newshour congressional correspondent kwame holman has the story. >> holman: the house and senate pursued divergent paths today to cutting the deficit and raising the debt limit, even as yet another possible alternative emerged which garnered a presidential embrace. in a visit to the briefing room with little warning, the president pointed to "some progress" being made among negotiators, but said more needed to be done. >> the problem we have now is we're in the 11th hour and we don't have a lot more time left. >> holman: mr. obama praised the work of a bipartisan group of senators known as the "gang of six." the group released the framework of a deal today that would cut roughly $4 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. the savings would come from cuts to discretionary spending, including defense programs, reforms to federal health care programs such as medicare and medicaid. and it also would include $1.2 trillion in new revenues. at the capitol this afternoon, senate republican leader mitch mcconnell said he would withhold judgment on the plan. >> i don't have an opinion yet.

newshour congressional correspondent kwame holman has our report on the day's events >> holman: speaker john boehner started the day by scotching any talk that a deal might be near. >> there was no agreement, publicly, privately, never an agreement, and frankly, not close to an agreement. so let me just suggest that it's going to be a hot weekend here in washington, d.c. >> holman: it had been widely reported that the speaker and president obama were making headway on a plan to save at least $3 trillion over the next decade. the plan would involve an array of spending cuts, including curbs on medicare and medicaid. adding new tax revenues to the mix apparently would wait until next year and negotiations on overall tax reform. for any budget compromise to gain traction, the president likely will have to persuade democrats at the capitol, as well as his liberal base of supporters, to accept cuts in favored programs. and democrats already are complaining, strenuously, that the president's proposal does not appear to include any immediate increase in tax revenues. vermont independent senato

he was serving life for two murders at the holman correctional center in alabama. one of the murders was committed on the outside and the other in prison. he told us both involved disputes over money. >> i killed somebody because i felt like they were taking something from me, and then i come from a world where everybody thinks they can take something from me. so, you know, you got a convergence of forces here. >> during our original 2006 shoot at holman he was battling the warden for a transfer closer to his elderly mother. he was denied the transfer for various infractions. when we shot our extended stay series a year later, gilbert was still trying to get his transfer. >> bobby had a very close relationship with his mother. for her to visit him, it took a lot. it took money. it took time. none of which she had. i think she was his sole support system emotionally speaking and knew he was going to stay in prison for the rest of his life, but at least he wanted to be closer to her. >> hey, mr. gilbert, how are you doing? >> we followed gilbert to his review hearing

and had been at the center of numerous conflicts at holman.hough his violent behavior had tapered off he had just been assigned to anger management after a disciplinary write-up for arguing with another inmate. >> how many disciplinaries? >> 57. >> how did that happen? >> it's a [ bleep ] jungle. it's a jungle. it's been a jungle my whole 11 years. i'm saying so people say, you can't blame other people for what you do, blame other people for your actions. that's a lie. >> why? >> you got to blame other people. you got to blame other people because you can do the best you can to try to avoid other people and people will do stupid stuff. there's a certain way a person has to live in prison. prison made me the man i am. right now. >> how about your response to those stupid things? >> but it all depends on what they do. >> no, you can never blame other people for your behavior. you don't think there is anything wrong with the way you behave or the way you handle stress and anger? you're in the wrong class because you first have to say, yes, i have

. >> at the holman correctional facility in alabama, we met inmate kenny wilson. he was housed in the prison's administration segregation unit. >> i had about five or six charges. my most biggest charge is dealing with a teenager which i was 16 and she was like 15 i believe. i ended up killing both of them, the mom and daughter. came in 15 years, and i got 15 more. >> originally convicted of rape and theft, wilson earned his second 15-year sentence while behind bars after he brutally beat a corrections officer. >> ended up, cracked his ribs, his jaw. think i did something to his hip and broke his collarbone too. to me it was no thing, it was prison. you don't come here and work here and think it's cake. no, he didn't die, he just won't be a correctional officer no more. >> despite his attitude, some at holman are trying to help wilson turn his life around. >> i have known him several years. he's a young man with a lot of anger problems. he acts out through his anger. that's what we're trying to deal with now. >> i have a bad anger problem, you know what i'm saying

newshour congressional correspondent kwame holman begins our coverage. with the most recent hopes of a bipartisan plan fading house speaker john boehner unveiled his own debt strategy this afternoon. >> it's time to get serious about solving america's problems. and i believe our plan is a good step in the right direction. >> it would unfold in two stages. first a six month $1 trillion increase in the debt ceiling coupled with $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. then a congressional commission would work to come up with an additional $1.8 trillion in cuts including entitlement and tax reform to raise revenue. but president obama has ruled out any action that does not raise the debt ceiling through the end of next year. and speaking today at a meeting of the national council, he stressed again revenues should be part of any deal. >> people from both parties have said that the best way to take on our deficit is with a balanced approach. one where the wealthiest americans and big corporations pay their fair share too. >> reporter: meanwhile the leader of the dem

on the newshour tonight, kwame holman has the latest on the back and forth, and we look at how we got here, and the tangled stakes in washington and on wall street. >> ifill: then, from oslo, we have an update on the weekend massacre, as norwegian authorities begin to release names of those killed. and the gunman's attorney says his client is likely insane. >> brown: we examine a new study showing a widening wealth gap between whites and minority americans. >> ifill: paul solman has the story of a college program that turns convicts into graduates. >> this is my third time i'm being incarcerated. each time i was incarcerated before in the past i was always looking for the easy way out. this time i'm committed to educating myself. >> brown: and ray suarez explores the growing rift between ireland and the vatican over sexual abuse allegations. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> okay, listen. somebody has got to get serious. >> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet.

