once again, live from washington, moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening. it's been a strange and interesting week, one that tested the bounds of politics and the policy. speaking to party loyalists at a chicago fund-raiser on wednesday, president obama himself conceded that the bind that he now finds himself in. >> we've got a politics that's stuck. right now. and the reason it's stuck is because people spend more time thinking about the next election then they do thinking about the next generation. gwen: now, of course, with the president means by that is that he's having trouble getting enough people to agree with his world view. starting with one of the biggest achievements of his first term, affordable care act. what's probt there, amy? >> if he talked to even democrats, they ranged in concern to, you know, relatively concerned to absolutely terrified, that this is going to be a disaster. you heard senator max baucus, of course, say he worries this will be a train wreck. democratic senator from montana. they look back to 2010 and they say, the white ho

once again, live from washington, moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening.ven if we were given to hype around this table, this week would defy any temptation to overstate. so we've assembled the smartest folks we could think of to break it all down for you. the legal reasoning, the political consequences, and the policy effect of all the big cases decided by the supreme court this week and this term. edith windsor, the plaintiff in the case that overturned the federal defense of marriage act put her victory this week. >> for more than four decades, love and joy, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. when thea died in 2009 from a heart condition, two years after we were finally married, i was heartbroken. on a deeply personal level, i felt anguish that in the eyes of my government the woman i had loved and cared for and shared my life with was not my legal spouse but was considered to be a stranger. gwen: just as anthony kennedy writing for the 5-4 majority found that law in 1996 undermines the private and public significance of state shangsed sa

so he -- gwen: how? >> he slightly reversed course by suggesting at his press conference on thursday hopefully this will be a bipartisan thing. but it will be a majority support situation. gwen: but he has caucuses, people within his caucus who don't seem interested in listening to whatever he says. >> yes. that is true. you've got -- the ardent tea-party backed republicans who are more interested in pleasing groups like the heritage foundation than they are in worrying about the speaker and the marningt leader. -- majority leader. an incredible meltdown. republicans will blame democrats who say they had assured them 40 votes in support. but there was an amendment to the farm bill regarding the supplemental nutrition assistance program. people know as food stamps. it was an amendment that said that basically if you're collecting food stamps, you have to be working. the idea was that you aren't getting a free handout. republicans asked for a vote. and the moment that they asked for a vote, the democrats s

once again, live from moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening. it appears the government is net over private communications in the name of national security. president's response today was basically, move along, nothing to see here. you can't have 100% security and also then have 100% privacy, inconvenience. we're going to have to make some society.s a gwen: senior members of congress, it appears, knew about as previously secret program did the executive and the judicial branches of government we,we sure didn't, did pete? >> no, we certainly didn't and even some members of congress on this said they didn't know details either so we're talking about two programs, one which the government gets virtually all the records, the phone inialed by every the u.s. enormousmped into an database maintained by the national security agency. the government says they don't anything with it until they have a specific number or pattern of calls associated with overseas terrorist organization. only then, they say, can they search into the base to see find a match fo

live from, washington, moderator gwen ifill. gwen: good evening. from all sides, allies and critics alike, the white house has announced it will intervene in the bleed syrian civil war. how far is the obama administration willing to go? >> people have to understand that this is a very fluid and dynamic situation and the situation on the ground will its own twists and turns. of own policy has been one incrementally increased support for the opposition, efforts to pressure the assad regime but this is not something that will a resolved with the turn of switch. gwen: whatever the administration is willing to do, too little, too late? many think it is. the last couple of weeks have seen the rebel positions collapsing, government troops moving on a number of key positions and it really looked rebellion was beginning to fall apart and that precipitated this flurry of meetings in washington to decide do about possibly supporting the rebels. at the same time, you had the theulation about determination of chemical weapons, whether chemical weapons were used

gwen: overreach. overreach. it's interesting because the tea they has been gored here, press has been gored here, the left has been disappointed in its president so that's the if anything unites it. gwen: that everybody's unhappy. karen.ou, as a massive immigration reform bill goes through the senate, are a number of sticking points. chief among them what, border security would and should look like. my amendment has real border place whileggers in the gang of 8 bill has no willtive trigger that guarantee implementation of border security standards that reach the gang's own standards situational awareness, 90% apprehension rate. >> we certainly want to improve the border but we cannot improve that border and put in place are not that specifically and achievable. byn: we have to start explaining what was it that the senator was talking about. there was a little bit of he wasdy but specifically talking about achievability. what ishis proposal and the gang of 8 talking about? membertor schumer is a of the gang of 8

