♪ >> good evening. >> tonight, kamala harris defense for policy shift in her first interview as the democratic nominee. reproductive rights once again come to a focus point. >> the first child to contract

polio in gaza in 25 years highlights the dire circumstances faced by a desperate population. >> three years after the u.s. withdrew from afghanistan, women describe the brutal repression by the taliban. >> it is like being in a jail but the prison is your home. ♪ >> major funding has been provided by the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends including these individuals. the kovlarfoundation, upholding freedom by strengthening democracies at home and abroad. >> the knight foundation,

fostering informed and engaged communities. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ and friends. ♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your station from viewers like you. thank you. >> welcome. we start tonight with the race for the white house. kamala harris in her first sit-down interview since capturing the democratic nomination. >> over the course of 27 minutes alongside her running mate, she

fended off challenges to her policy positions and took the line between being a change candidate and carrying on the legend of president biden. she said she would bring a republican into her cabinet, something that has not been done since the obama administration. >> i have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. i think it is important to have people at the table when the most important decisions are being made who have different views and different experiences. i think it would be to the benefit of the american public to have a member of my cabinet who was republican. >> she was also pressed on why her economic proposals had not already been put into place given her position in the administration. >> you have been vice president for 3.5 years. the steps you are talking about now, why haven't you done them already? >> first of all, we had to

recover as an economy. i am very proud of the work we have done that has brought inflation down to less than 3%. that is good work. there is more to do. >> donald trump was campaigning in pennsylvania today. >> he used his social media platform to describe the harris interview as boring. he said it was hardly a test. she is a total lightweight. this is going to be thevision? president. of our country. i don't think so. sitting propped up at a desk. this is the first interview she has done. nobody has ever seen anything like it. if you are too weak to do a one-on-one interview with somebody who was so soft. >> tonight he will speak to a right-wing group in washington and on monday vice president

harris will appear alongside president biden for a labor day event in pittsburgh. it will be their first campaign event together since her nomination. >> a russian attack killed five people and injured dozens more. authorities say the bombs hit five locations across the city, including a playground where at least one child died. in washington, the defense secretary met with his ukrainian counterpart today and condemned moscow's recent wave of strikes on civilian infrastructure. >> let me be clear. it is never acceptable to target civilians. >> ukraine's president has fired the air force commander after an f-16 warplane crashed earlier this week.

u.s. experts have joined the investigation into why the jet went down during a barrage on monday. the israeli military says it killed a top commander and two of his associates during a third day of operations in the occupied west bank. video today caught smoke rising over the city after is really police vehicles patrolled on the ground. israel says the rates have killed at least 19 people since tuesday, most of the militants. residents returned today after israel withdrew from the area, finding their homes reduced to rubble. >> here where you are filming is the house of an old woman. they destroyed the house. then they entered the house behind us. there were walls and a road here. they were destroyed. >> in gaza, and agut -- a group

says is really airstrike killed people. they say the dead were employees of a local transportation company and the strike came without warding. israel claims gunmen had seized the convoy and that they were the focus of the attack. the maryland supreme court has ordered a redo of a hearing. it is the latest twist in a legal drama that was the focus of a podcast which propelled the case to national attention. he was convicted more than two decades ago for killing his high school ex-girlfriend. he was freed in 20 only to have his conviction reinstated a year later. a judge did not mince words, saying that the case is a procedural zombie. he will remain free as a lower court considers whether to throw

out his conviction. on wall street today, stocks into the week with solid gains. the nasdaq added nearly 200 points. the s&p 500 closed out its fourth straight winning month. we have results from the second full day of the paralympic games. in the shot put, a tunisian woman won her fifth goal of five appearances. a frenchman secured a second gold medal for the host nation. team usa won its first gold of the metal in the 100 meter backstroke. and brazil to come the first gold in para-athletics, which includes running, jumping, and racing events. we have a passing of note from

the world of sports. johnny geaudreau and his brother were killed by a drunken driver. known as johnny hockey, he played 11 seasons in the nhl. he was known for his speed on the ice and his love of the game. lebron james and chris christie have paid tribute. he was in new jersey to be a groomsman at his sister's we did wedding. -- weekend wedding. still to come, how the u.s. complex system of insurance and mental health care makes finding help so difficult. our guests way and on the campaign headlines from the week. and we hear from young musicians who were forced to flee their country after the taliban takeover. >> this is the news hour from

