captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: pro-russian separatists stirring unrest in eastern ukraine gave no sign they'll back down today, defying the diplomatic deal to calm the upheaval. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. also ahead: a different wave of political turmoil-- this one lasting months in venezuela, posing the most serious challenge to that country's government in more than a decade. >> what began in january as demonstrations against rising crime mushroomed in february to massive marchs. today there remain smaller, fervent localized protests in neighborhoods fortified with barricades.

>> woodruff: and it's friday. mark shields and david brooks are here to analyze the week's news. those are just some of the stories we're covering on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> charles schwab, proud supporter of the "pbs newshour." >> and by bnsf railway. bae systems. inspired work. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. 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. >> woodruff: a final decision on a much-debated extension of the keystone oil pipeline has been delayed again, possibly until after the november elections. the u.s. state department today extended the federal review of the project indefinitely. it cited a nebraska court fight over the route. the pipeline would extend from canada to nebraska, then connect with existing lines carrying crude oil to refineries in texas. an avalanche on mount everest killed at least 12 sherpa guides today and left four others missing. the disaster was the deadliest ever on the world's highest peak, in nepal. it happened just shy of 21,000 feet, about 8,000 feet below the summit.

guides had gone out early to fix ropes for climbers, including australian gavin turner. >> the experience was great. it was going well, and then suddenly there was a huge thud. we got covered by this enormous cloud of snow and snow dust, and, for a few seconds, i thought, wow, this is going to take me out. >> woodruff: hundreds of climbers and guides are at everest's base camp, preparing to scale the peak next month, when the weather is mildest. hope dimmed even further in south korea today for some 270 people, many of them high school students, who were on a ferry that capsized wednesday. rescue teams kept up their efforts even as the ship sank from view. jane dodge of independent television news narrates this report. >> reporter: a last glimpse of the "sewol" before it disappeared beneath the waves early this morning. two large inflatables now mark its position. the rescue operation has become

more of a recovery process as bodies are brought ashore. there has been progress of sorts. divers managed to gain entry to part of the vessel. >> two divers opened the door of the cargo department and went in. they didn't find any survivors. >> reporter: anger at the south korean authorities once again boiled over today. originally told their children were safe, families now wait to hear their fate, aware time is against them. >> ( translated ): they have to hurry. >> reporter: the captain is believed to be one of the group seen leaving the ship before it capsized.

here, he's wrapping himself in a blanket. lee joon seok and two other members of the crew have now been arrested. it emerged today he wasn't at the wheel when the vessel started to list. most on board were school children. the teacher in charge have been found in the gym where parents waited for news. in a suicide note, he said he couldn't live for himself and asked his ashes be scattered at the site of the tragedy. investigators now believe an abrupt change of direction may have caused cargo to shift to one side and the ferry to tilt over. but it's not the answers families want right now; they're desperate to get their children back.

>> woodruff: for now, the confirmed death count stands at 28. a powerful earthquake shook central and southern mexico today, but there were no reports of major damage. the epicenter was northwest of the pacific resort of acapulco, but the quake was felt in mexico city, as well. the shaking lasted about 30 seconds and sent people running into the streets. the u.s. geological survey said it registered a 7.2 magnitude. around the world, christians commemorated the crucifixion of jesus on this good friday. in jerusalem, thousands of pilgrims lined the cobblestone streets of the old city. some carried wooden crosses, tracing the traditional route that jesus walked. and in the philippines, some people had themselves nailed to crosses despite the catholic church's efforts to discourage the rite. there's a new warning on marijuana even as cities and states move to decriminalize it. a study of young adults finds even casual use of pot may harm parts of the brain that control emotion and motivation.

it's unclear if the damage can be reversed. the study was done at harvard and northwestern medical schools and massachusetts general hospital. it's being published in the "journal of neuroscience." still to come on the newshour: russia-leaning separatists defy a deal to deescalate the ukraine crisis; one rancher's standoff with the government over land and cattle; the months-long wave of political unrest in venezuela; mark shields and david brooks on the week's news; plus, remembering one of latin america's literary giants. despite thursday's surprise agreement by the u.s., russia, ukraine, and the european union to de-escalate tensions in eastern ukraine, there's little evidence that any of the terms of the deal are taking hold in the country. lindsey hilsum of independent television news is in donetsk and filed this report.

