PBS NewsHour; Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 3:00pm-4:00pm PDT

JUDY: GOOD EVENING. I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. ON THE NEWSHOUR TONIGHT THE FINANCIAL TOLL. INFLATION SLOWS. BUT HIGH PRICES ACROSS THE U.S. ECONOMY ARE STILL SQUEEZING MANY AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY HOUSEHOLDS OF COLOR. THEN, AS AS A NATION PLOT. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES AN IRANIAN MAN WITH TRYING TO KILL FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON. AND THE BIDEN AGENDA. WE TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE DEMOCRATS MAJOR BUDGET BILL PROVIDES TO AN UNDERSTAFFED IRS. >> WHEN YOU UNDERFUND THE IRS, IT IS REALLY A TAX CUT. THE IRS WITH THIS FUNDING WILL BE ABLE TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY NONCOMPLIANT. JUDY: ALL THAT AND MORE ON TONIGHT'S "PBS NEWSHOUR."

♪ >> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY -- ♪ >> MOVING OUR ECONOMY FOR 160 YEARS. BNSF, THE ENGINE THAT CONNECTS US. >> CFO. CAREGIVER. ECLIPSED CHASER. A -- A RAYMONDJAMES'S FINANCIAL ADVISOR HELPS YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. LIFE 12TH PLANNED -- LIFE WELL

PLANNED. >> SUPPORTING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS TO THE WORLD'S MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS. SCHOOL FOUNDATION.ORG. >> THE LEMELSON FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH INVENTION AND THE U.S. AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. SUPPORTED BY THE JOHN D AND CATHERINE T MACARTHUR FOUNDATION. COMMITTED TO BUILDING A MORE JUST, VERDANT, AND PEACEFUL WORLD. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS. THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. JUDY: INFLATION IN THE U.S. HAS EASED, AT LEAST MODESTLY FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN MONTHS. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT REPORTS CONSUMER PRICES WERE UP 8.5% IN JULY FROM A YEAR AGO. STILL, THAT WAS SLOWER THAN THE 9.1% JUMP IN JUNE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THERE WAS NO NET INCREASE FROM JUNE TO JULY. AS PRESIDENT BIDEN NOTED AT THE WHITE HOUSE. PRES. BIDEN: TODAY, WE RECEIVED NEWS OUR ECONOMY HAD 0% INFLATION IN THE MONTH OF JULY. 0%. HERE'S WHAT THAT MEANS. THE PRICE OF SOME THINGS GO UP LAST MONTH, THE PRICE OF OTHER THINGS WENT DOWN BY THE SAME AMOUNT. THE RESULT, ZERO INFLATION LAST MONTH, BUT STICK -- BUT PEOPLE WERE STILL HURTING. JUDY: WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT INFLATION'S EFFECTS, LATER IN THE PROGRAM. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE REFUSED TODAY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A CIVIL INVESTIGATION OF HIS REAL ESTATE DEALINGS. HERAVELED TO THE OFFICE OF NEW

YORK'S ATTORNEY GERAL IN MANHATTAN AND LEFT SIX HOURS LATER. HE SAID HENVOKED HIS RIGHT AGAINST SELF-INCRIMINATION. IN A STATEMENT, HE SAID "THE RAID OF MY HOME, MAR-A-LAGO, ON MONDAY BY THE FBI WIPED OUT ANY UNCERTAINTY. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CHOICE." THE MAR-A-LAGO SEARCH WAS UNRELATED TO THE NEW YORK INVESTIGATION. THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS CHARGED AN IRANIAN NATIONAL WITH TARGETING JOHN BOLTON FOR ASSASSINATION. BOLTON WAS A ONE-TIME NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMP. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY A MEMBER OF IRAN'S "REVOLUTIONARY GUARD" TRIED TO HIRE A HIT MAN TO KILL BOLTON. WE'LL RETURN TO THIS AFTER THE NEWS SUMMARY. CHINA ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT'S WINDING DOWN MILITARY DRILLS AROUND TAIWAN. THE WAR GAMES SAW CHINESE SHIPS AND PLANES CROSSING INTO TAIWANESE WATERS AND AIR SPACE. CHINA SAID TODAY IT WILL CONTINUE REGULAR PATROLS IN THE AREA. IN BEIJING, OFFICIALS AGAIN CITED THE TAIWAN VISIT BY NANCY

PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. >> EVERY TIME THE U.S. SIDE MAKES A SERIOUS PROVOCATIVE ACT OF INFRINGING ON CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY, THE CHINESE SIDE WILL RESOLUTELY FIGHT BACK. CHINA WILL NEVER ALLOW ITS SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY TO BE WANTONLY TRAMPLED ON. JUDY: SPEAKER PELOSI SAID TODAY THAT CHINA USED HER TRIP AS AN EXCUSE TO MAKE AGGRESSIVE NEW MOVES IN THE REGION. KENYA WAITED TODAYOR RESULTS FROM TUESDAY'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS BALLOT COUNTING CONTINUED, SOME EARLY TALLIES SHOWED DEPUTY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO LEADING WITH JUST OVER 50% OF THE VOTE. HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS URGED CALM AND WARNED OF FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE VOTE CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BACK IN THIS COUNTRY, TRUMP SUPPORTERS HAVE SCORED MORE PRIMARY WINS. REPUBLICANS WHO REJECT THE 2020 ELECTION RESULTS WERE NOMINATED TUESDAY IN WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA FOR OFFICES THAT COULD OVERSEE ELECONS. ALSO IN WISCONSIN,

TRUMP-ENDORSED CANDIDATE TIM MICHELS WON THE GOP GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION. AND IN WASHINGTON STATE, CONGRESSWOMAN JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER CONCEDED DEFEAT IN LAST WEEK'S REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. SHE VOTED TO IMPEACH MR. TRUMP AFTER THE JANUARY 6 ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL. PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED A BILL TODAY TO EXPAND BENEFITS FOR MILITARY VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC BURN PITS. THEY WERE USED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN TO DISPOSE OF CHEMICALS, PLASTICS AND HUMAN WASTE. THE BILL ALSO EXPANDS A NUMBER OF EXISTING HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR VETERANS. AND ON WALL STREET, STOCKS ADVANCED ON THE NEWS THAT INFLATION BACKED OFF A BIT IN JULY. THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE GAINED 535 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 33,309. UP 1.6%. THE NASDAQ ROSE NEARLY 3%. THE S&P 500 WAS UP 2%. STILL TO COME ON THE NEWSHOUR,

COULD THERE BE AN ELECTORAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE BATTLE OVER ABORTION AND OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES? PATRIOTIC TATTOOS BECOME A LIABILITY FOR UKRAINIANS AS THE RUSSIAN INVASION GRINDS ON. ABANDONED OIL AND NATURAL GAS WELLS POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT ACROSS LOUISIANA. PLUS, MUCH MORE. >> THIS IS THE PBS NEWSHOUR FROM WETA STUDIOS IN WASHINGTON AND IN THE WEST FROM THE WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. JUDY: AS WE REPORTED, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS CHARGED AN IRANIAN WITH TRYING TO ASSASSINATE FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON. U.S. OFFICIALS SAY THE MAN WAS A MEMBER OF IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS. NICK SCHIFRIN IS FOLLOWING THIS AND JOINS ME HERE. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS PLOT? NO: BEGINNING IN OCTOBER, 2021, AN IRANIAN BEGAN TO TAKE STEPS

TO ASSASSINATE BOLTON. YOU CAN SEE THEY ARE BOTH ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THAT, DOJ, SAYS IS PART OF THE EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS'S, THE UNIT THAT OVERSEES OPERATIONS. REALLY THE MILITARY WING OF THE REGIME. THE DOJ SAYS HE HIRED A PERSON IN THE U.S. THAT DOJ IDENTIFIES AS A CONFIDENTIAL HUMAN SOURCE TO THE U.S., OFFERED HIM $250,000, AND AFTER NEGOTIATION, $300,000 IN DIGITAL CURRENCY TO HIRE SOMEONE TO ASSASSINATE JOHN BOLTON. THE PERSON IN THE U.S. SAID YES, HE HAD HIRED SOMEONE, A MEMBER OF A MEXICAN CARTEL. AND HE SAID HE WANTED BOLTON TO BE KILLED BY THE END OF 2021. AT ONE POINT, HE EVEN MESSAGED THIS PERSON IN THE U.S. A PHOTO OF THE CASH HE WAS OFFERING. THE FBI WAS ABLE TO GET INSIDE OF HIS MESSAGING APPS.

HERE IS HOW MATT OLSON, THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY, DESCRIBED IT EARLIER TODAY. >> THIS IS NOT AN IDLE THREAT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE UNCOVERED RAISE AND ACTS BY IRAN TO EXACT REVENGE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS ON U.S. SOIL. WE WILL WORK TIRELESSLY TO CONTINUE TO DISRUPT THESE EFFORTS. NICK: THAT IS A REFERENCE TO A PREVIOUS PLOT TO ASSASSINATE THE FORMER SAUDI AMBASSADOR IN THE U.S. THE FBI TOOK THIS PLOT VERY SERIOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS HIRING WAS IN FACT AN FBI INFORMANT. JUDY: WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT SAYING ABOUT WHY THEY BELIEVE THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD WAS TARGETING BOLTON? NICK: HE AND THE OFFICIAL IN THE U.S. TALKED ABOUT CUSTOM SOLEIMANI, THE FORMER HEAD OF THE FORCE WHO WAS KILLED IN A U.S. DRONE STRIKE ON JANUARY 3, 2020. IRAN HAS BEEN CLEAR IT WANTED REVENGE FOR SOLEIMANI'S DEATH, ESPECIALLY BY KILLING INDIVIDUAL AMERICANS, SOMETHING BOLTON TOLD

