captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama today stood behind the prisoner swap that freed an american soldier in afghanistan, in the face of lingering questions over the circumstances of army sgt. bowe bergdahl's capture. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. also ahead this monday, syrians went to the polls today in a presidential election widely condemned as rigged. we talk to former u.s. ambassador robert ford about what he sees as american miscalculations there. >> we were constantly behind the curve and that's why now we have extremist threats to our own country, so i can no longer

extend the policy. in public, it is time for me to go. ♪ it takes a lot of love and understanding ♪ >> woodruff: plus, the art of translating a life of hard knocks into music. >> woodruff: the story of soul singer charles bradley, and how he pours his years of struggle against adversity into every note. >> sometimes you'll hear me scream. i scream because it's like 40 words will come to me at one time and i cannot sing those 30 words. i can't, so i scream it. >> woodruff: 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: >> at bae systems, our pride and dedication show in everything we do; from electronics systems to intelligence analysis and cyber- operations; from combat vehicles

and weapons to the maintenance and modernization of ships, aircraft, and critical infrastructure. knowing our work makes a difference inspires us everyday. that's bae systems. that's inspired work. >> i've been around long enough to recognize the people who are out there owning it. the ones getting involved, staying engaged. they are not afraid to question the path they're on. because the one question they never want to ask is, "how did i end up here?" i started schwab with those people. people who want to take ownership of their investments, like they do in every other aspect of their lives. >> united healthcare-- online at uhc.com.

>> and the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ifill: the u.s. is set to increase its military presence in europe, to counter russian actions in ukraine. president obama arrived today in warsaw, poland and announced he'll ask congress for up to a billion dollars for the effort. the money would pay for sending more troops and equipment to the continent. >> the ability for people to make their own determinations about their country's future is the cornerstone of the peace and security that we've seen in europe over the last several decades.

and that is threatened by russian actions in crimea and now russian activity in eastern ukraine. >> ifill: the president remains in warsaw tomorrow, to meet with petro poroshenko, the president- elect of ukraine. >> woodruff: the ukrainian government reported new advances today against pro-russian rebels in the east. kiev claimed its forces broke through rebel positions on the outskirts of slovyansk, with help from warplanes, helicopter gun-ships and artillery fire. the interior ministry warned people to stay indoors, and civilians took refuge in basements and makeshift shelters while the fighting raged. >> ifill: in nigeria, a leading newspaper reported ten generals and five other top military officers have been convicted of aiding boko haram. they were found guilty of providing guns and information to the islamist group that's holding more than 200 school girls captive. meanwhile, in the capital, abuja, demonstrators defied an apparent ban on protests to

demand the government get the girls back. >> all we are saying to the government is just wake up and do what you are supposed to do. we are in this together, we are working together, all we want are these girls back home. if they don't want me to protest all they can simply do is bring back the girls now and alive. >> ifill: later, police said protesters were free to march after all. >> woodruff: former egyptian army chief abdel fattah al-sisi was officially declared the winner today in the country's presidential election. the election commission reported he won nearly 97% of the votes last month. turnout was only 47%. al-sisi led the military move to topple islamist president mohamed morsi last summer. >> ifill: back in this country, this was the biggest voting day yet this year. eight states held primary elections, including alabama, california, iowa, montana, mississippi, new jersey, new mexico and south dakota. senate and gubernatorial races topped the ballot. in california, democrat jerry

brown was seeking re-nomination for a fourth term as governor. >> i don't know what number election this is but its 40 years since i've first voted in the primaries in 1974. it's been a long journey. i've learned a lot and i hope if the people give me another four years that i can deserve their confidence and trust and lead california in so many different ways. >> ifill: nominations for a number of seats in the house of representatives were also being decided. >> woodruff: the former mayor of charlotte, north carolina, democrat patrick cannon, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud. he was arrested in a public corruption sting last march, after less than six months in office. the f.b.i. recorded him accepting thousands of dollars and airline tickets. cannon could get up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. >> ifill: in economic news, u.s. auto sales hit a seven-year high last month. chrysler, nissan and toyota

reported double-digit gains, and so did general motors. it had it's best month since august of 2008, with sales up 13%. that's despite an onslaught of recalls. ford sales rose just 3%, but that was better than expected. >> woodruff: on wall street today, the dow jones industrial average lost 21 points to close at 16,722. the nasdaq fell three points to close at 4,234. and the s-and-p 500 dipped a fraction of a point, to finish at 1,924. >> ifill: still to come on the newshour: the president stands behind the deal to free an american prisoner of war; political fallout from the new proposals to curb carbon pollution; a former ambassador's assessment of the u.s. response to syria; plus, putting a life of adversity and hardship to music, jeffrey brown talks to soul singer, charles bradley.