>> reporter: he was tidying up, not tearing down his barricade, the man in the "world of tanks" t-shirt. he and his friends have no intention of handing back the armored vehicle they seized from ukrainian troops. in fact, in sloviansk today, it was clear that none of the pro- russian protesters were going anywhere. people i've been talking to say they're not very interested in what was decided in geneva yesterday. and they're not going to abandon the municipal buildings they've taken over or take down their barricades until the government goes because, they say, "how did this government in kiev get to power? exactly like this. by staying out on the streets." a ukrainian mig fighter flew overhead. the authorities in kiev may rule the skies, but they have little power here on the ground. >> ( translated ): we will not remove the barricades until these jets and tanks have gone.

they're threatening to shoot us and our children. >> reporter: so, are you going to take these barricades down, like they said you should in geneva? >> ( translated ): we will only go when people are left in peace, when we have freedom. >> reporter: it was the same story in the regional capital, where the leader of the self- proclaimed donetsk people's republic said he'd only leave his government building if the president and prime minister in kiev did likewise. >> ( translated ): this is an absolutely nominal agreement, but everyone has to leave the buildings, including comrades yatensiuk and turchynov, who also occupy their place as the illegal result of a military coup. after they do, we will agree to follow suit. >> reporter: then, presidential candidate yulia tymshenko came to town. >> ( translated ): the purpose of my visit is to understand what ukrainians who live in donetsk are demanding from the central government. i'd like to listen to these

demands myself and find out how serious they are, to find a necessary compromise between east and west that will allow us to unify the country. >> reporter: she's not much loved here, but would like to be. in parliament in kiev, they were blaming russia for everything while also trying to sound conciliatory, hoping to hang on for the elections in a month's time. the tension has, to some extent, abated in eastern ukraine, but nothing's resolved and the government in kiev seems powerless to change that. >> woodruff: for more on ukraine, i spoke to president obama's deputy national security advisor, ben rhodes, a short time ago. ben rhodes, welcome. as we just heard in that report, a number of the people who are occupying these buildings in eastern ukraine say they're not going to leave, they're not going to give them up. does that undercut the deal that was reached yesterday in geneva?

>> we believe the russian government has a tremendous amount of influence with at least a portion of these protesters. we would like to see them use all their influence, their public statements, private comments to encourage these protesters to leave these buildings, to disarm. the ukrainian government is keeping its end of the bargain, took steps toward passing an amnesty law and we'll be watching this to see if the russians are using influence and if the protesters are pulling back. >> woodruff: even if some of the protesters listen to moscow, there are still others who say they're ukrainian and they don't respect the government in kiev and they're not budging, no matter what moscow tells them. >> what we see is actually the vast majority of the ukrainian people, including a majority of people in the east do support the unity of ukraine and the government in kiev, and there's a way to address the concerns of some of those minority populations including ethnic russias which is through a constitutional reform process and the ukrainian government

committed to decentralization, rights of minorities proteg ticketed, protecting the right of russian language, so there's a path for the protesters to have grievances met through politics and not armed actions we've seen. >> woodruff: one of the arguments they're making is they're simply doing what the protesters in kiev have done which is take to the streets, hold their ground until they see the government doing what they want. i mean, why isn't that a valid argument? >> well, there's a huge difference here, judy, which is the fact is, in the protest in kiev, you had tens and some cases hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in these protests to have their voices heard. we've not seen that by any measure in the east. what we've seen is very small protests in the hundreds and very or organized armed groups a coordinated fashion taking over these buildings. so this has not been a groundswell of popular opinion

manifested by tens of thousands of people taking to the streets. thithis has been small numbers f armed men taking over government buildings in a coordinated fashion we believe clearly with some support from moscow and feels much more like a play to destabilize the country rather than a popular movement that emerged organically as was the case in kiev. >> woodruff: even having said that, these protesters, again, pointing to kiev, is the u.s. saying to the kiev government, we want these protesters in kiev who are occupying the midan to stand down? >> they're saying all paramilitary group should lay down arms and not occupy buildings, applying to the protesters in the west and east. the ukrainian government has taken steps to disarm extreme nationalists engaged in activities like taking over government buildings in the west as well. this applies not just in the east but across the country.

