tv PBS News Weekend PBS September 25, 2022 5:30pm-6:01pm PDT
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♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. tonight on "pbs news weekend," investigating january 6, we get the latest on where the house committee's investigation is heading, with congresswoman zo lofgren. then, we dig into the hotly contested senate and gubernatorial races in florida just six weeks from election day. and soccer player olivia moultrie, who started her professional career at the age of 13, on making and setting goals both on and off the field. >> my love has contributed to a lot of hard work and me just wanting to go after it every single day. i think, you know, that's mostly what i can attribute any success i've had to that. and just wanting it and going for it and setting those goals and being willing to, you know,
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go after them every day. geoff: all that and the day's headlines on tonight's "pbs news weekend." ♪ >> major funding for "pbs news weekend" has been provided by -- >> for 25 years, consumer cellular has been offering plans designed to help people do more of what they like. our u.s. based customer service team can help find a plan that fits you. to learn more, visit consumercellular.tv. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ and friends of the newshour. ♪
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♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. geoff: good ening. it's great to be with you. at this hour, tropical storm ian is rapidly strengthening in the caribbean and bearing down on cuba. the storm is forecast to reach hurricane-strength as early as overnight and could make landfall along the gulf coas florida by thursday or friday. president biden preemptively declared an emergency for the state, making federal government assistance available as the storm draws closer. meantime, in canada, residents are reeling in the wake of hurricane fiona. the storm washed homes into the sea, and hurricane-strength winds tore apart homes and toppled trees.
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hundreds of thousands of canadians remain without power and the canadian military has been mobilized to assist in the recovery. officials there say it will take months to rebuild. in italy, polls are closing at this hour, as the country chooses a new government that could be both historic and could pivot the nation toward far-right leadership. opinion polls suggest that italy could pick its first-ever female prime minister, giorgia meloni. she is the leader of the far-right brothers of italy party, which has its roots in italy's 20th century neo-fascist movement that emerged after the death of fascist leader mussolini in 1945. and, violent unrest continues in iran, following the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody for wearing her hijab improperly. iranian state tv has reported at least 41 protesters and police have now been killed since violent clashes began earlier this month. it's been the largest anti-government demonstrations
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seen in years. demonstrations in solidarity have occurred elsewhere in the middle east, europe, and even in the u.s. and, kenyan eliud kipchoge shattered his own world record in the berlin marathon earlier today. the 37-year-old runner finished in two hours, one minute, nine seconds, 30 seconds better than his previous world record set in 2018. kipchoge is also the first person to ever run a marathon in under two hours, but his time was not recognized because it was on a controlled course. still to come on "pbs news weekend," a closer look at florida politics and the upcoming election. and a conversation with rising soccer star olivia moultrie of the portland thorns. ♪ >> this is "pbs news weekend," from weta studios in washingn.
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geoff: the house committee investigating the january 6 attack on the u.s. capitol will hold at least one more public hearing this week before concluding its work. congresswoman zo lofgren is a member of that committee and joins us to talk more about that and her bipartisan bill that aims to overhaul the process for certifying presidential elections. congresswoman, thanks so much for being with us. the january 6 committee, as we mentioned, is holding another public hearing this wednesday, the first in more than two months. how much new infmation are we going to see, and what will the focus of wednesday's hearing be? >> we have found some new information. we have been working throughout the summer and, although the public hearings are important in terms of inforng the public, they are far from all of what w've been doing. gathering information and also considering recommendations that
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we might make to have the country be safer. geoff: i want to ask you about something congresswoman liz cheney, your colleue, said publicly yesterday. she said the january 6 committee has obtained some 800,000 u.s. secret service commucations from on or around january 6. she says some of the texts are gone, but there are other forms of communication now in the committee's possession. what more can you tell us about that, and what do you see as the significance of those documents? >> i think it gives us some insight into what the secret service knew, what they communicated to other law enforcement agencies, most particularly the capitol police, who are charged with securing the safety of the capitol, certainly what the president's intentions were on the sixth. there's a whole variety -- liz is right.
