judy: good evening, i am judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, attacking al qaeda. the cia killed a leader in a drone strike. then, at the extreme, a massive wildfire in california and devastating flooding in kentucky forced thousands of americans from their homes. how more severe weather in the forecast is complicating the emergency response. the cost of war. grain shipments from ukraine resume for the first time since the russian invasion, potentially easing local food shortages. and abortion on the ballot. for the first time since the supreme court overturned roe v. wade, voters in one state the chance to decide on reproductive

rights. >> the essential question 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 ishe little things. the reminders of what is important. it is 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 is the planning effect from fidelity.

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station from viewers like you. thank you. judy: the leader of the terrorist group al qaeda was killed in a cia drone strike over the weekend in kabul, afghanistan. the egyptian physician and militant was first jailed after his complicity in the 1981 assassination of president anwar elsa.. he later joined the group led by osama bin laden which would become al qaeda. the attack in -- on september 11, 2001, after bin laden was killed by u.s. navy seals in 2011, he was proclaimed leader. here is president biden speaking tonight from the white house. pres. biden: on saturday, and my direction, the united states

successfully completed an airstrike in kabul, afghanistan, that killed the leader of al qaeda. he was bin laden's leader, he was with him the whole time, he was his number two man, his deputy at the time. he was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11. one of those responsible for the attacks that murdered more than 2977 people on american soil. for decades, he was the mastermind against attacks against americans including the uss cole which killed americans and wounded dozens more. he played a key role in the bombings in other countries. he carved a trail of murder and violence against american citizens. american service members,

american diplomats, and since the united states deliver justice to bin laden, he has been the leader of al qaeda. from hiding, he coordinated al qaeda's branches and all around the world, providing operational guidance that called for an inspired attacks against targets. he made videos including those calling for the attack against the united states and our allies. now, justice has been delivered in this terrorist leader is no more. judy: here with me now is our foreign affairs and defense correspondent nick schifrin who lived in afghanistan and pakistan for years. nick schifrin, hello. remind us who he was and how important is al qaeda today?

nick: as president biden said, he was important on 9/11, and the inspiration to the ideology behind al qaeda that terrorist could target fellow muslims because as they saw it, they supported the infidel west. he was responsible not only for helping with 9/11, but also attacks before that, american soldiers in 1993 and embassy bombing attacks in the 1990's in east africa, the uss cole attack in yemen in 2000, and he was really responsible for some of the aspirations of al qaeda to go after the u.s. inside the u.s. and its targets. we focus on isis quite a lot these days. but al qaeda has franchises around the world that are still active, and in addition to the inspirations that others from al

qaeda central continue to provide to isis, he himself was still true tediously involved in al qaeda worldwide and was still currently trying to attack the u.s.. judy: tell us what we know about this attack, about how it took place. nick: as far as we know, according to multiple officials i talk to, a cia drone struck a safe house in downtown kab. it is really in the middle of kabul, when he was on a patio. the missile was small enough just to hit that patio and according to the senior administration official, killed absolutely nobody else. it was the product of months of intelligence coming in, the u.s. knew for a couple of years now that he had a network of people supporting him and follow that network in the last few months, according to the official, they realize that his family had moved to this safe house in

kabul and created a pattern of life for the family. they created a model of the safe house itself. it's sounding a little bit like the bin laden raid from seven years ago with just a single cia drone strike. this was her i and many westerners lived in massiv houses that were built there with corrupt funds by the former government sitting right there, backed by a senior taliban member and his team as well. judy: finally, nick, what does this mean for the u.s. relationship with afghanistan now? nick: part of what is so amazing about this is the location of where he was hit, but the fact that he was a most wanted terrorist in the u.s. was now

the interior minister for the taliban government, the fact that the u.s. is blaming h tonight and his family and his network for housing him in a safe house in kabul will have massive consequences for whether the u.s. can continue to interact with the taliban and whether the u.s. can send some of the humanitarian aid through the taliban government to help afghan citizens. tonight that senior ministration official said that the taliban must abide to the doha agreement , not to house al qaeda and not to cooperate with terrorist who want to continue to attack the u.s.. the officials said the location is a clear violation of that and in two days we expect them not to take any drastic steps against u.s. citizens still in afghanistan. judy: very big breaking news we just learned about in the last couple of hours.

