GEOFF BENNETT: Good evening. I'mGeoff Bennett. Amna Nawaz is away. On the “NewsHour” tonight: The Dow Jonesindustrial average closes above 40000 for the first time, as the overallstock market reaches historic highs. We take a closer look at the governorof Texas pardoning an ex-Army sergeant convicted of killing an armedBlack Lives Matter protester. And we speak with a Methodist pastor on a major shift, as the church lifts itsban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriages. REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON, Leader Pastor, Park HillUnited Methodist Church: The church is becoming aware of who God is in comparison to who writersthroughout generations have said about God.
(BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the “NewsHour.” Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coastare dealing with the aftermath of intense storms that have been hammering the region.At least four people were killed in Houston after hurricane-force winds tore through thecity. And more than 700,000 customers remain without power in Texas and Louisianaas utility crews work to address it. Ali Rogan has our report. ALI ROGIN: Today, the Houston area islittered with debris. Downtown is at a standstill and the city's school districtwas closed after an evening of deadly storms.
JOHN WHITMIRE (D), Mayor of Houston, Texas:It was fierce, it was intense, it was quick, and most Houstonians didn't have timeto place themselves out of harm's way. ALI ROGIN: It all began late yesterday,when ominous clouds rolled into the region. TERESA HARRIS, Downtown HoustonWorker: I realized it was pretty bad when it got black. I mean, it really got dark. ALI ROGIN: Soon, torrential rain andfierce winds lashed the area. Officials say gusts in some places reached 100 miles per hour.There were even reports of potential tornadoes. MAN: That's electricity again. ALI ROGIN: The storm easilyknocked out electricity.
Eyewitness video caught the moment the lightswent out as hundreds of customers took shelter in a Costco. Emergency officials called thedamage to transmission lines catastrophic and said it could take weeks to restorepower in some places. In downtown Houston, the storms shattered windows and high-rises,leaving the streets below litter with glass. At a briefing today, state RepresentativeJolanda Jones warned people to keep out. STATE REP. JOLANDA JONES (D-TX): You needto stay away from downtown. I literally just came from there. There's glass everywhere. ALI ROGIN: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgosaid the storms were unexpected and historic. JUDGE LINA HIDALGO, Harris County, Texas:Last night, we were expecting some rain..
The meteorologists were in touch withus. We knew something was coming. But, instead, we saw winds of 80 to 100miles an hour. This kind of wind is something we have not seen in HarrisCounty since Hurricane Alicia in 1983. ALI ROGIN: In Louisiana, similarscenes overnight of heavy rain, flooding and a suspected tornado. Andit didn't end last night. The National Weather Service kept flood watchesand warnings in effect today for large swathes of the southeast, all furthercomplicating efforts to clean up and rebuild. For the “PBS NewsHour,” I'm Ali Rogin. GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other news:.
The Israeli military says its troops inGaza found the bodies of three hostages all killed by Hamas as they tried to fleethe Nova Music Festival on October 7. They were identified as 22-year-oldShani Louk, 28-year-old Amit Buskila, and 56-year-old Yitzhak Gelernter. Meantime,the first shipments of aid arrived on Gaza's shoreline via a floating pier made by the U.S.military. Trucks lined up nearby ready to load. In Washington this afternoon, White Houseofficials said distribution would be swift. JOHN KIRBY, NSC Coordinator For StrategicCommunications: The U.N. has now taken possession of these first pallets and are gettingthem ready for distribution inside Gaza. So, look, I mean, hopefully by thetime we're done here, I mean,.
Some of that stuff will actually be in themouths of some hungry people, but we will see. GEOFF BENNETT: Separately, Israel arguedbefore the U.N.'s top court at The Hague today that its military is doing everything itcan to protect the civilian population in Gaza. The International Court of Justice wrappedup a third round of hearings on emergency measures requested by South Africa,which has accused Israel of genocide. It has been a surreal day at the PGAChampionship in Kentucky after the world's top ranked golfer was arrested whiletrying to drive around a traffic stop outside the Valhalla Golf Club. Police say ScottieScheffler ignored instructions and dragged an officer with his car. Scheffler was booked forassaulting a police officer and other charges.
The Masters champion was handcuffed andput into a police car. In a statement, Scheffler said it was a misunderstanding. He wasreleased and back at the course for his tee time. The man who attacked former HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer wassentenced today to 30 years in prison. David DePape was found guilty lastNovember of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting an official'sfamily member. The 44-year-old admitted to breaking into the speaker's homewith the goal of taking her hostage. The U.S. State Department issued a worldwidecaution security alert today addressing threats to the LGBTQ community. In its statement,the department said it's aware of the.
Increased potential for foreign terroristorganization-inspired violence against LGBTQI-plus persons in events and advisesU.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. The alert comes two weeks beforethe start of Pride Month here in the U.S. Russia has carried out multiplestrikes on Ukrainian territory today. At least one person was killedand eight others injured in an attack near the Black Sea port of Odesa. Fiveothers were hospitalized. Separately, the mayor of Kharkiv says that Russian bombskilled at least three people and injured 28 others. Ukraine's second largest city hascome under increasing attack in recent months. Wrapping up a two-day summit in China, PresidentVladimir Putin said Russia won't invade Kharkiv,.
But instead aims to use it as a buffer zone. VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President(through translator): As for what is happening in the Kharkiv direction, thisis also their fault, because they shoot residential areas of the border territories,including Belgorod. I said publicly that, if this continues, we will be forced tocreate a safety zone, a sanitary zone. GEOFF BENNETT: In response toRussia's latest military advances, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyysigned a bill to allow prisoners to enlist in the military in exchange for parole.He also raised fines for draft dodgers. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico hasundergone another surgery two days after he.