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some of the text messages, as we know, were erased, even though the service have been ordered to preserve them. but there are other forms of information. there is radio traffic. there are emails. there is teams messages and on and on. it's a huge volume of material and, frankly, it's a huge task to go through and sort through what's relevant and what is irrelevant, so our staff is working hard at that. geoff: earlier this month, congressman jamie raskin said the committee assumes that former vice president mike pence will testify before the panel. is that still a working assumption? has your committee received any commitments from him or his team? >> he said publicly that he would be very interested in coming in, and then that was walked back. the fact is, were we to engage in compulsion, there are issues about that. there isn't time for the litigation to run its course
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between nownd the end of this congress. we thought he would come in because he said he would, but i think he had a change of heart. geoff: a question about the timeline. we've got this hearing on wednesday, potentially one more hearing to outline the committee's findings, its work product. do you expect he will be able to present your report before the midterms? >> i doubt that. it's a huge volume of material, and we are working hard to get the report concluded. as you know, a select committee is established for the life of one congress. we've always known that. and the -- this congress is ending at the end of december, so we have to get it done before then, but we want it to be complete, accessible. we may have a few other pieces of information that we can provide to the public, but i doubt very much that the full
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report will be done by the end of october. geoff: as we wrap up our conversation, the house this past week passed a set of electoral reforms that you introduced along with congresswoman liz cheney aimed at shoring up ambiguities in the presidenal certification process, which donald trump and his allies tried to exploit in overturning joe biden's win. that picked up support from nine house republicans, all of whom are retiring from congress. what are the next steps? there's a similar effort in the senate. what happens next? >> the senate is proceeding. obviously, there are conversations underway between myself and liz and senators. they have a markup scheduled, i think for tuesday, on their bill. there is a lot of overlap just, as there are some the similarities -- some di ssimilarities.
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as they make amendments, we will see if there are elements that we covered that they didn't that they might be interested in. doesn't mean that they will do exactly the way we did. but i'm hopeful we can use the legislative process to come to an agreement. there's no reason why we can't have a meeting of the minds using the legislative process. i fully expect that we will. it will not be done next week, because both the house and senate will be in recess until after the election. but i believe we will come to a meeting of the minds. geoff: any concerns that reconciling the two pieces of legislation or finding se compromise would make it less effective? >> obviously, we thought our bill was the best and probably the senate thinks theirs is the best. but the deal is you don't have to get 100% of your way in order to have an improvement to existing law. so, that's what my goal is. i'm sure that's what the senators' goal is. there shouldn't be, and i don't
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believe there will be, intransigence. we want to make a better law that keeps our country safer than it is now. there is no doubt that we can get to that point if we work in good faith. i intend to, and i'm sure the senatorso as well. geoff: congresswoman zoe lofgren, democrat from california, and a member of the january 6 committee, thanks again for your tim >> thank you. ♪ geoff: time now for our weekend briefing. with the midterms now 44 days away, we're taking a closer look at some of the most competitive races around the country. this evening, we're zeroing i on florida. for that, i'm joined by two top political strategists. steve schale ran barack obama's 2008 political campaign in florida and has served as an advisor for lots of statewide races.
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and al cardenas is the former chair of the florida republica party and served as an adviser for ronald reagan and george h.w. bush. due to some technical issues, mr. cardenas is joining us by phone. it's great to have the both of you with us. >> my pleasure. geoff: let's get down to it. let's start with the senate race between incumbent republican senator marco rubio and congresswoman val demings, former orlando police chief. i just checked this. she is polling about 3 point behind rubio, accoing to the real clear politics polling average. but she's outraised rubio this cycle, spendg more on tv ads. the thing is, steve republicans , now enjoy an advantage of over 200,000 more active registered voters than democrats. given tt steve, can val , demings make any headway? steve: i think she has a tough climb. she's done a great job getting out early and defining herself, raised good money.
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i think the biggest challenge she has, frankly, is it's hard to get to a win in florida as a democrat, if you are basically even in miami-dade county. republicans do better with hispanics. rubio has a hometown advantage there. i think she's going to keep it close. i certainly wouldn't say she has no chance, but i think it's a pretty uphill climb, unfortunately. geoff: let's talk about the supreme court dobbs decision, because that really shifted the landscape across the country and certainly in florida. last month, senator rubio said in an interview that he believed abortion should be, quote, "decided at the state level." but now he's co-sponsoring a bill with senator lindsey graham that would impose a federal ban on aboion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. al, what impact might that have? al: well, most of the polls show the preme court decision
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favors democrats. i think it's 62%, 63% disapproval rating on that decision. the question is how much it will impact turnout at the polls. i think the deming's-rubio race might be a close one for three reasons. one, most statewide races of the last 20 or 30 years have been decided by two points or less in florida, for the senate and the governorship. this is one of those races. being within three or four points on election day means you've got a shot, because nobody has measured turnout rates until the end of election day. so, early voting, absentee voting will give us a hint as to where turnout is. and also, she has money, which many senate democrat candidates do not around the country.