nick schifrin, thank you very much. ♪ judy: meantime, fire and flood causing more death and destruction across the nation. record flooding in kentucky has claimed 37 lives, and a fierce new fire in northern california has killed at least two people. william brangham begins our coverage. william: in the klamath national forest, an apocalyptic scene. smoke and flames engulf roads and cloudless 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 0% contained. thousands have had to flee their homes. this artist is one of them, she says she has lost almost everything. >> i am very sad, my house is

gone, all my furniture, all my clothes, boots, everything is gone. william: the fire started on friday. >> look at that burn! william: it has moved across thousands of acres over the weekend. it is spreading in the largely unpopulated siskiyou county near the oregon border. officials warren that so-called dry thunderstorms produce lightning without rain, and could ignite new blazes. >> lightning is not unusual here. what is something to consider is every strike has a greater potential to start a fire. william: today, the fire claimed its first lives, bodies found in a car in a residential driveway. as flames raged in the west, it is the opposite in kentucky where , flooding has killed dozens, including at least four children. search teams scoured from above, while on the ground, sniffer

dogs joined into try to find the many who are still missing. >> there is human scent in the water because others have drowned and have been pushed in the water. william: the torrential rains began last week and today more downpours slowed that rescue fort. officials say they have restored cell phone service in the area, which could make it easier for those stranded to call for hel >> after the water receded, all i saw was roofs of houses, that was all you could see. william: we spoke earlier with tiffany craft the mayor of , whitesburg, kentucky. she believes at least 80% of the homes in her town were destroyed. >> i have seen things that i as a human being never dreamed i would see. i have seen bodies pulled from the river, deceased bodies. i have seen people rescued by

boat in two-story homes that -- things like that. i really fully cannot describe it, what it is like right now. it is total devastation. people taking out everything they own and piling it on their front lawns, shoveling out mud in their living rooms where they were sitting 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. i've had many sleepless nights. i just sit and look on main street, at the vibrant community that we had, and how are we going to rebuild and come back anytime soon and be what we used to be? i know we will, but i don't ve an answer for that. william: residents here will likely endure another day or so

of rain before the historic floods start to recede. for the pbs newshour, i am william brangham. judy: as william reported, the forecast may only bring more pain to kentucky. for the latest on the damage and losses, 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 and 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 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. that's when the worst of this hit. it's one of the reasons why it has been so deadly, along with record rainfall. we are talking here right now, i

think we've 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. for those still with us, first of all they will say to a person they are blessed to be here, but they have lost everything. their home, every possession, all of their important documents. i mean, everything. it is another tough day in eastern kentucky, but we are tough people, so we are banding together, we are cleaning out, we will find every person, praying that as many of them are still with us as possible, and when we get out of the emergency situation, we will rebuild because that's what we do. judy: we are so sorry for each and every loss you have expericed, and the losses that are to come. give us a sense of why you think it will take weeks to get a full grasp of what you have lost here.

gov. beshear: the area this has hit is extensive. it is probably about 16 counties in the end, and with that amount of people impacted, even getting an idea of how many pele are unaccounted for is a challenge. some of these hollers and gullies, 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 had not been flooded before, can carry people or things a great distance. there are homes where we don't even know where a piece of them are, not one piece. they are gone, only the foundation is there. we cannot find one bit of it. we hope we won't see significant additional flooding tonight. but it will be a great challenge. and then rebuilding. a lot of these folks don't have flood insurance because it is

virtually unaffordable. some of the areas that have flooded don't flood! so it will be a challenge, again, in kentucky, people love one another, we open our hearts and homes to each other, and i know the state, and certainly i as governor, will be with them every step of the way, every day, every week and every year it takes to rebuild. judy: i hear you suggesting that the people most affected are people that did not have a great deal to begin with. gov. beshear: that is what it is so mean about this one. a lot of what we saw in the tornadoes in december. those that lost everything here did not have much to begin with, scrapped together for years or decades for what they have, and they are proud and they should be of everything they were able to build in their lives. now all of it, gone. our goal is to pick them back up

