PBS NewsHour; Thursday, July 7, 2022, 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT

JUDY: GOOD EVENING, I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. ON THE NEWSHOUR TONIGHT, STEPPING DOWN. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FORCE JOHNSON SUCCUMBS TO PRESSURE FROM HIS OWN PARTY TO RESIGN, AFTER MULTIPLE SCAMS. THEN, COVID YOUR THREE. THE RISE IN NEW VARIANCE AND HOW THE U.S. CAN STILL COMBAT THE VIRUS. AND ONE ON E, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER REFLECTS ON LEADERSHIP, GLOBAL CRISES, AND THE CURRENT STATE OF AMERICAN POLITICS. >> FOR AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM AND TO TRY TO OVERTHROW THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM IS A GRAVE MATTER.

JUDY: ALL THAT AND MORE ON TONIGHT'S PBS NEWSHOUR. >> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY -- >> FIDELITY DEDICATED ADVISORS ARE HERE TO HELP YOU CREATE A WEALTH PLAN WITH TAX SENSITIVE INVESTING STRATEGIES, PLANNING FOCUSED ON TOMORROW, WHILE YOU FOCUS ON TODAY. THAT'S THE PLANNING EFFECT FROM FIDELITY. ♪ >> THE KENDEDA FUND COMMITTED TO ADVANCING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND MEANINGFUL WORK THROUGH ADVANCEMENTS LEADERS AND IDEAS. CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SUPPORTING INNOVATIONS IN DEMOCRATIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL

PEACE AND SECURITY AT CARNEGIE.ORG. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS. ♪ THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. JUDY: BARELY ONE DAY AFTER STRIKING A DEFIANT TONE, BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON TOLD HIS NATION TODAY THAT HE WOULD RESIGN HIS POST LATER IN THE SUMMER AND STAND DOWN NOW AS HEAD OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY. IT MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF A CHAOTIC, EVENTFUL JOHNSON PREMIERSHIP, AS AMNA

NAWAZ REPORTS. AMNA: AMID A CRESTING WAVE OF ANGER WITHIN BRITAIN, ESPECIALLY HIS OWN PARTY, BORIS JOHNSON ADMITTED TODAY WHAT ALMOST EVERYONE ALREADY KNEW: IT WAS TIME TO GO. BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINIST: IT IS CLEARLY NOW THE WILL OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CONSERVATIVE PARTY THAT THERE SHOULD BE A NEW LEADER OF THAT PARTY AND, THEREFORE, A NEW PRIME MINISTER. AMNA: BUT THIS WAS A RESIGNATION FROM HIS PARTY AS ITS LEADER, NOT HIS PREMIERSHIP, AT LEAST NOT YET. HIS THREE YEARS IN POWER MARKED BY TUMULT AND UPHEAVAL NOW COMING TO A CLOSE AFTER A MASS EXODUS FROM HIS GOVERNMENT CRESCENDOED IN RECENT DAYS. BORIS JOHNSON: AS WE HAVE SEEN AT WESTMINSTER, THE HERD INSTINCT IS POWERFUL, WHEN THE HERD MOVES. AMNA: DOZENS OF MINISTERS RESIGNED, TWO TOP CABINET SECRETARIES LEFT, SAYING THEIR CONSCIENCES WOULD NO LONGER ALLOW THEM TO SERVE JOHNSON. FORMER U.K. HEALTH MINISTER SAJID JAVID: >> TREADING THE TIGHTROPE BETWEEN LOYALTY AND INTEGRITY HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE IN RECENT

MONTHS. AND, MR. SPEAKER, I WILL NEVER RISK LOSING MY INTEGRITY. AMNA: THE CAUSE? AN ATTEMPTED COVER-UP BY JOHNSON, WHO PROMOTED HIS FORMER AIDE CHRIS PINCHER TO A TOP LEGISLATIVE POST, DESPITE SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CLAIMS AGAINST HIM. JOHNSON TRIED TO CLAIM HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE ACCUSATIONS, THEN LATER WALKED THAT BACK. BORIS JOHNSON: THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. AMNA: EVEN AS JOHNSON LEAVES THE PARTY HELM, HE SAYS HE WILL STAY ON AS PRIME MINISTER UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS NAMED. >> WHAT A PATHETIC SPECTACLE. AMNA: EARLIER TODAY, OPPOSITION LABOR LEADER KEIR STARMER THREATENED TO BRING THE MATTER TO A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE, SAYING IT WAS A MATTER OF NATIONAL INTEREST. >> HE NEEDS TO GO COMPLETELY, NONE OF THIS NONSENSE ABOUT CLINGING ON FOR A FEW MONTHS. HE'S INFLICTED LIES, FRAUD AND CHAOS IN THE COUNTRY. AMNA: THE 58-YEAR-D FORMER JOURNALIST AND LONDON MAYOR LEAVES BEHIND A MESSY LEGACY RIFE WITH SCANDAL AND BRAZEN POLITICAL MOVES. HE IS CREDITED WITH LEADING THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE EUROPEAN UNIO

BORIS JOHNSON: WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO? AUDIENCE: GET BREXIT DONE! BORIS JOHNSON: WE'RE GOING TO GET BREXIT DONE. AMNA: BUT THE EXIT TRANSITION HAS BEEN ROCKY, NOTABLY, A STAGNANT U.K. ECONOMY, DISPUTED TRADE AGREEMENTS STEMMING THE FLOW OF GOODS AND UNRESOLVED BORDER ISSUES WITH NORTHERN IRELAND. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LED TO ONE OF THE LARGEST SCANDALS IN JOHNSON'S TENURE. JOHNSON PUBLICLY CALLED FOR LOCKDOWNS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, LEADING BRITONS TO ISOLATE, UNABLE TO SAY GOODBYE TO LOVED ONES OR GRIEVE TOGETHER. BUT, PRIVATELY, IT WAS REVEALED JOHNSON WAS HOING AND ATTENDING PARTIES IN LARGE GROUPS. THE EMBATTLED PRIME MINISTER FIRST DENIED HIS INVOLVEMENT, COERCING HIS CABINET TO BACK HIM, THEN WENT ON TO FACE NATIONAL SCORN FOR LYING AND A NEARLY FATALO-CONFIDENCE VOTE IN PARLIAMENT IN EARLY JUNE. JOHNSON IS, HOWEVER, COMMENDED FOR AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE ROLLOUT AND A HIGH RATE OF PROTECTION FOR BRITISH CITIZENS. BORIS JOHNSON: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO, UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, IS GET YOUR BOOSTER. AMNA: BUT HIS DEPARTURE COMES AS

PUBLIC TRUST IN HIS LEADERSHIP HIT RECORD LOWS. A POLL LAST MONTH INDICATED THAT THREE IN FOUR BRITONS VIEWED HIM AS UNTRUSTWORTHY. EVEN IN HIS RESIGNATION REMARKS, JOHNSON WAS UNFAZED, SAYING HE WAS, QUOTE, "IMMENSELY PROUD" OF HIS ADMINISTRATION'S ACHIEVEMENTS. BORIS JOHNSON: I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW SAD I AM TO BE GIVING UP THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. BUT THEM'S THE BREAKS. AMNA: AND THE TIMELINE FOR FINDING JOHNSON'S SUCCESSOR WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK. FOR MORE ON THE RESIGNATION, WE TURN NOW TO ANAND MENON. HE'S DIRECTOR OF THE U.K. IN A CHANGING EUROPE RESEARCH INITIATIVE AT KING'S COLLEGE LONDON. ANAND MENON, WELCOME BACK TO THE "NEWSHOUR." THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SO, TO BE CLEAR, BORIS JOHNSON IS STILL PRIME MINISTER. HE SAYS HE WILL NOT STEP DOWN UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS NAMED. SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN THE WAY OF A TIMELINE? HOW LONG WILL HE REMAIN IN THAT ROLE? >> WELL, FIRSTLY, JUST TO CORRECT YOU, HE'S CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER. AND THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT HE CAN'T INITIATE POLICY CHANGES OR BRING GREAT IN NEW TAX POLICIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HE IS CONSTRAINED IN WHAT HE CAN

