captioningponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, president trump moves ahead on plans to arm school officials, while dropping his call for a higher age limit to purchase guns. then, british prime minister theresa may puts the blame on russia for a nerve agent attack on a former spy. and, ting the political temperature of the nation-- we go tiso a reliably red dict in tistern pennsylvania ahead of a tight special el. >> setimes you look at democrat and republicans, it's kind of like a beer. the democrats are budweiser, and republicans are bud light. after a few beers you n't tell them apart. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour.

>> major funng for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our eyenomy for 160 ars. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> consumer cellular believes that wireless plans should reflect the amount of talk, text and data that you use. we offer a variety of no- contract wireless plans for people who use their phone a little, a lot, or anything in between. to learn more, go to consumercellular.tv

>> and the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably tter lives. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and individuals. >> 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: the president unveiled his plan of action today for school safety and dealing with gun violence.

it includes his support for a number of more modest measures. and it will create a national commission that will review other possible actions.ri but it wascized for not going far enough. president trump dialed back an earlier and stronger call he made to raise the age limit for buying some gu. john yang has our report. >> yang: the head of the new cretaryion, education betsy devos, said this morning the focus would go beyond just gun control. >> there are a number of issues on the table now that can be passed and implemented quickly and surely, and the president has urged congthss to do those gs. >> yang: the administration's tproposals includes backi so-called "fix nics" bill, which seeks to improve national instt criminal background check system-- or "nics." it would not expand background checks, but would require states and federal agencies to make sure information is in the system. the white house also called for expanding mental health

treatment to bter identify students who could become violent, and working with states to provide weapons training for teachers.lt to buy asstyle rifles from 18 to 21, even though president trump said repeatedly he would do that. >> we're going to wo getting the age up to 21 instead of 18. it dsn't make sense that i have to wait until i'm 21 to get a handgun but i can get a weapon >> yang: during a session with lawmakers last month, he presseu ican senator pat toomey on why it wasn't in his comprehensive background check bill. >> we didn't-- we didn't address, it, mr. president. but i think we-- >> you know why? because you're afraid of the n.r.a., right?g i'm a n of the n.r.a. these are great people. these are great patriots. they lovt our country. at doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. >> yang: the president's reversal comes after he met with n.r.a. leaders after meeng with lawmakers. this morning, mr. trump defended his shift, saying is "watching court cases and

rulings before acting. states are making this dreision. thingsoving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mil on t cbs news' "60 minutes" last night, devos said there was no "one size fits all" solution. >> i hesitate think of, like, my first-grade teacher, mrs. zorhoff, i couldn't er imagine her having a gun and being trained in that way. but for those who are-- who are capable, this is one solutn that can and should be considered. >> yang: at a rally in pennsylvania on saturday night president trump slammed commissions. >> we can't just keep setting up blue-ribbon coittees, with your wife and your wife and your husband, and they meet and have a meal, and all they do isalk, talk, talk. >> yang: and then, the very nexi night, his adstration announced one. the panel has no deadline, but

the white homme said its redations would be ready within a year. for the pbs newshour, i'm john yang. s woodruff: we'll look at the president's propos length after this news summary. in the day's other news, british prime minister theresa declared it's "highly likely"us thata was behind the poisoning of former russian spyl sergei skrnd his daughter. but russia's foreign ministry dismissed that accusation as a "circus show." alex thomson of independent television news has our report. a week and day on, it is the attempted murder inquiry with no suspect people, only suspect places, suspected of contamination. sergei skripal's house cordsonned from the public view at ground level, sooo the restaurant zz, the grave yard where his wife and son lieub buried, then the city center. and the list of places of

interest to investigators widened today. the prime minister said the nerve agent used was novichok reduced in rus sints '80s, a dispicible act, she said.en >> the goverhas concluded that it is highly likely that russia was responsible for the act against sergei and julia skripal. mr. speaker, there are therefo only two plausible explanations for what happened on the fourth ofarch. either this was a direct act by the russian state against our country, or the russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophicically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to ge into the hads of others. >> the russian ambassador it was summoned to the foreign office and asked to epin. the prime minister told the commons moscow has 48 hours to s >> should there be no credible conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by thea russian state st the united

kingdom. here hear. >> and i will come back to this house and set the full range of measures that we will take in response. >> a then came this morning's revelations from this man, bore is carpocikov another spy exiled in the u.k he claims russian secret service warng him three weekso that sergei skripal would be killed. >> and russian public opinionom backe, were-- did by one of the most pular ns programs in russia. behind the presenter the caption with big benea a deathly place. but all eyes it seems are apparently on this deathly place come wednesday. then the government says it will act against what it insists is either criminal nedges by the kremlin or just plainremlin crime. >> woodruff: that report from alex thomson of independent television news. onmeanwhile here in washin white house press secretary sarah sanders called the poisoning "an outrage." but she stopped short of sing

