captioning sponsored by wnet >> thompson: on this edition for saturday, april 23: police investigate a pair of mass shootings, in ohio and in georgia. >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: lewis b. and louise hirschfeld cullman. bernard and irene schwartz. judy and josh weston. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the citi foundation. supporting innovation and enabling urban progress. the john and helen glessner family trust.

supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. corporate funding is provided by mutual of america-- designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we are your retirement company. additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. from the tisch wnet studios at lincoln center in new york, this is pbs newshour weekend. >> thompson: good evening and thanks for joining us. police in two states are searching for answers in two mass shootings that occurred in the past 24 hours. in ohio, police are looking for the killer or killers of eight members of the same family who were killed yesterday in four separate homes in rural pike county, which lies between columbus and cincinnati. police say the victims-- seven adults and one teenager-- were shot in the head at close range

"execution-style," some while they slept. one woman was shot in her bed with a newborn beside her. that baby, another infant, and a toddler found in the homes were not shot. >> there is a threat there, and i believe that threat to be armed and dangerous. >> thompson: in georgia, police say a gunman shot and killed five people last night-- two men and three women-- in their homes in the city of appling, outside augusta. police say they found the gunman this morning, dead from a self- inflicted gunshot wound. police say some of the victims belonged to his wife's family, and they believe the shootings arose from a domestic dispute. a daughter of the alleged gunman said today her father was a" ticking time bomb." president obama wrapped up a two-day visit to britain today, hosting a town hall with hundreds of british youth. the president asked them to view integration and globalization "not as threats, but as opportunities." he also urged the british to vote in a june referendum to

stay in the 28-nation european union. >> i implore you to reject those calls to pull back. and i want you to take a longer and a more optimistic view of history and the part that you can play in it. >> thompson: ahead of the president's visit to a trade show in hanover, germany tomorrow, 40,000 people today protested a proposed u.s.- european free trade agreement. president obama told a german newspaper today the agreement would create jobs on both continents. the president also called the recent e.u. deal to deport refugees denied asylum to turkey, a step toward a more equitable "sharing" of" responsibility" for the crisis, adding migrants' human rights must be upheld. facing criticism that the migrant deal she brokered is moving too slowly, today german chancellor angela merkel visited a camp on the turkey-syria border that is a main entry point for syrian war refugees. merkel, european council president donald tusk, and turkey's prime minister visited a government-run camp near gaziantep that houses 5,000

refugees. there are 2.7 million syrians living in turkey, more than any other country outside syria. the e.u. has promised turkey $7 billion in aid over the next four years to handle refugees and accept rejected asylum seekers. the group "human rights watch" says merkel should "re-think" the entire deal, which it call"" flawed," and claims turkey is refusing to admit thousands of syrians fleeing their civil war. >> thompson: officials in ecuador say the massive earthquake one week ago today has killed at least 600 people, injured more than 4,500 others, and left 25,000 people homeless. 80% of the coastal city of pedernales-- the quake's epicenter-- is said to be in ruins. beyond the human cost of the tragedy, ecuador now faces a struggle to find the funds to rebuild."

wall street journal" reporter sara schaefer munoz has been reporting from ecuador this week and joins me now via skype from bogota, colombia. sarah, i understand you've been traveling around ecuador. can you tell me what have you seen? there's a lot of devastation, especially along the coastal areas. that's where the epicenter of the quake was. and there were a lot of small cities that started out really 10, 15 years ago as these small fishing villages that have grown into tourist hubs. unfortunately, after the quake, 7.8 magnitude a week ago, these cities are now left almost in ruins. in pedernales, 80% of the-- of buildings are destroyed. and the the mayor has told me, you know, now we're just going to basically have to start again from zero." >> thompson: how is the distribution of food, water and other emergency supplies going? >> initially, it was all right. the first day or two food seemed to be getting there, water seemed to be getting there from local governments and donations. but the last couple of days

there are severe delays. many people are being left without supplies, even though there are plenty of supplies splooiz coming spot country. >> thompson: ecuador's economy was in a downturn before the quake. can you talk about what was behind that and how it is going to affect that nation's ability to pay for recovery? >> this could not have come at a worst time for ecuador. it was already undergog a pretty major financial crisis. after growing as much as 4% a year under the past decade under the administration of president correa, and high oil prices, it is now facing a cracks of 4.6% this year. so ecuador was already on the brink of a pretty severe economic crisis when the earthquake struck, which is going to make rebuilding even n take quite a long time.lt, and >> thompson: i understand that the president has proposed-- or imposed a new tax to help pay for the the recovery. you can talk about his plan, and how is that being received by the public? >> on wednesday night, president

