>> good evening. on "the newshour tonight," in an unprecedented move, tennessee republicans expelled democratic lawmakers for violating house rules during gun-control protests. iraq's younger generations find themselves shut out of work and the political process 20 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 pentacles of democracy, but i'm one of this generation, and i find myself fighting for freedom and the will to live. >> and the criminal charges against former president trump and how they could affect his

chances on reelection. -- chances of reelection. >> major funding for "the pbs newshour" has been provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of "the newshour." >> actually, you don't need vision to do most rings in life. yes, i'm legally blind, and yes, i'm sponsor before the user interface. data visualization. if i can see it and understand it quickly, anyone can. it is exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that is the most important thing. people who know know bdo.

>> the john s. and james l. knight foundation, fostering engaged and informed communities. more at kf.org. ♪ >> 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 by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> good evening and welcome to "the newshour." i'm vanessa ruiz. two conflicting rulings on abortion pills came today. a federal judge in texas halting the fda approval of abortion

pill mifepristone. the drug is the most common method of abortion in the u.s. the justice department is appealing. in washington, a federal judge ordered the fda to maintain access to mifepristone in 17 democratic-lead states and the district of columbia. the fight will likely end up at the supreme court. also, 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 part. prime minister jim and netanyahu said he was calling up more border 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. there are more signs the u.s. 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. the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%. average hourly rates it -- wages also rose 4.2% over the last year. all that raised hopes the fed could pause rate hikes soon. two russian news agencies are reporting jailed "wall street journal" reporter evan gershkovich has formally been charged with espionage in russia. they said the american journalist entered a formal denial. russian authorities arrested the 41-year-old last week. he is the first u.s. 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 pro-public of reported he has taken lavish

trips for decades paid for by a republican mega donor. thomas issued a statement claiming that he had been advised by colleagues not to disclose personal hospitality from a close personal friend who did not have business before the court. china is retaliating against the chat -- 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. christians marked this good friday with an array of celebrations and rituals. pilgrims heaved crosses, retracing jesus' path to crucifixion. at the vatican, pope francis, who was recently hospitalized for bronchitis, presided over a

mast in a wheelchair, but he did skip the traditional way of the cross procession, citing cold weather. still to come, the biden administration proposes putting a stop to blanket bans on transgender athletes. also, jonathan capehart and gary abernathy analyze political controversy, and a newly renovated cia museum showcases the agency's triumphs and mistakes. plus much more. >> this is "the pbs newshour" from weta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. >> 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 super majority. in response late today, vice president harris traveled to nashville to meet with

democratic lawmakers, including the ones who were expelled. laura burrell lopez has that report. >> do not let this die. >> tennessee democrats outrage. >> i'm asking folks whore mad to stay mad. >> and committed to continuing the fight for gun reforms. >> thousands of us here are demanding change. no action. >> no peace! >> the youngest black representatives in the house were expelled from the state assembly yesterday. >> we can never normalize the tyranny of the way that these people in the position of power operated due to white super missy. >> house resolution 64 fails. >> anotherawmaker, gloria johnson, a white woman, was spared expulsion by one vo. 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 my skin. >> dubbed "the tennessee three" by supporters, the democrats drew their of the republican super majority last week after they let no tests in support of gun restrictions on the house floor, breaking the rules of the chamber jus days after a shooting at a nationalchool left six dead, including three children. >> we called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy. >> the debate to ask bill the trio lasted hours and was oftentimes contentious. >> just because you don't your way, you cannot come to the well, bring your friends, and throw a temper tantrum with an adolescent bullhorn. >> is elevating our voices for justice or change a temper tantrum? there is something in the decorum of this body that says is it's ok to call that a temper tarum, to call people we disagree with on the issues, to

say all they wanted is attention, but i'll tell you what -- i don't personally 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 30, 2023 in this very chamber. >> there are consequences for action. >> think weaker of the statehouse last week even comparing the peaceful protest by students and democrats to the violent january 6 insurrection act the u.s. capitol. a charge democrats rejected. >> the rules sometimes have to be broken, and sometimes you have to get in good trouble. >> jones and pearson are going from office, but their message now resonates far beyond the state's borders. president biden called her ouster shocking, undemocratic, and without president.