russia was to blame. syrian civilians tried to escape the battled suburbs of damascus, with no let-up in a government onslaught. t state ay showed men, women and children fleeing eastern ghouta along a corridor established by the syrian army. in addition, the largest rebel group in the area said it reached agreement with russian forces to evacuate the wounded. war monitors estimate more than, 0 have died in the enclave, since the offensive began february 18th. back in this country, texas authorities are investigating a pair of package bombs that killed one person and injured two others in austin today. policeelieve they're related to another package explosion that killed a man in the city earlier this month. the boxes were all left on the doorsteps of homes, and exploded as soon as residents moved or opened them. a neighbor of one of today's

victims described her shock at hearing the blast. >> i was in my room. i was about to go get a diaper and all of a sudden we just heard an explosion. i just felt it like move the t ground at's when we walked out and saw the smoke and the lady laying onhe floor. >> woodruff: police have not identified a suspect or a motive behind the attacks. but investigators haven't yet ruled out whether the explosions re race-related. re7 cans in the house intelligence committee are preparing to announce that they have foundo coordination or collusion between the trump presidential campaign and russia. texas republican mike conaway said they will release their draft report tomorrow, after a estigationinv democrats on the committee must review the report before it is shared with the public. in colombia, primary election utsults are in, and conservatives camehead.

yesterday, voters signaled their support for critics of the country's peace agreement with the revolutionary armed forces of colombia. farc candidates only won 10 seats guaranteed to them under the peace deal. former leftist rebel gustavo thtro and right wing candidate ivan duque also wor party primaries ahead of the presidential election in may. new york's metropolitan operad fingtime conductor james levine today, after an investigation found credible evidence of sexually abusiveco uct. levine was suspended from the met back in december, after four men came forward saying he abused them as teenagers between the 1960's and '80's. lerene insisted their claims "unfounded."ks and stere mixed on wall street today, amid lingering concerns over president trump's newly imposed tariffs. the dow jones industrial averagt 57 points to close at

25,178.aq the naose 27 points, andll the s&p 500 fe three. still to come on the newshr: where the national gun debate goes from here. a dead heat in pennsylvania's special election. maryland and oregon's gotarnors on the and federal response to the opioids crisis, plus, much more. >> woodruff: let's break down some of the president's plan now, which changes might be most helpful, which are not, and what's missing. we're going to have more views in the weeks to come. but tonight, we talk to two who have looked at past shootings closely. shannon watts is the founder of moms demand action. ther group was formed soon a the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school.th

and ine newman is author of the book "rampage: the social roots of school shootings." she's a professor of sociology the university of massachusetts. welcome both of you to the newshour. shannon watts let me start with you, i will get to the specifics in just a momakent butg this proposal as a whole, do you think it will prelvent, p prevent school shootings in the future? n>> no, i mean i do't think the proposal put forward by the president is anylway hepful. in fact, in a word it's pathetic it takes all of the onus for gun safety in this country and pushes it down to the states while elevating the nra's top priorities like arming teachers and incentivizing the states to do that. look, if arming teachers was the answer, we wouldn't have the oblem we have in this country. we need to disarm dangerous people, not arm teachers. and the reality is even highly trained police officers t their tar bets about 18% of the

time. we cannot turn volte teachers into sharp shooters. >> and i want to ask you about that in just a moment. taking prot posal as a whole, katherine newman, do you believe this is going to help prechvent futurel shootings? >> i don't think it takes advantage of what we really know out these shootings. we need to focus on making sure kids come forward wt information because they hear a lot of rumors and threats. d that wen that information is collected, we act on it in all of the most recent incidents, we've seen people come forward to the fbi, and not enough intervention was possible. we need to focus on that. arming teachers really worries me because ashannon said, accuracy say real problem escially when people are feeling pressured and anxious which they obviously would be in such a catastrophic situation. so i don't think that's going to help matters. in factit may even attract more shooters to schools. >> woodruff: just quickly for a moment shannon watts on this

idea of arming tea the white house says what they are doing is work with the states to help them train some school officials so that they can be in a position to stop a shooti when it happens. >> so i just want to be clear. this is not a public service announcementr this is a vskin kal marketing ploi. the gun lobby is trying to make up a short fal gun manufactures' profits oflibout $100 m or 10% since donald trump was elected. arming even a fraction of our country's 3.2 million teachers would help make up that short fall. so this is not a data-driven solution that research has foun will shop these shootings or save our children. it's actually a cynical gun lobby ploi to sell mo guns. >> woodruff: there are other elements to this proposal, katherine newman. as we know, they among other things they say they want to strengthen the existing criminal background check sytem by requiring more reporting than is the case right now.

