>> good evening. on the news hour tonight, the fall. evacuations from kabul airport to exhilarate and women's rights advocates tell us their fears of taliban rule. then a bumpy road ahead. moderate democrats face-off with the party bus progressive wing. and haiti in crisis. the country languishes in the aftermath of a major earthquake and faces increasingly dire food shortages. >> we are here with our children. i don't know how many but we need to feed them. we need food, water, clothes. quite all that and more on

tonight's new. -- >> all of that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> a ribbon james financial advisor. taylor's advice to help you live your life. life well-planned. >> for 25 years, consumer cellular has been offering no contract wireless plans designed to help people do more ofhat they like. our customer service team can help find the plant that fits you. to learn more, visit consumer cellular.tv. >> johnson & johnson.

>> fostering informed and engaged communities. >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and 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. >> president biden says the united states will work to finish its evacuation in afghanistan by august 31st but he did not fully commit to a complete withdrawal as american

and allied evacuations continued and thousands remain desperate to flee. there were some signs of progress in the afghan capital. 12,000 have been flown out in just a last 12 hours by the u.s. and its partners. 4000 plus americans have also been evacuated. the president says the secretary of state will update the number of americans trying to you -- trying to leave afghanistan tomorrow. jane ferguson reportsrom kabul. >> with just a week to go before the u.s. remission expires in afghanistan, president biden is aiming for his august 31st deadline but left open the option to extend the mission beyond that date. he said it came down to the safety of american forces. >> we are currently on pace to finish by august 31.

the sooner we can finish, the better. each day of operations brings added risk for our troops. i have asked for the pentagon for contingency plans to adjust the timetable should that become necessary. i am determined to ensure that we complete our mission. >> the taliban has been against any such extensions. >> we are not in favor of allowing afghans to leave and after august 31, we will not allow the americans to be here. >> this comes among word that william burns secretly met face-to-face with the taliban's leader on monday in kabul. pentagon officials reported at least one flight is departing from kabul every 45 minutes. john kirby said they expect to build on that momentum. >> we still believe that we have been able to increase the capacity and flow.

we have the capability, the ability to get that done. our plan is to continue this case as aggressively as we can. >> the desperation grows as the clock ticks down. thousands of people are temping to flee. their positions reduced to what they can carry or will around. while the evacuation numbers are higher, they are only allowing in people with passports and green cards. not to many more who were promised to be considered. >> the situation at the airport is really bad. because of the rush of people, women and children are in miserable condition. quite the situation is unclear and we don't know who will come and who will run the country. there is unlimited and there is no source of income and we have food insecurity issues. >> also today, the taliban released in order all afghan women that they must stay in their homes for their own

protection. less than 10 days as the group took control of the country and promised women at this time it would be different. they are beginning to look a lot like the old taliban rulers of the 1990's. >> the founder of the afghan women's network is one of the most prominent voices advocating for the rights of afghan women. >> they don't have anything to say to the leaders. i have a lot to say to the women of the road and the people of the world, not to the government. >> what do you say to american women who are watching that are concerned but feel helpless? how can they help the women of afghanistan? >> i want to tell them how much i appreciate the solidarity, how much i appreciate the fact that they are still looking after us. i want them to say to the world, see what the taliban are doing.

are they keeping their promises? are they behaving the way they're supposed to? i want to tell every afghan woman tonight that i love you so much, fm the bottom of my heart. the ones that have left this country are not because you want to, it is because you have to. the ones of you that are staying in this country and you can't get out, please don't give up hope. please don't afraid. things are going to change. there is nothing in this world that has stayed the same. >> demands for accountability are coming from both sides of the aisle. especially as the biden administration has yet to say how many americans remain in afghanistan. >> the buck stops here. president biden said that about one week ago and that he went off blaming everybody else but ultimately, it is his decision, he has to on this but he has to own up to the american people. >> mark warner of jing issued a

