captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: president obama meets with congressional leaders to discuss his strategy to battle islamic state militants. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. also ahead this tuesday: the u.s. increases aid to west africa to treat and contain ebola as the disease claims nearly 2,300 lives and conditions on the ground unravel. >> ifill: plus, how drones can save farmers money and limit fertilizer runoff from polluting the great lakes. >> and this planet continues to have more people on it, so we have to do a better job and get more out of the land we have to

get higher yields to feed more as this technology moves forward its going to help me do a better job at what i'm doing and help agriculture in general. >> ifill: those are just some of the stories we're covering on tonight's pbs "newshour." >> 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. >> 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. >> woodruff: health officials reported stark new numbers today in the ebola outbreak across west africa. the world health organization said confirmed deaths have reached nearly 2,300 out of

4,200 cases. meanwhile, a fourth american aid worker infected with the virus returned to the united states for treatment. the still unidentified patient was seen arriving at emory university hospital in atlanta this morning. we'll take a closer look at u.s. efforts to fight the outbreak, later in the program. >> ifill: carbon dioxide levels in the world's atmosphere hit a record high last year. the u.n.'s weather agency reported today, concentrations of the gas last year rose by the most on record. they're now nearly 40% higher than pre-industrial levels. the world meteorological organization warned the trend is not only warming the earth, it's accelerating. >> this year the important additional news is that the rate of increase of the fuel concentration see even faster than the previous year. it was fastest rate over more than 30 years.

>> ifill: the surge is tied to increased emissions and to the diminishing ability of the oceans and plant life to absorb any more carbon dioxide. meanwhile, a separate report warned of the effects of warming on north american birds. the national audubon society said 126 species could lose half or more of their habitat by mid-century, unless climate change slows. >> woodruff: the death toll keeps climbing in monsoon flooding across pakistan and indian-controlled kashmir, after the heaviest rain in 50 years. officials said today more than 440 people have died, and they warned hundreds more villages could be inundated. houses in kashmir remained under water as people gathered on rooftops, waiting to be rescued. more than 1.5 million people are affected. >> ifill: dutch authorities issued initial findings today in the ukraine air disaster that killed 298 people. the report bolstered suspicions that a malaysian plane was shot out of the sky. richard pallot of independent television news has this report.

>> reporter: on another malaysia airlines flight, two more bodies were returned today, almost two months on. for these families in kuala lumpur, at least some sort of closure, many relatives still do not have that, but now all have an official steer as to what happened. a report released by crash investigators in holland, the country that more than half the victims were from, concluding that mh-17 broke up after being hit by numerous objects at high velocity. photos clearly demonstrating the holes in the fuselage, with no evidence of any technical or human error. >> the pattern of damage to the body of the aircraft and the cockpit is consistent will the damage that would be expected with a large number of high energy objects that penetrated the aircraft. >> reporter: it stops short of saying the plane was definitely hit by shrapnel from a missile, but in reality, it points to little else.

the report is based on purely pictures and videos from the scene, because fighting in the area has meant it's not been safe enough for investigators to visit. the malaysian government are now >> reporter: the blame at the moment is still believed to be with pro-russian separatists. the final report will be published within a year. at a similar time to the findings of a separate criminal investigation, the largest of it's kind in dutch history. >> ifill: the rebels denied again today that they shot down the plane. a top commander told a russian newspaper, "we simply don't have the technology." >> woodruff: in yemen, violence between soldiers and shiite protesters erupted today. medical officials said at least four people were killed when troops fired on a crowd trying to storm the cabinet building. anti-government demonstrations have gripped the capital city, sanaa, for weeks. >> ifill: a federal judge in miami has re-sentenced convicted terrorist jose padilla to 21 years in prison. an appeals court had ruled the

original sentence of 17 years was too lenient. padilla was originally charged, in 2002, with plotting to set off a "dirty bomb" loaded with radioactive material. that charge was later dropped, but padilla was ultimately convicted of taking part in a terror conspiracy. >> woodruff: investigations at veterans affairs hospitals have found widespread efforts to hide delays in health care. the department's inspector general told senators today that managers at more than a dozen facilities lied to investigators. at the same hearing, v.a. secretary robert mcdonald said the agency has now contacted more than 266,000 veterans to get them appointments. >> ifill: on wall street today, the dow jones industrial average lost 97 points to close below 17,014. the nasdaq fell 40 points to close at 4,552. and the s-and-p 500 dropped 13, to finish at 1,988. >> woodruff: still to come on

