>> nawaz: dr.ys malcolm is a typical patient here at transitions, a national network of nearly 50 non-profit health clinics that serve people post-incarceration. >> our practice here, 66% of people have done 30 or more years in the state prison system. and what we know is that people age more quickly when they're incarcerated. and so, when we think of older adults, we actually think of people who are 55 and older who have been in the system. >> nawaz: the team here at transitions tries to step in and meet the most pressing needs, not just medical. >> that's why you have that little phone icon. >> nawaz: there's technology training... >> how you doing? >> nawaz: ...help getting i.d.s and documentation... >> they didn't put my middle name on the i.d. card. >> nawaz: ...and access to food. >> we also got some chicken too. >> yes, chicken is okay, too. >> nawaz: a key part of this team? people who know what reentry after prison is like. people like 58-year-old ron sanders. he battled addiction, and was

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: covid surge. new cases soar, breaking pandemic records across the u.s., as countries around the globe celebrate new year's eve. then, colorado's wildfires. fueled by hurricane-force winds, the blaze leaves thousands homeless, and could be the most destructive in the state's history. also, legendary actress and beloved comedian betty white has died, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. and, it's friday. david brooks and jonathan capehart reflect on the year in politics, and democracy in america. all that and more, on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> fidelity wealth management. >> johnson & johnson. >> financial services firm raymond james. >> the john s. and james l. knight foundation. fostering informed and engaged communities. more at kf.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and friends

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening, i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away on the newshour tonight, covid surge-- what you need to know about rising infection rates, and a spike in hospitalizations among children. and, a jury finds ghislaine maxwell guilty on five of the six counts she faced helping lure teenageirls into having sex with jeffrey epstein. then, remembering harry reid. looking back at the life and political legacy of the former senate majority leader from nevada. and, tightening welfare rules-- 25 years after major changes, we examine how eligibility restrictions have failed americans in need. >> all the paperwork you have to fill out for the programs, you have to go to parenting classes, drug testing, all to get $100 or $200. it's not really a safety net for these families. >> nawaz: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> fidelity investments. >> consumer cellular. >> johnson & jo

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: new covid guidance. as rising omicron cases keep many at home, we explain the new c.d.c. recommendations around shorter isolation times. then, crackdown in russia. the government bans the most prominent human rights group, as the world marks 30 years since the dissolution of the soviet union. and, rising costs. how the roller coaster price of lumber might have predicted inflation and could signal where the economy goes from here. >> no one has ever seen $700. that was pretty astonishing. but then it went to $800, $900, and $1,000. >> nawaz: all that and more, on night's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> architect. bee-keeper. mentor. a raymond james financial advisor tailors advice to help you live your life. life, well-planned. >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service that helps people communicate and connect. we offer a variety of no-contract plan and our

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening, i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight, the pandemic persists-- amid holiday travel, hospitals battle a surge in omicron cases around the country. and, massacre in myanmar-- a christmas eve attack leaves dozens dead, with aid groups claiming government forces are to blame. then, the year in tv and movies. what to watch this holiday season with a look back at the best entertainment offers of 2021. >> the first series that comes to mind is "hacks." it's kind of a generational look at how women have been treated in the comedy world, in the entertainment world. >> nawaz: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fidelity is here to help you work through the unexpecd, with financial planning and advice for today, and tomorrow. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, advancing ideas and supporting initutions to promote a better world. at www.hewlett.org. >> the chan-zuckerberg initiative.

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening, i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight, presidents biden and putin hold a second call within the month, as russian troops amass on the ukrainian border. then, a texas law banning transgender athletes from playing sports goes into effect next month, adding to challenges trans kids already face growing up. and, a look america's broken foster care system and one former foster child's approach to fixing it. >> all the time we see these small barriers like a deposit for an apartment or the need for more food, being the barrier that actually blocks families from staying together. >> nawaz: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> johnson & johnson. >> bnsf railway. >> consumer cellular. >> financial services firm raymond james. >> the kendeda fund. committed to advancing restorative justice and meaningful work through investments in transformative leaders and ideas. more at kendedafund.org. >> carnegie corporation of

