now, we turn again to lisa desjardins for more on this day's developments. isa, we heard the senate majority leader call it a rubix cube. the fact is there is still a mad scramble going on behind the scenes to get this done. >> that's right. they want to vote on this, judy, in the next couple days. now we're down to old-fashioned horse trading. the truth is eight or nine republican senators are undecided. some were leaning no a few days ago. bob corker is man the look at. he's concerned about the deficit effects of this bill. well, enter the corker compromise. this is a new idea out today that senator corker says he likes. it would be the idea to try and prevent a deficit hike because of tax cuts by installing a trigger into the bill so that if the economy does not grow by as much as republicans hope, then the tax cuts would be frozen. now, of course, some people would say, well, that means taxes would go up, but bob corker says he likes it because it protects the deficit. another key player, judy, senator susan collins of maine. we talk about her and her vot

lisa desjardins begins with this report. >> desjardins: from the negotiator-in-chief today, his summarythe end game on tax cuts. >> it's up to the senate. and if they approve it, the house and the senate will get together. i'll be there right in the middle of it. >> desjardins: president trump's words followed a weekend where indeed one senator stood out. >> i don't think that provision should be in the bill. >> desjardins: senator and key vote susan collins of maine said she's against the current idea of using tax reform to repeal the individual mandate to buy health care. >> the fact is that if you do pll this piece of the affordable care act out, for some middle-income families, the increased premium is going to cancel out the tax cut that they would get. >> desjardins: sure enough, president trump's budget director said he is open to dropping the repeal. >> if it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we're ok with taking it out. >> desjardins: a quick reminder: republicans tax plans would lower individual and corporate tax rates, while also ending the perso

lisa desjardins is at the capitol. hello, lisa. what are the republicans doing? >> that's right.ate republicans tell us it's a night they're adding to that sweeping tax reform bill. nothing less than the full and immediate repeal of the individual mandate that is obamacare. and they tell us they have majority support from the republican congress to do it. this is one step in a listening process on tax reform, but this is a big one because aides a cornerstone bill for senate republicans. >> woodruff: is it known how this will affect the prospects for tax reform? >> it gets even more complicated. i have talked to the house republican who says they will try to add the individual mandate, a conservative, to their version on the house side. it is something they think might win over some conservative votes. of course, democrats already say they think it's a terrible idea. >> woodruff: and lisa, prospects beyond that? i mean, as you get to the other chamber? >> that's right. this is four-dimensional chess now. we're expecting a house vote on thursday now. there may be changes to the bil

our lisa desjardins, thank you lisa. in the day's other news, the senate ethics committee opened an investigation after a fifth woman is accusing minnesota democratic senator al franken of groping her. an army veteran, she said it happened in kuwait in 2003, when franken was a comedian on a u.s.o. tour, and having pictures taken. meanwhile, congressman joe barton said he won't run for reelection, after a nude photo of him was posted online. elected in 1984, barton is the longest serving house member from texas. also today, music mogul russell simmons announced he is stepping down from def jam recordings and his other companies, over allegations of sexual misconduct. and, matt lauer issued an apology after being ousted from nbc's "today" show. he said, in part: "some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth... to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed." washington was alive with talk today that rex tillerson may be pushed out as secretary of state, and replaced by c.i.a. direct

our lisa desjardins spoke with two of the authors, e.j.sjardins: let me start with you, norm, then. what do you think led to this place where we have so many disillusioned americans who voted for and against trump and so much divide? >> so, the first third of the books really, is about how we got to this place and about how donald trump was not really someone who emerged from the swamp on his own. there were decades that built towards the trumpism that led to all of this. some of it goes back to the decline of community, something robert putnam wrote about eloquently in the book "bowling alone." people clustering together surrounded by like-minded individuals creating greater divides for example between the metropolitan areas that thrive with highly educated people and the rural areas that have fallen behind athand people have grown disillusioned and we've seen all kinds of bad behavior that results. we have the political tribalism that emerged in the '70s with newt gingrich and on through where people saw the other side as the enemy and n

lisa desjardins is here with us now, along with sarah kliff of vox. lisa, let's start with what they're trying to do. >> okay, so senate republicans wanted more money so they could pass more tax cuts as part of their plan, putting the individual mandate repeal in their bill gives them more money. but the problem, hari, is it always australia could cause some destabilization in the individual health care markets. so there's actually a part two of this deal. senate republicans are also saying they will have a separate vote on a bill that would stabilize the market some. that's the marie alexander bill we've talked about in the past, that would pay for those cost-sharing subsidies that the president says he wanted to end and congress had to deal with. republicans have been holding on to that bill. they say now they'll pass it, but it's part of this package where they would also repeal the individual mandate. those are some things that could have cross-effects, but this is what republicans are doing, essentially, to try to put more money into their tax cu