correa announced a tax saying all ecuadorians have to shoulder the burden of this earthquake. it shouldn't be disproportionately placed on the people of the coastal area. he said fair year he's anything to raise sales tax from 12% to 14% and everybody has to give a percentage of their wages, depending on how much they make. but the taxes were not very well received. just yesterday, the mayor a major port city along the coast, said if the country weren't in such an economic crisis, the taxes would make sense, but all this is going to do is show the economy even more. people are going to consume less, buy les, and so forth. so he was high critical of the move. >> thompson: all right, sara schaefer munoz from the "wall street journal," thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> thompson: estimates of the spending needed to fix america's

infrastructure run into the trillions of dollars. yet in the past decade, state and local spending on transportation projects has declined 13%, according to the pew charitable trusts. and federal spending on transportation-- financed by the gas tax-- has been limited, because the tax has not been raised from 18 cents a gallon in 20 years. so how do big road, bridge, and tunnels get built and paid for? increasingly, state governments are turning to public-private partnerships. in tonight's signature segment, the newshour's christopher booker went to virginia to see how this model has fared in one of the nation's biggest infrastructure projects. >> reporter: residents of portsmouth and norfolk, virginia, have grown accustomed to their morning rush hour traffic. >> and it's starting to pick-up here eastbound at the downtown tunnel, and back up on the portsmouth side. >> reporter: for commuters moving between the two port cities, there's a daily choke of cars leading into this 54-year- old tunnel with only one lane running in each direction under

the elizabeth river. since it opened, the tunnel's daily traffic volume has tripled. for the past four years, wade watson has overseen construction of the relief valve-- a new midtown tunnel with two additional lanes running parallel to the old ones. this new tunnel is on schedule to open later this year, following an innovative approach to its design. >> there's about 80,000 cubic yards of concrete in this tunnel. >> reporter: the tunnel is designed to last 120 years, and it was less expensive than traditional steel tube construction. nearly a mile long, this all concrete tunnel is only the second of its kind in the united states. consisting of 11 different segments, each section was fabricated just outside of baltimore, maryland, before being shipped down the chesapeake bay to the elizabeth river. then, those 11 concrete sections-- each as long as a football field-- were submerged underwater and connected across the dredged river bed. >> so actually, if you went down and looked at the bottom of the river, after we finished you wouldn't see the tunnel. it's buried on the bottom. >> reporter: what also sets this tunnel apart is how the

financial pieces were assembled. to make this project happen, the state of virginia entered into a public-private partnership. often called "p-3's," these deals are contracts between governments and the private sector to produce, repair, or replace a public asset, like a road, bridge, or tunnel. unlike traditional infrastructure deals, the private partners can invest equity in the project, and by taking on this risk, they can earn lucrative returns. across the country, public- private partnerships now account for about $39 billion of roads, bridges, and tunnels green lit between 2005 and 2014. while that's a small fraction of total u.s. infrastructure development, 31 states as well as puerto rico and washington d.c., have enacted statutes allowing p-3 for infrastructure projects. while each p-3 deal is unique, the private partners can be involved every phase-- finance, design, construction, maintenance, and operation. that's what happened with virginia's new midtown tunnel in a 58-year agreement. a coalition led by sweden-based

skanska and australian financier macquarie formed a consortium called "elizabeth river crossings." in addition to building the new tunnel, e.r.c. would refurbish the old midtown tunnel-- the one with all that traffic-- fix another tunnel in norfolk, and extend a nearby expressway that connects the tunnels. according to the builders, the budget is just over $2 billion. virginia issued 638 million in bonds, and paid another 421 million in state funds. the federal department of transportation loaned $441 million. skanska and macquarie invested about $200 million. the rest, about $300 million, would come from tolls. richard cavallaro is president of skanska u.s.a. >> the question would be, can the state have afforded to build the project without collecting tolls based on their own budget? and the answer is no. so that's the real rub. it's not so much the process. it's how they're recouping the payment. and that exists if it was triple-p or not.

>> reporter: the original proposal called for a toll between two and three dollars, but when the deal was signed in 2011, that was lowered to a $1.84 for peak hours. then, elizabeth river crossings was authorized to start collecting tolls on the old tunnel while building the new one, to generate $150 million during the construction phase. elizabeth river crossings agreed to a fixed price for the project and assumes the risk of higher construction costs, lower toll revenue, and unanticipated maintenance costs. >> the risk transfer in these jobs is gigantic. i mean, the state is getting a price certainty on schedule capital expenditure, operational expenditure, at a very early stage. i'm not sure people really understand that risk transfer's a big, big deal. >> this was a horrible deal for taxpayers. >> reporter: virginia governor terry mcauliffe inherited the project from his predecessor. >> exorbitant tolls to the toll riders, to the taxpayers of the commonwealth, start immediately