our studios in washington and on the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. >> the world health organization is leaving at health effort to start vaccinating children in gaza this sunday against polio. there will be pauses in the fighting so that health workers can distribute the vaccine. this comes amid massive destruction and after health officials detected the first polio case there in 25 years. a once vibrant baby boy sits paralyzed in his car seat. he is the first confirmed case of polio in a quarter-century. the anguish is clear in his mother's voice. >> he is my only baby boy. it is his right to work and get

the proper treatment. and get his chance in life. >> nearly a year of displacement prevented >> her child from getting vaccine. >> he did not get his vaccinations. >> as fighting drags on, authorities are scrambling to prevent a full-blown outbreak. >> we are calling for calm. this will allow the vaccination program to be implemented successfully. >> israel and hamas have agreed to a series of humanitarian pauses in the fighting. over one million doses of the

polio vaccine have now been shipped into gaza. more than 2000 health workers will conduct the operation. the who says this is necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. >> security is paramount. to ensure that all parties have access. >> for palestinian families almost after a year of sustained but bartman, this offers little comfort. >> we are asking for a humanitarian truce. just have mercy on us. on the children. so we can give them of the polio vaccine. schools have been bombed, caps have been bombed, there is bombing everywhere in gaza.

>> to get some perspective now on the growing crisis, we turn to a doctor who volunteered with the international rescue committee. >> thank you for having me. >> as we just heard, gaza is seeing its first confirmed case of polio in 25 years. how big of? a threat is disposed? >> i think this poses a tremendous threat to the population of gaza and public health in general in the region. the health care system has been under direct targeting and bombardment the last 11 months. this means that epidemics will become common. this will be one of many epidemics we can anticipate in gaza. the decimation of the health-care system by israeli forces says this will be hard to tackle.

the gymnastics of coordinating a vaccination program are made extremely difficult by the fact that there is still ongoing good environment of civilian areas. >> this planned to inoculate more than 600,000 children against polio, based on what you know of the region and the disintegrated health care's is, is this feasible? >> it is the best they will be able to do under the circumstances. in the absence of a cease fire, this program is the patched up solution that we have at this way. in an ideal world, we would be able to get a cease fire and get all of these children vaccinated. just because israel has outlined certain areas and times when it will not be bombarding these vaccination centers does not mean it will make the task

easier. there are a lot of logistics that go into vaccination programs. the roads in gaza have been destroyed by israeli's. the areas will still be subject to aerial bombardment. all of the logistics for a humanitarian pause in an operation like this is extremely complicated. made more difficult by the fact that it is hard to plan around what israel will actually do during these times. >> you have been to gaza twice in the last few months. how would you describe the health and humanitarian conditions? >> i would describe them in the way that every aid worker who has returned describes them. it is catastrophic and unacceptable. there seems to be a floating idea that the health care system

is decimated. it is crippled. but it is still somewhat functional. it is not nearly at the capacity it should be. it is not a spontaneous natural disaster. it is or is result of deliberate targeting. we are seeing shortages of supplies because israel does not allow supplies and personnel in. we did not have a sufficient number of turnip kids. we were reusing supplies that should not be reused. we were giant rubber bands as turning to. a lot of these patients require surgical intervention and they are not able to get it. this is a result of imposed restrictions. >> having worked in gaza, with

the uc -- what do you see? >> the things that stay with me are the stories of the people. besides the terrific trauma that you see every day to innocent civilians, you also see the stories of those civilians. mothers and health care workers. anytime i sit down in the emergence department i make a point to speak to my palestinian colleagues about their experiences. many of them have been kidnapped by israeli forces during the siege. they tell me horrifying accounts of torture that they suffered because they were health care workers. human rights watch recently released a report on this. their stories are out there.