statement, valid to get to the bott of why we were not better prepared for a worst-case scenario involving such a swift and total collapse of the afghan government and security forces. lawmakers have already announced investigations into the handling of the afghan withdrawal, hoping to reveal so of those answers. >> jane ferguson joins me now from kabul. good to see you. we heard president biden say the u.s. would be finished by august 31. there are putting more open to make it there, does that mean for them? >> there are so many more out there. many are sleeping and bedding down for the night. there are people in the city or desperate to make it out. all of these journalists field frantic calls from former interpreters or anybody who worked with the usaid or other agencies and generally known to work with the foreigners over

the last 20 years saying the situation -- can we get through to the airport? now this is a hard deadline that defies pressure. we have to remember that we have to get to the airport anyway and the taliban have said they are going to stop people from here on in, stop afghans get into the airport. the airport -- that could end up spping anybody's chances of getting through. there is already an informal curfew in the evenings. after tonight, we will really know if they are going to act on those traumas. if they are going to stop the afghan people from getting to the airport. having seen the crowds of people , i think that will be a challenge for the taliban.

for anybody who is already here, it is very difficult to get inside. this is an approved visa that has not been issued. >> there is intense negotiation. what leverage does the u.s. have at this stage when it is days away from leaving? >> it is days away from leaving and clinging to the edge of an airport. the leverage in terms of the situation on the ground in kabul, when you look at it from that little strength and military perspective, this area is surrounded by the taliban. the soldiers are heavily armed and the taliban are unlikely to really want to poke the bear to that extent when it is on its way out the door but at the same

time, it is clear the taliban are happy to put pressure on the united states to leave. from their perspective, they are very much keen to be seen as the victors here. from a pr perspective, they want to show americans getting out. there is some leverage potentially. the taliban are under pressure. it is one thing to menace a country as an insurgent group. it is another thing to run one. they will be dependent on international aid and support. this country has been suffering under cod lockdowns. it has been suffering under drought. there is a huge amount of food insecurity. everything from the educational system to the health care system

is dependent on the international community. that is a form of leverage. one other form is the issue of leadership of the taliban being on the sanctions list. that is one way the americans might negotiate. >> before i let you go, the president mentioned the threat from isis k to the airport compound. can you tell us what the overall security threat is there? >> it is ticketed -- dictated by the compound. you are rely on the taliban, providing security. no one is being checked. no one is being checked by metal detectors. we have crowds of people showing up.

you have military from america, britain, it is a chaotic scene and very vulnerable. >> another long day of extort eric reporting. thank you again. please stay safe. the last time the taliban was in power, they barred women and girls from working and going to school. one looming question is if half of afghanistan's operation will be able to study and work. i spoke earlier with pashtana durrani. she fled her home in kandahar when the taliban took control nearly two weeks ago. she is now in hiding and we are not disclosing her current location for her safety. >> take me back. it has been a week since the taliban took over kabul.

what was that moment like for you when you saw that happening? pashtana durrani: i mean like taking kabul was something that i already, it was like, you know, in the back of your mind, you know, that it's going to happen the minute they take kandahar it's for sure the history has proven back in time again and again the minute they take over kandahar, they take over kabul. it's just a matter of days in this situation. it was just a matter of hours. so when they took over kandahar, i was pretty much sure that afghanistan is gone. and we probably have to get ready for all these things. and i'm going to be honest, it was an emotional three days for me. i think i cried my eyes out for a majority of my interviews. i had very puffy because i kept on crying. and my family, we didn't even know what to pack, what not to pack, what to do, what not to do, who to talk to. we left in such a hurry. nobody knew what the next step was. it is just a chaotic mess.

clicks your 23 years old. is that right? you have only known in afghanistan when women are allowed to go to school and the u.s. has been at war in your country. what are you worried life would look like for you with the taliban in charge question mark >> here is the reason, when the taliban talk on media, we said we are going to allow women to go back to work. we just need a window of time. for me, the problem is not the fact that we will or will not let this happen. it makes me wear it makes me worried innocence. -- in a sense. what if they use it in week terms or those terms. the next time they say women can't work in the only work they could do is to teach.