>> woodruff: there were more developments today in the controversy over the agreement which won freedom for an abducted u.s. solider, including an apology from the white house. >> the united states has always had a pretty sacred rule, and that is we don't leave our men or women in uniform behind. and that dates back to the >> woodruff: the debate over the deal to free sergeant bergdahl followed president obama to warsaw, poland, today. at a news conference with the polish president, he defended the prisoner swap with the taliban, and he said bergdahl has not yet been questioned about his disappearance in 2009. >> whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an american soldier back if he's held in captivity. period. full stop.

we don't condition that. and that's what every mom and dad who sees a son or daughter sent over into war theater should expect from not just their commander-in-chief but the united states of america. >> woodruff: early in his captivity, bergdahl said, in a taliban video, that he'd been taken prisoner while lagging behind a patrol. but since his release on saturday, soldiers who served with him in afghanistan have challenged his account. >> he walked away, he walked right off the base. the fact of the matter is, is he deserted us, in the middle of afghanistan, to go and find the taliban. >> woodruff: among the latest is former army sergeant evan buetow, bergdahl's team leader in afghanistan. >> people calling him a hero and people calling him this great soldier, its a spit in the face to, one: all the soldiers who

were there, and more importantly its a spit in the face to the soldiers who died as a direct result of him leaving. >> woodruff: according to the associated press, the pentagon concluded in 2010 that bergdahl walked away of his own accord, and it called off further rescue efforts. today, on his facebook page, army general martin dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, left open the possibility that bergdahl may be charged with desertion. he wrote: >> woodruff: but dempsey added: questions also continued about the five taliban leaders, long held at guantanamo bay, and flown to qatar, in exchange for bergdahl's release. the reuters news service

reported they've been moved to a residential compound and, it said, they are free to move about the country. president obama acknowledged today that some of them may try to return to the fight in afghanistan. but, he said: >> i wouldn't be doing it if i thought that it was contrary to american national security. and we have confidence that we will be in a position to go after them, if, in fact, they are engaging in activities that threat our defenses >> woodruff: the president has also taken heat for not telling congress the saturday swap was coming. this afternoon, deputy national security adviser tony blinken apologized to senators dianne feinstein and saxby chambliss, the top democrat and republican on the senate intelligence committee, for the lack of notification. earlier, mr. obama said his administration did discuss a possible bergdahl deal

with congress, in the past. but chambliss complained today that was a long time ago. >> i hadn't had a conversation with the white house on this issue for a year and a half and if that is keeping us in the loop, then this administration is more arrogant than i thought they were. >> woodruff: in a statement, house speaker john boehner said top lawmakers were briefed, more than two years ago. he said they raised serious concerns that were never properly addressed. bergdahl, meanwhile, spent a third full day at the u.s. military hospital in landstuhl, germany. officials said he's undergoing de-briefing and re-integration. >> woodruff: for more on all of this and a look at some of the options before the military in the bergdahl matter. we turn to new york times reporter eric schmitt. and retired lt. general chipman, judge advocate general and as such the army's top lawyer. we welcome you both. eric schmitt, what is the best information you have about the

circumstances of bergdahl leaving his post? >> right now the circumstances appear to be as the soldiers in his unit suggested that he did voluntarily walk off his base in june 2009 into a hostile environment with the taliban nearby. why he did that is still not known and that's what's going to be going on with these debriefings you mentioned in your report. clearly, this was an individual who had expressed mixed concerns about his mission in afghanistan to his parents and e-mails to his soldier comrades. exactly why he did what he did when he did it, those are answers we're waiting for. >> woodruff: eric, this is not just one comrade but several who are saying he walked away. >> that's right, that's what pentagon and officials have told us at the "new york times" as well that he did voluntarily walk away from his post in eastern afghanistan in 2009. again, what his intentions were,