DO. HE'S NOT AS POWERFUL AS HE WAS AS PRIME MINISR. BUT, AS FOR TIMELINE, WELL, THAT DEPENDS. AS YOU SAID, THE RULES WILL BE DEFINED BY CONSERVATIVE M.P.S NEXT WEEK. SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING AT THE MOMENT THAT HE COULD BE THERE, BORIS JOHNSON COULD BE THERE IN DOWNING STREET UNTIL SEPTEMBER. HE HIMSELF SAIOCTOBER. I THINK WHAT CONSERVATIVE M.P.S WILL DO OVER THE WEEKEND IS HAVE CONVERSATIONS AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT WHETHER THEY CAN SHORTEN THAT TIMELINE, WHETHER THEY CAN MAKE THE LEADERSHIP CONTEST QUICKER THAN IT MIGHT ORDINARILY HAVE BEEN, SIMPLY TO ENSURE THAT MR. JOHNSON IS NOT THERE IN DOWNING STREET FOR THAT LONG. AND THEY DON'T WANT HIM THERE FOR TWO REASONS. ONE, I THINK THE TRUST HAS GONE. BUT, TWO, WE FACE REAL PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY, NOT LEAST A VERY ACUTE COST OF LIVING CRISIS. AND IF GOVERNMENT IS HAMPERED BY NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE LONG-TERM DECISIONS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP OUR RESPONSE. AMNA: SO WHAT'S KEEPING HIM FROM STEPPING DOWN ALTOGETHER RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO STAY OUT OF A SENSE OF DUTY AND OBLIGATION. THERE ARE THOSE WITH A MORE CYNICAL READ. THERE HAVE EVEN BEEN SOME REPORTS THAT SAYS HE WANTS TO STAY BECAUSE HE RETAINS THE USE OF THE OFFICIAL COUNTRY ESTATE, WHERE HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE AN

UPCOMING WEDDING CELEBRATION PLANNED. WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS? ANAND: WELL, THERE ARE STORIES IN THE BRITISH MEDIA TOMORROW ABOUT THIS PARTY ON THE 30TH OF JULY. WHATEVER HIS REASONS, WHETHER IT'S TO PLAN HIS FUTURE, WHETHER IT'S TO HAVE THE PARTY, WHETHER IT GENUINELY IS A SENSE OF DUTY, THIS WAS BORIS JOHNSON'S DECISION. AND THE PROBLEM THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY FACES IS THIS. BORIS JOHNSON IS LEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF CONSERVATIVE M.P.S. AND THAT, HE HAS LOST. AND THERE IS A CONTESTNDER WAY. BORIS JOHNSON IS PRIME MINISTER BECAUSE OF THE BACKING OF PARLIAMENT. SO THE ONLY WAY TO FORCE HIM OUT AND TO STOP HIM BEING PRIME MINISTER AGAINST HIS WILL, WILL BE TO HAVE A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN PARLIAMENT. BUT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY DOESN'T WANT TO DO THAT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD TRIGGER AN ELECTION. AND, AT THE MOMENT, THEY ARE BEHIND IN THE POLLS. AMNA: SO, WHEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK, I MEAN, HE HAS SURVIVED SO MUCH. HE'S BEEN A BIT OF A TEFLON LEADER, RIGHT, THE FALLOUT FROM BREXIT AND THE COVID RESPONSE, LYING ABOUT THE PARTIES. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS ONE ISSUE WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK? ANAND: WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. IT WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK. IT WASN'T THIS ONE ISSUE IN

ISOLATION. IT WAS THIS ONE ISSUE ON TOP OF PARTIES, ON TOP OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL DOWNING STREET, ON TOP OF NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE, ON TOP OF ELECTORAL DEFEATS IN BY-ELECTIONS THAT REALLY WORRIED M.P.S. AND SO WHEN WE CAME TO THIS FINAL STORY, WHICH WAS A STORY BOTH OF BAD JUDGMENT AND OF DELIBERATELY MISLEADING ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, I THINK CONSERVATIVE M.P.S SIMPLY THOUGHT: WE'RE BEHIND IN THE POLLS. HE'S NO LONGER SORT OF ELECTORAL MAGIC IN THE WAY HE USED TO BE. WE NEED TO GET RID OF HIM NOW. BECAUSE THE CALCULATION I THINK WAS MADE THAT BORIS JOHNSON HAS STARTED TO HARM THE CONSERVATIVE BRAND. AMNA: WELL, IT MAY BE TOO SOON TO TALK ABOUT LEGACY, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAST THREE YEARS, THIS IS A MAN WHO WENT FROM A LANDSLIDE VICTORY THREE YEARS AGO TO THIS MOMENT TODAY. SO, WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE U.K. AND WHAT HE LEAVES BEHIND? ANAND: I MEAN, I THINK, FIRSTLY, IT IS TOO SOON TO TALK ABOUT LEGACY, PARTLY BECAUSE IT'S ONLY JUST HAPPENED, PARTLY TOO BECAUSE, OF COURSE, HE MIGHT HAVE TWO OR THREE MONTHS LEFT. AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS? BUT I THINK SOME CONTEXT HELPS.

YES, BORIS JOHNSON WAS A FANTASTIC CAMPAIGNING POLITICIAN. THAT BEING SAID, THE REASONS FOR HIS DECISIVE VICTORY IN DECEMBER 2019 WERE PARTLY DOWN TO THE OPPONENT HE FACED. HE WAS FACING A UNIQUELY UNPOPULAR LEADER OF THE LABOR PARTY. SO WE NEED TO BE A BIT MORE MEASURED IN OUR ASSESSMENT OF HIM. BUT I THINK, TO GIVE YOU A QUICK TAKE, I WOULD SAY HERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS A FANTASTIC CAMPAIGNER, BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD WHEN IT CAME TO THE NITTY GRITTY OF ACTUALLY GOVERNING. AMNA: AND IN JUST THE FEW SECONDS HAVE LEFT, IS THERE ANY WORD ON WHO'S LIKELY TO BE THE NEXT LEADER? WHO WILL FILL IN, IN HIS ROLE? ANAND: IT'S A MASSIVE LONG LIST THAT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE ME MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE JUST TO READ OUT. THERE ARE TWO OR THREE EARLY FAVORITES, BUT ELECTIONS FOR CONSERVATIVE LEADER ARE THE HARDEST ELECTIONS TO CALL, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLICATED, THEY'RE SECRETIVE, AND THEY INVOLVE POLITICIANS TRYING TO CANVASS THE SUPPORT OF OTHER POLITICIANS. AMNA: WE WILL BE WATCHING, FOR SURE. WE THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL. THAT IS ANAND MENON OF THE U.K. IN A CHANGING EUROPE RESEARCH INITIATIVE AT KING'S COLLEGE

LONDON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ANAND: THANK YOU. ♪ STEPHANIE: WE WILL RETURN TO THE FULL PROGRAM AFTER THE LATEST HEADLINES. AMERICAN PRO BASKETBALL STAR BRITTNEY GRINER PLEADED GUILTY TO DRUG POSSESSION TODAY IN MOSCOW. GREINER WAS ESCORTED INTO THE COURTROOM IN HANDCUFFS AND SPOKE THROUGH AN INTERPRETER TO ENTER HER PLEA. HER LAWYERS SAID SHE TOLD THE COURT THE CANNABIS OIL ENDED UP IN HER LUGGAGE BY ACCIDENT. >> SHE ADMITTED THAT IT WAS HERS, BUT SHE SAID THAT IT WAS UNINTENTIONALLY BROUGHT TO RUSSIA BECAUSE SHE WAS IN A HURRY AS SHE WAS PACKING. STEPHANIE: GRINER FACES UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED. BUT HER LAWYERS SAY THEY HOPE TODAY'S GUILTY PLEA WILL LEAD TO LENIENCY. SHE WILL BE BACK IN COURT AGAIN