Was shot multiple times following a governmentmeeting. He remains in very serious condition. A suspect has been charged with attemptedmurder. Earlier today, investigators removed a computer and other evidence from thesuspect's home in Eastern Slovakia. Police escorted the 71-year-old there for the searchbefore loading him back into a police car. Employees at two Mercedes facilities inAlabama have voted against joining the United Auto Workers. In the final tally, 56percent of workers were opposed to the union. The result is a setback to the UAW'sefforts to organize 150,000 workers at more than a dozen nonunion auto factories,mostly in the South. It also comes a month after workers at a Volkswagen factoryin Tennessee voted in favor of joining.
On Wall Street today, the Dow closed above40000 for the first time ever. The index added 134 points for a new high of 40003. We willtalk about that a bit more in a few minutes. The Nasdaq slipped 12 points after hitting records ofits own this week. The S&P 500 added six points. And Brazil will host the 2027 Women's World Cup,becoming the first South American country to stage that tournament. The announcement wasmade today at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Brazil beat out a joint bidof Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Still to come on the “NewsHour”: a nationalsecurity expert makes the case that we're in a second Cold War, this time with China; JonathanCapehart and Eliana Johnson weigh in on the week's political headlines; and a college course examinesthe depiction of alcohol and drunkenness on film.
As we reported, this has been a bigweek for the stock market. Not only did the Dow Jones close above the 40000mark for the first time today. The much broader S&P 500 and the Nasdaq alsoreached record highs this week. The markets have rallied backfrom the recent lows of 2022, and the Dow is about 40 percenthigher than when the pandemic started. Roben Farzad joins us now. He's the host ofpublic radio's “Full Disclosure” podcast. It's always great to see you, Roben. So how significant is it that the Dow hit the 40,000 mark? Because the Dow doesn't tell usas much about the economy as the S&P 500 does.
ROBEN FARZAD, Host, “Full Disclosure”: It'sa great talking point. Everything is kind of feeling pricey right now, whetherit's housing, crypto, gold, stocks. Then again, at the turn of the century, therewas an infamous book called “Dow 36000.” And it took forever for the Dow to even visit 20000,25000, much less 40000. There's another school's thought that says the Dow should be farhigher if it was more rationally planned, for example, if Apple or Amazon was added, orif there were other components right now that more represent this economy than the oldeconomy components that are still in it. So — but we will take it. But nothing isreally cheap in this really peculiar economy. GEOFF BENNETT: So what's behind thebroader rise in markets right now?.
ROBEN FARZAD: Artificial intelligence.We have a semiconductor company called Nvidia, which is suddenly a $1trillion, $2 trillion player. A lot of enthusiasm about the A.I. boom.How is it going to affect manufacturing, construction, journalism, media, all thesepowerful semiconductor chips that are going to be required, the staffing, theconsulting, professional services that are going to be disrupted because ofthat? So it's almost a parallel Internet. We have had companies with record profits becausethey have pricing power. And oddly enough, I mean, that passes through to stock market investors.Time was you would worry that inflation would kill stocks. But if you're actually buyinga Chipotle, if you're buying a homebuilder,.
You have these portfolio companies thatare pushing through price increases, then you as a shareholder are partaking in that,hence Dow 40000 and the S&P at an all-time high. GEOFF BENNETT: So if you take thisinto account and you add last month's cooler-than-expected jobs report,is this an overall indication that the Fed might finally take thisstep of cutting interest rates? ROBEN FARZAD: It's bizarre thatwe're having that conversation. You have asset prices at a record high.Nobody can seem to afford a house. There are bidding competitions left and right.And yet the Fed is romancing this idea of cutting interest rates? I think itspeaks to the weakness in the economy,.
The fact that those who are not partaking inthis wealth effect, lower-middle-income people, lower-income people, who have to overmax creditcard debt, who are struggling to make ends meet amid this inflation, the kind of the valuemeal shock at a drive-through at a McDonald's. The Fed has a blunt instrument. We talkedabout this before. And if they ease into this, does the housing market really needstimulus right now? Does the stock market need stimulus? There's a roaringdebate going on in Wall Street. And, indeed, the Fed was supposed to hikeearlier, and it's been punting on it. GEOFF BENNETT: So what I hear you say is that this is not enough to improve Americans'overall perception of the economy.
ROBEN FARZAD: Well, what am I going to do, take mypaper stock market winnings? My 401(k) is feeling puff. I still get sticker shock. I go into aChipotle. An extra dollop of chicken is $4, Geoff? Come on. Guacamole, $4? I'mnot it's not like I have that money. GEOFF BENNETT: That's real money, yes. ROBEN FARZAD: That money is on a login thing,but it's not like it's giving me a dividend to deal with the real world sticker shock ofgas, housing, rents, clothing, you name it. I mean, auto insurance, it's a bizarre, bizarre economy. But when hasn'tthe economy been bizarre, you know? GEOFF BENNETT: So how do you seethis playing out moving forward?.
