with time talking about the new texas abortion law. following up on our previous segment about the afghanistan withdrawal and the treatment of women and girls in afghanistan, this is a piece from usa today. biden gets a list of questions on withdrawal. a list of republicans is pressuring president biden to release information on americans who remain f -- in afghanistan monday. a coalition wrote the letter on thursday asking for answers to the questions by september 7. they also asked that the answers be released to the public.

they say our immediate priority is the safety of american citizens and allies left behind. among several questions the senators are demanding answers for, how many citizens, green cardholders and applicants are still in afghanistan? how many want to be repatriated to the u.s. or still have contact? the president is expected to speak after 10:00 this morning on the monthly jobs numbers. we will show that do you momentarily. let's hear from christopher on the democrat line in florida. >> good morning. simply put, in my humbly -- humble opinion the three stories

that are grabbing the world and grabbing the united states by the throat, the withdrawal from afghanistan, the storms and of course the texas abortion law come out and the supreme court citing not to look at it. it is an absolute dead heat. it is level 10 all across the board. it's terrible that all three have an awful effect on the united states and of course the world. >> let me ask about that. do any of those stories affect you personally? >> that's a profound question. standing here affecting me

personally, i think that's the best way to look at it. i am in florida right now, so i dodged the bullet. we dodged the bullet in louisiana and the northeast. on that note, no i am a former soldier. i did not serve in afghanistan. my heart is broken into pieces for the women and girls and general population of that crushed nation. last week, the abortion law. i am in the end for many years not recently but the last decade for as long as i can probably remember at the end of the day i think the women's choice supersedes the decision-making. i think the woman has the

ultimate choice in that. it's a long answer. >> i appreciate you responding and letting us know. the president after his comments this morning is headed to louisiana. one headline reads joe biden to survey ida's storm damage in louisiana on friday. visiting louisiana to survey the aftermath to speak with local and state leaders. it is fort myers, florida next up. susan is on the independent line. >> good morning. i would like to bring up a couple of things that no one is talking about. first of all, we have so much violence in our country. it is frightening. i don't understand why the

entertainment industry doesn't produce anything better than what they are doing. all they produce is violence, sadism, and sex. even advertisers bring sex into it. this is just inexcusable. they are all very talented and they can do better than this. it's really nasty. the other thing is the climate situation. it's too late because it's not just the car emissions. every time bezos goes up, there's emissions. when we send something up to the space station, there's emissions. when we drop bombs on everybody, it's all instructive. -- it is destructive.

also, the horrible fires. that's global. what that's doing to our environment is that's really scary. the thing that makes me sad, not one news media mentions the millions of poor innocent wildlife from the tiniest to the biggest who have died. everybody talks about religion and god. god created them also. when he to respect god's creations. i do appreciate your allowing me to voice my opinion. >> george is in hillsboro, ohio. >> i am really upset about some of the decisions that joe biden has made on the border.

opening the border to possibly terrorists. and the decision on withdrawing so fast out of afghanistan. without any preparations just leaving like that. i noticed he seems to be suffering from dementia. a president with dementia is really not able to lead. at this point, we are leaderless and kamala harris is out to lunch. i wonder since he decided not to take a cognitive test, which people with dementia often do, they get very defensive. he should be made to take a physical. >> again, we are expecting to

hear from the president shortly after 10:00 on the economy and the jobs number for august. the headline from usa today 235,000 jobs in august amid covid delta variant surge. unemployment fell to 5.2%. charles is in oregon. >> i was in the marine corps from 2001 to 2004. i went to afghanistan in 2004. we had a major from the marine corps who is supposed to be getting blankets and medicine to the villages of afghanistan or jalalabad. the seeds were late, blankets weren't adequate

enough. that was in the winter of 2005. that type of relationship fueled the opium trade and that the taliban everything they needed to support the local villages. and also, i got my interpreter out in 2008. >> how were you able to do that? >> my interpreter took it upon himself to stay in contact with myself and a couple other great marines and my second tour of afghanistan, i reconnected with them to try to get them another job, but it did not work out. they wouldn't hire him as an interpreter. but i kept in