NEXT THURSDAY. UKRAINE RAISED ITS NATIONAL FLAG ON SNAKE ISLAND TODAY, A STRATEGIC BLACK SEA OUTPOST IT RECAPTURED FROM MOSCOW LAST WEEK. RUSSIA RESPONDED QUICKLY TO THE SYMBOLIC GESTURE BY FIRING MISSILES AT THE ISLAND. MEANWHILE, RUSSIAN AIR STRIKES CONTINUED TO POUND THE EAST. THE MAYOR OF KRAMATORSK IN THE DONETSK REGION SAID SHELLING HIT THE CITY'S CENTER, LEAVING RESIDENTS IN PANIC. >> IT WAS SUCH A BIG EXPLOSION THAT WIFE AND I, WHO WERE SITTING INSIDE OUR HOME, FELT EVERYTHING FLY INTO THE AIR. SHE GOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND STARTED CRAWLING. THE EXPLOSION WAS SO MASSIVE THAT ALL THE WINDOWS SHATTERED. STEPHANIE: ANALYST SAY RUSSIA HAS MADE YOU TERRITORIAL GAINS IN THE EAST IN RECENT DAYS. MOSCOW SAYS IT IS GIVING ITS TROOPS TIME TO REST. BACK IN THIS COUNTRY, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE HAS ASKED THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S INSPECTOR GENERAL TO LAUNCH A PROBE INTO THE INTENSIVE TAX AUDITS OF TWO

FORMER TOP IF BE -- FBI OFFICIALS. YESTERDAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT THE FBI'S FORMER DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY AND EX-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW MCCABE WERE SUBJECTED TO UNUSUALLY EXTENSIVE IRS AUDITS OF THEIR RETURNS. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP REPEATEDLY LASHED OUT AT BOTH DURING THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION. DEREK CHAUVIN, THE FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED OF KILLING GEORGE FLOYD, WAS SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON ON FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES. CHAUVIN HAD PLEADED GUILTY TO VIOLATING FLOYD'S CIVIL RIGHTS. HE WAS ALREADY SERVING 22-AND-A-HALF YEARS ON STATE CHARGES OF MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER. TEXAS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT TODAY GRANTED THE NATIONAL GUARD AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY THE POWER TO APPREHEND AND TRANSPORT MIGRANTS TO THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. THE MOVE SETS UP A LIKELY LEGAL BATTLE WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. ABBOTT, WHO IS UP FOR

RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR, HAS BEEN UNDER PRESSURE FROM MEMBERS OF HIS PARTY TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. IN ECONOMIC NEWS, U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS ROSE TO 235,000 LAST WEEK, THE MOST IN NEARLY SIX MONTHS. THAT WAS UP 4000 FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THE U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT ALSO SAID EMPLOYERS ARE ADVERTISING FEWER POSITIONS, AFTER JOB OPENINGS HIT A 20-YEAR HI IN MARCH. FORMER THERANOS EXECUTIVE RAMESH BALWANI WAS CONVICTED TODAY OF MASSIVE FRAUD FOR DECEIVING TIENTS AND INVESTORS IN THE SILICON VALLEY BLOOD-TESTING COMPANY. C.E.O. ELIZABETH HOLMES, WHOM BALWANI DATED WHILE WORKING AT THERANOS, WAS CONVICTED OF INVESTOR FRAUD AND CONSPIRACY EARLIER THIS YEAR. THEY EACH FACE UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS GIVING OUT NEARLY $1 BILLION IN GRANTS TO UPGRADE 85 OF THE NATION'S AIRPORTS. THE FUNDS WILL COME FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT PASSED LAST YEAR. THEY WILL RENOVATE THE

INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL AT BOSTON'S LOGAN AIRPORT, REPLACE THE BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND BUILD A NEW CONCOURSE AT DULLES AIRPORT OUTSIDE WASHINGTONDC, AMONG OTHER PROJECTS. PRESIDENT BIDEN AWARDED THE NATION'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR, THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, TO 17 PEOPLE TODAY. AT A WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY, HE PAID TRIBUTE TO EACH RECIPIENT, INCLUDING FORMER ARIZONA CONGRESSWOMAN GABBY GIFFORDS, GYMNAST SIMONE BILES, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY FRED GRAY. PRES. BIDEN: THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM SHINES LIKE THE SUN TO LIGHT UP THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD. THAT'S THE SOUL OF OUR NATION AND THAT IS WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS. THAT IS WHAT WE SEE, AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF AMERICANS UP HERE ON THIS STAGE. STEPHANIE: PRESIDENT BIDEN RECEIVED THE METAL HIMSELF BACK IN 2017 FROM THEN-PRESIDENT OBAMA. A PASSING TO NOTE TONIGHT:

FAMED ACTOR JAMES CAAN HAS DIED, AFTER A RICH CAREER SPANNING SIX DECADES. CAAN IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN AS THE HOT-HEADED SONNY CORLEONE IN THE GODFATHER, A ROLE THAT EARNED HIM AN OSCAR NOMINATION. HE MADE OTHER NOTABLE APPEARANCES IN BRIAN'S SONG, LAS VEGAS, AND ELF. CAAN WAS 82 YEARS OLD. STILL TO COME ON THE NEWSHOUR, THE STATE'S ATTORNEY OVERSEEING THE HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, SHOOTING DISCUSSES THE CASE AGAINST THE SUSPECTED GUNMAN. PRESIDENT BIDEN FACES PRESSURE TO END THE BAN ON ABORTION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. HOW A RUSSIAN VETO IN THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL COULD THREATEN AID TO WAR-TORN SYRIA. AND MUCH MORE. >> THIS IS THE PBS NEWSHOUR FROM W ETA STUDIOS IN WASHINGTON, FROM THE WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. JUDY: WITH VACCINATIONS, BOOSTERS AND DRUGS, COVID IS

FORTUNATELY A FAR LESS DEADLY RISK TO MOST AMERICANS TODAY THAN IT WAS EARLIER. BUT COVID STILL PRESENTS NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY FOR SOME OF E MOST VULNERABLE AMERICANS. THE LATEST VARIANTS OF THE VIRUS NOW ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN HALF OF ALL NEW INFECTIONS IN THE U.S., AND MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DYING EVERY DAY FROM COVID, ON AVERAGE. MOREOVER, RESEARCHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK OF GETTING LONG COVID FROM AN INFECTION. THERE ARE QUESTIONS TOO ABOUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO ALL OF THIS. AND FOR THAT AND MORE, WE TURN TO DR. ASHISH JHA, THE WHITE HOUSE COVID RESPONSE COORDINATOR. DR. JHA, WELCOME BACK TO THE "NEWSHOUR." IT ALMOST EMS THAT COVID HAS BECOME BACKGROUND NOISE FOR SO MANY, IF NOT MOST AMERICANS. IT'S CLEARLY NOT THAT FOR YOU, THOUGH. GIVE US A SENSE OF WHERE THIS COUNTRY STANDS RIGHT NOW IN GRAPPLING WITH COVID. >> YES, SO, JUDY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK.

I MEAN, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND FOR WHY MANY PEOPLE IT'S FADED A BIT INTO THE BACKGROUND. WE HAVE BEEN IN EMERGENCY MODE FOR TWO YEARS. BUT THE GOOD NEWS AND THE WAY WE LOOK AT IT HERE IS THAT, OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN WHERE WE WERE A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO, WHEN THIS PRESIDENT TOOK OFFICE. WE HAVE BUILT UP A GREAT SUPPLY OF VACCINES, AND WE HAVE TREATMENTS AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. BUT THE PANDEMIC ISN'T OVER FOR MANY OF THE REASONS YOU LAID OUT, 300 AMERICANS DYING EVERY DAY. IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 100,000 DEATHS A YEAR. THAT'S AN ENORMOUS TOLL, NDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS GETTING INFECTED EVERY DAY. AND THEN WE'RE SEEING THESE NEW SUBVARIANTS. SO WE HAVE GOT TO KEEP UP THE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP INFECTIONS DOWN, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS DOWN. JUDY: WELL, GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF SUBVARIANTS THAT WE ARE READING ABOUT, HOW WELL-PROTECTED ARE AMERICANS RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF VACCINE AND BOOSTERS? DR. JHA: YES, IT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION. EACH NEW SUBVARIANT, THE REASON THESE SUBVARIANTS BECOME DOMINANT IS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO A GOOD JOB OF ESCAPING MORE AND MORE OF OUR IMMUNITY.

