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of gaza and expands ground operations, plunging the territory into an internet blackout. >> the lewiston, maine area begins to mourn the 18 victims killed by a mass shooting. >> and it is friday, david brooks and jonathan capehart join us to discuss whether the new house speaker can get the house functioning again. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions, and friends of the news hour. ♪ >> it was like an a-ha moment, this is what i love doing. early-stage companies have this energy that energizes me. these are people trying to

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station from viewers like you. thank you. >> welcome to the new england chapter of the academy of television arts and sciences. israeli ground forces are making -- welcome to the newshour. officials are warning of a wider invasion in gaza. >> israel's punishing air campaign on gaza is not letting up, while negotiations over the face of more than 200 hostages have apparently faltered. we start our coverage tonight from just outside gaza. reporter: nearly three weeks of the terror attacks, and officials announced payback begins tonight. >> just behind me is the northeastern corner of the gaza strip, with some of the heaviest airstrikes we have seen. we are hearing constant ongoing artillery fire, soldiers driving by. they say they are expanding ground operations in gaza. >> the prime minister said hamas would feel israel's wrath

tonight. earlier, israel's unit pounded gaza from the water. ground forces conducted a preliminary raid. but it remained unclear if this was the full invasion forecast for days. in gaza, a telecommunications company says the bombardment has cut off phone and internet services. an airstrike earlier today blew the roof off a mosque as they gathered for friday prayers. they mourned a 14-year-old killed in the blast. >> we have been invaded through ground and air. is this a life? this is not a life. reporter: is reallys -- reporter: israels defendant their targeting. -- defending their targeting. >> hamas is using the hospital for their infrastructures. reporter: the united nations passed a resolution today calling for humanitarian aid,

calling for a cease-fire. some trucks entered gaza today but u.n. workers on the ground called for more help. >> these trucks are nothing more than crumbs. it will not make a difference for the 2 million people in the streets. reporter: yesterday the iranian foreign cautioned against any further american involvement. >> we do not want an expansion of the war in the region, but we will of the genocide in gaza continues, there [indiscernible] reporter: that is a threat iran is apparently acting on. american troops in the region have weathered multiple attacks from militant groups they say are backed by red -- by iran. two sites were attacked in retaliation.

troops brought a drone down near a u.s. base in iraq this morning. amid unrest in the region, the u.s. hopes to deter for their attacks. -- further attacks. but tonight as israel sends more ground troops into gaza, it is all eyes on the attacks on that front line. >> you spent good time on that area just outside of gaza tonight and most of today, tell us more about what you saw. reporter: i did. about 7:30 p.m., we start getting reports that inside gaza, there was no longer any phone signals, no internet signal, that of course is an indicator that something is about to happen. just after that, reports from the israeli military they were extending ground operations there. huge amount of artillery fire, constant airstrikes after a day for the airstrikes, many more jeeps rolling into the area, we can see the flashes of

artillery, helicopters overhead, drones, everywhere, full military action. it's difficult to know whether this is the invasion they have been talking about. there are tonight troops and tanks inside gaza. that is all they will say. we've had reports they will invade the northeastern border of gaza, just inside gaza, but tanks were seen there and troops as well. >> our for an affairs and affairs correspondent -- foreign affairs correspondent joins us here. what are your washington sources telling you about what this means? reporter: as layla said, it is not publicly clear what the israels are doing and this is the full-scale invasion. the goals of which are to uproot hamas physically and politically or if this is more of what the u.s. military calls shaping operations, being incursions ahead of a large invasion.

there are certainly people here who believe this is the start of the invasion. there are u.s. hopes that if this is the invasion, the israel s have decided to do it -- israelis have decided to do it a little bit differently. more measured, more slow rolled. the idea there is that strategically, if there is less of a gigantic invasion announced publicly, that we -- we can see rolling over gaza, that does not preclude other areas where there are most notably hostages. layla reported those 20 attacks already on u.s. troops by iranian backed militias. the u.s. has been very concerned a large invasion would actually yield even more attacks than that. the other stuff the u.s. is hoping to take, getting some american citizens, 600 american

citizens out of gaza. tactically, what does that look like? the u.s. has been advising israel to use less artillery and tanks, some of the big weapons, and more smaller special forces teams, mortars to try to eliminate or at least reduce civilian casualties as much as possible. and the key factor here on the hostages, there's a lot of domestic pressure as you covered from israeli families and the government to prove that they are doing everything possible that they can to get those hostages out, and the fear was that a giant invasion would stop any of that progress, there was progress i'm told by officials this morning, that the israelis are looking for a large release. it's not clear how close or far they are. but there's fear that any kind of large invasion would again preclude some of that momentum. we just don't know, as layla has been reporting. >> more than 200 hostages still held in gaza.