>> thank you for making time for us. >> thank you. ♪ >> more than one in five adults in the u.s. live with a mental illness. only about half receive treatment. we aimed to figure out the reasons why. >> the investigation found that many therapists who additionally had insurance networks needed of leaving because of difficulties getting reimbursed. that leaves a lot of patience

paying out of pocket or being unable to access care. thank you so much for joining us. you and your colleagues interviewed hundreds of therapists. you found that it is insurers who alternately decide the link of care and who gets covered treatment. >> that is right. we wanted to understand why is it that even when you have insurance, it can be so hard to access mental health treatment. what people realize that insurance play a big role in this. they have a big say in treatment. providers told us that they experience a lot of red tape dealing with insurers. therapist told us that they tried to stay in network.

they are committed to their patients and delivering care. but these practices from insurance companies are squeezing them out. >> there is redtape and bureaucracy and having to file these claims. there is also what you describe as below market rate reimbursement. therapist described having the rates not shift in years. and we all know has been a factor. >> that is right. and a lot of our interviews therapist told us about how their rates have been largely segment and notoriously low. they are in about $98 for a commercial session. a lot of providers say it is not sustainable to stay in network. they have a lot of expenses. >> there are many claims that

get denied on the basis of what the industry calls medical necessity. you talked to a therapist to experience that. here is what she had to say. >> they started to say that the amount of time we spend with a patient was not supported by the documentation. it is things like that where they say you are not demonstrating that necessity. they will give you what the rubric is for medical necessity. >> in disputes over what is medically necessary, i understand there are not clear guidelines in mental health care the way there would may be in physical health care. >> the term medical necessity is used by insurers to deny claims.

insurance companies generally faced few limitations on how they define what kind of care is medically necessary. they sometimes. their own internal standards instead of relying on the ones created by medical professionals. this can lead to denials of care. >> also report instances when therapists were told to spend less time with patients who the experts thought needed long-term care. >> it is really concerning an unethical in many ways because it is like saying to a surgeon, we will give the four hours to do open heart surgery. sorry if you cannot finish. we don't know what to tell you. >> she was not alone. you interviewed dozens of

therapists, some of whom felt that insurers were reducing care for patients who were on the edge of self-harm or suicide. what impact did the therapist describe with these policies? >> what is so striking about what she experienced his under the mental health parity act, it is federal law that acquires insurance companies to provide the same access to mental health as physical health. but we heard many instances of how it was discriminated against. if you have cancer in your patient -- dr. says you need chemotherapy, the interest of the would not say that you can only have that if you try a less costly method first. with mental health care, we heard stories of scaling back care for acute disorders.

the insurer will only approve coverage for a less intensive treatment first. patients can risk bodily harm or even death from overdose or suicide. >> what do insurance companies tell you by way of explaining these reimbursement and care issues? >> we reached out to several companies for our reporting and they told us they are committed to ensuring access to mental health care providers. they emphasize their plans are in compliance with state and federal laws. they said they have practices in place to make sure that reimbursement rates reflect the national value. but that does not match up with what we heard from therapist. >> thank you so much for joining us and sharing your reporting with us. >> thank you for having me. ♪

>> today marks three years since the chaotic withdrawal of u.s. and nato allies from afghanistan. it also marks three years of intensifying oppression of women under the taliban regime. the united nations has described it as an erasure of women from public life. we spoke to afghan women inside the country about their lives today. once the hub of u.s. troops in afghanistan, bagram airbase is now a taliban stage. a show of force with abandoned u.s. and nato equipment. in 2021, desperate people clung to airplane wings during the chaotic u.s. withdrawal.

the taliban marked three years in power this week. missing from these scenes were women, who said they are being erased from public life. >> is like being in jail, but the prison is your home. >> we are protecting her identity. girls as young as 10 are banned from attending schools and colleges. a new law states that women are forbidden from looking at men they are not related to and banned from being heard in public. one woman spoke to us from an undisclosed location. >> they say the best place for women and young girls is their home >>. she refuses to relent there and she founded an organization that secret schools like this one. >> we are teaching them.

we take actions conservatively. the numbers are significantly low. >> good morning. >> the risk she says is always there because the taliban is always watching. >> they came into our classes and found english books. they saw us teaching english instead of islamic studies. they arrested us. they have that motivation. >> she decries the warped view of her faith. >> i am a muslim.

i believe in islam. i have not read in the corolla -- koran about any banning of women. the taliban is not muslim. they are extremists. their radical is. >> she is not alone in her defiance. online, video surface of afghan women singing in public. the lyrics to this song are you made me a prisoner in my home. the u.n. says two thirds of afghan women suffer from mental health issues. there has been an increase in suicide rates.

