♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz, in chiapas, southern mexico. on the “newshour” tonight, we report from mexico's border with guatemala, where we meet migrants from around the world, and a smuggler helping to move them to the united states.

why not help people to legally enter the united states? >> if we help people enter legally, then it's not a business. geoff: regional leaders meet to discuss the crisis in haiti as armed gangs expand their control moving the beleaguered nation closer to the brink of collapse. and a look at the bureaucratic burdens preventing some families living below the poverty line from accessing government aid. ♪ >> major funding for the "pbs newshour" has been provided by. the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions, and friends of the "newshour," including leonard and norma klorfine, and the judy and peter blum kovler foundation.

>> actually, you don't need vision to do most things in life. yes, i'm legally blind, and yes, i'm responsible for the user interface. data visualization. if i can see it and understand it quickly, anyone can. it is exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that's the most rewarding thing. people who know, know bdo. >> two retiring executives give this chance to win. a raymondjames financial advisor gets to know you, your purpose, and the way you plan to give back. life well planned. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation, for more than 50 years advancing ideas and

supporting instituations to promote a better world. at hewlett.org. and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. geoff: welcome to the “newshour.” former president trump is moving to delay another criminal trial, this one involving hush money payments to an adult film actress. trump lawyers said today they first want a u.s. supreme court ruling on presidential immunity. they say mr. trump's statements in 2018 about michael cohen, his former attorney, are covered by immunity. prosecutors say they

were meant to silence mr. cohen. the muslim holy month of ramadan began today, with no end in sight to the war in gaza. instead, more relief supplies were air-dropped into the region, where the desperation has deepened as hunger spreads. meantime, a spanish ship remained in cyprus waiting for a maritime corridor to deliver food to palestinians. and in new york, the u.n. secretary-general called on both israel and hamas to stop fighting. >> my strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of ramadan by silencing the guns and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of lifesaving aid at the speed and massive scale required. geoff: gazan health officials say at least 25 people, mostly children, have died from malnutrition and dehydration in recent days. new jersey senator bob menendez and his wife pleaded not guilty today to new obstruction of justice charges.

the veteran democrat returned to federal court in new york to enter his plea. he's already facing bribery and corruption charges in an 18-count indictment. the couple allegedly took cash and gifts from a businessman in return for help on projects they supported. the secretary of housing and urban development, marcia fudge, will step down next week. the former ohio congresswoman gave no reason today but said she's returning to private life. president biden praised fudge for her vision, passion, and a focus on economic opportunity. in britain, a social media storm erupted today over a picture of kate, the princess of wales, and her children. it was her first official photo since abdominal surgery in january, but it turned out to be altered. in an online posting, the princess said, quote, like many amateur photographers, i do occasionally experiment with editing. i wanted to express my apologies for any confusion. buckingham palace declined to release the unedited photograph.

on wall street today, stocks mostly drifted, waiting for tomorrow's report on inflation in february. the dow jones industrial average gained 47 points to close at 38,769. the nasdaq fell 65 points. the s&p 500 lost 5. and the cast and crew of "oppenheimer" are celebrating seven oscar wins after last night's awards ceremony. the three-hour film about the making of the atomic bomb, and its creator, was crowned best picture. director christopher nolan also won his first academy award. the box office hit "barbie" took home just one award, for best original song. the ukraine war film "20 days in mariupol" won best documentary. still to come on the "newshour," ranchers struggle to recover after devastating wildfires in texas. tamara keith and amy walter break down the latest political headlines. and the first american woman to race a sailboat solo around the world discusses her historic trip. >> 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. geoff: secretary of state antony blinken made a last-minute trip to jamaica today for an emergency meeting of caribbean leaders to discuss the spiraling security and humanitarian crises in haiti. the group is looking to develop a leadership transition in haiti as gang violence rages, and the population suffers. here's nick schifrin. and a note of caution, some images in this story are disturbing. nick: in haiti's capital, the gangs are in control. they besiege port au prince's airport, where workers risk their lives just to cross the street. prison cells are unlocked and unguarded, emptied by gangs of thousands of inmates. the dead are left to rot. the city smells of bodies. it's too dangerous to retrieve

