captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: syrians shouted in anger and relief, anxious to tell their stories of the weekend's horrific massacre to u.n. observers and a television team. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we go inside the town of houla with alex thomson of "independent television news," the first journalist to report from there. >> brown: then, we turn to the 2012 presidential match-up on track to be the most expensive contest ever. >> woodruff: we examine the internet virus known as "the flame" that may be able to snatch data and eavesdrop on computer users. >> brown: in the first of two reports, paul solman assesses the true cost of student-loan

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: syrians shouted in anger and relief, anxious to tell their stories of the weekend's horrific massacre to u.n. observers and a television team. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we go inside the town of houla with alex thomson of "independent television news," the first journalist to report from there. >> brown: then, we turn to the 2012 presidential match-up on track to be the most expensive contest ever. >> woodruff: we examine the internet virus known as "the flame" that may be able to snatch data and eavesdrop on computer users. >> brown: in the first of two reports, paul solman assesses the true cost of student-loan debt, now topping $1 trillion. >> reporter: beth hansen has just started making loan payments: $468 a month. will she ever pay off her loans? >> i may die first. so. in which case, they would need a copy of my death certificate to finally cancel my loan. >> woodruff: ray suarez talks with dolores huerta, honored with the presidential medal of freedom f

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the united states and other nations expelled syrian diplomats today, expressing outrage over the weekend massacre. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the newshour tonight, we have an on-the-ground report from the city of ho, and an iervi with ambassador gary dewer from canada, one of the countries taking action against its syrian envoy. >> woodruff: then, two takes on the presidential race. we look at mitt romney as he secures the republican nomination after today's primary in texas. >> warner: and gwen ifill reports on the push by both campaigns to court hispanics. >> immigration is a big issue, but not the top concern for hispanic voters here in colorado and elsewhere. both governor romney and president obama are talking about the economy. >> wdruf plus, ray suarez examines the use of drone strikes to target al qaeda militants, and president obama's hand in approving the list of terrorists to kill. >> warner: and as author toni morrison is awarded the presidential medal of freedom today, je

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: europe's economic woes worsened today, causing renewed fears amid political disarray. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we get the latest on the crisis as european leaders ended their summit without agreement on concrete solutions. >> brown: plus, we ask how europe's instability could affect the u.s. especially as it deals with its own fiscal crisis. >> woodruff: then, paul solman asks an age-old question: will new technology make human workers obsolete? >> there are factorys where robots do almost all of the work. >> and lights out? why is it called lights out? >> because you don't need lighting in a place run by robots. >> brown: margaret warner looks at the case against the pakistani doctor jailed for 33 years after helping the c.i.a. capture osama bin laden. >> woodruff: and ray suarez has the story of a columbia university professor's fight to prove an innocent man was executed in texas. >> there was not a sled of forensic in evidence this case, even though the cri

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: a chinese activist left the u.s. embassy in beijing today, but there are conflicting accounts on why and what will happen to him next. good evening. i'm jeffrey brown. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the blind dissident who claimed today that chinese authorities threatened to beat his wife to death. >> brown: then, we turn to the presidential race, as the campaigns ramp up in virginia, expected to be one of several key battleground states. >> ifill: hari sreenivasan reports on the balancing act for educators who try to steer clear of politics when teaching climate science. >> the science classroom is about using fundamental principles of science. it's not about talking about policy debates. it's evidence. >> brown: ray suarez examines the shifting burden of responsibility in afghanistan after president obama signed a pact heralding a new era of partnership between the two nations. >> ifill: and judy woodruff talks with gerda weissmann klein about how her horrifying years in

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: a jury found john edwards not guilty on one count of accepting illegal campaign contributions. they deadlocked on five more counts leading the judge to declare a mistrial on those. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the "newshour" tonight, we get the latest on the mixed verdict on day nine of the deliberations. >> woodruff: then, we examine a plan to ban oversized sugary drinks in restaurants, movie theaters, and food carts in new york city. >> suarez: in his second report on student loans, paul solman explores the idea of letting borrowers walk away from their debts. >> student loans are treated unlike any other type of debt in america meaning they have no consumer protections. no bankruptcy protections, no statute of limitations on the collections of those debts. >> woodruff: on our "daily download" segment, margaret warner compares how the presidential campaigns stack up on twitter. >> suarez: and gwen ifill talks to the authors of a new book about the most exclusive club in the united

