for example, in relation to the sort of creativity in general lehrer's book -- in jonah lehrer's book, there's this idea that if the same part of the brain lights up when beethoven writes a symphony or bob dylan writes a song and when somebody comes up with a logo for a tennis shoe, if same part of the brain lights up, they must be the same. because wouldn't it be elitist for us to say that, no, dylan -- that part of dylan's brain lights up, it must be in some sense better than that part of the brain when it lights up for the i heart new york insip bid thing that you must live with every day? so what that allows, that sort of slight of hand, what it allows lehrer to do is to move creativity without denying -- it allows him to move creativity almost seamlessly into the workplace. so, for example, i cite the ge motto at present is imagination at work. which i point out is rhetorically identical to -- [speaking german] work makes you free, but it also makes you creative, apparently. free, creative, whichever. and so that seems to me to be a really powerful and troubling ideological conse

you can subscribe to the podcast. >> brian lehrer, host of the brian lehrer show and my former boss.hank you for keeping a respectful and intelligent debate alive o on the airwaves o balance out what i do. >> it's been great to see your success. >> john: what a pleasure. up next, how mad scientists are taking over the world, and you won't believe the congressman who uncovered the plot. that's coming up next. ç] >> john: welcome back to "so that happened." only one more show after tonight. sadly "so that happened" will no longerring--happening. the planet is heating up. look at science committee memb member. >> just so you know, global warming is a fraud. those at the local level wants the state level to do the work and make the decisions. then at the state level they want the federal government to do it. at the federal government they want to create government to control all of our lives. that's what their game plan. it's step by step by step. >> john: he's right. it's step by step by step. a stairway to hell. do you think those liberals are going to stop at the global level? no way!

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: an egyptian courtn, said today former president hosni mubarak could soon be freed from jail.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: an egyptian courtn, said today former president hosni mubarak could soon be freed from jail. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, the news about mubarak comes as the death toll in the current surge of violence nears 1,000. we have an exclusive interview with egypt's ambassador to the u.s. o >> woodruff: then, can the police seize your cash your car, even your home if you're detained? we talk to the reporter who investigated the practice for the "new yorker" magazine. >> brown: what's the problem with washington? we kick off a series on governing and leadership. tonight, three historians on partisanship and gridlock in the nation's capital. >> woodruff: and in an age of budget cuts, the u.s. space agency must rein in its orbits of exploration. we take a closer look at nasa's uncertain future. to do really difficult things that they had not been given the money to do.for years has had a flat budget. newshour. >> woodruff: th

>> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. ácaptioning sponsored by ámacneil/lehrer productions> ifill: syrian rebels accused government forces of using poison gas today in a deadly attack near the capital, damascus. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, the alleged attack comes as u.n. investigators look into previous reports of chemical-weapons. we explore how the use of poison gas could be confirmed. >> ifill: then, army private bradley manning gets thirty-five years in prison for releasing classified information to wikileaks. we wrap up today's developments in his court martial. >> suarez: a new report says the national security agency can access a large swath of all u.s. internet traffic, including the content of emails. margaret warner digs into the details.

>> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. ácaptioning sponsored by ámacneil/lehrer productions> ifill: syrian rebels accused government forces of using poison gas today in a deadly attack near the capital, damascus. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, the alleged attack comes as u.n. investigators look into previous reports of chemical-weapons. we explore how the use of poison gas could be confirmed. >> ifill: then, army private bradley manning gets thirty-five years in prison for releasing classified information to wikileaks. we wrap up today's developments in his court martial. >> suarez: a new report says the national security agency can access a large swath of all u.s. internet traffic, including the content of emails. margaret warner digs into the details. >> ifill: and we continue our look back at the march on washington 50 years on. tonight, reflections from one of its organizers, congresswoman eleanor holmes norton. >> it was startling to see so many people come. and i remember standing at the lincoln memorial, looking