WE HAVE BUILT UP AN IMMUNITY WALL IN OUR COUNTRY, LARGELY THROUGH VACCINATIONS AND BOOSTING, BUT ALSO THROUGH PRIOR INFECTIONS. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE VACCINES AND BOOSTING ARE PREVENTING SERIOUS ILLNESS AND DEATH. AND WE CAN SEE THAT IN THE NUMBERS, HUNDREDS OFHOUSANDS OF INFECTIONS, BUT DEATHS ARE STILL LOW. THAT SAID, WE STILL HAVE TO KEEP GOING HERE AT THE, HELPING MORE AMERICANS GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED. A LARGE PROPORTION OF AMERICANS HAVE NOT GOTTEN THEIR BOOSTER YET. AND THE, AND BECAUSE OF THESE NEW SUBVARIANTS, WE STILL HAVE TO KEEP GOING IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING NEW VACCINES AND MAKING SURE THAT AMERICANS' IMMUNITY ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE VIRUS THAT'S EVOLVING. JUDY: WELL, IS THE GUIDANCE NOW, DR. JHA, THAT AMERICANS, ALL AMERICANS ARE GOING TO NEED A BOOSTER, ANOTHER BOOSTER THIS FALL? DR. JHA: YES, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE, I MEAN, AGAIN, ALWAYS GUIDED BY EVIDENCE ON THESE THINGS AND GUIDED BY THE FDA'S DIRECTION. WE SHOULD HAVE A NEW VACCINE,

THE FIRST NEW VACCINE REALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC, WHAT SHOULD BE A B.5 BIVALENT VACCINE SOMETIME IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER. AND THEN DEPENDING ON HOW MANY VACCINE DOSES WE'RE ABLE TO ACQUIRE, AND BASED ON FDA AND CDC GUIDANCE, WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CERTAINLY ALL HIGH-RISK AMERICANS GET IT. WHETHER ALL AMERICANS ARE ABLE TO GET IT, WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE DATA SHOWS AND HOW MUCH VACCINES WE'RE ABLE TO BUY. JUDY: THE OTHER THING WE ARE READING IS THAT THESE SUBVARIANTS ARE EVOLVING SO QUICKLY INTO SO MANY DIFFERENT FORMS THAT THE VACCINATION MANUFACTURING, OR THE VACCINE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH THAT. CAN YOU GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THAT STANDS? . JHA: YES, THIS IS A CHALLENGE. I MEAN, THE TRUTH IS THAT THIS VIRUS IS EVOLVING QUICKLY. NOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS, THE MRNA PLATFORM THAT IS, THAT UNDERLIES MODERNA AND PFIZER VACCINES CAN BE RETOOLED VERY QUICKLY. BUT, ULTIMATELY, JUDY, WHILE WE CAN MAKE CHANGES AND TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE VIRUS, THE LONG-TERM VICTORY AGAINST THIS VIRUS IS

ABOUT BUILDING VACCINES THAT ARE RESISTANT TO VARIANTS. THAT SCIENCE IS COMING ALONG. WE'RE TRACKING THAT CLOSELY, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ACCELERATE THAT. THAT'S THE LONG GAME. IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM, WE HAVE GOT TO KEEP UPDATING THE VACCINES AND DO OUR BEST TO KEEP UP WITH THE VIRUS. JUDY: WE NOTICED, DR. JHA, YOU SAID IN RECENT DAYS THAT, BECAUSE CONGRESS HAS NOT VOTED SUFFICIENT ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH MONEY TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VACCINES FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR. IS THAT STILL THE CASE? DR. JHA: YES, WE HAVE TAKEN MONEY FROM OTHER CRITICAL PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO BUY AT LEAST SOME VACCINES. I'M CONFIDENT WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES FOR ALL HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES FOR EVERY AMERICAN WHO WANTS ONE. WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT. AND WE HAVE, AS I SAID, WE HAVE TAKEN AWAY FROM TESTING. WE HAVE TAKEN AWAY FROM DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING. BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH, MANY OTHER PLACES WE CAGO LOOKING FOR DOLLARS. AND THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY, A

PLACE WHERE WE REALLY DO NEED CONGRESS TO STEP UP AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY AMERICAN WHO WANTS A VACCINE CAN GET ONE THIS FALL. THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD TO ACHIEVE UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS. JUDY: DR. JHA, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE THERE HAS BEEN CRITICISM OF THE ADMINISTRATION. I WANT TO QUOTE JUST QUICKLY FROM A PIECE IN THE ATLANTIC JUST WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. IT SAID THAT, I'M QUOTING, "ALMOST ALL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS," IT SAID, "TO CURTAIL THE CORONAVIRUS HAVE EVAPORATED." IT WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AS HAVING TURNED MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIGHTING THE VIRUS OVER TO INDIVIDUALS, SUGGESTING THAT THE WHITE HOUSE THIN THIS COULD BE A POLITICAL DRAG THIS FALL IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS. DR. JHA: WELL, THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY I LOOK AT IT. AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSON, IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED, VACCINES, TREATMENTS, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS. OUR JOB ALSO IN GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE. I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT TESTING IS A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY TO CONTROL SPREAD, AS IS

MASKING IN CROWDED INDOOR SPACES, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS OF HIGH TRANSMISSION. SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING, I THINK, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BOTH CURTAIL TRANSMISSION, INFECTION, AS WELL AS OBVIOUSLY PREVENTING SERIOUS ILLNESS AND DEATH. OBVIOUSLY, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. AND THE INDIVIDUAL POLICIES AROUND MASK MANDATES ARE ONES THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS MAKE. BUT, FROM A FEDERAL SIDE, WE ARE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON CONTINUING TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS VIRUS. JUDY: LAST QUESTION, DR. JHA, IS ABOUT MONKEYPOX. WE KNOW THERE ARE RISING NUMBERS OF CASES AROUND THE UNITED STATES. THE CONCERN AND THE CRITICISM HAS BEEN THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TESTING, NOT ENOUGH VACCINES THAT ARE GOING, THAT ARE GOING AND AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? DR. JHA: YES, SO I WOULD REMIND PEOPLE OF A COUPLE OF THINGS, JUDY. FIRST OF ALL, MONKEYPOX IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN COVID, WHAT WE HAVE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS A VIRUS THAT WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR 50 YEARS. WE DO HAVE TREATMENTS, VACCINES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. AND WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW COUNTRIES THAT HAS REALLY BUILT

UP A STOCKPILE OF VACCINES FOR MONKEYPOX, ACTUALLY LARGELY BUILT UP FOR SMALLPOX, BUT THE VACCINE ALSO WORKS AGAINST MONKEYPOX. RIGHT NOW, WE JUST ANNOUNCED ANOTHER 140,000 DOSES OUT TO LOCALITIES TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD TENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MORE DOSES GOING OUT. WE'RE WORKING WITH A MANUFACTURER TO MAXIMIZE SUPPLY AND GETTING MORE VACCINES HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. SO WE ARE VERY FOCUSED AND ALSO, BY THE WAY, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MT AFFECTED, THE GAY AND SBIAN COMMUNITY, WHERE A LOT OF THIS VIRUS HAS BEEN SPREADING. BUT WE ARE GOING TO STAY VERY FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT THAT COMMUNITY GETS PRIORITIZED AND GETS VACCINE, SO THAT EVERY AMERICAN WHO WANTS ONE AND NEEDS ONE IS ABLE TO GET BOTH TESTING AND VACCINES. JUDY: DR. ASHISH JHA, WHO IS THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR. DR. JHA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DR. JHA: THANK YOU. ♪ JUDY: AS THE COMMUNITY AROUND HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, MOURNS

THE LIVES LOST IN THE JULY 4 SHOOTING, THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS STILL ABOUT THE SHOOTER'S MOTIVE AND HIS ABILITY TO LEGALLY OBTAIN GUNS. THE ACCUSED GUNMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH MURDERING SEVEN PEOPLE, AND PROSECUTORS PLAN TO BRING MORE CHARGES. IF CONVICTED, THE SUSPECCOULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. NOW THE PROSECUTOR IS ASKING FOR MORE TO BE DONE TO AVOID YET ANOTHER TRAGEDY IN THE FUTURE. STEPHANIE SY HAS DETAILS. STEPHANIE: JUDY, ILLINOIS HAS SOME OF THE STRICTEST GUN LAWS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP THE SUSPECT FROM OBTAINING HIGH-CALIBER FIREARMS. LAKE COUNTY STATE ATTORNEY ERIC RINEHART IS PART OF THE TASK FORCE INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED AND MAKING CHARGING DECISIONS, AND HE JOINS THE "NEWSHOUR" NOW. MR. RINEHART, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WHAT MORE DO YOU KNOW AT THIS POINT ABOUT THE MOTIVE OF THE SHOOTER TO TARGET THESE PARADE-GOERS? AND WHAT ADDITIONAL CHARGES ARE YOU LOOKING AT? >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME ON, STEPHANIE.