the newshour: senators weigh in on how to tackle islamic state militants. what the u.s. is doing to help stop the ebola outbreak from spiraling out of control. using drones to help farmers limit fertilizer flowing into lake erie. why victims of domestic violence stay in abusive relationships and how to break the cycle. and apple unveils a new way to replace your wallet with your phone. >> ifill: now, how to combat the islamic state group, also known as isis. it's the biggest problem facing political leaders in washington this week. >> ifill: president obama called congressional leaders to the white house this afternoon to review the strategy he'll outline tomorrow night for the nation. he made no public comment, but spokesman josh earnest said the president is looking for congressional buy-in.

>> the president believes that's important because he understands that congress has and should have a role as these important decisions are being made. this is a priority because the president believes that when you have the executive branch and the legislative branch, democrats and republicans bridging divides to present a united front, both to our enemies but also to the international community, it only strengthens the hand of our country as we confront those threats. >> ifill: but the white house would not reveal if mr. obama will seek formal authorization to use force against the "islamic state" group. and, party leaders themselves remained divided over how to move forward. democratic majority leader senator harry reid was taking a wait-and-see approach. >> i'm inclined to not rush into anything. tomorrow the president is addressing the nation. that doesn't happen very often. and thursday afternoon we're having a briefing here from the

administration on what's going on in the middle east. so i don't know how others feel, but i'm just going to wait and try to get the facts. >> ifill: republican house speaker john boehner was also non-committal about seeking a vote. he said it depends on what's in the president's plan. >> what i'm hoping to hear from the president today is a strategy that goes after isis and destroys them. we have a very serious problem, and what we need is a strategy. and until there is a strategy, there is no reason to talk about any of the specifics. >> ifill: but senate minority leader mitch mcconnell said it's in the president's interest and the country's interest to take the issue to congress in advance. >> the view of myself and most of my members is the president should be seeking congressional approval period, for whatever he decides to do because that's the way you hear from those of us who represent everyone in the

country. that's the way you get congressional support. >> ifill: the u.s. military has been conducting limited air strikes against "islamic state" fighters in iraq for four weeks, without congressional approval. new polls out today found a majority of americans believe it's time to ratchet up the assault. a survey by "the washington post" and a.b.c. news reported 71% of those polled now support expanding air strikes in iraq. in addition, 65% back striking "islamic state" bases inside syria. a c.n.n. survey showed similar results. the administration is also trying to create an international coalition of supporting states. secretary of state john kerry left washington today to travel to jordan and saudi arabia. >> ifill: for the views from

capitol hill, we turn to two lawmakers actively engaged in the unfolding debate. republican senator jim inhofe of oklahoma- the ranking member on the senate armed services committee. and democratic senator tim kaine of virginia, who serves on the senate foreign relations and armed services committees. senator kaine, i'll start with you since the democrats have the majority in the senate right now. what do you need the hear from the president tomorrow night? >> well, gwen, i'm expecting and based on what i'm reading, i'm optimistic about the president laying out a crisp definition of what our mission should be to stop this admittedly serious threat with isil. and in particular i'm very interested in the work that the administration has been doing in the last few weeks to gather other nations who will support this effort. because they have a lot at risk. we can't police a region that won't take responsibility to police itself. those are some of the things that i'm most interested in hearing tomorrow night. >> ifill: senator inhofe, you've been critical of this president on this and other issues. what do you want the hear him say? >> first of all, i want him to

take a position and develop a strategy. gwen, i've been trying to get the president to come out with a strategy on the middle east since september of last year. now, of course, we're wanting a strategy specific to isis because that is the threat. and i'm very proud of secretary hagel for coming out and articulating this as the real threat to our mainland. i'm looking forward to having him come out with a specific strategy. if he doesn't do it, i've already filed an aumf that won't require him to do it, but nonetheless will require him to come up with a written strategy and then use all the resources. my concern is this: we don't have many disagreements between senator kaine and myself. i have a great deal of respect for him. we serve on the same committee. i think the president already has the authority. i think perhaps senator mccain is sure of that. nonetheless, we can eliminate all doubt by having an aumf and

