♪ >> good evening, i'm geoff bennett. tonight on pbs news weekend. guns in america. what is behind the spike in shootings ravaging philadelphia. priced out of power. the global spike in energy costs hitting millions around the world and hear a home. travel troubles. one effort to overcome the challenges faced by air travelers with disabilities. >> technology -- travels. we want to have the same easy experience as everybody else. >> those stories and the days headlines on tonight's pbs news weekend. ♪

>> major funding for pbs news weekend has been provided by -- >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and contributions to your pbs station from viewers

like you. thank you. >> it is good to be with you. as we come on the air, the reporting on the fallout from the top-secret documents recovered from former president trump's mar-a-lago property in florida. u.s. intelligence officials informed congress it will conduct a damage assessment evaluating the potential national security risks resulting from any disclosure of the documents. it is the first known acknowledgment by the intelligence community of the potential damage caused by mr. trump's possession of highly classified material, including human sourced intelligence. in a statement to bbs newshour, the office of the director of intelligence said it will closely coordinate with doj to ensure the assessment is conducted in a manner that doesn't interfere with doj's ongoing investigation. the republican nominee for

governor in pennsylvania was once photographed wearing a confederate uniform for a photo. the photo was obtained through a freedom of information act request. the image shows him on the far left with his colleagues at the army war college where he worked until retiring in 2017. he's currently a pennsylvania state senator, election denier, and was outside of the crowd outside thu.s. capitol on january 6. more baby formula should be heading to retail store shelves soon. abbott laboratories said hit it has restarted -- it has restarted production. it is a largest supplier baby formula in the u.s. it shutdown over reports of bacterial infections in infants spurred a nationwide shortage. it will take about six weeks for the formula to ship to stores. in ukraine, schelling continued around the largest nuclear plant with russia and ukraine trading blame. ukraine's second largest city, a

ssian missile left a huge crater on a city street this morning. no one was injured. 12 miles from the front line, ukrainian residents returned after extensive schelling earlier in the week to salvage what was left of their ruined homes. in pakistan, the death toll from widespread flooding neared 1000. rescues were underway across much of the country to thousands of stranded people. 30 million people have been affected since mid june, when the monsoon rains arrived early. >> we have suffered great losses. our houses have been destroyed. there was a loss of life. our neighbor's children were swept away by floods. we also suffered great losses. 10 to 20 feet of water everywhere. >> pakistan's prime minister visited this people at a relief camp. the united nations pledged re-million dollars earlier this week and plans an additional $160 million to help with recovery efforts. at the u.n. in new york, talks

designed to protect marine life fell apart in the early hours. the u.n. treaty is designed to protect biodiversity in two thirds of the world's oceans. by setting aside 30% as marine sanctuaries. only 1% of the high seas are currently protected. oceans are key to fighting climate change since they absorb more than 90% of excess heat from the warning planet. talks are set to resume next year. a dolphin calf in thailand has a new lease on life after being rescued by fishermen who found him flailing in shallow water. nicknamed paradigm, he was transferred to a marine center where he's had a month of around-the-clock care. the dolphin is considered a vulnerable species whose survivals threatened by habitat loss and illegal fishing. still to come. one airports effort to make air travel easier for people with disality. what is behind philadelphia's

summer spike in gun violence. >> this is pbs news weekend, from weta studios in washington, home of the pbs newshour. weeknightsn pbs. >> the city of philadelphia is on pace to see the most homicides ever in one year. mainly due to gun violence. more than 1200 people have been shot. more than 320 of those victims died. that is almost double the total number of homicides in the much larger city of los angeles. seven people were shot in four different philadelphia neighborhoods in just over an hour. my colleague explores what is behind the spike. >> residents and community leaders say philadelphia's gun violence spike has deep roots, and many factors were exasperated by the covid-19 pandemic. to discuss the causes and what can be done to address them, i'm joined by a gun violence

prevention reporter with wh why why, a public radio station in philadelphia, and pastor carl day, the founder of culture changing christians worship center and leader in the philadelphia faith communities violence prevention efforts. thank you for joining us. you recently concluded a two-month listening tour in which you spoke to different stakeholders all throughout philadelphia about the problems. what did people tell you? >> people told me they don't feel safe in their own neighborhoods. they are afraid to sit on their porches, walk down the street and go to the store, they feel their neighborhoods have been neglected by public officials and law enforcement. i'm speaking specifically about the areas of the city hardest hit by gun crime, parts of north philly and west philly. places that were already facing systemic issues for school systems come up are insecurity, and that has expressed -- been

exasperated by the pandemic and what we are seeing now. >> these are the very communities you are active in. what are you hearing from your congregation and the other individuals you serve in these communities? >> i'm seeing and hearing a lot of sentiments of hopelessness. people are very tired, people are really feeling like they are running out of options, or answers. a lot of young people, as wel are tired of the violence. >> last year, 75% of gun violence victims were black men. among them, a quarter between 1 and 24 years old. why is this demographic so vulnerable, and what can be done to address those issues. >> right now there is a problem culturally, with influence.