FIRST, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES, OUR OFFICE'S CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES, TO THOSE WHO WERE INJURED. THIS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT ERE'S ALSO BEEN A LOT OF STRENGTH AND A LOT OF FORTITUDE. AND THAT IS UPLIFTING, EVEN AS WE BEGIN THE HEALING PROCESS. REGARDING THE MOTIVE, I DON'T WANT TO TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT. I WANT THAT EVIDENCE TO COME OUT IN COURT. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN INTO A LOT OF DETAIL, BECAUSE WE'RE, THIS IS STILL AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION. WE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE. YOU ASKED ME ABOUT, WHAT OTHER CHARGES ARE WE LOOKING AT? EVERYONE WHO WAS INJURED IN THAT PARADE ON THAT PLAZA, WE'RE GOING TO GET JUSTICE FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM. ANWE'RE GOING TO FILE A CHARGE RELATED TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHO WAS HURT. WE'RE LOOKING AT A FEW OTHER CHARGES ALSO, IN TERMS OF HOW BROAD THIS PLAN AND THIS ATTACK WAS TO INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE ON JULY 4. STEPHANIE: MR. RINEHART, ONE OF THE FACTS THAT HAVE COME OUT IS THAT THE SUSPECT'S FATHER SPONSORED HIS SON'S FIREARMS

APPLICATION. HE'S ONLY 21 YEARS OLD. HE WAS 19 WHEN HE SPONSORED THAT APPLICATION, AND IT WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS SON HAD THREATENED TO TAKE HIS OWN LIFE AND THE LIVES OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. ARE INVESTIGATORS SPEAKING TO THE FATHER, TO THE FAMILY? ERIC: WELL, I KNOW THAT THE FATHER HAS BEEN GIVING SOME MEDIA INTERVIEWS. I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH INTO WHAT OUR INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN AND WHAT HIS LEVEL OF COOPERATION IS. I HAVE SAID THAT I THINK THESE TYPES OF WEAPONS SHOULD BE BANNED IN ILLINOIS AND BEYOND. AND SO IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE UP TO WHETHER OR NOT A FATHER STOPS HIS SON, BUT WHY THAT SON WAS ABLE TO GET THE WEAPONS IN THE FIRST PLACE. STEPHANIE: YOU SAID THAT IT'S ALARMING THAT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THESE GUNS UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES HE WAS IN. THE ATTORNEY FOR THE SUSPECT'S PARENTS HAS SAID THERE IS, QUOTE, "ZERO CHANCE" THEY CAN BE CHARGED. AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL, IS THAT TRUE? WHAT DOES IT TAKE LEGALLY, IN YOUR ONION, TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE FATHER SHOULD BE CHARGED IN ANY WAY?

ERIC: I DON'T AGREE WITH MR. GREENBERG AT ALL THAT THERE IS ZERO CHANCE. WE'RE CONTINUING TO ANALYZE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS ATTACK AND WHO KNEW WHAT WHEN. STEPHANIE: MR. RINEHART, AS YOU SAID, YOU ARE CALLING FOR A FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN. WHY FOCUS ON THAT, THOUGH, WHEN IT HAS NOT BEEN POLITICALLY VIABLE IN CONGRESS FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO KEEP THIS ASSAULT RIFLE OUT OF THIS SUSPECT'S HANDS BASED ON LAWS THAT ALREADY EXIST IN YOUR STATE AND IN YOUR COUNTY? ERIC: YES, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. SO, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE IT IN ILLINOIS. I THINK IT IS POLITICALLY POSSIBLE IN ILLINOIS. AND IT WAS, IT USED TO BE POLITICALLY POSSIBLE. IT WAS BIPARTISAN FROM 1994 TO 2004. IT HAD LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT. AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT IN ILLINOIS. IT'S NOT THAT I'M FOCUSING ON ONE THING OR ANOTHER THING. WE NEED TO HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.

IT'S NOT ONE THING. IT'S MANY THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DO. WE SHOULD INVEST IN A MENTAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE. WE SHOULD HAVE DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, PROSECUTOR'S OFFICES, COURT SYSTEMS, SCHOOLS. WE NEED TO DO A LOT OF THINGS. BUT, CERTAINLY, LIMITING, MOVING AWAY THE ACCESS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO THESE GUNS IS ONE REALLY IMPORTANT STEP. SO MANY OF THESE WEAPONS THAT WERE USED IN THESE MASS KILLINGS WERE BOUGHT LEGALLY. AND THAT IS INCREDIBLY ALARMING. STEPHANIE: SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO FOCUS ON YOUR PURVIEW, WHICH IS THE LAW, SIR. THE SUSPECT HAD TWO ENCOUNTERS WITH POLICE IN 2019 FOR THREATS OF VIOLENCE AND SUICIDE. YOUR COUNTY HAS LAWS THAT ALLOW FOR POLICE OR FAMILY MEMBERS TO APPLY FOR A FIREARMS RESTRAINING ORDER TO PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE THAT FROM GETTING NS. IN FACT, YOUR OFFICE JUST RESENT OUT THAT GUIDANCE TODAY. WHO OR WHAT FAILED IN THE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THIS CLEARLY DISTURBED PERSON TO POSSESS AN AR-15? ERIC: YES, ABSOLUTELY.

SO, IN 2019, ILLINOIS PASSED THE FIREARM RESTRAINING ORDER, THE FIREARM RESTRAINING ORDER ACT THAT ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FAMILY MEMBERS TO FILE WITH A COURT A PETITION THAT SAYS AN INDIVIDUAL SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO POSSESS FIREARMS, AND, IF THERE ARE FIREARMS IN THE HOUSE, TO TAKE THE FIREARMS AWAY. THERE WEREN'T FIREARMS IN THE HOUSE. IN T 2019 INCIDENT, THERE WERE NO FIREARMS. AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT, I'M NOT DEFENDING EVERYBODY IN 2019. I THINK THE FAMILY HAD INFORMATION AS WEAPONS WERE BOUGHT. BUT IT'S CALLED A FIREARM RESTRAINING ORDER. IT'S CALLED A, NOT CALLED A KNIFE RESTRAINING ORDER. AND SO I THINK THIS COMES DOWN TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE MOST INFORMATION. THE INCIDENT HAPPENS IN HIGHLAND PARK. HIGHLAND PARK REPORTS IT TO THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE. HIGHLAND PARK ISN'T NOTIFIED WHEN MR. CRIMO GOES OUT AND BUYS A WEAPON. AND THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICAL REASONS WHY HIGHLAND PARK ISN'T IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THAT YOUNG MR. CRIMO BOUGHT A WEAPON. I, OF COURSE, AGREE WITH YOU, STEPHANIE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE. BUT WHY ARE WE PUTTING ALL OF

THIS ON A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT? IT CAN THEN LEAD TO A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. WE NEED TO HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE. STEPHANIE: ERIC RINEHART, LAKE COUNTY STATE ATTORNEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING THE "NEWSHOUR." APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. JUDY: IN THE AFTERMATH OF OVERTURNING ROE VS. WADE, MANY DEMOCRATS ARE URGING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO USE EXECUTIVE ACTION TO PROTECT AND EXPAND ABORTION ACCESS. WHILE THE WHITE HOUSE'S POWER IN THIS ARENA IS LIMITED, A GROUP MILITARY VETERANS ARGUE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION COULD EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE THROUGH THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. IT'S AN IDEA WITH POTENTIALLY BIG IMPACT. THVA IS THE LARGEST INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. IT HAS NEARLY 1,300 FACILITIES, AND IT SERVES AS THE PRIMARY PROVIDER FOR MORE THAN 600,000

