>> appalachia. >> appalachia? >> we say appalachia, are we wrong? >> you say tomato i say tomato. >> if i say appalachia, i'll look like i'm from here? >> yeah. >> do i really look like i'm from here? >> yeah. you'll pass. >> for those like me who got a strong d-plus in american geography, it belongs to a 13-state region along the appalachia mountain range. it includes pennsylvania, tennessee and where i am now, the eastern part of kentucky. this is coal country. coal is one of the three things most people think about when they think of appalachia. along with abject poverty and the movie "deliverance," the movie i was tricked into seeing once in high school. thanks a lot, rob. tell me what stereotypes people have about this area of the country? >> oh, my god. >> that we're not educated. we don't have teeth. we have teeth. >> people think you're not educated and you don't have teeth? >> yeah. >> the "deliverance" stereotype. ♪ ding ding ding now, you will find that. >> let's be clear. it does exist. >> i ain't going to lie. but on a whole, it's just

we know something about appalachia. it's the region of parallel mountain range as and where people lived in small valleys called hollows often known as codes. if no one is actually a road outside of morgantown west virginia where i went during the research of the book. and this is where i took a walk one day and felt that it was in some ways kind of symbolic of the story that i wanted to tell. but it isn't identical with its mountains. this is the mountain range itself which you can see goes from northern alabama all the way up into new england in some parts it is a geological region that is defined by the blue ridge back there and the entire atlantic plane leads right into it. there is a large plane from out of space that looks like tissue paper with all of these thousands of little towns and valleys and rivers and branches. it's more than that and we know that. it is a region that is defined more by its history and its geology. in other words the southern mountains may be geological, but appalachia is hard to define a

. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> who here has been to appalachia or from appalachia? let's see. don't want everybody to know. appalachia has a stigma on it. it's a very poor area of the country. it's also -- it's like the poorest white area in the country. in appalachia, not only is it poor, it's also in a very remote part of the country that it's hard to get to and isolated because it's in the mountains, which basically makes it the only poor neighborhood in america to never get gentrified. not enough subway trains go there. they will be poor forever because it's like they can't get there. does that make you sad?

mountains mark the point of western virginia that splits kentucky and tennessee-- the very center of appalachiawise county, folks are welcomed by storefronts to remember what life was like before unemployment hit 9%. >> teresa gardner: the roads are narrow and windy curves, so it's not easy to drive the bus. >> pelley: this is teresa gardner's territory. she can't be more than five- foot-four, but she muscles the bus through the hollers, deaf to the complaints of a 13-year-old winnebago that's left its best miles behind it. >> gardner: having problems seeing, here. >> pelley: you really can't see. the wipers are nearly shot, and the defroster's out cold. there you go, you can see a little better now. ( laughs ) i understand there's a hole in the floorboard here somewhere? >> gardner: yes, it's right over there, so don't get in that area. ( laughs ) >> pelley: the old truck may be a ruin, but like most r.v.s, it's pretty good at discovering america. gardner and her partner, paula meade, are nurse practitioners aboard the health wagon, a charity that puts free healthcare on the road. >> gardner:

appalachia now even with even. greater. crime our former fault. i got married when. i was sixteen years old and my husband was seventeen years old and that lead me in myriad about six months then he went into the mountains and then six months after that down in the went to contacts and he didn't. know he hadn't two week old son. played and lived down the street here only. killed. vertebra that he would hit really. low. where no. company wants to hold real that's georgia said also that cole ready for the christmas they wanted him there you know we. shot the whole world you'll put down in much the bad guy that walt. wrote to me if. you know that much. to tell the pope that locket one through till it. shielded. ninety six a. rod would fail and. she. soon. i. i find remnants of the mining history all over memory self the casualties in the hard labor are alive in the stories told by the young and of the like they're not had for the glory of collective struggle and hard work paid off. speaking to the locals barson saloons he conceded their life was and still is mine mine i

