PBS NewsHour full episode, March 31, 2022
JUDY WOODRUFF: Good evening. I'm Judy Woodruff. On the "NewsHour" tonight: the shifting invasion. Russia repositions some troops, but increases attacks in the south, as civilians resort to desperate attempts to escape the war zone. Then: looking for relief.
President Biden announces plans to release one million barrels of oil per day from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to lower gas prices. And investigating the insurrection. Former President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner testifies before the January 6 Committee.
We discuss the latest on the probe with Representative Zoe Lofgren. REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): What has unfolded here, I think, is more serious than the threat that was posed by Watergate to our country.
JUDY WOODRUFF: All that and more on tonight's "PBS NewsHour." (BREAK) JUDY WOODRUFF: President Biden said today there was no clear evidence that the Russians were scaling back their military operations around the Ukrainian capital, despite that assertion from Moscow earlier this week. The U.S. has seen some redeployments of Russian troops, but not in sizable numbers.
Meantime, the Russian attacks and Ukrainian resistance grind on, most fiercely in the east and southeast of Ukraine. The International Committee of the Red Cross said that it had secured an agreement to evacuate civilians from besieged Mariupol, but those plans have been blown away by Russian shells in the past. Tonight, we start well north of there in Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv.
Special correspondent Jack Hewson again begins our coverage. JACK HEWSON: A once residential area in northeastern Kharkiv now a ghost town. The horror continues, even as Russia pledged to stop the attacks. Today, another Russian missile hit a pipeline, cutting the gas supply to thousands of residents.
The strike triggered a massive fire that burned dozens of local shops. VERA, Kharkiv Resident (through translator): Our apartment block was hit by three missiles. People were left without entry doors.
Where are we supposed to live? Look at us. Look at my clothes. That's how we live.
JACK HEWSON: Elsewhere in the north, Russian troops are now pulling out of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster. The Russians seized the facility in the early days of the invasion. Today, Ukraine's nuclear operator reported Russian soldiers were exposed to significant doses of radiation from digging trenches around the highly contaminated site. Ukraine said those troops are now moving toward the Belarus border, where the U.S. expects Russia to resupply and redeploy them elsewhere in Ukraine. The Ukrainians are not letting up their defense.
This week, they recaptured towns and villages near Kyiv, where dead Russian soldiers now lay, Ukrainian fighters eager to take away any Russian weapons left behind. ALEKSANDER, Paramedic (through translator): We will win, and we will be victorious because we are on our land. And that is a huge advantage we have over the enemy. JACK HEWSON: As Russian forces struggle, today, President Putin authorized drafting conscripts into the army.
He said it had nothing to do with Ukraine. But the issue of conscription has been contentious in the war. Earlier this month Mr. Putin claimed all soldiers were -- quote -- "professional." But Russia's chief defense spokesman said that was not the case. MAJ. GEN.
IGOR KONASHENKOV, Russian Ministry of Defense (through translator): Unfortunately, we have discovered several facts of the presence of conscripts in units taking part in the special military operation in Ukraine. JACK HEWSON: U.S. officials say Russia continues to reposition its troops away from the capital. But despite promises of de-escalation, Russia intensified its offensive in the southeast, as it focuses on the Donbass region.
In the north, heavy shelling continues to hit Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv. There was a renewed onslaught of Russian artillery hitting the northeast of Kharkiv today; 380 impacts were recorded. According to firefighters we spoke to, this was the heaviest week they had observed since the beginning of March. So, so contrary to Russian claims of reduced military activities in Kharkiv, in fact, it appears that the bombardment is actually getting worse. Farther south, in Mariupol, Russia promised a one-day cease-fire, but Ukraine said a new humanitarian convoy headed to evacuate trapped civilians was stopped at a Russian checkpoint. In Washington today, President Biden said he's seen no sign of Moscow scaling back its offensive.
JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: Depending on your view of Putin, I'm a little skeptical. It's an open question whether he's actually pulling back and going to say, I'm just going to focus on the Donbass and I'm not worried about the rest of the country. JACK HEWSON: Meanwhile, in Berlin, a Ukrainian delegation met with Germany's economy minister, as the country is trying to reduce its dependency on Russian energy.
Putin threatened to halt gas exports if they're not paid for in rubles, beginning tomorrow. VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President (through translator): Today, I signed a decree that establishes the rules for trading Russian natural gas with the so-called unfriendly states. In order to purchase Russian natural gas, they must open ruble accounts in Russian banks. JACK HEWSON: Earlier this week, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, insisted Russia will cut off all gas supplies if countries don't adhere to the new rules. And as peace talks are expected to resume tomorrow, in another address to his nation last night, Ukraine's leader said the suffering was expected to grind on. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President (through translator): These are only words, so far, no specifics.
