a plane from moscow and then his health began to crash tonight alexina of all the russia's most prominent and popular opposition politician is fighting for his life in a siberian hospital his spokesperson says it was a cup of toxic tea and recent russian history tells us if you challenge the power of president vladimir putin politics can suddenly become very poisonous i'm often berlin this is the day. it's still don't there's are doing everything possible. they are doing everything to save his life right now. or very close. to 2 years ago and there. i have no doubt that this was an intentional toys and in

light of russian secret services against the only i'll. move around i have no doubt that in order to i believe it's done as a. reaction to who is absolute terror consequent on the elements right. also coming up a president from former advisor steve banned in has been arrested on fraud charges allegedly tapping money from a private fund set up to help build the border wall between the u.s. and mexico haven't been dealing with him at all. i know nothing about the project other than i didn't like when i read about it i didn't like it i said this is for government this isn't for private people. but to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and all around the world welcome but we begin the day with a case of suspected poisoning in the cutthroat arena of russian politics the country. opposition leader alexina of all the is in intensive care and on

a ventilator at a hospital in siberia tonight early on thursday he boarded a plane headed for moscow but the pilot made an emergency landing when the volleys suddenly became ill now these are the 1st images that the world seoul after the plane landed in the siberian city of. the ball they being carried off and taken to a hospital doctors there saying of all he is in serious but stable condition his press secretary says that something had probably been added to the tea that no volley drank before boarding the plane at the airport. poison and politics are not strangers in russia there is a long list of poisoning victims dissidents who found themselves in the crosshairs of whether mir putin's. silent and deadly i poisoning can happen when you least expect it the most recent event to steal international

attention was the poisoning of russian double agent sergei script and his daughter yulia and 2018. to do it with found unconscious on a park bench in the u.k. city of souls very poisoned with a military grade nerve agent nobody took russia denied any involvement and while the script all survived others weren't so lucky a woman who came into contact with residues of the toxin later died he wasn't the 1st time a russian defective was poisoned in the u.k. on will members will note the echoes of the death drugs on the indian curry in 2006. the former f.s.b. agent alexander litvinenko fled to london in 2000 it became violently ill in 2006 after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium 210 he died after 3 weeks. that we just be.

to. prove. this to. be. pretty good. because you. have been far lucky. with a ukrainian opposition leader in 2004 he was running against moscow's preferred candidate. he was poisoned after having dinner with ukrainian security officials doctors say he was poisoned with dioxin he survived going on to become president of ukraine. activists p r to versa love who has ties to russian protest group pussy riot managed to survive what he says was a poisoning attempt in 2018 he's theory is backed by doctors in berlin who treated him luck may have nothing to do with him surviving but it's more.

so as to. who might want to go down that path. despite constant kremlin denials of involvement the culprit behind each of these attacks is clear to most but the nature of poison means it's difficult to hold perpetrators to account and for those who speak out against the kremlin they will always be left wondering if they are next. well for more on this i want to bring in tonight's vladimir a circle of he's the executive director of the russian anti corruption foundation that's a nonprofit which he and a legacy of all the established back in 2014 he moved to london where he was granted political asylum vladimir joins me from london tonight flemmi it's good to have you on the day let me ask you about these reports about mr nifong the possibly being evacuated and brought here to berlin for medical treatments we're hearing it could happen tonight would you welcome this.