say, president, you have the authority, win this war. >> let me ask you both about that issue about congressional agreement to go forward in iraq and in syria against isil or isis. senator kaine, do you make a distinction between consultation, talking to congress about this in advance, and asking congress's permission? >> i do, gwen. i have a pretty strict construction view of what i think these constitutional powers are. forgive me for being a big james madison fan, a virginian, but he crafted this pretty carefully, that it is congress that initiates the decision about whether to begin war. the president can take steps to defend the nation from an imminent and immediate threat. so when the president began in early august trying to protect american embassy personnel, that's the kind of thing a commander-in-chief can do, but when the air strike mission evolved to we need to protect this dam, or as the president said last week on tv, it's time to go on offense against isil, i don't think the president can wage an offensive war under

article 2 of the constitution or under either of the previous aumfs without congressional engagement. but i do agree with senator inhofe. if it's a close question, i've talked to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. i had lunch with the virginia delegation today, which is very bipartisan. i'm talking to constituents. they see isil as a threat. they think a narrow and tailored mission, straightly a mission of air strikes is something they would strongly support. when you see that support in the public and you start to see it across the aisle, i think that presents a good opportunity for the president to eliminate all doubt and make sure everybody is behind this mission. >> ifill: senator inhofe, the aums, authorization the use military force, do you know whether the leaders in the senate or the house who are meeting with the president today, even want a vote on this? >> well, you know, i don't know that because this meeting that they're having right now with the president was one that was unexpected and not known very far in advance. i made a presentation to our conference about this today, and

we're going to do another one tomorrow. so i don't know where everyone's going to be. i do know this, though, i was on the floor last night. i talked to... everybody member i talked to was in agreement that we need to do something. the president needs to have that authority, and gwen, we don't have the luxury of time like we have quite often. they're on the march right now. they've already killed americans. as far as i'm concerned, they've already declared war. >> ifill: senator kaine, he just talked about them being on the march and a threat to americans, but do we know if they are a threat domestically to america and whether there should be limits to what u.s. action is if that case is made? >> i would hope there would be limits. i think an important feature of an aumf is putting timing and limitations on it. the thing about the president's speech tomorrow is this: we all have access to intelligence as members of the senate. we get intelligence briefings. but nobody has as much intelligence in the capacity to gather the information that's most current as the president.

so his game plan tomorrow might is going to be inform by the full range of intelligence. that's why we're all excited to have the president make that address and lay out the case. i do think an aumf with some limiting factors is a good idea. i think the best process is for the president to put a proposal on the table and for us to debit it an revise it and amend it. that's normal of the way it happens, but i am certainly encouraging the president to do that if the president for some reason doesn't, i will contemplate the aumf that senator inhofe has introduced. there are some others that have been introduced as well. i hope the president will decide this with public support growing and members on the outside saying this is a threat we need to deal with. we can work together to find a common cause. that's good for the troops we send in harm's way to know they're carrying out a mission that has political consensus behind it. >> ifill: setting aside the question of congressional approval, which may or may not

happen, you gentlemen, senator inhofe, beginning with you, do you make a distinction between ground troops, the insertion of ground troops, and air strikes, whether it's inside syria or remains -- >> in fact, my aumf does not have restrictions or guidelines. i think this is what the president needs to do. obviously it's going to... right now there are ground troops already over there. if it takes ground troops, whatever it takes. this resolution doesn't say you are precluded from ground troops, nor does it say use ground troops. it says win a war. we're in a war. by the way, it can't go unnoticed that a poll this morning came out that 71% of the american people believe that it's a threat to the homeland, and 71% of the people do not think that the president has a strategy. i hope he can correct that situation. >> ifill: i'd like to ask senator kaine about that. then you can have a quick response also on the tail end of this, which is how do you rate your confidence in the ability of this white house, this president to have a strategy, an

overarching strategy for dealing with this? >> gwen, i have confidence, and i'm fully expecting to hear a very clear strategy tomorrow night. i think one of the elements that's taken some time from august 8th until today has been the president's strong desire to gather a coalition of nations to support this. remember, there are nations who face a much more imminent threat from isil than the united states. and we're also talking about a region that frankly has shown an unwillingness to police itself. getting a group like the arab league on board, a willingness to express their strong condemnation of these atrocities and their willingness to be engaged publicly in the effort to police their own region is very important. what i'm hearing from the white house suggests they've been spending a lot of time at the nato summit and other venues doing that. so i think we're going to hear a strong statement and a strategy tomorrow night that includes that element of international support, which you have to take time to build. that doesn't happen automatically. >> senator inhofe, is there anything the president can say

tomorrow night that will make you feel... have more faith and confidence? >> i hope that senator kaine is correct. i hope he comes out and articulates something. he's had time to do that now. if he doesn't, this aumf does require him to come up with a strategy in writing within 15 days. i want some action. we don't have the luxury of time right now. i hope you're right. >> ifill: senators jim inhofe and tim kaine, thank you both very much. >> thanks, gwen. >> thank you, gwen. >> ifill: i spoke with the two senators this afternoon before the white house meeting concluded. later white house officials said the president told lawmakers he has the authority he needs to take action against the islamic state group, but he would welcome action by congress. >> woodruff: in west africa, doctors are fighting the world's most deadly ebola outbreak with makeshift hospitals, a handful of vehicles and a few brave volunteer health workers.