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: facing the threat of a potential al qaeda attack, the state department today urged all u.s. citizens in yemen to get out of the country "immediately." good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the newshour tonight, the warning came just hours after reports that suspected al qaeda members were killed by an american drone strike in yemen. we get the latest on the terror threat there. >> ifill: then, it's the dawn of a new era at one of america's landmark newspapers. we have an exclusive broadcast interview with the chairman and c.e.o. of the "washington post's" parent company, donald graham. >> warner: "i am the shooter," declared army major nidal hasan at the start of his trial in an attack that killed 13 at fort hood, texas. we look at today's opening arguments and early testimony. >> ifill: the pentagon eased financial pain for its employees by cutting unpaid furlough from 11 days to six. ray suarez discusses the budget cuts and terror threats with deputy secretary of defense ashton carter. >> our

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: major league baseball hit yankees all-star alex rodriguez with a 211-game suspension for doping. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: i'm ray suarez. on the newshour tonight, 12 other players caught a 50-game ban. we get the latest on the biggest single-day bust for performing- enhancing drug use in baseball history. >> ifill: then, a score of diplomatic posts across the mideast and africa remain shuttered today in the wake of an al-qaeda threat. we assess the warning and what it means for americans traveling

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: attorney general eric holder announced sweepinghanges to the way the federal justice system handles low-level drug offenders. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, holder said his aim is to "punish, deter and rehabilitate," not "to convict, warehouse and forget." we talk to a supporter and a critic of the move. >> ifill: then, russia's recent ban on expressing homosexuality has provoked growing backlash abroad. we examine the continuing controversy. >> woodruff: its eye catching design should withstand a major earthquake, but there have been big concerns over the bolts holding it together. spencer michels reports on the troubles plaguing san francisco's new bay bridge. >> it's one of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation. but just when it opens to traffic still isn't clear. >> ifill: boston mob boss "whitey" bulger was found guilty of a string of 11 murders and racketeering. how the jury reached its verdict. >> woodruff: and in our continuing look at surveillance an

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: edward snowden, the leaker of u.s. surveillance secrets, was granted asylum in russia today. he walked out of the moscow airport where he had been holed up for more than a month. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we get reaction from washington and moscow and talk with former national security agency officials about the scope of u.s. spying programs.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama promised new safeguards and more transparency for secret government surveillance programs even as he defended their existence. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: the president stressed the government is not interested in spying on ordinary citizens. we have excerpts from the white house's news conference. >> there are steps we can take to give the american people additional confidence that there are additional safeguards against abuse. so i've directed the intelligence community to make public as much information about these programs as possible. >> woodruff: then, despite recent challenging moments of diplomacy, the u.s. and russia held high-level meetings in washington. margaret warner recaps today's talks. >> brown: four out of ten street lights don't work and it takes an hour on average for detroit police to respond to 9-1-1 calls. hari sreenivasan looks at the motor city's battle amid bankruptcy. >> detroiters are so used to bad news, and they ar

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: attorney general eric holder announced sweepinghanges to the way the federal justice system handles low-level drug offenders. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, holder said his aim is to "punish, deter and rehabilitate," not "to convict, warehouse and forget." we talk to a supporter and a critic of the move. >> ifill: then, russia's recent ban on expressing homosexuality has provoked growing backlash abroad. we examine the continuing controversy. >> woodruff: its eye catching design should withstand a major earthquake, but there have been big concerns over the bolts holding it together. spencer michels reports on the troubles plaguing

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: america's frosty relations with russia grew chillier today. president obama scrapped a planned summit in september, with russian president vladimir putin. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, edward snowden's asylum, syria and more are all weighing on u.s.-russia relations. we dissect what's behind today's diplomatic rebuke. >> ifill: then, a sweeping overhaul of the nation's mortgage finance system. margaret warner explores the president's latest housing plan. >> brown: many people with disabilities still don't get home-based or community services. judy woodruff reports on the struggle to fully implement a landmark civil rights law. >> think about it as segregation. people are still segregated. it's wrong, it's wrong morally, economically and it's wrong in compliance with americans with disbill teeth acts. >> ifill: tempers often flare as the temperature outside rises. could climate change be making us more violent? ray suarez dives into the details of a new study. >> brown:

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: waves of violence rippled across egypt today. scores are dead and the toll is still rising, in the wake of a government crackdown on protests by supporters of the former president. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: a state of emergency has been declared, plunging egypt under a virtual martial law. we get the latest from cairo. explore how the six-week standoff devolved to bloodshed. >> woodruff: then, in a rare rebuke of wall street, two

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> while we want to sustain our relationship with egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets. >> woodruff: president obama delivered that rebuke to egypt's government today, in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protesters, that left more than 600 hundred dead and thousands wounded. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: as egyptians regroup after a wave of bloodshed and chaos, pockets of violence still persist

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: tonight, an exclusive interview with president obama at the white house. >> woodruff: we discuss the potential for military action in syria. >> we do have to make sure is that when countries break international norms on weapons like chemical weapons that could threaten us, that they are held accountable. >> ifill: and we get his take on race relations in america, following his speech at the lincoln memorial today, 50 years after the marc w

>> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions> woodruff: the july jobs report painted a lackluster picture of the u.s. economy. 162,000 jobs were added, but that was fewer than expected. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, two takes on the u.s. employment situation. first, paul solman has our overview of today's numbers. >> woodruff: and a new report says states should do more to help people with disabilities find work. we talk to the governor driving the effort, delaware democrat jack markell. >> brown: then, the state department issued a global travel alert today, warning of possible terror attacks. margaret warner explains what's behind the concern that al qaeda might strike again. >> woodruff: asia is clamoring for more american coal, but the

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: major league baseball hit yankees all-star alex rodriguez with a 211-game suspension for doping. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: i'm ray suarez. on the newshour tonight, 12 other players caught a 50-game ban. we get the latest on the biggest single-day bust for performing- enhancing drug use in baseball history. >> ifill: then, a score of diplomatic posts across the mideast and africa remain shuttered today in the wake of an al-qaeda threat. we assess the warning and what it means for americans traveling abroad. >> suarez: one of the nation's landmark newspapers was sold to the founder of an online giant. we discuss amazon's jeff bezos' bid for the "washington post." >> ifill: iran swore in a new president today. ahmadinejad is out, hassan rouhani is in. we dissect what the change means for the country. >> suarez: the rollicking trial of alleged boston mob boss "whitey" bulger approached its end today. margaret warner looks at closing arguments in the trial of the man prosecutors call "one of the most vicious, violent

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: as radioactive water continues pouring into the pacific, the japanese government may be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to stem the tide. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, an estimated 300 tons a day of radioactive waste-tainted water began spewing from the fukishima plant soon after the earthquake in 2011. we update japan's bid to halt the worsening crisis. >> ifill: then, the story of henrietta lacks, who died 62 years ago but lives on in science.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> this is the indiscriminate, inconceivable horrorof chemical weapons. this is what assad did to his own people. >> woodruff: secretary of state john kerry delivered a forceful argument for taking military action against syria, as punishment for last week's attack on syrian civilians. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we discuss the options-- and the consequences of whatever action is or isn't taken-- with two members of congress who were briefed on the evidence by the white house. >> woodruff: and we get the perspectives of "newshour" analysts mark shields and david brooks. >> brown: then, the race to save the centuries-old sequoias at yosemite national park, threatened by wildfires burning