and 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 but our commitment as people of faith and values is to our fellow human beings and we will stand there with them. judy: there is every reason to think there will be future extreme weather events in kentucky as well as around the rest of the country. what does your state have to do to minimize the loss of life and the damage from these events? go beshear: we need to can she -- continue to be whether aware, to have more ways to communicate with people in advance, and be able to not only predict but have the information earlier on how severe something may be. we need to build back stronger, we need our bridges to withstand more. whether it was an ef-4 tornado in december that stayed on the ground for 200 miles in kentucky or flooding in an , area that may even regularly flood or has never really seen

that, what we need is more time and information to get people out. but we need to build more resilience. we are seeing more severe weather and we want our people to be safe. judy: finally, for those watching and listening, what would you say if they want to offer help? how can they do that? gov. beshear: first i would say thank you. we need your help and we will take every single bit of it. the donations people are giving, what we really need our water, cleaning supplies, household goods. we don't need used clothing -- we appreciate the gesture but it overwhelms our folks quickly. we have a fund, the flood relief fund that is 100% transparent, every single dollar will go to people who have been impacted. there will be no administrative fees and the first thing we will do is pay for every funeral. nobody will have to apply, we know who these folks are.

we will grieve together as a people, as a state and as a country. everybody out there who is watching, pray for us. please help us. but know that we greatly appreciate you and feel your love. judy: i know the country grieves with you and wishes you the best in these very difficult days. governor andy beshear of kentucky, thank you so much. gov. beshear: thank you. ♪ stephanie: we will return to the full program after the latest headlines. a texas man tied to a far right militia group has drawn the toughest penalty yet in the january 6 investigation. he was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. he had been convicted of urging a mob into the u.s. capitol and 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 she will make a stop in taiwan. hello see -- nancy pelosi met with leaders in singapore today as taiwanese media said she will arrive there tomorrow night. that is despite china's claim that the island is a renegade province. >> if u.s. how speaker pelosi goes to taiwan, it will be a gross interference in chinese internal affairs and 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 prepared for any eventuality. the chinese people's liberation army will not sit back. stephanie: the white house warned china not to overreact. 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. a special disciplinary officer today suspended pro football star deshaun watson for six games, more than two dozen women accused the cleveland browns quarterback of sexual harassment and assault when he played for the houston texans. to grand jury declined to indict him and recently settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits. we will return to this later in the program. investigators in arizona's attorney general's office reviewing findings from the republican-led audit of the 2020 election found only one ballot cast by a dead boater. the widely degraded -- discredited partisan review had alleged more than 280 such dead voters. california governor gavin newsom declared a state of emergency to support the states response to monkeypox. the declaration will help california seek additional vaccines from the federal

government develop outreach and education on accessing treatment. and in california's central valley today, leasing for new oil and gas ruling was temporarily blocked on federal land as part of a settlement between the state and the u.s. bureau of land management, the sale of new leases will be halted while an environmental review is conducted. california's governor has called for a fracking band in the state by 2024. still to come, senator jon tester discusses roadblocks to legislation that would help veterans exposed to toxic earn pits. tamera keith and amy walter break down the impact of the latest political headlines and much more. >> this is the pbs newshour from dub eta 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 odessa 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 targeting of ukraine's agricultural infrastructure has jeopardized global food security. our special correspondent reports. reporter: it is the sound of hope for millions around the world desperately in need of food. the cargo ship left odesa this morning with 26,000 metric tons of corn and sailed through a ukrainian minefield and was given safe passage through the russian 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. reporter: in moscow, by a kremlin spokesman. >> this first ship is positive news, a good opportunity to test what was agreed during talks in istanbul. reporter: those talks resulted in a breakthrough 10 days ago after weeks of negotiations brokered by the u.n. and implement it with turkey's help. the u.n. secretary-general -- >> what we have witnessed in odessa is an important starting point. it must be the first of commercial ships bringing relief and stability to global food markets. reporter: there are millions of tons of foods trapped because the blockade has lasted so long. it is wheat harvesting season in ukraine. this farmer farms more than 1000 acres of land in ukraine's northeast and grows wheat on half of it. in the early days, the war came very close to his farm.