"newshour" congressional correspondent kwame holman has the latest. >> reporter: the u.s. senate gave up its fourth of july recess this week, to focus on raising the national debt ceiling. but there was no sign today that agreement is near on the basic divide-- over tax hikes versus spending cuts. >> we must do something, and we must do something about the real problem, spending and debt. washington, in a bipartisan way, has a spending problem. the fundamental problem isn't that we're under-taxed. >> here's what it's coming down to, in the home stretch of negotiations, our republican colleagues seem to be willing to tank the economy rather than end a single tax subsidy. democrats are committed to reducing deficit, getting our nation back on a sensible fiscal track, but we know that everyone must pay their fair share. >> reporter: at issue is how to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion as part of any deal to increase the nation's borrowing authority. lawmakers are now less than four weeks away from the august 2nd deadline to act or risk a default on the federal debt. wi

. >> ifill: kwame holman brings us the latest on the showdown over raising the government's borrowingmit. >> woodruff: and jeffrey brown talks to legendary concert pianist leon fleisher about overcoming a disability that nearly silenced his career. >> if there was a way that i could remain active in music without playing with two hands, well, i had to find it. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour."çç major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> oil companies have changed my country. >> oil companies can make a difference. >> we have the chance to build the economy. >> create jobs, keep people healthy and improve schools. >> ... and our communities. >> in angola chevron helps train engineers, teachers and farmers; launch child's programs. >> it's not just good business. >> i'm hopeful about my country's future. >> it's my country's future. çç >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and...

on the "newshour" tonight, kwame holman has the latest on the claims and counter claims. and we get the perspective of two senate members of the bipartisan "gang of 6"-- democrat kent conrad and republican saxby chambliss. >> brown: then, in his final report from indonesia, ray suarez looks at efforts to combat rising food prices and malnutrition. >> a really smart pilot project in this jakarta neighborhood is giving families a way to make sure their youngest children are getting properly nourished. >> woodruff: we examine what's behind the borders bookstore bankruptcy as the chain prepares to shutter most of its nearly 400 outlets. >> brown: we continue our collaboration with "the economist" to highlight the art of filmmaking. tonight, one family's harrowing battle to keep their land in zimbabwe, despite brutal intimidation. >> woodruff: and margaret warner talks to journalist and author robin wright about her new book chronicling the rage and rebellion of the arab spring. >> there's no question that this is the greatest wave of empowerment in the 21st century, but it al

on the "newshour" tonight: kwame holman has the latest on the vote. and david chalian walks us through what's next for lawmakers, as the clock ticks closer to the august second deadline. >> woodruff: and we examine the mounting frustration of americans around the country with reporters in two key states: john ralston in nevada, home of senate majority leader harry reid and karen kasler in ohio where speaker john boehner comes from. >> brown: then, margaret warner interviews the new head of the international monetary fund, christine legarde about the debt crisis here and in europe. >> the global economy is clearly highly dependent on the u.s. economy. so to have the lead economy uncertain about its debt ceiling is quite worrisome. >> woodruff: spencer michels updates the story of honey bees dying in large numbers for the last five years. >> a lot of research is taking place in the lab and in the field but the mystery of the disappearing bees remains. >> brown: ray suarez talks to paul farmer about his new book on haiti, still reeling from the massive e

. >> ifill: then, kwame holman reports on the new promise of a bipartisan deficit-cutting plan. >> brown: we update the british phone-hacking scandal, as prime minister cameron comes under fire in parliament. >> ifill: we explore new recommendations that health insurance companies scrap co-payments for birth control making contraception free for millions of women. >> brown: from indonesia, ray suarez has the story of the search for a birth control pill for men that would help stem population growth in the world's 4th largest country. >> on the foothills of this dormant volcano, lost inside these leave there is may be a compound that's eluded scientists for decades-- an effective male oral contraceptive. >> ifill: and the first in a series of interviews with republican presidential candidates. tonight, judy woodruff talks to ron paul about his opposition to raising the debt ceiling and his quest to shrink the size of government. >> the department of education doesn't improve education. we don't need department of energy. all those subsidies in the department of agriculture. we don't need

on the "newshour" tonight, kwame holman has the latest on the race to avert a government default with just three days to go. plus, we debrief "newshour" political editor david chalian. >> lehrer: then, jeffrey brown gets an update on the famine in the horn of africa from the head of the world food program. >> woodruff: mark shields and michael gerson analyze the week's news. >> lehrer: and ray suarez has the story of the secret cancer surgery performed on president grover cleveland in 1893. >> the tumor had to be removed, the location of the operation was the big question. it was cleveland himself who recommended going on a boat. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> well, the best companies are driven by new ideas. >> our history depends on new ideas. we spend billions on advanced technologies. >> it's all about investing in the future. >> we can find new energy-- more cleaner, safer and smarter. >> collaborating with the best in the field. >> chevron works with the smartest people at leading universities and