There is a real situation on the battlefield. And we will fight for every meter of our land for every person. JACK HEWSON: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jack Hewson in Kharkiv, Ukraine. JUDY WOODRUFF: The city of Zaporizhzhia lies in the southeast of Ukraine along the Dnieper River. It's very close to the front lines and so far remains in Ukrainian hands. In the early days of the war, fighting at its nuclear power plant put the entire world on edge.
Now things have settled down there somewhat, but Zaporizhzhia has become a way station for thousands trying to escape Russian attacks. Special correspondent Volodymyr Solohub is there for us. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: Zaporizhzhia is relatively calm now.
But the routine here is anything but routine. The city has become a major logistics center for those fleeing the war in Mariupol and other towns in southeast of Ukraine. OLEKSANDR STARUKH, Governor of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (through translator): We have evacuated around 112,000 people to central and western parts of Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
We serve as a sort of layover hub. If all of those evacuees stay here -- and that's tens of hundreds of thousands of people -- it would be very difficult for the city. Most of the evacuees just stay overnight and keep going into Central and Western Ukraine. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: This is estate's main layover hub. All those fleeing the horrors of war come to this processing center to get help moving further from the fighting. And you can see the damage on the cars arriving here.
Viktoria was forced to live three weeks in a basement of an apartment building in Mariupol with her 6-year-old daughter, Elisabeta, and two elderly parents. She told us the daily struggle to even cook. VIKTORIA SHEKHOVTSOVA, Mariupol Evacuee (through translator): We would put a pot a fire outdoors, add some water, start cooking. When they would start bombing, we would run back into our basement, then come back to see if it's ready.
A lot of young guys helped us with whatever they could. Before the war, you would call that looting. Now it's just some help. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: Staying in Mariupol was, of course, very dangerous.
But fleeing the city was both dangerous and uncertain, since they didn't have Internet access, and hence the outside world. VIKTORIA SHEKHOVTSOVA (through translator): On March 19, when we were watching our apartment burn, we realized we needed to leave, but we couldn't leave our neighborhood. We were too afraid. Some people left at 4:00 a.m., packed their cars and drove. Some didn't make it and were turned back. There were no evacuation buses whatsoever.
VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: And while the worst is behind Viktoria and her family, their future is uncertain. As she walks into this welcome center, she says she's not really sure what's next for her. For many, the road from Mariupol and other besieged cities in Eastern Ukraine took days before finally reaching this parking lot of a hardware store on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia. And, inside, they can get some clothing for those who had very little time to pack before fleeing the war. And, here, they're being greeted by the volunteers and social workers.
They can get some food and hot drinks, and, for the first time, feel some sort of normality. They arrive here with children, pets, and the few belongings they could take with them. Many are confused, frightened, and not sure what to do next. But all of them ask the same question: Why did this happen to their city? OLEKSANDR STARUKH (through translator): One of the main problems of Mariupol, according to both the experts and those who fled the city, is the absence of air defense systems. If they had a proper air defense, Russians wouldn't be dropping 1,000-pound bombs on civilian objects. Zaporizhzhia also needs a proper air defense system.
This will protect both our civilian objects and chemical plants and other dangerous facilities. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: We discussed the need for more air defense systems with a Ukrainian fighter jet pilot, his location, face, and real name could not be disclosed. He asked us to refer to him by his call sign, Juice. JUICE, Ukrainian Air Force Pilot: Right now, we need some Soviet systems from our allies, like S-300, BUK system, which are mastered by our crews. Every day, we are losing our systems. Russians are hunting our SAMs, our ground-to-air missiles.
So, every day, we need more and more and more. We need to close the sky above our cities, above large infrastructure like nuclear power stations, et cetera. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: How big of a game-changer that would be if Ukraine was to receive these types of weapons? JUICE: We have a lot of advantages in land forces. We have a lot of good tanks, anti-tank missile systems, and other systems on the ground. But, in the air, unfortunately, we are not able to fight efficiently. VOLODYMYR SOLOHUB: And while Ukraine is waiting for more air defenses systems, people from Mariupol and other towns and cities in Southeastern Ukraine continue living the horrors of war, whether in the basements of their homes or making the death-defying journey to safety.
For the "PBS NewsHour" I'm Volodymyr Solohub in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. JUDY WOODRUFF: And a note: Our coverage of the war in Ukraine is supported in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. In the day's other news: President Biden ordered the release of one million barrels of oil a day from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months. He said it could help control soaring gasoline prices.
Previous releases failed to have much effect, but the president said he is hopeful. JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: My guess, we will see it come down, and continue to come down. But how far down, I don't think anyone can tell.
But it will come down, and it could come down fairly significantly. It could come down the better part of anything from 10 cents to 35 cents a gallon. It's unknown. JUDY WOODRUFF: In response, oil prices fell sharply in New York trading back to $100 a barrel. We will return to this after the news summary.