>> usually we harvest 600 tons of wheat, but this year we won't have that much. because of the war, the russians were just 10 miles away. we had shortages of fertilizer so our harvest will be smaller this year. reporter: with the war raging just a few miles down the road, local farmers are doubtful they will be able to sell their grain anytime soon. before the war, the farmer sold most of his suite to grain -- sold most of his wheat to grain traders for export. now with seaports blocked, he has no buyers. >> we are in a hopeless situation. we have nowhere to take the grain to, nowhere. and no one is buying it. even if they are buying it, it is at very low cost. reporter: the broken supply chain is not the only challenge. with the war waging around the corner, many ukrainian farmers are harvesting at their own risk. and for this farmer, the risk

was too high. his harvester hit and unexploded ordinance. a farmer in the neighboring region is luckier. he built grain silos just last year and was hoping to rent it out to other farmers. but right now, he is only using it for his own grain. >> i am not sure was farmers that are selling their grain at discounted prices this year will be able to do farming next year. not because they don't want to but because they won't have money to farm. reporter: he has been farming land 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 is painful to think those criminals will not pay for what they are doing, so it is our mission to do everything to overcome this, to win the war, and for those who started it to be held accountable.

reporter: but if more ships do not leave the seaports soon, much of this vital commodity might go to waste because farmers have no place to store it. ♪ judy: veterans groups and activists have long been pushing lawmakers to approve the pact act, which would expand health care access to military veterans exposed to toxic burn pit in war zones like iraq and afghanistan. the bill is now stalled in the senate. the measure passed the senate earlier this year but clerical issues have brought it back for another vote. in what was supposed to be an easy passage of a bipartisan measure, it has turned into a political football over issues of spending. senator pat toomey among the

republicans who voted against advancing the bill last week. >> republican votes did not change on the substance of the bill, republicans have said we want an amendment to change a provision that has nothing to do with veterans healthare. republicans support this. the democrats added a provision that has nothing to do with veterans health care and it is designed to change government accounting rules so they can have a $400 billion spending spree. judy: leading the effort to get the bill across the finish line is democratic senator from montana jon tester, who chairs the senate veterans affairs committee, and he joins me now. welcome back to the newshour. tell us what is going on, why has it been so hard to get this bill through. it's already unusual to see this kind of fight over defense spending. sen. tester: i want to say one thing to correct the record. there is not one thing that has changed in the bill with the exception of one line that was

taken out of the bill that allowed the v.a. to buy out provider contracts. it was taken out because it was a revenue raiser and nothing else was changed in the bill since we voted on it on june 16 and passed with 84 votes. i want to be clear about that and i will sit down and go over it line by line. this was brought up by senator toomey, a friend of mine, and somebody who is very smart, that says i will be leaving this place and i want to control the appropriations process. regardless of what justification we are going to use, and by the way, the secretary of the v.a. said if we passed toomey's amendment, it will be rationing of care to our veterans and that is the truth. we need to meet the needs of veterans. this is the same bill that was passed in june and we need to get folks to vote for it again because health care that is delayed is health care denied and we are denying health care

on burn pits to veterans across the country and that's why they are out here on the capitol steps saying enough is enough, the u.s. senate, step up, pass the bill and get it to the president's desk. judy: what do you say to the republicans, we heard it from senator toomey, and we asked him to join us on the program and he was not able to do that, they say this is about how this is funded, that there is language about mandatory versus discretionary, this is what they've told my colleague lisa desjardins. how do you respond? sen. tester: there is, it is mandatory funding to take care of our veterans and that means it is mandatory funding to te care of veterans. congress cannot say we are not going to fund this anymore or we don't have to do it year after year after year. so in that they are correct. but for the people who put their lives on the line and serve this country in the military, isn't that a good thing? shouldn't they have a certainty do know that there health care is going to be there next year? in the case of burn pits, we've

been at war for 20 years and these folks are suffering cancers and lung disease because of this, shouldn't congress take step up and care of their end of the deal? i think they should and we did in june but unfortunately that has now been forgotten and i think that is a huge mistake, especially for our volunteer military and folks looking to sign up, looking at this and going wow, they are not holding up their end of the deal, why would i join? judy: they say they are worried about that items like computers, i.t., people not connected the burn pits, will 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: you have been around this place a lot longer than i have, and i will tell you congress makes a decision on how money is spent. there is no if, and or buts about that.