meanwhile, terrified villagers and city-dwellers alike can only watch helplessly as their loved ones succumb to the disease. tonight's episode of "frontline" on p.b.s. takes an intimate and harrowing look at all this, on the ground in sierra leone. in the following scene, "frontline" cameras travel with a group of health workers who go to remote villages, searching for ebola's victims. >> narrator: they're heading to a village where ebola has already killed an old man. everyone they encounter, even those who look healthy, could be infectious. the team used to wear protective clothing, but the suits terrified the villagers who ran, hid and sometimes even attacked them. manjo now relies on keeping his distance from everyone he meets. >> my name is manjo, and this is

ishata from the world health >> narrator: a young woman is clearly unwell. >> narrator: kadiatu jusu is 25 years old, the mother of four children. >> narrator: her husband fallah is a farmer. he's 35. it was his father who died two weeks ago. isheta conteh can see kadiatu is almost certainly infected. >> she actually fits into the case definition because she was the one taking care of the old man, feeding him, cleaning where the old man was vomiting, and there was direct physical contact.

>> narrator: manjo disinfects kadiatu's home with chlorine. everything she touched could have been contaminated. isheta notes the names of everyone who's been in close contact with kadiatu. her children and husband are at the top of the list. >> 17. all these 17 people here. if anyone gets a fever or starts coughing or feels like they have malaria or pain all over their body or is vomiting or going to the toilet a lot, any of those symptoms, you must call us. they are all at risk. we need to monitor them for the next 21 days. >> narrator: fallah can't risk touching his wife to say goodbye.

>> woodruff: as we reported earlier, the number of ebola deaths in this latest outbreak now tops 23,00. to find out what the u.s. is doing to combat the deadly epidemic, i'm joined by nancy lindborg, assistant administrator at the united states agency for international development which has been heading up the government's response to this growing crisis nancy lindborg, thank you for joining us. again, how typical would you say that scene is that we just watched? >> i think that scene was unfortunately very typical, and what we're seeing is an unprecedented outbreak that is occurring across west africa, but particularly focused in countries that are only recently emerging from decades of civil war. so they had very fragile health systems to begin with. they also have practices that are enhancing the spread.

you heard about the burial practices that involved touching the dead. so we are working on strategy across the u.s. government that involves u.s.a.i.d., center for disease control, dod, state department to work with the global community and countries on the ground to help stop the transmission, to expand treatment and to stand up greater capacity at the local level to do exactly what you saw be able to address this. >> it's clear that this is an epidemic that is much worse than was thought a matter of a few months ago, a few weeks ago. what is the u.s. responsibility in all of this? at this point, there is not an ebola patient in the u.s. except those who have been transported to the u.s. from west africa. but what is the u.s. responsibility in this. >> our responsibility as a global leader is to do what we can to contribute to that

stopping of the transmission and the provision of the treatment and helping these countries stand up better systems. we're working closely with the global community, and this is really going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach. we just announced this morning a $10 million contribution to the african union as they mobilize a continent response. they've mobilized 100 health workers who are going in and will provide the logistical support for them to be successful. this will... we know what it takes to stop this. we also know that it will take significant ramping up by all the various partners, and it will probably take several months to get this under control. >> woodruff: $10 million. is that enough at this point? is that a drop in the bucket? how do you compare that to the challenge? >> that's just to support the african union mobilization. u.s. aid has committed about $100 million. we've got additional commitments from the dependent of defense. they're bringing in diagnostic

labs, a field hospital. we're bringing in almost a daily airlift of supplies, protective personal gear that you saw people wearing, the backpack sprayers, household kits so that households have what they need to take care of loved ones and keep themselves safe. food, a whole variety of supplies. >> woodruff: is the u.s. able to understand and to... i mean, do you now have a list somewhere that says, okay, here are all the things that are needed, and we're going to provide these things, or are you still figuring this out as you go along? >> we have a very clear strategy that we're pursuing in coordination with the world health organization, with the local countries, and their health systems and with our partners, the europeans and the african union. there is... it's stop the transmission, expand the