again, the government in kiev has made the commitments. prime minister yatsenyuk went to the east to have dialogue with some to have the protesters. we believe the dialogue is important in ukraine as well as the international community. >> woodruff: but if ukrainians, if the protesters in eastern ukraine don't do what the u.s. is asking, if russia doesn't do what the u.s. is asking, the president and others have said there will be more consequences. but what we've seen so far is that the sanctions haven't really had much of an effect on mr. putin. what makes the administration, what makes the president think more sanctions will have an effect? >> well, first of all, we've put in place a series of sanctions. we also have an executive order that gives us broader authorities to target individuals and entities that they control that are important to the russian economy and also potentially sectors of the russian economy. we have seen president putin pause with the forces on the border where he's pass binged significant military forces and seen this destabilization taking

place in eastern ukraine. we haven't seen the worst case scenario which is russians coming across the border. so that is in place. but we have been clear that if we continue the see destabilizing activities that we believe are rooted in moscow's policy, we'll move to additional sanctions. again, if we start to go after additional individuals who are important in the russian economy and important to the russian leadership as well as the companies and banks that they are responsible for, we believe we can have a significant impact on the russians. in fact, we've already seen their forecast of the economy downgraded. capital flying out to have the country. so it is having an effect. just how much does its have to sink in for the russians to change calculus and pursue this through politics instead of force. that's what we have an opportunity to do through geneva and if we don't see them follow through we'll move to additional sanctions. >> woodruff: ben rhodes,

deputy national security advisor. thanks very much. >> good to be with you. >> woodruff: now to a story that takes us out to the western u.s., to nevada, where a standoff between the federal government and a local cattle rancher involving an armed militia almost turned violent. hari sreenivasan is in our new york studio with this report. >> sreenivasan: armed militia men, pointing guns at federal officials, over cattle. for more than 20 years, nevada rancher cliven bundy has refused to pay fees for grazing cattle on public lands, some 80 miles north of las vegas. the u.s. bureau of land management says bundy now owes close to $1 million. he says his family has used the land since the 1870s. last year, a federal judge ordered bundy to remove his livestock. he ignored the order, and two weeks ago, b.l.m. agents rounded up more than 400 head of his cattle. last weekend, armed militia members and states' right

protesters showed up to challenge the move. >> i came here because i don't believe the b.l.m. has any authority, whatsoever. they have no law enforcement authority in clark county, and they have no business whatsoever destroying the pursuit of happiness of one of our friends and brothers. >> sreenivasan: rather than risk violence, the b.l.m. did an about-face and released the cattle. but the dust-up has put longstanding disputes over western range rights squarely in the spotlight. last night, nevada democratic senator harry reid blasted the protesters. >> these people, who hold themselves out to be patriots, are not. they're nothing more than domestic terrorists. and i think we are a country where people should follow the law. >> sreenivasan: the b.l.m. now says it is pursuing a peaceful resolution through the courts. we're joined by ben botkin from the las vegas review-journal. how did this escalate into the standoff it was? >> well, the entire situation

leading up to the standoff took 20 years, was 20 years in the making. you had a couple of court orders that the b.l.m. obtained to obtain the cattle, which that came because cliven bundy wasn't paying his grazing fees. but in the last few days before the standoff, you had a bunch of different types of groups and people, everyone from groups that call themselves militia to so-called patriot groups and others across the country gather together over the course of several days leading up to saturday, and at that point saturday the bundy family took the protesters, went up to the corral where the blm had rounded up their cattlele, and after a short and brief negotiation and standoff, the blm decided to

release several hundred cows back to the family. there's no formal agreement, but during that standoff, there were guns drawn from both sides, so rather than run the risk of bloodshed, the agency, at that point, decided to release the cattle. >> sreenivasan: so how many cattle are we talking about here in they rounded up a few hundred? did they release them all back? >> they did release them all back. they rounded up about 350 to 400 or so over the course of about a week. it was intended to be a month-long roundup that would have required gathering a few hundred more cows. that didn't happen. they stopped the roundup. so there's a lot of unanswered questions about what's going to happen next because there's no formal agreement between the blm

and the bundies for the release of the cows. >> sreenivasan: so you were out there several days in the past couple of weeks. how many of the people that were out there to protest or to protect mr. bundy were aware of the issues with the b.l.m., and how many were there for their own sort of philosophical purposes, not recognizing the federal government? >> i'd say the vast majority was there more for the broader philosophical stance. they weren't necessarily familiar with b.l.m. or ranching issues. they were more there because of their agreement with mr. bundy, who has the expressed opinion that the federal government is overstepping its bounds and somehow infringing on his constitutional rights. so a lot of groups seized on him and looked at him as the figurehead for not just ranching or not just grazing but just these broader issues that they

