♪ ♪ amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. geoff bennett is on assignment. on the "newshour" tonight. in an uprecedented move, tennessee republicans expel democratic lawmakers for violating house rules during gun control protests. iraq's younger generations find themselves shut out of work and the political process twenty years after the united states invasion. >> the leaders of the american invasion said that a generation of freedom will emerge that is raised on freedom and the principles of democracy. but i am one of this generation, and i find myself fighting for freedom and the right to live. amna: and jonathan capehart and , gary abernathy weigh in on the criminal charges against former president trump and how they re-election.

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>> the john s knight foundation, fostering engaged communities. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ and fries of the newshour. ♪ program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and from viewers like you. thankou. amna: good evening. welcome to "the newshour." the middle east is on edge tonight after an attack in tel aviv killed an italian tourist and wounded five other italian and british citizens. israeli authorities said a

palestinian driver rammed a car into a group of people near a popular park. prime minister benjamin netanyahu said he was calling up more borr police and israeli defense forces to confront terror attacks. that came hours after israeli airstrikes pounded the gaza strip and lebanon, in retaliation for rocket attacks by the palestinian militant group "hamas." two british-israeli sisters were also killed in a palestinian shooting in the occupied west bank. back in this country more signs , the economy is holding strong in spite of a string of interest rate hikes over the past year. the labor department reported employers added 236,000 jobs in march, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%. average hourly raises -- wages rose over 4.2% over last year. all that has raised hopes that the fed could pause its rate hikes soon. two russian news agencies are reporting jailed "wall street journal" reporter evan

gershkovich has been formally charged with espionage in russia. "tass" and "interfax" also said the american journalist entered a formal denl. russian authorities arrested the 31-year-old last week. he is the first american journalist to be detained in russia on spying claims since the cold war. u.s. supreme court justice clarence thomas is defending himself a day after "propublica" reported he's taken lavish trips for decades that were paid for by a republican megadonor. thomas issued a statement claiming he'd been advised by colleagues not to disclose, quote "this sort of personal , hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the court." china is retaliating against the taiwanese president's visit to the u.s. by imposing sanctions on the ronald reagan presidential library and other u.s. and asia-based organizations. the california library was the site of talks wednesday between u.s. house speaker kevin mccarthy and president tsai

ing-wen. tsai returned home today to a swarm cameras, and struck a defiant tone that taiwan won't succumb to intimidation. >> we showed the international community that in the face of pressure and threats, taiwan will be even more united and will absolutely not yield to suppression, nor due to obstructions stop exchges with the world. amna: china also sanctioned taiwan's u.s. envoy prohibiting , her and her family members from entering mainland china, hong kong and macau. christians around the world marked good friday with an array of ceremonies and rituals. pilgrims heaved a wooden cross through jerusalem's old city, retracing jesus's path to crucifixion. the faithful took part in spite of violence there earlier in the week. and at the vatican, pope francis who was recently hospitalized , for bronchitis presided over

, mass in a wheelchair. but he skipped the traditional citing cold weather. still to come the biden , administration proposes putting a stop to blanket bans on transgender athletes. jonathan capehart and gary abernathy analyze a week full of political controversy. a newly renovated cia museum showcases the agency's triumphs and mistakes. plus much more. >> this is the pbs newshour from wta studios in washington and from the cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. amna: it was a chaotic scene at the tennessee capitol yesterday as two black members of the state house of representatives were kicked out of office by the republican supermajority. in response, late today, vice president harris traveled to nashville to meet with democratic lawmakers, including the ones who were expelled. laura barron-lopez has our report.

>> did not let this die. >> tennessee democrats outraged. >> i am asking folks who are mad to stay mad. >> and committed to continuing the fight for gun reforms. >> there are thousands of us demanding change. no action, no peace. >> after the youngest black representatives in the house were expelled yesterday from the state assembly. >> expelled. >> we can never normalize that tear any of the way that these people in power have operated due to white supremacy. >> house resolution 64 fails. >> another lawmaker was spared expulsion by one vote. >> that guy is a rock star. >> representative johnson left with no doubt about why she kept her job while her colleagues did not. >> it might have to do with the color of our skin.