Parts of the Deep South are recovering from a night of severe storms and tornadoes, including one that killed two people in the Florida Panhandle. The huge weather system blasted its way across six states overnight, with hundreds of reports of wind damage. Storms toppled trees and smashed homes. By early morning, workers were rushing to clear the wreckage and crews began trying to restore widespread power outages. The state of Washington today became the first in the nation to create a statewide alert system for missing indigenous people.
The governor signed the measure, modeled after Amber Alerts for missing children. Advocates say that it is aimed primarily at Native American women, who suffer sharply higher rates of violence than whites do. In Turkey, a prosecutor has asked that a trial involving the killing of Jamal Khashoggi be moved to Saudi Arabia. The Washington Post columnist disappeared in 2018 at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul; 26 Saudis have been on trial, in absentia, for nearly two years. The transfer request comes as Turkey is trying to repair relations with Saudi Arabia. Israeli forces killed at least two Palestinians today in the occupied West Bank.
Shooting erupted when troops entered a refugee camp, hunting suspects in Tuesday's killing of five people in Israel. Afterward, Palestinians marched in a funeral procession. And the militant group Islamic Jihad announced a mobilization of its fighters.
Back in this country, a leading Republican senator confirmed that he will oppose Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina supported Jackson for a federal appeals court slot last June. Today, he said he now believes she is too far left. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I find Judge Jackson to be a person of exceptionally good character, respected by her peers and someone who has worked hard to achieve her current position.
However, her record is overwhelming in its lack of a steady judicial philosophy and a tendency to achieve outcomes, in spite of what the law requires or common sense would dictate. JUDY WOODRUFF: So far, Maine Senator Susan Collins is the only Republican to back Jackson's nomination. But her support, if joined with all 50 Senate Democrats, would be enough to ensure confirmation. Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee will pay $113,000 to the Federal Election Commission. The penalties involve the so-called Steele dossier, which made allegations about then-candidate Donald Trump and Russia. It was largely discredited later.
The Clinton campaign was accused of covering up paying for the research. It admitted no wrongdoing. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced today that the U.S. Justice Department has closed an investigation of him without bringing criminal charges.
It involved political fund-raising at his former logistics business. DeJoy was appointed to his post by former President Trump. On Wall Street, stocks finished their worst quarter in two years, as major indexes fell 1.5 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 550 points to close at 34678. The Nasdaq fell 221 points. The S&P 500 slipped 72.
And the space tourism venture Blue Origin launched and landed its fourth flight today. The six passengers included a Blue Origin engineer and a university professor. Their capsule blasted off just after sunrise in West Texas.
It flew as high as 66 miles, and then drifted back to Earth under three parachutes. Still to come on the "NewsHour": the transgender community marks a day of visibility, as more state laws target LGBTQ youth; an economic historian discusses the global impact of sanctions on Russia; how the slapping incident at the Oscars is sparking difficult, but important conversations; plus much more. As we reported earlier, President Biden announced unprecedented action today to reduce the pain at the gas pump.
Lisa Desjardins explains. LISA DESJARDINS: Putin's price hike, that's what President Biden calls the surge in gas prices since Russia invaded Ukraine five weeks ago. Today, he announced a historic effort to lower those costs.
He said the administration would release 180 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Reserve over the next six months. At one million barrels per day, that is the largest release in U.S. history. And it amounts to roughly a third of the reserve's current supply. Joining me now to help us understand what this means is Patrick De Haan. He is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, an app that tracks fuel prices and shortages. Patrick, let's just start right away.
How significant is this? What do you make of it? PATRICK DE HAAN, Head of Petroleum Analysis, GasBuddy: Well, I think it's very significant. It was largely unexpected, surprising, and it's a significant amount of crude oil. Keep in mind that the president had previously announced two other releases of 50 million barrels last fall and 30 million barrels shortly after Russia's war on Ukraine. And so to come out just shortly thereafter from the previous announcement, and announce another 180 million barrels, it certainly caught me off-guard. LISA DESJARDINS: That's the interesting thing. Those previous two releases didn't seem to affect prices or at least didn't bring them down.
What do you think about this idea? Will this affect prices? The president says 10 cents to 35 cents, but Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell calls it a drop in the bucket. What do you think? PATRICK DE HAAN: Well, I think a drop in the bucket is just dismissing -- somebody dismissing the idea that maybe didn't originate with him. I think there will be an impact.
I don't know if it would be as high as 35 cents. But there's somewhere, a 10-to-25-cent-a-gallon range. What I'm concerned about is that there are plenty of volatile situations, especially Russia and Ukraine, COVID in China, that could eventually offset part of the expected decrease, should oil prices suddenly reverse or the situation in Russia with Ukraine escalate.
LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, help us understand the world markets right now. As I said, the president calls this Putin's price increase. How much of the price increase that Americans are experiencing right now is related to Ukraine? How much is still global oil supplies and maybe other factors? PATRICK DE HAAN: Well, I think there's just -- there is some level of accuracy as referring to the last two months of increases as being associated with Putin, for, without Putin's war on Ukraine, the U.S. probably would not have had to respond with sanctions.
And so part of this at least could be blamed on Putin's move into Ukraine. Now, having said that, gas prices were already fairly high prior to the war on Ukraine. The national average was already at about $3.30. So, much of the increase since that $3.30 cent national average is likely attributed to the war in Ukraine.
But, prior to that, a lot of the increase I could blame on COVID, which upended norms between supply and demand. And, of course, oil prices early in the pandemic plummeted, only for the economy to recover, and for then demand to recover much faster than supply. LISA DESJARDINS: This is a historic release in its amount. Some critics say this is not what the Strategic Reserve is for, that it's for emergencies.
Do you think that there is enough left in the reserve to deal with any potential other supply shocks that we may not be able to predict? PATRICK DE HAAN: Well, I think that's certainly a point of contention and can be debated. It is a situation that the U.S. created through sanctions. Though those sanctions have plenty of merit, this is not an emergency that is unexpected.
And so I would have to say that part of me agrees that, potentially, this is not an emergency situation, and that we leave the nation more vulnerable to if one of those emergencies does arise where we can't do anything about it. And, certainly, the situation that the U.S. has put us into, the administration, is avoidable. Whether or not sanctions were necessary is one thing, but this situation is of the U.S.'
choosing. LISA DESJARDINS: Patrick De Haan, I see that heat map behind you. I take it that's prices. A lot of Americans want to see those colors dim in the near future, but we know you will stay on top of it.
Thank you for joining us to talk about it. PATRICK DE HAAN: Thanks for having me. JUDY WOODRUFF: As we have heard, oil prices have largely climbed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
That is one key part of the larger economic fallout from the war and from the tough sanctions that the U.S. and many other countries have imposed on Russia in response. Our economics correspondent, Paul Solman, looks at the global impact of these moves. PAUL SOLMAN: Columbia University's Adam Tooze has chronicled the biggest economic events in recent history, from Nazism to COVID, World War I to the crash of '08. So, what does the crisis in Ukraine mean for the global economy? ADAM TOOZE, Columbia University: What we're worrying about is energy, oil and gas, and the other thing we're worrying about is food. PAUL SOLMAN: Worrying about soaring prices, since Russia is a key supplier of oil and gas to much of the world, and, together, Russia and Ukraine export so much of the world's wheat.
ADAM TOOZE: The shock of the war, the prospect of uncertainty in markets, which, as far as energy were concerned, were already very tight, and in the Black Sea, through which the grain has to travel, the actual fact of the shooting war and ships being sunk has led to an interruption in supply. And then speculators get hold of the story, and the market rises, if you like, anticipating future shortage. And it's those two effects which are really going to be decisive, not just for the rich countries of the world, but, in a sense, even more significant for low-income countries.
PAUL SOLMAN: How worried are you? ADAM TOOZE: I'm seriously concerned about the countries most disadvantaged, Ethiopia. If you're Egypt, if you're Tanzania, if you're Kenya, the low-income countries with huge import bills, this is a very, very dangerous situation. The very worst-case scenario, one we have to contemplate now, is that there will be a flat- out interruption of supply, so-called stock-out, where countries run out of key fuels, like diesel, which for low-income countries are vital not just for driving tractors, but for generators, which are the backup power source when the electricity grid fails. PAUL SOLMAN: How much of a problem to the world food supply is what's going on now? ADAM TOOZE: The shock to the world food supply is much more significant than to the world's energy supply, because Russia and Ukraine together add up to close to 30 percent of wheat supply, very, very large percentage also of vegetable oils, which are crucial, say, in Indian cuisine.
Sunflower oil, 80 percent of that comes out of the Black Sea region. There is very serious reason to be concerned about the ability of low-income countries to afford basic foodstuffs through the autumn, through the fall and into the winter. And it's the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, which is really going to be in the crosshairs here of these pressures. PAUL SOLMAN: But we're America.
What about us? ADAM TOOZE: America should not, I think, exaggerate the scale of its difficulties. The shock to the United States will be felt through the oil market, above all. PAUL SOLMAN: The greater difficulties, says Tooze, are those of the Russian economy, due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies. ADAM TOOZE: The really big bazooka was the announcement of sanctions against the Russian Central Bank. And this is like nothing we have ever seen before.
We have done sanctions against the Central Bank, the equivalent of the Fed in Russia, we have done that against Iran. We have done that against Venezuela. But Russia is a far bigger proposition.