how much difference could that >> i think that could make a difference. and we should applaud the sitive elements of this proposal. we know that some people were on local radar tcreens and information just didn't get through to the right agents. so i do think that that is important. also think we theed t stick to the idea that we raise the access to guns to 21.es the ent has the capacity nt be quite persuasive on these matters when he to be and we ought to go back to that table and make sure that happens. >> what about that, shannon watts. the white house says thatop al is still on the table but it wasn't part waf was presented in this paper thatas released earlier. >> yeah, really none of the data driven solutions that the president said he supported lask ere in the proposal. there is no red flag law. there is no closing the boyfriend loophole requiring universal bakground check, all of that show went out the window. instead we're left witll aing teachers. this has been up to the states

for awhile. we have been doinghis and winning both killing bad bills and sporting good bills and that is why we keep doing the work until we get the right congrids and prt in place to take action on this horrific shootings in ourountry. 96 americans are shot and killed every day. we>>an't not act. atherine newman, how much difference do you think it would make to raise the age at which someone is able too buy ang gun? >> i think it would help because the mostmature people at the ages of 18 and 19 would have itl it w become much more difficult for them to gain access to guns. but we should remember that's not really sufficient. in the shootings that we studied, theetioeo youngple stole guns that were legally acquired. so raising the gun age all by itself is noth but it's part of a mix. and as shannon said, in the end it'soing to be a mix if we really want to have effective legislation.g >> speak a mix, shannon watts, another element of this, the president is establishing a federal commission on school safety. he's asking the secretary ofed

ation weesy de vos to-- bet see he vos to head it up. they will study this entire issue for a year, come ck with recommendations. isn't-- is it possible that somo good ideald km out of that? >> well, the president himself made the fun of the exact same commissions on saturday and the next day turned around a newud commission to something that floor-- florida was able to pass i less than a week. raising the age that 18 year olds can buy long guns to 21. is common sense f you can't buy a handgun, a beer or even rent a car you shunlt be able to buy ae automatic rifle. the reason the president took that out of his plan is because the nra opposes it. it is w they turned around and sued the state of florida. so again the $30 million that the nra invested in doned a trump's campaign is clearly paying off. >> woodff: in anotherove, katherine newman, the white house talkabo better integrating mental health primary care, family services programs, an effort i think to

get, tmake se that young people who have problems, what may be disturbed have access, can get the treatment that they need. >> absolutely i applaud that. it's long ovenkrdue and i t it's a wonderful thing if we can really make it happen in most high schools arund the country, we have been cutting those kinds of resources. we've been overburdennening guidance counselorhave often 500 students to look after. they can't possibly attend to those who are in trouble and need mental health resources so i think that this is really a very positive step if we can make it happen. school shooters are the tip of a very dangerous and disturbed iceberg. and th iceberg is made up of millions of kids who are suffering from depression. if we can attend to their isss we will see fewer of them take these extreme steps. >> in connection with that, the white ho talking about urging states to pass so the called risk protectioorders. in other words, making it easier to take guns away fromin viduals who are known to be a harm, a risk of harming

themselves or soeone else. >> yes, and again, is he pushing that down to the states. is is a lawt could be passed on a federal level it a you las families and poice to petition a judge to get a temporary restraining order. if someone seems to be a danger to themselves or others we passed this law so far in five states. it could have helped in this situation in florida. so this is absolutely something states should act on but it's also something congress could vote on right away. >> so bottomline, kt reason owman, if you were ablealk to the president directly, talk to the members of this commission directly whayowould say else needs to be done to make sure to do as much as possible to prevent school shootings? >> we need to be sure that they support school resource officers, because they are effective ans of entrapping information that we need ine order to responsible people know that a threat is on the way. wee eed to be surere are responsible adults that students trust. we need to let students kn that when they km forward their

concerns will be acted on confidentiallyakprivately but on for sure because right now i think they really lack the confiden that that is going to happen. >> woodruff: shannon watts what about you, what would you say tohem needs to be done? >> look, we have been the same rates of mental illss as every other developed nation. every nation is home to sgruntled teenagers. only america allows them to acquire an arsenal and ammunition. we have to addresshis issue which is easy access to guns in this i c. sd the president's plan d not even scratch the surface. >> woodruff: well, we know we're going to continue to talk about this issue as long as it is before the amerin people and as long as these kinds of school shootings take place. thank you very much shannon watts, katherine newman, thank you. >> thank you. >>