them. the lucky are only shot in the leg. gangs have seized 80% of port au prince. >> the gangs came with big guns. we have no guns and we cannot defend ourselves. all of us are suffering. nick: haiti is no stranger to gang violence. but this time, gangs are trying to overthrow an absent government. prime minister ariel henry has been abroad at a regional summit in guyana, and then kenya to secure the deployment of international police to haiti that he requested. >> we did this appeal and you step up. nick: but by then, gangs closed the airport, and his plane landed in puerto rico, where he is still stuck. prominent gang leader jimmy cherizier, widely known as barbecue, says henry has to go. >> we'll fight ariel henry until

our last drop of blood, until he resigns. if the international community continues to support ariel henry, they will lead us into civil war. nick: today, u.s. secretary of state antony blinken met with caribbean leaders in jamaica to announce $100 million support for the multinational police force, and for a transitional, presidential council. there is no agreement yet on the council's makeup, but it would likely require henry to resign. as reiterated today by haiti caucus co-chair, florida democrat sheila cherfilus-mccormick. >> we have given him ample opportunities to have a transitional government. it has been 1.5 years and he has stalemated this process. nick: henry assumed power in july 2021, after the assassination of former president jovenel moise. last month a judge indicted moise's widow martine for conspiring to kill her husband, and replace him with herself. she was indicted alongside

former prime minister claude joseph. it helped push haiti to today's breaking point, after years of poverty and violence. this weekend, the u.s. military boosted security around its embassy, and evacuated non-essential staff. and today the european union announced it will evacuate all of its staff from haiti in response to quote, a dramatic security deterioration. for more we are joined by robert fatton, professor of government and foreign affairs at the university of virginia. thank you very much. how critical is the crisis that haiti faces today? robert: it is critical. haiti is essentially on life support now. the gangs have essentially controlled the capital city port-au-prince. they are controlling not only the main arteries leading to the capital city, but they have attacked the jails, they have attacked the airport, they have attacked the ministries, and the

even attacked the national palace. so it is a really critical moment. nick: they have actually closed the airports of the prime minister cannot reporting pretty secretary blinken was in jamaica today talking to regional years and calling for an independent presidential college to transition away from our ariel henry. how realistic is that? robert: this will be difficult because you have many different political factions in haiti that opposed essentially that solution, to have a college to vote on a president. but they do not agree on the composition of the party. the big problem is what do you do with the bandits or the gangs? are they going to be part of the negotiations? are they going to be excluded from any transitional government? that is a big question. it is very clear that in haiti

now the police are incapable of keeping order for long. it is also very clear that any type of government that were to come in the next 48 hours or so would have to do with the gangs and they don't have the means to deal with it. so the question is whether the mission that was approved by the united nations is going to arrive on time in haiti. that is to say, the canyon troops and police officers were supposed to arrive in haiti, and whether they are going to be there on time. because the situation is deteriorating as we speak. nick: the gang leader barbecue has said publicly the latest round of violence will stop if henry steps down. that perhaps is a short-term solution, but is that the medium or even long-term solution? robert: it mabe a short-term solution, but one has to doubt that the simple absence of ariel

henry will resolve the problem in haiti. and it is not even clear that he is the problem at the moment. the gangs may change their mind, because they are very close to getting the national palace. and if they were to get the national palace, they may install someone who is not of their liking of most of the groups in haiti, let alone international community. nick: you mentioned a multinational force that kenya would lead. there is a debate among experts of haiti about whether those police officers could actually quell the violence. do you believe they can? robert: it is going to be very difficult for them. you are talking about the 1000 police officers. they don't speak the language, they speak english. apparently some of them have learned french, but that will not be the language they are going to have to speak confronting the gangs and going into the slums. so it will be very difficult. on the other hand, we don't

really know how powerful the gangs are in terms of their capacity to inflict punishment on a well armed force. that will have to be found out. the other problem is obviously the terrain itself is very complicated. because you need to go to the slums but you need to protect the airport, the national palace, the main arteries. so this is going to be an exceedingly difficult issue to be resolved. and 1000 police officers a not be enough. we will have to wait and see. if they come, that is. nick: the u.s. has backed ariel henry for years, and now the u.s. is calling for a transfer of power. what credibility does the u.s. have now in haiti? robert: whether haitians like it or not, the u.s. is the main elephant in the room. ariel henry has been humiliated