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening, i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight, the spread continues-- omicron appears in more states even as health officials battle a surge of delta covid cases. then, rising tensions-- the united states declares a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming winter olympics in china, inflaming a fraught relationship. and, veterans affairs-- secretary denis mcdonough on meetinthe needs of former servicemembers, including addressing toxic exposure and post-traumatic stress. all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fidelity is here to help you work through the unexpected, with financial planning and advice for today, and tomorrow. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world. at www.hewlett.org. >> the chan-zuckerberg initiative. working to build a more healthy, just and inclusive future for everyone. at czi.org. >> and with the ongoing

amna nawaz reports. >> nawaz: most days for dom mullins start like this.through the woods, workouts in his makeshift gym, and post- exercise plunges into a freezing cold pond. it's a grueling regimen, all to prepare to climb a mountain synonymous with the ultimate challenge: mount everest. >> to climb a mountain like everest, you need to have a lot of endurance. so that's what i'm doing, i'm building my endurance over time. >> nawaz: mullins, who has been climbing for more than a decade, is part of a group that aims to become the first all-black team to summit the world's highest mountain. called “full circle everest,” the team of ten experienced mountaineers and climbers from the united states and kenya, is set to climb everest next spring. >> two unassuming men have climbed the 29,000 foot monarch of the himalayas. >> nawaz: since tenzing norgay and edmund hillary first climbed everest in 1953, around 6,000 have followed in their footsteps. but, the team says, only 10 of those have been black. as you were making your way up through that through the years

amna nawaz was there, and has this report. >> nawaz: the late bob dole arrived at the washington nationaldral today, his casket draped in the flag he had honored as a soldier and statesman. the first tribute, delivered by his former senate colleague, president joe biden: >> he came into the arena with certain guiding principles, that began with devotion to country, to fair play, to decency, to dignity, to honor, to literally attempting to find the common good. >> nawaz: those principles, biden said, led dole to deep concern in his final days about threats to american democracy. >> this soldier reminded us, and i quote: "too many of us have sacrificed too much in defending freedom from foreign adversaries, to allow our democracy to crumble under a state of infighting that grows more unacceptable day by day." >> nawaz: biden hailed dole as a man ofntegrity, and quick wit, on display when dole was asked why he bucked his party, casting the deciding vote to save amtrak: >> he said, "it's the best way to get joe biden the hell out of here at night, so he's not home in the morning." ( laughter

>> nawaz: the documentary is "the forever prisoner."hbo and hbo max on alex gibney, thanks so much for being here. >> thank you. >> woodruff: australian government officials will not attend the winter olympic games in beijing. joining a u.s. diplomat boycott announced earlier this week. australia's prime minister says china has not responded to his country's concerns over alleged human right abuses. like american athletes, australian athletes will still compete in the games. on the "newshour" on the newshour online right now, the u.s. navy's commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the pearl harbor attack. the secretary of the navy kicked gave a key note address at the ceremony in hawaii. and separately, in washington, d.c., president joe biden observed the anniversary by visiting the world war ii memorial. all the days events on our website now, www.pbs.org/newshour. and that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online, and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe, a

i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: new covid guidance. cases keep many at home, we explain the new c.d.c. recommendations around shorter isolation times. then, crackdown in russia. the government bans the most prominent human rights group, as the world marks 30 years since the dissolution of the soviet union. and, rising costs. how the roller coaster price of lumber might have predicted inflation and could signal where the economy goes from here. >> no one has ever seen $700. that was pretty astonishing. but then it went to $800, $900, and $1,000. >> nawaz: all that and more, on night's pbs newshour.

." - [nawaz]: it's really the only institution like it, in the ameran journalism landscape.have time to explore some of these really complicated topics that people worry about and wonder about every day. and that is a luxury in journalism today. - [nawaz]: can you get all of those systems of power to pivot, especially when you look at it, if you reported earlier, you know, we know what happened on january 6th, they were military veterans. - [yang]: we're not trying to tell people what to think. we're not trying to say, this is what we think about this and so you should think that too. we're trying to present the argument. - [jackson]: we have to be able to have confidence in the information that we get, especially when it comes to our health and the economy and politics and things that matter. and pbs newshour gets that. - [woodruff]: it's the place that is not going to take any story at face value. it's the place that is always going to turn the story ov and look at what's underneath. and what's on all sides. - [ferguson]: the people on this side are being held here by amer

i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: grounded.this christmas eve, as the omicron variant leads to airline staffing shortages. then, new frontiers. nasa prepares to launch a telescope capable of seeing farther into the known universe than ever before. >> there's absolutely a lot riding on this telescope. the future of astronomy is riding on this telescope. and i think it's going to be a huge payoff, in terms of what we learn about the universe. >> nawaz: and, it's friday. david brooks and jonathan capehart weigh in on the democrats' legislative setbacks, and the president's pandemic response. all that and more, on tonight's pbs newshour.

: good evening, i'm amna nawaz.ay. on the newshour tonight, the pandemic persists-- amid holiday travel, hospitals battle a surge in omicron cases around the country. and, massacre in myanmar-- a christmas eve attack leaves dozens dead, with aid groups claiming government forces are to blame. then, the year in tv and movies. what to watch this holiday season with a look back at the best entertainment offers of 2021. >> the first series that comes to mind is "hacks." it's kind of a generational look at how women have been treated in the comedy world, in the entertainment world. >> nawaz: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour.