oodruff: now a congressional race that could be a harbinger of elections to come this fall. in 2016, president trump won big in pennsylvania's 18th congressional district, outside of pittsburgh, b t polls ahead orrow's special election there show the republican, rick saccone, in a dead heat with democrat, conolamb. it's an early, and critical, test of enthusiasm for both parties. lisa desjardins just returned anfrom western pennsylvanid brings us this report. >> desjardins: it's not yet 9:00 a.m., and this custom crate manufacturing mpany in scottdale, pennsylvania, is already buzzing.ne owr jack davis says business is, too. >> last year was one of the best years we ever had. a desjardins: jack is a republican and, liajority of people in this district, voted for president donald trump. >> after the first year he's actually turned out to be a far

better president than i even anticipated. the fact if he ran again, i'd vote for him again. >> desjardins: that makes his choice in tomorrow's special election an easy one. >> i'll vote for rick saccone. the reason being that the fact is he has aligned himself with trump. so i think we need tatcontinue doinrump has started. >> desjardins: pennsylvania's 18th district sits in the southwesternorner of the state, where pittsburgh's suburbs give way to industrial towns and farmland. and it's reliably red: the district has voted republican in every presidential election since 2000. it's also been represented by the same republica c tim murphy, gress for the last 15 years. he resigned in october after reports that he asked a one-time mistress to have an abortion. >> when we vote. >> we win! >> desjardins: this time, though, lifelongemocrats like denny cragit see a chance for a pickup. >> i'm supporting conor lamb.he becausas talked to our unions.

one of the big things with his opponent is: he is had nothing good to say to our union, ever.t he's basicallyunion. >> desjardins: denny is an officer with the local united steelworkers in canonsburg. he says the president looms large in his choice tomorrow. >> i must admit after the 2016 debacle, and seeing donald trumi the presidency because people wanted change-- we all i-- that has made me rise up again, i guess, and i'm going to try to do everything i can to >> desjardins: this special election pits republican state representative rick sacconemo against at conor lamb. saccone plays up his alignment with president trump, while lamb barely mentions his name. th are military veterans, and in a district that loves hunting. t >>nk we should allow our people to exercise their second amendment rights. >> served four yeane in the maris. still loves to shoot. >> desjardins: both support thet second amend the race is attracting a national flood of moe y, both for ndidates themselves,

and for outside groups who support or oppose them. by the time the polls close tomorrow, by one estimate, these candidates and groups will have spent more than $11 million on television ads aloneac it's also atd high-profile surrogates. last week, former vice prebident jon hit the campaign trail for lamb. >> get out and make sure he wins. >> desjardins: and just this weekend, president trump made ris second visit to the di in as many months. >> rick saccone will be a great, great congressman. >> desjardins: the republican- inhief touted his new stee and aluminum tariffs in this industrial corner of the state. steel is back, it's going to be back stoorks steel is back and aluminum is ck. mr. trump won this >> desjardins: mr. trump won this congressional district overwhmingly, by about 20 points. the question now is whether t

enthusiasm for president translates into enthusiasm for a fferent republican. outside the rally for saccone, locals said it's not the candidate driving their vote, it's more the "r" next to hisme >> i think it's important thca we do what wto elect him and to keep it a republican seat. >> and anything, anyth put nancy pelosi out of office if >> i just don't thinimpeople know and at this point, nobody seems to trust anybody. so if you don't know them-- like everybody knew donald trump from just him being him. buwho's rick saccone? >> desjardins: to opponents, that's an enthusiasm gap, and an opportunity. three days before the election, and the group "voice of westmoreland" is crammed into a dining room, about to go door- to-door in the final push for lamb. just six people a year ago, they now have more than 100 members. op-founder angela aldous knows

president trump isar with her neighbors. and that's become a central part in her group's strategy. >> this isn't a about-- you know, we're out here opposing trump. while we don't agree with a lot maybe most of what he stands for. if he weren't president r tomorrow, pan would still be there and he would still be trying to gut medicaid. that's how y kind of are able to have conversations with people in this area. even if they support the president, and i and i don't stands for, you still have so much in common to say, "hey, we're-- they're not working for ." >> desjardins: there is an underlying theme heror even for surs of both candidates: they generally distrust longtim politici both parties. >> sometimes you look at r.mocrat and republicans, it's kind of like a b the democrats are budweiser, and republicans are bud light. after a few beers yon't tell them apart. >> desjardins: on the other side of the district, denny and his longtime buddies share a beer, and the same skepticism.