appalachia now even with even. greater. crime are far more appalled. are shallow.i got married when. i was sixteen years old and my husband was seventeen years old and the lead men married about six months when he went into the mountains and then six months after that dad and i went to korea accident. i had two week old son. played and lived down the street here only on. keel. wrote a bunch that he would hit reply with. oh no. where no. company wants to cold real it's gorgeous at all for the coal ready for the christmas they wanted him there and we. shot the whole deal but done it was done it was bad that it was. killed of me if. you know it much. to tell the pope that locket one through till it. shielded. that even if you. were right i would fairly. soon as. i. i find remnants of the mining history or longer memories of the casualties in the hard labor are alive in the stories told by the young and the like they're not just had the glory of collective struggle and hard work paid off. speaking to the local scene barson saloons you can see that their life was and st

appalachia with even. greater. crime are far more appalled when. our child. got married when. i was sixteen years old and my husband was seventeen years old and lead me in myriad about six months then he went into the mountains and then six months after that dad and i went to contacts and he. hadn't two week old son. lady who lived down the street here only. killed. vertebra that he would hit really. low. where no. company wants to cold real it's gorgeous at all for the coal ready for the christmas they wanted him there and we. shot the whole deal but done it was done it went back to that old wall it. killed him if. they know it much. to tell the pope that locket one through so it could be. shielded. that if it could save her i would fail. she. feels. i find remnants of the mining history or longer memories of the casualties in the hard labor are alive in the stories told by the young and the like they're not had for the glory of collective struggle and hard work paid off. speaking to the local scene dusty barson saloons he can see that their life was and still is mine mine is

appalachia now even with even. greater. crime our former falls. are shallow. i got married when. i was sixteen years old and my husband was seventeen years old and then lead me in myriad about six months and he went into the mountains and then six months after that dad and i went to korea accident. i had two week old son. lady who lived down the street here only. killed. berta but you know what it really. low. where no. company wants to cold real that's from georgia that also that helps coal ready for the christmas they would in there always. suck the whole world will put done much stuff going back to that old wall of. rope keothavong if. they know it much. to tell the ropes that look at it one through till it. shielded. ninety feet to see if they're right with cheryl and. she cared. for me. i. i find remnants of the mining history older memories of the casualties and the hard labor are alive in the stories told by the young and when they're like they're not for the glory of collective struggle and hard work paid off. speaking to the locals in dusty barson saloons he can see that

when i was at the state university in the 1970's, appalachia was offering courses , high schoolls teachersand students were graduating from high school with 30 hours of credit that they could transfer anywhere. i am also a firm believer in students getting as much as -- as their work from community college before they attempt to go to the program. you will see me avoid using four-year degree programs because they are not four-year degree programs anymore. they are six-year degree programs. every school is measuring them in that terminology. i try to stop using the year terminology and talk about high school community college, degrees. we are encouraging credentials, we are saying we would like to andthem more innovation, frankly, there is a lot going on i have found in the course of working on the bill, where students in high school are getting college credit and they are then going on getting certificates and diplomas and degrees which normally do not transfer, but they are transferring. we are encouraging all of those arrangements through the bill. michael: you mentioned student outcomes

has integrity, is smart, and communicates with the broadest cross section with americans, from appalachia to the mississippi delta; from the very rich to the very poor. she can raise our moral standing in the world. #visionary." for his part, president donald trump doesn't seem too concerned about oprah as an opponent. male: can you beat oprah? donald trump: yeah, i'll beat oprah. oprah will be a lot of fun. i know her very well. you know, i did one of her last shows. she had donald trump, this is before politics. her last week, and she had donald trump and my family, it was very nice. no, i like oprah. i don't think she's going to run. rosemary: here to discuss a possible oprah candidacy is jasmine sessoms. she's the founder and ceo of she can win, a nonpartisan organization with the mission to promote women in government. thanks for being with us, jasmine. jasmine sessoms: thanks, rosemary, for having me. excuse my voice. rosemary: oh no, it's that time of year. yeah, flu season in full effect. so, all right, let's talk about oprah for president. certainly her speech was very powerful,