: good evening, i'm amna nawaz.ay. on the newshour tonight, presidents biden and putin hold a second call within the month, as russian troops amass on the ukrainian border. then, a texas law banning transgender athletes from playing sports goes into effect next month, adding to challenges trans kids already face growing up. and, a look america's broken foster care system and one former foster child's approach to fixing it. >> all the time we see these small barriers like a deposit for an apartment or the need for more food, being the barrier that actually blocks families from staying together. >> nawaz: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour.

: good evening, i'm amna nawaz.ay on the newshour tonight, covid surge-- what you need to know about rising infection rates, and a spike in hospitalizations among children. and, a jury finds ghislaine maxwell guilty on five of the six counts she faced helping lure teenage girls into having sex with jeffrey epstein. then, remembering harry reid. looking back at thlife and political legacy of the former senate majority leader from nevada. and, tightening welfare rules-- 25 years after major changes, we examine how eligibility restrictions have failed americans in need. >> all the paperwork you have to fill out for the programs, you have to go to parenting classes,

: good evening, i'm amna nawaz.newshour tonight, the spread continues-- omicron appears in more states even as health officials battle a surge of delta covid cases. then, rising tensions-- the united states declares a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming winter olympics in china, inflaming a fraught relationship. and, veterans affairs-- secretary denis mcdonough on meetinthe needs of former servicemembers, including addressing toxic exposure and post-traumatic stress. all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by:

i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: covid surge.aking pandemic records across the u.s., as countries around the globe celebrate new year's eve. then, colorado's wildfires. fueled by hurricane-force winds, the blaze leaves thousands homeless, and could be the most destructive in the state's history. also, legendary actress and beloved comedian betty white has died, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. and, it's friday. david brooks and jonathan capehart reflect on the year in politics, and democracy in america. all that and more, on tonight's pbs newshour.

amna nawaz has more on what this means for u.s.>> nawaz: of the 80 ambassadorial nominees president biden has put forward, the senate has so far confirmed just 12. secretary of state antony blinken this week blamed a slow senate confirmation process. >> as of last week, only 16% of our ambassadors have been confirmed. at this point in the last three administrations, the number was between 70% and 90%. >> nawaz: for more on all this, i'm joined by eric rubin. he is the former u.s. ambassador to bulgaria, and is now president of the american foreign service association. welcome to the "newshour". thanks for being here. to fill these ambassador posts to things have to happ, the president has to nominate people, the senate has to confirm them. where in the process is most of the backup right now? >> well, both of those problems are very real right now, the biggest backup is the fact we have blanket holes in the senate, that means almost all of the nominees have been blocked from being considered on the floor of the senate. this has nev

amna nawaz has more. >> nawaz: judy, for decades, there has been a debate among military experts andl hill about how to improve the way the military investigates and prosecutes allegations of sexual assault in its ranks. one major issue is the role and influence of military commanders in deciding how cases are adjudicated. with me now is new york democratic senator kirsten gillibrand. senator gillibrand, welcome back to the "newshour". always good to have you. a lot of folks have been hailing this new agreement as a see change, a giant leap forward for sexual assault survivors. you say it has major reforms but doesn't go far enough and you plan to vote against it. why? >> well, it's a missed opportunity. we had such a groundswell of support to create a prosecutor that functioned outside the chain of demand, highly trained, independent, no bias. unfortunately the house and the conference committee chose to retain enormous. a of authority within the chain of command. the chain of commander is the convening authority. at the beginning of the trial it will say this trial has been convene

about their risks increasing once again >> nawaz: that's right judy. older americans have borne the brunt of the pandemic death toll. people 65 and up make up 75% of all covid deaths in the u.s., or 600,000 of those nearly 800,000 deaths. younger americans, 45 to 64, make-up 21%. those 45 and below are just 4% of all deaths. meanwhile, among some of the most vulnerable americans, nursing home residents, just 51% have gotten a booster shot. for more on this, i'm joined by david grabowski. he's a professor of health care policy at harvard medical school. david, welcome back to the newshour, thanks for making the time. that number is just staggering to think about. but there is a big range in that group, 65 and older, so who are we really talking about. who is making up the bulk of that death toll? >> absolutely, the individuals making up the bulk of the deaths among older adults are those oldest, individuals 85 and older, individuals with comorbiddities cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes. they are also typically individuals living in nursing homes