>> it's all about power. and they really don't care about the people. and i'll be truthffe: sometimes that way about some democrats also. >> desjardins: but here'what's different: new groups like angela's are emerging, and trying to shift the conversation, one door at a time. democrats are counting on that enthusiasm tomorrow, but angela is looking past this election, to the long term. >> wednesday, march 14th, we're all going to sleep, finally, after doing so much for this election. and the lamb campaign will pack c and they'll head out and their office will sed and we'll still be here. like we're not going anywher >> desjardins: but expect the signs and the candidates to return soon enough: is is a fight for a temporary congressiol seat, with just eight months until november's election. the pbs newshour, i'm li desjardins in greensburg, pennsylvania. woodruff: for all of the

money and attention on this 18th district race, wwel it be a beer for the 2018 mid-term elections coming this fall, or m will it e of a one-off? our regular "politics monday" duo will pick it up there: that's amy walter ofthe cook political report" and tamara keith of npr. before i ask you both about the ddifference between bud abud lite, memorable line there, amy, e we paying too much attention to this race, does it deservett this kind oftion and money for that mat sner. >> judy, you know how much i love every congressional race, they all deserve this much attention. the reason this race is getti this much attention is that it shouldn't be getting this much attention. this is a dark red district that should easily be in republican hands. the fact that this race is close at all is the reason that we'rei talking about s. the fact that it is this close given how much republicans have spent, win or lose, they will have spt over $10 million to try to hold on to a district that has been reliably in the

republican camp for years. so there is, we're looking at this rce, also in context of the races that we've seenpe previousal election this year, where democrats have been overperforming even in dark red districts. so that's what we are looking ver is the trebd and also the fact that this isn in play. >> woodruff: what are you watching for here. >> well, it certainly is anothee race president trump has put his name on the line. he has tweeted aout rick saccone. he campaigned with him, he called him up on the stage. meanwhile, there are stories that are running that say thinge like pelose to president trump say he doesn't really think rick saccone is a great candidate, which is a little helike workingest in advance. working the expectations game, trying to say well, you know, it he losess because he wasn't a great candidate it has nothing to do with president tmp's m o.j. o. but president trump has put so much into this, it wou be interesting to see how this goes. and either way, i mean, the

polling indicates it's very close and either way, it looks like conor lamb is going to outperform what a democrat should do i mean they haven't evh had democrats in tis district for the last two races. >> so what does it rtell us. say conor lamb, whether he comes close or wins the democrat, what is it really going to tell us. >> i think we're going to learn a couple of things. if conor lamb wins it will tell us a little bit about republican messaging, right. they've spent a whole bunch of time talking about the fact that because the economy is improving. because the tax cuts have beent implemented, tters are going to reward republicans not just the president butrsf coue republicans in congress. they've been making that message in this district but it has obviously it hasn't really stuck. the atcks on nancy pelosi, trying to attach nancy pelosi to conor lamb, he purposefully distanced himself from nancy pelosi, saying he wasn't going

vote for her, are they going to continue to use that if it shows not to work in a district as republican as this, if conor lamb narroy loses they n make the argument maybe we can try these things inbuther districtif it narrowly puts your candidate over the line in a district that is this red, what are you going to do in districts that are a little blower. >> many money decisions will be made based on what happens. t>> this is a gresting ground or it is a testing ground that has people that are mr suburban t has really true deep red trump voters working class, white working class voters. it is a good place to test a lot of these messages. and president trump has said oh, that line, that thing that nancy utpelosi said abo crumbs, that the tax cut is just crumbs, he is like that is going the deplorables of 20. we're-- this they're testing if, running a lot of ads about nance's approximately osee saying the tax cut is yus crumb

jz and we'll see about the tariffs on steel and aluminum-- aluminum there has been a lot of speculation reporting that part of the reason the president did this io the disticket. >> this one disticket and state. the thing about this disticket,-- district t is a big part suburban, not just all steel worker, but the poll questioned how you feel about tariffs, overwhelmingly supported in that district and most voters almost all vots say it has no impact on how they will vote tomorrow. >> woodruff: let's turn now aimenteek, to this announcement by the white house of how they will deal with school safety going forward in the wake of these parkland florida school shooting. the president had talked about eoing more, it seems to put som kind of controls on gun. the age at which people can buy ns the but the proposal is less than that. it has a a lot of layers to it,e talked about it a few minutes ago am but what does it tell us about the president'smitment here? >> what it tells us is that when

president trump does these bipartisan lisngteessions, he with saying a whole lot of stuff that he's not going to stand behind two or three weeks later. and we saw that with immigration where he said just send me a bill, whatever you work out, i will sign it and all of a sudden the white house was actually we have these four pillars, we need all of these different things. i mean the president said a lot artisangs in the bip televised meeting on guns that no advisor of him would have ad ssed him toay, including that you know we need to take guns away from people who are deemed a danger to themselves and others wit phout duerocess. the white house in their explanation and description of what he ants mexed due process and court orders multiple times which is to say nt exactly what the president said when he was just sort of speaking off-the-cuff. >> it's almost a pattern or a pattern of two in the way they talk about him and what they did on immigration. >> they talk about it publicly too. >> that's right. it says a lot too that they're