lisa desjardins reports from the capitol. >> this is our chance.s is our chance. >> reporter: another big moment for the big g.o.p. tax bill: senate majority leader mitch mcconnell opening debate on the senate floor today. >> we will be one step closer to taking more money out of washington's pocket, and putting more money into the pockets of the hard-working men and women we were chosen to represent. >> reporter: but democratic leader chuck schumer accused republicans of rushing to pass a flawed bill. >> i'd understand the rush if the republicans were sure they had a great tax bill, but they are not sure. i know so many of my colleagues, and they expressed real misgivings. >> reporter: those misgivings do exist-- a least, among these nine senate republicans. four of them: tennessee's bob corker, arizona's jeff flake, oklahoma's james lankford, and kansas's jerry moran, are worried the bill could raise the federal deficit. to win them over, republicans are working on a trigger. if deficits loom, it would raise taxes-- or in one version, cut spendin

lisa desjardins begins our coverage. >> i am tremendously sorry. >> desjardins: for minnesota democraticator al franken, a public step, a news conference, his first since being accused of groping and sexual misconduct by four different women. >> this has been a shock and extremely humbling. i am embarrassed, i feel ashamed. what i'm going to do is i'm going to start my job, go back to work, work as hard as i can for the people of minnesota. >> desjardins: that, one day after news in the house. michigan representative john conyers temporarily stepped down yesterday as the top democrat on the judiciary committee. the 27-term congressman faces allegations he harassed and pushed for sexual favors from multiple female staffers. he used taxpayer funds to settle one of those complaints. conyers remained defiant. "i deny these allegations," he said in a statement. "i very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the house committee on ethics." earlier sunday, minority leader nancy pelosi pointedly withheld judgment in his case. >> we are strengthened by due process. just beca

lisa desjardins begins with this report. >> reporter: there was news nearly every hour, including the president's first personal words about alabama senate candidate roy moore, stressing moore's denial of allegations of sexually assaulting teen girls. earlier, the spotlight had been on another powerful man. michigan democrat john conyers, now the latest accused of sexual misconduct, is the top democrat on the judiciary committee, which oversees the justice system. overnight, buzzfeed news reported that in 2014, a former staffer filed a complaint alleging conyers fired her for rejecting his sexual advances. the report says he settled that case, with money from his office budget, and that other staffers filed affidavits that conyers touched them inappropriately and regularly asked for sexual favors. in a statement this afternoon, the michigan democrat "vehemently denied the allegations," and insisted he settled the case to "save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation." and in yet another story about u.s. lawmakers, colorado congresswoman democrat diane degette told msnbc

for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins at the u.s.itol. >> woodruff: there are some other important changes in this bill. it would create a minimum tax on corporate earnings overseas, but one that may be lower for some businesses than the u.s. corporate rate here. we'll talk with the bill's lead author, after the news summary. in the day's other news, president trump nominated jerome powell to be the next chair of the federal reserve. he's a republican, and a member of the fed's board for the past five years. if confirmed by the senate, he'd replace janet yellen, a democrat who served one term as chair. later in the program, we'll look at the change in greater detail. former trump campaign official sam clovis has withdrawn as the nominee for chief scientist at the department of agriculture. he wrote to the president today, saying the political climate "has made it impossible... to receive balanced and fair consideration." clovis faced criticism for a lack of science credentials, and for ties to george papadopoulos. he's admitted lying

for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins. >> woodruff: late today, two more u.s.ators withdrew their support of moore: john cornyn of texas and lindsey graham of south carolina. we'll explore the roy moore story in greater detail, a little later in the program. in the day's other news, president trump called for major changes to republican tax reform plans. in a tweet from asia, he advocated for "ending the unfair and highly unpopular individual mandate" under obamacare. he also urged cutting the top rate to 35%, with "all the rest going to middle income cuts." republican bills in the house and senate do not include either proposal. in iran, rescuers dug with their bare hands today, after a powerful earthquake killed at least 445 people and injured 7,300 more. it struck last night near the border with iraq and sent tremors as far as the mediterranean coast. geraint vincent of independent television news, reports. >> reporter: on ruined streets in the towns of western iran, people gather around holes in the rubble in the search of signs of life. the earthquake stru

