tv PBS News Hour PBS June 25, 2018 3:00pm-4:01pm PDT
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y captioning sponsored newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight: the state of the immigration debate as congress prepes for votes and the president conveys his support for deporting undocumented immigrantwithout a court hearing. then, turkey's leader is re- elected to an even more powerful presidency. what this means for democracy in turkey and its relations with europe and the u.s. and protecting gun-owners with dementia. inside the difficult process of removing firearms from those in cognitive decline. >> i started thinking abouit that if he didn't know who i was, i felt that with those events happening it was safest to take the gun. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. or
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>> major funding f the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> consumer cellular understands that not everyone needs an unlimited wireless plan. our u.s.-based customer service reps can help you choose a plan based on how much you use your phone, nothing more, nothing less. m to leae, go to consumercellular.tv >> financial services firm raymond james. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, advaing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world. at www.hewlett.org. >> the william and flora hewlett >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions:
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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. oo >>uff: a much-awaited decision today from the u.s. supreme court on racial gerrymandering. t in a4 ruling, the court upheld current state and congressional districts in texas. a lower federal court had found republicans inntionally drew the districts to dilute minority etting clout. we'll get the fullls, later in the program. the fural for the black teenager shot to death by a white policeman near pittsburgh
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was held today. antwon rose died last week. mourne lined up outside a school for the services. rose was shot when he ran from a vehicle linked to an earlier shting. meanwhile, there were protests in minneapolis after police killed 31-year-old thurm belvins jr. on saturday. they say he fired a handgun into the air and ground. some witnesses say he was unarmed. a state of emergency was decled across northern california today as a wind- driven wildfire burned out of control. the pawnee fire erupted saturday and spread acrs a dry, rural area north of san francisco. it's destroyed 12 budings and prompted evacuation orders for at least 3,000 people.no fartheh, another fire has burned multiple homes and businesses, and threatens 200 more. warm weather and calm seas have set off a new wave of migrant sailings from north africa to europe. spain says it rescued more than
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1,400 people over the last three days. but one rescue vessel carrying 234 migrants was still stranded off malta today.ha italy refused to let it dock. aly's interior minister matteo salvini was in libya today, proposing new migrant checkpoints to stop the flow into europe. >> ( translated ): we believe inat the problems of libya must be solved and faceibya, and not in other suations or otheeuropean capitals. the fact that the receptn and identification centers must be t up south of libya, at libya's ternal borders, to help both libya and italy to block the migration we are both suffering. >> woodruff: separately: the associated press reports algeria sent 13,000 migrants into the sahara desert in the past 14 months to stop them heading north to europe. video showed hundreds walking away from buses.
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the migrants say many have perished. jordan says it will not take in some 17,000 syrians who've fled new fighting in their country. syrian government forces-- backed by russian air strikes-- are pushing into daraa province. the first anti-government protests began there in 2011. in iran's capital, large-scale protests have broken out for a second day over the country's economic struggles. cellphone video showed crowds in front of parliament today. police answered with tear gas in a bid to disperse the demonstrators. similar protests in iran spread to 75 cities and towns last december and january. in nigeria: mass burials beganda after at least 86 people died in violence between muslim herders and christian farmers. footage from sunday showed people waving machetes amid overturned vehicles and smoke in the distance. d men and children fled with whatever they corry.
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back in this country, motorcycle maker harley davidson says it will shi some production from u.s. plants to overseas to avoid european tariffs the e.u. imposed levies last week to answer president trump's driffs on european steel aluminum. harley-davidson sold almost 40,000 bikes in the e.u. las year. on wl street: stocks sank on reports that the trump administration might limit high- tech business with china. the dow joneindustrial average lost 328 points to close at 24,252. it had been down well over 500 points, earlier. the nasdaq fell 160 points-- 2%, and the s&p 500 gave up 37. and, for the first time, a prescription medicine made from marijuana is going on sale in the u.s. the food and drug administration today approved epidiolex made by g.w. pharmaceuticals of britain. epticn reduce ep seizures, but it does not
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contain t.h. , the ingredient in pot that makes users high. still to come on the newshour: we follow two immigrant families making their way to thu.s. the supreme court weighs in on election maps.re turkey'sdent consolidates power with an election victory, and much more. >> woodruff: advocates for separated migrant families here in the u.sare keeping the heat on the trump administration. but the president and his lieutenants are turning eir attention to speeding up deportations. white house correspondent yamiche alcindor begins our coverage. >> no hate! no fear! immigrants are welcome here. >> reporter: today, in the border city of mcallen, texas, outrage over separating families boiled over into a new week.