this amendment will take away that ability. it will cap this program and terminate this program after 10 years. we all know that toxic exposures and health care esn't end after 10 years, just look at agent orange in the vietnam war. those folks are still dealing with that. this bill actually 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 to make sure that is done right, but that is a differt pot of money and the v.a. secretary cannot just transfer that money because he wants to. 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 die, and families that depend on that veteran for that source of income will not be there anymore and it puts families at risk too. there is an offer on the table righnow to have a series of votes to get this bill passed. hopefully the folks on the other side of the aisle, the republicans, will accept that deal we can get the deal passed tomorrow. we have waited far too long. judy: two other quick issues -- the status of the so-called inflation reduction act that would address climate change, health care and other things. do you believe that's going to pass the senate? sen. tester: i don't know, i'm so focused on the pact act i haven't been able to review that, i've seen debt reduction in allowing medicare to negotiate for prescription drugs, but i have to look at the whole thing before i decide. but i think it has a fair chance of passing but i cannot say it

is absolute. judy: final question, you voted for a measure that would codify abortion rights across the nation nationally. it did not pass because of the filibuster rule. would you be willing to change the filibuster rule 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 we negotiated that i was part of in january really 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 ys is you debate and debate and debate and follow the two speech rule and then you vote with a simple majority. that allows the minority to control the floor for a long time and give them real power. but look, if we don't have something that will stand the test of time when it comes to any of these 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? sen. tester: if it is to change the filibuster like i helped negotiate last january, i think that is a positive change that helps protect minority rights and that's how it used to work in the old "mr. smith goes to washington" days. judy: i don't quite remember those days but i've been around a long time. thank you. senator jon tester of montana, we appreciate it. thank you. ♪ judy: after the supreme court struck down the national right to abortion access in june, the issue returned to the states, which of sense implemented a patchwork of protections, restrictions or total bans. in at least five states this year, abortion rights will be on the ballot this year. allie rogan reports from kansas,

the first estate holding a vote -- the first state holding a vote since the end of row. ali: in america's heartland, kansas has long been a refuge for those seeking abortions. lawmakers started expanding abortion rights four years before roe v. wade. in 1991, antiabortion activists descended on the clinic of dr. george tiller, one of the fe doctors to perform third trimester abortions. they called it the summer of mercy. >> dr. george tiller was shot and killed in church yesterday. ali: in 2009, an antiabortion extremist shot and killed tiller. but with a vote on tuesday, kansans may write a new chapter in the state's abortion rights history. >> all eyes on kansas right now. ali: ashley is the director of trust women, one of the states four remaining abortion clinics. >> a lot of clients are scared,

concerned confused. , ali: after the supreme court decision in june overturned roe v.ade and 40 -- 50 years of abortion precedent, nearby states like missouri and oklahoma banned the procedure. but the kansas constitution protects the state law allowing abortion up to 22 weeks, according to a 2019 ruling by the state supreme court. abortion opponents say the court overstepped its bounds. now kansans will vote on whether to reject that ruling and giving only legislatures power. the fight and kansas began here at the state capital. the republican-controlled legislature voted to approve the constitutional amendment that appears on the ballot tomorrow. if the amendment passes, it would allow those same lawmakers to vote again to further restrict or potentially ban access to abortion in the state. >> unelected liberal judges -- ali: that is leading to a fierce, expensive fight on both sides of the debate. >> would pave the way to a total

ban on abortion. ali:im is a lawyer and mother of two in the suburbs of kansas city. >> i am talking to voters about the august 2 election. ali: she had never volunteered for a campaign before but then the supreme court overturned roe v. wade. >> that was a very hard day. i was devastated. not surprised but devastated. ali: since then, she has been canvassing for kansas for constitutional freedom, which supports a no vote on tuesday. >> it's about advocating for the future that i want for the next generation. i don't want my children entering a society whether rights can be taken away overnight on a whim by the government. you are absolutely not too late, we need a lot of help in the next few days. ali: a few days before the vote, the no campaign helping new volunteers to knock on doors. >> we have had multiple yes voters become undecided or lean toward no because of the misinformation. when they realize what is at stake, that is persuasive.