yes. it's. not only isn't in their regional hospital it's probably not the best level of care that you can get and he's in russia the physicians there. are about to trash our from russian security services who we believe are probably responsible or this is the situation that's out and it will be easy for russian security services to operate within the russian hospital so we won't feel much safer if he's moved to a hospital in europe and it's most probably will be well it's as i was known in that berlin do you think that russian president vladimir putin would also welcome seeing germany or france give mr know vali a new home outside of russia. i think this can be seen

as the latest in this string of attempts to snowball me out of russia. he has been on that in the rise political pressure from other russian authorities for the last few years has brought their sort of faith by 5 years on trumped up artists he wanted repeated late assaulted killed most of last i think when i if you years ago and about a year ago while he was in detention. he was an attempt to like talks and to him so he suffered a case of questioning although it wasn't as severe as today let me ask you what amir do you have the confidence that the medical treatment that mr novotny is receiving there in rome skin the hospital that that is going to be good treatment

to mean do you trust the physicians that are treating him well as i said we would rather have kept. him in hospital. there is a team as a trial most vocal off lie to almost overnight they will assess his condition tomorrow morning and hopefully they will give a go it will prove is just potations to a government hospital if this was indeed a poisoning who do you think is behind it. well we believe it's most likely that it came from the top of the russian power structure even if it didn't come from mr putin it's himself it is the russian regime that he created that made it possible this is not the 1st as

a nation of russians still activists and opposition belligerence and as this nation's never investigated and the responsible are now brought to justice over the last few years not only became the most prominent for us in a position. exposing corruption of the russian regime and he really is a sore in the eye of russian authorities vladimir that is true but he has been a thorn in vladimir putin side now for a long time so why attack him now. well over the last year that has been a quite a significant change in the political atmosphere in russia the ratings of president putin and of the russian authorities in general have been decreasing now there is

true or more oil in belarus which shows the force of protests in a great crunch of a close to russia and neighbor country and there are regional elections in september which probably will so. why low results for the united russia that part of our soul in this situation is becoming more and more dangerous for us and for to so this is very flows of really the reason. vladimir a circle joining us tonight with the latest and with his valuable insights by the mere we appreciate your time tonight thank you thank you. in the united states political parties are in the middle of convention season the democrats wrapped up their national convention this week with joe biden as their presidential candidate the republicans take to the virtual stage next monday and

there will be most likely lots of focus on that important battleground state pennsylvania in 2016 voters there helped put trump in the white house well they do it again this year the democrats are hoping to win the state back and they're hoping that vice presidential candidate harris can boost enthusiasm among black voters. black voters in philadelphia could be among the kingmakers in the november election president carried the state of pennsylvania only by a slim point 7 percent margin in 2016 less than $45000.00 votes this time around democrats hope the nomination of come on harris's vice presidential candidate will tip the scale in their favor. nominee gosse is already vice president of she can win an organization that supports women running for political office for her harris is the best role model she can think of. for many women that are seeking to run for

office she is what you would want to kind of try that poorly she maintain that level headedness and i'm sure that there's a ton of frustration that she's faced and she'll continue to face so you know i think they can learn determination and i think they can learn create they have an opportunity to watch how she handles this for many of dominic's black friends come all the harris nomination is an inspiration that touches them on a very personal level. to finally see someone. who comes from similar backgrounds who comes from a so similar understanding culture to be in a position to actually make some change as a culture and as a people i think when we see. you know our per our people rise in our women in such a way you feel connected you just instantly want to support them but not every black voter thinks that way reverend todd johnson has been

a pastor in philadelphia's black communities for 30 years and he's one of the very few staunch black republicans for him harris is little more than a publicity stunt by democrats. they were looking for a person of color to appease their base and they were looking for somebody of a female gender so that they could appease their basis ok we've got to check but i don't think we should be choosing people for positions based on their gender or based on their race that to me is this i don't want that. i want to say to them when you want to get a job because of your color and because of your gender but many in philadelphia see more income on harris than just a candidate who was chosen for her race and gender. i think it's the best thing and happened to this country not only that she's a woman but she's and she's

a black plus she is a woman and death want to make a change she shows. ambition you know like don't give up on your dreams people always telling you you can be nothing and you can do things you know it's good to see people this shows that you can be anything you want and do anything. and philadelphia's black community many are enthusiastic about the 1st woman of color on a presidential ticket the question for democrats is will that be enough to carry them across the finish line. for my next guest says the democrats will indeed have enough votes in november to end the presidency of donald trump and win allan lichtman predicts the outcome of a presidential election people take notice since 1904 he's called it right every time allan lichtman is a distinguished professor of history at american university his latest book is predicting the next president the keys to the white house preselection it's good to

