i'm judy woodruff. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the newshour tonight, as the presidential candidates focus on the economy, what do the mixed signals mean? we get perspective from two economists. >> woodruff: then, we go on board navy ships in the persian gulf to watch a massive military exercise aimed at securing the strait of hormuz. >> we need to be prepared to deal with mines go in the water. this exercise is focused on the mine trip and demonstrating our able to clear mines. we have to be able to do that. >> suarez: the chinese communist party ousts a once-powerful politician and prepares to unveil its new leadership. margaret warner has our update. >> woodruff: mark shields and david brooks analyze the weeks news. >> suarez: and from our "american graduate" series, we take an encore look at the story of an eighth grader who turns to journalism to tackle violence in his middle school. >> if i didn't have a-- i would probably be let up with the wrong people and doing the wrong stuff. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's

judy smith is adjusting to renew found fame. she stopped by fans all the time. >> did you have an affair with the president? bythe scandal are inspired judi smith and her d.c. crisis .ork smith is quick to remind them that it is a television show. she has done a really terrific job at taking debt crisis work that i do, she has dramatized it for television. around every me day, i would bore you to tears. i have to ask for a sneak peek. said your complicated character will continue to in unexpected ways. >> bolivia has an incredible -- bolivia has an personality. she is very strong network and very compassionate. is a little life messy. i think you can count on not to even more complicated. >> smith promises the edge of your seat from the d.c. fans love will get more intense by episode. >> it is going to get crazy. >> judy smith is still going strong. she has even more clients. she says she is still just a l girl who loves to stay husband and kids. she says her kids are not at all by the famed. interesting weather, right? >> i lov

i agree with judy, this was news, it was legit.state department and cnn as to whether it was, some agreement was lived up to, but here is the real problem, the administration, the bm administration wanted this diary out of the way as rapidly as possible because chris stevens was concerned, he wrote in his diary, about the lack of security and they don't want to be held accountable for that and a report on drudge on friday that links the potential of a budget cut for security at the state department with what happened in benghazi. they don't want their fingerprints on that one. >> rick: kirsten, if the goal was to change the subject as jim suggests, did it work? did they throw the media off the trail? >> the media was never on the trail. there's nobody to throw off. you know, the thing about it is, there's only been a few reporters who have been really on this story, you know, and i think that what's interested, what was in the diary in the journal to be specific, it wasn't just the instance of an attack, he was concerned about al-q

they did it, thanks to some very talented volunteers like one we met named judy lagomarcino. or for the purposes of tonight's "bay area proud," miss kitty ♪ i love you. >> reporter: some things in life are quite predictable. ♪ every day i do >> reporter: that someone with a voice like judy would have a platinum record hanging on her wall. ♪ blow a kiss to twinkle star, dance with mr. moon ♪ >> reporter: even the most tone deaf of us could have expected that. just what she got it for, though, that's one even she didn't see coming. >> who would thunk i would get a platinum album for sinking "old mcdonald had a farm." >> reporter: you see, a young judy thought rock 'n roll was her future. in her 20s she left her florida home headed to l.a. to become a star. she worked steadily for a decade, singing in bars and clubs, performing in bands, being part of trios and duos. eventually she tired of that life and began a new one in the bay area, married with a son. a son she began writing and singing songs for. >> a friend said why don't you come sing at my son's birthday party. and so i

>> so judy, you're right. it's mixed information. if you were to bring it all together we believe it points to a really sluggish economy. by that we mean growth of 1%. and there are both external and internal reasons for that. externally the headwinds are considerable. china is slowing. europe is still in a debt crisis. internally we are still dealing with the legacy of the financial crisis. we've had basically no policymaking out of congress now for a long time. and to make things even worse, the healthy parts of the economy, and there are quite a few, the healthy parts are not engaging because they're waiting to see how the fiscal cliff and other things are going to work out. so sluggish economy with the risk of stalled speed. >> so ken rogoff, is sluggish the main word you would use? >> i think muhamed el-erian gave a pretty good description of what's going on. i do think next year might look a little better. but i don't think we're going to be having fast growth for a very long time. the uncertainty around the world in europe and

i'm gwen ifill >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff.ll see you online and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. 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

i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we assess what's fueling the anger in the muslim world, and what can be done to tamp it down. >> woodruff: then, ray suarez examines the move to end a rite of passage on some college campuses that's turned dangerous and sometimes lethal. >> today we saw students that were a part of it and that were excited about it, that were standing up saying i commit to end hate. >> brown: we go behind the frontlines with the rebels in syria to a town that's turned into a vicious battleground, its people ravaged by war. >> a year ago none of these men had ever carried a gun or a bomb. today they're making them. >> woodruff: we update the presidential race as mitt romney releases his 2011 income taxes, showing he paid at a rate of 14%. >> brown: and mark shields and david brooks analyze the week's news. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine

why the turnaround, judy?ay in journalism, even when you try to ignore them for a week there was a stubborn theme. this was a spontaneous eruption of outrage, finally enough material leaked out through the press, not enough because the press wasn't asking the tough questions to force a change in the administration's line. that is what we have now. the tough questions lie ahead. >> jon: rick, you worked for u.n. ambassadors. when susan rice goes out on tv and says this was spontaneous and all because of a movie? >> what is interesting about susan rice, immediate response, david gregory did not push her. netanyahu came on david gregory was aggressive. but with susan rice she was able to talk about narrative of a film being the cause without any push back. however, i disagree with judy the u.s. media got it wrong. international media has been right from the beginning. they have been looking at this and they called it a terrorist attack pretty fast. >>> judy adore you, but there was a meaning, maybe it came from s

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get reaction to the president's speech from margaret warner in new york. >> woodruff: and we assess the administration's foreign policy as mitt romney criticizes the president for the way he's handled overseas crises. >> ifill: then, paul solman looks at why applying for jobs online may just not work. >> woodruff: what's behind the >> i check the email and the job sites hourly. from 7:00 in the morning until midnight. >> woodruff: what's behind the drop in s.a.t. scores? ray suarez looks at the surge in the number of students taking the test, and what it tells us about learning. >> ifill: plus, we talk with journalist bob merry. his new book explores how voters, pollsters, and historians judge presidents. >> you can't be a leader of destiny, as i describe it, and change the critical landscape simply because you got elected president and willed to do it. the country has to need that or want that. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major fun

. >> it is inspired by judy smith, a professional fixer. alison starling caught up with smith to talk about the new season and what to expect. >> judy smith is adjusting to her new-found of fame. she and stop by fans all the time. one question comes up frequently. >> did you have an affair with the president? >> the character is inspired by judy smith with everyone from marion barry to monica lewinsky, she is quick to remind us it is a television show. >> they have really done a terrific job at taking the crisis work i do very high stakes. it is, size then to television. if he followed me around every day i would bore you to tears. >> i have to ask for a sneak peek into the new season. she said her complicated character will continue to develop in unexpected ways. >> olivia has an incredible personality. she is very strong at work and compassionate. her personal life is a little messy. i think you can plan on that to get even more complicated and even more messy as the episode still a long. >> smith, says the edge of the see drama will get

this is judie. what are you doing judy? what are you doing judy? what are you doing judy? oh, no it's jerry. jerry rides muni, too, but boarding never goes fast when he is around. [ music ] [ music ] [ applause ] i want to stress my resemblance to anyone here, including namesakes of board members are completely inadvertent. i'm sure commissioner jerry is a fine [tr-pts/] rider. i want to note that we had a very modest budget for this endeavor. the budget was zero. and it was delivered within budge. so not a penny of mta funds went to this. it was really just the initiative and the love and the time of the four people standing up here and lulu has now joined us and i will note also one of our cac members is here also had a camo that you may have seen in at least one of the videos. this was picked up, these videos by numerous media outlets. my notes say it was a viral sensation, and it was all because the initiative of these four on their own time to put something together that was both fun and informative and helpful. so with that, congratulations. >> thank you. [ applause

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifll: and i'm gwen ifill. 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: >> bnsf railway. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. 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

i defer to judy on this.hat is obama administration supposed to do. are they going to agree to go to war with iran. that is conversation that needs to be have instead of the tit-for-tat did they have meeting here. what are we talking about here. >> i think the subject, joe cline articulated one view is he called netanyahu's statement treajdz and disgusting. there is a lot of disgust going around the capital because he, quote, dared to interject himself into american politics. the line the obama line is going to be, trying to draw us into a war. that is a powerful narrative. i think the israelis were stunned by it. they are not happy about it. they are countering with people that understandable desire to have the president set a red line. >> the elite media useords like disgust doing to describe terrorist regimes like iran rather than one of our key allies israel. white house acknowledged that netanyahu put in a request because they claimed scheduling conflicts. so the president of united states will meet with

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifll: and i'm gwen ifill. 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: >> bnsf railway. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting ience, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. 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 >> rose: welcome to the program. tonight a conversation about russia and its foreign policy with the foreign minister, sergey lavrov. do you think you are on the wrong side of history. >> you can only judge when history evolves and we are now watching htory the making. when my good friend colin powell. >> rose: colin powell. >> was s

i grew up reading judy blume's books.s for young adults and have spunk and heart and real life stuff. no sugarcoating for judy blume and that is precisely how the author, of "are you there, god? its a margaret." that news is she's battling breast cancer. she doesn't want you to blubber either, blubber, one of the titles of her books. i want to bring in elizabeth cohen and talk about how we absolutely adored her books. my goodness. with her perfect dose of humor, she blogs about this. it wasn't a mammogram, an ultrasound that caught her breast cancer. >> you hear get your mammogram. sometimes it's an ultra sound that picks it up. she has dense breasts and her doctor recommended an ultra sound. that's not uncommon for a doctor to say get an ultrasound and mammogram if you have dense breasts. >> i sent this to my aunt who had a lump ectomy a week ago today. this is part of what judy blume wrote, me? no breast cancer in my family. recent extensive genetic testing shows no genetic connection. i haven't eaten red meat in more t

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, it's the first of three days when the democrats make their case for a second term for president obama and vice president biden. >> woodruff: we'll take you to the floor to hear speakers and delegates. >> ifill: and step outside the arena to talk with massachusetts senate candidate elizabeth warren. >> woodruff: winning the youth vote was critical four years ago. ray suarez examines the effort this time around. >> ifill: half the delegates here are women. we'll look at the democrats' efforts to maintain their gender edge. >> woodruff: and gwen and i will be joined again tonight for insight and analysis from newshour regulars mark shields and david brooks. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> they can be enlightening or engaging. conversations help us learn and grow. at wells fargo, we believe you can never underestimate t

. >> woodruff: and i'm judy rude wuf we have. welcome you to the live coverage of the 2012 democratic national convention. so we begin the democratic party turns to make its case to the american voters. tonight's program will emphasize the major themes of president obama's reselection campaign captured by firstç lady michele obamaç and we'll bailiff you tt with -- bring you that with other speeds. >san antonio mayor julio castro plus other major speeches tonight. on-line you can find our 24 hour live stream coverage events inside and outside the hall. >> ifill: let's get started right down to the floor to ray suarez who will be with us tonight and the rest of the conventions. ray suare. >> suarez: we will hear from senate majority leader harry reid of november and house minority leader nancy pelosi of california. later on there will be video tributes, the first to fermenter president jimmy carter and one to the late senator edward kennedy of massachusetts. and of course much later tonight as judy mentioned, the keynote from the

i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight: we get the latest on the deadly assault, believed to have been planned in advance and sparked by an anti-muslim internet video. >> woodruff: plus, we examine the move by governor romney to criticize the president's handling of the libya tinderbox. was it justified or not? we hear from both sides. >> ifill: then, jeffrey brown looks at how the latest iphone upgrade is accelerating competition in the smartphone industry. >> woodruff: are chemicals sprayed in oregon's forests dangerous or not? we have a report from our partners at the center for investigative reporting. >> they're spraying with helicopters all these ridged tops, so everything they're spraying up top eventually gets down to all of these residents. >> forced application of herbicides is done in accordance with all state laws. and we believe it does not represent an unreasonable harm. >> ifill: and margaret warner gets a snapshot of poverty in america, still at record-high levels. >> woodruff: that'

. >> woodruff: and i'm judy rude wuf we have. welcome you to the live coverage of the 2012 democratic national convention. so we begin the democratic party turns to make its case to the american voters. tonight's program will emphasize the major themes of president obama's reselection campaign captured by firstç lady michele obamaç and we'll bailiff you tt with -- bring you that with other speeds. >san antonio mayor julio castro plus other major speeches tonight. on-line you can find our 24 hour live stream coverage events inside and outside the hall. >> ifill: let's get started right down to the floor to ray suarez who will be with us tonight and the rest of the conventions. ray suare. >> suarez: we will hear from senate majority leader harry reid of november and house minority leader nancy pelosi of california. later on there will be video tributes, the first to fermenter president jimmy carter and one to the late senator edward kennedy of massachusetts. and of course much later tonight as judy mentioned, the keynote from the