actually was a pathway they receiptically on both imtbraition and guns to getth sog done that wasn't very sweeping. will there just been a dacpla us border security, that probably would have passed or wouldn't have been as dramatic. guns do something as john cornyn, snoor from texas w talking about, really just updating the background check system that could have gotten passed, again it's not as drama-- president added and the white house added those elements on immigration, there were poison pis on chain migration and on the diversity lottery, and adding, arming teachers in schools is a poison pill on this. so the pivot always seems to be to go to not only the most conservative b also the most controversial. >> and it's interesting today thg the white house is say well, we still are looking at other measures we could take with regard to guns. raising the age and so forth. >> they don't typically like to say, what the president said wh he was live national

television, didn't mean that. so this i like you know part four of the trump white house walkback where they are likeyo well know, he is supporting things that he thinks can pass. and other suff, well maybe-- hasn't ruled it out but we may never hear about it again. >> woodruff: well, we're definitely going hear about the two of you again. >> thank you. >> woodruff: tamara keth, amy walter, politics monday. thank you. >> you're welcome. >> woodruff: now, an urgent call for greater federal helpo deal with the opioid epidemic. it comes from a pair of governors whose states have been hit hard. the governors of maryland came to capitol hill recently to speak before a senate committee. in maryland the synthetic drug fentanyl was the leading cause

t year.dose deaths l and in oregon, people 65 anddo older are ovng and abusing opioids at a greater rate than any other state. william brangham sat down with maryland governor larry hogan g and oregernor kate brown shortly after their testimony. governor hogan, governor brown, thank you both very much for being here. what is it you think generally eaking the federal government doesn't understand about what are you facing. >> i think maybe that this crisis is evolving so rapidly and that it is as deadly as it. and that we really need more resources from the federal government. that's the main thing we are trying to cvey. we're dealing with fentanyl as the number one killer in ferent across di the country but we had nearly 2,000 deaths last area. and 70% spike in fentanyl which is something the federal government has to get involved in from an interdiction stnce, coming from china and mexico. >> governor brown what did you come here to tl the government. >> i wanted to make sure that they knew that oregon and many other states, most of my

governors are really focused on treating thic s as a pubalth crisis as opposed to a criminal justice issue. s and that it key that we focus on education, prevention, and treatment for folks that are suffering from substance abuse, particularly with opioids. >> the president has declared this a public health emergency. there is $6 billion, they receiptically coming down the pipeline soon. what more u want the federal government to do? where do you want that money to >> there n to be resources e? behind those words. he needs to put funding behind the action. and we need financial assistance. we need assistance purchasing drugs that prevent overdoses from being successful, nalaxone it is very expensive and we need all of our ferst respoto have access to it. >> this is the drug that reverses an overse that can be given immediately and bring someone back to life that what

have killethem can save their life. >> yes. >> governor hogan, you talked a lot about fentanyl, you mentioned it here and your testimony today. can you explain the impact that fentyl is having here in maryland? >> fentanyl is between 50 and a hundred times more dead more pot tent thanked hair bin is. and we already wereg deaths all over the practice is from heroin. but this is a real countries crisis. not just in our state but it is spreading to man states across the country. and we had 2,000 people in maryland die last year. and this was the number one causy >> so obvioustate can only do so much with regards to fentanyl, that is an intstate and international trafficking situation. >> right. >> so what do you want the federal go wrnment to doh regards specifically to that? >> well, e stes can't do much about things coming in from china and acoss-the-boarder i mexico. they started out, almost all of this was produced and sent in t of it ia and a lo coming through the u.s. postal service, believe it or not. thereof are a numbeieces of

legislation to address that, provide additional tecology to try to interdict and stop this from coming in. i think that is one thinthe federal government can focus on that we can't do at the state level and agree with governor brown, treatment is the real issue and getting more, $6 billion sounds l.ke a the lo within our little state, we put half a billion dollars just into maryland. and we had.la >> in ma alone. >> so it's not enough. and we need the flexibility asor goverown said. we need the federal dollars and we need to utilize it as best we see fit out on the front lines. >> governor brown, you mentioned today that yo feel the federal government, specifically focuses too much on punishment.o whatyou mean by that? >> well, we saw what happened in the 09see as a result of the crack cocaine epidemic. we ended up locking hundreds of thousands of people, put them behind bars their lives wereus ruined, obv. it needs to be treated, this crisis, this opiate crisis needs

to be treated as a substance abuse problem, as a public health problem. and that means making sure that folks have access to treatment. if folks don't have access to underlying health care and to sbstantial and alcohol treatment, we canlve this problem. >> i would agree with that it's really, we've been focusing on it from four different areas. it's education and prevention and treatment and interdiction. cuz you can't ignore the crime part of the dealing of thesere drugs thatoming and killing people. but most of our money has been put into treatment. this is a mentahealth and health crisis. it's very connected with mental health. but it is a health crisis acro america it is the number one problem we're facing. >> this issue tou sches every el one of us. our families, our friends, our communities. our businesses. and every sinergle cof the united states, every state has been impacted. this is an opportunity for congress to step up, republican