>> all of my education has become nothing. i cannot use my knowledge. i cannot work in society. >> she is now a teacher for an online school. she was forced to take up sewing lessons, a permitted activity. she is not abandoning her dreams. >> my biggest dream was to become independent. i could be the head of my own campaign. i will never give up trying. i try my best to achieve my dreams. >> she says secret schools like this are a way to fan the flames of a generation of young girls dreams. >> that is why we have to take the risk.

it could be punishment. or getting arrested. but we have to take the risk. >> joining me now it is an afghan education specialist. she is the founder of a grassroots group looking to expand educational access. she is a visiting fellow at wellesley college. you had to flee afghanistan after the taliban regained power. you are still in contact with many women and girls there. what else do you hear from them on the ground? >> the one thing i really want to highlight is the fact that women and young girls to go to school. place the one to learn. the only thing you hear from them is how it is an open-air prison. they are not allowed to do anything. >> somehow you found a way to

remarkably continue to run your schools in the grid in afghanistan. not on the scale of when you lived there when the taliban was not in power. but how are you doing today? >> we have schools in different provinces. we are hoping to expand to other provinces. the sad reality is is that we had to close down some schools and switch to online. because of how they are being surveilled. we find ways to work and continue to do so but it is not an easy job. >> the longer they are in power it feels like the more restrictive they get with women and girls in particular. what does that mean for the

future of your schools? >> afghan women are very resourceful. in the way we approach everything. education, health care, human rights, women's rights, mental health. afghanistan has the highest suicide rate for women. it is all about altogether. do we really need to fight for education instead of being able to just go to school or teach in a school or go to work? other countries are allowing their women to do that. the taliban are not clever enough. they are coming up with weird ways to impose their power.

i find it very funny when they come up with these dictates. it will get more restricting. but they are running out of things to ban. >> what about when it comes to international or u.s. pressure? does anybody think that that kind of public pressure that we really have not seen, especially from the u.s., could get the taliban to reverse course in any way? >> i think now they are not doing anything. that has been the attitude toward afghanistan for the last few years. that will continue because they talked to them without recognizing women. that has happened for the past three years. they have offices all over.

they are being recognized in all these countries. the u.s. is complacent in many ways. every time an ambassador is excepted in anothe country, the u.s. does not say anything. i don't think engagement will bring anything. >> when the taliban came back to power, they threaten you. that is why you were forced to leave. i know you are reluctant at the time. when you look at what has happened under their rule in the last three years, do you ever think about what it would have meant if you stayed? >> this morning a friend posted about imagining another time when we did not leave home. it was beautiful. i thought to myself, imagine if we all had stayed. if the taliban was not in power. afghanistan might have been a different place. but if we would've stayed, would

we have made it out? would we be doing all the things we are doing right now? it is hard to imagine. >> good to speak with you. thank you. ♪ >> vice president harris it's down for her first interview since launching her presidential campaign as donald trump tries to change the narrative on abortion access. on that and more we turn to our guest's. it is great to see you both.

it would appear that donald trump is having trouble staking out a consistent stance and mesh in -- message on abortion rights. he slammed an abortion ban in florida as being too restrictive. today he told fox news that he will vote to uphold that same band when it comes up for a ballot measure in november. it seems he is struggling to find an answer for this environment he has created. >> donald trump is pro-life. but that is not a good way to get elected president. he seems to be toggling between the two. if i were him, i would just stick to the pro-life addition. he appointed the judges. he is effectively a pro-life person. he should stick with that. but he can't help it when he

wants to position himself more favorably. he's trying to push the republican party in a pro-choice direction. this is the first time you saw social conservatives furious and putting tremendous pressure on him not to do this. usually they get in line but this time they were mad. >> i think that is absolutely true. we have seen in the election that every time an abortion access question is on the ballot , it wins. not just in florida but in 40 other states. if you have donald trump suddenly saying i think this is a problem, it will do a lot of damage to the conservatives who are pushing those measures. see him thinking about himself

and then talking to somebody and try to pull it back. that also goes against what he is hoisted about leaving it to the states. he is really struggling to find where his lane is. >> is also talking to access to ivf. he said his administration would protect it. and he would have the government or insurance companies cover the cost. >> we are going to be paying for that treatment. >> for all americans who wanted? >> all americans who need it. >> he has not offered any specifics about how this will work or how you pay for it. it is not cheap. it is roughly $20,000 per cycle. what is he trying to accomplish here? >> to get elected.