in the context of what you have been seeing in reporting the last three weeks, layla, how are you seeing this moment, what could this mean? reporter: well, the idea sent from the beginning, that they are going in but this will be a phase operation. a couple of possibilities here -- they are trying out the ground here to see what happens and they don't want to say yet whether this is the full invasion. the second one of course is a possibility they have not been in this scale to gaza before and what they want to find out is what is going to happen. if they suddenly sustain lots of casualties, it will be a huge embarrassment if they say this was not the full invasion. what this means for gazans is utter horror. one gazan activist tweeted they are turning the lights out, there is no more signal, they are going to murder us in the dark. they were putting out lines today about the biggest hospital in gaza, there are tens

of thousands of people sheltering there. if they are going to go after that hospital, that could be a humanitarian disaster. gazans, terrified tonight. >> reporting from tel aviv and here in our studio, thank you to you both. ♪ >> the community in and around lewiston, maine is mourning the loss of at least 18 people killed in wednesday's mass shootings. another 13 people were injured. nearly 48 hours later, the suspect still has not been found, and a massive manhunt continues, keeping residents on edge. laura lopez reports from lewiston. reporter: the hunt for the

suspected gunman in lewiston, maine's deadly shooting rampage is intensifying. david samp he or is the city's police chief. >> the safety of our committee remains paramount. i want to assure all a tremendous and one of law enforcement, manpower, time and effort is being utilized around the clock, literally around-the-clock in every effort to apprehend the suspect, as well as the safe -- to safeguard this community. reporter: hundreds of police and fbi agent's are searching the area for traces of robert card's whereabouts. the u.s. army reservist had been treated for two weeks at a mental health facility this past summer. he's believed to be armed and dangerous. >> i think that every minute this goes on, we are more and more concerned, because, what's the next thing that's going to happen? there's no question in my mind that we will bring this individual into custody one way or the other. reporter: divers, searching the water in the river near

where the suspect's car was found. they have not found him. as the sprawling manhunt continues, tens of thousands of residents in and around lewiston, maine has been sheltering in place -- have been sheltering in place and living in fear. stores and schools remain closed. betsy's colleague was killed in the shooting at the bar and grill. joshua s. was a sign language interpreter and member of a corn hole team taking part in a competition at the bar at the time of the rampage. >> you hear about these things happening in other places and you feel so proud and protected in maine. and having it happen in your backyard, and knowing somebody personally, that has been killed, is traumatic. reporter: she said joshua's death is a tremendous loss for the community. >> it was very clear to me that josh made his mission about helping the deaf and hard of

hearing community here in maine. it is not often you get to meet people who are so gifted and committed to helping others ina way that is going to move -- in a way that is going to move the needle and help others, and that was really evident that that was his superpower, helping others, making a difference. reporter: brian cassidy cofounded the same corn hole league that joshua played in. three of his friends were killed . >> debbie walker was a good friend. he would give his shirt off his back. he would help anybody. then ron, that guy was a shining ray of light. he smiled -- he would make everybody smile, all the time. billy bracket, part of the deaf community, that guy was a kind soul. reporter: normally cassidy

would've been there. >> we went every wednesday night. we decided to get groceries that night. and it killed me, because, if i was there, i could've helped stopped it. reporter: how long do you think it's going to take for the community to recover? >> is going to take a long time. i don't see how we are ever going to come back from it. reporter: rob young can't believe he will never see his brother and nephew again. >> we are all broken. reporter: bill and erin young were killed when the gunman opened fire at the just-in-time bowling alley. >> we woke up this morning all hoping it was a nightmare. this isn't what really happened. it still does not feel real, sitting here talking to you. reporter: he loved bowling. a sweet and smart kid, the family had big dreams for him. >> he tried out karate, didn't like hitting people, so he stopped. [laughter] reporter: turned to bowling.