ROBEN FARZAD: I don't know how we put the genieback in the bottle. As I have said before, it's the first time in a generation thatwe have dealt with capital-I inflation. And the Fed, the Powell Fed was telling usa few years ago that this was transitory, I mean, it's going to pass. But youget this once-in-a-generation pandemic, you flood the plain with money, and it's reallyhard to pull all of that back and to normalize in it. What's a normal interest rate? What's a normalstock market? What's a normal housing market? I think that's a $15 trillion,$20 trillion question right now. GEOFF BENNETT: Roben Farzad,always enjoy speaking with you. ROBEN FARZAD: Likewise.GEOFF BENNETT: Thanks so much for coming in.
ROBEN FARZAD: Thank you. GEOFF BENNETT: Texas Governor Greg Abbotthas pardoned a man convicted of fatally shooting a Black Lives Matterprotester in the summer of 2020. Abbott had faced pressure to issue thepardon from white right-wing conservatives, including then FOX News host Tucker Carlson. Stephanie Sy has the story. STEPHANIE SY: Yesterday, the Texas StateParole Board, whose members are appointed by the governor, unanimously recommended therelease of convicted killer Daniel Perry and the restoration of his firearm rights. He walkedfree just hours after the pardon was issued.
Perry was serving a 25-year prison sentence forthe murder of Garrett Foster, an armed white man who was attending a racial justiceprotest with his Black fiance. In court, Perry argued he shot Foster from his carin self-defense. Prosecutors argued he sought out the encounter, andthe jury ultimately agreed. For more on what led to Perry's pardon,we're joined by KVUE and Austin-American Statesman investigative reporter Tony Plohetski. Tony, welcome to the “NewsHour.” The board said it did a meticulous reviewof this case. But critics say this is politics, and you had right-wing punditslike Tucker Carlson calling for this for a.
Year. What was the biggest justificationGovernor Abbott gave for this pardon? TONY PLOHETSKI, The Austin-AmericanStatesman: Well, to your point, while the parole and pardons board issuedthis statement saying that they had done a meticulous review, what was absent from theirstatement was any sort of legal rationale, in terms of recommending thatthe governor issued this pardon. In a separate proclamation, the governor, however, says that Texas has a very strong, oneof the strongest, in his words, self-defense, stand-your-ground laws here in Texas.And so he saw this as upholding that law, and that the conviction of Daniel Perry in thiscase were, in his words, a travesty of justice.
STEPHANIE SY: And he also had criticism forTravis County's DA's handling of the case, right? But how does this fit into Abbott'sbroader record on pardons? Is this a governor who has shown mercy to others whohave been convicted of such serious crimes? TONY PLOHETSKI: Well, certainly this adds fuelto the already burning fire between Republicans here in Texas and progressive district attorneyslike district attorney Jose Garza here in Austin. There has been a lot of back-and-forth discussion about what crimes get prosecuted andwhat crimes don't get prosecuted here in Austin. But with regard to the governor'srecord with regard to pardons, over time, the governor has issued precious few of thesepardons, usually doing so at the end of the year.
We're talking, Stephanie, only about ahandful per year, most of them nonviolent offenders who were convicted, some ofthem after serving years or in some cases even decades in prison. This pardon,however, stands very distinct from that, in that Daniel Perry has only beenin prison a little more than a year. STEPHANIE SY: I want to read a statementfrom Whitney Mitchell, Garrett Foster's surviving fiancee. She was at the protestthat night. She testified during the trial. And she said through her attorney — quote –“With this pardon, the governor has desecrated the life of a murdered Texan and U.S. AirForce veteran and impugned that jury's just verdict. He has declared that Texans whohold political views that are different.
From his and different from those in powercan be killed in this state with impunity.” Pardons, as you know, tony, areoften political. Does this pardon go beyond a norm? Does it set a new precedent? TONY PLOHETSKI: I can tell you that thatis certainly the concern, not only here in the criminal justice community inAustin, but really across the state, what this might lead to with regard to othercases that are on dockets, not only in Austin, but across the state, whether or not GovernorAbbott may lend support to those offenders, should they be convicted sometime down the line, and, in the minds of some people here in Texas,further upending the criminal justice system.
STEPHANIE SY: How else are youhearing reaction from this, particularly from the family andBlack Lives Matter protesters? TONY PLOHETSKI: Well, I can assure youthat the reaction of Whitney Mitchell is consistent to a lot of feelings here in Austin. Austin has a very strong community withregard to activism and demonstrations. And so they were alarmed the night that GarrettFoster was killed. But let me assure you that, elsewhere in the state, a deeplyconservative state, others view this, other loud voices, including, forexample, the attorney general, view this as righting a wrong, that amiscarriage of justice occurred in this case.
And so they see this as the governorusing his authority, legally using his partner authority to right that wrong.But, again, the reaction really does range, depending on who you talk to, not onlyin Austin, but across the state of Texas. STEPHANIE SY: Tony Plohetski withThe Austin-American Statesman, thank you so much for joining the “NewsHour.” TONY PLOHETSKI: Thanks for having me. GEOFF BENNETT: We turn now to a seismic shiftwithin the United Methodist Church. It recently voted to lift bans onLGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriages.
I spoke to a Methodist pastor about thesechanges, but, first, a bit of background. WOMAN: And the results shouldnow appear on the screen. GEOFF BENNETT: It was described asthe most consequential meeting of the United Methodist Church in more thanhalf-a-century. In late April, hundreds of delegates from around the world gathered inCharlotte, the first such meeting since 2019. WOMAN: The affirmative hasit, and the motion is adopted. GEOFF BENNETT: They votedoverwhelmingly to end the church's bans on same-sex marriageand the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. BISHOP TRACY MALONE, Council of Bishops President,United Methodist Church: And these decisions that.