because he is not even allowed to go back to haiti, as you know. and to some extent, the situation of ariel henry reminds us of henry kissinger's a dictum that to be an enemy of the united states is very dangerous, but to be a friend of the united states can be fatal. and i think that our ariel henry is finding himself in that situation. he may have a last card to play, but all signs point to his resignation, whether it is voluntary or forced. nick: robert fatton, thank you very much. robert: thank you. ♪ geoff: we turn now to the migrant crisis that's gripping

parts of the southern u.s., but has much wider implications. here's amna nawaz. amna: geoff, senior officials tell us amid a global migration surge that the trafficking business is booming, now a multi-billion dollar industry. and it's leading to unprecedented trends at the u.s. southern border. but much of that begins here, 1500 miles away, in chiapas, mexico. as day turns to night, the city transforms and the streets of this southern mexican hub fill with families from around the world. over the last three years, just a few miles from guatemala has become a global crossroads on the migrant path north. nelson, originally from haiti, just arrived here in january with his wife and one-year-old daughter. >> 98% of patients that come here want to go to the u.s. the reason i am planning to stay here is because i am thinking about my family. at future for my feet --

children because in my country there is no future. amna: he left haiti in 2018, spent years in chile, and now hopes to call mexico home, unlike most migrants who pass through. >> this is the easiest route to get to the u.s. that is why there are so many migrants here. amna: of the 195 recognize nations in the world, mexican authorities have logged migrants from 120 of them coming across their southern border. and those who pay smugglers are passed from handler to handler along the way, often staying in local hotels like these. but any attempt to speak with them -- you are from kazakhstan? you don't want to speak to us? -- is short-lived. this is part of the problem we are running into again and again. a lot of the people who are from countries that are not latin american countries, from russia, india, a couple i just met from

kazakhstan, they are staying in the hotels here but they have been told not to talk to anyone. smugglers like mario. that is not his real name and we agreed to protect his identity for fear of cartel retribution. but this former bank executive has worked in the human trafficking networks since 2020. most people will look at what you do and say you are a smuggler, you are a trafficker. how do you describe what you do? >> at the beginning, yes, i felt like a criminal. but as people have gotten to know me and now with my clients, i identify as someone who makes other people's dreams come true. amna: what kind of dreams? >> i consider myself a facilitator of opportunities. amna: he says he charges anywhere from 70-hundred dollars to $25,000 per person. the tougher and longer the journey, from china or india for example, the higher the cost. local mexican officials and cartels take a cut along the way. he claims he has a nearly 100%

success rate getting people into the united states. "newshour" has no way to verify that claim. >> without exaggerating, in the time i have been working with this group we have moved 50,000 people. amna: in the last 2.5 years, your entire network? >> yes. and i think it is probably more. amna: this river crossing is one of the paths mario uses to move people into mexico. in this stretch of the river, people and goods regularly move back and forth between guatemala and mexico. but what we cannot show you out of security concerns is an area behind the bridge behind me and another area about 100 yards ahead. those are completely in control of the human trafficking networks, smuggling people from as far away as congo, india, and china. but not everyone makes it. mario admits he has held

migrants hostage until they paid what they agreed to, but claims he has never physically harmed anyone. but you know that many more people have been assaulted and treated badly, and many more don't make it. and you are participating in a system that keeps making sure that people continue on these pathways. >> i have thought about it. but it is out of my hands and i cannot help them. they want to travel in a safe and secure way, they should have money. amna: there are legal ways for people to enter the united states. and you are essentially helping them to get around the laws. why do it that way? why not help people legally enter the united states? >> if we help people enter legally, then it is not a business. amna: america perez is was just what refugee services. >> they are coming from multiple countries put central america, haiti, cuba, china, afghanistan, congo, from a limitless number

of places. amna: her organization helps with everything from travel documents to housing and health support. she says city services are overwhelmed and local patience is running thin. >> we've had an increase in arrivals. you can see people who live here unhappy. there is xenophobia. there's been instances where they will not hire people who come from other countries. amna: this 20-year-old has been looking firm work for seven months. she fled an abusive partner with her daughter. i asked what worried her most. >> that he will take my daughter away. amna: she receives about $300 in federal support a month, but that does not cover food and diapers and housing. so she wants to head north to the u.s., or wherever she says she can find a job. >> i've heard the journey is