not betty -- not everybody can be on that plane. what about the economic situation? what about women's working rights? what about civilian rights? the taliban are a mitary force. they don't have any education. they have not been through this political system of running a country. how will that happen? what will happen then? all of those things make me very worried about afghanistan. >> there is so much focus on afghanistan and the u.s. is still there but they won't be in a matter of days. what do you worry will happen when they are gone? >> i am worried about the fact that they will be able to open the schools, all those public spaces that are shrinking for women. those are the two things they don't have a very good track record with in the past. i don't think we should be

trusting them until they walk the walk and talk the talk. all world leaders should follow up with them. what is happening? what does your workforce need? those things are very important right now and what is watching and they should make sure there is a mechanism in place that every time they go back on their work, there is a mechanism in place to keep them from going back on their word. >> that is something you would like to see in the future but i would like to ask you what the message is today from this point in time about what you would like to see the u.s. say or do right now. >> the u.s. should focus a lot on the fact that people who are fleeing should be able to fully with more dignity. they should be able to fully with secure passages.

the taliban featuring for the genesee. they want legitimacy for the world leaders. this could all happen if only the world leaders stand up. except these things, move on with these things. let the women go to work and then figure out political lives and all of these different things later on. you know all these little institutions, it takes time. but schools should be closed, banks should be closed. >> you have been an outspoken advocate. you have been an outspoken critic of the taliban. does that make you a target? >> i will be honest with you, in the leadership, they are very polite right now. they want to be very inclusive. they want legitimacy so they

don't want people against them but they want to entertain those voices. then there are foot soldiers. it would not harm them. i am not the first one. they have done that in the past. foot soldiers are many. they are not under the control of them. >> you still continue to speak out and give interviews. why? >> my students have been evacuated and they are leaving right now. if it was about only me, i could have moved to any of the countries. there are 7000 euros have talked to. at least i have an international

platform right now. i would not forgive someone if they have access to all those things. i fill the same response ability toward them. they do not have the family support right now. i have all that. why not talk about it? joe's are dependent on the public institution and public schools. not only me. it is myesponsibility, my country. >> thank you for taking the time to talk with us and pase stay safe. >> thank you for having me. >> i am stephanie tsai with nucera west. we will return to the rest of the show after these headlines. the house announced a deal pushing for t budget plan.

party moderates wanted to vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill but they agrd to wait until next month. democratic leaders hailed the agreement while republicans uniformly opposed it. >> today is a great day of pride for that -- for our country and democrats. we have a president with a big, bold vision for our country, and unprecedented opportunity to keep our promises for the people. >> our country's infrastructure should not be tied to the democrat's parson spending spree. especially during a pandemic. but here we are. >> house democrats passed a bill they said will bolster voting rights, the john lewis voting rights advancement act faces uncertain prospects in the evenly divided senate. we will have more on these partisan battles later in the program. the supreme court ordered that a lower court ruling requiring the biden administration to reinstate a trump your

immigration policy should stand. -- vera emmett -- trump era and aggression polish a -- trump era immigration policy should stand. the fda gave full approval to the pfizer vaccine. jeffrey zeiss says people who resisted the shots no longer have an excuse and employers have no more reason to delay. >> if you are a business, a nonprofit, a state or local leader who has been waiting for full and final fda approval, now is the time. you have the power to protect your committees. >> in tokyo, the paralytic's open amid the pandemic's worst surge yet.

california's lake tahoe is shrouded in smoke as firefighters worked to keep the caldor fire him spreading into the vacation area along the nevada border. the fire has a ruptured, becoming the number one firefighting priority. it has scorched 180 square miles. the death toll in middle tennessee's disaster was down today. three people were still listed as missing. local officials reported more than 270 homes were completely destroyed. more than 100 watched from their foundations. scores of flood victims are relying on donated clothes and food. vice president harris accused china of using coercion and intimition to force territorial claims in the south china sea. she was in singapore meeting