there have been suggestions he deliberately deserted to join the taliban and we have seen no evidence yet of that. but as gen. dempsey said today, there will be an investigation. >> woodruff: let's talk about an investigation. as we heard from eric schmitt, there's not just one but several soldiers who served with mr. bergdahl who say he left of his own accord. is that the same as desertion? >> no, it doesn't mean the same as desertion. he may have left of his own accord. that will be proven in the final investigation because what we have right now is an effort that went underway when he left back in 2009. now we'll have a chance to interview sergeant bergdahl to determine from him what was your intent, what was your perspective, what were you thinking at the time, and that the that will enable us to

conclude that investigation that really needs his perspective as well. >> woodruff: as we said in that report, we said the pentagon concluded in 2010, the year after he left, that he did walk away. so what more information will they need? if he did make this decision on his own, what will be a mitigating circumstance that would explain it? >> well, you will want to know from him what was your motivation, what were the circumstances that led you to walk away, if that's, in fact, what occurred, and i don't think you can determine that without getting into his state of mind and the actions he took at that time, and only he can fully supplement what we already know. so i think, you know, one of the elements under the code, under the uniform code of military justice to prove desertion is an attempt to remain away permanently from military duty. that's what we'll find out. what was his motivation, what was he thinking and what did he intend to accomplish at that

time. >> woodruff: so there's an investigation which goes on for presumably months. is that what normal procedures would be? >> it can be quicker than that, but i would expect with a case of this notoriety and interest, there will be a thorough investigation that could take a matter of months and, at the conclusion of that investigation, there will be a decision was there criminality involved, will we press charges under the uniform code. >> woodruff: eric schmitt, what are bergdahl's comrades in the army serving with him at the same time, what are they saying they believe was on his mind at the time? >> they are saying he expressed disillusion in 2009. it was in afghanistan at a very remote outpost, just 30 or so soldiers, a very small outpost in the mountains of eastern afghanistan, not far from the pakistan border. of course, the surge of troops

into afghanistan under the new president, president obama at that time, had not yet started. so it was a very difficult time and, as the soldier in your report indicate, hostilities all around. so it must have been very dangerous and depressing environment for these soldiers. >> woodruff: but what they are saying and what you were telling us is that he gave every indication after a period of time that he was disillusioned and that he was thinking about leaving the military. we know there were communications between him and his parents. >> that's right, but as the general said to, really understand his long-term goal, was he just in a fit of depression, walked off the base? what were his goals and intentions and his long-term goals? again, there have been no indication from military investigators that we've spoken to during this whole period that he's been missing and more recently that he had any intent to go over to the other side to help the taliban. again, these are things we don't

know until the military investigators actually speak to him and find out what was his state of mind at the time, what was going through his head and his intentions when he left the post. >> woodruff: and general, just to be more clear about what we're talking about, you said you will be wanting to know his long-term intention. does that mean he had to have been planning to join the enemy or simply that he was just walking away from the united states military? >> it doesn't mean that he was planning to join the enemy, judy. desertion is when you leave military service with an intent to remain away permanently from military control. so what your ultimate motivation is, to join the enemy, to go away to canada, europe, desertion is complete when you have proven or we have proven, the prosecution has proven that you do not ever intend to return to military control. we've had desertion as an offense under the code for a long time, prosecuted in

desserters in conflicts. >> woodruff: i know martin dempsey, chairman of joint chiefs, is quoted as saying he is innocent until proven guilty, as is the case with all americans. how tough a standard is it to prove someone deserted? >> it's difficult to prove. it's a subjective standard. you have to be in the mind of the soldier. how do you show that intent? it can be circumstantial in the testimony of his peers, fellow soldiers. it can be his direct quotes -- i intended to leave and never come back to the u.s. -- but it can be very difficult to prove a desertion case, unlike absence without leave, where, when you leave without authority, that's pretty much all you have to prove. >> woodruff: does the army go in with a predisposition or a completely open mind? >> with a completely open mind. as general dempsey said, if we prefer charges here, he is

presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a proceeding. we'll have a charge sheet and let the prosecution play out as in any other case if we press charges. >> woodruff: we thank you both. >> thank you. >> ifill: the president's proposal to cut carbon emissions may not take full effect for several years, but the politics kicked in immediately. in states where nearly all of the electricity is generated by coal, like west virginia and kentucky, democrats were quick to denounce the plan, which they fear would cost jobs. alison lundergan grimes, who is challenging senate minority leader mitch mcconnell, immediately distanced herself from the plan. >> i will fiercely oppose the president's attack on kentucky's coal industry.