dangerous but as a mother i am willing to risk it all for my child. amna: mario says no matter who is in charge in the u.s. and whatever the restrictions, he always finds a way to get people in. so youy pay close attention to what u.s. officials say because that impacts who you move and how you move them? is that fair? >> yes. it's part of our job to be informed so we can know what to offer people. this will never end. there is always a way to cross the border. there is always a way. amna: officials here estimate as many as 5000 or 6000 people cross into mexico every day, and many of them do make their way north to the u.s., fueling record border numbers last fiscal year. those numbers are growing increasingly diverse in recent years and are challenging an already stressed u.s. immigration system in new ways. we will have more from the u.s. border with mexico tomorrow.

♪ geoff: wildfires in texas have burned more than a million acres. as firefighters continue to fight the blazes, stephanie sy has our look at the long road ahead for farmers and ranchers in the texas panhandle. stephanie: geoff, the smokehouse creek fire, the largest in the state's history, is now mostly contained, but not before it and other wildfires in the state inflicted major damage on the agriculture industry in the panhandle. texas's cattle industry is worth $15.5 billion, with some 11.8 million head of cattle in the state. 85% of the cattle is located in the panhandle. so far, more than 7000 head have died in the fires. farmers and ranchers now face devastating personal and financial losses. for more we are joined by texas agriculture commissioner sid miller.

mr. miller, thank you for joining us. i understand the big wildfire is 85% contained. are the farmers and ranchers in the panhandle out of the woods from active fires at this point? sid: i think so. we have a new report out, 90% of the wildfires are contained. however, we have got dry conditions coming up. so the likelihood of fire spreading is great. so stay on top of those to make sure they stay out. stephanie: i said that there are some 7000 head that have died so far pete i expect that number is going to go up. but it is not just about the dead cattle. what about all of that land that has been razed, what about all the infrastructure? sid: you are absolutely correct. over 7000 head of cattle are

dead. 2000 square miles of land are scorched. it looks like a moonscape. 120 miles of electric lines on the ground. so there is no electricity to pump water for the livestock. we closed 16 schools although most of those are back we have lost over 500 barns and houses in that area. three fatalities, five injured firefighters. so it is a big problem up there. we've got a lot of recovery and a lot of work ahead of us as we go forward. stephanie: i know that you have been in touch with the agriculture secretary. i also know the usda is offering some loans to other ranchers. between that and other disaster assistance that might become available, is that going to be enough for these businesses and ranchers to be on the road to recovery? sid: well, yes, but the road is

going to be long and hard and it will take at least two years for the grass to come back in these places. out of my estimate, we have probably 3000 to 4000 miles of fence to replace and $1500 a mile. we desperately need hay and fencing materials in the panhandle area. grain in seed fees were completely wiped out. it was just farmers and ranchers. we lost one railroad. so the railroad is down for a while. i think they got it repaired so at least they can keep the trains running. but a lot of things you don't think about when you have a fire of this magnitude. stephanie: you are a yourself. -- you are yourself a cattleman yourself, i understand. cattle ranching is in your blood. what do you imagine those

affected ranchers and other business owners are facing right now emotionally and mentally? sid: some of those ranches are over 100 years old. you don't own the land, the land owns you. that is your family heritage. everything about your family is now gone. everything but the shirt on your back. so it is very devastating for these families to lose everything they have got. the cattle losses are astronomical. that 7000 number will continue to go up. we have a lot of cattle we are going to have to euthanize, their udders are burnt beyond. a lot of orphaned calves are going to have to be bottle-fed. so it is a mess. we are to have to put down a lot of those cattle. they are just not salvageable after they have been through a fire like that. stephanie: are you worried about the mental health of some of these farmers and business

owners, given the threat to their livelihoods they are facing right now? sid: yes. i would like to direct everybody to our website and our social media. texasagriculture.gov. you will find our hay hotline there and drop locations around the state. you will find delivery points in the panhandle if you want fencing supplies or feed or hay. our agristress network, that is my suicide mental health hotline. the phone number is 833-8 97-2474. we answer that around-the-clock within 30 seconds. we call you back the next day in the next day to make sure you are ok. stephanie: commissioner, as devastating as this clearly was for ranchers, farmers, and business owners in the panhandle, do you expect the impact to be relatively