Have been made over these last few days is atestimony that we are claiming that we are a church where everyone belongs. We are a churchwith open hearts, open minds and open doors. GEOFF BENNETT: In 1972, theMethodists adopted language that “the practice of homosexuality wasincompatible with Christian teaching.” In 1984, they banned clergy who are”self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” And, in 1996, the church prohibited clergyfrom officiating same-sex marriages. MAN: We will not leave thischurch of Jesus Christ. GEOFF BENNETT: After heateddiscussions at a conference in 2019, delegates voted to uphold thosebans. But in the years that followed,.
Some 7,600 U.S. conservative Methodistcongregations located mostly in the South left the church over its lack ofenforcement of the anti-LGBTQ policies. By 2022, the United Methodists had 5.4 millionmembers in the U.S., less than half their peak in the 1960s. The recent departureshave seen that number drop even further. For more on the significance of thesechanges, I spoke recently with the Reverend Valerie Jackson, the lead pastor at ParkHill United Methodist Church in Denver. She joined the Methodist Churchfrom the Baptist Church years ago. I asked Reverend Jackson how the churchlifting its bans has resonated with her. REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON, Leader Pastor, ParkHill United Methodist Church: I didn't think I.
Was really feeling the oppressionof the rule until it was lifted. And then, once it was lifted,I became aware of how much I embodied that oppression. And it surprisedme that, on the last day of the conference, I so freely danced. And I don't dothat. I don't do that in public anyway. I danced freely by myself in themiddle of the assembly hall on the last day of general conference. It was beautiful. GEOFF BENNETT: When you say thatyou were embodying the oppression, help us understand what that means.How did that show up in your life? REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON: What that means is,.
Even though I had the privilege of living ina conference, in a region where being LGBTQ was not criminalized, that, somewhere deepwithin me, I still knew that I was at risk, that my ordination was at risk, that a claim couldbe filed against me, that I could go to trial. Somewhere deep within me, I knew that. And soit's almost like looking over your shoulder unconsciously or subconsciously all day, everyday, 365 days a year. That's a lot of pressure. GEOFF BENNETT: Nearly a quarter ofthe United Methodist Church broke away. What is the impact of that onthe church and really on the faith? REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON:Well, it's multilayered, right? So the impact is grieving.
The loss of United Methodist siblings. Eventhough we did not have the same theology or the same values, they were family. And so you grievethe loss of family members. On the other hand, it was liberating because it's like being ina marriage where you grow apart and you don't share the same vision for the lives that youhave or the future that you're living into. And so, when you finally make thatcourageous decision to separate and go your different ways, it'sfreeing, it's liberating, and it gives the space for people tolive into being who they really are. It's tiring to code-switch depending on who you'retalking to and who is in the space. Think about the time that it takes for the mind to takein, in seconds who is in the room and what you.
Are allowed to say and what you should not say.And to live like that is so profoundly tiring. GEOFF BENNETT: What do you say, Reverend Jackson, to those conservative Methodists who arguethat the church is now buying into the culture, that the Bible hasn't changed, but the churchhas changed? What's your reaction to that? REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON: Thechurch is changing, and thank God. The church is becoming aware ofwho God is, in comparison to who writers throughout generations have saidabout God and who those religious leaders that have been dear to us throughout thegenerations have also declared that God is. I know what it's like as a former Baptist tobe indoctrinated with a particular teaching.
And to not be able to see anything beyond thatteaching. I know what that's like. I know how difficult it is to break through that. So we arenot responsible for the systems that we are born into, but we are accountable and responsiblefor the decision to remain in those systems. And so I pray for my siblings, and I pray thatthey will one day be liberated and set free and come to experience the liberating,unconditional love and grace of God. GEOFF BENNETT: Lastly, what doesall of this mean for the clergy, for your congregants, and for thefuture of the United Methodist Church? REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON: We are lookingforward to preserving a church for the future, for those who are coming behindus that will not have to worry,.
Can they walk through the doors? Will they beloved? Will they be accepted? Will they be seen? We look forward to leaving a church wherethose who are in the LGBTQ community can walk into the church holding hands, cansit in the pews in each other's arms, just like those who are heteronormative?There are so many things about being LGBTQ that we have to give up that those who areheteronormative never have to think about. So we look forward to a church where all peoplewill get to thrive in love, life and liberation. GEOFF BENNETT: The Reverend Dr.Valerie Jackson is lead pastor at Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver. Thanks so much for your time and for yourinsights this evening. We appreciate it.
REV. DR. VALERIE JACKSON: Thankyou so much for having me. GEOFF BENNETT: This week, China's Xi Jinpingand Russia's Vladimir Putin inaugurated a new era of partnership just before Taiwaninaugurates a new president on Monday. A new book argues that Taiwan is at the center of China's challenge to U.S.power and influence in Asia. Here's Nick Schifrin. NICK SCHIFRIN: The Biden administrationcalls China the only country in the world with the will, intent and militarystrength to change the world order. It says China threatens the U.S. andallied interests all over the world. And now the U.S.' national securitystrategy prioritizes confronting China..
How did Washington and Beijing get to thispoint? How strong are Washington and Beijing compared to each other? And how should theU.S. approach its relationship to China? Those questions are at the heartof a new book, “World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in theRace for the Twenty-First Century.” The author is Dmitri Alperovitch, withGarrett Graff. Dmitri joins me in the studio. Dmitri, thanks very much. Welcome back. DMITRI ALPEROVITCH, Author, “World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Racefor the Twenty-First Century”: Thank you. NICK SCHIFRIN: You start the book with ascenario. It's right after Election Day 2028, and Beijing decides to invade Taiwan.Is that the future we're headed towards?.
DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: Well, look, I think thatperiod of 2028, potentially, through 2032, when you could see Xi Jinping at the twilightof his power — he's going to be 79 in 2032, when he's up for CommunistParty election once again. And I believe that he wants to do it onhis own watch, just like Putin wanted to invade Ukraine. He's in his 70s. Xi Jinpingis in his 70s. Both men are driven by their egos. They don't only want to take thesecountries, Ukraine in the case of Putin, Taiwan in the case of China, but they wantto be the ones to do it, because they want to go down into the pantheon of history and bepresented as a great leaders of their country. NICK SCHIFRIN: You call it Cold War 2. Why?.
DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: When youcompare it to the first Cold War, the similarities are just numerous. We have an ideological struggle andauthoritarians versus democracy that the Biden administration talks about. Youhave an arms race, both a conventional one and a nuclear one. You have a space race.You have a trade war. And you also have a tech war. You have a spy war. And on top ofall of this, you have a global competition for supremacy between the United States andChina that plays out in the diplomatic sphere, in the military sphere, and in theeconomic sphere all over the world. NICK SCHIFRIN: Let's go back towhat you call a turning point.
You write that China achieving presence in theSpratly Islands and the South China Sea near the Philippines was — quote — “a microcosm of themodern China challenge, America's failure to read China correctly, and its failure or disinterestin acting earlier to counter its rival's rise.” Why? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: So the Chinese have beenpracticing this salami-slicing strategy, where they have been building up these artificialislands, encroaching on the disputed territories of Vietnam and now the Philippines,and building up military installations, even though at first they said thatthey had no interest in doing that. And, today, you look at the South ChinaSea, it's become a lake for the Chinese.
Navy. What they're trying to do now isdo the same thing in the East China Sea. NICK SCHIFRIN: So what shouldthe U.S. do about this? You describe the overallapproach to China as this, an echo really of what theU.S. did to the Soviet Union, “patiently practicing deterrence and waitingout the inevitable economic-driven decline.” Why is that the overall approach? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: Look, we believethat we have all the strengths, and China is actually incredibly weak.Its economy is in stagnation now. It is fundamentally contained by U.S.allies and U.S. bases in the Pacific.
If China looks out at the world, it sees Korea,Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines surrounded by U.S. military bases, U.S. allies, completelycontained, and its navy is not able to get out to the broader Pacific without going through thechoke points in the so-called first-island chain. NICK SCHIFRIN: Militarily, though, asyou know, there are some people who are worried the U.S. isn't doing enough,and that China actually would be able to practice the denial of U.S. ships inthe territory that it claims as its own. DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: Well, that's right,because even though we're stronger on paper or on spreadsheets, spreadsheetsdon't go to war. And context matters. And there's no question that we could defeat theChinese military easily if we were fighting a.
Battle in Atlantic. But that's not the case. Wewould be fighting if we do fight in East China Sea next to their shores, in the Taiwan Strait,and that's what they have been practicing and building capability for the last 40 years, andwe're just now desperately trying to catch up. NICK SCHIFRIN: Not only has the Bidenadministration expanded the military footprint, but also political agreements with Japan,South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and between those countries. Doesthat kind of thing deter Xi Jinping? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: It's all about creatingdilemmas for him. If he's thinking that there's going to be U.S. military forcesshooting missiles at his ships crossing the strait from the Philippines, from Japan,from Guam, which is a little bit further out,.
Potentially even on Taiwan itself, that'sgoing to make this much more difficult. NICK SCHIFRIN: Let me ask a basic question.Why is Taiwan so important to the U.S.? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: So a lotof people talk about chips, and chips are certainly important. AndTaiwan manufactures the vast majority of the advanced ships. But it'salso much more important than that. If you control Taiwan, you dominate EastAsia. It's on the — right next to Japan, right next to the Philippines. Those countrieswould feel much less safe if China controls Taiwan and is able to project power on theeastern shore of Taiwan, across that Pacific, push the U.S. out all the way back to Hawaii,and establish dominance in the region,.
Where you have 50 percent of the world's GDP, mostof the supply chains, most of the economic growth. NICK SCHIFRIN: This week, the Biden administrationis announcing new tariffs on electric vehicles. The Biden administration has continued mostof the Trump era tariffs, which remain intact. Does economic pressure deter Xi Jinping? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: I think it helps. And you have to apply all elements ofour power, military power, diplomatic, and economic, to try to deter him,to convince him that if — even if he succeeds in taking Taiwan, the impact onthe Chinese economy would be disastrous. NICK SCHIFRIN: Do you believe Taiwan istaking enough steps to defend itself?.
DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: I think they'removing in that direction, but too slowly. And they're not focusing enough on asymmetriccapabilities. The key is to prevent Taiwan — China from coming across the TaiwanStrait in significant numbers. I believe, if they establish a presence on the Taiwanese island, it'sgame over. If they're able to bring hundreds of thousands of troops, it's going to be very, verydifficult for the Taiwanese to defend themselves. But if they manage to sink those shipswith mines, with anti-ship missiles, if they're able to defend their cities with airdefense capabilities, I believe they can win. NICK SCHIFRIN: And then, finally, is the U.S.doing enough to help Taiwan defend itself? DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: I think, again,we're doing a lot. The head of INDOPACOM,.