today, vice president harris traveled to nashvie to meet with current and former democratic lawmakers. >> if it can happen in tennessee, it is coming to your state. >> are actions may be short-lived -- their actions may be short-lived. for more on what this means for the state of tennessee, gun violence, and equal representation, i'm joined by tennessee ate representative john ray clemens, the house democratic caucus chair. welcome to "newshour." >> thank you for having me. >> yesterday, two caucus members, justin pearson and justin jones, were expelled. a third, gloria johnson, was not. representative johnson said she things it has to do with the colo of their skin. do you agree with that assessment? >> i certainly understand how some might think that, and that very well might be the case, but

i don't know what's in my colleagues' heart and don't want to speculate on that. i will say my colleagues lost two strong voices yesterday and i hope they return very soon. >> republicans said they broke the rules of decorum are protesting on the floor. do you think they should have faced different consequences? >> well, people break decorum or house rules on a daily basis. what they did was approach the well of the house without permission from the speaker. i think in anyone's estimation, that is a very minor offense or breach of house rules. others who have served in the recent house in recent years who have not been punished for anything have done far worse, including several who are under federal investigation and have had criminal charges brought against them. just this year, we had a member of the criminal justice committee advocate for a lynching, which is a hate crime, and he still sits on that committee with no punishment whatsoever.

only three times since the civil war have members been expelled from the state legislature, and those are for verygregious crimes or conduct. this is highly appropriate. it is an extraordinary action thathould have never taken place, and it is truly a sad day for our democracy in the state of tennessee. >> what comes next for house democrats in? are there any steps your caucus can take in response? >> justin pearson, justin jones, and gloria johnson have had the support of our caucus. we will continue to fight for them. we do not believe a 75-member gop super majority should silence the voices of over 200,000 tennesseans who elected these individuals to serve in the state legislature. we are going to continue to fight. unfortunately, my colleagues across the aisle may have won

two votes yesterday, but i think they lost in the world of public opinion. >> as you said, both representatives jones and pearson could be reappointed to their seats and run in a special election. how can you make sure, though, that the republican super marity will seek them? >> if their local governments reappoint them to serve in the legislative body and the papers are processed, they better be seated in the state legislature, fore are going to have a real legal battle on our hands. i don't see any grounds for this super majority to refuse to seat them in this general listen we. if they would refuse to seat them, i think you would see this taken to a whole other level, unfortunately. >> as you know, this all started after the shooting at covenant school that left six dead, including three children. the protests on the floor subsequently were about trying to pass more gun restrictions in the state.

where does any of that stand in terms of legislation actually passing through the statehouse that would restrict guns? >> unfortunately, our community has been devastated by the loss of six lives at the covenant school here in nashville, bu that's only the latest incident of gun violence. gun violence occurs every day in every community across the state of tennessee too often. it is way overdue for solutions. we are fighting for gun safety measures and common sense legislation. we are talking with our colleagues across the aisle. we requested a meeting with our -- with the governor of tennessee who refuses to mention the word gun since the shooting. >> have you heard from any independents in recent days and if they are moved at all? >> i don't question if people were moved by that tragedy or even gun violence in their own

districts, but what we hope, and we continue to get -- my colleagues have reached out and set we are willing to work with you on something, but let's keep working, but those are just words. we need to see action, and i appreciate them saying they are willing to work less, but we spent the last two weeks or so now being distracted by an explosion that is completely baseless and undemocratic instead of focusing on passing gun legislation. it is 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 tennessee statehouse decided to expel two young black representatives who were speaking on behalf of their constituents and on behalf of students protesting for more gun restrictions? >> it sends an increbly alarming signal across the country, and if we got for what you believe as a young black man

or as a lawmaker, you could be expelled from your duly elected position. that is truly alarming, and 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, not going to allow republicans to expel members just because they disagree with them or do not like them, perhaps, or do not like what they have to say. >> your meeting with vice president harris today, what is your message to her -- you are meeting with vice president harris today. what is your message to her? >> it is time we take action at the federal and local level at the state of tennessee, and i'm going to encourage her to encourage her friends in the u.s. senate and house to do what they can, and we will try to