adadhered to. >> sreenivasan: are there still protesters out there? >> when i was out there a couple of days ago, there were about a couple dozen protesters. what once numbered in the hundreds is now down to just handful. >> sreenivasan: what are we talking about in terms of cash? how much does mr. bundy actually owe? >> according to the agency, he owes a little over $1 million in grazing fees, and that's a figure that's accumulated over the last 20 or so years since he stopped paying them. >> reporter: and what about the local authorities? what are they planning to do in the next week or two? >> well, the local authorities have not given any indication of what they will be doing, if anything. the local police were at the scene where the standoff was, so

that they did have a hand in helping the event reach its conclusion. so, at this point, things have really been kind of in flux. the bundies have indicated the b.l.m. has sent four asserted letters to them that they've chosen not to open at this point. the b.l.m. hasn't said what's in those letters, so, at this point, things are pretty unpredictable at this point. >> sreenivasan: ben botkin from the las vegas review-journal. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: in march of last year, the 14-year rule over venezuela by the controversial and charismatic hugo chavez came to a dramatic end when the leader died of cancer. his handpicked successor, nicolas maduro, was elected president soon after. as maduro marks the end of his first year in office tomorrow,

divisions have deepened in a country that has become violent in recent months. chief foreign affairs correspondent margaret warner reports. >> reporter: late last week, after more than three months of sometimes deadly street protests throughout venezuela, president nicolas maduro met with his political opposition. the six-hour televised session brokered by the vatican and three south american foreign ministers attracted record ratings on venezuelan tv, reflecting the nation's anxiety at the street violence that killed more than 40 and posed the biggest challenge to the government in more than a decade. the alternative to finding an accommodation, said, maduro, is a dark one. >> imagine, it would be the beginning of an armed, violent civil confrontation, bloody, bloody, and no one would win anything. >> reporter: what began in january as demonstrations against rising crime mushroomed in february into massive marchs

with hundreds of thousands protesting the scarcity of goods in security and the arrests of demonstrators. today there remains smaller but fervent localized protests in neighborhoods with barricades. the target, president maduro. maduro struggled to maintain chavez's aura but is swamped by an economic slide that brought this oil-rich country 57% inflation and near empty store shelves. and a further explosion in venezuela's rampant crime, creating what the u.n. says is now the second-highest murder rate in the world. this has made life unbearable for 19-year-old student christian alejandro martinez. he never protested before, but after having his house robbed, car keys and car stolen, he's taken to the streets. he and fellow students feel their future is slipping away. >> we can't see it on the horizon. we are studying, but we don't

really know if we're going to ever achieve our careers. we don't know if we're going to go out some day at night and get shot at. so how can you live in this situation? >> reporter: and martinez has no faith in maduro as he did in chaaávez. >> i do believe that hugo chaaáz had a plan, a plan that had ideals and a way of thinking that it would be better for the community. >> reporter: chaaávez called his plan bolivar in socialism, the goals were social justice, empowering the poor with expanded government services and redistributing venezuela's vast oil riches to finance it. >> this is what chaaávez represented, this is what -- i think he put his finger on legitimate grievances in venezuela. i think for maduro and followers, this is a revolution

he's committed to continue. the problem is this is a model that has obviously failed and obviously is unable to deliver basic goods to people, a reasonable economic environment with security protections. >> reporter: why don't it delivering anymore? two reasons says former venezuelan development director now at the carnegie endowment for intentional peace. >> the problem is the 21s 21st century socialism required two things that are no longer there. one -- -- based on a model of one person with decisions. it's what happened for 14 years. nobody else is involved.

>> reporter: and chaaávez depended on venezuela's huge oil reserves the world's largest to fund his programs. but the maggot of that sector has cost the country's oil income to slip. >> the production has gone down. lack of investment in the oil industry again, that chaaávez is not a model of investment. it's a model of spending. >> reporter: to test the public's view of this a "newshour" crew went to san cristobal. >> you cannot go out on the streets and get what i want to feed my child. i always have to stand in line at the supermarket thinking about if i get back home alive. >> reporter: she doesn't stay long at her neighborhood's barricades. she's afraid to take her young son and helps the protesters with food and water. she has no confidence in maduro.