FEMALE VETERANS. OUR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT HAS BEEN REPORTING ON THIS IA. AND SHE JOINS ME NOW. SO, HELLO, LAURA. LAURA: HI. JUDY: YOU HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF REPORTING ON THIS. TELL US, WHAT IS IT THAT THESE VETERANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE ASKING THE PRESIDENT TO DO? LAURA: SO, THESE DEMOCRATS AND VETERANS ARE ASKING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ACTION THAT DIRECTS THE VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE ABORTION SERVICES AND ABORTION COUNSELING. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE VA CURRENTLY DOES NOT DO AT ALL. AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO TH VIA EXECUTIVE ACTION AND VIA RULEMAKING. NOW, TODAY, I TALKED TO AMY MCGRATH. SHE'S A RETIRED MARINE LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND A 2018 DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE, AND SHE'S PUSHING THE WHITE HOUSE ON THIS. AND HERE'S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE OBLIGATION SHE THINKS THE GOVERNMENT OWES TO THESE VETERANS. >> IF THE VA DOESN'T STEP UP AND PROVIDE THESE HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THESE STATES WHERE

ABORTION HEALTH CARE SERVICES ARE NOW BANNED, THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND VA IS NOT THEN TAKING CARE OF THOSE OF US WHO ARE WOMEN VETERANS WHO, FRANKLY, FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY, FOUGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS IN OUR CONSTITUTION, AND NOW HAVE JUST HAD A BASIC RIGHT TAKEN AWAY. LAURA: NOW, LIKE MCGRATH, I ALSO SPOKE TO CONGRESSWOMAN JULIA BROWNLEY, AND SHE'S ON THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE. AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE IS ALSO PUSHING THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE ADMINISTRATION THIS, AND THAT SINCE THE ROE DECISION CAME DOWN, THAT SHE HAS BEEN SPEAKING REPEATEDLY TO VA SECRETARY DENIS MCDONOUGH AND HAS BEEN ASKING HIM TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS. JUDY: AND SO, LAURA, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION THINKS ABOUT THIS? LAURA: SO, VA SECRETARY DENIS MCDONOUGH HAS ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH CONGRESS AS RECENTLY AS APRIL, SO BEFORE THE DECISION CAME DOWN. AND HE SAID THAT: "OUR STATUTE WOULD ALLOW US TO PROVIDE ABORTION SERVICES. WE DO NOT PROVIDE ABORTION

SERVICES PURSUANT TO RULEMAKING. IT'S NOT THAT I FEEL IT. IT'S THAT THE LAW DOES PERMIT." AND SO, TODAY, I ASKED WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE VA SECRETARY'S COMMENTS, AS WELL AS WHETHER OR NOT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS GOING TO PURSUE EXECUTIVE ACTION. AND HERE'S WHAT SHE SAID. >> THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE VA ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HEALTH CARE TO VETERANS, AND THE VA CONTINUES TO OFFER REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO THEIR VETERANS AS WELL. AS YOU NOTE, CURRENT REGULATION DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THE VA TO PROVIDE ABORTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REVIEW. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION TO PROTECT WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. LAURA: AND SO, AS YOU HEAR THERE, THE WHITE HOUSE IS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS RIGHT NOW. ESSENTIALLY, PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL LEGAL CHALLENGES, NOT JUST WITH A PROPOSAL LIKE THIS, BUT WITH ANY OTHER EXECUTIVE ACTION PROPOSAL THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN COULD PURSUE. AND, ALSO, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS THAT, AS

SOMEONE WHO WAS A PART OF, A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOR SO LONG, MANY YEARS, THAT HE PREFERS CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION FIRST BEFORE HE GOES THE ROUTE OF EXECUTIVE ACTIONS. JUDY: WELL, AS YOU SAY, WE KNOW THERE ARE, MANY OF THESE EXECUTIVE ACTIONS PEOPLE ARE PROPOSING TO THE WHITE HOUSE COULD FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LEGAL CHALLENGES THIS COULD FACE? LAURA: RIGHT. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN, SIMPLY BECAUSE ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES WILL BE CHALLENGED, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE SUPREME COURT DECISION AND THE CREATIVITY THAT THE WHITE HOUSE MAY BE PURSUING. BUT, SO I WANT TO DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE ARGUED THAT A 1992 LAW THAT WAS PASSED REGARDING VETERANS' HEALTH CARE PROHIBITS THE VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT FROM PROVIDING ABORTIONS. NOW, I SPOKE TO A NUMBER OF LEGAL EXPERTS FROM LAWYERS

TODAY. AND THEY SAID, THOUGH, THAT THEY THINK THAT VETERANS AFFAIRS COULD HAVE A STRONG CASE, BECAUSE THAT 1992 LAW IS SO NARROW IN ITS LANGUAGE, AND WHAT IT SPECIFICALLY PROVIDES TO THE VA, THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO PREEXISTING AUTHORITY THAT THE VA HAD OR SUBSEQUENT AUTHORITY THAT WAS BESTOWED UPON THE VA. AND SO THE LAWYER TOLD ME THAT THEY THINK THAT THE VA COULD VERY WELL POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND HAVE A STRONG LEGAL CASE. NOW, WE ALSO SPOKE TO PATRICK MURRAY, WHO'S A LEGAL AFFAIRS, LEGAL DIRECTOR FOR THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, A VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION. AND HE SUPPORTS ONE ELEMENT OF WHAT THESE DEMOCRATS AND VETERANS ARE PUSHING. HE SAYS THAT HIS ORGANIZATION BELIEVES THAT THEY CAN, THAT THE VA HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ABORTION COUNSELING, THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO CHANGE ANY LAW TO DO THAT, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN DO VIA RULEMAKING. BUT, AGAIN, JUDY, TO YOUR POINT, A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO END UP IN THE COURTS. JUDY: SO, KNOWING THAT, KNOWING THESE CHALLENGES ARE COMING, WHY ARE THESE ADVOCATES PUSHING SO HARD DESPITE THAT? LAURA: SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXECUTIVE ACTIONS HERE, RIGHT,

BECAUSE, TO GET TO THIS POINT, IT MEANS THAT ALMOST ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, WHICH IS THAT THE SUPREME COURT HANDED DOWN A VERY BIG DECISION REVERSING ROE VS. WADE. THERE IS NO BIPARTISANSHIP IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD PUSH FORWARD A LAW THAT WOULD CODIFY ROE VS. WADE. AND SO, ULTIMATELY, WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS LEFT WITH IS HIS EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY. D THAT'S WHAT DEMOCRATS ARE ARGUING WITH HIM. AND JULIA BROWNLEY ALSO ADDED, THE CONGRESSWOMAN, THAT SHE THINKS THAT IT WOULD HELP THE PRESIDENT SCORE SOME POLITICAL POINTS WITH HIS BASE, AS WELL AS INDEPENDENT WOMEN, INDEPENDENT VOTERS. AND SHE ESSENTIALLY SAID THAT THE WHITE HOUSE SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT THE LEGAL CHALLENGES AND SHOULD SIMPLY PURSUE THESE ACTIONS. JUDY: THAT'S THEIR VIEW. LAURA: YES. JUDY: SO, ALL RIGHT, LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, ON TOP ON THE STORY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LAURA: THANK YOU. ♪ JUDY: THE UNED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING

THE FATE OF THE SOLE HUMANITARIAN AID ROUTE INTO IDLIB, SYRIA, THE ONLY REGION NOT CONTROLLED BY THE SYRIAN REGIME. MILLIONS OF SYRIAN CITIZENS DEPEND ON THAT CROSSING FOR ASSISTANCE. IT KEEPS THEM ALIVE. AND THE CROSSING IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ON SUNDAY. NICK SCHIFRIN REPORT BEGINS IN A DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP NEAR THE SYRIAN TURKEY BORDER. NICK: IN NORTHWEST SYRIA, THEIR CHILDHOOD HAS BEEN LAID TO WASTE. CHILDREN WHOSE COUNTRY HAS BEEN AT WAR AS LONG AS THEY HAVE BEEN ALIVE PICK THROUGH FILTH FOR METAL CANS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES. THEY SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF A DECADE-LONG WAR, TRADING SCRAPS OF TRASH FOR SCRAPS OF FOOD TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. ROZ WITH THE PEARLS IS 9 YEARS OLD. >> WE COLLECT PLASTIC, SO WE CAN FEED OUR SIBLINGS. I WISH I COULD GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE FRIENDS. WE COME TO THE DUMP TO COME A -- TO COLLECT PLASTIC THAT WE