he sent out messages on social media saying women will have complete reproductive freedom under my administration. on this issue, this is one where americans are more supportive. abortion is complicated. he is a salesman and is trying to sell himself. he will say whatever to help you buy. >> this is a gift to the harris campaign? >> it is. when he posted that reproductive health care and freedom under my administration, he did that on thursday after harris gave her acceptance speech in may that a central theme in her campaign, protecting reproductive choice for women. he is lying. he has worked throughout his tenure to repeal obama care. he tried to do that. he never put forth a replacement plan for what will replace it. now suddenly he is talking about mandates. he's not going to do a mandate.

he is trying anything. he's throwing spaghetti at the wall in an effort to not to have this be the torpedo of his campaign. >> let's talk about the cnn interview last night with harris. it is evident otherwise resident is trying to establish yourself as the change candidate even as she is trying to make this election a referendum on donald trump. she said the country is ready to turn the page. >> i think people are ready for a new way forward. in a way that generations of americans have been fueled by hope and optimism. i think sadly in the last decade , we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda in an environment that is about

diminishing the character and strength of who we are as americans. really dividing our nation. i think people are ready to turn the page on that. >> can she have it both ways? being a change candidate while serving as vice president? >> i think she did a couple job. she seems self-assured and in control. i think she is right to drop all of her 2019 positions. she should do that ruthlessly. i'm glad to see her moving toward the center. i do think there is peril here. a lot of sitting vice presidents run for president. most of them lose because they are not willing to break the

current administration. it is good to say we have to have a new path forward. there has to be some substance to it. i think eventually she has to show some substantive change. >> is a little different. vice presidents of not done well and they have run for president. but that is often after eight years of the former president. a lot of people voted for joe biden thinking he was a transitional president and they were freaked out by him not doing that. now they are encouraged not just by harris but the energy that her campaign has created with democrats. they say they have not felt this since obama. she is staking out positions that are different from the

president. even in centering reproductive rights in the way she has an really taking on the issue of immigration as much as she can. i think there is a change. we have been reintroduced to donald trump after a few years of being able to forget about him a little bit. i think this makes the needle she is threading tough but she seems to be heading it on the mark. >> you mentioned her move toward the center. she was asked to explain those stances. here's how she explained herself. >> in 2019 you said you were in favor of banning fracking. do you still want to do that? >> know and i made that clear on the debate stage in 2020. >> what made you change the?

> position my values have not changed. what i have seen is we can grow and increase a thriving green energy policy without the banning fracking. >> that was opportunistic. the democratic party moved pretty far left on a lot of issues that i think are politically suicidal. decriminalizing the border, defunding the police, banning fracking. nancy pelosi decided we cannot do that. so they picked joe biden. when he became a political option for her to go back to the center and talk about being a prosecutor, she went that way. so she's not the only opportunist to be a politician. >> i want to put a marker on

something that happened this week. the u.s. army issued a stark review of the trump campaign. they said in a rare statement that the campaign was made aware of federal laws prohibiting political activity at the cemetery. the trump campaign staff pushed aside a female employee. she did not want to press charges because she was afraid of retaliation. what are your thoughts on all of this? >> there was a time when being disrespectful at arlington national cemetery, one of the most sacred bases in our nation, would've put an end to a political career. we have seen donald trump disparage members of the military and gold star families. this seems par for the course. i would love to return to a time when people would look at this in a nonpartisan way and say this is outrageous.