with business leaders. she said the u.s. is opposed to china's moves. >> they threaten the sovereignty of nations. the united states stand with our allies and partners in the face of these threats. >> china shot back that the accusation is a smear tactic and that the u.s. lost its credibility ove the chaotic withdrawals from afghanistan. separately, vice president harris was delayed several hos. ahead of her arrival, officials were investigating a possible case of havana syndrome. it refers to unexplained elements. new fighting has broken out between israel and hamas. the worst since their 11 day war

in may. they sent balloons carrying explosives into southern israel. israeli airstrikes hit targets in gaza. today, israeli troops killed a palestian teenager during clashes in the west bank. and legendary rolling stones drummer, charlie watts died in london today. he joined -- here is from the documentary shine a light performing jumping jack flash. ♪ charlie watts was 80 years old.

still to come on the news hour, fatigue and frustration from the pandemic lead to a critical shortage of nurses. haiti faces the aftermath of a major earthquake and increasinglyire food shortages. the first black man inducted into the sailing hall of fame reflects on his life and much more. >> this is the pbs newshour. >> the u.s. house of representatives is back in washington for a rare august session. the agenda is moving forward on potentially trillions of dollars of spending with a narrow majority, democrats need every votend 10 moderates have been throwing up roadblocks for speaker pelosi's timeline. lisa is here to walk us through all of it. good to see you.

there is a lot happening on capitol hill. a contentious day. walk us through what happened. >> take a deep breath. we will try to keep this simple but it was a very dramatic day of action. two of the biggest bills in u.s. history. i want to remind people what we are talking about. there is that infrastructure bill. the infrastructure bill has the votes to pass as a bipartisan bill. the other thing we are talking about ishat $3.5 trillion biden bill. that is not clear if it has the votes to pass. it is not clear what it is quite yet. speaker pelosi trying to get all of these bills passed. this was her plan. she said only when the large

biden bill passes will they give that bipartisan one a chance. today, that change that is because the 10 democrats said they will not support a critical step for that huge multi trillion dollar bill. we won't support it unto -- unless you decouple these bills. speaker pelosi changed what she is trying to do and said by the end of september, i will giv the info structure built its own vote. quite .4 hours of negotiations condensed to a couple of minutes. only lisa could do that. why does this matter moment so much question mark >> it is a very big win for that infrastructure bill. it was tangled up in that more contentious bill. now the idea that it could be separated is big news for its supporters and americans all over the country that need more infrastructure. on the other hand, it also adds a lot of pressure to the senate to try to act quick and it ups the timeline across the board on

all of this. >> the question everyone wants to know is what happens next? >> september is going to be something, it will be intense. these bills are poised to have major action. i want to go over what else could happen in september. a quick look at what congress has to do by october. the biden bill that we are talking about, the reconciliation bill, that is number one and something els they have to do is pass government funding by the end of september. what else? raise the debt ceiling. they have to bring this whole thing full circle and pass that infrastructure bill. to understand these dynamics more, i spoke to one of the congressman closely involved in this. thank you for joining us. for the past two days, your group of 10 members froze action on one of the top priorities, that $3.5 trillion bill back that are built. it has -- build back better bill

. why take this dramatic action to stall it for a few days? >> that is not what we did. we voted on a road that allows the infrastructure bill, bipartisan infrastructure bill worked out by my problem solvers group in the house and senators on both sides of the aisle and the president of the united states to come to the floor and allows the budget resolution to go into effect. they can figure out if they want to do reconciliation at a later date. the big win today for america is the info structure bill that stands on its own two feet. it has a date certain that we are going to vote for it. it creates 2 million jobs. it is the biggest investment in decades for public transit, water and sewer, it connects

families by broadbent across the country. it has energy resiliency to deal with the climate goes out there. it is the biggest info structure package we have had in the last century. >> this was a pretty intense stare down between the moderates and speaker pelosi. i am wondering why you took this move and if you think this is something you all might do in the future. there are close margins in the house. just a few memrs have a lot of power. >> hopefully not, this is somethinge work out, legislation is a difficult business. you never get everything you want in exactly the way you want it. our overall goal is to make sure we had a standalone, unlinked vote on this infrastructure bill which is why the popular. it would be unproductive in our

discussions since it was such a bipartisan effort. hopefully we don't have to go through that again in the future. >> let's talk about the other piece. right now, it is about 3.5 trillion. could you ever support a bill that size? what do you think is right? >> the house will not vote on anything that the senate can't pass. the speaker has made a commitment to that effect. it has to be able to get 51 votes. it has to be able to pass the senate. as i understand it, the senator says she is not voting for 3.5. i don't think joe manchin is either. it will be something less than that. we have no idea what is in it and what is not in it. it is pretty amorphous. it is a shell that gets to be filled in over the next several months.