SELL FOR 10, 15 TURKISH LIRA, SO WE CAN FEED OUR SIBLINGS. NICK: MUHAMMAD FAHD IS 12. >> I COME TO THIS GARBAGE DUMP, AND I'M HERE FROM MORNING UNTIL NIGHT TO COLLECT AS MUCH AS I CAN AND SELL THEM TO THE MAN TO MAKE MONEY AND BUY FOOD FOR OUR SIBLINGS. WHEN WE COME TO THE DUMP, THE SMELL CRUSHES US, BUT WE HAVE TO BRING FOOD FOR OUR SIBLINGS. MY WISH IS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. NICK: THE DESPERATION IS MULTIGENERATIONAL. AS HIS SON LOOKS ON, HUSSEIN MASLATOU BREAKS STONES. IT'S BACK-BENDING LABOR FOR $2.50 A DAY. BUT HERE AT THE CAMP, OTHER JOBS ARE HARD TO COME BY. AND IN THIS WAR, SONS HELP FATHERS WORK, AND FATHERS WORK TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN ALIVE. >> WITHOUT THIS, I WOULD N BE ABLE TO WORK. AND IF THE AID STOPS, I WILL DIE, AND SO WILL MY CHILDREN. MAY GOD RELIEVE US. NICK: THAT AID COMES IN THE FORM OF HANDOUT BREAD. EVERYTHING HERE IS A FAMILY AFFAIR. HIS SON HELPS DELIVER THE ONLY

FOOD THEY EAT. WITHOUT IT, MASLATOU, HIS WIFE AND THEIR FOUR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE NOTHING. >> THIS AID THAT COMES THROUGH BAB AL-HAWA, IF IT CLOSES DOWN, WE WILL DIE OF HUNGER. THERE WILL BE A FAMINE. PEOPLE WILL DIE OF HUNGER. NICK: MORE THAN FOUR MILLIONN NORTHWEST SYRIA ARE AT RISK OF HUNGER AND DEPEND ON THE BAB AL-HAWA CROSSING, THE LAST REMAINING HUMANITARIAN CORRIDOR BETWEEN TURKEY AND REBEL-HELD IDLIB PROVINCE. IT'S THE ONLY ENTRY POINT FOR HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES SUCH AS THE U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, THE ONLY MEANS TO SUPPLY STARVING SYRIANS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT CONTROL. IN TOTAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE U.N. SAYS 12 MILLION SYRIANS, MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY, ARE CONSIDERED HUNGRY. THIS WEEK, HEALTH AND HUMANITARIAN WORKERS RALLIED TO DEMAND THE CROSSING REMAIN OPEN. THEY SAY RUSSIA HOLDS IN ITS HAND CONTROL OF SYRIA'S WATER AND SYRIAN LIVES. DR. SALEM ABDAN IS THE DIRECTOR OF IDLIB'S HEALTH DIRECTORATE.

>> STOPPING AID WOULD LEAD TO A HEALTH CRISIS. AT LEAST 56 MEDICAL ENTITIES IN IDLIB CITY ALONE WOULD HAVE TO STOP WORKING THAT SERVE THREE MILLION PEOPLE. THE STOPPING OF MEDICAL SERVICES AND VACCINATIONS WILL LEAD TO A REAL DISASTER IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA. NICK: RUSSIA'S ALLY, THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH HAS ALREADY TRIGGERED A FOOD DISASTER. AND IN A COUNTRY RAVAGED BY HUNGER, THE SYRIAN MILITARY IS NOW BOMBING WHEAT FARMS. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HARVEST SEASON, BUT THIS FARM IS NOW A VICTIM THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT'S CAMPAIGN TO STARVE ANYONE LIVING OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT CONTROL. THE ATTACKS TARGET CROPS AND PEOPLE'S FUTURES. THE FARMS THAT WERE SPARED DO PRODUCE WHEAT, BUT THE GROUND HERE IS ARID, AND THE FARMERS THEMSELVES FLED HERE FROM HOMES IN GOVERNMENT-HELD TERRITORY AND NOW CAN'T FEED THEIR FAMILIES WITHOUT HELP, FARMERS LIKE ZUHAIR AL SAKET. >> TODAY, WE ARE STRUGGLING. THERE'S NO BREAD DUE THE SIEGE SURROUNDING US.

WE LEFT OUR VAST LANDS AND CAME TO THIS PLACE. NICK: SINCE 2011, THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS MORE THAN 300,000 SYRIAN CIVILIANS HAVE DIED, AND THE CONFLICT HAS FORCED MORE THAN 13 MILLION TO FLEE THEIR HOMES. MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE REMAIN INSIDE THE COUNTRY, MANY AT CAMPS JUST MILES FROM THE TURKISH BORDER. IN THE SUMMER HEAT, WATER IS A PRECIOUS COMMODITY, NO MORE SO THAN FOR ZAHRAA AL-KHALED, WHO HAS TOO LITTLE FORMULA FOR THE TWO MOUTHS SHE HAS TO FEED, THEIR 8-MONTH-OLD TWINS SUFFERING FROM FEVERS AND DIARRHEA, SUFFERING FROM A WAR THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH. >> OUR SITUATION IS VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE SUMMER WITH THE HEAT. WE GIVE JUST ENOUGH MILK SO THEY CAN SURVIVE, BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE. NICK: THESE CHILDREN'S FATE COULD LIE WITH DIPLOMATIC VOTES THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY. THEY HAVE BEEN BORN INTO TENTS AND THEIR FUTURES HAVE BEEN STOLEN. FOR THE "PBS NEWSHOUR," I'M NICK SCHIFRIN. ♪ JUDY: BETWEEN THE WAR IN UKRAINE

AND TENSIONS WITH CHINA, PRESIDENT BIDEN -- HIS HANDLING OF FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES IS BEING PUT TO THE TEST. HE AND FORMER SECRETARY -- AND FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER'S BOOK, HE EXAMINES HOW PAST LEADERS IN THE ERA AFTER THE WORLD WARS, FACED THE CHALLENGES OF THEIR TIMES. I SAT DOWN WITH THE 99 YEAR OLD VETERAN DIPLOMAT IN HIS NEW YORK CITY OFFICE YESTERDAY TO DISCUSS THE UKRAINE WAR, THE STATE OF GLOBAL POLITICS, AND MUCH MORE. IN THIS LATEST BOOK, YOU TELL US THE STORY OF SIX LEADERS ON THE WORLD STAGE AFTER WORLD WAR TWO. YOU SAY THEY WERE BOTH STATESMEN AND PROPHETS. AND MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE WORLD TODAY, A WORLD LEADER WHO COMES CLOSE TO EMBODYING THE QUALITIES OF

THESE SIX YOU PORTRAY IN THE BOOK? MR. KITCHEN UNDER: -- MR. KISSINGER: NONE IN MY OBSERVATION. OF COURSE, MANY OF THE CONTEMPORARY LEADERS HAVEN'T FINISHED THEIR CAREERS YET. AND MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T FACED THE BIG CHALLENGES YET. BUT THE REASON I WROTE ABOUT THESE SIX IS BECAUSE THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN E EVOLUTION OF THEIR SOCIETIES. AND MAYBE ONE CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM THEM AT A TIME WHEN THE TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIETIES IS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES ALMOST EVERYWHERE. JUDY: IT'S INTERESTING, THE ONE AMERICAN PRESIDENT YOU CHOOSE IS RICHARD NIXON. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS

CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN VIETNAM. YOU WRITE ABOUT HIS OPENING TO CHINA. THAT WAS BRILLIANT. BUT THEN THE WAR IN VIETNAM PROLONGED FOUR MORE YEARS. THOUSANDS MORE AMERICANS DIED. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT CAME FROM TH THAT ARGUABLY LED TO RICHARD NIXON. MR. KISSINGER: YOU KNOW, HE DESTROYED HIMSELF. AND IT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE ATMOSPHERE DOMESTICALLY THAT HAD GROWN UP AROUND THE WAR IN VIETNAM. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WAR BEEN GOING ON IN PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS. THE DEPLOYMENT OF 500,000 TROOPS WAS WHAT NIXON INHERITED. SO YOU SAID HE PROLONGED THE WAR. THAT IMPLIES THAT HE COULD HAVE ENDED IT EARLIER ON TERMS THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD

UNDERSTAND. AND WE SETTLED AS SOON AS THEY AGREED TO THE FACT THAT SOUTH VIETNAM PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. BUT IT TOOK NEARLY FOUR YEARS TO GET THERE. BUT OUR PREDECESSORS HADN'T EVEN STARTED THE NEGOTIATION YET. SO IT WASN'T SO SIMPLE. JUDY: IT REMAINS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE IDENTIFY WITH RICHARD NIXON. I WANT TO TURN YOU, DR. KISSINGER, TO THE MAIN CONFLICT IN THE WORLD TODAY, IN UKRAINE. DO YOU SEE THIS JUST GOING ON UNTIL THE TWO SIDES ARE EXHAUSTED, OR IS THERE -- DO YOU SEE A QUICKER WAY TO BRING IT TO AN END? MR. KISSINGER: A CURIOUS ASPECT OF THIS WAR IS IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE WORLD WAR I.