i often say today's world and society, and our neighborhoods, killing is the currency to culture. young people have no confidence -- conflict resolution skills. the degraphic i'm working with have been failed throughout their households, public school education, even social media and what not. some of the things we are doing is really trying to provide paid opportunities to restore and rehabilitate the mindsets of these young men. they carry out the most influence when it com to the younger neration. that is a lot of what we have been doing. it is about really grabbing the young men that we know who are potentially perpetrators or victims of violence. they can really go back and empower theounger people in the communities and prevent the continual spread of violence. >> i want to look at what government officials are doing. how have philadelphia's leaders addressed these problems in recent years, and how is the

community responding? >> the city is trying different things at once. giving to a nonprofit so they can execute prevention in their own neighborhoods. but there has been difficulty distributing that money. nonprofits see a lot of red tape and don't necessarily get as direct funding as they might like to see. a lot of residents are calling on the city to improve quality of life in their neighborhoods. we see a lot of trash in philadelphia, vacant lots, signs of disinvestment that the city has not successfully addressed. >> and all the individual things you brought up could add up to these feelings of hopelessness you and pastor carl both spoke about. looking at the state legislature, most states in this country actually have what are known as preemption laws,

inventing cities from enacting more stringent gun regulations than exists at the state level. in pennsylvania's case, how has that affected the interplay between the laws on the books in pennsylvania and what philadelphia might want to do which they cannot? >> philadelphia is unable to make its own gun policy. we have to go through harrisburg and some of our tems have been blocked. there is a huge block in legal gun ownership during the pandemic. there were also increased reports of stolen firearms. i think any young person will tell you in certain neighborhoods it is very easy to get a firearm. combined with the systemic issues and frustration and hopelessness, lack of a better path, it is very easy for

arguments to escalate to gunfire in certain parts of the city because so many people are armed. >> it seems so often fall to organizations to pick up the slack. do you feel grassroots organizations and individuals like yourself have enough support to get it done? >> a great question. i would say no. i believe government is allotting money to organizations and trying to provide on a financial level. at the same time, there is a failure as a collective from the community. while philadelphia's call to a progressive city, we see a lot of progressive whites and others move into philadelphia talk about the hysteria behind gun violence. but not really showing up where the people are, where the issues are. people can show up downtown to rallies, they can march, they can do a lot of those things and be outraged online. offline, i don't think the grassroots leaders are sitting here seeing the same outrage or outcry or outpouring of support.

thank you both for being on the ground and bringing your observations to us. sammy chela with whyy, pastor carl day. thank you for your time. >> and our thanks to ally rogan. for more on the epidemic of gun violence, here's a quick look at an upcoming documentary from the newshour team. >> that gun took -- from me. >> gun violence is plaguing the country. >> some guy with an ar-15 just murdered my daughter. >> my mom called and said david shot himself. >> this is not something you come out of unchanged. >> ricochet in american trauma, hosted by william brangham, from years on pbs on october 5. -- premieres on pbs on october 5. >> across the u.s., energy

prices have spiked to the highest level in nearly 15 years. roughly one in six american households have fallen behind on paying utility bills. millions of americans are facing power shutoffs in the hardest stretch of the summer. the problem is even more acute over in europe. household energy bills and the u.k. are up 80% over last year. we areoined by will wade, who covers energy and climate for bloomberg news. i guess the first question is obvis, what accounts for these price hikes? >> the main thing is natural gas. gas is about 37% of electricity in the u.s., the price has pretty much tripled since the middle of last year. >> in what way is climate change responsible for the surge in prices, if at all? >> it is not really a climate issue. it is really st of the continued fallout from the pandemic. we saw gas shortages when people

came out of lockdowns middle of last year. still shortages around the world driving up prices. in the u.s., it is a price issue. we are worried about the price, but europe and asia, they are worried about running out of enough fuel to create electricity. >> in reading through some of your reporting, it is not just utility prices are up, utility companies are way more aggressive about shutting off power to delinquent customers. is that right? >> there were policies in place during the pandemic, moratoriums against shutting off people. those started to wind down at the end of last year, and it led into winter moratoriums, which are prty common all over the place. you can shut off people's power when it is cold because they might die. it brought us into spring, you have to give people a few months notice. it brings us to about now. now we are seeing the utilities turn off the people that have fallen way behind. >> how is this affecting people in a real way? >> in a real way, it is a chunk

out of their monthly take-home, especially for people at the lower end of the come spectrum. i talked to people all ovethe country who are telng me that their bills are really high and we are starting notice it. a lot of folks telling me they have to cut back when they go to the grocery store. they are worried about filling their gas tank. and there are folks who cannot pay their power bill. i was talking with a woman who had her power shut off in minneapolis. her bill went up to about $3000 because she was a housecleaner. all of her work pedroia bu -- all of her work dried up at the start of the pandemic. >> how long is it expected to last? summer, fall, the winter, are we expected to see another price hike? >> yeah. gas prices are expected to stay high through the winter. this is supposed to be the time when gas -- people start storing gas for the winter. if there are still issues of