but a recent "washington post"/a.b.c. news poll found 70% of americans actually support curbing greenhouse gas emissions. joining us for a look at how the decision is resonating politically, are susan page of "usa today" and reid wilson of "the washington post." susan, the coal map, is it near the battleground map we have been watching? >> it mirrors the key states where there are competitive senate races, control of the senate, states like west virginia, arkansas, kentucky, louisiana, colorado, these are states where most of the electricity is generated by coal fired plants. this may not be a big controversy in some states in the country but it's a big controversy in the states on which control of the senate now hinges. >> ifill: a regional or national issue? >> it's a regional issue. a lot of states on the coast specifically the northeast have curbed carbon emissions a lot. the plan by the e.p.a. requires states to curb them 30% less than in 2005. a number of states have already

met that particular goal. the problem is, it's not in that section of midwest america where coal is still a huge portion of the state's energy concerns. >> ifill: is the concern, susan, about jobs, mines that would close, or federal intervention? >> it's about both. the sperld intervention argument works particularly well because the president didn't do this because he wasn't able to get it through congress, he's doing it as executive action, so that fuels the idea as with the healthcare plan that it's a federal mandate on the states. but they're arguing about jobs and that's incredibly powerful in states like kentucky which is the highest -- you know, the senate race we're looking at closely because of the future of the leading republican senator is at stake there. the jobs argument is also a powerful one. >> ifill: there are some leading democrats who are also facing a pretty tough race in

some coal states and i'm thinking about mary landrieu in louisiana. >> mary landrieu has made her influence on the committee where she is a chairwoman a central part of her campaign. she is pro drilling, in favor of fracking, basically any energy proposal you will come up with, she'll back. last week she took the secretary of energy around southern louisiana. she's trying to tell voters she is going to be a pro-energy democrat. more voters are voting on her being a democrat than her policy proposal in the first place so that will be a difficult challenge as she faces one of the toughest reelections. >> ifill: take us to alaska and west virginia. >> west virginia, senator rockefeller is retiring, we have two strong women candidates, both very much opposed, they say, to this plan. but one of them is a democrat.

one of them, the secretary of state. so despite her efforts to distance her self from president obama, it's hard for her to totally argue she's not a democrat although she differs with the president on the issue. >> ifill: mark in alaska faces this problem because he's an incumbent. why does the white house rub salt on the wound for this issue and make it so hard for democrats? >> i think in large part because president obama hears the clock ticking. he only has two and a half years until his successor takes over. if he doesn't start the implementation process, the rule won't be finalized by the time he leaves office. if a republican president is the next one in, they can scrap this rule before it has taken effect. remember, president obama's 2008 acceptance speech in the democratic convention, he said this will be the time when the planet starts to heal. this is the most aggressive step any president has taken on

climate change so far but it's a step that clearly puts his party and very vulnerable members seeking reelection at odds with voters who will term the outcome of the u.s. senate. >> ifill: the words "climate change" didn't show up much, it was all about health and children's asthma concerns and jobs. >> because those are the words that appeal to a broader range of voters. when you talk about vitamin change, it's an issue that a-- climate change, it appeals to some voters but turns others off. i agree with reid. the president is thinking about his legacy. could his legacy be dealing with an issue he talked about so much in the 2008 campaign like climate change or holding the democratic senate. given the choice, he would pick climate change every day. but if you are in north carolina

or others, would you like it to be the race in the senate. >> mark in colorado c is in a very competitive race, saying we need to do things like this, we need to address claimant change. hagan in north carolina in a very close race is saying we need balance, so we'll have a test in november about whether this issue is devastating for democrats or whether it's one where the needle can be threaded. >> ifill: it's also one of the issues where there's a lot of money coming from outside the states? for instance, we saw pro-environmental money coming into the states on these issues as well as anti. >> donors who care about climate change are becoming a large part of the democratic primary, the democratic money pool led by a millionaire in california named tom stire who pledged a million dollars of his own money for key races in new hampshire,