contact with him and he did his paperwork and he got his family out of the country way before this happened. i told him that america honors its treaties and we didn't say we wanted to be there forever and we did everything we told afghanistan we would do. so it was up to them. >> how is he doing today? >> he is supposed to be doing fantastic, just like every other american in nebraska, he can't get a job to support his family. it is difficult for him and a guy like that where he is at, he is dealing with the aftermath of the storms. i know his religion, he does not leave in any abortion law, he would support what is going on in texas. even

as a democrat, i support the laws. in oregon, we had the fires, but they are doing more good than bad. like the lady from florida said, the emissions. but over here in the agriculture, we need the central americans to assist with the agriculture industry here, and that is what a lot of people who are against the border don't realize, although it up oregon to washington, we have to use those workers, otherwise we are not owing to have much of an economy. >> to pennsylvania, pat is on the independent line. >> i just want to make a comment about the abortion in texas. it is absurd that along with this,

we need to offer support for working people who simply are in no position to add more children to their lives. why can't we offer free contraception. basically that is all i want to say. >> to pennsylvania, next up. john, good morning. >> caller: in the last seven days, there has been a top story. it went from louisiana and afghanistan. every day there was a news story. if you go back to 1790, the first year of george washington's

administration, there was a discussion on national debt. the secretary of state, thomas jefferson, said that a national debt was simply a fraud on future generations. the secretary of treasury, alexander hamilton, said that a national debt was a blessing. i believe it can be either. when this country was founded, there were no roads, bridges, sewers, lighting. if you are improving the lives of the people here in america by building that structure, a debt was a blessing. but in my generation, these wars, for trillions of

dollars for these wars in vietnam, iraq, afghanistan and other places, to be borrowing between some of dollars is clearly a fraud on the future generations. i believe we are $28 trillion in debt. if you go back to russia and the united states, the difference in afghanistan with russia, russia went bankrupt in 10 years. it took america 20 years. we spent

from 2001 to 2011, george butch said we will smoke out every cape in afghanistan to find bin laden. he was right in the heart of the pakistani military, and we were giving pakistan $10 million a year and they are just making complete full of the american taxpayer. i believe it is said we are spending over $300 million a year in afghanistan, and i think the best example i would have of the afghan army is dick cheney and donald trump paid when i was drafted in 1970, them were the two that would not -- trump. when i was drafted in 1970, they were the two who would not serve. when trump got his papers, he said my bone spurs, my bone spurs. he could dance all night long. >> from the new york times, and the federal jobs a cuts lifeline to millions. she has a masters degree and is applying for a receptionist job. one is considering giving up his visit career. amanda reinhardt is

considering borrowing money from her grandmother or selling blood plasma to feed herself and son. unemployment has staved off -- for millions. an estimated seven point 5 million people will lose their benefits with federally funded emergency unemployment programs ending and millions more will see their checks cut by $300 a week. democrat line, margaret in mansfield, wisconsin. good morning. >> good morning. there are so many stories almost every day of important things in the united states, but the one that has bothered me most is the fact that in the texas law, the third line of that that allows a citizen to sue another citizen

for helping someone get an abortion. it just struck terror in my heart to think that we would advocate, people telling on each other to the government to gain money. that is striking the very basis of our democracy. it really bothered me. i thank you so much for allowing me to voice my opinion. >> connie is up next in illinois on the independent line. >> my topic is the debate over the abortions. i find it so disturbing. i keep asking, how did we come to this disregard for human life. if a woman with herself first and says i can't love this baby because i was

raped or i can't afford it or it will disrupt my life, will that same woman say it, can't afford to take care of my elderly parents. let's euthanize. how did we become so mercifully uncaring. and where is the outrage over the late-term abortion bill here in illinois? i just find it disturbing. >> another economic story, this one from the washington times, gm, ford holt production as chip shortage worsens, forcing temporary closing of factories, including those that build popular pickup trucks. general motors will pause production in eight plants, including two that make the top-selling silverado pickup. for will stop making pickup trucks and chips cut at two more plants in dearborn,

michigan and louisville, kentucky. the cuts will compound an already short supply of cars, trucks, and suvs on dealer lots nationwide that have pushed prices to record levels. automakers report that u.s. dealers have under one million new vehicles on their lots in august, 72% lower than the 3.58 million. jackie on the independent line. >> good morning. a couple of the ladies have already stolen my subject, but the abortion law in texas is abhorrent. it is adding to the divisiveness in the nation. now it is taking divisiveness from neighbor to neighbor, family member to family member. it is a little bit like nazi germany in the 1930's, tell on your neighbor

