♪ judy: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, at the extreme. a massive wildfire in california and devastating flooding in kentucky force thousands of americans from their homes. how more severe weather in the forecast is complicating the emergency response. then, the cost of war. grain shipments from ukraine resume for the first time since the russian invasion, potentially alleviating global food shortages. and, abortion on the ballot. for the first time since the supreme court overturned roe v. wade, voters in one state get the chance to decide on reproductive rights. >> the essential question that's in front of kansas voters is whether or not the people will have a say in what happens in terms of limits on the abortion

industry in our state. judy: all that and more on tonight's "pbs newshour." ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> it's the little things. the reminders of what's important. it's why fidelity dedicated advisors are here to help you create a wealth plan. a plan with tax sensitive investing strategies. planning focused on tomorrow while you focus on today. that's the planning effect, from fidelity. >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.

and friends of the newshour, including leonard and norma carbine, and ku and patricia human. the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world at hewlett.org. ♪ >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions from the pbs

station from viewers like you. thank you. judy: there is word tonight that a u.s. drone strike has killed the leader of al qaeda. the associated press and others report it s a cia operation carried out in the kabul, afghanistan over the weekend. president biden is set to speak about the operation later this evening. meanwhile, fire and flood are causing more death and destruction across the nation tonight. record flooding in kentucky has now claimed 37 lives, and a fierce new fire in northern california has killed at least 2 people. william brangham begins our coverage. william: in the klamath national forest, an apocalyptic scene. smoke and flames engulfed roads and cloud the skies. the mckinney fire is the largest california has seen this year. it is clearly visible from space. so far, it has burned more than 85 square miles with 0%

contained. thousands have had to flee their homes. an artist is one of them. she says she has lost almost everything. >> i'm very sad. my house is gone. all my furniture, all my clothes, shoes, roots, everything is gone. william: the fire started friday. >> look at that burn. william: and has moved across thousands of acres over the weekend. it is spreading in the largely unpopulated siskiyou county near northern california's border with oregon. officials worn so-called drive thunderstorms seen here at night produce lightning without rain and could ignite blazes. >> lightning is not you -- not unusual. what is something to consider is every strike has a greater potential to start a fire. william: today, the fire claimed its first lives. two bodies were found inside a burnt out car in a residential driveway.

as flames raised in the west, it is the opposite in kentucky. where flooding has killed dozens, including at least four children. search teams scour the hills from above, while on the ground, sniffer dogs joined in to try to find the many who are missing. >> there is human scent in the water, because others have drowned and then pushed through the water. william: the torrential rains began last week. today, even more downpours slowed the rescue effort. officials say they have restored cell service in the ar, which could make it easier for people stranded to call for help. >> after the water receded, the first thing i saw was rubes of houses. that is the only thing you could see while the water was flowing through. william: we spoke earlier today with tiffany craft, mayor of whitesburg, kentucky on the eastern edge of the state. she believes 80% of the homes in her town were destroyed. >> i have seen things that i, as

a human being, never dreamed i would see before. i have seen bodies called from the river. deceased bodies. i have seen people rescued by boat. in two story homes that are just -- things like that. i really fully can't describe it, what it's like right now. it is just total devastation. people taking out everything that they own and piling it on their front lawns, shoveling out mud in their living rooms where they were just sitting less than hours before. it is catastrophic here right now. william: how do you bounce back from something like that? >> i don't know. i have wondered that too. i lay awake at night, and there have been many sleepless nights. i just sit and look on main street, of the vibrant community

we had, how are we going to rebuild and come back anytime soon and be what we used to be? we well, i know we will. but i don't have an answer for that. william: residence here will likely and/or at least another day or so of rain, before the historic floods start to receipt. for the pbs newshour, i am wiiam brangham. judy: as william reported, the forecast may only bring more pain to kentucky. for the latest about the terrible damage and losses there, i spoke moments ago with governor andy beshear. governor, thank you very much for joining us. you have said the loss in eastern kentucky is unimaginable. since then, there have been even more fatalities announced. where do things stand right now? gov. beshear: we are still in the midst of this flooding and of this disaster. we are not out of the woods yet. the forecast tonight could bring

more flooding and more flooding overnight when people are normally asleep. it is one of the reasons it has been so deadly along with record rainfall. we are talking here right now. i think we have lost 37 kentuckians. we know there are more bodies and we will be finding them for weeks. some we find miles away from where they were lost. and for those that are still with us, they will all say that they have lost everything. their home, every possession, important documents. everything. we are tough people. we are banding together, we are cleaning out, we will find every person, praying they are still with us, and we will rebuild