localized given the size of texas's agriculture industry? sid: i would like to reassure consumers that this will not drive prices higher. you mentioned we have 11 million head of cattle in texas alone. this will be 10,000, 15,000 head total. even the ones we have to salvage or sell because they are no longer viable. so overall it will not affect the overall price of beef to the average consumer. locally it is going to have some local implications for the farmers and ranchers around there. having to sell your livelihood is pretty tough sometimes. you spend decades building up the genetics and one day it is all gone. a tough time for these ranchers. stephanie: our thoughts are certainly with you and them. texas agricultural commissioner sid miller, thank you so much

for joining the "newshour." sid: thank you. ♪ geoff: amid many of the debates around entitlements and benefits, one thing often gets lost, and that is that many people who qualify for help struggle to get and keep their benefits because it can be difficult to navigate the system. economics correspondent paul solman looks at that challenge as part of our special series, america's safety net. paul: single mom morgan is eligible for food stamps. but getting them? >> you did everything you're supposed to do and then you come to find out you are supposed to be doing something else. paul: jessica's experience. >> i submit my paperwork and it will be two or three months have gone by where i get a response. sometimes they don't get my information. >> you really have to be on top

of every piece of mail. paul: lori's food stamps were once caught off. >> i did not have my birth certificate or something, i did not have access to it. paul: pamela co-authored the book, administrative burden. >> it can feel like a full-time job, both getting on those programs and then actually staying on them. paul: she has seen the challenges in her work for code for america. >> you might have to fill out a form that could take you over one hour to complete, with questions that are potentially incomprehensible that can make you really nervous that you are answering incorrectly. paul: the results are stark. literally billions in unclaimed benefits. >> there's $80 billion of money left on the table every single year because of how hard it is to navigate these hurdles. paul: morgan's job has kept her from the in person appointment required to maintain her wic

benefits, supplemental nutrition for women, infants and children. >> i am not going to be able to make it because a lot of employments are during my work hours. paul: yet she needs all the help she can get just to feed her kids. >> i don't make enough to take care of all of my children and pay my bills. that is stressful. i'm going to get upset. paul: lori and mills recently got a letter saying her medicaid benefit was stopped because she cannot -- because she did not recertify correctly. >> i am holding off going to the doctor before i get this straightened out. that is my crisis. paul: those finances were already precarious. >> if it is not worrying about the quality of the food that you get just to make it to the end of the month, and the fact that even the cheap -- is so

expensive now. there's that. and i came up short on my rent. what if they put a note on my door? the stress of hearing that knock. the stress of, how my going to catch up. paul: the safety net's entanglements take a toll. >> this is where it really hits people actually hard, i think. just the amount of stress, anxiety, and frustration people experience. paul: she had her own struggles with getting benefits, but nothing like one of her friends. >> she was in a shelter and got kicked out. she has a child to provide for, so she had to do what she had to do. paul: what did she do? >> she went into prostituting. because she could not get any assistance, and she did what she thought was right to provide for her and her son. paul: so, why is it so hard for

people? >> it is about layers and layers of accumulative policy and regulations. we're very good at adding things and very bad at taking away regulations and requirements. paul: and government agencies are stretched thin. >> governments are seeing record numbers of cases continuing from the pandemic, with also record staff vacancies. paul: but there are folks trying to make it easier. this app from jimmy's company propel based in brooklyn, keeps track of your monthly foodstamp use. >> this is your transaction history as well as your deposit date. paul: rather than call a one 800 number to access the balance for your benefit card, called an ebt card, use cruise --users can see their balance on the app for free. >> similar to how a balance -- we did that same thing for the ebt card. we currently serve more than 5

million households each month. paul: of the 20 million american households with ebt cards, after sints in facebook and linkedin, chen launched propel in 2014. >> we have companies like uber and airbnb, companies follow -- solving the problems. paul: relatively well-off people. >> solving their own problems. what made me uncomfortable is in this day and age, low income families also have access to smartphones and use the internet on a regular basis and there are fewer software companies applying these technology practices to solve their problems. paul: propel is a profit making company, but chen insists. >> the way we can build the scalable sustainable impact we are trying to build, not just a one-time summer project that helps people a little and goes away, is building a scalable business model behind it. paul: that model includes job listings, a no fee debit card,