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>> free those kids! free those kids! >> reporter: and in reno, nevada, hundreds of miles north of the border, this demonstration was to protester attorney g jeff sessions. it was his zero tolerance policy of prosecuting migrants for illegal entry, that ignited the storm over family separations. >> the president has made clear: we are going to continue to prosecute those adults who enter here illegally. but we are going to do everything in our power to avoie parating families. >> reporter: president trump ordered an end to the epparations last week, and over the weekend, thetment of homeland security claimed progress. it said, so fait it has re- more than 500 children with parents who'd been separated from underero tolerance policy. it said the department of health kiand human services was w to re-unite another 2,000 or so separated children in its custody. and d.h.s. said it was making information avaitable to help
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ed adult migrants get in touch with their children. news reports, howe underlined how difficult it will be. in washington today, democratic risenator bill nelson of f said the president's executive order did not provide much hel nelson recently visited a florida shelter housing separated children. >> the executive order was a sham. it was an attempt to divert attention. the executive order does not address the 2,300 children that were separat from their families. >> reporter: the president has now turned his focus on the legal process for those crossing the border illegally. yesterday, he said, "when somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no judges or court cases, bring them back from where they came." he followed up today, during a sit-down witking abdullah of jordan. >> we want a system where, when eyople come in illegally, have to go out. and a nice simple system that work >> reporter: there was this, too, from white house press secretary sarah sanders:
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briefing news reports for the first time in a week. >> just because you don't see a judge doesn't mean you aren't receiving due process. >> >> reporter: in the meantime, the administration is edging closer to using milisery bases to hetained migrants. defense secretary james mattis today named the two bases-- fort ceiss and goodfellow air f base-- both in texas. for the pbs newshour, i'm yamiche cindor. >> woodruff: we turn to the other end of pennsylvania avenue now, for a looat the immigration debate from capitol hill. lam joined by republican congressman leonare, of new jersey. congressman lance, thank yjo very much foining us. the compromise bill that the republican house leadership has put together, i call it a compromise, it's a cross between what the leadership and republican moderates have wanted. first of all, are you for it anl second odo you think it's going to pass. >> i am for it. i did not voe for the good last bill i was one of 41 republicans
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not to vote for that bill and therefore i hope that this bill passes but only time will tell this week, judy, whether this bill will pass. >> woodruff: what is in th bill that you think makes a difference? >> the original bill did not contain a path to citenship for dream dreamers and this bill doesment and i think that is significant difference. swz it's my understanding that this bill also has language that uns do the current legal language that basically says that childn cannot be held in detention with their parents, that they have to beeparated. and that this bill would say, essehiially, that those cldren can be held with their parents but indefinitely, that will is no longer a 20 day limit on that. >> i sawe're holding children for no more than 20 days. in other words, the agreement, i think that it is not in the best interest of the nation to holild en longer than 20 days.
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and i also think, judy, that chdren should be with their parents and i am a cosponsor of another piece olegislation that does that. and also, scrudy, i think we have to inrease the number of immigration judges and as youse knowator dianne feinstein and senator ted cruz are working on that issuein what is apparently a bipartisan capacity in 9 senate. >> woodruff: well, i want to ask you about the judges but io first want get clarification on this question of whether children could be held indisefl with their parents f that an gage is in the bill, you said rtu could still supt? >> i'm not sure i could, if children are held indefinitely. i want children held only to 20 days. >> but obviously with their patients but again, it's our understanding that that is the language in the bill, that they woulbe held but it would be for an indefinite period of time. >> i don't want to hold people indefinitely. i would have to look at that language. i think indefinite ti frame is of course problematic.as >> well, let m you about
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the judges. the president has said we don't need more judges. you said you call for thre to be a doubling at least of the judges who can deal with immigration cases. where is the compromi ground there. >> i disagree with the president. i do think that we need mor judges. that is the end toward which others are, withouting and i am, withouting. and we now have about 350 judges, immigration judges, judy, and i think we should at least double the nuber to 700. >> woodruff: but it sounds like you are far away from the president on that one. he says we don't nee these judges. >> that's correct. i disagree with whathe president has said. i favor due process of law. i think due process of w is important in thissier as it is important in all areas because omingof those who are north are in a very challenging situation in their own country. and we have to see whether we
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theed to be asylum, that is no true of a majority but it may be true of some. and we should be le to exami inthat case by case because iasylum is warrantedn certain circumstances. >> woodruff: well, i'm sure you know that am so people coming to the u.s. seeking asylum are being turack. they are being told we understand, that it is becausee there st too many case as heads of them there is no space for them. are you comfortable with the way those are being handled? >> absolutely not. d that's why i favor doubling the number of judges, for reasons tat you understand. i think regarding asylum we should have an ajudicatory proceeding for each case. >> woodruff:he other thi, you eluded to a moment ago, the president is saying in the last 24 hoo urs people me to this country without documents should be sent back to their own countries immediately. and we heard the white house rsess secretary sarah san dubl down on that. are you comfortable with that approach? >> i am not comfortable with