because that is what we do. judy: we are so sorry for each and every loss. losses that are to come. give us a sense of why you think it is going to take weeks to get a full grasp of what you've lost here? gov. beshear: the area this has hit is extensive. it is probably about 16 counties in the end. with that amount of people that have been impacted, even getting an idea of how many people are unaccounted for is a challenge. some of these goalies -- goalies, we don't have a good number of how many people were living there to begin with. and then this water. so violent, so high, flooding places that have never been flooded before, can carry people or things a great distance. there are homes that we don't even know where a piece of them are. not one piece. they are gone.

only the foundation is there. we can't find one bit of it, and now we hope that we will not see significant additional flooding tonight. it is going to be a great challenge. and rebuilding. a lot of these folks don't have flood insuranceecause it is virtually unaffordable. and some of these areas that flood don't flood. it is going to be a challenge. again, kentucky, we are people who love one another, we open our hearts and homes to each other. i know the state and certainly i as governor will be there with them every step of the way, every day, every week, and every year it takes to rebuild. judy: i hear you suggesting that these -- the people most affected are people who did not have a great deal to begin with. gov. beshear: that is what is so mean about this one. and a lot of what we saw in the tornadoes in december. those that lost everything here did not have much to begin with.

and scrapped together probably four years, maybe even decades for what they had. and they are proud, and they should be. of everything that they were able to build in their lives. and now, all of it, gon but our goal is to pick them back up into get them back to the point they were at as quickly as we can. . . that will not be overnight. they have experienced a lot of trauma. our commitment, as people of faith and values, is to our fellow human being, and we are going to stand there with them. judy: there is every reason to think there will be future treme weather events in kentucky as well as around the rest of the country. what does your state need to do to minimize the loss of life and damage from these events? gov. beshear: we need to continue to be whether aware, to have more ways to communicate with people in advance and to be able to not only protect, but to have the information earlier on how severe somethingaybe.

we need to build back stronger, we need our bridges to be able to withstand more. whether it was then af or tornado in december that stayed on the ground for 200 miles in kentucky, or the flooding in an area that may regularly flood but has never seen, what we needed here was more time and more information to get people out. but we do need to build, more resilient. we are seeing more severe weather. we want our people to be safe. judy: finally, for those watching and listening to you, what would you say if they want to offer to help? how can they do that? gov. beshear: first i would say, thank you. we need your help. and we wl take every single bit of it. donations that people are giving, but we really need our water, cleaning supplies, household goods. one thing we don't need our peoples used clothing. we appreciate the gesture but it overwhelms our folks quickly. then we have a fund. the team eastern kentucky flood

relief fund, it is 100% transparent. every single dollar will gto help people who have been impacted. there will be no administrative fees. the first thing we are going to do is we will pay for every funeral. nobody is going to have to apply. we know who these folks are. we will grieve together as a people, as a state, and as a country. evybody out there that is watching, pray for us. please, help us. but know that we greatly appreciate you and feel your love. ju: i know the country grieves with you, and certainly wishes you the best in these very, very difficult days. governor andy beshear of kentucky, thank you so much. gov. beshear: thank you. ♪ judy: in the day's other news, a texas man tied to a far-right militia group has drawn the

toughest penalty yet in the january 6th investigation. guy reff'-it was sentenced today to more than 7 years in federal prison. he'd been convicted of urging a mob into the u.s. capitol, and of threatening to harm his own children if they informed on him. the speaker of the u.s. house of representatives, nancy pelosi, began an asian tour, amid reports that she will make a stop in taiwan. pelosi met with leaders in singapore today as taiwanese media said she'll arrive there tomorrow night. that's despite china's claim that the island is a renegade province. >> if u.s. house speaker pelosi goes to taiwan, it will be a gross interference in china's internal affairs, seriously threaten peace and stability in the taiwan strait, and seriously damage china-u.s. relations. we would like to warn the u.s. again that china is fully prepared for any eventuality. the chinese people's liberation army will not sit back.