>> dubbed the tennessee three by supporters, the democrats drew the ire of the republican supermority last week after they led protests in support of gun restrictions on the house floor, breaking the rules of the chamber just days after a shooting at a nashville school left six dead, including three children. >> we called upon you to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy. >> the debate to expel the trio lasted hours and was oftentimes contentious. >> just because you don't get your way, you can't come to the well, bring your friends and throw a temper tantrum with the adolescent bullhorn. >> is elevating our voices for justice or change a temper tantrum? there is something in the decorum of this body that says it is ok to call that a temper tantrum, to call people we disagree with on the issues to say all they want is attention.

i will tell you what, i personally do not want attention. what i want is attention on the issue of gun violence. >> republicans resolute and largely united in their votes and condemnation for the lack of decorum. >> he and two other representatives effectively conducted a mutiny on march the 30th of 2023 in this very chamber. >> there are consequences for action. >> the speaker of the ate house last week even comparing the peaceful protests by students and democrats to the violent january 6 insurrection at the u.s. capitol. a charge democrats rejected. >> i know the rules sometimes have to be broken and sometimes you have to get in good trouble. >> jones and pearson are gone from office, but their message is now resonating far beyond the state's borders. president bin calling their ouster shocking, undemocratic and without president.

precedent. -- late today, vice president kamala harris traveling to nashville to meet with the current and former democratic lawmakers. >> iit can happen here in tennessee, it's coming to your state next. >> their absence may be short-lived. the nashville council will meet on monday and could choose to send jones back to the state capitol, until a special election can be held later this year. amna: for more on what this means for the state of tennessee, gun violence, and equal representation, i am joined by tennessee state representative john ray clemens. he is the house democratic caucus chair. >> thank you for having me. >> yesterday, two members were expelled. gloria johnson was not. representative johnson said she thought it had to do with the color of their skin. do you agree with that assessment? >> i understand how some might think that. but i do not know what is in my colleagues' hearts. i think it is fair to say that my caucus lost two strong

voices yesterday, and i am looking forward to them being reinstated soon. >> republicans say they broke the rules of decorum by protesting on the floor, do you think that they should have faced a different consequent is? >> people break house rules on a daily basis. they approached without permission from the speaker. i think that is a very moderate offense. but others who have served in the house in recent years, who have not been punished for anything, have done worse, including several who are under federal investigation and have had criminal charges brought against them. this year we had a member on the criminal justice committee advocate for lynching, which i a hate crime, and he sits on that committee still with no punishment. last week, another was charged with simple assault and he is

still sitting on the house of floor with no punishment whatsoever. only three times since the civil war have members been expelled from the state legislature. and they were for ry egregious crimes or conduct. so, this is highly inappropriate. it is extraordinary action that should have never taken place. it is sad day for our democracy in the state of tennessee. >> what comes next for house democrats? are their steps your caucus can take? >> justin pearce and justin jones and gloria johnson have our support and we will continue to fight for them. we do not a 75 member gop super majority should silence the voices of waiver 200,000 -- voices of over 200,000 people in tennessee who elected for them. unrtunately, my colleagues may have won two votes yesterday, but i think that they lost in the world of public opinion.

amna: as you said, both representave jones and pearson could be reappointed or run in a special election. how can you make sure the republican supermajority will see to them? >> if their local governments reappoint them to serve in the legislative body, they better be seated in the state legislature or we will have a legal battle on our hands. i do not see any grounds for the majority to not see to them. if they refuse to seat them, i would think you would see this taken to a whole other level. amna: representative, this all started after the shooting at covenant school that left six dead, including three children, then the protests subsequently on the floor about trying to pass more gun restrictions in

the state. where does that stand in terms of legislation passing through the state house would restrict guns? >> our community has been devastated by the loss of those lives here in nashville, but that's only the latest incident of gun violence. gun violence, it occurs every day in every community across the state of tennessee too often. and so it is way overdue for solutions. so, we are fighting for gun safety measures and a losince l. we're talking with our colleagues across the aisle. we requested a meeting with the governor of tennessee who refuses to even mention the word gun since the tragedy at the school. >> you are talking across the aisle, but have you heard from republicans or independents over the last few days and if they are moved at all by what happened? >> well, i don't think anyone is not moved by what has transpired. i mean, this tragedy has touched