It's a G20 country in good standing. It has foreign exchange reserves of $500 billion, at least, and these are being frozen, effectively, in New York and in the financial centers in Europe. And that is totally indiscriminate. That is a bludgeoning attack on the Russian financial system, on the Russian currency.
The big question mark really is whether or not we will move -- and this is a question for the Europeans -- to sanctioning, blockading, boycotting Russia's export of oil and gas. And that is the open question so far. PAUL SOLMAN: So far, the E.U., which relies on Russia for gas, oil and coal, has not sanctioned Russian energy.
But Russian oligarchs have been targeted. ADAM TOOZE: This is popular. You saw the folks in Congress applauding President Biden as he promised to go after their yachts and so on.
JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: I say to the Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders, no more. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) ADAM TOOZE: I think we'd like to tell ourselves that the function of the targeted sanctions on the oligarchs is to make a surgical strike on the inner circle around Putin that will force, as it were, a change of mind on the part of the Kremlin. But I think, if you honestly look at the power politics of Russia since the early 2000s, since the incarceration of the energy baron Khodorkovsky in 2003, that's not really a very convincing story about how politics is made. If those people had been in charge, Putin would never have launched his invasion of the Ukraine. This is a policy that doesn't suit their interests. PAUL SOLMAN: Or, of course, the interests of their mega-yachts.
But what about the rather larger interests of the global trading system? Are we seeing a lasting reshaping of the world economy? ADAM TOOZE: We are seeing a lasting reshaping of the world economy, but I think this war is just part of a broader set of forces that are doing that reconfiguring of globalization. More fundamental, really, is the antagonism between the United States and China. What I think we are going to see is globalization in a new key, if you like, a new mode of globalization, with a new sort of politics, and without some of the, if you like, cultural aspirations, the promises of convergence and harmony. All of that, I think, rings pretty hollow at this point. I mean, the fact of the matter is that, as this war is going on, as Russia is shelling Ukrainian cities, both Ukrainians and Europeans continue to consume its gas.
So those connections are profoundly resilient. But no one is any longer going to pretend that that connection is going to create eternal peace between Russia and Western Europe. PAUL SOLMAN: No, they're not. For the "PBS NewsHour," Paul Solman. JUDY WOODRUFF: President Biden commemorated this International Transgender Day of Visibility today with a series of announcements and events.
The president's message came as more states have passed laws limiting transgender rights. William Brangham has more about this day and the battles playing out around the country. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That's right, Judy. The Biden administration announced a number of changes to make the government more inclusive, including giving trans people the right to mark X for gender identity on their passports. And it announced a series of measures to support the mental health of transgender children.
But perhaps most powerfully, in this video message, President Biden told trans individuals -- quote -- "Your president sees you." JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: To parents of transgender children, affirming you're child's identity is one of the most powerful things you can do to keep your child safe and healthy. To any transgender American who's struggling, please know that you're not alone.
To parents and children alike, please ask for help, and know this: You're so brave, you belong, and we have your back. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: This all comes as more than 130 bills targeting transgender rights specifically were introduced in state legislatures this year. Just yesterday, Oklahoma became the 13th state to sign into law a bill banning transgender women from competing on female sports teams at public schools and colleges. In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey signed bills targeting trans youth, including one that would restrict access to gender-affirming health care. For more on all of this, I'm joined by award-winning writer and activist Raquel Willis.
Raquel, great to have you on the "NewsHour." Before we get to what is happening in the states, I want to acknowledge that today is supposed to be a day of recognition and visibility and celebration. And I'm wondering if it -- does it feel that way to you? Does it feel like today is important? RAQUEL WILLIS, Writer and Activist: Today is important, for sure, for our community.
And I think folks are carving out spaces of joy in their everyday life. The trans community has always been here. We have always found ways to survive and thrive. And I love that our community does that in the face of all of this legislation.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Well, let's talk about all of that legislation, because there has been this record number of bills. I touched on a few of them, but bills and laws passed in states targeting different slices of transgender life in America. Why do you think this has become such an issue? RAQUEL WILLIS: Well, this has become a banner issue, especially in the aftermath of what has been considered obviously marriage equality becoming the law of the land. The conservatives have made it their point to go after the trans community.
They know overwhelmingly that we still have a general public that is unfamiliar with the experiences of trans people. Many folks still say that they don't know a trans person who live in America. So it is easy for them to take advantage of a bit of confirmation bias. They know that folks have all of these ideas about us that aren't necessarily true.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I was struck recently by Republican Governor of Utah Spencer Cox, when he was -- he was vetoing a piece of legislation in his state that was then overturned by the legislature. But when he went to veto that bill, he said -- quote -- "Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don't understand what they're going through or why they feel the way they do, but I want them to live." It does seem that there is a disproportionate focus on trans people in society right now. RAQUEL WILLIS: Yes, there is. I mean, if you look at many of the testimonials from conservative politicians, a lot of times, they don't even know a single case in the state in which they're trying to move this legislation.