as he holds onto happier memories, he also wants answers. reporter: how do you describe the way that state officials have handled communications? >> chaotic, no plan in place, no family should have to have -- should have to wait 17 hours. the wait was just as bad as hearing the news. and it shouldn't happen to any family, having to wait that long. reporter: the close knit community, preparing to hold vigils for the victims of the shootings in the days ahead. lewiston, maine is the second biggest city in maine, but people say it truly is a small town with less than 40,000 people living here. the entire community is feeling this loss. >> i know you've been reporting in lewiston and the neighboring towns today, what is it like right now, as the suspect

remains at large? reporter: roughly 48 hours since the shooting and the shelter-in-place in lewiston, maine and all other towns has been lifted as of tonight local authorities said that that does not mean that the situation is not dangerous. to say it is still dangerous, that the town is still in crisis, and that they urge people to remain vigilant. they lifted the order because they want to allow people to go to doctors and pharmacies, to school. just to give you more of a sense about how it's been feeling here, i spoke to greg marley, a clinical director at a statewide organization in maine that provides mental health services and he said that their helpline typically they have one person manning it, they have had to have three to four to provide trauma services and counseling. >> the reaction has been one of grief, anger, and frustration. what have people told you

about specific actions or reforms they want to see in response to the shootings? reporter: democratic congressman jared golden of maine said he now supports a ban on assault weapons, he did not previously supported, he voted against it in the past. but local state representatives and local residents tell me they want to see a red flag law put in place. currently maine has a yellow flag law. the difference is a red flag law allows family members and police members to take away guns from a person that they deem a threat that might have a mental health issue. a yellow flag law requires police to first seek a medical evaluation, before they can go to a judge to petition to then temporarily take away a person's gun. >> laura lopez reporting tonight. thank you. we want to take a moment now to remember those killed in the shootings.

authorities released the names of all 18 people late this afternoon. the range in age from 14 to 76 years old. they include employees at the bowling alley and bar. advocates in the deaf community, a father of two with a baby on the way, and a father of five who minister before was playing pool with his own dad. here are the names of the 18 people lost. ♪ >> in the day's other headlines -- a state judge in new york ordered a bunker to testify and her father's's civil fraud trial -- ordered ivanka trump to testify in her father's

civil fraud trial. the judge set november 6 for trump to begin giving his own testimony. the ftx founder, sam bankman-fried, denied today he defrauded anyone with his cryptocurrency exchange. he began testifying in federal court in new york and acknowledged key mistakes before the company's collapse. under oath he said "we thought we might be able to build the best product on the market. it turned out basically the opposite of that." the devastated resort city of acapulco, mexico was still largely cut off today in the aftermath of a powerful hurricane. people trudged through flooded streets today to find food and water. stranded tourists blamed a sluggish government response. >> i went to the naval base because they said there was a shelter there. but the soldiers stared at me like i was crazy, they gave us nothing. they told us to go steal from a store so we can have something. reporter: the official

death toll remained at 27 but hundreds of people were still looking for missing friends and relatives. the fatigue of war was felt across ukraine today as hundreds of families demanded a cap on mandatory military service. mothers, wives and children protested in kyiv and other cities pleading for soldiers to be sent home. they said service should be limited to 18 months, which was ukraine's policy before the war. >> i'm here because my husband has been a volunteer since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and i don't know when i can see him back at home. i live in constant fear for his life. it's nerve-racking for me. >> the new speaker of the u.s. house, mike johnson, said last night the u.s. is "not going to abandon ukraine," but said house republicans want aid for israel to come first. in other congressional news -- george santos pleaded not guilty to a new fraud charges in new york. he left a federal courthouse

in long island after a brief hearing this morning. prosecutors say he used campaign donors' credit card numbers to make purchases without their approval. president biden has a new challenger for the democratic presidential nomination, a three term minnesota congress meant, dean phillips, announced his bid today in new hampshire. he spoke at the statehouse in concorde and said he's got good reasons for running. >> i do so not in opposition to president biden who has my affection and gratitude, rather with two core convictions -- that i in the democratic candidate can win, and second, it is time for the torch to be passed to a new generation of american leaders, right here, all around the country, and around the world. >> when other democrat, author marion williamson, is also in the race. in economic news -- a closely watch inflation gauge shows price hikes are still going strong, the commerce