live up to our end of the bargain well. >> thank you very much for your time. >> thank you very much. >> a new change to title ix could make broad bands on competition by transgender athletes illegal, but it does allow exceptions in particular cases. >> the proposal would mean any blanket policy prohibiting transgender athletes from competing would violate title ix, the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools who receive government funding. kansas is the latest state to pass a ban on transgender athletes. democrats overrode a veto passing a bill that would restrict -- legislators overrode

a veto passing a bill that would restrict transgender athletes kindergarten through college. good to have you on "the newshour." can you just explain what the biden administration's proposal would mean for schools? >> yes, thank you so much, william. the proposed rule that came out yesterday, which is what we have been waiting for since july 2022 -- it would allow schools, especially high schools and colleges, to keep trance students -- trans students out of sports teams that match their gender identity if they follow guidelines the agency goes into length about. highlights include the school have to minimize harm for trends students -- trans students. the school cannot be making blanket assumptions about trans

students, especially about trans girls' physical abilities. schools also have to be able to prove that the exclusion as part of a genuine educational mandate . they list one of which would be fairness in competition. the education department said very clearly yesterday that these blanket bans we are seeing like the one in kansas, based violate title ix under this proposal. >> as you are saying, suddenly all the states that have passed these suddenly could be illegal under this new proposal. what happens in that case? >> i asked the education department yesterday. in the states you mentioned, several, those laws have been installed in courts, but as far

as enforcement goes,he education department would vestigate and talk to schools. it would seek compliance from that school, and usually, when the nsa has to go down the line of the investigation, the school chooses to comply, but if a school does not, the education department is able and willing to withhold federal funding, so that is what enforcement looks like when a school or state has this blanket and in effect -- blanket ban in effect. >> what has been the reaction amongst the transgender community. i understand there is a bit of a mixed response. >> right. a few legal organizations applauded the decision. then we saw other organizations more cautious. they said obviously, the

proposal is a good thing because it says that 100% of these bans are illegal, but they are not sure this would end discrimination for trends students. i have seen from advocates, especially experts researching very closely, they say the proposal is a betrayal of president biden's promise to have the backs of trans youth. they see it as going back on his promise because it allows some of these exclusions, especially for competitive sports in high schools and colleges. >> i want to get into some of those arguments that were highlighted recently when the kansas legislature plaster -- passed a blanket ban. i want to play two clips that have people both against and in favor of is. this is a representative of the kansas aclu testifying against the ban. >> proponents of the bill have

said it is about fairness, alleging it will protect cisgender girls from losing out on athletic scholarships, but in the years kansas introduced a bill similar to this, there has been no evidence of trans athletes causing any harm in kansas ports, but tre's clear evidence this bill causes harm to trans youth in our state and to all girls who play sports. >> this is someone now who is in favor of the ban, a highly ranked ncaa swimmer, who testified in favor, and she was telling here about what it was like watch and compete against transgender swimmer leah thomas. quickly watch as thomas swam to a title beating out the most impressive and accomplished swimmers in the country, including three olympians and record holders, whereas previously, thomas ranked 62nd at best. the next day, we would -- we raced in freestyle.

having only one trophy, they told me thomas would get the trophy and i had to go home empty-handed because they needed thomas to hol the trophy for photo purposes. >> the argument is that you have someone biologically male competing against females in sports. >> yes, most sports bands will include something about fairness and protecting women's sports in the title of the bill because a lot of these are focused on restricting participation in sports and the focus is usually on trans girls. i also point out as part of this conversation that in the policy provides a we are talking about, if the education department says clearly you cannot make blanket assumptions about -- cannot say that all trans girls are

physically superior to cisgender girls in sports because that is a blanket assumption. it is illegal for you to do that. as we are considering the fairness argument, the education department is saying that blanket assumptions about that just will not hold up. >> thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. >> for years, advocates have argued that incarcerated people in the u.s. are overcharged for basic phone calls. it is a less well-known issue but central for prisoners and their families. this winter, a new law went into effect aimed at capping 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 community correspondent in new into all of this as part of our series, searching for justice, and he joins me now. it is great to see you. thanks for joining us. bring us up to speed on this crisis. why does it cost so much for incarcerated people to keep in touch with their families? >> it is a huge burden. some families tell us they spend anywhere from $400 to i've hundred dollars a month just to stay in touch with incarcerated loved ones. there are many issues that impact the high cost of these phone services. number one is a lot of these prisons get commissions from their phone service providers. advocates say getting kickbacks is what is keeping these prices high. there's also a lack of competition out there. only a handful of providers are giving services to prisons in jails across the country, and one thing we hear from families is in addition to the high cost of the calls, they also are