according to the museum of appalachia, five cuttings have been successfully propagated from the museum magnolia in 2009, john rice gave a second cutting to me which is planted at our home in blunt county. we, in turn, have given cuttings to graham and cindy hunter in knoxville and denise and steve smith in franklin. their trees are growing tall in the tennessee soil from which the jackson magnolia came from 80 years ago. while we look back at the long life of the jackson magno lynch a, -- magnolia we can look are forward to its children and grandchildren's growth. i ask to include the article from "the washington post" on december 26 describing the history of the jackson magnolia. i yield the floor. mr. scott: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from south carolina. mr. scott: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i have one request for a committee to meet during today's session of the senate. it has the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. scott: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, the last three weeks have shown u

economy i think we also need to also look at just transition for our coal miner communities in appalachia who have been powering our our country for generations and who deserve an opportunity to learn new skills so that they to compete to be a part of a future where we are embracing clean renewable z. and also thinking about automation so i'm really excited that he do the greens that that's something that we should do as a nation we've got a lot of young people who need to get skills and coding and so that's a really great opportunity to make sure that there's equity there as well we have a lot of opportunities that deserve funding and so vocational schools community colleges historically black black colleges can all benefit from this really great idea that he shared with us tonight bar children there was one thing missing tonight and that was passion. there there there were with all these good numbers. you know minority unemployment numbers. jobs being created the stock market where it is i just didn't get any punch out of this president tonight and that surprises me your thoughts on tha

we all know how much poverty exists in parts of kentucky and appalachia.re's not a lot of infrastructure to find jobs and find places to volunteer and the like. what do you say to ronnie stewart? >> there's not a community in kentucky where there is not a job or a volunteer opportunity or an educational opportunity or a training opportunity or an ability to serve someone in need. there's not one community. not in mr. stewart's community or any other. i don't know him personally and feel he's being used by people who have an agenda and it's not what's in his best interest or kentucky or that of america, for that matter. i find it insulting people would hijack those in need for their own personal benefit. it's a shame. we expected there would be lawsuits. this is what liberals do. they rub -- run to the courts and try to find like-minded people and run things up the flag pole in hopes of a victory. law is on our side and human dignity is on our side and kentucky and america will be better for is. >> martha: you use the word dignity in terms of supporting the

. >> stephen: did you gw up in appalachia why do you have a squirrel trap. >> steve, we had a litterthem and take them to the park. >> stephen: yeah, really. >> vus for the day and then i would bring them back, yeah. (laughter). >> stephen: good dad. >> i just take them up. we go on the car sell and stuff. >> stephen: sure. >> you know what i am talking about. >> stephen: sure. >> so i have been trapping some mar superyals at the residence, taking them on excursions and such because i'm a soft hearted type. >> stephen: yeah. >> now i go back, do you some schtick for the squirrel,. >> stephen: tight ten. >> and she's got good energy. >> stephen: absolutely. >> so she distracts the squirrel. i run back to the residence, get one of my good old opossum traps and we are able to trap this squirrel. turns out it is severely dehydrated. i took it to like there is a squirrel doctor in the valley. >> stephen: where do you live? that has a squirrel doctor. >> he's a little bit of a drive. and the thing about the doctor he is not a regular medical doctor at all. >> stephen: not a vet. >> is he a

. >> if you are a hungry child in appalachia or the inner city, if you are an unemployed worker and alow shell of a steel town, that's not a president who seems rather focused on your particular needs and wants. >> that people around president trump who are enabling this nonsense, the ones who know better. you have to ask yourself this question: are you serving the president? are you serve in the people? >> sean: he prefers presidents like clinton and obama they try to bribe murdering dictators. jake tapper is one of the many trump haters over at fake news cnn, including their white house correspondent jim acosta. >> what we are witnessing right now is an erosion of our freedoms. there are moments where this president is sensitive to criticism and he lashes out in this fashion. >> that is a strange and unpresidential thing to do, throwing paper towels at people. >> all of the questions of the american news media have been handled by conservative press. i think there is no other way to describe it but the fix is in. >> do you believe -- >> and they're not always going to believe -- >>