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that approach. i think there should be a arksz judicatory proceeding and that ishy i favor bling the number of judges. >> woodruff: but not to get too much into the weeds hee, ere is a difference in el doing with people coming asking for legal asylum and tho sse simpying i want to come in. >> yes, yes, of course. wthere certainly are tho cross the border illegally. but in some of the sit not a majority but in some, there is the question of asylum and this country has a long tradition regarding asylum. >> congressman, how do, do you see this issue as helping the republican party or not, this debate, i know that right now you've taken some pretty clear positions. we jst heardou articulate them. you have republican opposition in the primary inour district in new injuriesy, your opponent among others things has taken a more conservative view, are you concerned that you may be more vulnerable because you opposefhe president on some these thing things. >> i was honored to have beenre
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minated a couple of weeks ago. and yes, i did have somebody to my right on.this iss it is of course a challenging issue for our nation but i'm confident my views the views of the-- not only of the district i serve, judzy, but also the american people. the american people want to secure our southern border but they certainly want a process where there can be asylum, where that is warranted, but we have to move forward in a bipartisan capacity, judy, and also we have to move forward recognizing that these are not mutually inconsistent. we can cure our southern border but we also can have a legal process where asylum warranted, that that can be adjudicated appropriately. >> woodruff: you believe this bill is going to pass this weeke the comproill? >> i'm not sure of that. thmore conservative bill did not pass. there were 41 of us on the republican side who votedded against it. i am not sure this bill is going to pass but weave to continue to work on the issue, and we
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have to work on the isue now, judy. we can't wait until after th november election. >> woodruff: which is something i know you said the president had told house members he thought would work, would work. would be preferrable. congressman leonard lance of new jersey, we thank you. >> thank you very muc judy. >> woodruff: for many of the immigrant families now separated re in the united states by the trump administration policy, their stories begin amid terron and persecut their home countries. in many cases, the decision to flee is one of survival. nick schifrin is in mexico city, preparing to cover the country'l presidenlection this weekend. but first, he sought out families making the arduous journey north. >> reporter: two-month old "leti" isn't old enough to know what her father "pedro" sacrificed to get her here. seven-year-old "paulina" is old enough to know, and hangs onto her mother "lupita," after they've been through so much to get here, and survived, together.
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they are children who play just like other children, and like to put on their parents' shoes. but they've all been forced to grow up too fast, forced to leave their homes and run for their ves, until they found this sanctuary. this is a mexico city shelter for refugees run by nuns, including sister "soledad." about 20 central american families live here for free. the shelter requested we not show their faces, and change each of their names, to helpot t them. they get a safe place to live with their families, and three meals a day. kfast is eggs and black beans.ol 24-yea"pedro" says he needs to stay anonymous, because it cou save his life. it safe for you to go home? >> ( translated i had several properties in guatemala and here i am penniless. but to sell the things that i gove there, i would have t back to guatemala, and once i crossed the border, they would kille. >> reporter: he and his 24-year- old wife gaby are guatemalan. she breastfeeds leti.
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that's 2-year-old heidi on the right. pedro says he's wanted by guatemalan gangs because he helped law enforcementccuse gang members of kidnapping. they threatened gabby too. >> ( translated ): my husband arrived in mexico before me, anh the reats against me began. they told me that if my husband did not return, then they would kill my daughter, and if not her, then me. they called me again, they told they said they were going to kill the two girlsor kidnap them. >> reporter: would you prefer to stay in mexico, or do you want to go to the united states? >> ( translated ): if we're going to be here, they'll still find us. i do not want to lose one of my daughters, or my husband. >> ( translated ): if i get asylum, that would be fine, but not here in mexico city. it needs to a little bit more north. if they reject my application, then i will have to emigrate to another co united states.>>e eporter: 23-year-old "lupita," on the left, is hofluran. she to violence from
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within her own home. >> ( translated ): i was getting death threats from the father of my childre because i had separated from him, and i had a new. relationsh then, i was threatened by both men.io i had no o i had to leave with my children. >> reporter: her daughter 7- yee.-old "paulina" is safe h but she's been out of school for heyear. the only lessons learned, were on the migrant trail. >> ( translated ): i risked our lives, kwing that anything could happen along the way. it took us four months to get here. the journey was traumatic. >> reporter: what's e trauma that you and your children have experienced? >> ( translated ): they cry for no reason, and sometimes they can't explain why they feel sad. but i understand. >> reporter: still, she and so many here believe the journey's been worth it. lupita wants to get to the u.s. to give birth. she's six months pregnant. do you want to go to the united states? >> ( translated ): that's where i have family, and where i would feel supported and secure.
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but then i heard about the separation of families and children. and my baby who's about to be born, to be locked in a cage-- we don't deserve that. if i were separated from my child, that would terrorize me. because children are the lives of their parents. v >> tlence is real. the situation with the lack ofil y of the country, of the state, to protect people iner central a, is real. >> reporter: gretchen kuhner works with refugees in mexico ah the director oinstitute for women in migration. she says while refugees have closely watched the administration's policies, long- term, no u.s. border policy can prevent people's interest in the u.s. >> maybe they're moving aroundnt in diffeays or waiting because you know they are terrified to be detained and they're terrified to be separated from their families. but then after tha people start going toward the border again because they're looking r the best situation for their families.