>> maduro wants to do the same was he can't. he wants to be like chaaávez but is not. >> reporter: there are still those sticking with maduro, like marlene who lives with her mother in caracas, and depends on programs. >> this is a basic grocery but with very low prices. a pack of flour called two bolivars. on the open market, it's 35 or 50. why? because capitalism is structured in a way that we the poor can't buy what we need. >> reporter: she says her faith in chaaávez and maduro endures. >> chaaávez was a leader. he built schools for people who did not know how to read, and now many more people know how to read. this is socialism, and chaaávez transmitted this to president

maduro. maduro's made mistakes. nobody's perfect but he's trying to lead things in a positive direction. >> chaaávez was always seeking their votes. he always spent money before elections. that is why he won. >> reporter: 50-year-old caracas-based engineer edgar rodrigues longo posed to chaaávz concedes he did improve the imawlt of life for many of venezuela's poor but says science of economic implosion are everywhere now. what's more, he says, maduro doesn't have the political skills to handle the country's changed circumstances, demonizing his opponents or those who suggest he should change force. >> there is a future if the president recognizes the other point of view, but he speaks only for himself and his people. we are talking for the other half of venezuela and the president is ignoring us. >> reporter: the "newshour" contacted the venezuelan embassy in washington for an interview to explore the government's perspective. we got no response.

earlier this month, maduro in an op ed in "the new york times" took no responsibility but cast blame on chaaávez. the anti-government protests are carried out by people in the wealthier segments of society who seek to reverse the gains of the democratic process that have benefited the vast majority of the people, he wrote. now is the time for dialogue, we have extended a hand to the opposition. maduro didn't mention his government jailed a top member of that opposition, a former mayor lopez, for charges of unrest. what's more, statistics do not back up maduro's claim that this is an uprising of only the wealthy. >> venezuela's never had so many wealthy people. venezuela did not have such a large middle class and even the election results show that about half the country is against the government. that means there are millions of

very poor people that they claim to represent, that the government claims to represent that are taking to the street. >> reporter: michael shifter thinks there's a bit more merit to maduro's charge. >> i think their expression of the profound discontent that's widespread in venezuela, but i think it's a mistake to interpret the protests as reflecting necessarily the majority opinion of venezuelans. >> reporter: there appear to be low expectations for the talks between the government and opposition. maduro didn't even attend the meeting that resumed this week. but if they don't produce any sort of reconciliation, what's the alternative? a second year for maduro and post-chaaávez venezuela that is worst than the first. >> woodruff: and to the analysis of shields and brooks-- that's syndicated columnist mark shields and "new york times"

columnist david brooks. welcome, gentlemen. so the state department, the obama administration announcing, i guess surprising everybody today, mark, with this announcement that they're delaying the decision on what to do about extending the keystone oil pipeline. the reaction is all over the place. the canadians are upset. house speaker john boehner said it's shameful. the environmental groups are happy. >> yes, and i think the last point is the key. the people who care most passionately and intensely about the pipeline are those who are opposed to it, not unlike gun control, except entirely different cast of people and voters, but the environmental groups are -- they are cheered and they are an important constituency for the democrats heading into what looks to be a stormy 2014 election, and i don't think the white house or the state department, for that matter, wants to alienate that

group at this point. >> reporter: so you think it's purely political? largely political? >> serious consideration here's that i'm totally unaware of, i'm sure, but first blush, that would be my take. >> woodruff: david, how do you read this? >> same. it's been about six years since they have been entertaining this and everyone i've spoken be over that time believe that they want to improve this thing eventually but not at politically unopportune times. nationally, about 65% of americans support it and 22% oppose it. it's the 22% who happen to be in the democratic base. >> woodruff: well, we could talk about this a long time but i want to ask you about the story we just heard hari reporting a few minutes ago, mark, and that is nevada's standoff between a cattle rancher and the federal government. he has refused to pay his grazing fees over the last several decades. they're saying he owes something

like $1 million. there have been people armed standing there saying that these federal agents shouldn't be there. does this say something about what's going on out west? >> it does. it's a revolution, a rebellion started, judy, more than a generation ago, now. but, i mean, you know, looking at the equities of the situation, this man, mr. bundy, the a free loader. other ranchers pay grazing fees which are not owners so that their cattle can graze there. the responsibility of the bureau of land management is to make sure that that land is available for the next generation for multi-uses, not simply grazing, but for others as well and preservation. so i don't understand it. i give the folks at fox news great credit. this has been an orchestratedly-produced operation there, but they've tapped into something that there

are some people who are just totally outraged at anything the federal government does. the federal government of the united states owns 87% of nevada and has essentially for quite a while. >> reporterwhile. >> woodruff: so, david, does this man have a legitimate grievous against the federal government? >> not the way he's doing it. he's self-discrediting, the way he's doing it you felt go out west and hear grievous against the b.l.m., and i think there's frustration working with the b.l.m. and it comes in waves. we're certainly not at a high wave. in the clinton years, you heard of high frustration, when the revolution was at its peak, but now you have low-levels. so this doesn't represent a mass movement. it seems like more pseudomilitia activity than a genuine rebellion. >> woodruff: so no sense this will spread to other parts of the west? >> i certainly have not heard

that in my visits out there. >> woodruff: let's talk about what was the lead of our program tonight, mark, and that's ukraine, the surprise deal reached yesterday in geneva between the united states, russia, ukraine and the european union, trying to defuse what's been going on there. today, the reporting is all about these protesters in the eastern part of the country saying we're not going anywhere. where is this headed? >> i honestly don't know, judy. i will say that it appears that mr. putin's plan and the russian's plan is to partition the ukraine and this certainly, they call it generalization, but it is a partition of -- an eventual partition of sorts. whether it's to destabilize or delegitimize the elections of may 25, we don't know, but putin made a statement saying russia's federation council has provided the president with the right to deploy armed forces in ukraine. anybody who talks about himself

in the third person makes me nervous. he's referring to himself. he says i really hope that i am not forced to use this right. i think that, you know, the situation has grown more serious and worse in the past, and the lack of sense of celebration on the part of the president or secretary kerry in announcing the agreement, their expectations seem to be minimal. >> woodruff: david, worse despite the deal yesterday? >> i agree with mark. obama's reaction is remarkable. they have the pseudobreakthrough and the president is realistic about it, that it probably won't amount to much. what happens in geneva may be about the timing, what happens in donetsk and place where is more militia groups are taking over buildings, that's a sideshow. the main show is in vladimir putin's brain. it's streaking there's just one person who matters here and the brain as he revealed it even in speeches this week is pretty aggressive, pretty assertive growing increasingly more

assertive. it seems to me, in our response, we need a psychiatrist more than a foreign policy apparatus. we need to understand what is going to upset and disrupt him. i'm afraid the way we've done the sanctions has not been well tailored to a psychological campaign against vladimir putin. we've ratcheted it up slowly, hindered by the europeans. but beginning slowly, that will arouse his contempt, certainly not respect or fear. it might have been smarter if we could have done it with europeans, having all the sanctions unleashed right away to send a sharp shock at him. the next debate is what to do with the ukrainian army, how to help them, lethal, non-lethal aid, but somehow getting inside his head, which is the main arena, it seems to me the crucial task boof woof mark, go ahead. >> just one point. i guess where i disagree with david is on the sanctions. you have to bring the russians along -- i'm sorry -- the europeans along.

we are dealing here and i give the president credit that he has not done the macho swagger to make this a matter of his manhood or earn his varsity letter. i think that has been strong and to his credit. we are dealing with the third largest defense budget in the world in the russians. only the united states and china has larger defense budgets. they have 270,000 troops, 50,000 of which are at the border of ukraine. ukraine has an army of 77,000, judy. it's not a first-class, first-rank. we're dealing to the point if it comes to military confrontation of realities here, and i think what may be a cautionary note for the russians is that they've seen us in iraq, for example, where invasion is a lot easier than occupation, and i think, you know, perhaps that will hold things back, but i agree with david that the sanctions have to

be accelerated and intensified and that's going to require the cooperation and some suffering on the part of the europeans. >> woodruff: that's interesting you point it out about russian defenses because a lot of focus is on how relatively weak the russian economy is as compared to others. but david, the point is it's the military establishment in russia we should be worried about? >> yeah, american troops are not going to ukraine, but really we're trying to deal with an autocrat's head, how do you get him to think twice? i think the way you get it is not through kind gestures where he says, well, they're not being too provocative, i can relax, they're not scaring me. i don't think that's the way he thinks. i do think he thinks in a much more brutal terms. now, the debate's going on within the white house or at least was a couple of weeks ago, if we're aggressive in sending aid to the ukrainian army, does that send a shock to putin or does it give him a pretext to