even before any capacity was created. created such an uproar. so i cut the tolls in half. i had to buy down the tolls. >> reporter: mcauliffe lowered the tunnel tolls by about 80 cents and eliminated them entirely for the new expressway. to reimburse e.r.c. for the lost toll revenue, the state is expected to contribute close to $200 million. elizabeth river crossings can increase future tolls up to 3.5% every year. >> i mean, can you imagine what that toll's going to look like in another five years, another ten years? >> reporter: portsmouth mayor ken wright says even with the reduction, the tolls hurt his constituents. >> we've got a great deal of our citizens that are making minimum wage that are working in hotels and restaurants over in norfolk and virginia beach. and they have to travel through those tunnels every day. and so you imagine someone only making $15,000 to $20,000 a year, which is already a depressing number, and then having to give up $1,000 of that

in a toll. >> reporter: mayor wright refuses to drive the toll road, and some portsmouth residents felt so strongly the tolls were unfair, they sued the state. in 2013, a circuit court judge deemed the tolls unconstitutional, but the virginia supreme court reversed the ruling, allowing tolling to start in early 2014. norfolk mayor paul fraim finds fault with another part of the 58-year deal-- a non-compete clause saying skanska and macquarie are entitled to compensation if virginia builds other roadways that reduce tunnel traffic and revenue. >> we're working hard now to build another river crossing up at the hampton roads. that deal tied our hands for some construction of water crossings, as far as the cost of it is concerned, for a half century. so this, i mean, this is without any question the worst road deal that we've-- tunnel deal that we have seen here in easily the last half-century. or really, longer.

>> reporter: elizabeth river crossings is subject to penalties if it misses construction deadlines-- it hasn't-- and if it fails to consistently maintain the tunnels, the state can terminate its contract. the deal allows e.r.c. to earn as much as 13.5% a year on its investment. even with the second-guessing and political fallout over the agreement, virginia is not ditching the p-3 model. >> we don't blame the private parties. >> reporter: aubrey layne is governor mcauliffe's secretary of transportation. >> absolutely, p-3's are a big part of our procurement. the private sector, i believe, has the edge and can do it in constructing. probably operating. but not an edge if financing what we should've done and what we do now is, "here's what the project should be from a public policy standpoint. here's the infrastructure needed, here's what we can build it for." now, from that project, let's go to the private sector and say, "hey, can you improve on this? and if you can, we'd love to partner with you."

>> reporter: this is really getting to the heart of that question that as a citizenry we're having a louder conversation when it comes to what we pay for now and will we pay for it later. >> couldn't agree more. we've been lulled into thinking that once you build infrastructure, you're done. and now we've gotten to the point, we've got tunnels and interstates that are 60 years old that, yes, you pave them once in a while. but the infrastructure's got to be redone. >> reporter: following reforms to their p-3 process that increases guidelines and transparency, the state is now considering bids from the private sector to expand a section of interstate 66 outside of washington d.c. the state is expected to announce the contract winner this fall. skanska is among the bidders. cavallaro says while the company is deeply involved in p-3 projects abroad, the u.s. is a relatively new market. >> there's a real pipeline of projects now that many, many states have a solid process. they put out projects. there are more p-3 projects out there to bid than we could actually bid.

and with the p-3, the, kind of, top line arguments are cheaper, faster, and innovative? >> definitely from inception to facility and service, there's no question, undisputable. it is-- it is quicker. and when you think about the cost of inflation and escalations over a-- time period, that's a significant savings. >> reporter: last year skanska was part of a group awarded a $3.6 billion p-3 contract to rebuild the main terminal of new york's laguardia airport. this bridge over the ohio river connecting jeffersonville, indiana, to louisville, kentucky, and due to open later this year, is also a p-3. so is miami's tunnel, from its port to the interstate, which opened two-years ago. are you getting increased calls from other governors for advice other states that are looking to enter this space? and if so what are you telling them? >> i do start out by saying, "yes, we have been a leader on p-3's. but in fairness, we've also made our mistakes with p-3's. go into it very carefully."

states are stapped for money. they think p-3's are the great answer. they might be, but they might not be. >> reporter: does this represent a shift within the way we govern and the way we think about government? >> i like it because you're bringing the business sector in. and i always think, you know, it's important for business to have a reasonable profit. i think it's important if you can have a business in. i think that helps. but if you can extend out and get more bang for your buck, and i can get more transportation done by bringing the private sector in, where i've protected the taxpayers on the risk piece, we've done the transfer of risk, and the private sector can make a reasonable profit, that's a win/win for everybody.