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so, i would say this is a ce to watch. it certainly liens republican, but it's not out of the question that val demings will have a chance, if, and that's a big if democrats win the turnout battle, enthused, perhaps, by the supreme court abortion decision. geoff: let's talk about the governor's race in florida. in recent years, republicans have made inroads with some latino voters. but after sending about 50 migrants from texas to martha's vineyard, governor desantis is now facing not only backlash from some venezuelan voters, but a class-action lawsuit and other legal scrutiny as well. al, desantis had been maintaining a lead. he has a fairly gh favorable approval rating in florida. but can this issue give his democratic opponent charlie crist an opening here?
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al: i don't know the answer to that, and the reason why i don't know the answer is the press has been predictably very tough on governor desantis regarding that issue, for a whole host of reasons, not just the immigratn. and whether that has more legs to run for the next few weeks or not, we will have to see how that goes. right now, governor desantis won by 35,000 votes last time, which is far less than 1%. as i said earlier, these elections in florida are decided by a narrower percentage of votes, although republicans the last few years have made a huge gain in voter registration. the desantis race looks like there's a wider gap than in the senate race, because charlie crist doesn't have the resources
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the democrats have given val demings. charlie crist has had to go dark for a few weeks on tv, and that's had to hurt him. desantis ads on tv are pretty effective. i would put this race in the republican column, unless something happens. but don't be surprised if, on election day, it's a two or three point victory. geoff: on that point, why aren't democrats marshaling more money and resources into florida to give crist more of a fighting chance? steve: the biggest problem you have a lot of donors who have put a lot of money in the last few election cycles and it hasn't worked out. giving -- getting out early is a huge advantage. there's no reason florida shouldn't be competiti. it's as much about republicans having lost voters. the biggest gain is among independents. the biggest challenge, i think
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democrats around the country are triaging money where we need to win senate races. that moves us down the totem pole. if you saw polls that saw crist close, somebody could come in late. there is no reason to write either one of these ras off now. it's an uphill climb for both of them at the moment. geoff: thank you so much for your time. ♪ time now for our weekend spotlight. in 2019, 13-year-old soccer phenom olivia moultrie turned pro and inked a nine year endorsement deal with nike, but she has had to fight her way onto the field. it's been over a year since she signed with the portland thorns after suing to join the national women's soccer league, which requires players to be at least 18 years old to compete. the men's league has no such age requirement.
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this year, she also became the youngest player in league history to score a goal, at age 16. olivia moultrie joins us now. thanks so much for being with us. >> of course. geoff: as i understand, when you were all of seven years old, you sat down and you rode out exactly what you wanted to do with your life -- you wrote out exactly what you wanted to do with your life. you created a plan. are you sticking to your plan? >> when i was seven, it was easy. it was a step-by-step plan. i'm going to do this and that and reach my goals. it's going to be a nice, perfect, little segway into everything -- segue into everything. the goal has remained the same. maybe the process has changed a little bit, but we are getting closer every single day. it's cool to think that goal has stayed the same, even from when i was seven. geoff: lots of kids start playing soccer at the age of six or seven. very few, in fact, no other
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female athletes have done what you've done. what makes you different? >> honestly, i think that just my love for the game and in terms of just what i've done on and off the field, i think it's just my love has contributed to a lot of hard work and me just wanting to go after it every single day. when i created that goal, it was like, ok. i had such a strong will to want to accomplish it that it just went into how i worked for it every single day. that's mostly what i can attribute any success i've had that, just wanting it and going for it. and setting those goals and being willing to go after them every day. geoff: you became a professional soccer player at the age of 13. that was after committing to the university of north carolina at the age of 11 and then backing out so that you could go pro. but your family had to file a lawsuit in order for you to play with the national women's soccer league. why was that lawsuit necessary? >> basically, they just -- the
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rule was in place. i wasn't 18 yet. i felt that i was ready. portland felt that i was ready. they backed us the whole time, which i am truly grateful for that. it was just a matter of equality in terms of opportunity for men and women. the men didn't have a rule, and the women did. i felt like that was wrong. i would've wanted anyone in my position to fight for that, so i'm happy i was able to. i'm happy we don't have that problem anymore. geoff: your teammates, who i imagine were 10 or 15 years older -- how did they respond to you? were they receptive? >> they were extremely supportive of me. at one point, in court, a bunch of teammates showed up to support me through that time and they continued asking me how it was going, what it was going to look like, when i was going to be able to play. they were extremely supportive of me, and i'm extremely ateful for that relationship, just really feeling like a big part of the team during that time and officially being able
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to be a team member was a really exciting moment for me. yeah, that was great. geoff: you have two younger sisters. is that right? >> yes. geoff: i would imagine that your soccer career is pretty much all consuming for your family. what is your family life like? how do your parents manage all of this? >> they are definitely busy. definitely helped when i got my drivers license a couple months ago. that took a big load off of them. my entire family has been extremely supportive and flexible in every time, since moving to portland. they all came with me. my sisters have be a huge part of just supporting me and being at every club game and tournament i can remember. they were there. so were my parents, willing to drive me to everything. they've had to list some things for that. i'm grateful for their support and willingness to get me where i needed to go. now they get to be a little more hands-off, now that i'm a professional. that's my life and my job now.
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yeah, they were busy. now they get a little bit more time to take care of my other sisters. they have been extreme the supportive, and i'm really grateful for that. geoff: you are, as we mentioned, the youngest player to ever play and score in a national women's soccer league game. what was that moment like, when you scored your first goal? >> honestly, i was really excited inside, even if i didn't look like that. i've watched it a couple times. everyone is like, you didn't celebrate, you just jogged off. for me, i hope that's one of many. that was just a process and a moment within the process. great. i'm extremely excited that it happened. now it's on to the next. this is just the beginning,, i hope for me. i want to accomplish a lot. i was excited when it happened. and also just felt a want for more. geoff: who are the people you look up to on the field? >> it's hard to pick a favorite. i get to play with them now.
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i get to learn from them face-to-face, six yards away. it's super cool. it's helped me grow a lot. now we are competing for a championship and i'm part of that, and that's extremely exciting. it's just another part of the journey. geoff: i have to ask, though, at 16, do you ever feel like you are missing out on foundational experiences that other people your age get to have? >> to be completely honest, what i'm doing is my dream. i wanted to be a professional player since i was seven years old. so, to me, i'm not missing out on anything. i'm just getting the opportunities i've always wanted, and i'm living the life i've always wanted to have. soccer is what i love the most, other than my family. geoff: priorities. >> exactly. this is that. i really wouldn't trade that for anything. i love being able to chase after my goals every day and do it in this environment. geoff: what your ultimate goal, olivia? >> i want to be the best player
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in the world. obviously, that's a big thing to say. that can encompass a lot of things, i think. for me, it's just really fun to feel like i have these people supporting me and i get to chase after that every day. hopefully, i accomplish that. geoff: you are well on your way. olivia moultrie, thanks for being with us. >> thank you. ♪ geoff: and online right now, learn what goes into a political poll from statisticians and pollsters and how it can help in navigating this election season. all that and more is on our website, pbs.org/newshour. and that's our program for tonight. i'm geoff bennett. for all of us at "pbs news weekend," thanks for spending part of your sunday with us. have a great week. ♪ >> major funding for "pbs news weekend" has been provided by --
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and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.]
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love and respect. i'm michael render. i'm so proud to be here on atlpba because pbs helped raise me. mr. rogers, sesame street, the electric company, these we the shows that gave me a window into a wonderful world, featuring people and mentors that help teach me about love and respect. tonight, i'm honored to kick off our first show with the mayor of this great city, keisha lance bottoms. mayor bottoms, tonight on her time in office, her decision not to run for reelection, and her plans for the future. thanks for joining us. atlanta mayor, keisha lance bottoms coming up right now. - love and respect with killer mike is made possible by: cadillac. monster energy. ledger.
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