aoc said she felt that moderates were not helpful and she said just because something is bipartisan does not mean it is good. how do you respond to that? >> she resents her district and i represent mine. that is the way it should be in the united states congress. this bilhas overwhelming support by democrats, independents and rublicans. the president and democrats support this. 69 senators, 19 republicans across the aisle.

the answer is very popular. that's go ahead and vote on it. get a big win for the american people. we need that with covid and afghanistan. let's show america that congress, despite all the differences we have can actually work together on the meat and potato issues that mean the most to them. >> thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> the pandemic has been especially difficult for those working on the frontlines lines of health care. we are hearing about doctors and nurses that are exhausted and burning out. the demands of caring for covid patients comes when the nursing profession needed more nurses to begin with.

one estimate found a need for more than one million new, registered nurses to avoid a nursing shortage. william looks at the fallout from all of this. >> that is right. according to the kaiser family foundation, 60% of front line health care workers said the pandemic related stress had negatively affected their own health. that was a poll taken before the delta variant arrived and field hospitals up even more. when i was in baton rouge general i heard much of the same. icus full of mostly unvaccinated patients and a nursing staff that had been struggling for over 16 months. >> the patients are not going to stop coming. they are going to keep coming and there is nothing that we can do to stop that. we have to do what we have to do to be able to care for them. we are tired but we have nurses pickingp extra shifts. canceling plans, getting people

to watch their kids. we have nurses that are coming in that have been on maternity leave. they are coming in and picking up shifts. >> for more on how hospitals are facing staff shortages amid this fourth surge of cases, i am joined by mary mayhew. she is the president of the florida hospital association. thank you for being here. i know you have been talking to hospital admistrators across the state and we know florida is really suffering with a lot of new cases and hospitalizations. what are you hearing from them? how are things? >> we have 17,000 -- that is combined with unusually high volumes of very ill non-covid patients along with emergency rooms that are overcrowded and

full. we have demand on the system that is trained. very few i beds and very few beds generally available around the state. >> i know there is a real shortage of nurses to man a lot of those beds. i know this is a crisis that preceded the pandemic but it seems like the pandemic has only exacerbated this. >> nurses are the heart and soul and -- of our hospitals and we have many health care professionals throughout the organization, our nurses, respiratory therapists, the our staff -- er staff. the mental exhaustion our nurses and stafhave been under. when you're dealing with patients who are lining the halls on stretchers, when you are having to find a hospital,

some other part of the state that can take a patient that you're calling day in and day out to find those beds, it is tough to put into words the stress that has created, the challenges it has created and the other concern. these nurses can put their own families at risk because of the exposure, the concern about the exposure to covid. we have had our hospitals and executives using the phre post-traumatic stress to describe what they are responding to and preparing for to support their workforce, there nurses in the coming months and years. >> what is the solution to this? are there a surplus of nurses elsewhere that you can bring? can we train more nurses? >> we have over 8000 nursing vacancies right now.

one in four nurses left. one in three critical-care nurses left their jobs. we have to look at the pipeline. we have to understand how many nurse graduates we need and how much the situation today currently supports this. we know that nurse faculty, we don't have enough teachers to support not only the current demand but the supply of nurses we need. this is about retention, the workplace environment. then the number of new nurses we need to be graduating in the next 12, 24, 36 months.