everyone. but they say just words. we need to see action. i appreciate them saying that they are willing to work with us , but we spent the last couple weeks or so being distracted by an expulsion that is completely baseless and undemocratic instead of focusing on passing gun legislation. it's truly demoralizing and an offense, quite honestly, to the victims of gun violence. >> what message does it send to other states, to the nation that tennessestate house decided to expel two young black representatives who were speaking on behalf of their constituents and on behalf of students who were protesting for more gun restrictions? >> this sends an incredibly alarming signal across the country, that if you speak up for what you believe as a young black man or a lawmaker, you

could be expelled from your elected position. that is truly alarming. it is really beyond the pale. it should cause everyone, regardless of where you live or where you are, to rise up and take action and say, you're not going to allow this, you're not going to allow republicans to expel members just because they disagree with them or don't like them, perhaps, or don't like what they have to say. >> you are meeting with the vice president today. what's your message to her? >> it is time that we take action, at the federal level and local level in the state of tennessee. ani will encourage her to encourage her friends in the u.s. senate and the house to do what they can. and we'll try to live up to our end ofhe bargain as well, and continue to fight here in the state of tennessee. >> representative john j.

clemons, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very much. ♪ amna: a new change to title ix could make broad bans on competition by transgender athletes illegal, but it does allow exceptions in particular cases. william brangham has the details. william: amna, t proposal would mean any blanket policy prohibiting transgender athletes from competing would violate title ix. that is the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools that receive government funding. this comes as 20 states have already passed some form of ban on trans student athletes. kansas is the latest state to do so. on wednesday, republican legislators overrode a veto from democratic governor laura kelly, passing a bill that would restrict transgender students from women and girls sports from kindergarten through college.

for more othe proposed rule, i am joined by orion rummler, he covers lgbtq+ issues for the 19th news. it is so good to have you on the newshour. can you explain what the biden administration's proposal would mean for schools? orion: thank you. so, the proposed rule that came down yesterday, which is what we have been waiting for since july of 2022, it would allow schools, especially high schools and colleges, to keep transit students out of sports teams that match their gender identity if the school follows guidelines at the agency goes into length about. the highlights schoo would have to follow includes a minimizing harm for trans students. the school cannot be making blanket assumptions about transit students, especially

girls, their physical abilities. and this goal has to be able to prove that the exclusion is part of a genuine educational mandate, which they list one of which would be fairness in competition. although the education department said clearly yesterday, that these blanket bans, like we saw in kansas, these violate title ix under the proposal, but it allows for exclusions. william: suddenly all the states that have passed blanket bans, they could be illegal now under the proposal. what happens now? orion: i asked about this yesterday when they had a background briefing with reporters, and those states that you mentioned, several of the 20 states, those laws have been stalled in court. but the education department

would investite, and it would talk to schools. it would seek compliance from that school. usually, when the agency does that a school does comply. but if not, the education department is able to withhold federal funding, so that is what enforcement looks like when a school or state has a blanket ban in effect and they are not complying with the proposal, it would be federal funding withheld. william: what has been the reaction in the transgender community? i understand there has been a mixed response. orion: a few organizations applauded the decision, full stop, including the national center for lesbian rights. but then we saw land of legal, another organization, they were more cautious. they said this proposal is a good thing because it says 100%

of these bans are illegal, but they are not sure this proposal would end discrimination for trans students. it we have seen from experts researching lgbtq legislation closely, they say that this proposal is a betrayal of president biden's promised to have the backs of transtudents . because it allows exclusions, especially for competitive sports in high schools and colleges. william: i want to get into those arguments highlighted recently in the kansas legislate, which passed a blanket ban. i want to play clips that have people against it and in favor of it. first off, this is the kansas aclu. >> proponents have said it is about fairness, alleging it will protect cisgender girls from

losing out on scholarships, but in the three years since it was first introduced, there has been no evidence of trans athletes hm in kansas sports. but there is clear evidence that this bill causes harm to trans youth in our state and to girls into all girls who play sports. william: this is somebody in favor of the ban. this is riley gaines. she was a highly ranked ncaa swimmer. she testified in favor and she was telling here about what it was like to watch and compete against transgender swimmer lea thomas. >> we watched from the side of pool as thomas swam to a national title in the 500 freestyle, beating out the most impressive and accomplished female swimmers in the country, including three olympians and american record holders. whereas previously in the men's division, thomas rank 400 and -- 462nd at best. the next day thomas and i raced in the 200 freestyle, which ultimately resulted in a tie down to a 100th of a having only second. one trophy the ncaa gave it to thomas and told me i had to go home empty handed because thomas

had to hold the trophy for photo purposes. william: that is the argument made by proponents of these bans. that it is fundamentally unfair to have someone who went through puberty as a male now competing against females in sports. that is their argument right? orion: most, if not all of the sports fans, they'll include something like fairness or protecting women's sports and -- in the title of the bill, because a lot of these bills are focused on restricting the ability of trans girls and trans women to compete in sports. so their focus is usually on trans girls. and i should also point out as part of this conversation that in the policy proposal we're talking about the education department says clearly, like, you cannot make blanket assumptions about -- you cannot say that all trans girls are physically superior to cisgender girls in sports because that's a

blanket assumption. it's illegal for you to do that. so as we're considering the fairness argument, what the education department is saying is that no blanket assumptions about that just won't hold up. william: ok, orion rummler, 19th news. thank you so much for being here. orion: thank you, william. ♪ amna: for years, advocates have argued that incarcerated people in the u.s. are overcharged for phone calls. it is essential for prisoners and their families. this winter and new law went into effect to cap the price of those calls in prison and jail. but even as prices have come down, a new report is sounding the alarm about the escalating costs of essential non-phone services for video and electronic messaging as well.

our communities correspondent in in new orleans, roby chavez, has been looking into all of this as part of our series, searching for justice. roby joins me now. why does it cost so much for incarcerated people to keep in touch with their families? >> it is a huge burden. some families spend anywhere from $400 to $500 a month to stay in touch with incarcerated loved ones. there are many issues that impact the cost. number one is prisons get commission from their phone service providers. advocates say they are getting kickbacks, and that is what is keeping the prices high. there is also a lack of competition as there is only a handful of providers giving services to jails and prisons across the country. in addition to the hh cost of the calls, families are inundated with extra fees to deposit money or open and close

one of these phone accounts. but there is help on the way. federal regulations, including a law, would put a cap in place for in-state calls. previously there was a cap on only out-of-state calls. in 2018, it was $10 to $15 for a 10 minute call. today the average is about three dollars a call, but family members say it is still too much. and there are higher prices for other communication services like video calls, email, and using tablets because all of those technologies remain unregulated. amna: but why are these calls is so important? what do we know about the connection between public safety into making sure incarcerated people are connected to the outside world? roby: there is research that shows it leads to better outcomes. while people are in prison, better behavior and better

health. once released, if they have support in place successful. studies show it lowers the recidivism rate. those people who had no contact with loved ones were six times more likely to end up in prison. the high costs are such a burden to families, particularly like in louisiana were more than 50% of the population is considered working poor, those costs add up. we spoke with a family member who says that she spends about $300 a month just so for children can speak to their grandfather who is incarcerated. the reason that matters is beuse the burden falls on the family's, they then become financially unstable and are more than likely not able to help their family members when they are released from prison. that matters because many people who are released from prison have a lot of debt, like $13,000 in fees and fines that were

incurred when sentenced. amna: the prices of phone calls are coming down, but what about other services to stay connected? are they still being overcharged on those? roby: as we wait for regulations to be put in place by next year, advocates are already worried that costs have shifted to other forms of communication. a report was released last week by the prison policy initiative, and they warranted that telecom companies are making off of those kinds of services, like textbased messaging. it's similar to email. the cost can be free to $.50 in places like alaska and arkansas. 43 state prisons now offer some kind of electronic messaging options. this kind of messaging is not like regular email, because it has arbitrary restrictio like character limits, and

attaments, those cost extra. most believe we are moving in the right direction but there are still some concerns. amna: ok, that was roby in new orleans. thank you. you can read more on pbs.org/newshour. ♪ amna: over half of iraq's 42 milln people are under the age of 45, which means they grew up in the wake of the u.s. invasion that toppled sue dom hussein. while the young population could be a driver of growth, many feel shut out of the political process. our special correspondent yet -- met three iraqis, all of whom are disappointed by the promises

of democratic rule. >> alaa al sattar was just in third grade when the united states invaded iraq. but even as an eight-year-old, he understood it was a turning point for thcountry. >> at the beginning of each class, we had to say long live the leader saddam hussein.a™ after the regime fell, we went to school and the teacher insulted saddam hussein and said you cannot say that slogan anymore. you say long live iraq. >> we are in the square, the iconic place where his statue was toppled on april 9th, 2003. the pictures were broadcast around the world, signaling the beginning of a new era. but 20 years on the generation , that grew up in the shadow of the american invasion is increasingly disappointed. >> the leaders of the american invasion said that a generation of freedom will emerge that is raised on freedom and the principles of democracy. but i one of this generation,

am and i find myself fighting for freedom and the right to live. >> i first met alaa during the protests which began in october of years of accumulated anger 2019. over corruption, poor services and lack of jobs ushered in the biggest grassroots protest movement since saddahussein's overthrow. young iraqis from across the shia south rose up against corrupt ruling elites. it felt like an unprecedented opportunity to reform the system. alaa set up a new political party, called the national house, designed to transcend ethno-sectarian divides. >> those goals we want to achieve are the same which the tishreen demonstration called for. we want to build one nation. >> but the protests were crushed. tahrir square, back then the epicenter of the protests, is now empty. the political party fell apart. >> the authorities and different

political parties managed to dismantle our party. they offered money in exchange for adopting a certain political vision. >> just like the tishrin movement, the young party lacked unity and organization. the failure of the tishrin protest movement to achieve tangible change is a sign just how difficult it is for iraqa™s 's to realize their aspirations in a country that is ruled not by institutions and laws but by those with money and guns. though the elites are more entrenched than ever, the protest movement left a lasting imprint on popular culture and political discourse. cafes like this are opening across town, providing new spaces for studes, artists and activists. alaa and his friends regularly meet here to discuss the latest political developments. tonight, they debate the impact of a new electoral law on the ability of new parties to run in future elections. alaa al sattar: always say, this is a long struggle. we agreed that the struggle

should not come through weapons but through peaceful means. we are committed to pursue this change for years to come. >> and other parts of iraq too, , youth are trying to organize in the face of powerful political interests. in the western city of fallujah, kauther al mohammedi leads a grsroots organization that is advocating for better services. kauther mohammedi: our case is to serve the society and to help them access services. the goal is not to get government positions. >> it is a simple yet dangerous mission. the province has seen a rise in arrests of those who dare to criticize local authorities. it is a worrying sign that freedom of expression is receding. >> the more time passes the less , space we have for freedom of expression. previously i used to raise my voice to demand better services. today i cannot. when i publish something on social media, i get threatened. >> kauther worries that the

latest crackdown heralds a new period of upheaval in anbar province, which saw some of the worst violence in the wake of the u.s. invasion. fallujah was the site of the two battles between american troops and insurgents. the first battle began shortly after thinvasion, when four american contractors were killed, their bodies hung from this bridge. the images drew indignation in the united states and prompted the launch of a counterinsurgency campaign. as was so often the case, civilians were caught in the middle. kauther mohammedi: river crossing was about life and death. and the people in fallujah couldn't go to the other sid >> she was 13 back then. many children, and especially girls, dropped out of school because it was simply too dangerous to get there. kauther had to run a gauntlet of checkpoints every day to continue her education. >> just before my school there was a gunman who would point the gun to my head and say, when are you going to be done? enough

already with your studies. >> women's rights regressed as a result of decades of war and hardship, prompting society to turn towards tribal and religious values. iraq is relatively stable today, but women still struggle to reclaim their rightful place in society and politics. kauther mohammedi: women used to play a role in fallujah, but now what you will find is marginalization and exploitation and not investment. >> although the 2005 constitution introduced a quota that guarantees women at least 25% of seats in parliament kauther has no illusion about , who really holds the power. >> politicians use women in their party lists to gain more positions. many women are refusing to run in elections because they'll find themselves reduceto just a name and a vote. >> it is one reason she does not want to run for office or accept funding from political parties. but this effort to maintain her independence also limits her ability to help the most

disadvantaged. we accompany her as she visits slums on the outskirts of fallujah, where many women widowed by wars struggle to make a living. >> i do not know what i can offer them in terms of donations. this case requires state intervention, but these women are not a priority for the government. >> neglect, authoritarianism and corruption, these are the byproducts of the u.s. invasion that afflict the youth across the country even in , semiautonomous kurdistan. thoil-rich, northern region has been spared much of the turmoil that has rocked iraq over the past two decades and is often hailed as an enclave of stability and prosperity. but little of that has translated into opportunities for its youth. >> there are very few opportunities for everyone including the workers and the , business owners. >> allen is 19 years old. he dropped out of ninth grade and has worked as a daily labor since. stable jobs are reserved for those with connections to the

two ruling families the barzanis , and the talabanis, whose political parties are all-powerful. >> even studying is pointless. that is why i quit. i have watched many people including my sisters and my brother graduate with degrees like the english language, journalism, and accounting, but they still could not find jobs. >> this lack of hope is pushing youth in two dangerous directions. one is migration. last year, alan was one of thousands of young kurds who tried but failed to reach europe through belarus. although he is still paying back thousands of dollars he borrowed to pay the smugglers, he is ready to risk it all again. >> if life is good here, i will not leave. but if things do not get better i have no choice but to try again. >> but it is the effect that second could be of concern for internal stability. many youth like alan are increasingly drawn to ultra-conservative interpretations of islam as a

solution for the region's governance problems. alan thinks the region would be better off under islamic law. >> if the country was ruled by the quran and the word of the prophet mohammed, everything would get better. >> from shia to sunni to kurdish areas of the country, much of the post-2003 generation feels iraq's elites have failed them, eroding the legitimacy of the political system the united states helped install. for the pbs newshour, i'm simona foltyn in iraq. ♪ amna: it has been a historic week in politics, with former president trump appearing in court and two members of the tennessee state legislature being expelled from office. for more on that we turn now to the analysis of capehart and ernathy -- that's jonathan capehart, associate editor for the washington post, and his fellow post colleague gary

abnay.th it is good to see you both. quite a week. we saw former president donald trump enter a not guilty plea, go to florida and deliver a fiery speech. he is running for president, raising money off of this -- millions so far -- and he has widened the g from his next contder. are the criminal charges going to propel him to the nomination? >> yes. and i say that with confidence. and i say that because i have seen this movie before. inaid there is no way that this guy can win, i started watc 2hing h1 poll numbers, particularly when he attacked the late senator john mccain. the horrific things he said about him, then his numbers went up. within the republican primary base, a party that loved of the military, and loves, you know,

strength. yet they went with a guy that attacked a war hero and a former prisoner of war. now that he has got -- he'edy o, and there might be others, they are circling the wagons around him, because for the republican primary base he is their guy, he is their avatar for their grievances and upset with the government. i do not seeow anyone can take the nomination away from him. amna: only hutchison, the former arkansas governor, has declared he will run and has said that trump has been indicted, he should step aside. why does he think that? >> some of it is because there are questions about this indictment. i thought that marcus had a good column this weekend talking about, she is obviously not a trump fan, but what a high wire

act the indictment is. it is very flimsy. circling the wagons around trump is because this seems a rather politicized indictment. i mean, if i am joe biden, i am thinking -- i beat donald trump two years ago. i'm the president. what is everybody talking about? we are talking about donald trump. now with the new york indictment and with possible indictments coming out of georgia come with the january 6 investigation ongoing, he's guaranteed to be top of mind conversation for the next couple years, not just because he is running for president but because of the indictments. while each one of these involves shameful acts by donald trump, no doubt about it, i do t think any of them will result in criminal, um, guilty findings in any case. yet that is what we will be

talking about. amna: i want to pull this out of it, what do you mean when you say this is politicized? gary: everybody seems to agree that there is not much there. you are taking for the first time what are misdemeanor charges and trying to bootstrap them into felonies by somebody who campaigned on, hey i am the toughest on trump, i am going to get trump. that is what seems political about it. amna: i want to play for you these -- we had a chance earlier today to listen into a focus group of republican voters led by the strategist sarah longwell. here's a sniet from bobby from texas and katie from michigan. >> there are bigger charges out there that somebody could be arrested for. you konw, if one -- know, ione of us did it i could understand.

but somebody at that level of authority like donald trump was, i do not feel like it is necessary for that kind of situation. >> it is a politician and politicians do bad things. everybody has skeletons in their closet. there are so many other people, hillary, obama, biden and hunter and all these other things, it's like there is such a fuel to hate donald trump so much. amna: what does this say to you how this investigation, you mentioned other investigations, how any of this will resonate with voters? jonathan: sorry, i am bracing myself after listening to that, because --especially the young man who said when you are at that level, they should not happen. but this is about accountability. i disagree with you, gary, the charges brought by the grand jury are flimsy and this is a

politicized case. what you are arguing is this is not worth doing. but i argue and others argue, that just because you are a former president does not give you a pass on following the law. and, fine, you do not like alvin bragg's case against donald trump then i cannot wait to hear what you have to say when the -- in georgia present in indictment. or what you say about jack smith and the potential indictments there on the classified documents case, but also the january 6 insurrection. at some point this man must be held accountable for things we saw him do with our own eyes. amna: the idea that at that level it should not happ. it seems like he is saying some people should be above the law. gary: they shouldn't be, but prosecutors decide is this a case i can win.

and legal experts across the board seem to agree that this is a tough one to win. d do you bring a case like that against a president you have to be honest about the political environment, the reaction it will bring, and it say if i have a winnable case i need to bring it. but if i have a case where people are saying there is not much here, you have to question it. amna: we have to move on. i want to ask about what we reported on inennessee because it was an unprecedented move. republicans voting to expel two democratic lawmakers, justin jones and justin pearson. they voted on a third, a white woman, but they did not expel her. they were expelled because they took part in a protest on gun reform. what message does that send? jonathan: i will use tart

language right now. i think the message of the legislature sent to the state, to constituents and young people who were demonstrating for their own lives, they basically said to them we do not give a damn about you. those young people came out to their state capital, asking for help. days after a school was -- added to the list of schools at that have had to suffer mass shootings. representative gloria johnson was in a school shooting. she knows why those young people were there. so for the tennessee legislature, for the house of representatives to strip jones and pearson of their seats, they are basically saying to their constituents -- we do not care about you either. those people in their districts have no representative in the state legislature. so, i am sorry -- what should

those folks think? they should think the people who are in the state capital, who are supposed to be their fighting for all of them, they do not care. they do not give a damn about them. gary: i am sure i would've voted to expel them but i am not sure it is outrageous to do it. nobody is complaining about the regular people protesting. when the legislators protest with them, there is a decorum in any state legislature or in congress. i do not like when people shout out during the state of the union address and break the coal room. when folks participate against their own body and fellow members, you know, the regular citizens protesting, i think that crosses a line that you say as a leader, you know, you crossed a line against your fellow legislators.

jonathan: expulsion? what about a slap on the wrist, dock their pay, their debit card at the concession stand. but to remove them from office, that is so extreme. and we are in a time now where some other republicans in other state legislatures will copy what was done in tennessee. gary: you do have a line where you say we expect this from fellow mbers. again, i do not think i would have expelled them. i'm not entirely disagreeing with you on this one but i do not think it is completely outrageous. i think it is obviously within their rules. jonathan: but we saw this before at the federal level, when john lewis, after a mass shooting, went to the well of the house of representatives flanked by democrats, and led a sit-in on

the house for. -- floor. they could have been arrested, but they were not because there was judgment. there was real leadership in the speaker at the time. amna: we will leave it there, but i guarantee you we will be talking about this again. thank you both for joining the conversation. thank you. ♪ amna: as the cia marks its 75th anniversary, it gave us a rare peek into its newly renovated museum. the space is for its own officers, it'not open to the public. and it displays mementos from some of the agency's most clandestine operations. nick schifrin got a tour for our arts and culture series, canvas. nick: in a working hallway in