But, either way, I think what we need to see more of is folks who consider themselves to be supportive of the trans community, like the Democratic Party, to come out and be on the offense and not just the defense. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: What are the practical implications of these bills and laws in all these different states? RAQUEL WILLIS: Well, unfortunately, what we're seeing in Texas, which has been really a tentpole state for a lot of us by legislation, I mean, there are families that are considering moving or have already. And then, of course, there are lots of folks who are trans who just do not feel safe. That impedes their ability to be visible, as we're celebrating today.
So I think we have to get a grapple on why our experiences are so vital and why we are valid as human beings. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: What would you say to people who -- I mean, it's hard to understand people's motives sometimes, but people who genuinely believe that they are trying to protect women's sports or they are trying to protect their kids from what they think is indoctrination going on in classrooms? What do you say to people like that? RAQUEL WILLIS: Well, I think that we have to consider that the folks who are overwhelmingly trying to move this legislation to supposedly protect women's sports have never really cared about women's inclusion in different sectors of society previous to this. So I think that that is very telling. I think it also paints an unfair picture. And, you know, to my point earlier about the ramifications of this, I mean, we don't want to see an increase in suicidality amongst young people, which we know happens when they don't have environments that are affirming, and we don't need to see a stoking of the violence that already exists. I mean, we have already lost a number of trans folks, mostly trans women of color, to senseless violence this year.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Right. That violence is going hand in hand with this rise in these numbers of bills. Do you see those as connected, or are those just parallel tracks? RAQUEL WILLIS: I definitely see them as connected. I think that we can't disentangle what happens when we hear political rhetoric that says that we shouldn't exist.
It says that we don't deserve the same rights as other folks, we don't deserve health care, housing, and to be ourselves, to be loved by our families. I mean, that's the big thing. If you think about the young children who are able to even name their truth to their families, and then finally find support, now, for instance, in places like Alabama and beyond, you're seeing criminalization of families that are affirming and loving.
That's not OK. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, that's writer and activist Raquel Willis. Thank you so much for being here. RAQUEL WILLIS: Thank you. JUDY WOODRUFF: The Select Congressional Committee Investigating the January 6 Capitol attack today heard from the closest witness to former President Donald Trump yet, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Representative Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, is a member of that committee. And I spoke with her a short time ago. Congresswoman Lofgren, thank you very much for joining us. The January 6 Committee today heard from Jared Kushner. What can you tell us about what he had to say to the committee, or, maybe equally important, what he didn't say? REP.
ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Well, as you know, Judy, it's the policy of the committee not to discuss the testimony of the witnesses without a vote of the committee, which has not occurred. So, I'm sorry. I can't get into that with you.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Does his testimony, in your view, help the committee reach its goal, which is understanding what happened on January the 6th of last year? REP. ZOE LOFGREN: Well, as you know, we have heard from hundreds, hundreds of witnesses, some very close to the former president, some in his closest inner circle, others not as close. And we're piecing together the information.
As you're aware, there have been some high-profile individuals who have refused to testify, which is wrong. But we're going to great lengths to put together the facts, and then we will be able to lay it out to the American people. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, speaking of phone calls, now that we know that there was almost an eight-hour gap in the official phone records provided to the committee from what -- what was going on inside the Trump White House on January the 6th, and now learn the president made at least one phone call during that time, to Utah Senator Mike Lee, how does that change the work of the committee and what you have to do now? REP.
ZOE LOFGREN: Well, we know from public reporting there were many phone calls made during that time frame. For example, it's been publicly reported, and certainly not denied, that Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke to the former president in that time frame, along with many others. So, we know that phone calls were made. They should have been recorded on the log. They were not. And so we intend to find out what calls were made and piece together the truth.
It's very disappointing that the laws that require these logs were not followed in this case. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we know the committee's commission is not to pursue a criminal investigation, but does the fact that you're not getting the whole picture from the records being provided change materially the work the committee has to do? REP. ZOE LOFGREN: Well, there are other ways to find out what phone calls were made, and we're doing our best to do that. As I say, life would be easier for the committee if every person who is asked to give us information did so readily, as the law requires. That hasn't always occurred.
It would be easier for the committee if the former president had fully complied with the Presidential Records Act, which, unfortunately, has apparently not occurred as well. But we will piece together -- it's our intent to find out everything about this whole situation and report it to the American public, and so everyone can understand the threat that we posed and I would say still face to our democratic republic. JUDY WOODRUFF: Congresswoman Lofgren, you were a young staffer in the office of then-Congressman Don Edwards, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, during the time of Watergate, when there were impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon. One of the things you were dealing with was an 18-and-a-half-minute gap in the audio recording in the Oval Office. How do you compare the gap you're dealing with now with what happened back then? REP.