judy: the white house warned china to not overreact and said the speaker will make their own decisions about traveling to taiwan. in iraq, political tensions escalated today as thousands of iranian-backed protesters filled streets in baghdad for several hours. they threw stones, and police fired back with water cannon. the crowds were opposing supporters of the anti-iran cleric muqtada al-sadr, who seized the parliament building on saturday. back in this country, president biden is still isolating after his case of covid-19 rebounded on saturday. his physician says the president tested positive again today, but is feeling well. a small percentage of patients who have taken the anti-viral drug paxlovid as the president did have rebound cases. a special disciplinary officer today suspended pro football star deshaun watson for 6 games. more than two dozen women accused the cleveland browns

quarterback of sual harassment and assault whene played for the houston texans. two grand juries declined to indict him, and he recently settled 23 of 24 cil lawsuits. we'll return to this, later in the program. and on wall street, stocks started the week with fractional losses. the dow jones industrial average dropped 46 points to close at 32,000 798. the nasdaq fell 21 points. the s&p 500 slipped 11. still to come on the newshour, senator jon tester discusses roadblocks to legislation that wod help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. tamara keith and amy walter break down the impact of the latest political headlines. we remember the life and winning legacy of nba legend bill russell. plus, much more. >> this is the pbs newshour from weta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university.

judy: for the first time since february, ukraine is again exporting food. a cargo ship left the port city of odesa this morning, after a deal was struck with russia. ukraine is one of the world's largest providers of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil. but a russian blockade, and targeting of ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, has jeopardized global food security. special correspondent volodymyr solohub reports. volodymyr: it is the sound of hope for millions around the world, desperately in need of food. the cargo ship less ash left odessa this morning with 26,000 metric tons of corn. it sailed through ukrainian minefield and was given safe passage through the russia blockade. the landmark moment was hailed by both ukraine and russia.

>> the port has started working. the export traffic has started. and it can be called the first positive signal that there is a chance to stop the development of the food crisis in the world. volodymyr: and in moscow, a kremlin spokesperson. >> this cruiseship is very positive news. it is a good opportunity to test what is -- what was agreed in istanbul. volodymyr: the talks resolved in a break 10 days ago after weeks of negotiations brokered by the human, and implemented with turkey -- turkiye's health. in tokyo -- antonio gutierrez. >> it must be the first of many commercial ships bringing relief and stability to global food markets. volodymyr: there are millions of tons of food trapped because the blockade has lasted so long. it is wheat harvesting season in ukraine.

more than 1000 acres of land in ukraine's northeast. and gws wheat on half of it. in the early days, they are working close to his farm. >> usually we harvest 600 tons of wheat. . this year, we will not have that much. because of the war, the russians were 10 miles away. have shortages of fertilizer so our harvest will be smaller this year. volodymyr: with the war raging a few miles down the road, local farmers are doubtful they will be able to sell their grain anytime soon. before the war, he sold most of his wheat to grain traders. now, with seaports blocked, he has no buyers. >> we are in a hopeless situation. we have nowhere to take the grain too. just nowhere. no one is buying it. even if they are buying it, it is at a very low cost. volodymyr: the broken supply

chain is not the only challenge with the war. around the corner, many farmers are harvesting at their own risk. for this farmer, the risk was too high. his harvester hit an unexploded ordinance. a farmer in the neighboring region built grain silos last year and was hoping to rent it out to other farmers. right now, he is using it for his own grain. >> i'm not there grain at discounted prices will be able to do farming next year. not because they don't want to, but because they will not have money to farm. volodymyr: he has been farming land for the last 30 years. but he has never experienced anything like this. and the fact that he might lose this year's harvest is the least of his concerns. >> it's painful to think those

criminals will not pay for what they are doing. it is our mission to do everything to overcome this. to win the war, and for those who started it, to be held accountable. volodymyr: if more ships don't leave the seaports soon, much of this vital commodity might go to waste because farmers have no place to store it. for the pbs newshour, i am volodymyr solohub in ukraine. ♪ judy: veterans groups and activists have long been pushing lawmakers to approve the pact act, a bill that would expand health care access to military veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in war zones like iraq and afghanistan. but the bill is now stalled in the senate. the measure passed the senate earlier this year but clerical issues has brought it back for another vote.

and what was supposed to be an easy passage of a bipartisan measure has turned into political football over issues of spending. senator pat toomey was among the republicans who voted against advancing the bill last week. sen. toomey: republican votes didn't change on the substance of the bill. republicans have said we want an amendment to change a provisio that has nothing to do with veterans health care. the republicans support this. the democrats added a provision that has nothing to do with veterans health care, and that it's designed to change government accounting rules, so that they can have a $400 billion spending spree. judy: leading the effort to get this bill across the finish line is democratic senator from montana jon tester, he chairs the senate veterans' affairs committee and he joins me now. welcome back to the newshour. tell us what is going on here. why has it been so hard to get this bill through? it is already unusual to see this fight over a defense spending measure.