and get them arrested. only now you are going to tell on your neighbor and sue your neighbor and gain $10,000. how wrong is this? i just can't believe that there is so little compassion in this country for women's rights that we have to go to a divisive nature of this law that is going to pit neighbor against neighbor, family member against family member. >> in the hill, an opinion piece, the texas abortion law could haunt gop. he writes activists celebrated thursday after the supreme court declined to halt the texas law that effectively prohibits almost all pregnancy terminations in the state. democrats believe it is republicans who could prove to be on the losing side politically now that abortion has been forced back to the center stage. he said the law enables private individuals to sue almost anyone who helps a

woman get an abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. in marion, iowa, this is joe, on the republican line. >> three quick points i will make. i want to say about the unemployment, half of the state, approximately republicans, don't receive unemployment anymore and we are struggling and weary of the delta variant. something should be looked at all of the things we are hearing about the unemployment benefit ending. half of the country doesn't receive it because of the republican states. as far as the

abortion law in texas goes, do what they may. it is wrong to reverse that, but now we should maybe focus and put thought into giving 50 years to life to rapists, pedophiles, and molesters. in the final point on afghanistan, let not forget that joe biden did what he had to do and at the last moment there, there could have been we more deaths and destruction -- way from bombers and so forth. they already took out 200 people and he was trying to do the best he could to get everyone out there as soon as he could. it was the last 20 years that put him in that position to begin with. >> next to al in warren, ohio. good morning. >> good morning. if i'm not

mistaken, i do believe we let an illegal immigrant -- i don't think we need any more than that. >> thanks, al. >> i am talking about the borders. biden let 30,000. >> to george in texas, democrat line. top news story of the week? what is it? >> i have two points i would like to make. the republicans are always talking about they don't want the democrats, don't want women to have abortions, which women's rights. and telling women what they can do with their bodies. republicans

don't want people to have abortions, when your kids grow up, when something happens when they grow up. >> in your part of texas, what has been the reaction to the law so far? >> too many people -- if you not have the right to say what you do with your own body, what right do you have? what i am saying, why is it that they care so much about kids for their born, but when kids grow up and

get into their 20's, kids getting killed by police officers, they have nothing to say. and the big mega churches that are so holy, they don't have anything to say about it or tell me what is wrong with that. >> to beverly in casper, wyoming, democrat line. >> i want to give a shout out to my sisters, the ones who put up with krapp from their men, the bad ones, the good ones. we have to get together and stay together. i don't care how dirty you get, you have to get your gear on. these men are just -- we need to put respect in them. >> what will it take to do that? >> all of us get together and

talk, the differences, and the men don't have to beat down the women just because they have a thing. it is a free country. they say they have liberties and everything, for what, to rape women, to be on them if they don't get their way? come on. >> this is russell in south carolina. >> i wanted to talk about abortion. i have a hypothetical, if a surgeon had a pregnant wife or girlfriend, and he gave her a sedative and then took her in and gave her an abortion, we have the same rights to kill that baby as a woman does? >> we're going to let you go there as we wrap up our program for today. i hope your back here tomorrow morning at 7:00 eastern and have

a great day ahead. this is from politico and their reporting on the storm, more than 45 debt is the headline after ida's remnants blindside the northeast. surgeon rivers and tornado damage on thursday after the remnants wallop the region with record-breaking rain drowning at least 46 people in their homes and cars in a region that had been warned about sensually deadly -- potentially deadly flash flooding. the storm killed people from mendicant -- maryland to connecticut. 23 people died in new jersey. , craddick governor phil murphy said at least 13 were killed in new york city. -- democratic governor phil murphy said at least 13 were killed in new york city. 11 of them and flooded basement apartments. the house armed services committee met this week to look at the 2022 spending for the pentagon. this

is the headline for military times. defense spending increase. afghanistan withdrawal dominate debate in a bipartisan vote on thursday and the key house panel approved plans to boost defense spending by nearly 24 billion dollars above white house plans for fiscal 2022, setting up a showdown later this year between progressive democrats and moderates in the party on how much defense spending is too much. the vote was included in the annual daylong markup of the annual defense authorization bill. a marathon, which included additional fights over the u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan, issues of extremism in the ranks, and whether to add women to future military drafts. as an update on the texas abortion law, which went into effect on wednesday. the supreme court