department reported prose rose .4% in september, the same as in august, fueled by consumer spending which also increased .4%. on wall street -- stocks finished out a rough week. the dow jones lost 366 points to close at 32,417. the nasdaq rose 47 point. the s&p 500 was down 20. for the week, all three indices were down 2% to 2.5%. still to come -- the u.s. response to attacks on american forces in the wake of the israel-hamas war. we will weigh in on the week's political headlines. and a young conductor chooses to serve his kentucky community using music as a mission. ♪ >> this is the pbs newshour. >> we are going to shift

our focus to the israel-hamas war and the u.s. response. for perspective from the biden white house, we are joined by john kirby. welcome back to the newshour. >> thanks for having me. good to be with you. >> israel's military announced an expansion of ground operations in the gaza strip tonight, we have reports of tanks and troops on the ground. gaza has been plunged into darkness. you are limited in terms of what you can say about israel's military operation. but is the administration confident that israel has considered the full range of repercussions of a stepped-up ground assault? >> we're certainly confident we've had the ability to share our perspectives in warfare and combat of this kind of sort. we have more than ample opportunity to talk to them about our lessons learned. they will have to speak for their decisions obviously and what they are doing and what they will do. we will stay in close touch with them. the other thing is keep

making sure they've got the tools and weapons and capability to be successful in the fight against hamas. >> you have said the u.s. welcomes a pause in the war to allow more time to get humanitarian aid in and hostages out. there are american hostages being held by hamas right now. what is the potential impact in this latest offensive on the effort to get them released? >> that remains to be seen. i will let the israelis speak to their military operations. but what impact it might have on the ability to get hostages out, it is too soon to know here, as things begin to unfold. we still stand by our strong desire to see all those hostages released. hamashamas should do it immediately -- hamas should do it immediately. we still think it is a task worth pursuing. if it requires some pause or pauses, we are in support

of that as well. >> does it undermine the chances of a humanitarian pause? >> it remains to be seen, what happens on the ground, how they conduct operations. i do want to get ahead of where we are or where they are in the execution of their plans. >> let's talk about the situation in gaza. the u.n. said the humanitarian system in gaza is sustaining a total collapse. that is their quote. about 12 trucks per day have entered since the hostilities started. what kind of pressure is the u.s. applying to make sure thprocess happens more quickly? which president biden has said is a priority of his. >> as much pressure as we can, we are doing that as well as as much engagement we can

do, working with regional partners and aid organizations to get that aid accelerated and increased. i think we've had 84 trucks total go in since the conflict started. that is a trickle. that's not enough. we've got to get more in. you heard the president talk about that. we are working it very aggressively. >> why not make u.s. military aid to israel conditional, then, as some analysts have suggested? conditions on bombing the -- on pausing the bombing campaign, if it is a priority? >> that question almost presumes that the israelis do not care about the hostages either. they share our concerns about that. it is too soon to tell, given what they are doing on the ground right now, whether that's going to have an effect when we are the other on getting those hostages released. as for the military aid, we have been nothing but

concrete and clear, we will continue to make sure that israel has the tools and capabilities, weapons that they need, the munitions they need to continue to prosecute this fight against hamas terrorists who slaughtered 1400 people basically in a civil date. -- in a single day. >> i want to ask you about the retaliatory strikes, associated with the iranian backed drone attack that injured some 21 service members. how will the administration ensure the strikes won't further inflame tensions with iran or in the region, as the u.s. is really seeking to contain this israel-hamas war? >> we will do what we have to do to protect troops in our facilities. we suffered nearly -- actually over the course of several days, 20 some odd rocket attacks. our response last night was direct to the iranian revolutionary guard corp.

they are the ones supporting this. the irgc and i ran have -- iran have a choice to make. we don't want conflict with iran. but we will protect our troops, our legitimate mission on the ground to go after isis, and we will continue to make sure we have the capabilities to do both. >> the intention of those strikes, was it to kill iranian backed militants or destroy their facilities? >> two purposes, to go after their ammo and weapons storage, the depots, those two places, where they are supplying these militia groups, and deterring any future attacks, send a clear signal to the irgc that enough is enough. it's got to stop.