have you on the day we've been looking forward to talking with you today you called it right back in 2016 you said that trump would win this year you say that he will lose sua. it's all based not on the polls not of the pundits not in the day to day events of the campaign but on my prediction system a 13 keys to the white house which is founded on the insight that american presidential elections are based tickly votes up or down in the strength and performance of the party holding the white house and that's what the keys gauge it look at the big picture things like mid-term election results there were parties long and short term economy scandal social unrest policy change foreign policy lessons and failures and the works is of 6 or more of the keys turned against the party holding the white house they are predicted losers that's how i predict in

2016 because the incumbent democrats went 6 keys against them as of late 2019 trumpet only 4 but then america of course will take with the pentameter and the cries for social and racial justice and trump made a big mistake who didn't understand that when you're running as the incumbent your junk on your record according. to governing not paying their own instead of subsidy if you want with alan has he reverted to his 2006 will play book and try to talk way out of the result was bad for the country and bad for trump because he lost 3 more keep professional it term economy because we have a one year recession long term because of the negative growth and social unrest that adds to said it was more than is needed to predict his defeat i want to ask you to in 2016 you said the donald trump. could shatter all historical patterns

because he had no track record at the time now he does have a track record and you know it's not a very good when the past 4 years is that true track record itself does that hurt his ability to get reelected. absolutely it's his own track record that spells his a feat his failure to deal with the kind demick led to the economic collapse that cost of $2.00 keys being only the 3rd president in u.s. history to be impeached by the full house and even the republicans who acquitted him of the senate made it what he did was very wrong that triggered the scandal against them has failed and they should it's all over the world and this u.a.e. israel treaty is just share ever commits israel and nothing cost in the foreign policy success case governing not campaigning counts trump has no one to

blame for this negative situation felt better and analysts told me last week that despite trump's poor approval ratings trump has been consistently stronger than biden when voters are asked which of the 2 presidential candidates fit they trust more to handle the economy the how do you factor that into your model i mean we've always heard since bill clinton you know it's the economy stupid well it's not the economy only counts for true of my keats it was just the economy hillary clinton should have won going away in 2016 because the economy was very good the democrats are one going away in 1968 in 2000 because the economy was very good and that's not just the economy it's a whole range of issues and i don't base it on the polls and i look at the polls on somebody other issues anyway like health care dealing with coronavirus.

biden is way ahead of trump but that doesn't figure because if it looked only at the issues you'd be wrong most of the time as the democrats are almost up at the issues and before we run out of time frezza want to ask you does your model include the possibility of a sitting president not recognizing the results of the election or a president refusing to leave the white house absolutely not there are some things outside my model that keep me up at night what is voter suppression are we going to have a full and fair election trump is trying to stop that the other is russian intervention no trump will again welcome and exploited and trump will not accept the results of the election no matter what don't go to his grave claiming he really won but he's not he's a coward he can't look people in the eye and fire them he's not going to barricade

themselves in the white house and call on the white supremacist mulisch to protect him to leave but who claim the election was rigged and he really should have won professor allan lichtman we appreciate your time and your insights tonight and i am sure we will be talking with you again especially at and after that big election day thank you. you know it a 5. point he was considered the brainchild of u.s. president donald trump's 2016 campaign promise to build a border wall with mexico and to make mexico pay for it former chief white house strategist steve bannon well tonight bannon has been charged with fraud in a scheme centered around that border wall he entered a plea of not guilty at a new york courthouse today that will prosecutors in the city allege that bannon and 3 others illegally use money from an online crowd funding campaign called we