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: the chief investment officer at j.p. morgan chase retired today, the first casualty after the bank announced a $2 billion loss last week. good evening. i'm jeffrey brown. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, margaret warner gets the latest on the trade deal gone wrong, and what comes next for the banking giant. >> brown: plus, we talk with two senators about the prospects for increased regulation: michigan democrat carl levin and tennessee republican bob corker. >> woodruff: ray suarez updates the escalating drug violence in mexico after 49 mutilated bodies were found dumped along a highway. >> brown: john merrow reports on a move to boost reading skills and shake up the content for young readers. >> reporter: the new view is that our kids read too much fiction, books like this, and not enough about things like electricity, whales and the solar system. >> woodruff: and two economists offer their prescription for addressing what they call the human disaster of long-term joblessness. >> brown: that'

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions president obama slipped out of washington and made a surprise visit to afghanistan today. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm geoffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the president's visit and the agreement he signed with president karzai spelling out the continuing u.s. commitment after american combat troops leave. >> ifill: then our series on the aftermath of the financial crisis continues with a look at how consumers and banks have altered their spending and lending practices. >> brown: ray suarez examines a new study showing a dramatic rise in the number of babies born addicted to prescription painkillers. >> brown: and judy woodruff gets two views on how hard the u.s. should press china over human rights violations. that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this is the at&t network-- a living, breathing intelligence bringing people together to bring new ideas to life. >> look, it's so simple. >> in a year, the bright minds from inside and

sponsored by wpbt captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: europe faced a potential new direction today after voters in france and

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: a former rutgers university student was sentenced to 30 days in prison for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate, who later jumped to his death from a bridge. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, we go inside the courtroom at today's sentencing and explore the issues in a case that captured national attention. >> ifill: then, we examine a lawsuit filed by catholic leaders, institutions and schools against the obama administration for mandating birth control coverage for employees. >> brown: from our american graduate series, paul solman reports on a move to keep kids in school by teaching skills both inside and outside the classroom. >> high school dropouts here in bloomington, illinois building low income houses like those very homes behind me. is this the way to get kids back to school and into the work force? >> ifill: judy woodruff assesses the nato summit, as world leaders agree to hand over security in afghanistan by the middle of next year. >> brown: and we rem

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama and speaker boehner clashed over raising the nation's debt limit today, setting the stage for a replay of last year's stalemate good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we look at the latest partisan divide over the debt ceiling and assess how the issue could play out in this year's campaign. >> woodruff: then, we examine the case against former bosnian general ratko mladic as he faces charges of genocide and ethnic cleansing at the u.n. court in the hague. >> brown: from our "american graduate" series, ray suarez has the story of an eighth grader who turns to journalism to tackle violence in his middle school. >> if i didn't have a camera i would probably be led up with the wrong people and doing the wrong stuff and i wouldn't >> woodruff: margaret warner explores the dramatic results of a new study showing paralyzed patients moving their robotic arms just by thinking. >> brown: we update the trial of john edwards, as the defense rests its case without calling

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: bomb experts are studying an explosive device found after the c.i.a. thwarted another al qaeda plot to attack a u.s.-bound airliner. good evening. i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, margaret warner gets the latest on the foiled plans and assesses the reach of the terror network in the arabian peninsula. >> ifill: then, ray suarez reports on the hefty price tag for an ever heftier america. >> millions of us continue to gain weight forcing hospitals to invest in new equipment like this ambulance specially designed to handle patients up to 1,200 pounds. >> woodruff: we talk with oklahoma senator tom coburn about his plan to tackle the nation's escalating fiscal crisis, as told in his new book, "the debt bomb." >> every one is going to have to sacrifice. every one of us. and if we delay putting off sacrifices, the pain is going to be much more difficult and much more severe. >> ifill: we look at which nations are best and worst at creating healthy mothers and children. >> woodruff: and we rem