inundated with extra fees just to deposit money or open or close one of these phone accounts, but there is help on the way, as you mentioned. federal regulations, including a law signed by president biden in january would put that cap for in-state calls. previously, there was a cap only on out-of-state calls. prices in jail range from $10 to $15 for a 15-minute call in 2018. today, it is a lot lower. the average is about three dollars a call, but emily members a it is still too much. advocates say there are higher prices for other communication services like video calls, email-like services, and using tablets because those technologies remain unregulated. >> why are these calls so important? what do we know about the connection between public safety and making sure that incarcerated people are connected to the outside world? >> a lot of research shows that it leads to better outcomes.

while people are in prison, better behavior, better health, and once people are released from prison, if they have these good support circles in place, that makes reentry much more successful. studies show that it lowers the recidivism rate. in fact, those people who had no contact with lublin's work six times more likely to end up in prison. these high costs are such a burden to families, particularly in states like louisiana were more than 2% of the population is considered working poor. those costs add up. we spoke with one family who told us she spends about $300 a month so her four children can speak to their grandfather, who is incarcerated. the reason that matters is because the burden fallon these families. they then become financially unstable and are more than likely not able to help their family members once they are released from prison. the reason that matters is because a lot of people who are released from risen have a lot

of debt, like $13,000 in fees and fines that were incurred when they were sentenced. >> the prices for phone calls have been coming down -- that is good news -- but what about other services to stay connected? are family still being overcharged? >> as we wait for those new regulations to be put in place, advocates are already warning that some of the cost have already shipped to other forms of communication and technology. a report was released last week by the prin policy initiative. they warned that prison telecom companies are evading regulations and making money off of those kinds of services like text-based electronic messaging, similar to email, but comes with limitations. the cost to send those varies. it could be free to $.50 places like alaska and arkansas. at least 43 state prisons now offer some type of electronic messaging options. again, it is not like regular email because it lacks certain

features, has arbitrary restrictions like character limits, and attachments like photos and videos all cost extra. most advocates believe we are moving in the right direction, but there are still some tests. >> thank you so much. you can read more of his reporting online at pbs.org/newshour. over half of a wreck's 42 million people are under the age of 25, which means they grew up in the wake of the u.s.-led invasion that toppled saddam hussein, but while this young population could be a driver for growth, many find themselves shut out of iraq's oil-rich economy and political process. our special correspondent met three young iraqis from the predominately sheer, sunni, and

kurdish areas, all of whom are disappointed by the promises of democratic rule. >> he was in third grade when the united states inved iraq, but even as an eight-year-old, he understood it was a turning point for the country. >> at the beginning of each class, we had to say, "long live the leader, saddam hussein." after the regime fell, the teacher insulted saddam and said, do not repeat that slogan anymore. say "long live iraqi." >> we are at the iconic place worsen arm's statue was toppled on april 9, 2003. the pictures were broadcast around the world, signaling the beginning of a new era, but 20 years on, t 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 am one of this generation, and i find myself fighting for freedom and the right to live. >> i first met him during the so-called october protests, which began in october 2019. years of accumulated anger over corruption, for services, lack of jobs ushered in the biggest grassroots protest movement since saddam's overthrow. young iraqis rose up against corrupt ruling elites. it felt like an unprecedented opportunity to reform the system. he set up a new political party called the national house. >> the goals we want to achieve are the same the demonstration called for. we want to build one iraqi nation. >> but the protests were brutally crushed. the square, back in the epicentr of the protests, is now empty. his political party fell apart.