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: as radioactive water continues pouring into the pacific, the japanese government may be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to stem the tide. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, an estimated 300 tons a day of radioactive waste-tainted water began spewing from the fukishima plant soon after the earthquake in 2011. we update japan's bid to halt the worsening crisis. >> ifill: then, the story of henrietta lacks, who died 62 years ago but lives on in science. margaret warner examines a new agreement between her family over who gets to control her still productive cells. >> brown: it's a hope for many people later in life: growing old without leaving their homes. ray suarez profiles one group, bringing a retirement community's perks to urban neighborhoods. >> when we initially started beacon hill village, there were 11 of us who got together on a cold november day with this abstract determination that we're not going anywhere. >> ifill: a veteran political reporter lo

ácaptioning sponsored by ámacneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: syrian rebels accused government forcesf using poison gas today in a deadly attack near the capital, damascus. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, the alleged attack comes as u.n. investigators look into previous reports of chemical-weapons. we explore how the use of poison gas could be confirmed. >> ifill: then, army private bradley manning gets thirty-five years in prison for releasing classified information to wikileaks. we wrap up today's developments in his court martial. >> suarez: a new report says the national security agency can access a large swath of all u.s. internet traffic, including the content of emails. margaret warner digs into the details. >> ifill: and we continue our look back at the march on washington 50 years on. tonight, reflections from one of its organizers, congresswoman eleanor holmes norton. >> it was startling to see so many people come. and i remember standing at the lincoln memorial, looking out. look, looking out was what was the sight for

>> "bbc news" was presented by caioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the merger between american airlines and u.s. airways hit some turbulence today. the u.s. justice department and several state attorneys general are suing to block the deal. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, the surprise legal challenge claimed the merger would increase air fares and cut services. we explore the fight over creating the world's largest airline. >> woodruff: then, north carolina joined a growing list of states to pass a voter i.d. law. we debate the measure, the first since a landmark ruling on voting rights by the supreme court. >> brown: new yorkers weigh the pros and cons of the city's stop and frisk policy. we get reaction to a judge's order to limit the program.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: facing the threat of a potential al qaedatate department today urged all u.s. citizens in yemen to get out of the country "immediately." good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the newshour tonight, the warning came just hours after reports that suspected al qaeda members were killed by an american drone strike in yemen. we get the latest on the terror threat there. >> ifill: then, it's the dawn of a new era at one of america's landmark newspapers. we have an exclusive broadcast interview with the chairman and

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama called the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria a grave concern and added, "as difficult as the problem is, it will require america's attention." good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the "newshour" tonight, the united nations announced today one million children have been driven from syria by their country's bloody civil war. we take a closer look at the swelling number of refugees, particularly the young. >> woodruff: separate juries delivered guilty verdicts today in two high profile military cases. army major nadal hassan was convicted of murder for the deadly shooting spree aimed at unarmed u.s. soldiers at fort hood, texas.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama announced sweeping changeswhich could make college more affordable and accountable. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, at the core of the president's plan-- a rating system to see which colleges teach well while holding down costs. we get the details and ask if it is the right way to go. >> woodruff: then, u.s. intelligence weighs evidence of a possible poison gas attack that may have killed hundreds outside damascus. margaret warner looks at outrage around the world. >> suarez: a fresh series of secret tapes reveals former president nixon's attempts to control the watergate scandal. we hear excerpts and discuss what they tell us. >> woodruff: and we look at the personalities driving the politics and gridlock in washington with two authors and veteran political journalists: robert draper and mark leibovich. >> you do wonder, when people are in office, when people are in power, who are they really working for? are they in it to serve the public good, or are