joining me for analysis, amna nawaz. phil rucker, donna edwards, and john podhoretz. welcome to sunday. it's "meet the press". >>> good sunday morning. it's beginning to look a lot like a covid christmas. and beyond for millions of americans this winter could resemble a rerun of the awful previous covid surges as the omicron variant speeds across the country. nfl games are being rescheduled. back to work plans being rescrapped and some schools including harvard are returning to remote learning. deaths are occurring at a faster rate than at any other time other than last winter's surge. in fact, the 7 -day case average is 130,000 nearly. that's nearly a 35 % increase over the case average since thanksgiving. omicron appears to be far more contagious than delta, meaning a spike in cases could once again overwhelm hospitals. hospitals that are already a bit overwhelmed in some parts of this country. >>> at the same time, months after president biden all but declared independence from covid, americans are simply fatigued with being fatigued. >>> his administration felt de

also with us, pbs "newshour" chief correspondent amna nawaz. phil rucker from "the washington post," former democratic congresswoman donna edwards, and john podhoretz, editor of the "commentary." we have a lot to get to. amna, i'm going to begin with you. it already was arguably a deflating political end for the biden administration, and an explanation this morning from joe manchin saying he's done with build back better. now we have omicron. when you think about the first six weeks of 2022, i don't know how the biden administration focuses on anything else. >> you're absolutely right, chuck. i mean, this latest news from senator manchin, this latest statement, is a massive blow. we know the president wanted build back better done as quickly as possible. we know the senate democrats have been saying we wanted it done by christmas. but, look, even if you look in the last few days, none of those really self-imposed deadlines made a difference to senator manchin, not the holiday deadline, not the imminent expiration of the child tax credit, even t

i'm amna nawaz. in this episode we examine how success is born from a combination of deep ambition,

amna nawaz previews tomorrow's session.ase is seen as one of the most aggressive challenges to date to roe v. wade, the landmark supreme court decision that legalized abortion in america. here, the justices will decide the constitutionality of mississippi's 2018 law banning most abortions beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy. if the court were to overturn roe, abortion bans pasd in a dozen states since the 1973 ruling would immediately go into effect. for more on these historic stakes, we get perspective from alexis mcgill johnson, president of the planned parenthood action fund, and marjorie dannenfelser, president of the susan b. anthony list. welcome to you both. thanks for being here. marjorie, is this the moment antiabortion activists have been waiting half a century for? what is the best outcome for you? >> after 50 years of not being able to allow the will of t people to make its way into law in the states, this seems like the best opportunity to overturn roe v. wade. the effect of that will be to return to the states their

i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight. the spread continues -- omicron appears in more states even as health officials battle a surge of delta covid cases. then. rising tensions -- the united states declares a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming winter olympics in china, inflaming a fraught relationship. and. veterans affairs secretary denis mcdonough on meeting the needs of former servicemembers, including those with toxic exposure and post-traumatic stress. all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> it's the little things. the reminders of what is important. it's why fidelity dedicated advisors are here to help you create a wealth plan. a plan with tax sensitive investing strategies, planning focused on tomorrow, while you focus on today. that is the planning effect from fidelity. >> consumer cellular. johnson & johnson. bnsf railway. financial services firm raymond james. the william and flora hewlett foundation. advancing ideas and supporting instituti

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i want to bring in amna nawaz. i'm very, very grateful for your time.ght now? >> jose, it is absolutely dire for millions and millions of people in afghanistan right now. you saw some of the headlines right there. but essentially, since the four months following the fall of kabul and the taliban re-takeover of the nation, things have gone from bad to worse to absolutely critical. over 20 million people in afghanistan right now are in need of food assistance, dire food assistance. about 9 million are facing starvation, including 1 million children, who are already in severe malnutrition and experts who are tracking this tell us those children could starve and die this coming winter. that would be many more children than died in the 20 years of war previous to where we are right now. and let's not forget, of course, millions of young girls are still kept out of school, millions of women are kept out of the workforce. there are a number of humanitarian aid organizations working on the ground. world food program among them. the leader of that, david beesley

amna nawaz recently sat down with the filmmaker, alex gibney.arts and culture series, canvas. amna: abu zubaydah was the first high-value detainee subjected to the cia's program of enhanced interrogation techniques , practices denounced as torture both here in the u.s. and around the world. after being captured in a firefight in pakistan in 2002, zubaydah was shuttled among so-called black sites, secret prisons run by the cia all over the world. he has never been charged with a crime, but for the past 20 years, has remained imprisoned, mostly at guantanamo bay. while a team of lawyers fights for his release. a new hbo documentary called "the forever prisoner" debuts and explores his story and u.s. actions in the name of national security. the filmmaker behind it is academy award-winner alex gibney, and he joins me now. welcome to the newshour. thanks for being here. alex: goodo be here. amna: abu zubaydah is considered a high-value detainee to the u.s. tell us a little bit about him. what did the u.s. believe that he knew that made him high valu