sen. tester: i just want to say one thing to correct the record. there is not one thing that has changed in this bill, with the exception of one line that was taken out of this bill, that allowed the v.a. to buy out provider contracts. that line was taken out because it was a revenue raiser. there is nothing else that was changed in this bill since we voted on it on june 16, and it passed with 84 votes. i want to be clear with that. i will sit down to anybody who wants to go through this bill and prove that. this is an issue that was brought up by senator toomey who is a friend of mine, and somebody who is very, very smart that says hey, i'm going to be leaving this place and i want to control the appropriations process. regardless what justification we are going to use, and by the way, the secretary of the v.a. said if we pass toomey's amendment, it will be rationing of care to our veterans. that is the truth. we need to be able to meet the needs of our veterans.

this bill as was passed on june 16 is the same bill. we need to get the folks to come to the table and vote for it again. health care that is delayed is health care that is denied, and we are denying health care on -- on burn pits to our veterans across this country. it is why they are out here on the capitol steps saying, enough is enough, united states, get this to the president's desk. judy: what do you say to the republicans, and we have heard it from senator toomey, and we asked him to join us on the program tonight. his office said he was not able to do that. but they say this is all about how this is funded. that there is language in here about mandatory versus discretionary. this is what they have told my colleague, lisa desjardins. how do you respond to that? sen. tester: there is mandatory funding to take care of our veterans. congress can't come in and say, you know what, we are not going to fund this program anymore, or we don't have to do it year after year. in that vein, they are correct. for the people who put their

lives on the line and serve this country and the military, isn't that a good thing? shouldn't they have the certainty to know that there health care will be there next year? in the case of burn pits, on we have been at war for 20 years, and these folks are cuffed -- our suffering cancer and lung diseases because of this. shouldn't congress step up and take care of their end of the deal? i think they should. we did on june 16. but now that has been forgotten. i think that is a huge mistake, especially for all of our volunteer military, folks who are looking to sign up, looking at this going, wow, why what i want to join? judy: they say what they are worried about is items like computers, i.t., people who are not really connected to burn pits, are going to end up falling under these items going forward. they cite the committee for responsible federal budget, saying this is not money that should be mandatory. sen. tester: judy, you have been

around this place longer than i have, and i will tell you that congress makes a decision on how money is spent. and there is no if, a's, or but's about it. this amendment will take away that ability. by the way, it will cap this program and terminate this prograafter 10 years. they all know toxic exposures and health care does not end after 10 years. take a look at agent orange and the vietnam war. those folks are still dealing with that. this bill deals with those folks too, and radiation and others. i think the arguments ring hollow as far as i am concerned. we have to have some i.t. to take care of electronic health records and make sure get that done right. but that is a whole different pot of money. the v.a. secretary can't transfer that money because he wants t there has to be congressional oversight, and there is. judy: two questions on this. will there be a vote on it? and do you think the republicans

will be allowed to put their amendments out and that it will pass despite that? and how are these veterans affected if this is delayed? sen. tester: if it is delayed, more veterans will continue to not have their health care addressed and i, in families that depend upon that veteran for the soue of income will not be there anymore. so it puts families at risk too. i think there is an offer on the table now to have a series of votes to get this bill passed. hopefully, the folks on the other side of the aisle will accept that deal so we can get this bill passed tomorrow. i figure we have waited far too long. judy: two other issues i want to ask you about. the status of the so-called inflation reduction act that would address climate change, health care, and other things. do you believe that will pass the senate? sen. tester: i don't know. i'm so focused on the pact act, i have not had a chance to review that.

i have seen some things in it that i like like data reduction. -- debt reduction. i have to look at the whole thing before i decide. i think it has a fair chance of passing, but i can't say it is an absolute. judy: final question, you voted for a measure that would codify abortion rights across the nation. nationally. it did not pass though because of the filibuster rule. would you be willing to support -- a change in the filibuster rule in order to see that go? sen. tester: we have been here before, and i can tell you the problem with changing the filibuster rule, and i think the proposal that we negotiated that i was part of in january protected minority rights. but that proposal is not on the table now. if it was brought up again, i would support that. basically what that says is you debate and debate and debate, and follow the two speeds ruled then you vote with a simple majority. that allows a minority to control the floor for a long time, and giveshem real power.