treatment and set up local systems, and also help the home health care strategy so that people are not continuing to handle the dead the way that they do and to practice the kind of daily health practices that can change forever the way this is transmitted. >> but that means getting more people on the ground to spread the word. >> absolutely. absolutely. well, both to spread the word and to help with the setting up of the treatment facilities. >> and as you -- at this point is it a matter of resources, or is it a matter of time, people? what is it that's needed most to bring this raging epidemic under control? >> it's really all of the above. it's surging in the supplies. it's surging in the people who are trained to have the very rigorous protocols required to provide the treatment. it's activating all the ways

that we can provide the information to people in the communities. we are... we've searched about 100 people into the region of... >> of americans? >> of americans, u.s.a.i.d., c.d.c., dod, all parts of the u.s. government on the ground to get us moving ahead and further identify how to plug in, how to activate a coordination system on the ground. >> woodruff: how much are you concerned? what are the odds, the chances that ebola could spread to the united states? >> part of what we've done is brought in a lot of those thermometers that we saw the health workers using and set up the kind of screening that is done at the airport so that there's that additional control. there's... we always want to be concerned about global epidemics, but this is

controllable and this is what we see this effort spread to places like senegal is that they have the systems to do the tracing, the treatment, and they're able to keep it from spreading. ultimately there needs to be strengthening of the health system so that when these kinds of cases appear, there can be the kind of immediate response that keeps it from becoming the kind of really terrible outbreak that we're seeing right now. >> an enormous task. nancy lindborg with trust agency for international development, we thank you. >> thank you. >> ifill: now, in the aftermath of the water quality emergency that plagued lake erie last month, some residents who live along its shores are calling for solutions. and they are looking outward, to the countryside. reporter christy mcdonald of detroit public television has our story.

>> reporter: farmer jeff sandborn thinks this drone could help solve the tainted water problem that left toledo, ohio without access to safe drinking water for three days earlier this summer. that's because experts believe the toxic algal bloom in lake erie that turned tap water noxious was caused by the fertilizer runoff from farms like sandborn's throughout the great lakes basin. >> we only have so much land that can grow crops, productive crops. and this planet continues to have more people on it, so we have to do a better job and get more out of the land we have to get higher yields to feed more people is what it boils down to. we're here to feed an ever- growing population. >> reporter: unfortunately, pressure to increase food production can have a negative impact on the environment, and today, many are convinced lake erie's problem starts on the farm. fertilizers that feed crops, like nitrogen and phosphorus, also feed the blue green algae in the water. experts believe changes in

farming practices have led to an increased amount of phosphorus run-off in recent years. kristy meyer works for the ohio environmental council, an advocacy group, where part of her time is spent sharing with other farmers best management practices for controlling run- off. >> so we've moved away from the small quaint farms to these larger farms. we are spraying this fertilizer out over the fields with huge equipment, and it just sits on top of the soil. but when we have these extreme storm events, it carries those fertilizers right off the land. >> reporter: right off the land, and into the rivers and streams that feed into major drinking water supplies. but how can farmers prevent run off from their fields? part of the answer is not overusing fertilizer. larry antosch from the ohio farm bureau says farmers would agree with that. >> the biggest cost that a farmer has is their fertilizer bill, so if i put on two extra pounds of a nutrient, then,

that's money essentially i'm throwing away. >> reporter: for sandborn, using fertilizer efficiently is a no- brainer. >> everything that i do on a field costs me money. whether it's the seed i buy, the fertilizer i use, the chemicals that are applied. so i want to grow as much crop as i can out of that given unit of fertilizer. >> reporter: increasing the amount of fertilizer does not necessarily mean a farmer will see an increase in the amount of crops he or she is able to produce. that's why sandborn has teamed up with michigan state university researcher bruno basso. basso's drone provides farmers with detailed maps, which can help them determine exactly how much fertilizer is needed in a specific location of a field, maximizing crop yield and minimizing harmful nutrient run- off. >> so a uniform application that normally a farmer does, by definition he over estimates