california and colorado. and a difference in the past and now is in the past people who cared a lot about climate change talked about global warming and the rising of the seas and polar bears falling in the water in the arctic and all the,, and now what they will talk about is drought in iowa and floods in north carolina and sort of the immediate, everyday impact, public health will be a huge part, whether or not your children have asthma. they will try to connect climate change to our everyday lives and everybody's pocketbook issues and make it resonate on a more personal level than in the past. >> ifill: and then we stop and think,eth not all that unusual for democrats to be running against democrats or republicans running against republicans in mid-term elections. >> it's true. but we also know the popularity of the president is a big factor in the mid-term election especially a 6-year mid-term. president obama is stuck in the low 40s and that's bad news for the democrats in competitive

races. >> ifill: susan page, reid wilson, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: we turn now to today's national elections in syria, and an inside critical look at the obama administration's handling of the country's crisis. >> woodruff: explosions sounded in the distance, outside damascus, on this election day. but voters came out in the thousands, in state-controlled parts of the country, and in a dramatic show of support for president bashar al-assad, many of them pricked fingers to mark ballots with their own blood. >> ( translated ): assad is a symbolic leader who deserves to be elected by blood. he will lead the country to be better, safer and more stable. >> woodruff: assad himself appeared confident and smiling as he cast his own vote, alongside his wife, asma. he's expected to gain an overwhelming victory. the syrian national coalition, the main western-backed

opposition group, boycotted the election. and in the north and west of syria, where rebels hold sway, voting didn't even take place. thousands of people had fled their cities to escape government bombing and insurgent warnings that they would try to disrupt the voting. instead, in the damascus suburb of douma, controlled by rebels, people cast fake votes for those killed by the syrian regime. >> ( translated ): we have prepared petitions and they have signatures of people who reject this rule. they are trying to strip it of its legitimacy. we don't know how to convince that we don't want him. we don't want this president. this is a criminal not a president. >> woodruff: across the border in jordan's zaatari refugee camp, syrians dropped shoes in a trash can labeled "ballot box," to demonstrate their disgust. they're among nearly three million people who've fled syria in three years of civil war.

another 6.5 million are displaced internally. and, the opposition estimates more than 160,000 have been killed. now, the tide of war has shifted somewhat in assad's favor, with pro-government forces recapturing key cities. and peace talks in geneva between the syrian national coalition and the syrian government collapsing in february. it's all a far cry from president obama's long-time insistence that assad has no future in syria. >> assad needs to go. he needs to transfer power to a transitional body. that is the only way that we're going to resolve this crisis. >> woodruff: last year, the president did threaten military strikes, forcing the regime to give up its chemical weapons. but the u.s. has balked at giving heavy arms to the rebels, in part because islamist militants have taken a lead role on the battlefield.

just last week, in his west point commencement address, the president recommitted to aiding the opposition, without giving any details. >> i will work with congress to ramp up support for those in the syrian opposition who offer the best alternative to terrorists and brutal dictators. and we will continue to coordinate with our friends and allies in europe and the arab world to push for a political resolution of this crisis. >> woodruff: one key figure in the administration's syria policy over the past few years has been ambassador robert ford. the career diplomat was installed in damascus just ahead of the uprising, and drew the regime's ire by attending an opposition rally in 2011. ultimately, he left syria for safety reasons and but remained critically involved before he left government in february of this year. chief foreign affairs correspondent margaret warner sat down with him today, on the first day he has agreed to be

interviewed on television since his departure, to discuss the election and what he sees as the failures of u.s. policy. >> reporter: ambassador ford, thank you for joining us. >> my pleasure to be here. >> reporter: president assad seems to be coasting to another victim yi in an election. what's going to be the impact on the political and the battl battlefield situation? >> i don't think it will have much impact on the battlefield. i have no indication that the opposition and the ormd opposition groups are going to stop fighting, so the election will have no result on that. politically, it will cheer assad supporters. i've seen pictures of celebrations in syria today. but it really is simply a signal -- the election is a signal to us to, other countries in the region, europe, et cetera, that assad is not leaving, he is staying, deeply entrenched in the capital in syria even as other parts of the country remain outside his