one of the world's most clandestine buildings, the new cia museum, begins with one of the u.s.'s single worst intelligence failures. >> the attacks on pearl harbor are definitely something our organization could look at and say, we need to make sure this never happens again. nick: janel is the deputy director. she shows us artifacts, osama bin laden's gun. and a model of his pakistan home where the cia hunted, and found him. and a ceiling with coded hidden messages. cia hopes the museum helps officers find lessons from past mistakes. >> when the cia looks back at curveball, i think it really was that turning point of looking at the other things, making sure you stay away from tunnel vision and that you you really don't focus in on one possibility. >> every statement i make is backed up by sources solid , sources. nick: 20 years ago then , secretary of state colin powell, with cia director george tenet behind him, used intelligence that came in part from an asset known as curveball, to make the case for war in iraq.

>> they can produce anthrax and botulinum toxin. in fact, they can produce enough dry biological agent in a single month to kill thousands upon thousands of people. nick: curveball and his claimed , intelligence about weapons of mass destruction, or wmd, proved false. >> it is a lesson and always look to the other side. what are the other possibilities . and make sure that you are speaking truth to power. if you know something, say something to your managers, or say something in this case to, you know, the president. [14.5] nick: the president is often referred to as the cia's first customer who receives a daily brief once called the president's intelligence checklist. it got that name under president kennedy, after another notorious failure: cia-funded and trained cuban rebels who failed spectacularly, to overthrow fidel castro. they landed at the bay of pigs which was not the original plan. >> he wanted to change a plan that we had spent months, almost

a year planning and then gave us less than a week to kind of reassess and and operate very differently. and we should have said something. telling the president this isn't going to work is obviously not to do.y thing for a cia officer but the american people depend on us to do that, because we're the ones with the information. nick: and the museum ends with a more recent failure. the august 6, 2001 daily brief. just five weeks before 9/11 titled, bin laden determined to , strike in the u.s. >> sometimes when we notice things, we need to push them sooner. >> our officers don't forget the we need to make sure our officers don't forget the lessons of the past, because if so, they're just going to repeat them. >> robert byer is the museum director. he says acknowledging failures, is the only way to learn from the past. >> when you look at the the failures of cia and then understand what you need to do in order to build upon that, you get incredible success stories. for instance red cell anasis

, was accelerated after the wmd issue. what that leads to is when you get to the raid at abbottabad, we show president obama all the different possible permutations of who could possibly be at abbottabad. nick: it is not only abt lessons learned. there are the gadgets that inspired james bond. an arctic suit, boots, a helmet, and instructions for a 1962 operation called cold feet. when a low-flying ple picked up cia agents who had stolen soviet research. it was a real-life escape copy to further the end of bond's thunder ball. real spy work is not as glamorous, of course. this building used to be an annex. it used to be known as the pickle factory. this is actually commemorative from the day kennedy was assassinated, with a poem that kennedy read to reassure the

public during the cuban missile crisis. when he managed to apply the lessons of his past faures. >> this cannot just be history for history's sake. this has to be history to improve today's and tomorrow's operations. nick: many cia stories remain secret, like the still undisclosed messages coded into the ceiling. but it is an attempt to study the past, to try and improve the future. i nick schifrin in langley, am virginia. amna: a federal judge in texas has halted the approval of the abortion pill, while a legal challenge founded by antiabortion groups proceeds. the drug is the most common method of abortion in the u.s. the biden administration has one week to appeal. much more on this ruling tomorrow on pbs news weekend. that is the newshour tonight.

thank you for joining us. have a great weekend. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by. ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that can access. -- that connects us. and with the support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour, including camilla and george smith. the walton family foundation,

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c orchestral music] - hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour & company." here's what's coming up. - i was sentenced to 13 years in prison without any truth. [group singing in foreign language] - [christiane] nicaraguan political prisoners arrive in the united states after a surprise release by their autocratic president daniel ortega. i speak to juan sebastian chamro and felix maradiaga, who spent almost two years behind bars, then. - my message for the situation when i am killed is very simple, lock you up. - [christiane] poisoned but not dead, an inside look at russian opposition leader alexei navalny and the hunt for his would-be assassins. i talk to his coworker and confidant, maria pevchikh, about the oscar-nominated film "navalny," plus.