ME EARLIER TODAY WHEN WE SPOKE. >> IT WAS VERY SERIOUS. I DON'T THINK IT WAS JOHN BOLTON ALONE THAT WAS THE TARGET. I THINK THERE WERE MANY FORMER ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO PRIVATE AMERICAN CITIZENS. IT REALLY TELLS YOU THE REAL NATURE OF THE REGIME IN TEHRAN THAT THEY ARE THREATENING AMERICAN CITIZENS ON AMERICAN SOIL. NICK: FORMER SENIOR OFFICIAL TELLS ME IRAN IDENTIFIED FIVE SPECIFIC FORMER OFFICIALS TO ASSASSINATE. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, BOLTON, THE FORMER TOP COMMANDER IN THE MIDDLE EAST GENERAL FRANK MCKENZIE, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL MILITARY IN THE -- IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BRIAN HOPE, THE FORMER SPECIAL ENVOY FOR IRAN. HE SAID THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SECOND TARGET FOR WHICH HE WAS WILLING TO PAY $1 MILLION TO ASSASSINATE AND THAT "HIS TIME WOULD COME." U.S. OFFICIALS SAY THE THREAT IS VERY MUCH ACTIVE TODAY. JUDY: THAT IS DISTURBING.

ALL OF THIS HAPPENS AS THE ADMINISTRATION IS ABOUT TO REENTER THESE NUCLEAR TALKS ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. HOW IS IT THOUGHT THAT THIS WILL AFFECT THAT? NICK: U.S. OFFICIALS SAY IT WILL NOT AFFECT THOSE TALKS. A WHITE HOUSE EXPOSED -- SPOKESPERSON TELLS ME PRESIDENT BIDEN BELIEVES DIPLOMACY IS THE BEST PATH TO PREVENT IRAN FROM ACQUIRING A NUCLEAR WEAPON. THEIR ARGUMENT IS THE U.S. WILL DEAL WITH IRAN'S OTHER DESTABILIZING BEHAVIOR, THE LARGEST BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAN'S SUPPORT FOR PROXY AND TERRORISM ACROSS THE REGION. BUT SEPARATELY, WANT TO PUT THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM IN A BOX. BOLTON, HOWEVER, AND OTHERS DISAGREE. >> DANCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND ITS TERRORIST ACTIVITIES ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. YOU CANNOT SEPARATE ONE FROM THE OTHER. THEY ARE ENDEMIC TO THE REGIME IN TEHRAN. THAT WAS THE MISTAKE OF THE 2015 DEAL. IT IS THE MISTAKE IN TRYING TO

GO BACK INTO IT. NICK: WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION ARGUES IS THAT IT IS EASIER TO DEAL WITH THOSE OTHER ASPECTS OF IRAN'S MALIGN ACTIVITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST IF IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM CONSTRAINED. AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO. AS FOR THE TALKS, SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS TELL ME THEY HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THEY HAVE JUMPED OVER THE MAJOR HURDLES THEY HAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DEAL. WHICH STEPS THE U.S. WOULD TAKE IN ORDER TO LIFT THE SANCTIONS ON IRAN, IN WHICH STEPS IRAN HAD TO TAKE TO GET BACK INTO COMPLIANCE WHEN IT COMES. TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM THE TWO SIDES ARE DISAGREEING STILL TO THIS DAY OVAL -- OVER WHETHER THE IAEA CAN INVESTIGATE IRAN'S PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO EDIT -- TRY TO CREATE A NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THOSE ATTEMPTS THAT IRAN CONCEALED FROM THE WORLD. THERE IS A FINAL TEXT ON THE TABLE. WE MAY KNOW WITHIN A COUPLE DAYS WHETHER THERE MIGHT BE A DEAL OR NOT. JUDY: THE TIMING OF THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. JOHN BOLTON, LONGTIME OPPONENT

OF ANY NUCLEAR DEAL. NICK: ABSOLUTELY. JUDY: NICK SCHIFRIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NICK: THANK YOU. JUDY: FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN'S RECENT LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES, TO THE OVERWHELMING VICTORY FOR ABORTION RIGHTS IN KANSAS AND THE FBI'S SEARCH OF MAR-A-LAGO, AUGUST SO FAR HAS BEEN FULL OF SURPRISES. AND WITH SOME 90 DAYS TO GO BEFORE THE NOVEMBER MIDTERM ELECTIONS, IT IS NOT CLEAR IF SUCH EVENTS WILL INFLUENCE HOW AMERICANS CAST THEIR VOTES THIS FALL. SENATOR TIM SCOTT, A REPUBLICAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, IS UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. HIS NEW BOOK, "AMERICA: A REDEMPTION STORY" IS OUT THIS WEEK AND HE JOINS ME NOW. SENATOR SCOTT, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK, AND WELCOME TO THE NEWSHOUR. SEN. SCOTT: GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. JUDY: I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE BOOK. I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. HE IS VERY MUCH IN THE NEWS.

THIS SEARCH BY THE FBI AND HIS HOME IN PALM BEACH. YOUR COMMENTS, YOU SAID, LET'S SEE HOW THE FACTS PLAY OUT. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME SUPPORTERS OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT ARE SAYING YOU SHOULD BE MORE AGGRESSIVELY SUPPORTING HIM. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO THEM? SEN. SCOTT: I DO THINK MY COMMENTS ARE IMPORTANT, NUMBER ONE, I WAS SAYING TO MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHERS OF THE AISLE, AS OPPOSED TO RUSHING TO JUDGMENT AS THEY DID IN THE RUSSIA COLLUSION EPISODE, THE PATIENT. I WOULD SAY TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, WE SHOULD BE ALARMED AT THE WAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE FBI HAVE GONE AFTER SOMEONE. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED. IT IS SHOCKING. AND QUITE SURPRISING. JUDY: WE ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE ARE TOLD THE TRUMP ATTORNEYS HAVE A LIST OF WHAT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE. BUT WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT YET. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS FORMER PRESIDENT

TRUMP TODAY APPEARING BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS REAL ESTATE DEALINGS. HE SPENT HOURS THERE AND HE SAID AFTERWARDS, HE DID NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, INVOKED THE FIFTH. SHOULD HE HAVE ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS? SEN. SCOTT: IF I WAS HIS ATTORNEY, I WOULD TELL HIM NOT TO SAY A WORD TO ANYONE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. I THINK HE IS PROTECTING HIMSELF. FRANKLY, IF I WERE IN HIS SEAT, I WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING A FAIR SHAKE FROM THIS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. JUDY: LET'S TURN TO YOUR BOOK. THE TITLE IS "AMERICA: A REDEMPTION STORY, CHOOSING HOPE, CREATING UNITY." IT IS YOUR STORY AND THE STORY OF OTHERS. WHY DO YOU WANT TO SAY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IN THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW? SEN. SCOTT: I THINK OUR COUNTRY FACES POLARIZATION AND SKEPTICISM ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT AMERICA WORKS TOGETHER. I WANTED TO BE AN VATICAN ABOUT THE FACT THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THAT IN MY LIFE, WE HAVE HAD CHALLENGES, WE FACED OUR INITIAL STINT OF RACISM.

WE HAD A CIVIL WAR TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE. MY EIGHTH GRADE YEAR, I WAS FACING A RACE RIGHT AT THE -- RACE RIOT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE ONE THING ABOUT AMERICA IS WE ARE THE SOLUTION. SOMETIMES, IT IS HARD TO GET THERE, BUT WE ALWAYS ARRIVE AT THE RIGHT PLACE. I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN GET THINGS DONE. JUDY: YOUR CALL FOR AMERICA TO WORK TOGETHER SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE LOAN VOICES AT A TIME OF GREAT DIVISION IN THIS COUNTRY. DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE READY TO HEAR THAT MESSAGE? ? ? ESPECIALLY IN THE SEN. SCOTT:. AND POLARIZATION IS NOT A REPUBLICAN THING OR DEMOCRAT THING, IT IS A HUMAN THING. MY THOUGHT, IN MY BOOK, I TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD PEOPLE OF GOOD INTENTION CAME TOGETHER AND HELPED FORM A FOUNDATION OF HOW TO THINK FOR MYSELF AS OPPOSED TO WHAT TO THINK. IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, IT FEELS LIKE PEOPLE ARE BEING INDOCTRINATED INSTEAD OF SAYING,

THINK FOR YOURSELF, COME TO YOUR CONCLUSIONS, WAIT PATIENTLY FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND MAKE A DECISION. JUDY: HOW DO YOU THINK THAT IS BEING RECEIVED? I KNOW YOU ARE TALKING TO YOUR FELLOW REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. SEN. SCOTT: BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. I DO BELIEVE TODAY, YOU LOOK AT THE POLARIZATION WE HAVE AROUND THE COUNTRY. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF REPUBLICANS AS MUCH AS IT IS ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S INABILITY TO BE THE GREAT UNITER THAT HE CAMPAIGNED ON, PRESIDENT BIDEN. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY OF BRINGING THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER. I BELIEVE WE CAN GET IT DONE. IT WILL TAKE BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. AND IT WILL TAKE INDIVIDUALS EMBRACING THE CONCEPT THAT AMERICA IS BETTER TO -- BETTER TOGETHER. I WRITE ABOUT IT IN MY BOOK, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME TOGETHER, I HAD A WONDERFUL MENTOR, I THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THEY DID BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO. JUDY: YOU HAVE -- YOU CREATED A POLITICAL COMMITTEE CALLED THE

OPPORTUNITY, I THINK IT IS CALLED THE OPPORTUNITY ZONE. OPPORTUNITY MATTERS. YOU ARE PAYING FOR ADS, SUPPORTING YOUR FELLOW REPUBLICANS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF THEM, INCLUDING ONE IN WISCONSIN FOR SENATOR RON JOHNSON. I LISTENED TO IT TODAY AND I NOTICED YOU SAID "WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON." OF COURSE, SENATOR JOHNSON SERVED 12 YEARS, HE IS RUNNING FOR A THIRD TERM. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT? SEN. SCOTT: EASILY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RANJAN BRINGS TO THE TABLE IS HE IS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. HERE IS A PERSON WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO SIGN THE FRONT OF THE PAYCHECK, NOT JUST THE BACK OF THE PAYCHECK. WASHINGTON HAS A LOT OF LAWYERS BUT NOT A LOT OF BUSINESS PEOPLE. I FEEL LIKE HAVING SOMEONE LIKE HIM IS THE NEW BRAND OF LEADERSHIP THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS, HIRING PEOPLE, AND THE RED TAPE OR THE HEADWINDS THAT COMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

JUDY: I'M ASKING BECAUSE HE HAS SERVED TWO TERMS. SEN. SCOTT: YES, MA'AM. JUDY: HE WOULD BE SERVING FOR ANOTHER SIX. YOU ARE ALSO SENDING OUT REQUESTS FOR PEOPLE TO DONATE TO YOUR CAMPAIGN. WE LOOKED AT SOME OF WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR. AMONG OTHER THINGS, YOU SAID DEMOCRATS WANT ABORTIONS AT 52 WEEKS. WE KNOW THE NORMAL HUMAN TERM FOR PREGNANCY IS 40 WEEKS. 52 WEEKS IS A WHOLE YEAR. I'M CURIOUS, WHICH DEMOCRATS ARE CALLING FOR 52-WEEKS? SEN. SCOTT: WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS GOVERNOR NORTHAM'S COMMENTS ABOUT INFANTICIDE, UP TO THE DAY OF BIRTH, ONE COULD BE ABORTED. I THINK THAT IS UNCONSCIONABLE. THERE ARE SEVEN COUNTRIES ON EARTH THAT ALLOW FOR A LATE TERM ABORTION, IN THE WAY THAT WE DO IN THIS COUNTRY. WE WERE TRYING TO USE A HYPERBOLIC APPROACH TO BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE LATE-TERM ABORTIONS, AS WELL AS PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNING WORLD THAT SEEMS TO THINK OR BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN HAVE AN ABORTION UP UNTIL THE

DAY OF BIRTH. JUDY: YOU ARE NOT SAYING DEMOCRATS WANT A BABY -- WHEN YOU SAY INFANTICIDE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE SAYING DEMOCRATS WANT BABIES TO DIE AFTER THEY ARE -- SEN. SCOTT: I AM NOT SUGGESTING ALL DEMOCRATS WANT ANYTHING. I AM SUGGESTING GOVERNOR NORTHAM MADE COMMENTS THAT WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE LATEST TERM OF ABORTIONS HAPPENING IN THE LATEST PART OF THE PREGNANCY. JUDY: YOU ARE NOT SAYING THAT IS WHAT WHAT -- THAT IS NOT WHAT MOST DEMOCRATS WANT? SEN. SCOTT: DEFINITELY NOT. JUDY: YOU COMMENTED ON THIS. BUT THERE IS A PARAGRAPH IN YOUR BOOK ON THE COPYRIGHT PAGE TALKING ABOUT YOU ARE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT PREPARES YOU TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. R -- HOW SERIOUSLY ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THAT? SEN. SCOTT: I DO TALK ABOUT BECOMING PRESIDENT. IN MY PUBLISHERS WERE AMBITIOUS IN THINKING THERE WAS A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THIS YEAR. I THINK THEY WERE WAY OFF. THEY ISSUED AN APOLOGY FOR MAKING SUCH A DRASTIC MISTAKE. MY GOAL IS A VERY SIMPLE GOAL, THAT IS RUNNING FOR REELECTION TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE GREAT

PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WHILE I FIND IT HUMOROUS I HAVE A CHAPTER ABOUT BEING PRESIDENT IN MY SUPER GOVERNMENT, AND MY PUBLISHERS HAD A COMMENT THAT I DID NOT APPROVE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO FOCUS ON IS WHAT IS NOW. JUDY: BUT IT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE OPEN TO IN THE FUTURE? SEN. SCOTT: YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT I AM CERTAINLY OPEN TO BEING REELECTED. JUDY: SENATOR TIM SCOTT, THE BOOK IS "AMERICA: A REDEMPTION STORY." THANK YOU. SEN. SCOTT: YES, MA'AM. GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. JUDY: EVEN THOUGH NEW DATA TODAY SHOWED INFLATION IS SLOWING, MANY PRICES REMAINS HIGH AND THE MOST VULNERABLE AMERICANS ARE BEARING THE BRUNT. WILLIAM BRANGHAM HAS MORE ON WHO IS BEING HIT HARDEST. WILLIAM: JUDY, NEW DATA SHOWS INFLATION HAS HAD AN OUTSIZED, NEGATIVE IMPACT ON NATIVE AMERICAN, BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES IN PARTICULAR. A POLL OUT THIS WEEK FROM NPR,

THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND HARVARD FOUND 69% OF NATIVE AMERICANS SAY INFLATION HAS CAUSED SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, AS DO 58% OF BLACK AMERICANS AND 56% OF LATINOS. JUST 44% OF WHITE AND 36% OF ASIAN HOUSEHOLDS REPORT SIMILAR HARDSHIP. ALONZO PLOUGH IS THE CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER OF THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION, AND WAS INVOLVED IN THIS RESEARCH. THE FOUNDATION IS ONE OF THE NEWSHOUR'S FUNDERS. VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE NEWSHOUR. WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING HOW A LOT OF AMERICANS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM HAVE BEEN HURT BY INFLATION. BUT THESE COMMUNITIES SEEM TO BE REALLY SUFFERING DISPROPORTIONATELY. WHY IS THAT? ALONZO: WHILE INFLATION AFFECTS ALL OF US, THESE ARE COMMUNITIES, BLACK, INDIGENOUS, LATINO POPULATIONS, WHO ARE ECONOMICAL MARGINAL IN THE BEST

OF TIMES. ONE HAS TO THINK ABOUT INFLATION AS AMPLIFYING A SITUATION OF SURVIVAL ECONOMICS AND THE BEST OF TIME FOR THESE GROUPS. THE IMPACT GOES FROM BEING DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF EIR ECONOMIC STATUS, TO BARELY BEING ABLE TO MAKE IT. TRADE-OFFS LIKE NOT PAYING RENT, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET HEALTH CARE, AND ACTUALLY FOOD INSECURITY. THE EFFECTS ARE IMMEDIATE AND MUCH MORE SEVERE THAN MOST OF US ARE FACING WITH INFLATION. WILLIAM: IT SEEMS SIMILAR TO THE WAY IN WHICH COVID REVEALED ALL OF THESE INEQUITIES THAT WE KNEW EXISTED IN OUR SOCIETY, BUT IT HIGHLIGHTED THEM IN SUCH STARK RELIEF. INFLATION SEEMS TO BE DOING THE SAME THING. ALONZO: THE ANALOGY WITH COVID IS EXACTLY RIGHT. COVID POINTED OUT LONG-STANDING DISPARITIES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE NOT BASED ON PEOPLE'S RACES. BUT THE EFFECT OF RACISM THAT CREATES A VARIETY OF MARGINALIZING FACTORS, HOUSING THAT IS INSECURE, NEIGHBORHOODS

THAT ARE NOT SAFE, LACK OF HEALTH INSURANCE, GENERATIONS OF THAT IS GOING TO PUT OUR POPULATIONS AT GREATER RISK FOR ANY KIND OF PROBLEM, THE IT COVID OR INFLATION. WILLIAM: ONE PARTICULAR FACT JUMPED OUT. A BUNCH OF THEM DID, BUT THIS 1, 1 THIRD OF BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES WERE SAYING THEY HAD A HARD TIME AFFORDING FOOD, ALMOST 40% OF INDIGENOUS FAMILIES SAID THE SAME THING. HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THAT? THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CUT BACK ON FEEDING YOUR FAMILY. ALONZO: WE SHOULD INTERPRET THAT, THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE ARE WHO ARE AT THE BORDERLINE OF SURVIVAL ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. FOOD INSECURITY IS A WAY OF LIFE. TRADE-OFFS ARE BEING MADE ALL THE TIME BETWEEN HEALTH CARE, PAYING RENT, PACKING A LUNCH FOR YOUR KID AT SCHOOL. A SITUATION LIKE INFLATION JUST TIPS YOU INTO MORE OF A PRECARIOUS SITUATION.

THAT IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM. IT IS UNFORTUNATE WHEN THAT IS ONLY ELEVATED IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID DISPARITIES OR INFLATION DISPARITIES. WILLIAM: ANOTHER SIMILAR FACT, JUST TO THE POINT YOU ARE SAYING, MAJORITIES IN EACH OF THESE COMMUNITIES WERE SAYING THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SAVINGS TO BRIDGE ONE MONTH OF THEIR NORMAL EXPENSES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, A FAMILY NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH IN THE BANK TO BRIDGE A MONTH OF THEIR EXPENSES, THAT IS TRULY LIVING ON THE EDGE. ALONZO: YES. THESE ARE MINIMUM WAGE EARNING FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING ON THE EDGE. ALL DATA SHOW THAT THEY HAVE SCARCE, IF ANY, SAVINGS. ANOTHER IMPACT OF MARGINALIZATION IS LACK OF TRANSGENERATIONAL WEALTH. OUR POLLING SHOWED JORDY POPULATIONS HAD FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HELPED THEM OUT -- MAJORITY POPULATIONS HAD FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HELPED THEM OUT. THAT IS NOT THE CASE WHEN THERE

HAS BEEN INCOME INEQUALITY FOR GENERATIONS IN OUR BLACK, BROWN, AND INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS. WILLIAM: WE ARE SEEING SOME SIGNS THAT INFLATION IS STARTING TO WANE. FOR THESE FAMILIES, DOES THAT GIVE YOU A SENSE THAT OK, THIS MIGHT TURN AROUND FOR THEM? DO YOU WORRY THE SETBACKS BUT THEY HAVE SUFFERED DURING THIS INFLATIONARY PERIOD MIGHT MEAN THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE FALLING BEHIND? ALONZO: I WISH I COULD BE MORE OPTIMISTIC, BUT I'M NOT. THESE ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN ECONOMICALLY MARGINALIZED THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE COURSE. THOSE KIND OF CONDITIONS IN PLACE THAT CREATE DAILY TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD FOOD, WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD GAS IN THE CAR. THOSE WILL CONTINUE. IT IS JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT WE NEED A SURVEY LIKE THIS TO POINT OUT A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED EVERY DAY, LARGE PERCENTAGES OF OUR POPULATION REALLY LIVING AT THE MARGIN AND SO ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE. WILLIAM: THIS RESEARCH SEEMS TO

POINT OUT THAT AS FAR AS LONGER-TERM SOLUTIONS TO THIS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT VERY SYSTEMIC ISSUES IN OUR SOCIETY. WHAT, -- WHAT PEOPLE GET PAID, WHETHER THEY COULD HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, BUT THE SAFETY NET LOOKS LIKE. THOSE ARE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES FOR OUR LEADERS TO ADDRESS IN THE BEST OF TIMES. ALONZO: OUR LEADERS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS THAT. MANY OF THE APPROACHES TO DEAL WITH THESE PROBLEMS OF POVERTY AND MARGINALITY, THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. OTHER COUNTRIES DO IT AS A STANDARD PART OF THEIR SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS. MANY ELEMENTS IN CURRENT LEGISLATION THAT HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AROUND DAYCARE, CHILDCARE,HERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT HAVE NOT FOUND THEIR WAY SUFFICIENTLY IN TOOK CURRENT LEGISLATION ARE REMEDIES FOR THIS. THE TRAGEDY IS NOT APPLYING THINGS THAT WE KNOW WILL WORK. IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THIS KIND OF DISPARITY. WILLIAM: ALONZO PLOW, THANK YOU

SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. ALONZO: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ♪ JUDY: THERE IS A $1 TRILLION GAP BETWEEN WHAT AMERICANS OWE IN TAXES AND WHAT THE GOVERNMENT COLLECTS. THE DEMOCRATS BUDGET DEAL THAT IS EXPECTED TO WIN FINAL APPROVAL IN THE HOUSE THIS WEEK WOULD UNLEASH NEARLY 100,000 NEW IRS AGENTS TO ROUND UP ALL THAT MISSING MONEY. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT LISA DESJARDINS EXPLORES WHAT EFFECT -- HAS MORE. LISA: THE SO-CALLED INFLATION REDUCTION ACT WOULD DRAMATICALLY INEASE FUNDING FOR THE IRS, SOME $80 BILLION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. DEMOCRATS SAY THAT GETS THE AGENCY BACK ON ITS FEET. REPUBLICANS SAY IT IS DANGEROUS AND WILL TARGET AMERICAN FAMILIES FOR AUDITS. JOINING YOU TO UNDERSTAND MORE IS FORMER IRS COMMISSIONER, JOHN