build the wall to pay their personal expenses including cosmetic surgery the money about $25000000.00 came from hundreds of thousands of donors those donors were told that their contributions would be used to fund construction of a border wall with mexico to stop migrants from entering the country manufacturing technology or i want to bring in tonight author and journalist james kirchick in new york jami it's good to see you again we have spoken numerous times about the people in donald trump's nearest orbit flynn john bolton analyst steve bannon just how serious are the charges that have been slapped against ban. i think they're serious for steve benen i mean he stole over a $1000000.00 you could be spending quite a long time in jail if he's found guilty of these charges i'm not sure if they're really serious in terms of the president or or the administration that doesn't

really seem to be any connection in fact the entire purpose of this charity if you want to call it that was to privately raise money to build. the border wall so it's explicitly not connected to the government there there seemed to have been some minor involvement or i think some members of the trump family sort of gave their blessing to this they might have provided a quote to be used on websites are meant mentioned it in interviews but it doesn't seem that there's a real in measurements between the administration and what band was was doing here the president today said that he didn't know anything about it apart from what he had read how deep how do you read that. he might i think he may i think he contradicted himself actually later in the day and he said he didn't know about it he thought it was showboating or

a bad idea that puppy seems accurate i mean the president had a falling out with steve benen as we know only about i think 7 months into the administration when he fired ben and. so i don't think he's you know crying any and he hears over this you wrote a piece back in 2017 of the spectator that was in titled the ominous political genius of steve bandit so jamie what if you were writing that piece today what would the title of that piece be to not. well in that piece i was referring to the issues that steve benen was talking about actually still think politically he is very perceptive what he's done here i think is separate he clearly is a greedy person and took advantage of a lot of people i read one story an 8 year old boy raised $22000.00 to give to this to this cause and then see bin what was arrested on some chinese

billionaires 35 $1000000.00 yacht so that to me really shows you the depravity of this generally literally takes stealing candy from a baby and being arrested for it on a $35000000.00 yacht near the hamptons. so steve benen doesn't seem to be really living by what he preaches i still do think though that the ideas whether i agree with them i think the political movement that he was able to capture i think was very clever boy and on and on his part but it looks like somebody else is going to have to carry it forward now what about that hasn't been drained yet or i mean just the hypocrisy isn't it right to someone who ran a campaign for someone in his entire career really has been all about attacking at leats and of the wall street bankers even though he himself was an investment banker in an earlier life the millionaires even though he's a millionaire i think it really does show you sort of the the grifting quality of

a lot that really is the conservative movement in the united states and a lot of it is really sort of based upon sort of. scamming very dubious or. gullible people and this is been a trend for many years you seen interation service in the past i mean iran contra was not dissimilar from this it was in so exhausting repetition. of virtue out of time james kirchick is always saying we appreciate your time and your insight and good talking with you thanks. well the day's almost done the conversation continues online join us on twitter at the news you can follow me at work off t.v. ever number whatever happens between now and then tomorrow is another day we'll see you then everybody.

on the phone. to the point of strong opinions clear positions international perspectives. huge protests in belarus and growing calls for the country's authoritarian president alexander lukashenko to step down or if he does go what impact will that have on labor in russia and its own foreign terrorist leader vladimir putin to find out to the point to the point. of the next contest the middle and the

role. they were abducted by the nazis and taken to germany to be raised as citizens of the us. during world war 2 thousands of polish children suffered this fate. even today many of them don't know who their real parents were. stolen children the kidnapping campaign of nazi germany. in 45 minutes on g.w. . like. this was sued for the russians so. still. so many different walks of life. some are. awfully.

strange. to see you but when there's no more delicious the mushroom into. from the food. to their final resting place the russian. documentary. huge protests in belarus huge uncertainty to this amid widespread coals for the country's tarion president alexander lukashenko to step down the protests follow a presidential election to the opposition and the e.u. says was fraudulent. has been in power for 26 years because people are saying enough is enough and if europe's longest serving leader does.