ads offering consumer discount. >> if you are purchasing groceries through walmart, they have given us a coupon code for users to get money off. >> this is one of the forms we are working to improve. paul: that nonprofit code for america, she's also trying to ease the process by simplifying government forms. >> i believe this one is 16 pages. paul: verification, you will need copies of all of the following -- oh my goodness. that is just the first page. >> so already you are this mindset of fear and stress before you have even started. paul: how to make it user friendly? >> this is the form we used to redesign minnesota. paul: now it is mobile friendly. >> we use things like the font size to draw your attention to certain areas, just the information you need to know. to know what sections you can skip, you can see where you are

supposed to check a box. paul: for an application that used to take an average of 110 minutes to fill out. >> we ultimately get to a form that takes 12 minutes on average, is available in multiple language, is at a third-grade reading level for the same benefit program. paul: it is all an effort to reduce the board --the burden. >> we are here because we are down already. don't make it any more painful than it already is. paul: after all, the safety net eligible just want to get what is supposed to be theirs. for the "pbs newshour," paul solman. ♪ geoff: president biden traveled to new hampshire today, his latest trip to a battleground state after he and former president donald trump held dueling rallies over the weekend. mr. trump mocked biden's

childhood stutter and pounced on the president's saying in an interview with msnbc over the weekend that he regretted using the term "illegal" during his state of the union address to describe the suspected killer of university of georgia nursing student laken riley. >> i shouldn't have used "illegal." it's "undocumented." and look, when i spoke about the difference between trump and me, one of the things i talked about on the border is the way he talks about "vermin." the way he talks about "these people polluting the blood." i talked about what i'm not going to do. what i won't do, i'm not going to treat any of these people with disrespect. >> he was an illegal migrant. and he shouldn't have been in our country. and he never would have been under the trump policy. and biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer. geoff: let's bring in our politics monday team. that's amy walter of the cook political report with amy walter. and tamara keith of npr. it is great to see you both.

we should correct the record because president biden never apologized to the alleged killer as donald trump says. he never even apologize for using the word "illegal." but the biden campaign has been saying they want to draw a contrast between these two visions, and never before have differing visions been so clear on this topic, that more voters say they care about. >> immigration and the border keeps rising in terms of voter concern, voter priorities. and president biden is not running away from this issue. there was a time where he sort of was, but that time has passed and now he has something to say, which is, hey, there was a bipartisan deal in the senate, it was tough on the border, i would have supported it, i did support it, and trump tanked it. that is biden's message you're going to hear again and again. now, will it work? i don't know. trump is taking a very different tact. he's rerunning the playbook he

ran in 2016, all the way down to in 2016 he also talked about a young woman who was killed in an incident that involved someone who is in the country illegally. now he's very focused at this time on the riley case. and saying quite explicitly, suburban housewives are worried about illegal immigrants coming into their homes and going into their kitchens. which is a very trumpy way to say things but he is being very explicit that he is running a campaign based on the idea that his immigration policies will make you safe. this thing you are worried about, i am going to be tough. and biden is running on a more nuanced, we need to be tough but we also need to be compassionate. amy: that is exactly right. the ways in which we talk about the term immigration sounds different to different people. if you say border security, i

think that is one thing that across the board, voters say they are concerned about. what to do about it is a different question. i was digging into some polling that pew did a couple weeks ago asking hispanic voters specifically what they thought the answer could be to solving some of this. one of those is ok, increase more deportations. well, among non-hispanic voters, 59% say that sounds like a great idea. only 33% of hispanic voters say that they think that is a good idea. do you think it is increasing crime? again, an overwhelming amount of non-hispanic voters say yes, i think what is happening at t border is having an impact on crime. latino voters are split on the issue. and we see it in who is the most concerned about the issue. we saw it in senator katie britt's response in the state of the union. we have seen it in ads for

congressional candidates that have been running thus far. and of course we see it in the rhetoric of donald trump. the issue of the border is the number one topic for their base. and so, to me, that is the question. we know republicans, this is their very top issue. it is not as important issue for democrats. what will it mean for the voters who don't align with either camp? geoff: there is also contrast on the issue of social spending. president biden releaseda 2025 budget today that calls for a broad new social spending, higher taxes on corporations on the wealthy. meantime donald trump on cnbc said there is a lot that can be done in terms of cutting government programs, social security, and medicaid. >> there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting, and in terms of also the theft and the bad management