Admiral Paparo, I think, believes thathe can defend Taiwan if he's so ordered, and we're certainly building up capabilities. The INDOPACOM command that you just visitedin Hawaii, they are preparing for war, and they're getting most of the resourcesright now. And the key to this is the political decision. Will the president, whoeveris it's going to be in 2028 or beyond, will they order the Americans to fight for Taiwan? And I think it's, at best, a 50/50 proposition. NICK SCHIFRIN: Dmitri Alperovitch,the book is “World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in theRace for the Twenty-First Century.”.
Thanks very much. DMITRI ALPEROVITCH: Thank you. GEOFF BENNETT: President Bidenand former President Trump agree to face off on the debate stageafter months of back-and-forth. On that and the other political stories shapingthe week, we turn to the analysis tonight of Capehart and Johnson. That's Jonathan Capehart,associate editor for The Washington Post, and Eliana Johnson, editor in chief of The WashingtonFree Beacon. David Brooks is away this evening. It's great to see you both. JONATHAN CAPEHART: Hey, Geoff.
GEOFF BENNETT: So we have got a pair ofdebates on the books between President Biden and former President Trump,June 27 and September 10, debates that suddenly came together in a matterof minutes, it felt like, on Wednesday. So the first, as you see there, is going to behosted by CNN, the second hosted by ABC News. The Biden campaign has also agreed to a vicepresidential debate hosted by CBS this summer. No agreement yet from the Trump campaign onthat one, which has yet to name a V.P. pick. So, Jonathan, these debates will be unusual fora few reasons. One, they're happening earlier than normal. The Commission on PresidentialDebates is not involved at all. And there's not going to be an audience. I mean, who doesthis benefit? How do you see this playing out?.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, look, I think it benefits– well, first, it benefits the American people. Leave aside the Commission onPresidential Debates. The point is, the American people need to see these two mendebate the issues and let the American people see and judge for themselves who they want tovote for or not vote for, but you better vote. But have them — are they up to the job?Are they up to running this country? Now, in terms of the specifics of the debate,President Biden got everything he wanted. He taunts Donald Trump with a video out onWednesday saying, hey, I hear you're free on Wednesday. Donald Trump immediately agreesto do it after taunting weeks ago saying, ah, Joe Biden, he's not up to it. He'snever going to take the debate stage.
But, again, anyone who's been paying attention toJoe Biden knows that there was no way he was not going to debate Donald Trump. And that leadsto my big question. Even though Donald Trump did agree to these two debates, I will believe itwhen I see it. I don't think he actually shows up. GEOFF BENNETT: Wow. Eliana, how do you see it? Do you think thesedebates are actually going to happen as planned? ELIANA JOHNSON, Editor in Chief, The WashingtonFree Beacon: I do think they're going to happen. And Trump had said, I will debate him any time,anywhere. He then accepted the debate. And the specifics of the proposal from the Bidencampaign indicate clearly to me, I think, an effort to mitigate risk on their part.They're taking place in June and then in.
September. Typically, the debates takeplace much, much closer to the election. They're going to be seen by a fewer numberof people, because the first debate will take place on cable. Typically,they're on public access channels that anybody can see. So I think Bidenwanted to show that he is able to debate. But, if anything happens, he'sgot time to make a correction. GEOFF BENNETT: And, Jonathan,Donald Trump has actually been downplaying expectations for President Biden, saying that he's the worst debater ever. Hesays he can't put two sentences together. Is that an unforced error? Because, typically,.
What you try to do is raise the expectations foryour opponent going into something like this. JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, right. But we'retalking about Donald Trump, who never misses an opportunity to belittle someone he'safraid of, but just to belittle anyone. And back to something Eliana just said,the key thing about these two debates is that they happen before early voting.One of the big complaints has been, you have got these debates that are happening… JONATHAN CAPEHART: … and people,some people have already voted, and some might regret the votes that they cast. By having these debates in June and September,people get to see before they cast that first.
Early ballot. I think this is a great thing. ELIANA JOHNSON: That's true, but, typically,they talk about an October surprise and a debate's impact on the election.They're mitigating the chance that this could happen — that that couldhappen by making them so far away. JONATHAN CAPEHART: But October surpriseshappen like every Friday every week. JONATHAN CAPEHART: So we should just getrid of the concept of October surprise. GEOFF BENNETT: Well, it looks likewe could get a decision from the jury and Donald Trump's historic criminalhush money trial as soon as next week. Eliana, do you think that theprosecution so far has effectively.
Made their case against Donald Trump? ELIANA JOHNSON: Geoff, I would say I'm probablynot the target audience for the prosecution here. ELIANA JOHNSON: So I don't think theyhave effectively made their case, but they have — it's a high bar. Theyneed to convince every one of those jurors. And they have not been clear about whatlaw it is that Trump violated. The defense, it will be interesting to see how extensiveof a case, if any, they mount, whether they call any witnesses. It looks like they couldrest their case without calling any witnesses, which would suggest they don't feel too threatenedby this case in which the central witness, Michael Cohen, is not — wouldn't say he'sour idea of a stellar, upright citizen.
GEOFF BENNETT: And, Jonathan, thisat the outset was seen as being the weakest of the four criminalcases facing Donald Trump, and yet it might be the only case thatgoes to trial and ends before the election. JONATHAN CAPEHART: Right. And that's why I think folks who havebeen putting down this case, I think, were wrong to do so. The whole point is to hold Donald Trump accountable. And now a jury ofhis peers are about to hold him accountable. And anyone who thinks that this entire case restson the credibility of Michael Cohen hasn't been paying attention to the case. There's a reasonwhy David Pecker, the former publisher of “The National Enquirer,” went first, to show, therewas a culture here, there was a system here.