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: facing the threat of a potential al qaeda attack, the state department today urged all u.s. citizens in yemen to get out of the country "immediately." good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the newshour tonight, the warning came just hours after reports that suspected al qaeda members were killed by an american drone strike in yemen. we get the latest on the terror threat there. >> ifill: then, it's the dawn of a new era at one of america's landmark newspapers. we have an exclusive broadcast interview with the chairman and c.e.o. of the "washington post's" parent company, donald graham. >> warner: "i am the shooter," declared army major nidal hasan at the start of his trial in an attack that killed 13 at fort hood, texas.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama called the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria a grave concern and added, "as difficult as the problem is, it will require america's attention." good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the "newshour" tonight, the united nations announced today one million children have been driven from syria by their country's bloody civil war. we take a closer look at the swelling number of refugees, particularly the young. >> woodruff: separate juries delivered guilty verdicts today in two high profile military cases. army major nadal hassan was convicted of murder for the deadly shooting spree aimed at unarmed u.s. soldiers at fort hood, texas. >> warner: and staff sergeant robert bales was sentenced to life without parole in the massacre of 16 innocent afghan civilians. we get details of both military court outcomes. >> woodruff: and in a separate military case-- the army private found guilty of giving troves of highly classified information to wikileaks-- now wants to live as a woman, ch

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> while we want to sustain our relationship withegypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets. >> woodruff: president obama delivered that rebuke to egypt's government today, in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protesters, that left more than 600 hundred dead and thousands wounded. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: as egyptians regroup after a wave of bloodshed and chaos, pockets of violence still persist. we get an on-the-ground report from cairo and debate options for the u.s. >> woodruff: then, the u.s. defense department rolled out its plan to curb sexual assaults in the military. we dig into the details and discuss whether more needs to be done.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: as united nations' inspectors returned to the site of last week's alleged chemical weapons attack in syria, debate heated up today over possible military action. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: britain's prime minister signaled his country would wait for the u.n.'s findings before joining any attack. we explore the evidence being gathered that could lead to a strike. >> woodruff: then, the i.r.s. announced it will recognize all legally married same-sex couples, regardless of what

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: waves of violence rippled across egypt today. scores are dead and the toll is still rising, in the wake of a government crackdown on protests by supporters of the former president. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: a state of emergency has been declared, plunging egypt under a virtual martial law. we get the latest from cairo. explore how the six-week standoff devolved to bloodshed. >> woodruff: then, in a rare rebuke of wall street, two former j.p. morgan employees face criminal charges for reckless trading. we examine the growing legal woes for the banking giant. >> brown: the common core standards in education push students to think critically, speak persuasively and collaborate.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer producti >> woodruff: edward snowden, the leaker of u.s. surveillance secrets, was granted asylum in russia today. he walked out of the moscow airport where he had been holed up for more than a month. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we get reaction from washington and moscow and talk with former national security agency officials about the scope of u.s. spying programs. >> they're still collecting everything, content word for word of every doe midwest incommunication in this country. >> the idea that n.s.a. is keeping files on americans as a general rule just isn't true.

thanks very much for joining us. ácaptioning sponsored by ámacneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: syrianebels accused government forces of using poison gas today in a deadly attack near the capital, damascus. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, the alleged attack comes as u.n. investigators look into previous reports of chemical-weapons. we explore how the use of poison gas could be confirmed. >> ifill: then, army private bradley manning gets thirty-five years in prison for releasing classified information to wikileaks. we wrap

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> while we want to sustain our relationship with egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets. >> woodruff: president obama delivered that rebuke to egypt's government today, in the wake of a bloody crackdown on protesters, that left more than 600 hundred dead and thousands wounded. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: as egyptians regroup after a wave of bloodshed and chaos, pockets of violence still persist. we get an on-the-ground report from cairo and debate options for the u.s. >> woodruff: then, the u.s. defense department rolled out its plan to curb sexual assaults in the military. we dig into the details and discuss whether more needs to be done. >> brown: the maker of the painkiller oxycontin refuses to disclose a full list of doctors who may over-prescribe the addictive drug. we have the latest on an investigation by the los angeles times and new pressure from lawmakers. >> woodruff: the nation of myanmar i