ZOE LOFGREN: I will just say that what has unfolded here, I think, is more serious than the threat that was posed by Watergate to our country. JUDY WOODRUFF: And why do you say that? REP. ZOE LOFGREN: Well, I think the threat to the democratic republic was far, far more serious than in the case of water Watergate.
Just my opinion. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, and let me ask you, in connection with that, we interviewed on the "NewsHour" just a few days ago Congressman Adam Schiff, who is on the January 6 Committee with you. He made a point of saying that the Justice Department now needs to move, in his words, with alacrity to pursue investigations against those for whom criminal referrals have been voted out of Congress. Do you share the concern that he expressed that he's worried that Justice and the attorney general may be worried about wading into controversy, rather than pursuing an investigation? REP.
ZOE LOFGREN: Well, the truth is, we don't know what the Department of Justice is doing, and it's really not the regular order for the Department of Justice to report to us. That's not the way they're supposed to act. However, we did refer the Mark Meadows matter to the DOJ for prosecution. We didn't do it lightly. And the former chief of staff has taken the position -- and there is no authority for this in the case law -- that he didn't have to come in and answer the questions.
Now, if there's a privilege that he wants to assert, he can come in and assert that privilege. And there may be some cases where that privilege would be warranted. But, clearly, in case where's he has already talked about matters, he's waived the privilege. When he was talking to state legislators, not the former president, that wasn't privileged. So, it's -- what he has done is completely lawless.
And I just don't understand what is taking the Department of Justice so long to actually take some action relative to this. It's -- hopefully, they are doing some work. We certainly are.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And is there any way of conveying that to the Justice Department, other than speaking out as you are right now in public? REP. ZOE LOFGREN: No. I mean, they have to make their own decisions. I understand that. They cannot and should not take orders from the legislative branch.
But, in this case, Congress and, by extension, the American people are the victim of misconduct on the part of Mr. Meadows. And so we have stature, as the victim of this crime, to complain. And we are. JUDY WOODRUFF: Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who is a member of the House Select Committee on January 6, thank you very much.
REP. ZOE LOFGREN: Thank you. Take care. JUDY WOODRUFF: Four days after the shocking events at this year's Oscars, the fallout is not over. The Academy of Motion Pictures says that it is considering disciplinary action against Will Smith for walking on stage and striking comedian Chris Rock.
The Academy also said yesterday that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony, but refused to go. Chris Rock, for his part, said during a previously scheduled show last night that he is still processing what happened. Many people and commentators are also still processing it.
Stephanie Sy picks up on that larger conversation. STEPHANIE SY: A lot of people who watched Will Smith's on-stage slap of comedian Chris Rock are saying the moment carried more meaning and charge than just a man losing his cool with another man who insulted his wife. Joining me to discuss the deeper cultural context are author and film critic Eisa Nefertari Ulen, who is also a professor, and Mark Anthony Neal, author and professor of Black popular culture at Duke University. Professors, thank you so much for joining the "NewsHour."
And, Professor Ulen, I want to jump right in with you. You wrote a searing piece for The Hollywood Reporter, in which you seemed to dissect each action Will Smith took that night in a deeper context of pain, specifically what you called Black pain. Why do you think it's important to see this moment through that lens? EISA NEFERTARI ULEN, Hunter College: I think that any time we witness violence, we need to understand that from a place where we recognize the emotional and psychological state that's driving this physical response to a trigger. And Will Smith was definitely triggered that night. But I think, in the broader context of American society, we need to understand what was happening there, it's really rooted and steeped in a 400-year commitment to Black erasure, Black marginalization, Black silencing, and the stereotyping of Black people. All of that was present in a visceral, felt and real way in the infamous slap.
STEPHANIE SY: Professor Neal, you have taken a different take in previous interviews. You have criticized Will Smith's actions as rooted in notions of traditional manhood, what some people refer to as toxic masculinity. Why do you view it that way? MARK ANTHONY NEAL, Duke University: There's been a lot of discourse recently about the ways in which Black men can show up for Black women. We saw Senator Cory Booker do a version of that last week with Judge Brown Jackson.
But I think, in this instance, the expectation that Black men show up is not something in which we resort to violence. I think, like Eisa suggested we saw a man who was unhinged in that moment, and the only thing that seemed to be in his toolbox to respond to that moment was an act of violence. But I also don't want to erase the violence that was enacted by Chris Rock in that moment. In his critique or joke on Jada Pinkett Smith, an extension of a broader critique of Black women, is it ever a comfortable space to make fun of the kind of chronic diseases that Black women are suffering, right? So, in that regard, I absolutely agree with Eisa that we're seeing the continuation of almost a spectacle of Black pain broadcast to millions and millions of people. STEPHANIE SY: Professor Ulen, I wonder if you will pick up on that point and talk about Black pain as it relates to Jada Pinkett Smith in this moment and to Black women. Was Chris Rock's joke about her shaved head, did it go beyond an insensitivity to her medical condition, alopecia, but did it also hit at issues surrounding Black beauty? EISA NEFERTARI ULEN: Yes.