Stormy Daniels talked about the system. Hope Hickstook the stand and talked about her work in that time. All of these people clubbed Michael Cohenlike he was a pinata in the week before he took the stand. And I think that was for the solepurpose of getting it into the jury's head that Michael Cohen's not a good guy, and you'regoing to see a — not a good guy take the stand. And so just take all of thatinformation in and then pay attention to the law and to what's atstake here. And I think — I think, the defense, I would love for them to maketheir case. They're hammering Michael Cohen, but I have not heard them rebut any of theallegations against the former president. And that's something I would love to see.
ELIANA JOHNSON: Their case is goingto be that this isn't a crime. And you talked about the other witnesses, Pecker,Hope Hicks. Stormy Daniels was up there, talking about things that are not appropriate to repeaton this network. But Michael Cohen is the key witnesses to the crime, which is the falsificationof business records. The other people named were not witness to the particular crime in question,and that's what the defense is going to focus on. GEOFF BENNETT: In the time that remains, I want totalk about this reporting from The New York Times. We learned yesterday that an upside-downAmerican flag, which is the symbol that was used by some Trump supporters who challengedthe legitimacy of Joe Biden's 2020 victory, that this upside-down flag hung outside thehome of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito..
I think we — I hope we have the picturethere published by The New York Times. This was after the election. Thiswas on January 6 — or, rather, January 17, 2021. And Justice Alitoissued the statement where he says: “I had no involvement whatsoever in the flyingof the flag. It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor's use of objectionableand personally insulting language on yard signs.” Jonathan, your reaction to this. JONATHAN CAPEHART: This is outrageous. Andit's outrageous because this is a Supreme Court justice who, at the time that flagwas flown, was sitting in judgment of a particular case involving the — still,at that point, the sitting president.
The other thing is, could you imaginewhat would have happened if that flag was flying like that on the property of RuthBader Ginsburg or Ketanji Brown Jackson, someone from the liberal wing on the bench of theSupreme Court? They would have been impeached. And so the idea that we're supposed to acceptJustice Alito's rationale here that, oh, my wife did it, it's unacceptable. AndI think it just feeds into the erosion of the trust and the standing of theSupreme Court with the American public. GEOFF BENNETT: And, Eliana,apart from the ethical issues, there are dispassionate observers here who'vesaid that the — Alito doesn't deny that the flag was flying upside down. He doesn't deny itsmeaning. And he doesn't disavow what happened.
ELIANA JOHNSON: Well, he has said that it involveda dispute — his wife's dispute with a neighbor. But let's stipulate, let's stipulate thathis wife doesn't believe — and I have no idea whether this is true — his wifedoesn't believe Joe Biden is the rightful victor of the 2020 election, and she flewthe flag upside down in protest of that. I don't think that the good liberal readers ofThe New York Times or viewers of this network would be willing to argue with a straight facethat the views of a woman — and she has not come out to say that she didn't do this– are derivative of her husband's views. My husband has nothing to do with the thingsI say on this network, and you can't have it both ways. You cannot say that women arestrong and should be out and employed and.
Have their own views and that their husbands areresponsible for everything they then go and do. JONATHAN CAPEHART: Just, you — Imean, liberals will do that because they're just using what conservativeshave used as a cudgel against them. And if that had happened, again, to RBG,they would be raining thunder calling for her resignation. And I wouldn't — Iwould have a hard time arguing with them. GEOFF BENNETT: All right, Jonathan Capehart,Eliana Johnson, we thank you both. Appreciate it. ELIANA JOHNSON: Thank you. JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Geoff. GEOFF BENNETT: As collegestudents wrap up the year,.
Many reflect on what they learned in theclassroom and what it means for their lives. At the University of Notre Dame, a hugely popularcourse offering has very real-life implications. Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports for our ongoing series at the intersectionof health and arts, part of Canvas. MIKE CERRE: From “Animal House” in the'80s to the more recent “Hangover” films… ACTOR: Oh, it's like college. ACTOR: All right. MIKE CERRE: … pop culture and advertising'sdepiction of drinking is playing out on college campuses to a much more alarmingdegree than the toga parties of the past.
Nearly half of college students say theydrink, and 30 percent say they binge-drink, according to a recent survey by the NationalInstitute on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism. Here on the campus of the University of NotreDame, they are taking a more academic and intellectual approach to the issue, in additionto traditional counseling and disciplinary action. The psychology department is teaming up withthe film, television and theater department on a course that teaches students why they thinkdrinking is so cool and why it's probably not. MAN: Societally, people seem to condoneyour actions because you are drunk. MIKE CERRE: “Drunk on Film” is afull-credit in person and online course with over 150 studentson the wait-list each semester.
Psychology Professor Anre Venter and film andTV Professor Ted Mandell lead the students in their critiques of popular films featuring heavydrinking and its social and health consequences. MAN: So what we want to focus on and what we,like, researched a little bit into is kind of this effect of depressed on depressants,obviously, since alcohol is a depressant. MIKE CERRE: Along with pop culture favorites,the films include classics like “It's A Wonderful Life” and even some cartoons the studentsgrow up with, like “Beauty and the Beast.” Professor Mandell believes film, TV andadvertising have long cultivated the students' acceptance of drinking as part of normal life.Where does total abstinence fit into this course? TED MANDELL, Professor, Universityof Notre Dame: Nowhere. Nowhere.