(singing) our guest today is gwen moore.people other than herself for the state of the economy. thanks for being with us here, gwen. who do you blame for the economy? >> well, i think that wall street, we have some brilliant people on the planet that were allowed to do their due. we've had two wars that we didn't pay for. >> stephen: we shouldn't have gone to war. >> that's another conversation. stephen: we're in that. that's this conversation. you brought up the war. >> you're talking about the economy. >> stephen: you brought up the war. >> you have to pay for it. stephen: who do you blame? now you're blaming the wars for the economy. you don't support our troops. you don't support our troops. you're blaming our troops for this democratic failure of the economy. >> we have to feed the troops in the morning. >> stephen: i'm talking about the economy. you're talking about lucky charms. >> lucky charms. you know, government is never important except when we want fema to get us up our roof. we want the a.f.t. to be there to ca

back to gwen. immigration will be settled with the administration doing less than more. the more the president intrudes into the process, more difficult it becomes to pass. that's why the democrats, led by schumer, before the president went to las vegas to make his speech about it, went to him and said, cool your jets. >> i want to move on. we have a few minutes left. i want to talk about the remarkable reunion this week. chris christie and president obama, went back to the jersey shore. we showed them right there, having a good time. christie was a much better ballplayer in this context than the president. and when you look at that -- and he's a little smaller after that surgery, yeah. christie's thinking, first things first. let me get re-elected governor of new jersey. worry about president later. >> well, it's pretty smart if you want to get re-elected governor of new jersey. he's running these lovely ads in new jersey, christie, the governor. i mean, what's not to like about -- >> up 30 points

gwen: the senate takes giant steps toward immigration reform.l is not passed. gwen: will anything get done now? the president focuses his energies abroad. on afghanistan. >> we had anticipated that at the outset, there were

gwen is with us when we return. stay with us. all the chicken in your grocery store is s inspected by the usda before it's packaged. but perdue asked the usda to go further...a lot further. in our hatcheries, feedmills and the family farms where our chickens are raised. they verify that all our chickens are fed an all-veggie diet, with no animal by-products... and they're cared for in a clean, safe environment. no other chicken company does this. but we believe this is what it takes to bring your family a tastier, more tender chicken. perdue. we believe in a better chicken. >> so another look, stormy weather maybe a little bit later, right? >> yes, definitely. let's look at the father's day forecast for you. we've got sunshine for you this morning. it's going to be warm and humid. 86 degrees. by this afternoon, it looks like maybe closer to the 4:00 hour or so, keep your eyes to the skies. we've got a chance of some storms and some could have gusty winds and small hail. be careful out there. we want you to be safe. >> now it's ti

gwen: but will the victory hold?> with this decision the courts have allowed the desires of adults to trump the needs of children. every child deserves a mommy and a daddy. gwen: and mixed rulings on two race-based cases. as the voting rights act is

hello, i'm gwen ifill. here at the pbs newshour we know you rely on us for information to help you make important decisions about everything from voting to daily life. that's a responsibility we take very seriously. we are committed to providing you balanced in-depth reporting and analysis of the day's events both on-air and online. your support for this station makes the newshour possible. thank you for that support. you may not be sure why we come to you in this way to ask for your support. well, one reason is that many people didn't realize we needed the financial support. that's right-- they didn't understand how important individual membership contributions are to sustaining this community resource. so we're here to let you know that your pledge right now is vitally important. your pledge gives us the means to purchase and produce new programs and series. most importantly, your pledge makes the pbs newshour possible. we can't do it alone. your help is crucial. so don't delay. give us a call right now,

i'm gwen ifill >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. we'll see you online and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> support also comes from carnegie corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what andrew carnegie called "real and permanent good." celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> this is "bbc world news." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and

thanks very much. >> thanks, gwen. >> thank you, gwen. >> brown: next, another economic meltdown. that's the dire prediction of a former white house budget director, who argues in a recent book that wall street and washington are broken. newshour economics correspondent paul solman has the first of two takes on the government's role in the economic recovery, part of his regular reporting on making sense of financial news. >> solman: libertarian david stockman has been a controversial figure since he quit the reagan administration as budget chief in 1985, blaming it for failing to take deficits seriously. he became rich-- and legally embroiled-- as a leveraged buyout financier. he faced accounting fraud charges that were later dropped. now he's become visible again as author of "the great deformation," a hefty screed that attacks the left and right alike. but mainly, it attacks government economic intervention. it begins with the crash of '08. stockman thinks it was long overdue. >> that was mr. market bringing discipline, bringing resolution to very reckless financial behavior. we

thanks a lot for joining us. >> thanks, gwen. online, see how social media allowed spectators across the country to take part in the austin debate. >> brown: finally tonight to egypt, where there is unrest as angry crowds react to a major address by the country's president. margaret warner has more. >> warner: trying to defuse growing defiance to his rule, egyptian president mohammed morsi called on his opponents to help end the country's political polizarization. in a live speech televised nationwide, morsi warned that if the breach isn't healed, egypt could slip into chaos. he acknowledged he'd made mistakes, but also accused remnants of the old regime of fomenting anti-government violence. he spoke just days before mass protests set for sunday on the one-year anniversary of morsi and the muslim brotherhood assuming power. earlier today, two people were killed and more than 100 were injured as clashes broke out between morsi opponents and supporters. for more, we turn to nancy youssef of mcclatchy newspapers in cairo. nancy, th

it's true.true. >> gwen says we could see heavy rain in our 88 by not end of th week. schools.sizes. now, there are ninety-percent fewer beverage calories in... schools nationwide. it's just one of the ways we're helping everyone make more... balanced choices everyday. to learn more, visit deliveringchoices.org. is inspected by the usda before it's packaged. but perdue asked the usda to go further...a lot further. in our hatcheries, feedmills and the family farms where our chickens are raised. they verify that all our chickens are fed an all-veggie diet, with no animal by-products... and they're cared for in a clean, safe environment. no other chicken company does this. but we believe this is what it takes to bring your family a tastier, more tender chicken. perdue. we believe in a better chicken. >>> 23 million meals have served in america's national park. pa. you may notice menu changes att restaurants and concessionconcen stands.stan. beth parker shows us. >> reporter: america'samer national parks look like this and this, but soon they will sound like this. this. that's the

gwen: with more than 90,000 now dead, as the syrian government uses chemical weapons against own, the white house says it's ready to act. hezbollah, the, iranians are all in. change theto equation on the ground and you can't do it with half measures. the u.s. far is willing to go? the n.s.a. leaker goes public. forwardan't come against the world's most powerful intelligeag

i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we talk to former director of national intelligence dennis blair and debate the security and privacy issues raised by the disclosure of the classified programs. >> ifill: we kick off a week dedicated to food security. tonight, a story from costa rica on the struggle to maintain forests while encouraging farming. it's part of our series: "food for nine billion." >> the magic is going to come in figuring out how to value nature in our decisions, how to see nature as an asset. >> woodruff: jeffrey brown recaps president obama's one-on- one talks with china's new leader and looks at what progress, if any, the two made on cybersecurity, north korea and more. >> ifill: and ray suarez explores the sometimes wild, sometimes weird outcomes when scientists experiment on animals with the author of "frankenstein's cat". >> it surprised me how far along this technology was: that you can now buy a glow-in-the-dark genetically engineered pet, or remote control a cockroach

gwen: it's a tough week in washington when both major parties are digging themselves out of politicales. see why tonight on "washington week." their problems may be deeper then meets the eye. the white house is defending its health care plan and its attorney general. >> with regard to the central prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material, that is not something i have ever been involved with, heard of or i think would be a wide policy. >> the president has confidence in the attorney general. gwen: and republicans are defending themselves from themselves. >> comma what do you think of your party, the republicans? >> i think they ought to put a thorn on the mat or maybe door, closed for repair. >> can the gms get back on track? can republicans agree on what's next?

gwen: i always feel like somebody's watching me. it's not just a bad song, it's mind. on everybody's we explore, tonight, on "washington week." >> we want to keep america safe to compromiseant our basic freedoms, our privacy individuals. >> the patriot act comes home to roost with news that the government has been collecting and internet records of millions of americans. >> it is lawful. it has been briefed to congress. what'sn't mean we know going on. >> president bush started it, president obama's continuing it. from my point of view. gwen: striking a balance between security and privacy and who gets to protect women in the military from sexual assault? not every commander can distinguish between a slap on the ass and a rape. removing commanders, making