look, if we don't have something that is going to stand the test of time when it comes to any important issues, they will flop back and forth and that is not healthy either. judy: on changing the filibuster, i hear you are not moving on that one. sen. tester: if it is a change of the filibuster like i negotiated last january, i think that is a positive change that helps protect minority rights. that is how it used to work in the old mr. smith goes to washington days. judy: i don't quite remember those days but i have been around a long time. thank you very much jon tester of montana, we appreciate it. thank you. ♪ after the supreme court struck down the national right to abortion access in june, the issue returned to states, which have since implemented a patchwork of protections, restrictions or total bans.

in at least five states this year, abortion rights will be on the ballot. ali rogin reports from kansas the first state holding a vote since the end of roe. ali: in america's heartland, kansas has long been a refuge for people seeking abortions. lawmakers and local courts started expanding abortion rights in 1969 four years before roe v wade. >> our god is an awesome god. ali: in 1991, anti-abortion activists descended on the clinic of dr. george tiller, one of only a few doctors to perform third-trimester abortions. they called it the summer of mercy. >> dr. george tiller was shot and killed in church yesterday. ali: and in 2009, an anti-abortion extremist shot and killed tiller. but with a vote tuesday, kansans might begin a writing new chapter in the ste's abortion rights history. >> all eyes are kind of on kansas right now. ali: ashley brink is the

clinical director at trust women in wichita, one of the statea™s -- state's four remaining abortion clinics, and the site of dr. tiller's old practice. >> a lot of our patients are scared, they are concerned, they are confused. ali: after the supreme court decision in june overturned roe v. wade and 50 years of abortion precedent, some nearby states like missouri and oklahoma banned the procedure. but the kansas constitution protects the state's law allowing abortion up to 22 weeks. that's according to a 2019 ruling by the state supreme court. abortion opponents say the court overstepped its bounds. now, kansans will vote on whether or not to reject that ruling, and give only legislators power over abortion policy. the fight in kansas began here at the state capitol. the republican-controlled legislature voted to approve the constitutional amendment that appears on the ballot tomorrow. if the amendment passes,t would allow those same lawmakers to vote again to further restrict or potentially even ban access to abortion in the state.

>> unelected liberal judges -- ali: that's leading to a fierce, expensive fight on both sides of the abortion rights debate. >> who want to pave the way for a total ban on abortion. ali: kim biagioli is a lawyer and mother of two in the suburbs of kansas city. >> i'm kim. i'm talking to voters about the august 2ndlectio -- election. ali: she had never volunteered foa campaign before. but then the supreme court overturned roe versus wade. >> that was a very hard day. i was devastated. not surprised, but devastated. ali: since then, she has been canvassing for kansans for constitutional freedom, which supports a no vote on tuesday. ali: this is really about advocating for the future that i want for the next generation. i do not want my children entering a society where their rights can be taken away, overnight, on a whim. ali: a few days before the vote, the no campaign was helping new volunteers prepare to knock on doors.

>> we have had multiple yes voters become undecided or even lean toward voting no because there is a lot of misinformation going around. when they realize what's really at stake, that is persuasive to some yes voters. ali: they say what's really at stake is a possible total ban on abortion, even though that's not in the amendment itself. ashley all is the spokesperson for kansans for constitutional freedom. >> this amendment gives politicians the power to pass any law they want regarding abortion, including a total ban, with no exceptions. no, it doesn't on day one, ban abortion, but it gives them the power to ban it. >> this constitutional majority is hereby declared adopted. ali: republican supermajorities in both chambers supported the amendment. and some have admitted in unguarded moments that the ultimate goal is to ban abortion. state senator mark steffen said so in a closed-door meeting, in a rerding obtained by a local news site. >> you got a vote for this amendment, and then we will be able to make further laws, further refinement, with my goal

of life starting at conception. ali: the amendment's opponents also say its language is misleading. it asks the voter to consider three statements. the kansas constitution does not require government funding of abortion, nor does it creater secure a right to abortion. and that the legislature may pass abortion laws which could include exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. but kansas already bans taxpayer funding of abortion. and even though the amendment mentions exceptions which a majority of kansans support, it doesn't require any future law to include them. >> it mentions certain terms that in a lot of people's minds when you mention those, they automatically think maybe those are protected. but that is not the case. ali: amendment supporters say there's no otilia -- ulterior motive. elizabeth kirk is a constitutional law professor at the catholic university of america, and a kansas native. >> why include that specific language about exceptions?