this input in one area, and he underestimates the input in another area, and one size fits all is not the case in agriculture, there is a lot of variability, so what does the drone do? it tells us about that variability. >> reporter: understanding field variability is one part of the puzzle, but for all that information to be useful, a farmer has to know what practical measures to take. that's why basso is also developing a predictive modeling software that allows a farmer to digitally test-out a fertilizer application. >> you can simulate your field, and you compare two nitrogen treatments, and you basically learn that 80% of the time 100 kilograms will give you the same response as 200 kilograms. or maybe 100% of the time, so if you get that kind of confidence, why use 200? >> reporter: for sandborn, implementing new technology to

increase fertilizer efficiency is more than a smart business decision. >> we want to do the best we can with every year we get to farm. so anything that bruno's doing or you know as this technology moves forward its going to help me do a better job at what i'm doing and help agriculture in general. >> reporter: experts agree, doing a better job means incorporating a suite of fertilizer best management practices known in the agricultural community as the "four r's" that's right fertilizer source, applied at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. >> "four r" program really looks at blending together conservation practices for nutrient management, that protect the economic, the social and the environmental concerns of, of society and, and of the farmer themselves. >> reporter: farmers say practices recommended in the four rs make sense, like avoiding fertilizer application before a large storm, where it will wash-off of the crops and into nearby rivers and streams,

and perhaps that's why many say they are already doing the right thing. >> agricultural community has been engaged in the discussions early on to, to be uh, part of the solution. >> reporter: lana pollack, the united states section chair of the international joint commission overseeing the great lakes, believes these types of voluntary conservation efforts are a step in the right direction, but they simply don't go far enough. that's why she thinks government regulation of fertilizer use is necessary. >> no one wants to ruin the lake. no one wants to deny people their drinking water for heaven's sake. and no one wants to waste money putting on phosphorous that's going to fertilize the lake instead of their, their, their, corn. but it's not working. so whatever they're doing is clearly not enough. >> reporter: farm-lobbying

groups, like the ohio farm bureau, would prefer conservation and best management practices remain voluntary for farmers. >> they like to be able to have control of their operation. have the ability to oversee and to make the management decisions that they want to do or the things that are most appropriate to them versus a regulatory approach in which everyone must do the same thing. >> reporter: but to environmental advocates, the time for voluntary conservation on the part of farmers is over. they argue that more regulation of the agricultural sector is necessary to reduce the toxic blooms. >> if i want to open up a business, i'm pretty sure i'm gonna have to apply for a number of permits. so agriculture is really a business. in ohio, it's our number one industry. so, maybe it should be started to treat like a business. it's not just an ohio problem. it's not just a lake erie problem. it isn't just a national problem. it's an international problem. >> reporter: the u.s. and canada are working to create new

targets for how much phosphorus can flow into the lake-those might be announced this fall. and the international joint commission, which has no regulatory power, is encouraging state, federal, and international lawmakers to start enacting policy that will clean up the great lakes. >> ifill: detroit public televison is co-hosting a conference on the future of the great lakes this week. topics range from algae blooms to the threat of plastics in the water to concerns about oil pipelines. you can watch it all in a live- stream on our website. check the rundown for times. >> woodruff: the numbers are staggering. one in every four women in the u.s. will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. and an estimated 1.3 million american women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. in many cases the abuse is coupled with silence.

but the release of a video this week of an n.f.l. star hitting his then-fianceée has sparked a national conversation on how best to address the issue. >> woodruff: ray rice won't be playing nfl football any time soon, but the storm swirling around him only intensified today. the star running back told espn and cnn he's trying to be strong for his family. he was let go monday by the baltimore ravens and suspended indefinitely by the nfl. that's after tmz sports released video that showed him slugging his then-fiancee, janay palmer, last february. vice president joe biden joined the national conversation about the incident, appearing on nbc's "today show" with tamron hall. >> when the video was out there and you saw how brutal it was, the ravens did the right thing: fired him. immediately. now you can argue they should

have done it sooner, they didn't want it, whatever the reason is, it's happening. >> woodruff: the ravens had defended rice when the incident first happened, and nfl commissioner roger goodell suspended him for two games. he later acknowledged he mishandled the case. today, there were new calls for goodell to resign. and rice's now-wife janay spoke out. in a post today on instagram, she defended her husband, saying: >> woodruff: her decision to marry rice, even after the incident, also generated widespread commentary on social media. on twitter, thousands of assault victims used the hashtags "why i stayed" and "why i left" to tell their personal stories of

abuse. >> woodruff: to help us better understand this complex issue, i am joined by esta soler, founder and president of "futures without violence," a non-profit group that works to end physical abuse she was also influential in the passage of the 1994 "violence against women act" which celebrates its 20th anniversary today. esta soler, welcome to the news hour. >> thank you so much. >> woodruff: speaking of the violence against women act, i understand you just came from a celebration of the anniversary today in washington. >> i did. it was vice president biden. we were celebrating the 20th anniversary. and there's some good news to celebrate. >> woodruff: i want to ask you about that. it takes some times a case like this for us to begin to talk about these issues, but how... first of all, how common is domestic physical abuse in this country today? >> well, it's way too common,

but let me put that in context. in celebrating the 20 years since the passage of the violence against women act, we have seen a 64% reduction for domestic violence among adult women. that is extraordinary. so what i think we need to say is take a pause and say, we have made some progress. but we're only really half-way there. what this case points out, what the ray rice situation points out is we still have so much more work to do. >> woodruff: why has there been progress? i want to preface by saying you were telling us this happens across all social, economic, racial lines. it happens to men, as well, as women and children. >> that's right. that's right. >> woodruff: why has there been some progress? what's happened? >> well, for a couple of reasons. in every community across the country, there are women and men who have created services that are providing critical support to people who are in these situations.

since the passage of the violence against women act, we have seen a comprehensive response from law enforcement, from the judiciary coming together and basically creating a support system and a prosecutorial system that holds people accountable. so we have been able since 1994 to say in this country, though clearly we have so much more work to do, that there's no excuse for domestic violence, that it's not excusable. there's no reason for it. we need to continue to say that because we're only half-way there. >> but it is still, as you were just saying, still happening. >> it is. it is. >> woodruff: why it is happening, and why, as we saw in the instance of ray rice and his now-wife janay, people who are victims of abuse stay with their partners. why? >> well, there are a couple of things. first of all, i believe this violence is preventable.

i think it's learned, and if it's learned, it can be unlearned. while we have put in place a very good comprehensive system with law enforcement and our judiciary and support services and shelt, across this land, we have not done enough for our young people, for kids in high school, in middle school, and we've been hearing about the horrific epidemic of sexual assault on our college campuses. we need to do way more for our young people because at the end of the day, you can give people tools to have healthy relationships. if you've seen it, if you've witnessed it in your home, you need to unlearn it. that's the next body of work that we need to do. why do people stay? people stay for a lot of reasons. my question is: why do people abuse? at the end of the day, we need to make sure that before somebody abuses we give them the tools so they can lead a better life. >> but is there enough information out there for victims of domestic abuse to

know where they can go for help? >> well, i hope we have enough information out there. i think we'll redouble our efforts as i was going in the cab to celebrate the violence against women act and seeing the horrific image of that video, i said the myself, yes, we've done a lot, but we obviously have to do way more. there is national hot line. there are programs in every community that are doing extraordinary services. but we obviously need to reach everybody and we have not done that yet. >> and this involves health care providers, doctors, nurses. >> workplaces. it's really, really important. >> woodruff: so it's not just police. >> i totally agree with you. we now know that most people either talk to a friend or they tell somebody who they know that this is going on. so it's really important that we equip everybody with the right information. >> so what advice would you give for someone who is either in a

situation where they are being abused, know of someone who is being abused or someone that... a friend that's confided in them or they have strong reason to believe it? >> i think the most posh thing is if you can, get somebody to support you, speak out and believe that there is a better way. i think at the end of the day, too many people think that there's a reason why they should stay in a situation. they might be afraid. they might think that, oh, my god, what am i going to do for our kids? but at the end of the day, that's not going to stop the violence. what's going to stop the violence is the violent person needs to stop the violence. and it's really important for people to know that they're not going to be able to do that. >> because in some of these instances, it is financial support. >> i absolutely agree. >> if they separate from this individual, how will they survive? >> i think that's real. so i think the programs that really empower women economically are absolutely essential so that they have

options to choose a different life if that's what... that they have that option. i also think what's really important is that we change the norms. it's really critical that the social norm says very clearly that there's no excuse. and that's why i think it's so important that the sports leagues step up. they are such a powerful conveyor of what's acceptable behavior, not only to their fans, but also to the next generation. and as a parent and as a grandparent, what do you want to give your kids? you want to give them the possibility of having healthy relationships. you want them to go to school and not get hurt. you want them to date and not get raped, and you want them to go to college so they can learn. >> woodruff: esta soler, the founder of futures without violence, we thank you. >> thank you.

>> woodruff: finally tonight, the eyes of the tech world turned once again today to cupertino, california, where, with the hype that has come to mark its periodic product upgrades, apple unveiled the latest i-phone. but carrying on telephone conversations is probably its least interesting feature. the device is a watch, a wallet and, more than ever, a walking, talking computer. but is the i-phone six the future happening now? or is it paving the way to the end of privacy? john simons, media and technology editor for the associated press, covered the latest rollout. john, of all the whiz-bang elements that were rolled out today, watch, wallet, size of the iphone, the battery life, which was the most innovative to you? >> i think what's most innovative is the payment system that apple introduced into its iphones today. it's called apple pay. and it allows people to go to bring and mortar stores and use their iphones to pay for

things at the register rather than pulling out a credit card. you can swipe your phone at the point of sale and make your purchase. >> ifill: in this age -- >> now it remains to be --. >> ifill: go ahead. >> it remains to be seen whether this will catch on. this technology exists in other phones and it's within around for a while, and it requires a lot of retailers to upgrade their systems in order for this to be widely used. >> ifill: in this age of data breaches and hacking, should we worry about the possibility that all of your information is -- i hate keeping all my information in one wallet, let alone one phone. >> this is a concern, but what we've seen in a lot of our reporting and a lot of our look at research is that consumers, while they say that they're really interest and concerned about recent high-from file hacking events and concerned

about nsa surveillance, consumers continue to use the digital technology, their phones, storing things in the cloud. they just are... they say they're concerned in polls, but they continue to use their technology and continue the use the newest things. so there is a challenge to this nfc technology -- that's near-field communication, the name of the new technology that's in the iphone -- but it's, you know, people will use this. it is a privacy concern, though. apple will say that this is more secure than using a credit card, but only slightly more secure in that the person at the register doesn't see your card number. >> ifill: we have heard for years and years in these apple announcements of things getting

smaller, thinner, lighter. this seems to be getting bigger. why is it going in the opposite direction? >> yeah, well, consumers are basically sort of commanding this direction in the marketplace. consumers are basically showing they want bigger screens. apple for a while said, for the last two years, if you walk into any store, a best buy, a retail telecommunications store, you'll notice that the iphone was one of the smallest smartphones in the store. and that's just because a lot of other companies, htc, samsung, noticed that consumers want a slightly bigger screen. and apple is, you know, for a while they were insistent that this was the size of the iphone. but they came around i think and they want to challenge samsung, which is the number-one... the world's number-one smartphone seller now.

>> ifill: androids like samsung produces have gotten very popular. apple still makes a tremendous amount of money obviously on these new devices. >> absolutely. >> are they the leader in innovation? are they the leader in finding out what the people want? >> well, you know, apple, what's interesting about today's developments with apple is that the company has historically entered markets late. they've surveyed the landscape. they've historically entered markets late. they were not the first producer of a digital music player. they were not first smartphone company. they were not first company to produce a tablet. but when they enter a market, they generally make a big splash and they end up sort of really competing and competing well and making a statement. and the question is: can apple continue to rely on that on its ability to do that with these

three major advancements that were introduced today? the iphone, the apple watch and apple pay. >> ifill: we didn't even get to talking about the apple watch, mosley because i can't figure out why i would need one, but i'll let you try it first and ask you about it next time. john simons of the associated press, thanks a lot. >> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day. president obama called in congressional leaders to discuss an expanded campaign against the islamic state group. the white house said he told them he already has the authority for additional military action. the world health organization reported ebola has now killed almost 2,300 people in west africa. and carbon dioxide levels in the world's atmosphere hit a record high last year. >> ifill: on the newshour online

right now, one artist transforms california's coastlines into large-scale "earth-scapes." with rakes and ropes he carves his masterpieces into the sand, all before the tide comes and sweeps it away. see his grand designs for yourself, on our art beat page. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. >> woodruff: and again, to our >> woodruff: and that's the newshour for tonight. on wednesday, special coverage of the president's address to the nation. outlining his plan to confront the islamic state group. 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:

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. this is "nightly business report," with tyler mathisen and susie gharib. >> spike and slide, apple unveils new phones, a mobile payment system. a watch and the stock twitches, word by word, did the company prove it is still on the cutting edge of innovation? >> safe to swipe? could the breach of safety be worse than first thought? the tip of the iceberg. and watch your language, the odds are increasing that the federal reserve may make an important change to its policy statement as soon as next week. all that and more tonight on "nightly business report" for tuesday, september 9th. good evening, everyone, a big