ali: they say what is really at stake is a possible total ban on abortion, even though that is not in the amendment itself. ashley is the spokesperson for kansans for constitutional freedom. >> this amendment gives politicians the power to pass any law they want, including a total ban with no exceptions. it does not on day one ban abortion but it gives them a power to ban it. ali: republican super majorities in both chambers supported the amendment and some have admitted in unguarded moments of the ultimate goal is to ban abortion. a state senator said so in a closed door meeting in a recording obtained by a local news site. we' got to vote for this amendment, and then we can create a new law with life starts at conception. >> opponent sates language is

misleading. it asks the voter to consider three statements, the kansas constitution does not require government funding of abortion, nor is it secure a right to abortion, and that the legislature may pass abortion laws that could include exceptions for rape, incensed -- incensed, -- incest, and to protect the life of the mother. but kansas already bans taxpayer funding of abortion, and even though the amendment mentions exceptions, the majority of kansans support, it doesn't require a future law to include them. >> it mentions certain terms that in a lot of minds, when you mention those, they automatically think those are protected but that is not the case. ali: amendment supporters say there is no ulterior motive. elizabeth kirk is a constitutional law professor and a kansas native. why include that native about -- that specific language about exceptions? >> i can't speak for the legislature that passed the language but i think to mention those exceptions is to give by way of example, the source of

things that kansans typically tend to do, which is to provide ali: is that something that might confuse people? if it is an example of summing that might happen, it might not happen, there might be laws that don't provide those exceptio. >> if someone reads the commitment and think that is a gotcha, that would be a misreading of the plain language of the amendment. >> going back to the time of roe v. wade -- ali: but some experts say the link which is not so plain. -- say the language is not so plain. neil is a professor at wichita state. >> 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 the language is unclear is to take a dim view of kansas voters. >> are you planning to vote?

>> it is wrong to tell the people of kansas that we cannot read a paragraph a understand what we are voting on. ali: danielle is the spokesperson for the value the oath coalition and says the other side is misleading voters by warning of an impending abortion ban. >> we could throw out hypotheticals of what could happen, but the essential question in front of 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 state supreme court ruling ieriled all existing abortion restrictions i kansas including , a 24 hour waiting period, parental notification, and strict safety guidelines. >> we will have two choices, if we have unlimited abortion in unregulated facilities, or a state where we can keep our existing limits in place and have further discussions about what might be necessary. ali: the trust women clinic in

wichita is filled with evidence of kansas as existing regulations. the operating rooms built to the standards of an ambulatory surgical center, which require larger rooms and more electrical outlets than are needed for abortions. >> there is a lot of empty space in this room. why is that? >> you don't need much to do abortion care, it is a pretty simple procedure because of the regulations we have to comply with, it is a larger room than we 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, dual pareal consent laws. there are laws in place that haven't changed the supreme court decision here in 2019. ali: ashley says their goal is limited if the amendment fails. >> people will be basically in the same situation they are in right now.

we have access to abortion care but we also have restrictions and reasonable regulations. ali: do you anticipate plans to pass additional legislation to expand abortion rights in the state? >> no, this is about protecting the access we have. ali: this debate in kansas may be over by wednesday morning but the fight over the future of abortion rights is just heating up. in the heartland and well beyond. r the pbs newshour, i am ali rogan. 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 that states 1931 abortion ban that could essentially make abortion illegal in parts of the state. ♪

judy: it is a busy week on capitol hill and on the campaign trail, with democrats working to pass a $740 billion economic agenda and five states headed to the polls for primary elections. laura brings us up to speed. reporter: they are just 99 days left until the midterm elections and democrats are racing to pass the inflation reduction act before campaign season is in full swing. in a competitive republican primaries, candidates loyal two former president donald trump and his election lies are going up sometimes against people who voted to impeach the president. here to analyze all of this and more are amy walter and tamra keith. thank you for being with us today. democratic senator jon tester said he is not sure if the inflation reduction act is