>> do you attribute that attrition to the stresses of this pandemic? the 16 months of never-ending and now, this must recent surge? >> these are incredibly difficult and demanding jobs in the best of circumstances. now you layer onto that nearly 18 responding to this unprecedented pandemic. then, the trauma they are experiencing. they experienced it throughout the pandemic but now, they are seeing healthy 25-year-olds become hospitalized with covid. they are seeing young mothers die from covid. the level of trauma from those experiences. we are seeing nurses that are leaving the bedside, taking a break from that 20 47 hospital environment or pursuing

community practices. >> thank you very much for being here. >> in haiti, the death toll for this month's 7.2 magnitude earthquake continues to rise. within 2200 people are cfirmed dead. as john reports, the earthquake has led to a new set of challenges. >> scavengers and rescue crews sift through this debris. haitians look for anything they could use or sell as escalators begin clearing what remains of

buildings. >> after several readings from the electronic equipment, we obtained no more signs of life. >> the earthquake fractured roads. they carried food and fuel to isolated villages. farmers set up this after the earthquake destroyed their crops. the survivor says people here are desperate for food and water. >> we are here with our children. i don't know how many but we need to feed them. we need food, water, clothes. they are crying because they are hungry and thirsty. >> some haitians frustrated with the distribution take matters into their own hands. crowds dissent on trucks of food before officials can distribute their content. over the weekend, gang leaders declared interest which they said was to help leave efforts.

this man blamed the problem on the police. >> the city is doing badlyow. we can find food to eat. when the truck arrives with the food, police don't want to distributive. >> even as one displaced person try to assure fellow survivors there was enough for everyone, a scuffle broke out. >> there is a lot of hungry people here and they are doing what anyone on this planet would do if their kids were hungry. there is a lot of desperation. that causes a lot of unrest. >> the director of emergency response a paired preparedness. said that more than a week after the initial quake, some badly injured people are just getting medical attention. >> some are coming by

motorcycle, some are coming by pickup truck. a man probably in his 60's. >> the u.s. coast guard has sent crews to evacuate injured haitians. peter is with the german team. >> it is helping to see that we are improving significant a. many haitians are focused on burying the loved ones who died in the earthquake. quick snack to a man who made history and set records in a

profession and a sport not knowing -- not known for its diversity. he was known to navigate rough seas to reach new source -- new shores. >> the sea does not care what you think. it doesn't care about your economic status, religion, nationality, sex, it does not care what you think. >> bill chronicled his solo sail around the world. the first african-american to do it the hard way around the great southern capes in his 1992 video diary and documentary. >> it has been very rough. seven days with nothing but bad weather. this has been knocked on it side a couple of times. >> raised on chicago's south side.

>> the fact that i was black men that -- meant that statistically, before i was 21, i would be killed i crime violence, on dgs or incarcerated. i never believed the statistic >> now, 85, he has retired in puerto rico where he first learned how to sail small cargo skiffs while stationed with the navy in the 50's. >> i was a terrible student. i read this book about a young man who was an outcast. i held that as a dream for a great adventu in my life. >> after a successful career as a cosmetics executive, he decided to sail around the world in 1990. while in his mid-50's as a legacy for his grandchildren and to teach intercity students how

far they could go with a basic education and by taking a commitment. he named his boat donated by other sailors and businessmen. well before the internet and instagram, he sent back video dispatches from his circumnavigation and social studies reports from his several stopovers during his two-year sailing adventure. >> this was the original form of breakdancing. >> the lesson plans he created with chicago educators eventually connected his voyage with nearly 30,000 students throughout the country. >> i had one day where i made almost 140 miles in a day. my average speed for that day is a number that you might want to figure out. >> the thing i try to show in my trip was that the things that you use and learn every day, the things you learn in your first

12 years of school come into play every single day. >> bill pickney added to his sailing legacy as the first captain of the amistad schooner replica for teaching the sailing history of the slave trade. and taking teachers to africa for a middle passage crossing to the americas. starting from the door of no return, slaves passed through. >> that was my whole idea. to give that juxtaposition, to give a real visceral appreciation of that time. that quantum belief from africa to america. the >> newly three decades since his historic navigation and nearly 10 years after, bill is finally joining sailing's elite.