of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements. there's tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things you can do. geoff: social security is solving through the year 2034, medicare is solving through 2038. after that some choices have to be made. but talking about potential cost of these programs, that is a choice. >> these are obviously very difficult public policy issues that will have to be dealt with potentially -- eventually. but generally speaking, president biden should send a thank you note to former president trump. because the idea that trump is going to come for your social security and medicare, that case was just made easier by what trump said on tv. because this is an issue that biden has been trying to push, saying that republicans want to take away these programs that you care about a lot. you saw in last year's state of the union, an entire

back-and-forth about this entire topic. it became an applause line for president biden for half the year. did you see my state of the union where i negotiated medicare with republicans? this is something the biden campaign will be happy to talk about. amy: it is also difficult to make a campaign about what you want to make it about. if it were up to democrats this election would be about health care, about protecting social security and medicare, abortion, all the issues where they have a natural advantage. instead we have a crisis on the border and we have the american consumer who is not feeling great about the economy. those are the issues that are in front of them at this moment in time. now, with billions of dollars that will be spent on the election, and of course we have months ago where other issues can pop up, this may make it -- it is definitely going to make it into their advertising. whether it makes it into the consciousness of voters as their top issue, we have to wait and

see. geoff: the biden campaign is looking to lock in the image that president biden projected at the state of the union address last week. here's a new ad from his campaign released over the weekend. >> look, i'm not a young guy. that's no secret. but here's the deal, i understand how to get things done for the american people. geoff: so walk us through the new strategy here. tamara: if you can't change it, and you cannot hide from it, why not run straight into it had long? that is exactly what they are going to do with the age issue. it is a challenge they cannot fix, because every single day joe biden gets older. that is a benefit of living, is that every day you get older. but it is a challenge for his campaign. even though they say this is a media creation and immediate fixation, when i was out talking to voters last week, they brought it up. i did not bring it up, they brought it up, not just republicans but also democrats. it was discussed repeatedly.

they are trying to neutralize it with this ad and with other things. and arguing, as president biden has set a few times, it is not about your age, it is about the age of your ideas. that is the way he is trying to turn it, at least in this current generation. $30 million of spending in the next six weeks and that is just a beginning. geoff: $30 million, that is real money. amy: you can do a lot of stuff with $30 million. although it is $30 million in -- are we still in march? we have a long way to go before novembe. but look, the issue for biden is his age is also a stand-in for voters thinking he is not being effective. and so when we hear about this term that he doesn't sound right or looks weak, getting a win on something, whether that is on border legislation, whether that is something else that we are going to see in these next three months, i think that is going to

be more important than a conversation about whether he is really all that old. geoff: amy walter and tamara keith, thank you was as always for your analysis. tamara: you are welcome. amy: you're welcome. ♪ geoff: now, an historic and epic achievement by an american woman that captured worldwide attention. cole brauer became the first american woman to sail solo nonstop around the world last week. after finishing in spain, brauer, who is 29 years old, joined a group of fewer than 200 people in the world who have ever done that. she was the only woman that participated this year in what's known as the global solo challenge. brauer was able to stay in touch with her team by satellite, which also allowed her to regularly chronicle her 30,000-mile-long journey on instagram, where nearly half a million people followed her posts. her feed detailed how she dealt with bad weather, waves, injury,

dehydration, and much joy along the way. i spoke with her earlier today from spain. sailing around the world is a daunting pursuit even on a vessel with a full crew. how were you able to do it on your own? what was that like? cole: i really wanted to do it by myself not because i needed to prove anything, but mostly because i really like the introspective moment you can have when it is just you. you don't have to try to impress anyone. it is just you and your vessel. and i thought it was really wonderful. i am missing it every single day. geoff: you are journey took you around the three great capes off of africa, australia, and south america, and through point nemo, an area in the pacific ocean that is so far away from any land that the nearest humans are actually orbiting overhead on the international space station. what was the most difficult moment of your journey?