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, marcia coyle dissects the 5-4 decision, which split the court in surprising ways. >> ifill: then, violent demonstrations raged across turkey for a fourth straight day. we get the latest on the protesters calling for the prime minister to step down. >> it really started as this tiny sit-in, but this kind of progressive, powerful reooks by the police basically caught the imagination of a lot of people who are more broadly unhappy with prime minister erdogan's rule. >> brown: margaret warner reports on hezbollah's increasing role in syria's bloody civil war and the fight for a key syrian city. >> troops have turnedded the tide in the battle for the town ofr. >> ifill: ray suarez has the story of the court-martial of bradley manning, the army soldier charged with the biggest leak of classified information in u.s. history. >> brown: and we close with a look back at the career and political legacy of frank lautenberg, the long-time new jersey senator who died today

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the "newshour" tonight, we take a closer look at rice's record, the nominee to replace her as u.n. ambassador and what that means for america's role abroad. >> woodruff: then, we get the latest on the battle for a key syrian city, as government forces claim they have retaken control of qusair. >> ifill: margaret warner reports from lebanon on the spike in sectarian violence in the country's second largest city. >> in the past five weeks alone, three dozen people have been killed and at least 250 wounded. it's the worst sectarian fighting lebanon has seen in the nearly quarter century since its own civil war ended in 1990. >> woodruff: plus, we debate the potential economic benefits and costs of immigration reform. >> ifill: and the civil rights activist medgar evers was honored today at arlington national cemetery. we examine his legacy, as we near the fiftieth anniversary of his assassination. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." >> major funding for the pbs news

. >> woodruff: and gwen ifill has the story of one chinese woman's search for her jailed dissident father and the novel inspired by her experience. that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> i want to make things more secure. >> i want to treat more dogs. >> our business needs more cases. >> where do you want to take your business? >> i need help selling art. >> from broadband, to web hosting, to mobile apps, small business solutions from a.t.&t. can help get you there. we can show you how a.t.&t. solutions can help your business today. >> more than two years ago, the people of b.p. made a commitment to the gulf. and everyday since, we've worked hard to keep it. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy. we shared what we've learned so that we can all produce energy more safely. b.p. is also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. >> support also comes from carnegi

. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, marcia coyle breaks down the major rulings, and we debate the court's 5-4 decision on voting rights, as well as the likely fallout. >> brown: then, president obama unveils a sweeping plan to combat climate change without congressional approval. we get two takes on his proposals. >> ifill: colorado prepares to roll out a new way for residents to get health insurance. betty ann bowser reports on the challenge of getting people to buy in. >> there's 800,000 uninsured in this state. probably 600,000 to 700,000 of those will need to be educated by september. i think it's a monoutilityal task. ♪ when i'm gonna go back home >> brown: and we close with singer and actress audra mcdonald: her recent whirlwind of new career challenges, and the one place that keeps calling her back. >> i felt much better on stage. for me it's the rush of being forced to be so in the present. ♪ concentrating sloppy haired actor ♪ >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major f

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we explore the prospects for peace in afghanistan, as its government forces today formally took control of the country's security. >> ifill: then, the debate over immigration reform gathers steam. tonight, ray suarez talks with kentucky republican senator rand paul. citizenship is a privilege i think we can discuss how we do that down the road. we examine a new study that >> brown: we examine a new study that finds most education schools are in disarray, and poorly preparing the nation's teachers to help students learn. >> ifill: special correspondent kira kay reports from myanmar, on the violent clashes between muslims and buddhists that have displaced more than 100,000 people. >> brown: and we close with a different look at afghanistan, through an ancient oral tradition kept alive in two-line poems. teletrade. the women have done this for centuries, they reflect that are >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour

i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we get analysis from marcia coyle on that and other rulings today, plus a debate about what the high court's limited decision on affirmative action means for the future. >> ifill: then, n.s.a. leaker edward snowden remains on the run. from hong kong to moscow, to who knows where next, margaret warner looks at how the u.s. is trying to track him down. >> brown: ray suarez has our coverage of opening statements in the trial of george zimmerman, charged with second- degree murder in the shooting death of florida teenager trayvon martin. >> ifill: and judy woodruff talks to two authors who are tracking the shift of power from washington, d.c., to the cities and states, launching a "metropolitan revolution." i think when you have coalitions of mayors, civic leaders, business leaders all coming together and showing that change can really happen on the ground, that is a powerful example for washington. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major fundin