>> i can't speak for, you know, the legislature that passed the language. but i think to mention those exceptions is just to give by way of example, the sorts of things that kansans typically tend to do, which is to provide for exceptions in those cases. ali: and i think that's something that might confuse people because if it's just providing an example of something that may happen, it may not happen. there may be laws that do not provide those exceptions. >> if someone reads that amendment and sort of thinks it's some sort of secret gotcha, i think that would be a misreading of the plain language of the amendment. >> going back tohe time of roe v. wade -- ali: but some experts say the languagesn't so plain. neal allen is chair of the political science department at wichita state university. >> the amendment language is clearly designed to get voters to think about something they dislike, which is state funding for abortion and also something they like, which is exceptions to abortion restrictions. the amendment language may not be deliberately confusing, but it is very confusing.

ali: the pro-amendment campaign says that to suggest its language is unclear is to take a dim view of kansas voters. >> are you planning to vote august 2? >> it's wrong to tell the people of kansas that we can't read a paragraph and understand what we are voting on. ali: danielle underwood is the spokesperson for the value them both coalition. she says the other side is misleading voters by warning of an impending abortion ban. >> we could throw out hypotheticals of what could potentially happenn future legislatures. but the essential question that's in front of kansas voters is whether or not the people will have a say in what happens in terms of limits on the abortion industry in our state. ali: underwood says the 2019 state supreme court ruling imperiled all existing abortion restrictions in kansas. that includes a 24 hour waiting period, parental notification requirements, and strict health and safety guidelines. >> we have two choices ahead of us. whether we're going to have unlimited abortion happening in

unregulated facilities. or we will have a state where we can keep our existing limits in place and have further discussions about what might be necessary. >> this is one of our or's. ali: the trust women clinic in wichita is filled with evidence of kansas' existing regulations. the operating rooms are built to the standards of an ambulatory surgical center, which require larger rooms and more electrical outlets than are needed for abortions. there's a lot of empty space in this room. why is that? >> you don't need much to do abortion care. it's a pretty simple procedure. but because of the asc regulations that we have to comply with, it's a much larger room than we really need. ali: in the consultation room, clinics must display large-print posters that provide information designed to discourage abortions. >> we have a 24 hour waiting period in the state. we have dual parental consent laws here. there are laws in place that haven't changed since the supreme court decision here in 2019.

ali: ashley all with kansans for constitutional freedom says their goal is limited if the amendment fails. >> people will be basically in the same situation they're in right now. i mean, we have access to abortion care, but we also have restrictions and reasonable regulations. ali: do you anticipate there being plans to pass additional legislation to expand abortion rights in the state? >> no. this is about protecting the access we have. ali: this particular debate in kansas might be over by wednesday morning, but the fight over the future of abortion rights is just heating up. in the heartland and well beyond. for the pbs newshour, i'm ali rogin in kansas city, kansas. judy: one of the other places where the battle over reproductive rights is taking shape is michigan. earlier today, an appellate court ruled that prosecutors can enforce the state's 1931 abortion ban. that could essentially make abortion illegal in some parts of the state.

it's a busy week on capitol hill and on the campaign trail, with democrats working to pass their $740 billion economic agenda and five states heading to the polls for primary elections. laura barron-lopez brings us up to speed. laura: there are just 99 days left until the midterm elections. democrats are racing to pass the inflation reduction act before campaign season is in full swing. and competitive republican primaries are pitting candidates loyal to former president donald trump up against republicans who voted to impeach him. here to analyze all this and more are amy walter of the cook political report with amy walter. and tamra keith of npr.

thank you for being with us today. tamra, i want. . to start with you democratic senator jon tester said he is not sure if the inflation reduction act is going to pass. how much of an impact could this bill ultimately have in motivating democratic voters, as well as undecided? tamara: he said in the interview that judy jested that he is reviewing the measure. it seems pretty likely that all demo -- all democrats are going to get on board for this. because it is such an important -- it would be such an important accomplishments that democrats ca tout ading into the midterms. one of the problems president biden has had in his approval rating is democrats are frustrated, particularly young progressive democrats, are frustrated that his administration and congress has not accomplished enough. this inflation reduction act

both has the pr value of literally being called the inflation reduction act when people are worried about inflation and rising costs, but also has a big component of climate and energy related spending that is something that president biden campaigned on. and it is a big share of what he was asking for all along. that was the big surprise, that this climate element was in there. politically, that kind of thing can certainly help with the president's challenge among democrats. laura: republicans have been coming out very forcefully, trying to label this as a bill that does not necessarily need the inflation concerns that are front and center for voters like groceries and other consumer goods. . what is the democratic response to that? amy: i think democrats have had a pretty good last couple of weeks here on capitol hill. maybe we can take it up tohe month, the last month or so.