And I appreciate mark so much for guiding the conversation in this direction. The decentering of Black women through time has been ubiquitous. We have been maligned and attacked so much that we have internalized these external pressures, these social constructs, and have started to even use them, one against each other, in the Black community. You know, calling someone bald-headed in the Black community, critiquing Black women's hair, that is a real red zone.
And the language itself is a violent act. Chris Rock should not be exonerated. What he committed on stage was a verbal assault. To minimize it and say it was just a joke is actually treading into dangerous territory, because it gives a kind of cultural permission to that global audience, to people outside the African American community to commit the same kind of aggressions against Black women. Calling them out about their physical appearance, marginalizing the way that they appear, this has been a tool used to oppress Black people through time. And so no one should have permission to do that.
It is more than just a joke. So, as violent as Will Smith's act was, his slap, and the fact that he should not be exonerated for what she did that night, we need to hold Chris Rock accountable also and anybody else that would try to attack Black woman's appearance. STEPHANIE SY: Professor Neal, you obviously agree that Chris Rock, a comedian, did cross the line in this instance. But I also wonder if you will comment on the irony here. Two of the most high-profile Black men at the Oscars that night, Will Smith and Chris Rock, get into this altercation, after the Oscars have faced years of criticism.
Oscars so white was the hashtag not so long ago, the irony of that and whether you're concerned something was lost that evening, in the midst of so many victories for Black talent that evening, including Mr. Smith's. MARK ANTHONY NEAL: When you think about some of the campaigns around Oscars so white, it is ironic that this moment brings upon at least a feeling of shame or some evidence of shame. And I think that shame is legitimate, in terms of the way that some Black folks, Black Hollywood folks, but also nominal Black folks who were watching the television show. My concern there is that we can't put too much energy into this notion that we can somehow not have shame on performance, right? You know, we're talking about a multimedia culture now, social media.
There's so many aspects of what we would call the dirty laundry of Blackness that are out there. I think what's more important in this moment is for us to own up to the pain that's occurring in this context, to kind of go from that standpoint to talk about ways in which we can be much more healthier. And, of course, part of the challenge here is that, if there were more vibrant and diverse representations of Blackness that existed in Hollywood and that were given the kind of kudos that we saw the other night, then we wouldn't feel so unhinged when we have this kind of moment explode, right, because it's not exact -- it's not as if we haven't seen these examples of Hollywood performances before, where folks do things in kind of off-script. That kind of break decorum, right? Let's not pretend that this is the first time decorum has been broken at the Hollywood -- at the Academy Awards. STEPHANIE SY: Well, to that point, the Academy is considering disciplinary action today against Will Smith. What do you think of that? And within Black spaces, what are some of the ways accountability is being discussed, Professor Ulen? EISA NEFERTARI ULEN: I would like to see the Board of Governors, the Academy Board of Governors take this as an opportunity.
And instead of resorting to punitive disciplinary actions to hold Will Smith accountable, I think that this is an opportunity for the Academy to do something bold and different. An our healing needs to happen in a way that is restorative around the issues of Black care, around the issues of Black wellness, around the fact that we are, as Mark Anthony Neal just said, unhinged, and not just because of what happened that night and the representations and misrepresentations of Black people through Hollywood through time. Let the Academy do something that affirms Black life and the value and worth of Jada Pinkett Smith first, and then Chris Rock and Will Smith also. STEPHANIE SY: Mark Anthony Neal, what do you think should be looked at in terms of accountability for either of these men or for the Academy? MARK ANTHONY NEAL: I think you only ask and you to deal with the acts, as it were, in a way that reflects the nature of the act. We didn't have these conversations when Adrien Brody a few years ago sexually assaulted an actress on stage.
We didn't have these conversations, of course, when you had someone like Casey Affleck, who was facing a rape charge at the time that he won his award. Why is it now that we feel the need to do a better job of scripting these shows and policing people when it's an act of Black-on-Black crime that occurred on that stage? STEPHANIE SY: Eisa Ulen and Mark Anthony Neal, I'm afraid we're out of time and we will have to leave it there. But thank you so much for joining the "NewsHour" with your insights. EISA NEFERTARI ULEN: Thank you.
JUDY WOODRUFF: On the "NewsHour" online right now: The ocean plays a huge role in keeping Earth's climate in check. But, as waters warm, it's not clear whether it can keep absorbing as much carbon dioxide. You can learn more on our Instagram.
And that's 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, and we'll see you soon.
2022-04-05 03:30