This course is — to me, is about the abilityto look at media and entertainment that you have been exposed to since you were 2 yearsold and reevaluate it and ask yourself, is this really the narrative of alcohol that'strue? Does alcohol really bring me community? And to get students to look atnarratives and reevaluate that and then compare that to what theyare personally doing in college. MIKE CERRE: Co-professor Anre Venterhas a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and focuses more on the behavioralaspects of college drinking. TED MANDELL: Right. It's the social anxiety? ANRE VENTER, Professor, Universityof Notre Dame: But isn't that what.
We often hear students talk about,drinking because of social anxiety? TED MANDELL: Yes.ANRE VENTER: Liquid courage. MIKE CERRE: The professors are carefulnot to turn the “Drunk on Film” class into an intervention or therapy session thatwould more likely shut down the students, rather than open them up for the discussions,which are the key teaching moments. ANRE VENTER: I'm not a licensedtherapist. Ted's not a licensed therapist. TED MANDELL: Nope. ANRE VENTER: And we're not doingtherapy in any way, shape, or form,. But what we're, I think, gettingthe students to do is to begin to.
Ask questions as to why? Why do I do it this way? MAN: Alcohol changes the relationship between what's called the hypothalamus andthe pituitary ground and the adrenal. MIKE CERRE: Related podcasts andnonfiction films addressing the health and social consequences of excessivedrinking and are part of the mix of videos. TED MANDELL: I want to welcome you totonight's conversation with Holly Whitaker. MIKE CERRE: Guest lecturers haveincluded Holly Whitaker with The New York Times and bestselling author of”Quit Like a woman,” which highlights the added health and safety risks for femalestudents drinking heavily on campuses.
HOLLY WHITAKER, Author, “Quit Like a Woman”: Ithink that you are trained to become a participant in drinking culture. We are trained to drinklike this. We're given images and those images are reinforced our entire lives. When yougo to college, you let loose. You get drunk. How many of you didn't drink in high school? MIKE CERRE: She and the course take on calltraditions, like the football tailgating parties, often hosted by parents and adults,who she believes are often complicit in normalizing excessive studentdrinking as socially acceptable. TED MANDELL: The phrase youcan't be an alcoholic while you're in college is a very common.People have heard that around here.
MIKE CERRE: Aedan Joel and Ava Bidner took theclass last year and are now teaching assistants. AVA BIDNER, Student: Yes, so we watchedone called “The Spectacular Now,” which has Miles Teller as the main actor,and he plays a character called Sutton. And it's really just about hisrelationship with alcohol and his story. And you kind of see it gradually progress,where you don't really think his drinking is a problem. And then, as you kind of gothrough the film, you see that he becomes just increasingly dependent on it and itreally affects all aspects of his life. AEDAN JOEL, Student: I was drinking freshman year and then after that started to kind ofbecome curious as to whether or not,.
Not drinking would be something thatwould fit into my own self-concept. ANRE VENTER: As a social psychologist, we think that human behavior is a function ofboth the person and their environment. Often, the environment is a more powerful predictorof behavior than the person's disposition. TED MANDELL: I think the one thing when we started this class that truly surprised me wasnot that students drink in college, but the level of drinking that is normalized.What is considered normal right now, I would never even think — it wouldn't havecrossed my mind when I was an undergraduate. MIKE CERRE: Many students taking the coursebelieve alcohol has taken on an oversized.
Role in socializing on campus, atthe expense of other activities. Because so much of college life todayis based on drinking, if you say, one of the premises of the course is thatmedia has caused this new acceptance of a moral standard that probably doesn't reallywork for these kids, can media also correct it? TED MANDELL: Yes. Look at cigarettes. Imean, cigarettes for decades and decades were pushed on audiences as being sociallydesirable. And then that narrative has changed. MIKE CERRE: How many of you really didn'tdrink at all until you went to college? There are no solid metrics for gauging thecourse's success in curbing alcohol abuse on campus. But if the student's final exam, inthe form of a personal essay, is any indication,.
Professors Mandell and Venter areconfident they're on the right track. AVA BIDNER: So, as I started thinking about allthose things, I realized that we really all do have a relationship with alcohol, whetheryour choice is one way or the other. And even just with my family and friends andall those different connections, I think it really does affect a lot of different partsof your lives, whether you realize it or not. MIKE CERRE: For the “PBS NewsHour,”I'm Mike Cerre in South Bend, Indiana. GEOFF BENNETT: Finally tonight, a majortransition of note here at the “NewsHour.” Russ Clarkson, who has led ournews team for nearly 25 years, is retiring. Russ represents all that is greatabout the “NewsHour.” He and his team are the.
Beating heart of this broadcast. His editorialjudgment and commitment to the highest standards have shaped the newsroom and helped us maintainthe level of excellence we strive for every day. His wisdom and experience have been invaluable,and his presence will be deeply missed. There's a whole generation of journalists outthere telling stories with graduate degrees from the school of Russ Clarkson under their belts,and our industry and our world are better for it. Russ, Amna and I and the entire teamthank you for everything that you have done for us here at the “NewsHour” andfor being such a terrific colleague and friend. We wish you and your wife,Karen (ph), the absolute best. Here's to a wonderful retirement, friend.
(APPLAUSE) GEOFF BENNETT: Russ is the best of the best. And that is the “NewsHour” fortonight. I'm Geoff Bennett. For all of us here at the “PBS NewsHour,”thanks for joining us, and have a great weekend.