>> the authorities in different political parties managed to dismantle our party. they offered money in exchange for adopting a certain political message. >> the party lacked unity and organization. it is a sign of how difficult it is for iraq's youth to realize their aspirations ia country that is ruled not by rules and laws but by money. the protest left a lasti imprint on popular culture and political discourse. cafes like these are open across town providing new spaces for students, artists, and activists. he and his friends often meet here to discuss the latest tonighpot, they lidebate the imt of a new electoral law on the ability of new parties to run in future elections. >> we always say this is a long

struggle. we all agree the struggle should not come through weapons but through peaceful means. we are committed to pursue this change for years to come. >> in other parts of a wreck, too, -- in other parts of iraq, two, youth are trying to organize in the face of political interests. a grassroots organization is advocating for better services. >> our case is to help society access services. our goal is not to get government positions. >> a simple but dangerous mission. the province has seen a rise in arrests of those who dare to criticize local authorities, a worrying sign that freedom of expression, the main benefit of removing saddam, 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, but today, i cannot.

when i publish something on social media, i get threatened. >> they were the latest crackdown heralds more upheaval in the province. fallujah was the sight of two battles between american troops and insurgents. the first began shortly after the invasion went four american contractors were killed. the images drew indignation from the united states and prompted the launch of a counterinsurgency campaign. as with so often the case, civilians were caught in the middle. >> the river crossing was about life and death. the people in fallujah cannot go to the other side. >> many children, especially girls, dropped out of school because it was simply too dangerous to get there. she 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. >> iraq is relatively stable today, but women still struggle to reclaim their rightful place in society and politics. >> women used to play a role in fallujah, but now, what you will find his marginalization and >> althoughtion the 2005 constitution introduced a quarter that guarantees women at least 25% of seats in parliament, she has no illusion about who really holds the power . >> politicians just use women in their party list to gain more positions. many women are refusing to run in elections because they will find themselves reduced to just a name and a vote. >> it is one reason she does not want to run for officer accept fund, but this efforting to maintain

independence also limits her ability to help the less advantaged. we accompany her as she visits slums on the outskirts of fallujah where many women struggle to make a living. >> i don't know what i can offer them in terms of donations. this ce requires state intervention, but these women are not a priority for the government. >> neglect, authoritarianism, and corruption are the byproducts of the u.s. invasion that afflict iraq's youth across the country, even in semiautonomous kurdistan. the oil-rich 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 business owners. >> he is 19 years old. he dropped out of ninth-grade an has worked as a daily labor

since. stable jobs are reserved for those with connections to the two ruling families. these political parties are all powerful. >> even studying is pointless in this country. that's why i quit. i have watched many people, including my sisters and brother graduate with degrees like english linkage, journalism, and accounting, but they still could not find any jobs. >> this lack of hope is pushing youth in two dangerous directions. one is migration. last year, thousands of young kurds tried but failed to reach iran via belarus. >> if life is good here, i won't leave, but if things do not get better, i will have no choice but to try again. >> it is the second of that that could be of concern. many are increasingly drawn to

ultraconservative interpretations of islam as a solution for the region's governance problems. he thinks kurdistan would be better off under islamic law. >> if the country was ruled by the koran and the rule of the prophet mohammed, everything would get better. >> from shieh to suny 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. ♪ >> 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 to the analysis of jonathan capehart, associate editor for "the washington post," and his fellow

"post-" colleague gary abernathy. we saw former president trump enter a not guilty plea, in new york, go to florida, deliver a fiery speech. he is running for president. he is raising money off of this millions, so far -- and he has widened the gap from his next closest potential contender. are these criminal charges going to propel him to the gop nomination? >> y, and i say that with confidence. i can see gary nodng in agreement, and i say that because i have seen this movie before. in 2016 when everyone was saying there's no way this guy could win, i started watching his poll numbers, particularly when he attacked now the late senator john mccain, when he said the horrific things he said about john mccain and his numbers went up. within the republican primary base, a party that loved the

military and loves, you know, strength, and yet, they sided with a guy who attacked a war hero and former prisoner of war. now that he's got -- been indicted by one jurisdiction, there might be others coming down the road, they are circling the wagons around him because for the republican primary base, he is their guy. he is their avatar for all of their grievances and upset with the government. i don't see how anyone takes the nomination away from him. >> only asa hutchinson, the former arkansas governor, who has said that hsu has declared a run -- who has declared his run, has said this is a distraction, and l's move on. >> there were really good