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: federal regulators are investigating just how banking giant j.p. morgan-chase lost $2 billion in six weeks' time. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we have the latest on the trade deal gone wrong, and assess whether the stumble bolsters the case for more federal regulation. >> woodruff: then, ray suarez examines a drug used to treat aids now approved by an fda panel to prevent the disease. >> brown: mark shields and david brooks analyze the week's news. >> woodruff: and margaret warner talks with prize-winning reporter leslie maitland about her powerful and personal tale told in a new book, "crossing the borders of time." >> i had to grown-up all my life fascinated, spellbound by my mother's stories of war, escape and lost love. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this is the at&t network-- a living, breathing intelligence bringing people together to bring new ideas to life. >> look, it

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: gasoline prices are down in most of the nation, giving motorists relief at the pump this holiday weekend. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we assess what's behind the downward trend, and whether it's likely to continue into the summer travel season. >> woodruff: then, we update the battle for the presidency in egypt as a muslim brotherhood candidate wins a spot in the runoff elections next month. >> brown: ray suarez examines the lasting legacy of the case of the missing child etan patz. >> woodruff: miles o'brien reports on safety measures at u.s. nuclear plants, and asks are they ready for a worst-case scenario, a fukushima-like meltdown? >> the i anybodya against change and against improvement, i think it's something we have to be vigilant about and push so the regulator can make sure that change happens. >> david >> brown: david brooks and ruth marcus analyze the week's news. >> woodruff: and we talk to pulitzer prize winning author stephen greenblatt about his n

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productionsÑ)i >> ifill: president obama slipped out of washingtonand made a surprise visit to afghanistan today. good evening. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown+ with peace. and pursuing a more hopeful fu as equal partners. to borrow words from this agreement, we are committed to seeking a future of justice, peace, security, and opportunity. and i'm confident that although our challenges are not yet behind us that the future before us is bright. >> ifill: later the president spoke to u.s. troops he plans to address the american people from afghanistan at 7:30 eastern time tonight. for more on all this, we turn to patrick quinn, kabul bureau chief for the associated press joining us now by telephone. patrick, when did you learn that a presidential visit was imminent? >> well, we only found out just shortly before he arrived. there were rumors he was coming. but it was a complete surprise, i think, to almost everybody in afghanistan that barack obama decided to come here on the anniversary of osama bin laden's death to sign this agreement. >> ifill: tel

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the two presidential campaigns traded jabs over former governor romney's tenure at the helm of a private equity firm. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we examine dueling political strategies with former ohio governor ted strickland, a democrat, and former missouri senator jim talent, a republican. >> woodruff: then, we get an update on the blastoff of the first-ever commercial rocket to head to the international space station from science correspondent miles o'brien. >> ifill: we return to joplin, missouri, on the mend one year after a deadly tornado ripped through the city. >> woodruff: margaret warner talks with two pakistani women about their lives in the city of karachi, constantly interrupted by sectarian violence. >> imagine you meet a american the morning and the news you get there the afternoon is that he's no more. so, of course, it's fearful. it's really uncertain situation. >> ifill: and jeffrey brown explores the merits of a liberal arts education with col

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: non-white births now account for a majority of newborns in america, that according to new census numbers released today. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> warner: and i'm margaret warner. on the "newshour" tonight, we assess the data and the impact on society, the economy, immigration policy and life in the u.s. >> brown: then, we have a newsmaker interview with treasury secretary timothy geithner on jobs, j.p. morgan's spectacular losses, and once again, a looming debt crisis. >> we're fighting wars, we've got a major financial crisis in europe. we have all these challenges. political politicians threatening to default if we don't adopt a partisan agenda. irresponsible. >> warner: ray suarez has the next in our daily download series. tonight, how the presidential campaigns use youtube as a cheap and effective way to get eyeballs on campaign videos. >> brown: from thailand, fred de sam lazaro reports on one man's efforts to combat hardships and instill a new way of thinking in rural regions of the southeast asian nation. >> t

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: a chinese dissident is apparently being sheltered by americans in beijing today, after fleeing house arrest last week. good evening. i'm jeffrey brown. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the blind lawyer's escape, and the diplomatic dilemma his case poses for the obama administration. >> woodruff: then, we explore how apple and other tech companies take advantage of the tax code, and sidestep millions in state and federal taxes. >> ifill: ray suarez examines the debate in wisconsin over recalling the governor. is it an early test of pro and anti union power for the november elections? >> brown: judy woodruff assesses the strength and influence of al-qaeda one year after the death of osama bin laden. >> ifill: and we close with a look at the combat paper project, a program for veterans that turns uniforms into art. >> i felt like there was pressure building up and i had nowhere to turn, no outlet, and the first time i started cutting the uniform i was literally separating away, tearin