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama called the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria a grave concern and added, "as difficult as the problem is, it will require america's attention." good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the "newshour" tonight, the united nations announced today one million children have been driven from syria by their country's bloody civil war. we take a closer look at the swelling number of refugees, particularly the young. >> woodruff: separate juries delivered guilty verdicts today in two high profile military cases. army major nadal hassan was convicted of murder for the deadly shooting spree aimed at unarmed u.s. soldiers at fort hood, texas. >> warner: and staff sergeant robert bales was sentenced to life without parole in the massacre of 16 innocent afghan civilians. we get details of both military court outcomes. >> woodruff: and in a separate military case-- the army priv found guilty of giving troves of highly classified information to wikileaks-- now wants to live as a woman, chels

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: attorney general eric holder announced sweeping changes to the way the federal justice system handles low-level drug offenders. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, holder said his aim is to "punish, deter and rehabilitate," not "to convict, warehouse and forget." we talk to a supporter and a critic of the move. >> ifill: then, russia's recent ban on expressing homosexuality has provoked growing backlash abroad. we examine the continuing controversy. >> woodruff: its eye catching design should withstand a major earthquake, but there have been big concerns over the bolts holding it together. spencer michels reports on the troubles plaguing san francisco's new bay bridge. >> it's one of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation. but just when it opens to traffic still isn't clear. >> ifill: boston mob boss "whitey" bulger was found guilty of a string of 11 murders and racketeering. how the jury reached its verdict. >> woodruff: and in our continuing look at surveillance

. # captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: the obama administration released classified documents today outlining the national security agency's massive collection of domestic phone records. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: the release comes amid reports of a new n.s.a. spying program on internet activity. we look at the latest revelations and the secret court at the center of the controversy. >> ifill: then, ben bernanke's tenure as federal reserve chairman nears its end, as the debate over who will replace him

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: as united nations' inspectors returned to the site of last week's alleged chemical weapons attack in syria, debate heated up today over possible military action. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: britain's prime minister signaled his country would wait for the u.n.'s findings before joining any attack. we explore the evidence being gathered that could lead to a strike. >> woodruff: then, the i.r.s. announced it will recognize all legally married same-sex couples, regardless of what state they live in. we examine the impact of this shift in federal tax law. >> brown: the n.f.l. agreed to pay $765 million to former players for concussion-related brain injuries. we get thta

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama announced sweeping changes which could make college more affordable and accountable. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, at the core of the president's plan-- a rating system to see which colleges teach well while holding down costs. we get the details and ask if it is the right way to go. >> woodruff: then, u.s. intelligence weighs evidence of a possible poison gas attack that may have killed hundreds outside damascus. margaret warner looks at outrage

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> this is the indiscriminate, inconceivable horror of chemical weapons. this is what assad did to his own people. >> woodruff: secretary of state john kerry delivered a forceful argument for taking military action against syria, as punishment for last week's attack on syrian civilians. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we discuss the options-- and the consequences of whatever action is or isn't taken-- with two members of congress who were briefed on the evidence by the white house. >> woodruff: and we get the perspectives of "newshour" analysts mark shields and david brooks. >> brown: then, the race to save the centuries-old sequoias at yosemite national park, threatened by wildfires burning just miles away. we have a report from the scene. >> woodruff: we wrap up our look at the legacy of the march on washington, 50 years on. tonight, the long journey of the civil rights movement, and its unfinished business. >> we have this, in my view, race-based partisan gridlock that den

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama promised new safeguards and more transparency for secret government surveillance programs even as he defended their existence. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: the president stressed the government is not interested in spying on ordinary citizens. we have excerpts from the white house's news conference. >> there are steps we can take to give the american people additional confidence that there are additional safeguards against abuse. so i've directed the intelligence community to make public as much information about these programs as possible. >> woodruff: then, despite recent challenging moments of diplomacy, the u.s. and russia held high-level meetings in washington.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the merger between american airlines u.s. airways hit some turbulence today. the u.s. justice department and several state attorneys general are suing to block the deal. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, the surprise legal challenge claimed the merger would increase air fares and cut services. we explore the fight over creating the world's largest airline. >> woodruff: then, north carolina joined a growing list of states to pass a voter i.d. law. we debate