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>> reporter: on this sunday, "pedro," "gaby," and "leti" get ready and put leti in her nicest dress. they get in a local taxi, and head toward the center of mexico city. in another car, "paulina" and her brother "diego" are also heading downtown, mesmerized by the largest city they've ever seen. they walk through the business district, "paulina" and "lupita," never letting go of each other. and they walk toward a place they also consider a sanctuary. the basilica of our lady of guadalupe is one of catholicism's holiest pilgrimage sites. in here, both refugee families seek a respite from their fears and memories of the past. they don't know what's next. and so they pray for their children, and themselves. w druff: and nick joins me m now frico city. nick, we've heard so much about people from central america coming through mexico to get tor the u.sesident trump makes it sound as if mexico is doing
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nothing to stop them,w is mexico handling it? >> i think president trump said it waalmost like walking through central park to get through mexico to the united states. and a lot of people here would disagree with that. with u.s. help mexico ha increased attempts to try and stop central americans from getting to the u.s. border, that means increased security, patrols and crackdown as long mexico's southern border. also crackdowns inarrests long the my grant or refugee trail that these people use to get to the u.s. at the same time a lot of these people, central americans are choosing to stay in mexico.r asylum casese actually up seven times in the last few years. and on paper, the a-- asylum laws are much more again russ than they are in the u.s. youca apply based on againized violence an internal conflictment but at e sam time i talked to a lot of these my grants or refugees desiscribg oute as perilous. they have told me that they have been abuseby mexican police.
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they also told me that they have been attacked by gangs insid mexico or even from their own country. so in in some way, judy, t refugee thras we heard from this that piece or in those shelters ky ones.ally the l >> woodruff: we heard the woman you interryud in the piece talk about she's cocerned about u.s. policy about family separation. ho mmuch do the grants follow what is going on in the u.s. what is said ne here? >> very closely. after the trump, after presint trump was inaugurated, there was actually a slight decline in people trying to get to the states and border patrol officials at the time said that was a trump effect. but quicklya thereafter t decline reversed and the numbers went back up. the experts i talk to say at th end of the day it is not a u.s. president or policy that willde rmine whether the central americans leave their homes and try and get to the states. it is thnditions in the places that they live. and the people will risk is perilous journey to the north only if it is safe for them
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staying at hme. >> nick schifrin in mexico city for us now, and all this week. ank you, nick. >> thank you. >> woodruff: turkey held its presidential and parliamentary elections yesterday. president recep tayyip erdogan won a new term, and as william brangham reports, erdogan is now armed with sweeping new powers, cementing his status as turkey's preeminent leader. >> reporter: fireworks erupted over the turkish capital ankara as news spread last night of president erdogan's victory. >> ( translated ): t this election is democracy, our nation. the winners of this election are every one of the 81 million citizens. >> reporter: erdogan was first elected president in 2014, after 11 years as prime minister. on sunday, he won just shy of 53
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percent of the vote-- enough to avoid a runoff with opposition candidate muhareem ince, who finished a distant second. ince ultimately conceded, but blasted erdogan. >> ( translated ): turkey has cut off its links with democracy. unfortunately it iunderstood that for a while longer we won't depend on rules and instutions. we have entirely transitioned to a one-man regime. >> reporter: erdogan's ruling justice and development party lost its majority in parliament, but will stay in power with a coalition partner. erdogan will now exercise sweeping new powers that were granted to the presidency in a referendum last year. chief among the changes: the position of prime minister is eliminated, shifting executive powers to the president. erdogan will get to appoint many judges and cabinet officials--po tions that were previously elected. and, he will also be allowed to serve for up to three new terms- - potentially, until 203 >> he can rule essentially
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unfettered, the opposition isit concerned that he will use these new powers to rulell essentunchecked to deepen author >> reporter: steven cook is a senior fellow for middle east and africa studies at the council on foreign relations. j >> withoicial review without parliamentary oversight erdogan can do what he wants how he wants it in the name of the ansformation of turkish society. rkey is one of the world leading jailers of journalists in the world going after academics who have voiced opposition to the government awh e range of people who don't agree with the government have faced legal jeopardy as a result. >> reporter: erdogan has already waged a sweeping campaign against dissent, largely in response to an attempted coup in 2016. his government has fired or detained more than 100,000 government officialsand shuttered dozens of newspapers and television stations. erdogan's record has caused
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friction between turkey and the european union, but ankara retains major leverage. >> there is one issue that is putting a brake on european iticism of the conduct of this election and that is the presence of almost 3 million refugees in turkey. erdogan and other turkish ficials have in the past threatened to essentially unleash refugees from the middle east on europe. they may not happily accept this outcome but nevertheless they and the new system in turkey.n >> reporter: the same holds true for the u.s. despited disagreement over america's kurdish allies fighting isis in syria, steven cook says thee trump white holl accept the status quo in turkey. >> as long as the united states can continue to fight the lamic state i think the conduct and outcome of turkey's election are of secondary at best ccern for the trump administration. >> reporter: president trump has praised the rkish leader, citing their great friendship during a meeting in 2017.