for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins.the day's other news, the chairman of florida's democratic party stepped down after allegations of improper behavior toward women. six former party staffers and consultants say stephen bittel made suggestive comments and leered at them. he apologized in a statement. reverend jaime johnson has resigned from the department of homeland security over racial remarks. he took over the office of faith-based partnerships in april. johnson stepped down thursday, after cnn reported him saying in 2008, "america's black community has turned cities into slums because of laziness, drug use and sexual promiscuity." in iraq, government forces and tribal fighters today took back the last town held by the islamic state group. the military said army tanks rolled into the town of rawa, in anbar province, and routed the militants in just five hours. pockets of isis resistance remain in iraq's western desert. zimbabwe's president robert mugabe has made his first public appearance since the military put him

our lisa desjardins reports. >> desjardins: at the capitol, a big step one, for republicans' tax overhaul plans. >> this country has not reprinted its tax code since 1986. the powers of the status quo in this town are so strong, yet 227 men and women of this congress broke through that today. that is powerful. >> desjardins: the house voted 227 to 205 to pass its version of the bill, just minutes after president trump stopped by for a closed-door pep rally, telling republicans to press forward. >> thank you. the taxes are going well, thank you very much. >> desjardins: meanwhile, a senate committee put final touches on its version of tax reform today. the two chambers differ on some things but. in general, republicans stress that both plans lower most people's tax rates and increase everyone's basic or standard deduction. for corporations, republicans would cut the rate to 20 percent, from 35. and overall, republicans say, all those changes will grow the economy. >> we are on the precipice of passing a fair, flatter simpler more competitive tax code. one bill for 3% plus economic growth >

lisa desjardins reports. >> desjardins: at the capitol, a kind of starting bell, or gavel, for one of largest fiscal and pocketbook fights in modern u.s. history. as the house ways and means committee passed its sweeping tax overhaul. >> bill is passed. >> desjardins: and g.o.p. senators released their outline. that as, democrats decried the g.o.p. plans as rush jobs. >> you are desperate, you have failed to pass anything of substance. >> desjardins: first, the house bill. republicans have made a few changes: restoring a tax credit for adoptions to please social conservatives, and adding a new tax on large piles of foreign profits held by u.s. companies to help the bill's bottom line. democrats stressed the bill would still bring red ink. >> if this were to become law, our national debt would grow by 2.3 trillion dollars, homeowners would lose. >> desjardins: but house speaker paul ryan pushed the g.o.p. mantra, that borrowing for tax cuts is worth it to try to grow the economy. >> we're actually letting people keep more money. we're cleaning out the loopholes in the tax code and havi

lisa desjardins has the story. >> desjardins: the papers were leaked to a german newspaper and then sharedh the international consortium of investigative journalists. in all, more than 380 journalists in 67 countries. one of many investigations getting a lot of attention-- the investments of commerce secretary wilbur ross. ross kept a stake in a shipping company called navigator holdings after he became secretary. one of navigator's top clients is the russian energy company sibur whose owners include vladimir putin's son-in-law and kremlin-linked oligarchs on the u.s. sanction's list. critics are calling for an investigation but the commerce secretary said he's done nothing wrong and has been transparent sasha chavkin is a reporter with the international consortium of investigative journalists who broke this story. thank you so much for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> desjardins: this is a vast amount of data on what is one of the murkiest sources of wealth and power in the world. the big picture first. can you explain what the tax havens are and why there's concern? >> yeah, so we

lisa desjardins helps guide us through what people need to know. >> desjardins: the president's feelings beliefs about the affordable care act are about more than just words. there are significant changes in store for this enrollment period. for one thing, there's a shorter amount of time to sign up for insurance through the federal exchanges: enrollment lasts six weeks, until december 15. that is half of what it used to be. while this marketplace accounts for only a fraction of overall healthcare coverage in the u.s., more than 10 million people signed up for their health care this way last year. mary agnes carey of kaiser health news is here to help fill in the picture. thank you for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> let's start with what changed? >> i think there's a lot of confusion. people are wondering is it even here? is anyone participating? will i still get help on the exchanges? as we know healthcare.gov is open for business as of today. we have seen big drops in advertising. the federal government will spend 90% less this year in advertising, they're spending 40% less fo