communists talking about what a high wire act this indictment is. it is very flimsy, and i think somebody circling the wagons around from is because this does seem like a really politicized indictment. if i'm joe biden, i'm thinking, i beat trump two years ago. what is everybody talking about? we are talking about donald trump, and now with the new york indictment, with possible indictments coming out of georgia, with the january 6 investigation on the way, he is guaranteed to be top of mind conversation for the next uple of years, not just because he is running for president, but because of these indictments, and, frankly, while each of these involves shameful acts by trump, no doubt about it, i don't think any of them are probably going to result in

criminal guilty findings in any case, and yet, that is all we will be talking about. >> when you say it is politicized, what do you mean by that? >> everybody seems to agree that there's not much there. you are taking -- for the first time, you are taking what are misdemeanor charges and trying to boost them into felonies by someone who campaigned on, i'm the toughest on trump, i'm going to get trump. that is what seems political about it. >> i want to play a couple of soundbites. i see you wanting to jump in. we had a chance earlier to listen in to a focus group of republican voters led by republican strategist sarah longwell's group. here's a snippet of what a couple of those voters had to say. bobby from texas and katie from michigan. take a listen. >> there's bigger charges that are out there that somebody could be arrested for.

if one of us probably did it, i could understand, but somebody at that level of authority like trump was, i don't feel like it is necessary for that kind of situation. >> he's a politician. politicians do bad things. everybody has skeletons in their closet. there's so many other people -- hillary and obama and biden and hunter and all these other things that it is like there is such a fuel to hate trump so much. >> what about howhi ts invesdotigatione- you mentioned other investigations -- how any of this will resonate with voters? >> i mean, i'm sorry, i'm just bracing myself after listening to that because -- especially the young man who said when you're at that level, leaving this should not happen. this is about accountability. i disagree with you that the

charges brought by the grand jury are flimsy, that this is a politicized case. basically what you're arguing is that this is not worth doing, and i argue, and a lot of other people argue that just because you are a former president of the united states does not give you a pass on following the law, and, fine, you don't like alvin bragg's case against general -- against donald trump, i cannot wait to hear what you say when willis in georgia prisons and indictment against people in the ministration and possibly trump himself or what you say about smith and tential indictments on the mar-a-lago classified documents case, but also the january 6 insurrection. at some point, this man has to be held accountable for things that we saw him do with our own eyes. >> this idea from bobby that at that level this should not happen seems to indicate some

people think some people should be above the law. >> prosecutors think, is this a case i can win, and legal experts across the board to varying degrees agree this would be a difficult case to win. if you have a winnable case, i've got to bring it, but if i've got a case that most people are saying there's not much here, you got to question that. >> we have to move on. we will be coming back to this for several months, i promise you. i have to ask you about what we just saw in tennessee because it was a big and unprecedented. republicans in the state house voted to expel two democratic lawmakers, justin jones and justin pearson. they voted on a third but did not expel her. they were expelled for breaking decorum by taking part in a protest calling for gun safety reform after six people were killed in a nashville school. what message does that explosion send? >> i'm going to use some tart

anguish right now. right now, i think the legend -- the message the tennessee legislature sent to the state, to their constituents, to those young people who were demonstrating for their own lives, basically said to them, "we don't 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 that have suffered mass shootings. representative gloria johnson was in a school shooting. she knows why those young people are there. for the tennessee house of representatives to strip jones and pearson of their seats, they are basically saying to jones and pearson's constituents, "we don't care about you either." those people in their districts

have no representative in the state legislature, so i'm sorry, what should those folks think? they should think that the people who are there in the state capital who are supposed to be there fighting for all of them -- they just don't give a dam about them. >> i'm not sur have voted to expel them, but i'm not esure it is so outrageous to do it. no one is complaining, i don't think, about the regular folks who were there protesting. when the legislators go down and protest with them, there is a decorum in the house or in any state legislature or in congress. i don't like when people shout out during a state of the union address and break that decorum. when folks go down and participate their own body, against their fellow members, with the regular citizens that are protesting, i think that crosses a line that you say as a leader, you know, you have crossed the line against your fellow legislators