IF ONE SIDE CLEARLY WINS THEN IT WILL HAVE PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES. I THINK A NEGOTIATION IS DESIRABLE. AND I SAID SO IN DAVOS AND I WAS ATTACKED FOR IT. BUT I THINK WE WILL BE HEADING IN THAT DIRECTION. JUDY: AND YOUR COMMENTS AT DAVOS DID DRAW CRITICISM, ATTENTION. PEOPLE WERSAYING YOU WERE ARGUING FOR UKRAINE TO GIVE UP TERRITORY. MR. KISSINGER: BUT THE FUNNY THING IS, I DID NOT SAY THAT. WHAT I SAID WAS A CEASEFIRE LINE SHOULD BE DRAWN AT WHERE THE WAR STARTED. I THINK RUSSIA SHOULD NOT GAIN ANYTHING FROM THE WAR. JUDY: RIGHT NOW, RUSSIA HAS

ALMOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE DONBASS, THEY'RE TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE THAT NOW. THEY HAVE CRIMEA. IF RUSSIA WERE TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S HAVE A TRUCE, SHOULD UKRAINE GO ALONG WITH THAT AND LET THEM HAVE WHAT THEY'VE GOT? MR. KISSINGER: IT'S THEIR COUNTRY AND IF THEY DECIDE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT IT. I WOULD DEPLORE IT GREATLY, AND I HOPE THAT DECISION WILL NOT BE MADE. JUDY: THE U.S. AND NATO HAVE SAID THEY'RE PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SUPPORT UKRAINE. BUT DOES THAT MEAN INDEFINITELY? MR. KISSINGER: THAT'S EXACTLY THE QUESTION. I, THEREFORE HOPE THAT NEGOTIATED OUTCOME WILL BE FOUND. WE CANNOT GIVE UP UKRAINE ABOVE ALL, CANNOT GIVE UP TERRITORY THAT IT HAD WHEN THE WAR STARTED, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE

SYMBOLICALLY DANGEROUS FOR NATO AND FOR THE PROBLEMS WE FACE IN ASIA. JUDY: DO YOU BELIEVE XI JINPING IS LOOKING AT THIS AND THINKING HE'S MORE LIKELY TO WANT TO TAKE TAIWAN, OR LESS LIKELY? WATCHING WHAT RUSSIA'S EXPERIENCE IN UKRAINE IS. MR. KISSINGER: WELL XI MUST KNOW THAT AN ALL OUT ATTACK ON TAIWAN, ANY KIND OF ATTACK DESIGNED TO TAKE IT OVER IT'S GOING TO BE RESISTED BY AMERICA IN ITS CURRENT MOOD. SO I THINK, AN ALL OUT ATTACK ON TAIWAN IS THE LAST THING THAT THE CHINESE PLAN RIGHT NOW. JUDY: DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER NOW FOR THE UNITED STATES TO DROP ANY AMBIGUITY ABOUT TAIWAN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH

CHINA AND JUST SAY FLATLY, THE U.S. WL DEFEND TAIWAN? MR. KISSINGER: NO, IF WE ABANDON THAT AND DECLARE TAIWAN AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY THEN CHINA WILL ALMOST BE FORCED TO UNDERTAKE MILITARY ACTION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG AND SO FIERCELY A PART OF THEIR DOMESTIC PROGRAM. SO THE AMBIGUITY, IT'S TO PREVENT CONFLICT BUT THE DETERRENT ASPECT NEEDS TO BE ALSO FIRM. JUDY: SO I HEAR YOU SAYING YOU THINK THE U.S. HAS MADE IT CLEAR ENOUGH THAT IT WILL COME TO TAIWAN'S DEFENSE? MR. KISSINGER: I THINK SO. I MEAN, THE VERY CONCENTRATION OF OUR FORCES MAKES IT CLEAR. JUDY: DIFFERENT SUBJECT, DR. KISSINGER, ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

AS YOU KNOW, THE JANUARY SIX COMMITTEE LOOKING INTO HIS ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND HIM LEADING UP TO THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL LAST YEAR. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO KNOWS INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, WHAT DO YOU THINK HE DID TO AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD DURING HIS FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE? MR. KISSINGER: WHEN HE STARTED AND ASSERTED THE AMERICAN NATIONAL INTEREST AND NOT ONLY ABSTRACT PRINCIPLES, I HAD SYMPATHY FOR HIM. BUT AS HIS POSITION DEVELOPED OF BEING SO CENTRALLY FOCUSED ON ONE PERSON AND SO TURNING ISSUES INTO CONFRONTATION, I BECAME LESS ENTHUSIASTIC.

I WASN'T ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT I WAS OPEN AND I MET WITH HIM SEVERAL TIMES WHEN HE BECAME PRESIDENT. AT THE END, FOR AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM AND TO TRY TO OVERTHROW THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM IS A GRAVE MATTER. AND I FIND NO EXCUSE FOR THAT. JUDY: DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE PREVENTED FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN? MR. KISSINGER. I DON'T THINK, IF HE RUNS, IT SHOULD BE MADE BY PEOPLE WHO VOTE. JUDY: DR. HENRY KISSINGER STILL WRITING BOOKS AT THE AGE OF 99.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ♪ JUDY: AND ON THE NEWSHOUR ONLINE, A NEW ORLEANS ARTIST IS EDUCATING TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ABOUT THE CITY'S HISTORY AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST SLAVE TRADING POSTS, BY USING IMMERSIVE, ARTIFICIAL RENDERINGS. SEE THAT AT PBS.ORG/NEWSHOUR. AND THAT'S THE NEWSHOUR FOR TONIGHT. I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. JOIN US ON-LINE AND AGAIN HERE TOMORROW EVENING. FOR ALL OF US AT THE PBS NEWSHOUR, THANK YOU, PLEASE STAY SAFE AND WE'LL SEE YOU SOON. >> >> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY -- >> FOR 25 YEARS, CONSUMER CELLULAR HAS BEEN OFFERING PLANS TO HELP PEOPLE DO MORE OF WHAT THEY LIKE.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT CONSUMER CELLULAR.TV. >> THE FORD FOUNDATIONWORKING WITH VISIONARIES ON THE FRONT LINE OF SOCIAL CHANGE WORLDWIDE. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITIONS. AND FRIENDS OF THE NEWSHOUR. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS. ♪ AND FRIENDS OF THE NEWSHOUR. THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE,

WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.] THIS IS THE PBS NEWSHOUR, FROM W ETA STUDIOS IN WASHINGTON AND FROM THE WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. ♪ >> YOU'RE WATCHING PBS. -"Jacques Pépin: Heart &oul" is brought to you by...

For those who cook with heart and soul, we present a kitchen made with passion. Introducing the completely reimagined suite of appliances from KitchenAid. You can see more at kitchenaid.com. OXO Good Grips -- Thoughtfully yours. Vine Connections, proud importer of Casa Silva, estate-grown Chilean wines from the Silva family. Bertolli -- proudly crafting olive oil since 1865. -Viva Bertolli! -Riedel, The Wine Glass Company. -Oceania Cruises -- worldwide destinations, fine dining, personalized service. Your world. Your way. -I met Julia Child in 1960. She had just moved back to the U.S. from France.