invade? and i think the administration decided maybe correctly that it's more likely to give him a pretext to be more aggressive. nonetheless, i think he's not a guy who's going to respond to our own self-restraints, he's going to respond to a unified sort of assertiveness. >> woodruff: all kinds of things i want to ask the two of you about in the few minutes left. i want to ask you, mark, about the pulitzer prize this week. among others, to the guardian newspaper, to "the washington post" for the reporting they did on the national security leaks from edward snowden. i guess my question is what was your reaction? did you see honoring the newspaper the same as honoring the man who delivered the leaks? >> no. >> woodruff: who's been seen as both a traitor and hero? >> no the pulitzer award goes to the dominant, most important news story in coverage, in reporting, and i think it's hard to argue this wasn't the most important news story and the reporting done on it was quite

professional. the fact that, along wit, comes edward snowden is in no way, in my judgment, recognition of him as an heroic figure. he was central to it. he was indispensable to it. but we saw the part he played yesterday in mr. putin's press conference in russia. >> woodruff: that's why -- -- he certainly did not rise to heroic status, i wouldn't say, in that capacity. >> woodruff: david? ell, you know, i find him repellant as somebody talked about internal conversations in the "newshour" at the "new york times" and broadcast them, i would find that person repellant and doubly so when it's national security secrets when he's sworn an oath to do so. so i'm no fan of him. as for press coverage and whether it deserves recognition, i have complicated views. i'm a little made nervous by the fact they really benefit by what

i think was a reel pellant, unpatriotic act. on the other hand, i must be honest about what we do in the media. a lot of our leaks and best stories come from people who are betraying confidence, from someone who's vee lating oath, some seek rior an understanding of what goes on. so we live in a business where we try to expose the truth but sometimes, as janet malcolm said years ago, we do it by relying on betrayal or some violated confidence, we do it sometimes by being not totally honest with the people we're dealing with, not being dismonths but by sort of seducing information out of people. and so this is a morally complicated business we're in like most businesses, and i don't have total problem with what "the washington post" did but don't have total comfort with it either. >> woodruff: you were saying yes. >> no, i understand, i think david's point is well made and well taken, and i don't know how you make him essential to the

story -- >> woodruff: snowden. hat he's done is he made himself accountable for it. he did break the law, broke the oath that he took and has not accepted the consequences and refuses to do so. but i think it's impossible to deny that it started and the president acknowledged this, a much-needed, long-overdue conversation, that i think we're finally going to see as a consequence of these stories some element and some urgency in judicial review, in congressional review of what's been going on, and we found out that this n.s.a. apparently was collecting a lot of information, simply could collect a lot of information. >> us the true uh that sometimes good people produce good outcomes and sometime vice vers. >> woodruff: in your case, two people do two good outcomes. i've refriday. mark shields, david brooks, we thank you both. thank you.

>> woodruff: finally tonight, we look at the seminal work and the life of author and nobel laureate gabriel garcia marquez. hari joins us again from our new york studio for this appreciation. >> sreenivasan: his poetic words evoked love and longing, fantasy and fatalism, and worldwide admiration. gabriel garcia marquez was the most popular spanish-language author since miguel de cervantes in the 17th century, outselling all other spanish literature except the bible. his novels and short stories exposed millions to latin american life, and to "magical realism", a style he discussed in an interview some years ago. >> ( translated ): i lived in a supernatural world, a fantastic world where everything was possible, where the most wonderful things were just daily things. >> sreenivasan: garcia marquez first gained fame with the epic novel "one hundred years of

solitude," published in 1967. it sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. his birthplace in colombia, the small town of aracataca, was the inspiration for the village depicted in the book. biographer gerald martin. >> ( translated ): the colombian government created a system of national high schools and scholarships for disadvantaged students. garcia marquez won a scholarship and leapt through that window of opportunity a little bit like alice entering into wonderland or into magical realism. >> sreenivasan: the author's other beloved classics include "love in the time of cholera", "autumn of the patriarch", and "chronicle of a death foretold". and in 1982, his collective body of work won him the nobel prize for literature. garcia marquez was also known for his leftist politics, and for years, was denied a u.s. visa over his support of fidel castro and criticism of u.s. military interventions in vietnam and chile. but last night, fellow authors, including mexican writer jorge hernandez, said his literary