cole: i would not say that there was one big, big difficult part. there were a lot of small difficult parts that bring you irritation, anger, frustration. for example, when i first left, it took about two weeks to adjust. i had spent so much time with my team and so much time with my family. all of the sudden there is no weaning off period. you are just kicked off a dock and you are alone. i'm good at being alone, but now i was completely alone and over was no one to confide in. i cried every day for the first two weeks, because i just missed team dinners, being able to go out for drinks, being able to have croissants and cappuccinos. that might have been the hardest part if i actually look back on it, was just the interaction with humans that i did not have any more. geoff: and they were moments, as i understand it, that you were

concerned that your vessel might actually fail. tell me about that. cole: there were a couple moments. that was probably the biggest thing i was ever fearful was, was these boats, these man-made objects, are just not made to handle this kind of stress. maybe 10,000 miles or even 20,000 miles, but almost 30,000 miles, we just don't build things in the modern day to be able to withstand something like that without maintenance. and so, i was doing a lot of maintenance trying to keep up with these things that were deteriorating. geoff: there was a moment in your trip where you are tossed across the boat and you injured a rib, and at one point you had to self administer iv fluids to ward off dehydration. how did you find the mental fortitude to keep going? cole: i don't know if it is mental fortitude, or if it is just you don't have another option. so, when you don't have anything else, you know, there's no other

way. there is no way to quit. it is not like you can just call someone and go, pick me up, because you are so far away. there is nobody to come get you. so, maybe that is considered mental fortitude, but it's kind of like -- i have a journal i wrote down every day what was going on, and every morning when i hurt myself, my ribs, i just wrote down a list of, ok, this is what i'm going to do today. and if i don't get it all done, it is ok. but at least step one, breakfast. step two, go outside. it's not really mental fortitude, it is just following the steps. that's all. geoff: what did it feel like when you finally reached the end of your grueling race? cole: it was like every day. because every day was a challenge, every day was an experience, every day was the best day of my life. and that is exactly what the

finish was also. so, it was not the biggest relief, but i did love seeing my family and friends, and that was such a wonderful moment. lighting the flares with such a wonderful moment too, because it is something that when you see a sailor finish this big important race, that is the tradition, is to light flares and hold them over your head. and to be actually -- to actually have that moment, it is such a dream come true. geoff: sailing is still a male-dominated sport. what message do you hope this sends to women and girls want to follow in your footsteps? cole: i think it is not just about women. it is about men, also. it's that it's so male-energy dominated. so even men that are maybe a little more feminine has had to hide that side of themselves, because they are afraid to lose

their sponsorships and not be respected in the community. and i think it is not just as being a woman, but bringing that feminine energy to balance the super male energy dominance sport. and that is kind of what i was hoping. if you are feminine, you should be able to be who you are even if you are in the middle of the ocean. you should not have to be thinking if someone is judging you and you are dealing with a boat that is breaking in half. so i think that is super important for young women to understand. you don't have to lose yourself to do your dream. geoff: do you think you might try another voyage like this in the future? cole: oh, 100%. this race was always meant to be a stepping stone for a much bigger race coming. it happens every four years. so in 20128, i -- so in 2028, i plan on doing it. but it's dependent on sponsorship money, time, energy.

and that race is much well-known that it is dominated by the french, the french sailing community. so coming in as an american and an american woman, it has never been done before. so my hope is to be the first american woman to race in it in 2028. geoff: well, we will be watching. cole brauer, thank you so much for your time. cole: thank you for having me. ♪ geoff: and there's a lot more online, include a look at gun laws in missouri after recent mass shootings in that state. that's at pbs.org/newshour. amna: and two in tomorrow night when we'll have more from the u.s.-mexico border, with a look at how arizona is handling the influx of migrants from around the world. and that is the "newshour" for tonight. i'm amna nawaz, in chiapas, southern mexico.

geoff: and i'm geoff bennett. thanks for joining us, and have a good evening. >> major funding for the "pbs newshour" has been provided by. >> on an american cruiseline journey, travelers -- american cruise line's fleet of modern riverboats traveled through american landscapes to historic landmarks. where you can experience local customs and cuisine. american cruise lines, proud sponsor of pbs newshour. >> the kendeda fund, committed to advancing restorative justice and meaningful work through investments in transformative leaders and ideas. more at kendedafund.org.

supported by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. more information at macfound.org. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.]

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