>> should the u.s. turn to the private sector to build and repair infrastructure? let us know what you think on our facebook page, at www.facebook.com/newshour. >> thompson: new orleans is the birthplace of american jazz, and one fixture in the city's music scene is piano player and singer jon cleary. cleary, who recently won a grammy award, is one of the headliners playing new orleans jazz fest, which started this week. the newshour's mori rothman has this profile. >> reporter: jon cleary plays new orleans jazz and funk like a native son, but he's from more than 4,000 miles away. he left kent, england, when he was 18 years old to pursue his musical dreams. >> i'd always wanted to come to new orleans and visit new orleans, so i came here thinking i'd be here for a couple of weeks, and that was 30-something years ago. ( laughs ) i'm still here. >> reporter: his grandparents were performers, and his father played in a blues and folk band. clearly listened to all kinds of music growing up, but as he learned to play the family piano, he fell in love with american jazz and blues. how does someone from england come to new orleans and, you

know, make a life out of this? >> well, i came here with no plan other than just to get to new orleans and try to find the funkiest music i could. >> reporter: cleary's first job in new orleans was painting and cleaning at a famed local bar, the maple leaf. one night, when the house piano player was late, cleary got his first break: the owner asked him to fill in. >> i played all the tunes i could play. and then played them all over again. everyone seemed to dig ¡em. ♪ >> reporter: cleary quickly ascended the new orleans music scene and gained a reputation as a skilled pianist and arranger. he played regular club gigs and toured with legends like allen toussaint and bonnie raitt, who called her former keyboardist" the ninth wonder of the world." it was an on the job education, and clearly credits the musicians he worked with for helping him develop his own sound. >> that's how the tradition continues. but it's important that instead of just mimicking, that you try and to best of your ability, anyway, to do something that's original.

♪ get your go go juice >> reporter: clearly has recorded eight albums, and his latest, "go go juice," won this year's grammy award for best regional roots album. the lyrics on the title track are directly from the people of new orleans-- consisting of slang cleary heard while walking around the city. >> if you're interested in the music then you have to be something of a historian. and you have to have the ability to look back and amass as much of this as a richness that the generations that came before left us with. >> reporter: cleary's music has responded to the changes new orleans has gone through during the 35 years he has lived in the city. in his composition "bringing

back the home," he sings about the struggles after hurricane katrina. ♪ >> "bringing back the home" was written about the worry that a lot of people here had. that the very people who'd been displaced, and who increasingly look like they're still not coming back, even after ten years. this town has a quite a sad history in many ways. and they'd be justified in singing the blues. but they don't sing the blues in new orleans, they make a joyful sound. ♪ ♪

>> this is pbs newshour weekend, saturday. >> thompson: the f.b.i. has unlocked a second iphone it had sued apple to open. in a letter filed in brooklyn federal court last night, the f.b.i. said it no longer needed the company's help in gaining access to a locked iphone seized in a drug case, because someone came forward with the phone's passcode. the court had ruled in february the f.b.i. had no legal authority to compel apple to provide technical assistance. the brooklyn legal fight started before the f.b.i. pressured apple to unlock the encrypted iphone belonging to one of the isis-inspired terrorists who shot and killed 14 people last december in san bernardino, california. the f.b.i. revealed this week it paid hackers more than a million dollars to access the san bernardino phone. a federal judge in washington state is allowing a first-of-its kind lawsuit to proceed against c.i.a. contractors over the alleged torture of terrorism suspects.

the suit on behalf of three former u.s. prisoners in afghanistan blames two spokane- based psychologists who designed the harsh interrogation program for the u.s. military, which included sleep deprivation, beatings, and waterboarding. the a.c.l.u., which brought the suit, says the prisoners' human rights were violated-- one died in custody. attorneys for the two doctors-- both named in the 2015 u.s. senate report on torture-- say they only designed the program and did not carry it out. if the udwere to stop the ongoing military exercises with south korea. the statement came the same day north korea appeared to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine. south korean defense officials confirmed a a missile fired put said it flew for only 18 miles far short of its projected range of 200 miles.

and final low, as the world marked the 400th an vaerps of william shakespeare's death, president obama visited london's globe theater, where actors performed. the new york home of harriet tubman is to become a historic site by the end of the year. a former slave, tubman led hundreds of slaves to freedom. earlier this week, tubman was named the new face of the $20 bill. and that's all for this edition of pbs newshour weekend. i'm megan thompson. good night. captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

>> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: lewis b. and louise hirschfeld cullman. bernard and irene schwartz. judy and josh weston. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the citi foundation. supporting innovation and enabling urban progress. the john and helen glessner family trust. supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. corporate funding is provided by mutual of america-- designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we are your retirement company. additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

w.s. merwin, voice-over: poetry begins with hearing. it begins with hearing the sounds of passion. man: he was a minstrel, a troubadour, a jongleur, a throwback. different man: he has evolved as a poet in remarkable ways that i can't think there's a parallel in contemporary american poetry. different man: he's different from most people. he would do whatever he needed to do-- cut his own hair, wear the same clothes, whatever it was just in order to maintain his independence. some people have taken it as arrogance, but the truth is people are struck by his depth and his authenticity. announcer: "w.s. merwin: to plant a tree" was made possible in part by... the hotels and resorts of halekulani is proud