. >> if you are a hungry child in appalachia or the inner city, if you are an unemployed worker and alow shell of a steel town, that's not a president who seems rather focused on your particular needs and wants. >> that people around president trump who are enabling this nonsense, the ones who know better. you have to ask yourself this question: are you serving the president? are you serve in the people? >> sean: he prefers presidents like clinton and obama they try to bribe murdering dictators. jake tapper is one of the many trump haters over at fake news cnn, including their white house correspondent jim acosta. >> what we are witnessing right now is an erosion of our freedoms. there are moments where this president is sensitive to criticism and he lashes out in this fashion. >> that is a strange and unpresidential thing to do, throwing paper towels at people. >> all of the questions of the american news media have been handled by conservative press. i think there is no other way to describe it but the fix is in. >> do you believe -- >> and they're not always going to believe -- >>

called hillbilly heroin when the company first brought it on the market, and that is because in appalachia, people were taking the pills, crushing, injecting them, overdosing on that come and dying. i knew about it as a prosecutor. had dealt with it. it had just come on the market. they put a lot of money into saying it was not addictive, and note outd a foot of an article that was completely fraudulent. as soon as i tried oxycontin, i was a completely different animal. it was completely different from percocet. when you run out of percocet, you feel like you have a cold, but it is manageable. when i ran out of oxycontin, i started going to massive withdrawals. i remember sitting in my law office in albany and i had probably taken my last oxycontin a day and a half earlier, my stomach started to sort of floating, my body start -- flipping, my body started to cramp up, nausea. i remember the wastepaper basket asked to me. i had a client in the waiting room, the secretary is saying, are you going to see this client, and i was about to throw up. was having.t i had never been through withdrawa

mountains mark the point of western virginia that splits kentucky and tennessee-- the very center of appalachiaed by storefronts to

national academy of sciences that was focused on the health effects of mountaintop coal removal in appalachia. >> mountaintop removal lobs the peaks off to get to the coal inside. researchers say the practice contaminates groundwaters with toxic minerals, resulting in higher lung carry rates and other illnesses. in august, the interior department said the decision was part of an agency-wide budget review. environmentalists have expressed alarm at several recent changes and regulatory rollbacks that they say will jeopardize clean air and clean water. >> there are people out there in the environmental community and also the president's critics who are suspicious that they think that every time a regulation is rolled back, that is air quality or water quality made less safe. as opposed to an onerous regulation that will help create jobs. >> as you said, it's toe-mate-toe, toe-mah-toe. there has to be a ball left hand struck and i think this administration's moving that direction. >> the pro-business stance of this presidency is helping fuel the economy. >> total unemployment is now at a 17-year

here in the heart of appalachia sits the small town of princeton, population 6,400. >> we're pretty much a rural mountain area. coal and of course, you know, railroads. >> reporter: louise turpin, born louise robinette, grew up in this modest princeton house, the daughter of an official at the county courthouse. >> we had a pretty normal life inside the home that i lived in. >> reporter: her younger sister elizabeth says that louise was a strong-minded, willful kid. >> it was her way or no way. and if she had to sneak around to do it, she would do it. >> reporter: the younger sister says she and others in the family were sexually abused. she wonders whether the impact on the family might have been a contributing factor. >> there was sexual abuse by a family member, a close family member, and not our parents. we were not allowed to talk about it. and i'm not making excuses for my sister, but i think that that may have been an underlining issue. >> reporter: meanwhile, six miles away on the outskirts of town, david turpin grew up in this red brick house. david went to school at princeton s

schools, a housing bill that included rent for the general -- rent supplements to for a family and appalachia bill targeting more than $1 billion for the economic development of the legion a series of environmental bills, and the control of billboard advertising. these are only highlights. it would be understatement to say the johnson administration introduced a wide range of legislation to the congress. it was more like a bombardment. observers said that lbj set the bar too high. he himself -- he set himself up for the inevitable fall when funds and good will became scarce, but was courageous to forge a society based upon equity and justice. though he did not come quite that way, america was a better place in 1965 than it was in 1945. the gifted generation, their education, their ideals and the work they would accomplish over the next 50 years, renexted the transformation in american society. educational institutions, employment opportunities, and the political system were much more open and accommodating in 1965 than in 1945. more people were engaged with their country, and more people want