supply all around the world, people are really concerned about winter. the whole thing about the shut offs we are seeing now, the price hikes we are seeing now are going to stay high. the government aid that has been helping people is going to start to run out at times. that means the fundamental issue is people sometimes are starting to be unable to afford electricity. >> you mentioned government assistance. i was like to ask you about what role state or federal governments have to play in providing assistance to people or delaying some plan shutoffs for people who cannot keep pace with the bills. >> state programs, federal programs, the government is trying to increase the amount of aid available this year. but it is a finite resource. and when it runs out, we are still faced with the problems electricity is at least 15% more expensive than it was a year

ago. that is something a lot of people can't afford. >> will wade covers energy and climate for bloomberg news. great to have you with us. complaints from fliers with disabilities have more than doubled since before the pandemic. according to the department of transportation. the situation has gotten so bad the department recently announced airline travelers with disabilities bill of rights to help people understand their protections under federal law. some airports are stepping up to ensure passengers have a smooth ride. our special correspondent reports. >> on a saturday morning in early august, maggie willie and her service dog arrive at the minneapolis-st. paul international airport.

air travel isn't at the top of most people's lists of favorite things to do these days. it is no different for willie. >> flying is stressful, there's a lot of unknowns. i've had my wheelchair damaged. when i got to my next destination, it was broken. >> she has a neuromuscular disease called primary lateral sclerosis. luckily today, they are not flying anywhere. they are taking a practice run through the airport so both feel more prepared when there is a real trip. >> i haven't flown for a long time. i wanted to see what was new because it takes away some of the stress when i actually go flying. >> it is part of a program called navigating msp. >> what do we do next? >> check in. >> one saturday a month, people with special needs can come to the airport to get familiar with their travel process without the pressure of having to catch an actual flight. >> where is the plane? >> first we have to do our tickets.

>> the program was originally geared towards children with autism, like tate morris. his family is preparing for a trip in october. >> we are going to orland disney. >> are you excited to go to disney world? >> yes, i'm going to go on the rides. >> people caps on asking if we can come out and get a feel for what this is going to be like. >> phil berg, in charge of customer experience, launched the program for families in 2013, and one for service dogs and their handlers the nex year. >> i want to make it the most accessible airport in the world. >> the airport created a travelers with disabilities advisory committee keeping disability front and center. it offers an array of services, like a lanyard with sunflowers that alerts staff to travelers with hidden disabilities like hearing loss, and free access to an app people with low vision or blindness can use to navigate the terminal independently. >> a gentleman six feet in front of you. >> it is now considered a leader

whent comes to accessibility. >> it is the right thing to do to make sure we have done everything within our power to make that journey our customers are on equitable and accessible. >> it has been at least eight years since maggie willie has flown. she says the improvements are clear. >> people are more educated and they are more services at the airport. >> after willie and the canine group go through security, they go to the newest edition, th mock airplane cabin. it was previously used to trade flight and cabin crews in atlanta. delta paid to have it taken apart and shipped last fall, where it was reassembled and ready for its new purpose, educating travelers. it is thought to be the first facility of its kind. delta pilot ian there it gives these tours on his time off. >> we talked about the best seat is the middle. >> the window seat has less foot

room for the dogs, and i'll seat, they can get stepped on. a team of other volunteers coaches the dogs and their handlers. in the new cabin, maggie willie can practice using the transport chair. a small wheelchair at fits down the narrow aisle. >> my disability changes, i haven't always used transport chairs. now i would need to. having pastel have an opportunity to practice getting in between the seats and finding her space. there you go. good girl. if she can practice ahead of time, it is less stress for her. we get less worn out. >> she says the new cabin does more than allow them to practice. >> acknowledging we are travelers, too. and we want to have the same easy experience as everybody else. >> it will also be used to train emergency responders and the airport personnel who provide

wheelchair assistance. >> my name is rich. i'm also the father of a son with autism. >> another delta pilot helped facilitate the cabin's move from atlanta. today he is leading the other tour for families. >> what is your name? >> tate morris. >> his mom says a busy airport can be difficult. >> we never know what is going to trigger a behavior or a meltdown. sounds are sometimes triggering. it is too loud, too many people too close to him. awaiting is a struggle if something is supposed to happen at 1:00. his expectation is something happens at 1:00. >> like today when the real live airplane is late getting to the gate. the therapy dog works the crowd to keep the kids calm. >> wait at the gate. >> he was given a deck of images laying out the events making the process more concrete and more

predictable. >> you sit on the plane, put on your seatbelt. the week before we fly will probably go through it every night. >> thelane finally arrives. >> what is the first thing we have to do? >> fasten your seatbelt. >> i think it goes this way. >> this seat is too big for me. >> said nobody ever in an airplane. >> more than 1300 families have gone through the tours and most of them have been fully booked. >> to have an opportunity to go into an airplane. is it enclosed and the sounds are different. and the seatbelts are different. everything is different. you can see what a bathroom in an airplane looks like. you don't get that experience anywhere else but here. after a long day, tate is tired, but his family is feeling more

confident about that trip to disney world. for pbs new weekend, megan thompson. >> that is our broadcast for tonight. for all of us here at pbs news weekend, thanks for spending part of your saturday with us. >> major funding for pbs news weekend has been provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these indiduals and institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

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