ultimately going to pass. how much of an impact could this bill ultimately have in motivating democratic voters and undecideds? >> right, he said in the interview he is still reviewing the measure, but it seems likely all democrats in the senate are going to get on board for this. because it is such an important -- it would be such an important accomplishment that democrats can tout heading into the midterms. one of the problems president biden has had with his approval rating is democrats are frustrated, particularly young, progressive democrats are frustrated that his administration and congress, controlled by democrats, has not accomplished enough. this inflation reduction act both has pr value of literally in called the inflation reduction act when people are worried about inflation and rising costs, but also has a

really big component of climate and energy related spending that is something that president biden campaigned on, and a big share of what he was asking for all along. that was the big surprise, that the climate element was in there. politically, that kind of thinking certainly help with the president's challenge among democrats. reporter: republicans have been coming out very forcefully, trying to label this as a bill that doesn't necessarily meet inflation concerns that are front and center for voters, like groceries and other consumer goods. what is the democratic response? >> i think democrats have had a pretty good last couple of weeks on capitol hill, even the last month or so. beyond the potential for getting this bill passed, which would really put so many of president biden's priorities into law.

we also have two bipartisan pieces of legislation passed congress and get to the president's desk for signature. the so-called chips act, incentivizing more semi conductor manufacturing in the country, and gun legislation. it has been a pretty productive time for democrats. this is, as tamra said, something they want to talk about into the midterms. but republicans want to talk about here and now and what is going to matter not necessarily in the future. a lot of these bills are talking about improvements and changes over a period of time, especially when it comes to climate. what republicans are going to argue is the here and now. gas and food are 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've got to put republicans in charge and punish democrats for this moment we are in. they don't seem to have a solution for the immediate term. reporter: before republicans can talk about the here and now, they need to get through the primaries. tomorrow is a big primary day. they are five states holding elections. kansas, missouri, michigan, washington and arizona. across those states, president trump has endorsed a number of election deniers, including a gubernatorial candidate in michigan, and a senate candidate in arizona. do they look poised to win? >> a trump endorsement doesn't hurt. it is noclear 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 off the

ballot before even getting on the ballot due to a scandal involving signature gathering. one other thing i am 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 state's, in primaries and 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 dowin offices that could actually decide how votes are counted or dear which votes are counted. that might be slightly overstating the se, but the secretary of state can be a very influential position depending on state law. reporter: they control the

election apparatus. in arizona, a qanon adherent running for secretary of state and election denier. what is the impact on small-d democracy on these candidates running not just if they win , nominations, but also looking forward to the general elections in 2024? >> right, the 2024 election and will they win a general election? arizona has been ground zero and so much of the election denial. there was that so-called audit, something called cyber ninjas initiated that dragged out the process and arizona. no fraud was ever found. after that so-called audit, president biden actually gained votes from maricopa county. but look, 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, and we also have the gubernatorial level and 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 for joe biden, doug ducey coming out in support of the candidates not taking the hardline position. mike pence has also come out in the gubernatorial race for the candidate not taking the hardline position. i'm spending a lot of time watching the gubernatorial race because obviously secretary of state is important, but in this case, one of the leading gubernatorial candidates, teri leiker, has been outspoken in her belief that the election in arizonwas rigged.

we will also pay attention to the fact that we h three republicans who voted to impeach the president, facing their own primary challenges. the washington state primary process, where it is a top two vote, the top two vote getters go on to the gener election, probably helps to insulate those republicans from defeat, that in michigan, the freshman congressman there is in a very difficult race for his political livelihood. reporter: right, a number of house incumbent republicans facing challenges. tamra keith and amy walter, thank you for joining us. >> you're welcome. judy: that is our newshour for

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♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -today on "america's test kitchen," dan and julia make pupusas with curtido, adam reveals his top picks for soda makers, and elle makes bridget crispy fried yuca. it's all coming up right here on "america's test kitchen."