he is a civilian at the moment. he had no business being there. try to shoot a campaign video that would've knocked kamala harris for not being there. it is one of the lowest political moments i've seen in my career. >> it's the lowest i have seen in the last 48 hours. it is a serious thing. will it have a political effect? the answer is no. that is partly because of the change in our politics. when george h w bush was running for president, he went into his convention 17 points down but he actually won. >> great to see you both. have a great labor day weekend. ♪

>> the ahanistan national institute of music has provided a unique education and music training to afghan children. back in 2013, the group made attractive visit to the u.s.. this month, three years after the taliban took control of afghanistan, they returned amidst a completely changed world. ♪ reporter: a recent evening at the kennedy center for the performing arts. young musicians from afghanistan joined by members of the youth

orchestra playing a mix of music. joyful sounds and a huge appreciative audience. ♪ but never far off is a sense of grief and pain. >> afghanistan today's assignment nation. because it is the only country today in the world where the people are denied all of their musical and cultural rights. >> the institute offered afghan children a free, secular, coeducational curriculum and musical training.

the only such a school in the country. >> it was called the happiest place in afghanistan. >> students studied violin, cello, and other western instruments. but also more instruments from the afghan musical tradition. >> this was encouraging the afghan people to pick up their own instruments. to show them it is capable to be used in any context. afghanistan is committed to musical and cultural diversity. >> the student body included girls. her childhood experience was common for girls with parents desperate to find a path to a better life. >> i did not want to grow up

like other kids. my mother sent me to an orphanage. >> we come together and we played together. that is why we say that music has power. reporter: he fell in love with the viola. it was a new instrument and a new experience. >> everyone was in the same class, boys and girls. they were eating together, playing together, making music together. reporter: scene, ensembles were

formed. first, the afghan youth orchestra. he took it on tour to the u.s. in 2013. >> we wanted to show the world how far afghanistan moved after the taliban regime was ousted. reporter: then, crucially, a women's orchestra. >> showing that we could do without men. without taking help from them. they can do everything. reporter: they can make music together. >> of course. they can do everything. reporter: on august 15, 2020 one, everything changed. >> i went to my school and there

were a lot of people running saying that the taliban is coming. they were in kabul. >> the invading taliban targeted the school, burning books and destroying instruments. the ransacked buildings were turned into barracks. >> we went to the safe house. we were there for a month. that was hard for me. reporter: after several months in hiding, some students and staff were evacuated, most leaving family behind. since then, they have been based in portugal. ♪ a portuguese conductor began working with them. he knew nothing about

afghanistan and its music but he was transformed at the very first meeting. >> i started crying. it was so special to be around them. it was too much. people were suffering a lot. in a very difficult situation. but they found something that could make them happy. reporter: happy but also a deep sadness. >> i did not want to leave afghanistan. but my father said there was no future here for me. i accepted that and i left afghanistan. to start my own life. and to save the music of afghanistan. reporter: with the world's attention turned elsewhere, that focus on preservation isn't even

bigger goal. >> all of the publicity has to bring back afghanistan today. ♪ >> it was a message they brought to carnegie hall in new york and to the kennedy center, where they were joined on stage by a longtime supporter. >> i know you are having a wonderful time because i was in the audience listening to you. you sound fantastic. >> they performed for an audience of many from the afghan community. >> i see my afghan people who support us. i think this is a symbol of hope. reporter: he is now working to bring several hundred family members to portugal, including younger siblings he hopes will

take on instruments and keep the music alive. ♪ >> fisher to tune in later tonight. >> a paralympic athlete on her goal to become the most decorated athlete in history. >> on behalf of the entire team, thank you for joining us and have a great weekend. >> major funding has been provided by -- ♪ and with the ongoing support of

these individuals an institution and friend. the walton family foundation, working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people and nature can thrive together. the hewlett foundation, advancing ideas and institutions to promote a better world. and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ and friends. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by

contributions to your station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪ >>

wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. xfinity internet. made for streaming. (graphics whshing) (dramatic music)c) - hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour & company." here's what's coming up. - and so, i thought, "okay, he's pushing things forward," but i also got to see that that can be kind of dark at times. - [christiane] biographer walter isaacson on the controversial elon musk, our conversation about his spiraling influence as a billionaire entrepreneur, then- - [narrator] one and every three women around the world experience physical,