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for the pbs newshourm william brangham. >> woodruff: stay with us. coming up on the newshour: the struggle to protect gun owners who have dementia. it's politics monday.co thinued immigration fight on capitol hill. and remembering the poet donald hall. but first, this term the u.s. supreme court was asked to weigh in on one long-running political debate. as amna nawaz explains, it's all about what is and isn't allowed when lawmakers draw electoral districts. >> reporter: over the past year, the supreme court-- in more than one case-- has tackled gerrymandering. today, the court ruled on a case out of texas questioning whether the state used racial discrimination when drawing four state district lines. "the nional law journal's" marcia coyle joins me at the table.
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thanks for being here. >> pleasure. >> let's talk about the case toad, it'sout a texas congressional and legislateddive map, the alegation was it was challenged as racial gerree mandzerring, what did the court said. >> the court dividessed 5-4 along ideaological lines. justice alito joined by four conservative justices lead the court in the majority opinion. and the majority rejected a lower court's findings that texas had engaged in racial discrimination primarily against black and hispanic voters in its 2013 redistricting map. justice alito said that the evidence of discrimination was insufficient to shoi that texas had-- the teas legislature which drew the map had bad faith or had engaged in intentional discrimination. >> so is that really a decision about whether or n this was racial gerrymandering? >> oh yes, abse olutely.
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justito did say that there was one district though that stood out as being racially gerrymandered. and that was a state househ district inch texas had argued we had to do it in order to comply with the federal voting rites actme and justice alito said there wasn't enough evidence to show that they had to diskrim nice-- diskrimt 2345eu9 agaiispanic voters.c >> justice siety mier said-- sotomayor said quote the court today does great damage to that right of equal opportunity, not because denies the existence of that right but because it refuses its enforcement. that's pretty strong language. >> it is, she is very passionate when it comes to racial discrimination in voting or even in the criminal justice system. the dissenters that she lead really had a de ffere opinion with the majority over what the lower court found,jf-i
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justice societyñi meyeror said-- sotomaid they mischaracterized the findings end that there was ampl evidence that the texas iegislature acted in bad faith and intentionallyses krim natured. >> this isn't the only gerrymandering ce, it is the only one dealing with race. the other two dealt with partisan gerrymandering. so where does today sort of fit into the landscape, the way thes couled. >> i really think it stands alone because the court has dealt with racial rymandering in many contexts over the years and decis these cases. the partisan gerry mannerring cases are different because the court hayet to am could up with a standard or a test to determs e when polites too far, and violates the constitution in reistricting. so today they actually had a case from north carolina that was a challenge to northro na's congressional map, a partisan gerrymander challenge. and they sebat that ck to the lower court saying reconsider
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this in light of a decion we made this month in a wises business case. and in that sconsin case again the court didn't come up with a bst. all it dically was say what you have to show in order r get youot in the courthouse door if you want to challenge part i san gerrymandering. so it offered a little bit of guidance but not a whole lot. >> very quickly now, the central question in this seems to be does the coitnion forbid gerrymandering and if so where should the court draw the line, do we havehn answer to tat? >> no, we don't. and it's really a question of when is part i sonship so-- part i sano extessive that it challenges the constitution. and many of these maps and cases will keep coming back to the supreme court until it does rule, or the basis of the challenges are violates the first amendment, your right ofn, associatiolates the 14th amendment, your right-- your right not to have your vote die lawsuited for part
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i san reasonsness--s.artisan reas >> thanks for being here. >> my pleasure >> woodruff: now, thein rsection of guns and dementia. around half of a americans older than 65 live in a home with a firearm.an one in three senior citizens dies with some form of dementia. by one estimate, by 2050 as many as 1million people with dementia may live in homes with guns. that is prpting doctors, researchers and family members to ask how to prevent a potentiatragedy. john yang reports on this part of our partnership with kaiser health news. >> 9-1-1 where's your emergency? >> hi, this is dee hil my husband just accidentally shot me. >> reporter: dee hill-- distress palpable in her voice-- called
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9-1-1 in may 2015. >> he shot you? okay, where are you injured at? >> in the stomach and he can't talk. please! >> okay, stay with me, we're going to get you some help. >> reporter: dee's husband, rrell, was at her side, but unable to help.ea two yearier, the former police chief, two-term sheriff and certified gun safety instructor, was diagnosed with rapidly progressive dementia. about a year before the shooting, dee reluctantly took c away har keys. when he still insisted on driving, she sold the car. when he wanted to check on their e locked them in their safe in a shed behind the house and changethe combination. he asked me every day where are my guns. and d tell him, they're in t safe.
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"well, i want to see them." i'd get him off on another subject and that worked for a while but then pretty soon he was just almost obsessive about seeing his guns. >> reporter: like many with dementia, darrell had good days and bad days. after mother's day he was doing so well that dee relented. she took out the revolver he used for target shooting and the glocpistol he carried as a sheriff, checked to see if they were loaded, and placed them on the table in front of his wheelchair. >> he reached for the pouch that it was in. knocked it on the floor. i bent down to pick the pouch and just as i was coming up i heard the gun go off. r orter: she had missed a round that had been left in the glock's chamber. it was now lodged in dee's back. darrell's dementia was so advanced that heasn't aware of what had just happened. >> he didn't realize the gun had gone off. it just didn't even faze him. and i convinced him, i asked him to get me the phone. and he said why do you want the
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phone. who are you going to call. and i said, well i'm going to call the ambulance. >> reporter: for months, kaiser alth news reporter jonel aleccia has led a team looking into the deadly combination of guns and dementia, uncovering dozens of stories like dee's fry across the country, fam members shot and even killed by loved es suffering from dementia, as well as suicides by people with dementia, which experts conser an even bigger problem. >> we've found reports of people who were sleeping people with dementia sleeping with firearms under their pills and then having to have the guns taken away because they were a danger to themselves or others. >> reporter: how widespread is this problem? >> you know, thenteresting thing is that no one really knows. but what we do know is that people older than 65, about 45% of them live ihomes with guns. and we also know that about onee
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in 10 peoplder than 65 has alzheimer's disease. and so the trajectory of those two numbers shows that there could be some concerns going forward. >> reporter: in dee hill's case, it had near-tragicesults. she spent seven weeks in the hospital and had three operations. >> i lost a kidney, part of my stomach, my colon. the doctor said he took out everything but my gallbladder. >> repter: darrell died a year after the shooting, never realizing, dee says, what had happened. >> he knew i was hurt, knew i was sick but he didn't have a clue why and i'm grateful for that. >> reporter: families with both usgun and a loved one with dementia in the old can find themselves facing some tough choices without a lot of guidance. some find themselves making it up as ey go along. in eastern ida, that's the approach delmar and veak scroughams te as they they try to avoid what haened to dee hill. delmar is a retired home- builder, known for his hobby
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restoring vintage carriages. his dementia diagnosis came in 2013. not long after, he decided on his own that he should stop driving. verg began to worry about their guns as his condition worsened, and he showed signs of aggression, a common symptom of dementia. >> one night he grabbed my arm. and if he could have got my left arm with my right arm held in his one hand he would have hit me. i have no doubt he would have hit me. my husband in his right mind would never lift a hand against me. never. >> reporter: and he wouldn't always recognize his wife of 45 years as he sat in his lounge chair-- beside a table where he kept a loaded pistol for protection. d it's only time it happe that i woke him up out of a sleep and he says, "well, who are you?" and i said, "well, i'm your wife."
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and then i started thi about it that if he didn't know who i was. i feel that with those events happening that it was safesto take the gun. >> reporter: together, they agreed to sell or ge away many of their guns, lock up the remaining rifles, and hide the revolver. >> i got a disse that it's going to end up killing me and you know i can turn bad and hu somebody. >> reporter: was there anyone who was giving you advice guidance on this-- a doctor or a clergy? >> i never thought about the doctor bringing it up because the doctor doesn't even know we have guns. >> i think the role ofic physns is really helping families be aware of the issues that are going to be coming. >> reporter: dr. emmy betz is an ascyciate professor of emerg medicine at the university of
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colorado, boulder, and co- founder of the colorado firearm ndfety coalition. she studies gunsementia. >> so getting them thinking about all of the issues they need to address so firrms, driving, home safety, and access to power tools, and the kitchen and the gas stove. all those kinds of things. >> reporter: betz says many physicians wrongly believe they're prohibited from asking their patients about firearms in the house. >> there ino state or federal kiw that prohibits health care providers from tal to patients or asking about firearm access in the home. aslf health care provider my i think it's really important. >> reporter: in fact, there are few lawscross the nation that deal specifically with the problem of dementia and guns. no feder person with dementia from owning guns, unless a court rules them incapacitated. and just two states specifically mention brain diases in their gun laws: hawaii prohibits someone with dementia from owning a gun. texas simply prevents someone inth a diagnosis from obta a public carry permit. >> it really comes back to ts is something that families are dealing with.
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it's not currently something that's going to be fixed by policy. >> reporter: 11 states currently have so-called "red flag" laws-- allowing authorities to temporarily seize guns from people deemed dangerous, including those with dementia. at least six other states are considering similar legislation. verg scrougham's advice: talk about the guns soon someone is diagnosed with dementia, so that the person plays a role in deciding what to do about them.av >>these discussions and mke these decisions before your loved one no longer knowsec anythingse that makes it more difficult and it's more demeaning. i want to keep his dignity as long as we can and because i love him. he's my life.