contributions will be what's remembered. >> ( translated ): it's a sad day, but it's the first day of the first 100 years of an infinite solitude that we all share. no matter what language or what country, we must embrace all of his millions of readers. not just today, but in five centuries, people will continue to speak of gabriel garcia marquez and the literature he gave us. >> sreenivasan: gabriel garcia marquez was 87 years old. we take a closer look at the life and literature of gabriel garcia marquez with william kennedy. he's a journalist, pulitzer prize-winning author of the "albany cycle" novels, and was a long-time acquaintance of garcia marquez. for the uninitiated, what is it about his work that resonated so much first with latin americans and then with the rest of the world? >> i don't know. he had the secret, you know. he found the secret of how to tell the story of the human race in a single book, the great

latin american novel became one of the great world novels of all time, and he did it with accessibility. it wasn't complex or exalted -- it was exalted prose but exalted in an accessible way, beautiful writing, funny, great wit, and very profound insights into what constitutes the family and the family of man, and he did it with such finesse and such control. >> sreenivasan: speaking of 100 years of solitude, you were one to have the first reviewers and quoted as saying the first piece of lit chiewrd since the book of genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race. that is high praise. why? >> well, i kept reading the back and i'd say to myself, this is a

classic work. and it kept going on. and i would say, by god, it's an abundance of it, it just doesn't end. it's classic. and when i was finished with it, i was baffled as to how to review it because it was so phenomenally impressive to me. the story was so complex, and it takes you over, you know, 100 years in a family, and in a society that stands for everything. and it was a believable, credible story. he turned the fables, the myths of our lives and amidst it the greek myths, the irish myths, the spanish myths and made it everyday currency in the lives of these people that he

invented. it wasn't mystical. it wasn't improbable. it wasn't a fairytale. it was the ghost walked, the ghosts disappear, come back, grow old, and it was just a very natural progression of life and told in these wonderful anecdotes that he strung together to create this world and this family of juan diaz, it was like nothing else. i mean, when you read the book, you've never read a book like this before. >> sreenivasan: you knew him personally as a friend. what was he like a person? what was it like to hang out with him? >> well, it was fun. he was a great conversationalist. he was a story teller. everything he told had a funny twist to it. he had a great wit, and he was a great guy.

but he was also -- he wouldn't monopolize the conversation except if you wanted him to. he was an easy-going conversationalist, and then a great presence. >> sreenivasan: william kennedy, thanks so much for your recollections. >> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day: pro-russian separatists refused to give up their weapons or the government buildings they've seized across eastern ukraine. the state department announced a new delay in approving the keystone oil pipeline project. environmental groups praised the move; republicans, including house speaker john boehner, were harshly critical. and in what may be the deadliest single incident on mount everest, an avalanche killed a dozen sherpa guides. four others were missing. on the newshour online right

now, a group of students in detroit are planning to make a trip to michigan's capital to protest a "zero tolerance" approach to school discipline. that might not seem like much of an undertaking, but they're making the 90-mile trek on foot. it's part of a three-day march called "youth voice." read about that on our "rundown." all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. and a reminder about some upcoming programs from our pbs colleagues. gwen ifill is preparing for "washington week," which airs later this evening. here's a preview: >> ifill: we are going deep on the cry vies in ukraine, on the politics of healthcare and the politics of money and on the troubling face of domestic terrorism. that's later tonight on "washington week." >> woodruff: on tomorrow's edition of pbs newshour weekend, correspondent dr. emily senay reports on a groundbreaking new class of drugs, and why they cost more in the u.s. than elsewhere in the world.

phillip deluca found out his bone marrow wasn't producing enough normal red blood cells and if the levels slipped too low, it could be life-threatening. deluca's medication procrit is known as a biologic, a relatively young and revolutionary class of drugs. the b biologic medication helped but is also extremely expensive. >> i was shocked. i had no idea that this could cost this much. >> reporter: why is it so expensive? some critics say because there's no system in place in this country that would make generic biologics available, but they are sold overseas and at a much lower price and have been for nearly eight years. there they are known as asbiosimilars. >> woodruff: and we'll be back, right here, on monday, with a conversation with former supreme court justice john paul stevens on his proposed changes to the constitution. that's the newshour for tonight.

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