♪ >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.oming up on our program, we'll talk with author and scholar rez zais lawn before the intersection between religion and politics from president trump's tweets to the travel ban. and a look at the verdict in the cath lynn steinle murder trial that's drawn criticism. plus a comedian takes aim at racial stereotypes starting with the popular series, the simpsons. but first to the state capitol. >> reporter: lawmakers this week held a hearing in sacramento on how sexual harassment allegations are handled and investigates. the hearing came amid new revelations about nbc anchor matt lauer and garrison keilar who were both fired. former national security adviser mike flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi. he is now cooperating with robert mueller's investigation into russian meddling in the 2016 election. and gop senators remain focused on tax reform. joining me now to discuss this week's top political stories are hoover institution fellow lon chen and kqed katie orr. welcome to you both. ka

for all of kqed's arts coverage, please go to kqed.org/arts. ♪ announcer: funding for kqed arts is providedt sweeping rewrite of the tax code in a generation. i'm robert costa. how the tax bill could affect your paycheck. plus, tensions over the russia probe, tonight on "washington week." president trump: we are making america great again. you haven't heard that, have you? robert: jubilation at the white house as president trump cheers the passage of the republican party's biggest priority -- overhauling the american tax system. >> this has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the trump administration. robert: the vote, along party lines, marks the president's first major legislative victory of the year. the massive package doesn't just cut taxes. it eliminates the insurance mandate under obamacare, lifts a

♪ >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.oming up on our program, state assembly speaker anthony rendon talks about changing the culture around sexual harassment in california's capitol. and the gop's tax reform plans. we'll look at their impact on your family finances and the economy. >>> but first, in the nation's capitol, u.s. representative trent franks as stepped down over sexual harassment allegations. he is the third member of congress to resign in three days in addition to representative john conyers and senator al franken. the developments come amid a growing movement to crack down on harassment by powerful men as the nation's political and cultural divisions widen. for more perspective on this, we turn now to a veteran journalist whose career has spanned for man five decades. dan rather has interviewed numerous presidents and reported on watershed moments in u.s. history, from the civil rights movement to the vietnam war and 9/11. now the 86-year-old former cbs anchor has built a new audience online. he has millions

tonight we bring you a kqed newsroom special. "stand up san quentin." inmates here are doing time for crimes like murder and assault. once known for violence, today san quentin has one of the most rehabilitative programs in the prison system. later we'll talk to a victims rights advocate whose husband was murdered. she'll tell us what she learned while volunteering in san quentin. first we'll look at inmates participating in a unique program. one that's helping them tell their stories in their own words. ♪ >> when a person decides to change, they want everyone to know that they've changed. so it's important to get that out. television portrays prison as this negative place where people are just running around being violent. but san quentin is actually totally opposite from that. these guys are going to college every day. they're going to self-help groups. they're going to religious services. everyone here is trying to get out of prison, not stay in prison. >> i got to san quentin in 1984 via l.a. county jail. i was told -- >> since 2012 we've been worki

>>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu. coming up on our program, with the unexpected passing of san francisco mayor ed lee this week, we look at his legacy and what lies ahead for san francisco's leadership. plus we'll hear from former cia director leon panetta. but first, california congresswoman jackie speier has introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down or sexual misconduct in congress. earlier this month, three lawmakers announced their resignation following sexual harassment allegations. republican trent franks and democrats john conyers and al franken. amid the ongoing national reckoning, speier has also created a twitter hashtag to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment. she recently shared her own story about being assaulted as a young congressional aide more than 40 years ago. >> like so many of you, i have a me too story to share. i was working as a congressional staffer. the chief of staff held my face, kissed me, and stuck his tongue in my mouth. so i know what it's like to keep these thin

from maurice kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of kqed. ♪ announcer: welcome to in good shape. coming up, voice problems, conditions that make your vocal cords go on strike. crohn's disease, living with a painful bowel disorder. plus the benefits of tai chi, both for body and mind. >> feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. face the palm of your right hand outwards. other way around, that's right. now we turn the ball. and back again. now the left hand falls again. and the right one comes up. and back. ♪

. >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.ing up on our program, with the unexpected passing of san francisco mayor ed lee this week, we look at his legacy and what lies ahead for san francisco's leadership. plus we'll hear from former cia director leon panetta. but first, california congresswoman jackie speier has introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down or sexual misconduct in congress. earlier this month, three lawmakers announced their resignation following sexual harassment allegations. republican trent franks and democrats john conyers and al franken. amid the ongoing national reckoning, speier has also

stake, this election year one place has the news you need to decide pbs ♪ >>> hello and welcome to "kqed" i'm thuy vu. coming up on our program, we'll talk with author and scholar rez zais lawn before the intersection between religion and politics from president trump's tweets to the travel ban. and a look at the verdict in the cath lynn steinle murder trial that's drawn criticism. plus a comedian takes aim at racial stereotypes starting with the popular series, the simpsons. but first to the state capitol. >> reporter: lawmakers this week held a hearing in sacramento on how sexual harassment allegations are handled and investigates. the hearing came amid new revelations about nbc anchor matt lauer and garrison keilar who were both fired. former national security adviser mi

boardwas one woman on the and i was taking her place. , this was the founder of kqed. , where you live? or intel, west virginia. she said, where is that? [laughter] mrs. campbell.w she called her immediately. she said, you have to talk to this young woman. ms. campbell called me in a very authoritarian way. you must come to washington right now, which i did. weta.got a call for it was not as wealthy as it is today. a budget of $4 million, now it is at $97 million. really it was news and public affairs. about.news hour came that would go to did, we went around to visit change it -- stations. speak to them. we did not want it. we did not want -- we divided up probably 300-some television stations and we called every station manager therogram manager because president of pvs said, it's a great idea to go to an hour, but i do not have the power to do it. you will have to get the stations to do it. -- because the president of pbs said, it's a great idea to go to an hour, but i'd you not have the power to do it. and we won the ability to go to an hour. democracy won. judy: and the rest is hi

this is what she told kqed last friday. >> i believe that the president wants all of this shut down.wants to shut down these investigations and he wants to fire special kounl mueller. the rumor on the hill when i left yesterday was that the president was going to make a significant speech at the end of next week and on december 22nd when we are out of d.c. he was going to fire robert mueller. >> now i spoke with congresswoman speier just before air time and here's that conversation. >> representative speier, this rumor that president trump is going to fire robert mueller by this friday, is that what you're hearing? >> i've certainly heard it last friday. it's been tamped down a little bit. president trump has been asked the question and he said no. it's not as if the president doesn't change his mind from time to time. so it's a grave concern to me and i think to many of my colleagues that this is the kind of action that could be undertaken by the president and we want to put him on notice that it is something that we will not tolerate. >> what was this based on though? were there an

here is what jackie spear told kqed news that happened on friday. >> you know, when i left yesterdayhe president was going to make a significant speech at the end of next week and on december 22nd, when we are out of d.c., he was going to fire robert mueller. >> so trump attorney tj cobb said they are not firing muller and if that is true and we're looking at a saturday night massacre six days from now, what would be the legal ramifications for trump? >> there are political ramifications for firing bob muller. legally, the investigation will continue. it may not be run by bob muller. the investigation existed before muller was appointed to run it and would very likely exist if he was fired. it would be taken over by somebody else at the department of justice or one of the u.s. attorneys that would have a jurisdiction and venue over the case. so it would be unfortunate if bob were removed. he's a wonderful leader and a wonderful prosecutor but it would exist without him. >> okay. chuck rosenburg, appreciate your insight. come see me again. >>> in 2018 president trump will be off to th

. ♪ >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.g up on our program, we'll talk with author and scholar rez zais lawn before the intersection between religion and politics from president trump's tweets to the travel ban. and a look at the verdict in the cath lynn steinle murder trial that's drawn criticism. plus a comedian takes aim at racial stereotypes starting with the popular series, the simpsons. but first to the state capitol. >> reporter: lawmakers this week held a hearing in sacramento on how sexual harassment allegations are handled and investigates. the hearing came amid new revelations about nbc anchor matt lauer and garrison keilar who were both fired. former national security adviser mi

tonight we bring you a kqed newsroom special. "stand up san quentin."n for violence, today san quentin has one of the most rehabilitative programs in the prison system. later we'll talk to a

i'm sure that kqed story, parents have not been notified. so i think it's essential we get a complete accounting of what the issue is about lead in the water at san francisco schools. we really don't know what accessible -- acceptable levels are. we know what the epa has set, but this is not testing every outlet. i thin open discussion so parents are informed would be great and i appreciate supervisor safai cosponsoring this because we really need to protect our kids. the rest i submit. >> thank you. supervisor tang. >> supervisor tang: thank you, supervisor yee submit. president breed? thank you. colleagues, i want to use today as an opportunity to talk about a topic i know we have all grappled with over the past week. the angry rhetoric and phone calls after the stanley verdict that led know feel like someone needs to speak up on behalf of our city. someone needs to defend what we stand for. and in the 29 months since kate steinly's tragic death, i'm tired of seeing it used to advance donald trump's racist agenda. am i disappointed in the

vu: hello, and welcome to a "kqed newsroom" special edition on the arts. i'm thuy vu.the bay area, artists are tackling topics that are thought-provoking, moving, and surprising. on this show, we bring together highlights from our arts coverage. one group of singers explores the threshold between life and death. and we'll look at an artist's large-scale works painted on a canvas of snow. plus, visual artist jim campbell plays with thousands of blinking lights to create tapestries that dazzle the eye. but first, we start with the company odc dance and a piece that tackles science and the environment. the impact of climate change, from rising sea levels to rising temperatures, is often expressed through charts and data. it's an appeal made more to the intellect and less so to the heart, but one bay area choreographer wants artists to help audiences

. ♪ >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.g up on our program, state assembly speaker anthony rendon talks about changing the culture around sexual harassment in california's capitol. and the gop's tax reform plans. we'll look at their impact on your family finances and the economy. >>> but first, in the nation's capitol, u.s. representative trent franks as stepped down over sexual harassment allegations. he is the third member of congress to resign in three days in addition to representative john conyers and senator al franken. the developments come amid a growing movement to crack down on harassment by powerful men as the nation's political and cultural divisions widen. for more perspective on this, we turn now to a veteran journalist whose career has spanned for man five

. >>> hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm thuy vu.ing up on our program, with the unexpected passing of san francisco mayor ed lee this week, we look at his legacy and what lies ahead for san francisco's leadership. plus we'll hear from former cia director leon panetta. but first, california congresswoman jackie speier has introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down or sexual misconduct in congress. earlier this month, three lawmakers announced their resignation following sexual harassment allegations. republican trent franks and democrats john conyers and al franken. amid the ongoing national reckoning, speier has also e

and from pbs station kqed, john sepulvado joins us from the san fernando valley on the outskirts of los angeles. he's been reporting on the wildfires there. john, just give us an update on the conditions right now. i know the winds are not quite as high as expected. >> they're not quite as high as they expected but definitely fierce. in fact, we had problems on the way over here. as i was driving from ojai which is a town of about 7500 people to here, there was a massive wind gust. it knocked over a power pole, knocked over all the wiring and the conduits that go with that right on the ground. we saw electric wires bouncing like rubber bands. it's a mess. it's not as bad as it was, but it's pretty bad. >> o'brien: there's a tremendous economic disparity where you have been driving around. i'm curious how people at either end of the spectrum are coping. >> so on the way over here, miles, i saw one group of people, these are private firefighters hired by insurance companies or they're often sometimes even hired by large ranchers, they bring large water trucks, they're able to have a lot o