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: suicide bombers struck the heart of syria's capital today killing dozens of people and wounding hundreds more. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, we have the latest on the attack in damascus. the deadliest in the 14 month uprising. >> woodruff: then, we assess the political fallout from president obama's coming out on same sex marriage. >> brown: miles o'brien reports on the move to curb scientific testing on chimpanzees to find cures for human ailments. >> so is it cruel or not? >> woodruff: margaret warner examines new warnings about the long term use of osteoporosis drugs aimed at rebuilding bones. >> brown: and gwen ifill talks with biographer robert caro about his latest volume on lyndon johnson, an epic story of history, politics and human rivalries. >> you hate to use words like hatred as a historian but hatred is not too strong a word to describe the relationship between robert kennedy and lyndon johnson. they hated each other. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on to

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: europe faced a potential new direction today after voters in france and greece rejected harsh austerity measures. good evening. i'm jeffrey brown. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we get the latest on the weekend's elections, and what's at stake across the continent. >> brown: then we turn to the presidential contest here in the u.s., as vice president biden stirs new questions over the politics of same-sex marriage. >> ifill: spencer michaels reports on a trendy gourmet treat of the crunchy, crawly variety. >> these are huge. they're usually super abundant and very good to eat. i can put it in barbecue. >> brown: and margaret warner examines the trial of five 9-11 suspects arraigned in a military courtroom on saturday. that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this is the at&t network-- a living, breathing intelligence bringing people together to bring new ideas to life. >> look, it's so simple. >> in a year, the bright minds from inside and outside

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: president obama today said definitively he now believes same-sex marriage should be legal. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the "newshour" tonight, we'll explore the president's evolution on the issue and talk about the debate going forward. >> brown: then, we turn to the political upset in indiana, where a tea party candidate toppled veteran senator richard lugar. >> ifill: we get new details about the would-be suicide bomber who was a double agent cooperating with the c.i.a. to foil an al-qaeda bomb plot. >> brown: from cambodia, fred de sam lazaro reports on one group's efforts to help homeless children have a brighter future. >> in make-shift gatherings like this one-part kindergarten part clinic, the children come to get cuts and scratches tended, to play board games or a rare luxury: to shampoo their hair. >> ifill: and ray suarez talks with steven lee myers of the new york times about the high-level, diplomatic drama that freed a chinese activist. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: the blind chinese activist now in a beijing hospital has changed his mind and wants to come to america, d he spoke by phone to congressmen in washington, saying he fears his family and friends are in danger. good evening. i'm jeffrey brown. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. on the newshour tonight, we have the latest on the still unfolding story that's left u.s. officials struggling to resolve a tense diplomatic situation. >> brown: then, on the "daily download," we examine how the campaigns are using twitter hashtags to get out their messages. >> suarez: miles o'brien profiles a small private company trying to position itself for a big role in exploring frontiers in space. >> i'm talking about setting ultimately tens thoands, virtually millions of people to mars and then going out there and exploring the stars. >> brown: judy woodruff talks with veteran congress-watchers thomas mann and norman ornstein, about extreme partisanship, the subject of their new book, "it's even worse than it looks." >> we've never seen it this dysfunct

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: millions of egyptians cast ballots today in the first free presidential election in the country's 5,000 year history. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight: we have the latest on this historic day, coming 15 months after the ouster of president hosni mubarak. >> ifill: then, we look at the facebook fallout as the social media giant's market debut falters out of the gate. >> brown: we have two on-the- ground reports on europe's economic troubles from spain anr eeee, , ererausterity measurur are e ttttg g me for ordinary citizens. >> ifill: we examine the iran nuclear talks in baghdad as world powers float a proposal to curb tehran's enrichment program. >> brown: and we close with the diamond anniversary of an american treasure. spthe story of building san francisco's golden gate bridge. >> it's not all celebration, a 75-year-old controversy has flared anew over who should get the credit for designing this spectacular bridge. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour."