>>. tonight on kqed newsroom, house minority leader nancy pelosi talks about winning back the house and fighting in the capitol. and doublele troub for the trump presidency. paul manafort's conviction. a w the women helped kick start the economy and her take on the labor markets. hello and welcome to kqed newsroom. we begin with politics. this week, the trump administrationr sufd major league blows. on tuesday, president trump's former campaign manager was convicted on eight counts of tax and income fraud while working

for ukrainian politicians. michael cohen admitted he had made a payment to adult actress stormy daniels at the direction of president trump and with the intention of influencing the 2016 election. and hunt interhis wife were indicted for misusing250,000 in campaign funds. e wesked nancy pelosi for her ve.spect scott schaefer talked to her earlier. > leader pelosi, welcome to kqednewsroom. >> my pleasure. it's a great to be here. >> a legal and political tsunami in washington. the lawyer pleading guilty, his formerampaignhair guilty of

tax a fraud campaign fraud. what do you take away? >> the take away is that president trump has crony incompetence in washington, d.c. he said he was going to drain the swamp. hijacked the title and betrayed the mission. >>shere are democrats you know, tom stir here in califoia, among hers, saying it's time for impeachment. u have discouraged that. what about now? >> if there is a path to impeachment, we will see what that is. >> what does that mean? >> it means the mueller investigation will continue. it will come to a conclusion. impechment is not a partisan exercise unless you have bi rtisan, you are just acting politically. and we think that if the factses are so self-evident, the case can come to the congress ofunhe ed states. but in the meantime, we have to protect the integ ority the

system. enter he is making an assault and we have to make sure that he does not succeed and that we protect the investigation a the documents and the quest for truth. >> so michael cohen's guilty plea among other thgs, he said that the president essentially participated in a felony. what kind of accountability short of impeachment should bit fothat? >> again that is in the judicia syste >> what do you think? >> the facts that have been presented would be very incriminating for the president. it was a day of reckoning for him. >> and paul ryan and other republicans with reluctant to criticize the president. not just on this. tuesday, paul ryan said he need more informationefore he could draw conclusions. what would you like the speake thousand say about this? >> people ask me all the time, when are thei repuns ever

going to distance themselves from president trump a some of his attitudes and et cetera. never. this is -- there is nothing that presidentrump has been asht, denial of climate, women's right to cheese. fairness in the economy, imgags, gunafy. name an issue. there is nothing they haven't been there long interworse. >> isn't this just a political calculation? ifou look bk at 1998, bill clint yob was fing impeachment and republicans ran on that. how is there a risk for democrats in that? >> it's important for people to know that when democrats win, we are about honor p the founders put forth. they couldn't possibly imagine

how many so when we win, we will reswlears they have, the most closed congress in mystery. transparency, ipart sonship un ny. >> there are people who are saying swhe an adollish.ce. the order folks. is that a winng message? >> no, it'sot an and the fact is if we want to changize, we have to win the e election. >> why do you think dshl. >> well, everybody has their

enthusiasms and sneektd and their poll sifs are about the taking babies o of the arm of their parents, uncivized, inhumane. unworthy of the united states of america. >> you mentioned r theublicans are using i.c.e. as a battering ram against democrats. they areng always u you. that is not new. that has been happening many elections and many feel the volume on that iincreasing and some democrats are saying if i get elected, i'm not going to vote for nancy pelosi as minority leader or speaker. what do you expect? i know you said, knock yourself out. just win. but then what? > well, the point is, is that

republicans now that i'm effective. i say it modestly. i'm an elective orp and that remains it off the table. it's just another sign of their policy bankruptcy they have to be -- go after a 1y0e6789 one of

the rising stars in the party, is cortez.sh shocked people back in new york and beat a close ally of yours, joe crawlyhe what is take away from that? >> let's say about that district, it's a progressive district. so her message worked in that district. t're trifing to w congress of the united states. we're trying to win many seats thatere won by donald trump. heras she is appropriate to district, our candidates are appropriate to their distr t >> is this a year of the women and why? >> yeah, and that is why publicans are so afraid, and

president trump is so afraid ofl women, p of color, and the numbers that will be added to the tranks in the democrat up. >> pam: and a net pickup -- 23 seats. there are about eight oro seats in hillary clinton. the dwrikt they re-elected the republican. how many seats do you think will be flipped in california? >> a number of them. you have to remember,hen i first ran for leadership, weem democrats and 31 republicans. now it's 39 almosts and 14 copies. we have picked up -- >> you feel it's hafrtd e hardet

again fwremt and they are connecting with the voters in thayr own w it's very important, i say it as a formerlo couns and chair. it's important for us to joan the ground. get out the vote. t i tel von tiers, every step you take, every postcard you send makes a difference. these elections are going to be ver and what republica and congress are doing, it's not only different. it's what about we are as a

kblounlt. >> ronald regan. >> you knew? >> yeah, just guessing. >> ronald reagan said the vital force of america in the wrld is every generation of new comers coming to america and when we trail to recognize that, we fail to be and the a now f further anal siz of the week's political development j, i'mined by hoover instituti wan chen, and toms mann from the brookings inn constitution. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> and what a peek. not only and the now with we have a davidnd pref and

compared to other bombshell developments we havead in the past f for. >>d more relationship -- and carter paige frge. now, whate sees the investigation, and this is part 06 pef and that have to be conditionsed. and i thinkt' t why people focused so much this week. what is the sbrektt. involvem that's why this is people and why are so many high provile almostic. >> interesting, they've not

talking about it. only sfroesmt you can't convict a president of the articles of improoefment would a two-third majority. that means vps has to come the count has to come around and it zwroublt and public congress al hearings on all the suck jekts, republicans have avoided. >> i think it's not true to say there are no democrats that have

raised the issue of improoefment. you have a number of members talking agent it because they believe in their district -- this is to 'spelo point, it works. and the kpage noro dats, all zbroechblg against impreachment, and if the are the iso able make the case, he is able to come out better and ahead. >> let 2340e67d had it happened prifr to president trump taking office, is itimpeempible?

>> i think 234r50e7 and let's see howou it play as it kands now, it's a yen yol. >> his lawyers are spleeding with him not to. it would be the e live lent jasms and he could appear to be be doing it, to keep man forth from e eventually testifying. if he is waiting to do it, he my as well wait for the dust to

settle soinchts and the president i don't think still has not forgiven sessionsor making -- for committing that you will.s sin f so we're at a point now where the relationship between the two is untenable. it's so interesting now. this is the point where we actually have democrats defending jeff sessions. i nlever thought you get here. it took a shydown to keech to this point, and the qui with.

>> flemt and jeff sessions is a very conservative attorney general and is pursue per suing issuesn the immigration front, questions that have do with cminal punishment. he is doing what trump wants done. trump is thinking this is a mob boss. thuys work for me, a if they're not worried -- >> they are are are research zbroshl and about the? issu >> the answer, it depends entirely where the distrt is. and speaking out against president trump is not going to get you a lo of benefit.

60% gets 90% snarmt and if you're in original county, colorado mnchts what will it take for thome zblomt and they are calling for a yde in that. they contend nearmt and i think

this is part of the political cab buicky theater and that all ofhe members decided to enjoige it. they feel like they have to sake vp vick a strong acceptfrasmt. >> let's remember how this started. this started with rich mcconnell in sfromt nomination of mrick garland who was e steamed on

both sides of t230e78 and is we have to move it ere, thomas mann with the brookings chen.ution, and lani thank you both. >> thank you. turning now to tech, before there was uber of lyft there was task rabbit. in 2008, leah busky had it to allow people to do jobs. and busky left the company for eighth years before it was acquired by acqui2ikea i7. joining me now is lara busky. good to see you. >> thanks so much for having me. >> not a lot of people realize, before uber and airbnb, there is

rabbit. how did you come up with the idea to have an online platform to convince people who needed peop toun errands for them. >> you know, back in 2008 this is not a obvious ia. this is long before you would ju in a stranger's car off the street, right? but i was sitting at home one night with her husband. we were getting rody to out to din interi realized we were out of dog food. it was a cold and snowy outside. we didn't want to go out. we were like there has to be someone out there to help was the job. four months earlier, the iphone had just come out. and i knewha i could build a plan form that connected me with someone in real time and that is

where the yt was gornl. >> it was a cuff and the quef started to change. there were trends in the way that people wanted to find and earn run and they wanted flexibility in the za to day.th idea for fafk and a ormalization 340e6 and i don't think that these two ideas of having benefits and security and sort of the safety net along with the freelance economy with flexibility. they are not two concepts that have be mutually exclusive and

we have to mans the leads and ants of the people enjoying the flexibility in the work kboerms and whereo you see the future of the work foure? >> the f is changing for women in particular and that's an area i have done deep into. we have lked at flexible job marketplaces and marketplaces that empower women speckly to play longer in the workourse. we looked at child care to so i think that is what is a yenle nd

they e getting 2% of all venture capital in the country. as a women founder do you feel an obligation oresponsibility to help change that? >> abotlutely. and nly are the venture capital statistics as far as who's getting the capital really disconcert venture capital, only 7% of partners in the country are women. and they are the people who et control whothe capital and who gets the money. there's a question here that is twofold. increasing the number of women in venture, will bring a new perspective to the and it will empower the next generation of founders that are represented in technology in particular. but across all sectors now. om>> you have gone now founder of a company to someone working in venture. a woman, do you look specifically for companies founded by women?

>> i look for companies that are going to bring and show the best returns. it has been proven that having diversity at top brings better returns. since i've joined fuel, we have definitely increased the number of female founders we have invested in. i think having that perspective as a woman just allows me to se businesses in a different way and in a new light and it opens up the pipeli the deals we look at. >> and what about -- there is a proposal to require public companies in california to have at leasone woman on their board. what do youhink about that? >> i think that if those companies are interested in better returns, that having more diverse and under represented perspective at the board level can only drive returns. >> should it be legislated or left to the marketplace?th >> ink that being legislated

is great. there is also an assembly bill that is sitting on governor brown's desk ready to be sign that would require some of the foundations and institutions in california to have more dir rsity in the fund mon portfolios as well. and that again is designed to drive better rerns for the endowments and institutions. >> on a personal note, you and your husband, kevin, were high school sweet hearts. you founded taserrabbit toge he went on to start another company.av you a house hold with two very drive entrepreneurs, and how is that? >> my daughter, most lile girls are playing house. she plays office and she sets up her office in her bedroom and she returns e-mails and takes phone calls. that's what she knows, and i guess that is the impress that v both and i have on her.

>> i think that's a good thing. next, she will assemble a computer for you and you will be in great shape. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> and that will do it for us.d you can fre of our coverage at kqed.org/newsroom.an you for joining us.

robert: convictions, immunity ills and a showdown with theer attorney g. is the trump presidency at a turning point? i'm robert costa, welcome to >> he took the job and then he said i'm going to recuse myself. i said what kind of a man is this? robert: the attorney general stands up to president trump's criticism thatr he neve took control of the justice department. and vows the agency will not be improperly influenced by politics. but the feud between the once-close allies has cpublicans taking sides. >> i think there'le a time, sooner rather than later, where it'll be time to have new face and fresh voice at the partment of justice. robert: and the president's foer attorney general michael cohen pleads guilty to eight iminal counts including

campaign finance violations connected to p