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ll>> reporter: dee and dar hill were married for 58 years. she feltanhe couldn't do hing with her husband's guns without his consent while he was alive, but his condition deteriorated so quickl she never had that conversation. after darrell died, she sold the guns. one is still waiting for the buyer to get a gun permit. she keeps it in the safe--long with the bullet that lodged in her back. >> reporter: do you regretr have second thoughts about bringing the guns out that day? >> no. i mean that sounds stupi but no, i don't. he spent darn near 40 almost 50 years in law enforcement and a gun was always with him and to deprive him of not even eing them in my heart of hearts i couldn't deny him now, not any longer and regardless of the >> reporter: it's a dilemma that more families across the country will find themselves facing. , r the pbs newshour, i'm john yang in the dallegon. im
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>> woodruff: as thgration crisis continues, recent polling finds republican supportumor president is as strong as aer. it's politics mond susan page of "usa today" and stuart rothenberg of inside electio are here. t is politics monday, susan, polling in just a moment butt fihis whole debate about immigration continues to rage, the president doubling dwn on his zero tolerance policy. yes, he backed off on separating children from parents but he's talking at this point about just sending people back from the border without a gal procedure. and other very tough steps. what does ts por tends as congress prepared to figure out whether it's going to suport one direction or another? >> we know congress is going to debate what to do. but we are pretty certain
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congress will not decide to do anything. we think we'll have a vote tomorrow or the feks day in the house. unlikely they'll get anythin throug impossible that something gets through the house and senate llgned by the president so this is an issue we e living with this area. maybe it would take a decisiveon elecn november to try to sort out where americans would ue.e to go on this iss >> how do you see the calculus from members of congress. we talked to leona lance, a moderate republican a little bit earlier in the program. he said he's hero called compromise bill but then he's not for this notion of permanence-- permanently allowing children and families to beermanently deained. >> from republicans they're between a rock and a hard place lbecause they want to beoyal to the president, they know their voters are supporting the presidenme at the same any of them are in swing districts and understand certain types of vote, particularly suburban voters suburban women are concerned about the issue so they're trying to fudge testimony i think the democrats believe they have the upper hand on these issues.
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nd they're going to press them. let me say one thing, judy. this i classic donald 2ru6r7, he doesn't care about process. he just cares about the yut come. he doesn't want judged juries and he doesn't care about the rules. we have too many las. let's just take them and get rid of them. and that is a problem fr many voters who dislike the president t reminded them what they do't like. >> it is classic donald trump in another way n thathat was th first issue he talked about, almost precisely three years ag today whename down that escalator and announced he was going to run for.as itmmigration t was characterizing immigrants in the worst possible way. so we should not be surprise ichad this is an issue to he has returned now as he is facing the determine election. >> and we're inging up th democrats and can i pull the democrat nas this next part of the question here, and that is hew it polling showing president's support among republicans-- republicans is higher than it has evr been. nearing 90%.
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in some poll sts 90% his pport is up among independents. and some are suggesting that this is because as opponents lamb-base the president for what he is doing on immigraron and ot issues. his supporters are saying wait a minutek you've gontoo far. i will hold to donald trump even more. >> t this, on one hand his support among republicans may reflect thfact that soe republicans have already left the part and they no longer-- republicans wdz identify these republicans. >> right. the other part is it reflects the deep division inthe country. i can only say that, for republicans they have doubled down in support of the president because they think he's right in terms of public policy and ideology. but also there is a sense among republicans that the system is frozen. and you needed someone to come in andust rip it apart. you needed someone to destroy
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thent establish and so they still see him as the person who is taking on the national media, liberals, thear democratic and even the political establishment in the gop. >> woodruff: how are yous seeing trk suan. some are saying it is aph enomenon that the an greer his opponents are, the people who originally liked him are clinging to him. >> we've been saying the nation polarized for years. we've gone beyond that i don't think we have the words to describe the way people view one another on the twod sies. it's like we don't not only don't talk toach other, we have different responses but the 90% approval rating monday frepublicans, what a big y net that is for donald trump. because for one thing it mak congressional republicans very leery about challenging him on anythin . this has bhuge advantage for him that he has been able to hold his core supporters. >> in connection and picking up on what you are saying about this incredible division that w see right now which gets even farther, the polls get evenrt
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r apart, to what we have even over the last few days is people who are identified with the president, are being set upon when they go out to dinne kristjen nielsen, in a restaurant in washington, thees president's secretary sarah sanders was asked by the owner of a restaurant to ef loo. maxine waters democraticn congresswoom kl kal was, it's noted that she was telling democratic suppters to go out and confront people who support donald trump. and the president today tweetedo watch out wha wish for, maxine waters, and we're showing here part of the tweet. he said this may, he said be careful what you wish for. so in other words, the fight, the language gets tougher and it gets rougher. have i been doing it a long time and you have been doing it a long time too, judy. to woodruff: a long 250eu78. >> i thought bache clinton era, bill clinton and we all thought what a deep division