jd vance on his memoir on his life growing up with a poor a poor white family, with roots in appalachiad robert costa talks about the 2016 presidential campaign and how that compared to the 1992 campaign run by businessman ross perot. you'll find those on c-span.org. here's a look at our live coverage today. on c-span, homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen talks about combating terrorism. the house comes in, followed by .egislative business several bills on the agenda, including one to increase protections for young people and amateur athletes against sexual abuse. at 2:00 the senate is in to take ban bill that would abortions after 20 weeks. on c-span3, we get a preview of tomorrow's state of the union. later, foreign members of congress -- later, four members of congress talk about the current political climate. coming up on today "washington journal", will take a look at the week ahead with arlene super bowl and out weaver. nina olsonadvocate talks about the new tax law and its implementation at the irs. ♪ host: the u.s. capital, the site of president trump us first u.s. state

these people, they are pulling for them but they have to go up in the appalachia mountains and cities around everywhere, plaque, white, legal mexicans, look at the poverty level. and here they are wanting to put all that money to make them legal. in my opinion, they want to make them illegal because they will know that there is 850,000 votes in the next election. host: jimmy is next from minnesota. our line for independents. jimmy, you're on the air. you are next. caller: i'm from california and why there is so much bickering and all that stuff blaming when america is supposed to be the most richest. why can't we do everything for everybody? host: alan, you are next, a federal employee from fort lauderdale. caller: it amazes me with this country of strong ethics of promoting good citizens and good candidates and we have that, we find other reasons to fight about it and not focus on the importance of what our civic responsibilitiesr which is to promote new citizens that have the right background, ethics, which apparently these people, there is no dispute about that. i think we really o

moral collapse that we see not only in minority communities in inner-city places like that but in appalachiahe south and an old west belt cities among white working-class communities and the cultural foundation of that are real and they've got to be dealt with. we can go all the way back to 1965 when daniel patrick moynihan was then just a young harvard professor working as assistant deputy of labor, if i recall quickly, did his study that showed the out of wedlock birth rate among african-americans had risen 25% and moynihan could see what the consequences of that would bepp for this historically persecuted and oppressed secretary of our society and that meant widescale fatherlessness and with that delinquency, despair, drug addiction, violence, incarceration and in a vicious cycle. when moynihan warned about all of that, warned her it would lead, for his efforts he wasat labeled a racist. he was stigmatized and so people went silent on cultural questions on the cultural foundations of that family collapse and moral collapse. they were feared of being treated the way he was treated and the

particularly appalachia. the of natural gas going to midwest.ll the market was pretty oversupply from the start and prices as a result were lower than ever. alix: let's talk about the demand we are seeing. this is record natural gas demand. it seems like we do have the supply to meet it. >> we do. what is happening now is the reason we are seeing record demand is not only is gas going to heat homes and businesses but we have a record amount of gas being used for power generation now. that is something we didn't have. it's a good chunk of the reason why that is. alix: how our power plants operating? are still operating now. so much demand is picked up for residential and commercial heating especially around new england we are seeing powerplants relying on fuel oil, diesel fuel to keep running. alix: does this give a needed boost to nuclear demand? >> nuclear plants run regardless of demand but it does boost prices which help nuclear plants and nuclear plants need a higher price in order to break even. analysis, my colleague cover that yesterday.

that is able to move supplies out of parts like appalachia and the midwest and get the gas where it needsnd thing is, we might still have a warmer second half of january, so the markets are not anticipating this sort of short-term demand to carry on into the latter half of the month. alix: i am also finding power prices surprising. power prices for the northeast and we saw huge spikes on friday and we knew the storm was coming but when a -- but now we have backed down. is this a demand thing or is this that traders got too far over their skis? kit: i think it is some of both of those as well as the overall commodity price structure is lower now than it was in the last big peak of electricity prices, especially in the northeast. now oil is $60, so the difference in what you can burn, you see that spike in oil usage, you did not see that, last time. oil was so expensive that you would not switch over. oil holds down the price in new england and new york. alix: how much are we drawing in other sources? kit: nuclear runs steadily. electric companies are going to say this is a great example of