control. >> reporter: is it time for us to recognize that, in fact, he's going to be a long time? both the strategy of the opposition and western-backed gulf and neighbors -- >> certainly the efforts we've made today have not worked. they've not put enough pressure on the regime on the ground and that's why the peace talks in january and february in geneva when i was there, completely refused to discuss a settlement. they're not under enough pressure to negotiate. so we need to think about how to escalate pressure. >> reporter: certainly not a transition that did not include assad as a part of it. >> the message of the election is that he's not going anywhere. >> reporter: you left as ambassador in 2012. >> in february. >> reporter: in fear of your own safety and that of the embassy. >> yes. >> reporter: but you stayed at the state department. why have you left now. >> in the end, margaret, i worked from washington on the

syria issue for two years. events on the ground were moving and our policy was not evolving very quickly. we were constantly behind the curve, and that's why, now, we have extremist threats to our own country. we had a young man from florida, apparently, involved in a suicide bombing, and there will be more problems like that, i fear. our policy was not evolving -- finally i got to the point where i could no longer defend it publicly. as a professional career member of the u.s. diplomatic service, when i can no longer defend the policy in public, it is time for me to go. >> reporter: what is the biggest mistake you think the obama administration, this government made? >> we have consistently been behind the curve. the events on the ground move more rapidly than our policy has been adapting and, at the same time, russia and iran have been driving this by steadily increasing passively, especially the iranians, their support to

the syrian regime and the result of that has been more threats to us in a space which assad can't retake. we need and have long needed to help moderates in the syrian opposition with both weapons and other relief assistance. had we done that a couple of years ago, had we ramped it up -- frankly, the al quaida groups that have been winning adherence would have been unable to compete with the moderates who, frankly, we have much in common with. but the moderates have been fighting constantly with arms tied behind their backs because they don't have the same resources that either assad or the al quaida groups in syria do. >> reporter: the arguments we all heard from many in the white house is if we arm the opposition we don't know who will get ahold of the arms. >> i heard the arguments, margaret. to be very frank, we have plenty of information on reliable

groups and we have long had that. it is a question of whether or not there's a will to actually help people who's agenda is compatible with our national security interests and then to make a decision and push forward. and that really is questioned before the administration. >> reporter: and who lacks the will. is it the president? >> i'm simply going to say that i think it's on record now that the state department, for a long time has advocated doing much more to help the mo moderates in the syrian opposition. in 2011, what i saw with my own eyes, those people need more help. worries that it will trickle into their hands on bring in american troops directly, nobody is asking for american troops to be sent there. i was in iraq five years. the last thing we want is a

repeat of the iraq experience. but there are other tools in our toolkit and those are the things we need to work on in conjunction with our allies in the region. >> reporter: now, president obama in his west point speech last week said he was going to ramp up support to the opposition but left totally unspecified. what does that say to you? what does that mean? >> it's not clear to me yet if they are prepared to ramp it up in such a way that it will be meaningful on the ground, and that's really what matters. this is a civil war. if we can't get to a political negotiation until the balance on the ground compels -- and i use that word precisely -- compels assad not to run sham elections but rather to negotiate a political deal. but the situation on the ground is key. >> reporter: do you think it's too late at this point? >> no, i absolutely don't, but i do think that the way the policy has been moving has been so slow on our part, and that has caused frustration in the region, it's

caused huge frustration among large segments of the syrian population. so i'm hoping that president's speech signals that now we are getting more serious, but we'll have to see what happens on the ground. >> reporter: and if this conflict continues for years as it is now, does that increase the terrorist threat to the united states? >> i think it can't help but do that because there are large parts of syria that are basically ungoverned and, just as happened in afghanistan, just as happened in somalia, just as has happened in mali and yemen, when you have large, ungoverned spaces, groups especially like al quaida are quite skilled at setting up operations there and then sending out people, sending out resources, is sending out money, coordinating. it's very dangerous. we warned about this years ago on the syria team at the state department. we expected this is was going to

happen. >> reporter: but the warnings went unheeded? >> the policy has evolved very sloals and events on the ground have not evolved as slowly. events on the ground, it's a dynamic situation, it changes. >> reporter: robert ford, thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> woodruff: this afternoon, state department spokeswoman marie harf was asked about ambassador ford's criticisms of the administration's syria policy and why it compelled him to leave government. here is an excerpt of her response from the daily press briefing. robert ford, a very long distinguished career here, now a private citizen, is entitled to his own views. the president was clear last week and we've all been clear we're frustrated by the situation in syria. west point said we'll increase opposition because more bork needs to be done. look at today, the photos, disgusting photos of president assad voting acting like this is a real election.

nobody working on it is happy with where things are. we'll all frustrated and i think you heard some of that in ambassador ford's comments. >> reporter: that was u.s. state department spokeswoman marie harf. we'll be back with soul singer charles bradley. >> ifill: we'll be right back with jeffrey brown's profile of

>> woodruff: finally tonight, at the age of 65, he's an up and coming singer and songwriter. jeffrey brown has the story.