and democrat, work together and tackle this crisis. and we need tlp that at the state level. i think congress is committed to doing something. we'll see what happens. >> i couldn't agree with that. mo governor brown and i are different parties, different coasts, opposite e country. we don't agree on everything but this is one that i think nearly every governor agrees on. i'm hopeful that maybe this will be one of the things that gets done here in washington. because we need to, it's about saving lives. >> you both have given very concrete examples of things you would like to see, health insurance, treatment, interdiction, et cetera. what role do you think that the simple shame and stigma around rddiction t is difficult fo people, even though we know the science is crystal clear on this, to simply say i have a problem, my family member has a problem. my coworker has a problem. how serious is that? >> i think it's a very serious start of the problem and something we're working hard to try to change. because this really is, it's a

health crisis. it's a-- aiction is not, you shouldn't be ashamed to come forward and get the treatment that you n >> i think that's one of the challenges. if the federal government ntinues to pursue punitive approach is that it makes it really difficult to hraise the stigma of 230ebgs-- of folks who are suffering with this illness. that is exactly what st, it is an illness. and part o reucing the stig marks i think, is treating it like it is part of a public health issue that 2 is, as opposed to treating it like it's a criminalss justiceue. >> it's not just young people, many of ourd addicolks are older because they are the yuns that are more surgery, more aches and painsk took more pain medications and got adicted it is not just an urban problem t is every economic, every age yroup, every sowsio economic group is affectedhis. >> that is where i think it's so important for all of us to shar. our stori we have all been touched by thii

horribleease. what we can, what the difference .s, is that we can all do something about it >> all right, governor hog, governor brown, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> f: >> woodrnd we'll be back shortly with a perspective on how reading a book could be an antidote to our short attention spans. but first, take a moment to hear from your local pbs station. it's a chance to offer your support, which helps keep programs like ours on the air. f: >> woodror those stations still with us, we take another look at the first podcast to be produced entirside a prison. since its launch, "eare," has quickly gained popularity. on has been downloaded mil

of times and launches its second season on wednesday. so how exactly is a hit podcast created behind bars? last year, we sent jeffrey brown to california's oldest prison to find out. >> you are now tuned into san quentin's "ear hustle." >> what gives you hope in prison? >> damn, getting out. that's all i can hope for. >> brown: on the popular podcast, "ear hustle," ty call this "yard talk." . dw is i chance to be heard beyond these prison laws. >> my name is ronnie mo happen ed. >> ear hustle offers a rare look at life inidsa offer a rare look at life inside a prison. the phrase is slang in here for "eavesdropping." >> how do you take your coffee? >> i don't usually drink coffee,

becausi like to sleep. >> brown: sitting just north of san francisco, san quentin is a california state facility that's home to some 4,000 men, most under medium security, but it includes more than 700 on death row. it's a place known for its education and work opportunities for prisoners, including a media lab, where we watched the show's co-hosts in action: inmate earlonne woo, and nigel poor, a san francisco-based artist, who's been vunteering in san quentin since 2011. >> the purpose of the podcast it to try to te everyday stories of life inside prison, and trying to find thees commonaletween what happens inside, and what happens outside of prison. >> brown: "ear hustle" stories can be raw and intense-- about the realities of race relations,

fo >> you're one with your race. if something happens between two races everyone is supposed to go, whether it's fighting orev what. >> brown: but there's also plenty of humor, and relatableh problems suc sharing a tiny spacd" as in the episode calle cellies." >> the rule is, don't touch my stuff, don't look through my mail, don't look at my picturesp do not your hands on my shelf because if you do that's like the ultimatesform of disrct. >> brown: earlonne woods, who has served nearly 20 years on a 31-year-to-life sentence for attempted second degreery, says "ear hustle" is a reflection of his own coming to terms. >> as you go through time, you have to get real with yourself and you have to comee conclusion, "well, i did do this." you know, and i am accountable for my actions, you know. and i think most people that are

here, that have been locd up over a decade are on that path, to where they're trying to atoay for whateverave happened in the past. just trying to find some type of understanding, you know. >> brown: woods met co-host nigel poor while she was teaching a photography class at san quentin. the pair hit it off and quicklye built asy rapport that is the backbone of the show. >> one of the original intents was to show that inside andou ide people can work together as colleagues with professionalism and mutual respect. and i also can be the voice ofpe thon who doesn't have experience in prison. so i can ask the maybe embarrassing questions, or push earlonne a little bit. >> we wasn't trying to send no messages, nothing like that. we were just like, let's tell some good storges. >> brown: poor says finding good stories at san quentin has never been a