failing -- did not block that law from going into effect and a decision late wednesday evening. this is from "reuters," and their headline "texas abortion ban opens up wild west of enforcement." they write that the new restriction band hands over the empowered to private citizens and offers them cash payments to do so in a unique construction that makes the law harder to block in court. structure has alarmed abortion providers, who now feel like they have prices on their heads, and legal experts, who say citizen enforcement would have broad repercussions if it was used across the united states to address other contentious social issues. get your top stories -- we will get to your top stories of the week. the president yesterday commented on the damage and death in the wake of hurricane ida. here he is. [video clip] the past few days of hurricane ida, the wildfires in the west, the unprecedented flash floods

in new york and new jersey is yet another reminder of extreme storms and the climate crisis is here. we need to do more to prepare. we need to act. when congress returns this month, i am going up press further action on my build back better plan that is going to make historic investments in electrical infrastructure, modernizing our roads, bridges, water systems, sewer, and drainage systems, electric grids, transmission lines, and make them more resilient in these super storms

and wildfires. with increasing frequency of ferocity, we are reminded that this is not about politics. hurricane ida does not care if you are a democrat or republican , rural or urban. this destruction is everywhere. it is a matter of life and death that we are all in this together. this is one of the great challenges of our time, but i am confident we will meet it. we are the united states of america, and there is simply nothing -- you have heard me say it before -- there is nothing beyond our capacity when we work together. for all of those who are still in harm's way and struggling to deal with the aftermath of the storms and fires, god bless you. keep the faith. everyone working day and night to look out for their fellow americans is what this is about, and we are going to get this done. [end video clip] >> echoing some of what the president said in "the new york times," overlapping disasters expose harsh climate reality. the u.s. is not ready. deadly flooding in the northeast on the heels of destruction from louisiana and california, show the limits of adapting climate change. experts say it will only get worse. your top news story of the week, (202)-748-8000 the

line for democrats. (202)-748-8001 for republicans. for all others, (202)-748-8002. you can also send us a text. this is from sherry in mississippi saying, "top stories afghanistan withdrawal and the government cover-up. my top story would be 10 inches of rain and three hours in new york," says jeremy in afghanistan. russ, " the afghanistan departure was a disaster. biden takes attention away from his debacle, no matter what you think." we hear first from joe, good morning, democrat's line. >> hello there. my comment is that the gop is no better than the taliban as farce concerning women's rights. it is a shame that the gop republicans want to have a say over a woman's body. i think it is disgraceful. if

they win on this point, they will have something else to take away from women. thank you. >> the independent line is next, patrick, go ahead. >> two stories. you talked about the legacy of the afghan war, and i do not think or thought anyone on your program talk about all the afghan heroin that came into the usa. how did it get from afghanistan all the way to the usa? the fellow government, instead of dealing with wounded troops, basically turn them into a bunch of junkies and oxycontin. and this texas abortion, i do not know if c-span or anybody brought it up,

do you know if texas is a parental rights state? i don't know if you know what that is, but that allows a sexual abuser to come back to the woman and say, i want to see my kid. 14 states have that law. i don't know if states up the law against that abuse or make vigilantes of people who force these deadbeat dads to pay for their own kids. i know texas is probably going to rely on settlement money like they rely on federal money for everything else. you never talk about socialization of settled money for all of these red states. keep up a good job as usual, c-span. >> in new york city, good morning to rob on a democrat's line. >> good morning. thank you for your good work and c-span. i guess my top story is has to do with this texas abortion law

that are just ridiculous and medieval. it is so bizarre that the red states are against abortion. they are against wearing masks to prevent the virus. they are against, it seems not everyone in a red state, they are against vaccinations. that we have the highest rate of covid-19 in the red states. you would think that the voters of those states would, you know, rise above the pressures of the church. i am a believer, by the way. i am not a woman's libber. i do not think we should be telling women what to do with their bodies. it

seems so backward. in some of these states, the thinking. i hope the voters in those states will stand up. i hope the republican friends who don't believe in the mandating a what a woman should or should not do, that seems uncivilized, backwards. a fetus is not a baby. a fetus is not a child. someone argued a fetus is not even human because what it means to be human is to create human meaning. in the early stages, the first trimester, the second trimester, there is no human .. sec. blinken: