2020 because of the neo-nazis he saw marching on charlottesville. him and his campaign see a through-line from that to now.

they picked valley forge because it was the place that george washington united the continental army. they also wanted to draw a contrast between george washington and donald trump, showing that george washington was someone who gave up power twice. first the continental army and then also gave up the presidency after two terms. amna: he was meeting with historians before this speech. does the reelection campaign think this is a message that's going to resonate with voters? >> i spoke with multiple historians who met with president biden. their meetings with biden are much more urgent, they are very serious given the moment they see the country facing. the president wants to understand potential historical parallels. he sees this moment as a second lost cause, the myth that was

perpetuated after the civil war that romanticized the south and tried to revise the history of slavery. president biden's campaign advisor said reminding voters about january 6 could be motivating, particularly for democrats and independents. they have been hearing from more and more voters as they started campaigning about fears of political violence, so they see this as a very salient issue. amna: tomorrow does mark three years since the attack on the paschal -- attack on the capital. what are the various groups saying about this moment in time? >> they are very concerned about the increased risk of violence and a lot of them cited some recent polling we have seen from the washington post -- sorry, they started hobbling -- cited a polling.

23% of all americans agreed, 33% of republicans agreed compared to just 13% of democrats. that's an increase from past years were more and more americans believe that violence may be justified. i spoke with dr. rachel kleinfeld of the carnegie endowment who monitors political violence and threats. she said she does not believe 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. the prosecutors, the judges, the juries. we are likely to see broad violence against minorities and immigrants 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 a lot more impulsive and willing to act. >> the other kind of violence is known as domestic terrorism. it's when an individual hears former president donald trump attack migrants, colorado judges, and he perceives as a political enemy, that individual may then go out and act on it and that is something they are seeing more and more frequently and they said it doesn't mean that person is a lone wolf. these individuals are part of the 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 there anything more that can be done. that kind of political violence before we get to that point? >> dr. rachel said overall the

system is really sound, our democratic election system is solid. 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 attacked. safety trainings. educating the public more on how our election works. she said one thing would be more effective than anything else. >> americans have done a lot to combat violence, but it hasn't been enough. the biggest actor that needs to reduce violence is the political leaders whose side is fomenting violence. right now that's republicans. we need republican politicians to speak out against violence from their side. >> she said that if republican officials were to speak out more, it would have the greatest effect. she's not just saying that

because she believes it. 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 they do, they are much more likely to be impacted. it would mean they are less likely to try to commit acts of violence. she has hope that may be more republicans like we have seen from senator met romney and -- mitt romney and liz cheney would condemn violence. at this stage, we haven't seen much of that. amna: thank you as always for your great reporting. after years of pressure from lawmakers and consumer advocates, the food and drug administration today gave the

go-ahead to allow a state to import drugs from canada for the first time. what it could mean and whether it will deliver the savings people want. >> florida plans to import drugs to treat diabetes, hiv and hepatitis c. that would lower state spending for things like medicaid and prisoner health care. florida officials believe it could save them $150 million a year. state proposals to import drugs finally gained traction in 2020. president biden issued an executive order direct federal officials to move forward. i am joined by stacy who stuffers all of this at the vanderbilt university school of medicine. this decision has taken 20 years to get to this point. 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, states who are thinking about this policy. you can think of it as a door with multiple locks at this as unlocking one of the first big locks with the fda suggesting there is a path forward with importation of drugs for florida. >> one of those locks i wonder about is who saves money here? will this mean cost savings for patients in florida? >> not directly. one of the things that's important is the scope of the importation plan and that focuses on people on medicaid, in the state prison systems. individuals who usually don't have to pay as much out of pocket when they are filling their prescriptions. so it won't provide direct financial relief to people filling their drugs. it could eventually have savings

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

drugs from canada? often that's a nonstarter. this would be another one of those locks on the door that really dampens my enthusiasm for thinking this would be a way for the u.s. or states to save money anytime in the near future. >> there are other states that are more enthusiastic. we know if eight states that are considering or have made it legal to engage in this sort of program. what you're saying is it doesn't seem like this will affect right now prices at the pharmacy for most people. could a snowball effect to that -- and do that? -- do that? >> i think it's highly unlikely they will be to bring the drugs to canada.

drug manufacturers are really opposed to this type of importation plan because the u.s. pays more than canada for the same products from the same companies. manufacturers may limit the supply of drugs they sell to canada and canada would have to take from their own populations supply if they were going to allow for us to import drugs from them. it makes me really skeptical given the opposition from manufacturers and canada that these plans would move forward. there may be many opportunities for states to look into this and i can understand the reason this is so popular is the public really does view importing drugs as something you should be able to do. because those prices are lower and they are the same drugs sold by the same companies. from a political standpoint, it's very popular. it's just very difficult to operationalize. >> at the same time, 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 event effect could that have? >> i think it's going to be a much bigger effect. medicare is a primary payer for prescription drugs. that ends up being a group of americans who use more prescription drugs. i think in total the negotiations from the inflation reduction act will be a class savings for the u.s. and lower our spending on very commonly drugs which are the target of that legislation. >> thank you for helping us sort this out.

amna: the question of whether former president trump can remain on the ballot in colorado is in the hands of the supreme court. on that, we turn to the analysis of brooks and capehart. david brooks and jonathan capehart. good to see you both. 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 one of the hottest clinical battles. >> they have to take it up. this primary ballot access question and the immunity question has never been tested

in our lifetimes or in recent memory. the fact that colorado and maine have booted him from the ballot, illinois is trying to join the effort, minnesota and michigan have said no. you have a patchwork of state decisions. i think the prosecutor you had on earlier makes a great point. we have to look for now whether the supreme court does a big broad universal decision or goes very narrow. for a court that puts a lot of emphasis on the constitution and with the framers meant, i'm looking forward to seeing them may be upholding the colorado decision. amna: a lot of this does come

down to the wording. how do you look at this? >> i would be stunned if they upheld the colorado ruling. i look at the crisis of legitimacy we are living through , a lot of americans have no faith in any of our systems. a lot of americans have no faith in the other half of the country. we are entering a terrible era of violence, even political violence. in my view if some lawyers took donald trump off the ballot, half the country would say that's it. we are done here. this is a totally rotten system. i'm hoping the supreme court will not uphold colorado, but let the voters decide. 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 in trouble.

i'm hoping john roberts is going to work super hard to make this 9-0 or 7-2 and at least not have a legitimacy freefall. amna: the trump campaign say in a statement, we welcome a fair hearing at the supreme court. they argue this is a bad-faith election interfering voter suppressing argument to remove him from the ballot and at the end they say we are confident the fair-minded supreme court will unanimously affirm the rights of president trump, allowing him to stay on the ballot. >> the one phrase you left out in your summation in the election interfering, democrat backed and and biden led 14th amendment infusing decision. i focus on that because that is untrue. these challenges are being

brought by republicans in those states challenging trump's ability to be on the republican primary ballot. this has nothing to do with democrats. democrats are surely cheering what's happening, but they are not the driving force behind this. the former president doesn't want to go there. doesn't even touch it. tries to reverse it and put it on democrats and the call is coming from inside his own party. amna: is there a way for the supreme court to weigh in on this and not have it perceived as political? >> you can predict whether people like or dislike donald trump based on whether they think he's should be thrown off the ballot. if it's 6-3, it will just be another step toward the

fragility of our system. amna: tomorrow marks three years since the january 6 insurrection. i'm sure you also 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 the speech? >> this is going back to the beginning. this was his fifth speech since his election on this theme, threats to democracy. 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. this speech today did not have that as a title, but that's what he's talking about. that's what he's been talking about in the previous four speeches and i think it is right for him to focus on that because without democracy, none of the

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

amna: of the economy has been such a big part of their message. even though the data show it is doing really well when you look at the big picture numbers. 216,000 jobs added in december. and yet that isn't catching on with voters. is this message going to resonate? >> it's important but not enough. if he continues to give powerful speeches like this, he will further rebut the idea that he's out of it, a doddering old grandpa. he's clearly an energetic guy with passion. i've got this nice little gallop poll with me 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 country prosperous? republicans have an advantage over democrats. it is super hard to win an election when the voters think

the other guys win on the biggest issues. >> listening to david, i was scribbling down some notes listening to you talk about the gallup numbers. it took me back to 2022 in 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 and so on. 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.

i listen to the numbers you pointed out about folks who want republicans think they will be better, 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 writ large. amna: it did strike me the number of times he mentioned former president trump by name. >> 46 times. amna: and mr. trump still holds a commanding lead in iowa. ambassador nikki haley, governor ron desantis are running a distant second. this is how they waited and when they were asked about him. >> i agree with a lot of his

policies. but the reality is, rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him and we all know that's true. and we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. >> i think a 2024 election where the democrats get to run against a candidate going through all this stuff. amna: what are you watching in these final days? >> it's a little hurt by the fact that donald trump is now leading joe biden. i was gearing up for the last weeks things can really change. we have seen surges in iowa, mike huckabee. then i read a statistic that depressed me, no one has surged more than 12 percentage points in the last months in iowa.

it's looking pretty likely that donald trump is going to win. >> i see it that way. that's why i am more focused on what is donald trump's actual vote spread in iowa versus his lead in the polls. if 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: david brooks, jonathan capehart, 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 community correspondence about the impact.

>> nearly 80% of louisiana remains in a severe drought which affects the crawfish industry. robbie chavez joins us now from new orleans. how significant is this expected to be? >> we are all waiting for those tiny crustaceans to emerge from their underground burrows, but it has been slow. some have dug down way too deep looking from oysters. others have had the tunnels collapsed on them. in the meantime the rice fields have been damaged as well. the crawfish is a staple of louisiana cuisine. this year there is worry on crawfish farms across the state. the problem, mud bugs as they are sometimes called don't have enough water to grow and thrive in temperatures have been way

too hot. crawfish farmers could lose $140 million. drought stress will impact all of the farmers. the culprit, rainfall in louisiana has been down nearly 44% in temperatures rose three degrees from may through october compared to the four year average. there is some concern that they will take a significant financial hit. geoff: peak season runs from march to may, how are farmers, coping? >> we spoke with a farmer who has been doing this since he was in high school. he can't remember anything like this the last 30 years. he says he normally will farm 800 acres on his land. he says the financial losses started to add up before the season started.

>> in the past without the crawfish, we could survive. it kept the cash flow going. without the crawfish income this year, it's going to be a struggle unless we get some financial help down the road. geoff: you could argue that crawfish are louisiana's culinary gift to this country. how does the shortage affects the community and culture? >> in the short term, it's hard to imagine a spring without crawfish but that looks like where we are heading at this point. right after christmas, people start planning these traditional crawfish boils. 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 this problem will also open the door to cheap imports.

the farmers are hopeful but say it could be too little too late. they are not seeing the new hatches. this time of year, he would be pulling in 60 sacks a day from his 3000 traps but says he's lucky if he gets five pounds. the crawfish are just not there. >> we lost 35, 40% of the heat. i rely on this for my living. >> if their crops continue to be impacted, they may need more protections from congress similar to those given to corn farmers and wheat farmers. amna: you can read more of robbie's reporting online at pbs.org/newshour.

a new musical 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 the documentary, jeffrey brown talks to the creators behind the musical and some of its stars for our arts and culture series, canvas. >> welcome. we are going to do a show for you. >> it's a musical with an unusual open in which the cast members introduce themselves. >> the show is based on things that actually happen. >> seven autistic actors playing seven autistic characters with a message about their community. >> there is a saying, if you have met one autistic person, you have met one autistic

person. >> it's nice to have that little connection with the audience. >> we are also establishing that this is a place where neurodivergence is welcomed and accepted. >> 22-year-old madison and 27-year-old imani russell both with offices in -- autism are two of the stars of how to dance in ohio. >> the experience of being autistic is so different from person to person. it is really important to understand that whatever ideas someone might have going into the show about what it means to be autistic, we are here to be like, that's one example. >> when i'm out, i don't talk much.

>> one common thread, the challenges of navigating daily life and making social connections. ♪ awkward situations ♪ >> especially as they tried to be more independent as young adults. madison 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 says no thanks and leaves. and i do to a point, but also the journey is really important because she tends to block herself out from having any sort of interactions because she's

afraid. >> a lot of times people can't read my emotions because i don't put expressions into my face. >> the story are based on a 2015 hbo documentary of the same name . for the composer, and himself from ohio and with a younger sibling with autism, turning it into a musical was deeply personal. >> my sister maria was the first person i told about this documentary. we immediately cried and she was like, now the world can understand what it's like to be me. that's what i hope. it's been the most beautiful gift, the show.

>> when she said that you thought, i have to make this. 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 the autistic performance was what they wanted from me was very clear and specific direction. not can you go over there by the door. can you go to eight, turn left and then go to 10. >> makes it easier for them to follow the script. >> that is an extra level of work and preparation on my end that i'm thrilled to do because it allows our performers to do their best work. >> 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, i have to practice what i'm going to say. i make up a script 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 asked. >> or even go to the store and know how to order. >> because i know when i'm doing . i know this character that i'm playing and even when it does come with a little bit of improv, i've still got this character so i have a basis for how she would react in certain situations. >> we have had to adapt our entire lives.

the world is not necessarily built for us. in theater brings us joy. i don't like going to the store. it doesn't bring me any joy. but i love to perform. >> for this show, accommodations are also made for the audience with the availability of aliens and cooldown spaces for those that 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 theater change and inclusivity generally. >> people that say, i never thought that i could do this. seeing the seven of you on stage -- that they can actually do it, which feels really important to me.

>> in that sense, this is entertainment plus -- also a form of advocacy. >> when people hear the word advocacy, they think people picketing on the street or someone lecturing at you about what you should care about and 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. but you are going to leave with a better understanding of a community that you may not have had an understanding of before. if you are a member, you may leave feeling you saw yourself on stage. >> how to dance in ohio is now on broadway with an open-ended run. 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. jeffrey goldberg and the panel will discuss the pivotal election year ahead. and watch pbs news week and tomorrow for how to stay safe and healthy during this latest covid search. that's the newshour for tonight. i'm the nawaz. -- i am on the nawaz. -- all now no vase -- amna naw az. >> and friends of the newshour including kathy and paul anderson and camilla and george smith. the walton family foundation, working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people and nature can thrive together. the william and flora in. for more than 50 years advancing

ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world at hewlett.org. 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. this is pbs newshour west from weta studios in washington and from our bureau at the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university.

jeffrey: it is the third anniversary of the january 6 insurrection. in just over 300 days, the country will elect its next president and the man who inspired the insurrection is the lead republican candidate. president biden is warning about the threat to democracy. >> trump's assault on democracy is what he is promising in the future. jeffrey: it will be attends 2024 -- be a tense 2024, next. >> this is washington week with the atlantic.