not so much for his sailing adventures but for his lifetime contribution to the sport. >> sailing gets a bad rap for being an elitist sport because it is always portrayed as yachting. >> because sailing is predominately white and there are not many black people doing it, it is easy to hang your hat on something like that. sailing on the other hand is people on boats anywhere from a little dinghy up to 147, 170, 190 foot boat that sales. -- sails. i don't believe my entry into the hall of fame has anything to do with the times of black lives matter, i think it had more to do with my ability, what my story is, my history, my achievements. >> these days, bill is playing

more dominoes here at the american legion post then sailing and hanging out at yacht clubs. he is a member of the prestigious new york yacht club in rhode island. hurricane maria beached his most recent boat, causing extensive damages and the covert shutdown crushed his chart about business. but not his faith in sailing as his metaphor for life. >> i kept my focus on what my goal was. i knew i had to complete what i started because there were kids out there watching and adults. they were dependent on me to make my dream a reality. that wayheir dream would seem more like a reality to them. >> for the pbs newshour, like saray reporting. -- mike reporting from puerto rico.

>> for the past 40 years, ruben garcia has served as the director of the annunciation house. an organization that works th people on both sides of the u.s. civil border to help people immigrate or determine their next steps after deportation. tonight he shares his brief but spectacular take on how embracing refugees builds stronger societies. >> i believe many of us in the united states and to lk at the refugee, the immigrant as someone who is simply a matter of charity, so many of our industries are interwoven with the immigrant and the refugee. when we protect the refugee, the immigrant, we are protecting ourselves.

i was fortunate to have been born here in el paso, a border city, a border committee. my family lived on both sides of the border. i had family that lived in juarez and el paso. i grew up going back and forth. it was a daily event as normal as crossing the street in any neighborhood in the united states. this is an organization that operates houses of hospitality for refugees and immigrants right on the border in el paso, texas or mexico. we have been doing this for almost 44 years. the vast majority of those that come to our houses are individuals that have been processed by border patrol or ice and are released on their own recognizance. some of the policies that were implement it in the trump administration were inhuman. the worst among multiple

policies was zero tolerance policy whereby the children of parents were separated from parents so that the parent could then be prosecuted criminally. there is over 1000 children that had not been reunited with parents. this is one of four locations that was selected to receive the reunified families and to see the dynamic of people coming back together again and let me tell you, it is not all just hugs and tears. there is also anger on t part of children who look at the parent and basically accuse the parent of abandoning them. why didn't you come get me? why did you leave me? it is a profound experience to see that the unification. i have always believed that all of us have a responsibility to each other and i also believe

the vast majority of us find some way to live that. when annunciation house came into existence, that affirmed that commitment. my name is ruben garcia and this is my brief but spectacular take of refugees on the border. >> you can watch all of our brief but spectacular episodes at pbs.org/news hour/brief. on the news our online right now, 20 years after singe, aaliyah's death, read more about how she is being celebrated and her impact on the world of music and how it is being commemorated. that is on pbs.org/news hour. that is the news for tonight. join us online and again here tomorrow evening for more. thank you for joining us, please

stay safe, we will see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour h been provided by: >>ediatric surgeon. volueer. raymond james financial advisor. it taylor's advice to helpou live your life. life well-planned. >> consumer cellular. johnson & johnson. bnsf railway. committed to advancing the start of justice and meaningful work through transformative leaders and ideas. supported by the john d. and

catherine t. macarthur foundation. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. this program wasade possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. this is pbs newshour west from w eta studios in washington and are pure at the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university.

♪♪ -it was my good fortune to lend a helping hand to the weary travelers flying from the land of bondage. [ dogs barking ] -[ breathing heavily ] -william still was just a boy when he helped the first one escape. he never knew the man's name, only that he was being hunted by slave catchers. but in the years ahead, there would be many hundreds more, and still vowed their stories would never be forgotten. -the heroism and desperate ruggle that many of our people had to endure should be kept green in the memory of this and coming generations.