>> john kirby, thank you, admiral, appreciate it. >> good to be with you. >> gaza's humanitarian crisis becomes more dire with every passing moment, with constant bombardment and dwindling supplies, it is a struggle to find fuel, food, and even water. before coming to kitchen lines went dark, i spoke to youssef h. yesterday who works for an aid group in gaza about life in the besieged territory for him and his family. reporter: he is the gaza advocacy officer for the norwegian refugee council. a former journalist, he has been documenting the war for the last three weeks. he moved his family of four, including his kids, his 5-year-old and 3-year-old, to southern gaza, taking shelter, with limited connectivity and

power, he could only speak to me via phone. >> despite the bombardments, we have a responsibility to our family and children, we have to manage everyday. the main thing is water. >> if you needed water right now, what would you do? >> [indiscernible] we had no water two days ago. i couldn't find any. one machine takes five hours. >> so five hours to get water to your family for one day. >> i have to buy water through other private sources, people in one apartment. we take a shower once a week. we consume less because we want things to last more. >> what do you tell your

children about what's going on? >> they don't understand the bombing, what's going on. with the 3-year-old, i just try to convince him, it is fireworks. but it's not only the sound. it is the earthquake. >> how are you doing, if you don't mind me asking? >> i don't think about me. [indiscernible] recover what we have seen here. my children, when hugging man crying -- me and crying, it is a horrible situation. you have to keep them safe. >> i'm sure you've seen the headlines, president biden

said they have reasons to doubt the death toll as reported by the gaza health ministry because it is run by hamas. i wonder what you think about that. >> it is not acceptable. they are arguing about the number of people who were killed. this number is not accurate, we have more than 1500 people missing under the rubble. the number is not accurate. it is way more. [indiscernible] every night we pray that we will see the daylight again. when we wake up, we say, ok, we survived, we are lucky, we have another day to live. ♪ >> this week's shooting in

lewiston, maine has put another spotlight on america's gun violence epidemic. we turn now to the analysis of brooks and capehart, david brooks and jonathan capehart, associate editor for the washington post. welcome to you both. good to see you. so lewiston, maine, now the latest community to suffer mass gun violence. the conversation we always have, what will this change? we did see one lawmaker, out -- lawmaker come out with a remarkable reversal. jared golden reversed his position on assault weapons bans after the shooting. take a listen. >> i propose efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the ones used to carry out this crime. it is time for me to take responsibility for this failure. which is why now i call on the u.s. congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the

sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of lewiston, maine. >> this was a remarkable reversal and very fast. why do you think we saw that? >> i think we saw that because that congressman now has a situation inhometown,t communities around the country have been dealing with for years now. i don't know if his one lone voice is going to be that part of the wave and momentum needed to turn into law what he called for and that is an assault weapons van. he is -- weapons ban. he is there in maine, with very loose gun laws. it is a rural state. i understand the traditions in maine. unfortunately the people of lewiston are now grappling with

the fact that a weapon of war -- not a weapon of animal hunting -- at this point, these weapons have been used to hunt people, and they are lethal, and there's nothing that is being done at the federal level to ensure that no one or anyone gets their hands on a weapon of war let alone someone like the alleged shooter who apparently and allegedly had mental health issues. look, when those children, those babies were slaughtered and nothing happened after that in newtown, that is all i needed to know about the will of american legislators, federal legislators, congress to do anything to stem gun violence in this country. >> you know these numbers, let's put these up for a second, americans' views on gun

policy. 88% support preventing those with mental on this is from purchasing guns. 64% favor banning assault sell weapons. there are partisan differences and all of that. is there any chance in this congress of consensus, even around red flag laws, lower thresholds? >> maybe. we have this conversation every time and nothing seems to happen. if there is anything different about this one, first, the cops got there so fast, there were people right on the scene. he was able to do remarkable damage in a little amount of time. that is a result of the assault weapon. it highlights that this time it really made a difference what weapon the guy was using. this guy was sending off signals left and right. he was institutionalized, his family was sending out warnings. they have a yellow flag law in maine, and still, he fell

through the cracks. it feels much more preventable than many of the other horrors that have happened. how did nobody pick up on this guy? maybe people will think practically, is there anyway way we can prevent some of these? but we have passed this prologue -- probably not. >> i do want to move on to another big story this week. you paid close attention to we have a new house speaker. it took three weeks, several rounds of voting, mike johnson of louisiana was elected. how did mike johnson succeed where so many othe failed, at least in securing the gavel for now? >> he succeeded because the republican conference was playing its own version of survivor. you had mccarthy, scalise, jim jordan, oh, who am i