>> searchers, law enforcement, volunteers began fanning out into the adjacent 57,000 acre appalachia national forest. all of them with dread in their heart. >> i would be devastated if this happened to my family. i want to help. >> there were massive searches in town, thousands of people showed up to comb the woods looking for her. it was clear very early on that this was unusual for her. she would not have gotten in the car with someone. she just wasn't the person who would have disappeared. >> tallahassee democrat senior writer jennifer portman covered the story. >> we're talking about north florida in the panhandle area. people are bound by their schools, by their it family, their churches. >> and sunday school teachers with children and a grandchild don't go missing. >> that's exactly right. >> her friends and family were as baffld as the police. law enforcement was trying to put the pieces together. when they looked into sheryl's background, nothing jumped out at them. two sons, a long settled divorce, no boyfriends. then on tuesday, four days after she was last seen, the cops g

welcomes visitors from near and far and leaves them with greater appreciation for the taste of appalachia. i congratulate the distillery on their success and wish it sees the best an their young business branches out in northeast georgia. mr. speaker, i rise today and honor the 45th annual march for life which takes place friday. across our country americans will defend the innocent lives by giving them a clear voice in washington. we're a nation of people who strive to fight for individual freedoms yet we deprive the unborn of the most fundamental liberty, the right to a birthday. a father of three, pastor, and air force chaplain, i believe we have a sacred responsibility to protect the lives of the unborn. every life has value. every child deserves a birthday. this week the house will vote to increase protections for unborn americans through the born alive survivor protection act. this legislation would ensure a child born after a failed abortion attempts receives the same life giving medical care to any newborn. the bill would also prohibit medical providers from continuing the procedu

we electrified appalachia 60 years ago. why is that agency still in operation? if you want to see the problem avoided, give me a filibuster-proof senate majority in november. go on full political offensive on this from the oval office on friday evening. charles: unified message to shelby's point is problem for republicans, hasn't it? >> sell the tax cuts. there should be much more optimism. recent polls are starting to tick up a little bit, people are showing more optimism than they have in the past. messaging has been a problem since the beginning because i don't think they're necessarily unified. i don't think they necessarily see the world the same way, that they see the economy the same way. there are still divisions we saw them last week. we've seen them come out in reporting today, from john roberts about the back and forth between lindsey graham and president. there is division in the party. if they are unified they have a pretty good economic message to sell. i think there is logic to what shelby was getting at a few minutes ago, if you're at the white h

health director in central appalachia for a decade before that. the thoughts i will be sharing today are my own but i am confident that they are shared shared by my public-health colleagues across the country who try every day to respond to threats of all kinds. measles,eats may be foodborne illness, influenza that can like this year unpredictably test our nations response rate. these threats can also be large scale national or global events like an influenza pandemic, ebola, zika, the opioid epidemic or acts of terrorism. public-health also mobilizes during natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that unfortunately seldom does a public health jurisdiction of any size go more than a few years without experiencing. as well, for mechanisms like the emergency management assistance compact, unaffected jurisdictions are frequently called upon to assist neighbors. a responsibility, discipline, and service we have to get right. lives in physical and economic help depend on it. it is something we in public-health do ever

but for certain parts of the country, like mine, in appalachia, this is a big thing for us. so i think if he talks about energy, we have questions about energy shortages and all these things. so i think that's a uniting, like i said, some parts of it that aren't so much, obviously, but i think energy dominance is something that he could talk about. senator king: i think a lot of it is going to be tone. for his first year he played pretty much to his base. this is an opportunity to turn the corner. as is this immigration debate. he could be nixon to china on immigration. he has an opportunity to do something other presidents have failed to do. if he seizes that opportunity, i think it will be very good for him politically and we'll solve some problem that was been nagging us for years. so i'm hoping that he sort of, what's the term? widens the aperture, in terms of who he's talking to. and if he does that, i think it'll be effective. people go into these things wanting to be, to feel uplifted and positive. and if he can do that and resist the urge to jab people, i think it'll