in what you're doing. >> expulsion. expulsion. gary. how about a slap on the wrist? censure. doc 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. >> i do think you have a line that you say we expect this from our fellow members. again, i don't think i would have voted to expel any of them. i'm not entirely disagreeing with you on this, but i don't think it is completely outrageous. it is obviously within their rules to do it. >> we have seen this before, though, at the federal level when they now late john lewis after a mass shooting went to the well of the house of representatives flanked by fellow members of congress,

democrats, and lead a sit-in on the house floor. there was a lot of upset. they could have been arrested, but they were not because there was judgment. there was real leadership in the speaker at the time. >> we are going to have to leave it there, but i guarantee you, we will be talking about this again. i'm sure we will. thank you both for joining in the conversation. >> thanks. >> thank you. >> as the cia marks its 75th anniversary, he gave us a rare peek into its newly renovated museum. the spaces for its own officers. it is not open to the public, and it displays mementos from some of the agency's most clandestine operations.

>> is a working hallway in one of the world's most clandestine buildings, the new cia museum begins with one of the u.s.' single worst intelligence failures. >> the attacks on pearl harbor are definitely something for your organization can look at and say we need to make sure this never happens again. >> the cia museum's deck -- executive director shows us cia artifacts. cia hopes the museum helps officers find lessons from past mistakes. >> and cia looks back at curveball, i think it was the turning point of looking at the other things, making sure you stay away from television and really do not focus in on one possibility. >> every statement i make today is backed up by sources. >> 20 years ago, then secretary of state colin powell with george tenet behind him used an asset known as curveball to make

the case for war in iraq. >> they can produce anthrax and botulinum toxin's. the fact they can produce enough dry biological agent in a single month to kill thousands upon thousands of people. >> curveball and his claimed intelligence about weapons of mass destruction proved false. >> it is a lesson in always look to the other sides. what are the other possibilities? and make sure that, again, you are speaking truth to power. if you know something, say something to your managers. >> the president is now nestle 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 is not the original plan kennedy approved. >> we had spent months and almost a year planning, and he

gave us a week to reassess and operate differently, and we shouldave said something. telling the president this is not going to work is obviously not an easy thing to do, but the american people depend on us to do that because we are the ones with the information, the intelligence. >> the museum ends with a more recent failure, the august 6, 2001 presidential brief that says bin laden intends to attack the u.s. >> we need to make sure our officers do not forget the legend -- the lessons of the past because if so, they are just going to repeat them. >> the museum director says acknowledging failures is the only way to learn from the past. >> when you look at 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 analysis was accelerated after the wmd issue, and what that leads to his we show president obama all the different possible permutations of who could possibly be at about about. >> it is not only about lessons learned. there's the gadgets that inspired james bond -- arctic suit, boots, helmet, and instructions for a 1962 operation called cold feet. when a low-flying plane picked up cia agents who had stolen soviet research in the arctic, that was a real-life escape copied for the end of bond's "thunderbolt." real spy work is, of course, not as glamorous. this building used to be an annex in downtown dcn used to be known as the pickle factory for that president's intelligence

hour pickle. this is from the day kennedy was assassinated with a poem candy read to reassure the public during the missile crisis when he managed to apply the lessons of his own past failures -- a poem kennedy read. >> this cannot be history for history's sake. this has to be history to improve today's and tomorrow's operations. >> many operations still remain secret like the still undisclosed messages coded into the ceiling, but it is an attempt to learn from the past and try to improve the future. >> thank you for joining us and have a great weekend. >> major funding for "the pbs newshour" has been provided by -- ♪

>> moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf -- the engine that connects us. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of "the newshour," including kathy and paul anderson and camilla and george smith. the walton family foundation, working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people can thrive together. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world at hewlett.org. ♪

and friends of "the newshour." this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. this is "pbs newshour" west from weta studios in washington and our bureau at the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible

kqed thanks our members and community partners for their support.

♪[ music ] ♪ tonight on kqed newsroom. the stabbing death of a tech executive in san francisco raises fresh concerns about safety in the city. we discuss the fallout with our kqed politics and government team. plus we talk with lieutenant governor eleni kounalakis about the power and position in the world at our high points and struggles right here in the golden state. and tonight's look at something beautiful. this friday, april 7, 2023.