missing? emmer, who lasted four hours as speaker designate. what is so unsettling about mike johnson, the speaker, is the person who has gotten the gavel, is, one, we don't know who he is, democratic members have said to me on air t hat they had to go to google to look him up to find out more information about him. the more information we find out about him, the american people find out about him, the more i think they will be uncomfortable from his pushing for a national abortion ban, to introducing legislation for a federal don't say gay bill, his comments on homosexuality and same-sex marriage -- he said legalizing it was a

dark harbinger of chaos that could doom even the strongest republic. i had no idea. here is this man who is now the speaker of the house, two heartbeats away from the presidency. and he has far right views. that make mccarthy look like a moderate. >> you know your husband loves it whenever you mention him on air, too. i'm sure he loves that. this is a man who has only been in congress for six years. he's never chaired a committee. not nearly as prolific a fun race -- fundraiser as a speaker mccarthy was. >> it is a lesson that we can all rise to great power by being innocuous, it seems. one of the people he has praised his a pseudo-historian named david barton. he has a powerful block

in the subculture of the eventual local world -- evangelical world, that there was never any separation of church and state. he is coming from a world where christian nationalism is very much in the air. that has to be concerning, if he is coming from this world. his comments on the first day, i have to say, were exemplary. he talked about extending ukraine aid, working with hakeem jeffries, and most importantly, you look at matt gaetz, these jokers, they don't have any respect for the institution of congress, and he went out of his way. if you respect the traditions and manners of the institution, you want it to work well. then that is an improvement on what i was expecting. it may be he doesn't believe any of this stuff, but i'm willing

to sit with day one with the nice things and the right things he did say. >> he did play a key role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. that is concerning as well. >> absolutely, yes. if you will be hard right trumpy, maga mic, that is where the party is. maga mike and not shut down the government, passed ukraine eight, that will be something we can take away. >> jonathan, can he avoid the government shutting down? there is another deadline in a matter of weeks. could he face the same fate as speaker mccarthy for reaching across the aisle? >> yes and yes. i'm so fixated on the calendar. while it is weeks between now and november 17, the house is only support to be in session -- supposed to be in session for four legislative days. that is no time to get anything done. already politico is

reporting tonight that there are republicans in his conference were upset by what the speaker said last night on sean hannity, that he is open to a continuing resolution that could go through january or through april. he says, with conditions, but already there's rumblings within the conference that they don't want to go through that. the person who has a problem with this, if i can find his name -- andy biggs. congressman andy biggs, republican from arizona, said there are at least five republicans who would go against the brand-new speaker if he were to come up with a deal that would extend the continuing resolution through january or april. we are headed into some really rough waters with the speaker as we were just talking about, who has come from out of nowhere, has never chaired a committee. we have no idea how he is going to lead this raucous caucus

tether resolution -- to the resolution we keep the government open. >> i need to ask you about the news out of new hampshire today, dean phillips announcing he will run for president against president biden, for the democratic presidential nomination. what kind of impact do you think it could have? >> come on, man! joe biden is the president of the united states. the best way to win the presidency is to already be in it. the power of incumbency is incredible. in a race that's already going to be razor thin, why is congressman phillips -- from the great state of minnesota, i love minnesota, -- ut why is he -- but why is he jumping into the race to weaken a president of his own party, who he used to be a fan boy of? i don't know what he is undertaking such a useless,

futile and dangerous exercise. >> now we are all talking like joe biden. [laughter] i think joe biden is the democrats' strongest now many. it won't hurt, reading somebody. -- beating somebody. he will look like a stronger case. as much as biden has been a strong president, his numbers are just not picking up. if i am a democrat, to have some sort of escape hatch, that is not the end of the world to me. but he will go out, campaign, win, he will look like a guy who beats somebody, no money. >> thank you both as always. ♪ >> at a time when many

classical music and other traditional arts organizations are facing major challenges, like dwindling audiences, one kentuckian is combining musicmaking with public service in every corner of the state. jeffrey brown traveled along for our arts andculture series , "canvas." reporter: happy top park in the appalachian mountains of eastern kentucky, with an audience of several hundred, members of the louisville orchestra played "rhapsody in blue." a short time later, chris steely offered up "rhapsody in blue grass." ♪