problem. >> there's a lot of gossip inside prison, so it's not hard to get the worrearound that ecific.for something so at this point, we can get sople coming to us and saying, "i want to do thry," or, >> brown: for the podcast'sun designer, antwan williams, serving a 15-year sentence forme robbery, the challenge is to capture the feel of daily life here, including what he calls the "sound of despair." what would despair feel like? what would it sound like? >> it can be just the sound of breathing by itself. with no interruptions, with no echoes or with no chimes, just the sound of a breath. >> brown: every "ear hustle" story, no matter the topic, must be approved by lieutenant sam robinson, san quentin's public information officer. >> i think as a society, we're responsible. we pay for what takes place behind the walls of a prison. you're accountable for it, and

orso if you're accountablet, you should be informed about what happens.ro >> brownnson says the onlyea episode he nrly prevented was titled "the boom-boom room," about conjugal visits, both legal and illicit. >> at san quentin, the married guys that have them get to spend 48 hours with their family in a ttage on prison grounds. okay, that's the official, legitimate way.pe bule being who they are, they're going to find a way to do their thing. >>'ve been here 21 years, i've, you know, it's not the t time that i've heard i it's not the first time that i've heard there were illegal sexual activities taking place inside the prison."e >> brown: hustle's" eseators say they've been overwhelmed by thense to the series so far. but i asked woods what he'd tell those, including victims of crime, who might question his freedom to do this work. h >> everybo their truth, you know? the victims and the survivorse that youeaking of, they have their truth, whether we should have this or not. but i believe that the whole

purpose of the department of corrections or prisons is for e to correct themselves. so if the underlying reasons is for us to correct ourselves, there should be some type of rehabilitative services. >> brown: for the pbs newshour, i'm jeffrey brown in san quentin prison, california. >> woodruff: international best- selling author ann patchett has written seven novels, and three non-fiction books. she contributes essays a criticism to an array of newspapers and journals. and she owns a bookstore in her hometown of nashville, tennessee. a lot on her plate? most would think so. but it's not a matter of juling. tonight's in my humble opinion:

the case for doing one thing at a time. >> in my 30s, i decided to get seris about baking. i bought cookbooks and went to work. it was shocking how often my attempts failed. my cakes were flatdry, sunken, flavorless, you name it. after taking careful inventory of my equipment and ingredientsa i was forced t myself into question: was i reading the recipe carefully?ll was i ing directions? not exactly. i'd done most of what was required, but never all of it. so iaked a cake while paying full attention to nothing but the cake, and it came out perfectly. it looked like the cake in the book. baking turned out to be a lesson in what we used to call reading comprehension. i hadn't been paying attention to the text, which might have been because i was talking on the phone while folding the wetn and dredients, or i was folding the laundry while running the mixer, or making a

note to myself in the margins of the cookbok to write a piece about cakes. behold, the confidence it takes to glance at a recipe from the corner of oneye and think it ll all turn out fine. or behd the confidence it takes to drive a car while sending a text message.u' though if going to try and fail at multitasking, it's better do it in the ki ihen than on terstate. people like to ask me the secret to writing novel for me it's the ability to stay focused. admitting that i'm incapable of multitasking was an important first step. in order to write a novel i have to show up to work fully present and concentrate on one thing. it turns out this is also the secret to baking a cake, and being in a successful relationship, and being a good parent, and a good friend. if your attention span has shrunken like a sweater accidentally thrown in the dryer and you want to stretch it out

again, then reading a book can serve the same purpose as writing one. like baking, reading books can be the antidote to fragmentation and distraction. chapter by chapter you can retrain yourself to pay attention for longer periods of time. books are also a great source of entertainment, education, and empathy. they're available for free at your local library, and are fora sayour local independent bookstore for a fraction of the cost of a new iphone. i was told this essay should be ree minutes long, that three minutes is the length of time people would pay attenti m. so read soe books and next t time we'k longer. >> woodruff: online, you can take ann patchett's advice for reading more books by joining our very o book club with the "new york times." it'salled "now read this," a our book for march is the novel "exit west" by mohsifihamid. you ca author interviews,

discussion questions and more on our web site, pbs.org/newshour. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you and see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and by the alfred pn foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> supported by the john d. and cather macarthur foundation. committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information at macfound.org

>> and with the ongoing support of these institutions >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewersyoike you. than captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

elyse: we're the history detectives, and we're going to investigate some untold stories from america's past. gwendolyn: this week, does this letter suggest a friendship between a native american chief and the creator of mount rushmore? tukufu: did this 1932 ford roadster once dfal america's stest hot rods in the california desert? wes: and did this eagle on guard the fortune in the california desert? of a robber baron from the gilded age? : elvis costel ♪ watchin' the detectives ♪ i get so angry when the teardrops start ♪ ♪ but he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart ♪