(music) >> brown: it's is voice and the energy that grab you first. a new force in old-fashioned soul music. it's garnered a small but growing following for charles bradley. supported by a group of funk all-star called the mennahan street band, he's been on tour for a year to promote his album "victim of love" packing intimate venues across north america, europe and down under. fans who come to witness and preach the gospel of soul. >> when i get on that stage, i open my heart and let the spirit run free. i show the love that god gave me. ♪ we've got to change our evil ways ♪

>> when i scream, i scream because it's like 30 words coming to me at one time. how can i say those 30 words? i can't. i scream it. (screaming) ♪ >> brown: the intensity comes honestly. after a life of hard knocks, bradley got his first big break at age 62, when dabtone, a record label helped him bring about a resurgence of soul music helped him release his first album "no time for dreaming," rolling stone named it one of the best albums of 2011. but for bradley his success is the accumulation of life marked by adversity. ♪ ♪ nobody wants to take the blame ♪ >> brown: bradley grew up in new york city and spent most of

his life in poverty. as a an adult, he spent most of his time on the streets and struggled to make ends meet. >> i left home at 14. i had been living in the streets and i have been through so many things in my life. >> brown: it was an opportunity with job corps, the vocational training program created in 1964 as part of president lyndon johnson's war on poverty that led bradley to his first gig. >> when i turned 16, i went to the first job corps and he said, you look like james brown. i learned two songs and they asked me to join the band there. they said, can you sing? i was afraid. they gave me a little gin and i got a little popped up. i said, give me that mic.

i started singing and never put the mic down. >> put your hands together for james brown, jr.! (cheers and applause) ♪ >> brown: bradley's uncanny resemblance to the godfather of soul wasn't lost on him. when he was finally discovered by daptone, bradley was well into his '50s and making a living with a james brown act known as black velvet. these days, bradley's songs reflect the story of his own past, one of the most heartbreaking heartaches tells the story of the death of his brother who was shot in his home in new york city. ♪ your brother is gone

♪ oh! . >> brown: the band leader is bradley's writing partner. >> it's impossible for charles to sing and not be incredibly soulful. that comes from the pain. the place he sings from is a place of pain and frustration. he doesn't particularly like to sing so much about the good times as much as he likes to sing about the things that, you know, the trials and tribulations of his life and the struggle. >> brown: for bradley, it's a struggle worth fighting for many more years to come. >> all my life, i've always been looking for a dream from the age of 14, and i don't stop. i don't stop. i keep going. ♪ (cheers and applause)

>> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day. president obama defended the deal that freed army sergeant bowe bergdahl, in exchange for five top afghan taliban members. the president also called for spending up to $1 billion on beefing up the u.s. military presence in europe, to counter russian actions in ukraine. and thousands of syrians voted in government-controlled parts of the country. there was little doubt that bashar al-assad would win a new, seven-year term. >> ifill: on the newshour online, tech titans like google and microsoft have made huge investments in artificial intelligence to deliver tailored searches and build virtual personal assistants. now that same approach is helping doctors improve patient care, by tapping into data that can help them personalize treatment. how far can computers encroach on doctors' turf? read the report from kaiser health news on our homepage.

all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. >> woodruff: and that's the newshour for tonight. on wednesday, we'll look at the escalation of violence in ukraine as president obama meets with the newly elected president in warsaw. i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. we'll see you on-line, and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us here at the pbs newshour, thank you and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us.

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this is nightly business report with tyler mathisen and susie gearing. in the fast lane, auto sales surge in may and when the detroit automakers do well, a lot of other companies and their stocks may follow. dials in, dow component at&t is doing something we don't often see, raising its full-year revenue forecast for the second time. so, why did the stocks trade lower? payday, seattle approves the nation's highest minimum wage. will it mean higher prices, lower employment and why should a city set wages at all? all that and more tonight on nightly business report for tuesday, june 3rd. good evening, everyone. american consumers were busy buying cars in may and