the connector here in all senses of the word, teddy abrams. part-time pianist, full-time music director and conductor of the louisville orchestra. a man on a mission. >> it is all response ability to find the places where other parts of the population are comfortable. where we can be on their turf. guests in their town or their community center or school, whatever it might be, and forge that relationship from scratch. it's that human connection that people are drawn to. the music is a part of that. it is human to human, fundamentally. i have got to do that -- the orchestra has got to do that. reporter: teddy abrams puts it personally and lives it personally. ♪ many nights, you will find him conducting in louisville's whitney hall, a traditional

performing arts space. at 36, he is nearing his 10th year in the city. having arrived in 2014, at just 27, the youngest leader ever hear, filled with ideas about how to transform the orchestra. but you're are just as likely to find him at a place like this,, a louisville church -- like this, a louisville church. this group, mostly congolese. trying to bridge gaps, including language, with music and dance. ♪ it's just one of many efforts to bring the orchestra and music into the community, through such projects as a rap school. a latin american music festival, and an intro to instruments program for children. >> my job is to be a

public service in louisville. >> you define it that way? >> 100%. i have a civic role. you literally build community by using the power of this art form to convene people. to make them feel like they are living in that, natali -- and that commonality. reporter: he comes from california's bay area. he played piano and clarinet as a child. started conducting at age 10. and was mentored by michael thompson thomas. globetrotting conductors might spend part of the year in the cities where they lead orchestras. why did you choose to do so? i think it's necessary. you have to be here to meet people. it is the act of living in a place of getting

into the rhythm and flow. listening to people, spending time with them, it also sends a signal to my neighbors that i believe it is a great city. it is a city where i can live myself. i'm telling them that i believe in this place. >> louisville. bourbon city. >> it is a city that promotes its bourbon industry and its horses at churchill downs, the home of the kentucky derby. but the louisville orchestra has its own place in music history. >> the vast majority of these our lps released under the -- are lps released under the orchestra's own label. reporter: in his study, he has shells of recordings from the 1940's on -- shelves of recordings from the 1940's on.

>> this is the box set that you would get from the louisville philemon exit tidy. that was the old name. -- louisville philharmonic society. that was the old name. reporter: and self a composer -- reporter: himself a composer, he is not renewing the orchestra's commitment to new music through a program that brings composers to live and work here. we watched a meeting with the latest group. in addition to writing music, each composer develops a community-based project. perhaps abrams' most ambitious project to date, a two-season tour of the state. bringing thousands of people into 40 towns like henderson.

enjoying himself there, republican senator robert stivers. president of the kentucky senate, he helped shepherd state funding for the orchestra's project. >> you always hear of the rural-urban divide. many won't go to the cities because they think, it's beyond their navigation point. we have tried to do and what teddy is trying to do is bridge those gaps. reporter: musicians feel it, too. megan casper is a 12 year veteran with the orchestra. >> you get out in the world, you understand more fully how it's not that people are lucky to come here you play. it's that you are part of the stewardship of community and of your art. that's just as important as how well you play is.

reporter: brian t. joined the orchestra three years ago. >> i have neighbors who have never been to a concert. there is an energy that is kind of infectious. it is exciting. it forces you to re-calibrate your whole perspective on what we are doing in a good way. reporter: none of this changes the very real world pressures on orchestras and arts organizations around the country. abrams offers one model to take those on directly. saving classical music, even saving the world. >> i understand, he will -- you will not solve deep historical divides and demographic challenges with a single orchestra concert, that's not what we are talking about. but we'll have to try. if americans don't step up and try with whatever skills, whatever talents they have,

then we are lost. reporter: meantime, one concert under the moon and stars of the kentucky mountains is not a bad place to start. ♪ >> as always, there is much more online, including a look at the departure of the giant pandas from the national zoo. what the return to china means for the panda diplomacy between washington and beijing. that is on our youtube page. for more discussion of mike johnson's surprise

ascension to house speaker, don't forget to watch moderator jeffrey goldberg and his panel on washington week tonight on pbs. >> and tomorrow, we speak with an american family desperate to escape gaza. that is the news hour for tonight. >> on behalf of the entire news our team -- -- newshour team, thank you for joining us. >> major funding has been provided by -- ♪ >> moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. ♪ >> and with the ongoing

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