beyond the potential for getting this bill passed, which would put some money of president biden's priorities into law. we have also had two bipartisan pieces of legislation passed congress, and get to the president's desk for a signature. semiconductors, the so-called chips act, incentivizing more semiconducting manufacturing in the country and gun legislation. it has been actually a pretty productive time for democrats. this is exactly something that they would like to be able to talk about going into the midterms. republicans want to talk about the here and now and what is going to matter, not in necessarily the future. and a lot of these bills ware talking about, improvements, changes over the course of a period, of time, especially when it comes to climate. republicans are going to argue about the here and now.

the here and now is gas is too expensive, food is too expensive, one party is in charge of washington and one party is in the white house. they are all democrats. if you want to get things under control, you have got to put republicans in charge and punish democrats for this moment that we are in. they don't seem to have a solution for the immediate term. laura: before republicans can talk about the here and now, they need to get through those primaries. tomorrow is a big primary day. there are five states holding elections. kansas, missouri, michigan, washington, and arizona. across those states, former president trump has endorsed a number of election deniers, including gubernatorial candidate tudor dixon in michigan and senate candidate blake masters in arizona (c stl -- arizona. do these candidates look poised to win? tamara: certainly a trump endorsement does not hurt. it is not clear yet. in the michigan primary, it was

kind of a wide open field because some of the leading establishment and well-known previously elected candidates were knocked of the ballot befo getting on the ballot, due to a scandal involving signature gathering. one other thing i'm watching also is further down the ballot, in a state like arizona, where two of the candidates for secretary of state are election deniers. secretary of states in primaries for secretary of state, already in five states, election denying, pro-trump candidates have gotten the republican nomination. this idea of election deniers is not just at the top of the ticket. it is also further down in offices that could actually decide how votes are counted, or which codes are counted. i mean, that might be overstating the case, but the

secretary of state can be a very influential position depending on state laws. laura: they control the election apparatus. that brings me to, amy, mark finchem running in arizona, he is an election denier. what is the impact on small d democracy if these candidates win not only their nominations but also looking forward to their general elections in 2024? amy: right. the 2024 election, and will they win a general election. arizona has been ground zero in so much of the election denialism. and of course, there was that so-called audit, something called the knitting -- the ninjas initiated that dragged out the process. no fraud was ever found. in fact, after that so-called

audit, president biden actually gained votes for maricopa county. arizona is also a place that is ground zero between the so-called establishment, whatever is left of the republican establishment, and this trump wing, or election denying wing, of the republican party. in both the secretary of state's case, we also have the gubernatorial level, and at the attorney general level. you have the governor, doug ducey, who the former president does not like very much because he certified the election in 2020 four joe biden. doug ducey, coming out in support of the candidates who are not taking the hardline position, mike pence has also come out in the gubernatorial race for the candidate, not taking the hdline position. i'm spending a lot of time watching by gubernatorial race, because governors, obviously secretary of state is important,

but in this case, one of the leading gubernatorial candidates, carrie like, has been incredibly outspoken in her belief that the selection in arizona was stolen and rigged. we will be paying attention to the fact that we have three republicans who voted to impeach the president facing their own primary challenges. one in michigan, two in washington state. the washington state primary process, where it is a top two vote, the top two vote getters go onto the general election, probably helps to insulate those republicans from defeat. but in michigan, freshman congressman peter meyer is in a very difficult race for his political livelihood. laura: there is a number of house incumbent republicans that are facing challenges. tamera keith, amy walter, thank you so much for jning us for politics monday. amy: you're welcome. tamara: you're welcome.

♪ judy: tonight, two major stories in the world of sports. first, cleveland browns quarterback deshaun watson has received a recommended six-game suspension without pay after more than two dozen women accused the football player of sexual misconduct. jeffrey brown has more on the latest nfl controversy, and then takes a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of basketball giant bill russell. jeff: and joining me for that is howard bryant, a columnist with espn, commentator for npr, and author of ten books. thank you for joining us once again. i wanted start with deshaun watson. this was a new protocol that was agreed to by the nfl and the players association to work out a balance between improper behavior and proper punishment. did it clarify anything? howard: if anything, it