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there. because there was a cultural division, i did not inhale, i did not have sex with that woman. and hillary clinton running the health-care plan, what a deep division, republicans really had all this anger. and then we had george bush and hanging chads and cat inna and iraq and on on, and obama. each time i thought it couldn't get any worse. i thought this was it, this was the deepest split and every day it seems to get worse and there is no sign it will change. we'll have the mid terms and we will be in a presidential race d both parties will play to the base. >> what does it say about our political discourse to tk to each other. >> i worry that we're just becoming frayed. in a way that wil very hard o get back together. because the natua democracy is we-- you may disagree with soeone butthere will be some middle grund to move forward on issues, and we seem to have lost the ability to do that. and i'm not sure there is a way
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out of that unlesvoters decide they want to go in some other direction.in >> cer there won't be a way out of it with this president. i think that we can be sure of. sybe the next president will decide that he oe number one goal will be to bring the country together agall but that e quite a challenge. >> for now you're saying compromise is just umaginable with this president, is that what. >> i can imagine it but i can imagine a lot of weared things. in this case, no, it's not a realistic possibility, i'm afraid. >> i don't think you can see it from now til the mid terms. let's see what happens in the mid terms if there is decisive outcomes f democratswin the house and the snatd, does that lead us to more common ground, or does it just mean that t two branches of government will be more at odds with each other and investigating than the white house the way they are now. >> we are all struggling to understand what is going on right now. >> susan page, stu rothernberg, thank you both.
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>> woodruff: finally tonight, jeffrey brown remembers renowned writer donald hall-- widely considered one of the greatest poets of his generation. >> reporter: in 1975 donald hall came to live in the small new hampshire farm he'd visited as a boy, when his grandparents lived here. he told me of it when i visited in 2006. >> i'm incredibly lucky. i fell in love with this place when i was eight or 10, andve it, and loved the people in it, and loved the culture around it, loved the hills and valleys, loved the old houses,hi likeone, white cobber with green shutters. when i came ck, i decided i'd been writing about new hampshire from a distance so muc now that i was back in new hampshire, i wouldn't write about it ae more. quite verse: i went through everything. i wrote about all the old farm
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animals. i wrote about the hills. everythi about it stimulated me, and i had perhaps the most prolific year of my life when i arst came back. >> reporter: thereoem called "mount kearsarge." >> "mount kearsarge." "great blue mountain aghosts. i loyou from the porch of the farmhouse where i watched you all summer as a boy. steep sides, narrow flat patchop on you are clear to me, like the memory of one day. >> reporter: two of his best known books-- "without" and "the painted bed"-- are about his most painful subject: the death of his wife, poet jane kenyon, who died here of leukemia at age 47. was that hard to do or was that helpful? >> it was helpful in any extreme. and writing her letters after her death gave me the only sort
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of happiness of the day. i felt in communication with her somehow, not supernatully, but poetically. it just happened. and every important thing in my life had found itself into poems.n but though we was sick, dying of leukemia, what else could i write about? >> reporter: hall was a prolific er, in addition to poetr there were memoirs, essays, children's books, even two books about hibeloved baseball. he served as u.s. poet laureate in 2006. among many other honors, he ceived a national medal arts from president obama. and always, he was ariter of, and advocate for, poetry. >> poetry offers works of art that are beautiful, like paintings, but there are also works of art that emmotion and that are kind of school for
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feeling.ey each how to feel, and they do this by the means of their beauty of language. >> reporter: donald hall died of cancer at eagle pond farm in new hampshire on saturday. he was 89. >> woodruff: online you can read a poem by the late author. that's on our web site: pbs.org/newshour. and that's the newshour for tonight. on tuesday: new threats to ancient wonders on one of the world's most remote places: easter island. i'm judy woodruff. u online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you and see youo . >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> consumer cellular. >> financial services firm raymond james.e >> and by fred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology,
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d improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> supported by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information at macfnd.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 viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org tukufu: this week, on an encore presentationy
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of histtectives: what role did this striking poster play in the elosive events of 1960s america? i didn't think we had reached that point where we were going to start shooting at people, my god. elyse: how was this wooden fragment connected to one of the mostcelebrated ps of the 19th century? wes: what tales does this basket weave of the heroism of an erican-indian woman? wes: whatjack points it at canby thand pulls the trigger. elvis costello: ♪ watchin' the detectives ♪ i get so angry when the teardrops start ♪ ♪ but he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart ♪ ♪ watchin' the detectives ♪ it's just like watchin' the detectives ♪ ♪ watchin' the detectives
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