certainly clarified the power of the players association is stronger than it has been for decades. one of the things that the players association has been fighting for for forever has been reducing the power of the commissioner. he has been long known as the law commissioner, and that the appeal process in the nfl -- the commitment -- the commissioner would lay down a fine or a decision, in the appeal process would go to the commissioner. on the one hand, having this new process in place is enormous in terms of the players trying to get fair treatment. because in the past, they never had it. on the other hand, you also knew that this was going to be a favorable decision toward the players because the flight association put out a release last night tt essentially said , we need to respect the decision which really did telegraph e fact that this was going to be very much in favor

of disorder -- of deshaun watson. jeffrey: what kind of reaction have you been seeing on what is your own reaction? the nfl has said it is studying to see if it wants to review it. what do you think? howard: i would tend to think the nfl, is going to appeal this even though there has been an agreement that they were going to respect this. i think the decision is agree just, in a lot of ways. the league was asking for a year suspension and decide -- deshaun watson received a six-game suspension. that runs counter when you think of calvin ridley who was suspended 17 games for gambling on a $1500 bet. even though the game has gone 1000% into the gambling world. you had josh gordon, who was suspended more than 20 games, 25 games plus, for marijuana. and deshaun watson gets six games? the decision by the judge sue

robinson really did suggest that there was nonviolent contact, even though it was not consensual. which of course has women's groups and raged. how can you have nonconsensual touching that is not considered violent? i think that there is going to be a great deal of criticism beyond what we have seen today toward this ruling. i think it is going to be very interesting place that the players association finds themselves in. they have to defend their players, it is their job to do that. they did that to the best of their abilities. obviously if you look at that and look out what is happening with the washington football team, with the commanders as welln terms of that daniel snyder's case that is ongoing, it is not a great day, if you are a woman, to believe in the nfl having any sort of interest in looking out or protecting you. jeffrey: that is a still

developing story. we will follow it over the coming days. . i want to turn to bill russell, the great bill russell. and to talk about how he transformed the role of athletes. but first, how he transformed the game itself. the way he played, his approach to it, and perhaps defining what we mean by a champion more than any american athlete in any sport. howard: no question. when you go back and look at all of the old black-and-white photos of the nba, the center was the big plotting, dumping the-looking guy in the center who was nailed to the floor. until bill russell came along, then all of a sudden, the center position was an athletic position, it was a defensive position. and now it was a position that created the aerial game that we would later see that is now commonplace today, started the fastbreak, got the game going, was an intimidator.

the boston celtics were famous for what they used to call the hey bill defense. when one guy got deep, they would yell "hey, bill!" and bill russell would go over and not only cover his bill -- man, but cover someone else's man. because he was that dominant. totally changed the way the sport was played will chamberlain comes along a couple years later and goes on top of that in terms of the dominant, athletic big man. the game has gotten more and more athletic after that. to your other point about being a champion, there is no greater champion, when you look at bill russell. 11 championships in 13 years. 12 of his 13 years he goes to the nba finals. before that, he has a 56 win game streak, wins two double in ca titles. -- double in ca titles. jerey: i saw him play in boston when i was a young kid.

then i read his memoir and saw the costs to him of playing in a city like boston. in a country like america at the time. just in our minute left, what about that later legacy of him as a civil rights activist, as an advocate, as an engaged athlete? howard: he is a giant in that regard, because the one thing he did a lot of athletes don't do is he stood very clearly about what his values were in terms of being a black man in this country. when we spend so much time telling athletes they have to be grateful, he was willing to say, i will be -- i will pay the price for being my own person. if that includes me not showing up to certain events because it runs counter to my values, so be it. i will be considered standoffish to some people and uppity to others. but i will have my morality. he never separated the greatness of being a player from the civil rights and from -- and

advocating for african-americans. incredible man. jeffrey: a legacy of the great bill russell, thank you howard: my pleasure. thank you. judy: thank you, jeff and howard. i had the great fortune to meet bill russell at one point. was the highlight of my life. and that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us on-line and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe and we'll see you soon. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service to help people communicate and connect. with a variety of plans and our customers service team can help you find one that fits you. to learn more, visit consumercellular.tv. >> the kendeda fund, committing to advancing restorative justice and meaningful work through

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hello and welcome to amanpour and company. here's what's coming up. how russia is using sudan's goal to fuel its war in ukraine. -- joins us with her extraordinary reporting. the. then. >> the streets were filled with kite fighters all looking up trying to gain position. >> this novel the kite runner gets a broadway treatment. also ahead -- >> when people are dying or getting sick or worried about dying or getting sick, people rethink the meaning of their lives. >> as the world moves on from the coronavirus pandemic, this yale professor warns that it will have a long-lasting impact