KOSKINEN. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I WANT TO START WITH BASELINE FACTS ABOUT THE IRS. SINCE 2010, THE IRS HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CUTS, NEARLY 20%, AND THEIR STAFF NUMBERS ARE DOWN THAT SAME AMOUNT. THE AGENCY CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 80,000 FULL-TIME STAFFERS, FOR REFERENCE. THIS BILL COULD DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT, ADDING ANOTHER 80,000 PLUS STAFFERS OVER 10 YEARS. DOES THE IRS NEED THAT MANY? IS THE PROBLEM THAT LARGE? JOHN: I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THE 80,000 NUMBER. BETWEEN NOW AND 2031 WHEN THE BILL EXPIRES AND FUNDING EXPIRES, ANYWHERE FROM 35,000 TWO AS MANY AS 50,000 EMPLOYEES WILL RETIRE BECAUSE THEY ARE ELIGIBLE. THEY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH OF THE IRS, I ALWAYS THOUGHT IF I COULD GET BACK TO 20,000 THAT I LOST WHILE I WAS THERE, THAT WOULD BE MAJOR STEP FORWARD. LISA: WHAT IS THE NEED, WHAT HAVE THE BUDGET CUTS DONE, AND WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING NOW OF THE AGENCY?

JOHN: I THINK THE FUNDING WILL BE A SEACHANGE FOR THE IRS. IT IS MORE FUN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND MONEY EFFECTIVELY THAN TO DEAL WITH ONGOING BUDGET CUTS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SITUATION FOR THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS. THE IRS WILL NOT BE STARTING FROM SCRATCH. IT HAS A LOT OF PLANS IN PLACE TO IMPROVE TAXPAYER SERVICE, MODERNIZE ITS TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, AND CATCH UP. THE AUDIT RATE IS DOWN BY OVER 50%. THAT MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE AUDITED WHO ARE CUTTING CORNERS OR EVEN CHEATING OR GETTING AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH REVENUE OFFICERS OR AGENTS. I THINK BASICALLY, THE PEOPLE -- LISA: THAT IS REPUBLICANS CRITICISM. THEY SAY ALL OF THESE NEW IRS WORKERS, ESPECIALLY AUDITORS, COULD TARGET AMERICAN FAMILIES. I WANT TO PLAY ONE OF THE CRITICS, THIS WAS SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, SPEAKING IN THE SENATE CHAMBER OVER THE WEEKEND. SEN. RUBIO: THEY WILL GO AFTER THEM, AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE AN ARMY OF

LAWYERS TO FIGHT OFF THE IRS AGENTS. THOUSANDS OF IRS AGENTS, NOT POLICE OFFICERS GO AFTER CRIMINALS, IRS AGENTTO GO AFTER AMERICAN TAXPAYERS. I PROMISE YOU, AND I REGRET TO SAY IT THAT A LOT OF HARD-WORKING PEOPLE WILL BE GETTING LETTERS IN THE MAIL SAYING HEY, WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR TAXES FROM FIVE YEARS AGO. BECAUSE WE THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE MESSED UP. LISA: THIS WILL MEAN MORE AUDITS. DO WE KNOW WHO THOSE AUDITS ARE LIKELY TO HIT? HOW DOES THE IRS APPROACH WHO IT CHOOSES? JOHN: SENATOR RUBIO IS OFF BASE. IT IS A SILLY ARGUMENT TO SAY THE IRS WILL GO AFTER HARD-WORKING AMERICANS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF TAXPAYERS NEVER HEAR FROM THE IRS. THEY HAVE STRAIGHTFORWARD RETURNS WITH W-2'S AND MAYBE A 1099 THROWN IN. THE IRS'S GOAL IS NOT TO AUDIT ANYBODY WHEN THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A CHANGE. THE KEEP TRACK OF THE NO CHANGE RATE. THE GOAL IS TO KEEP THAT AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IF THERE IS NO CHANGE IN AUDIT, NOT ONLY IS IT A WASTE OF THE TAXPAYERS TIME, IS A WASTE OF

THE IRS' TIME. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE MODERNIZATION AND ITS INCREASED ABILITY TO DO DATA ANALYTICS IS THE IRS WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO TARGET THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE AUDITED. I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF TAXPAYERS WILL BENEFIT BY THIS BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS SERVICE WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. . PART OF LISA:ISA: THIS GETS TO THE POWER OF THE OFFICE THAT YOU HELD, THE IRS COMMISSIONER. THE COMMISSIONER HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HOLD THAT THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT UNDER $400,000 WILL NOT SEE ANY INCREASE IN THEIR AUDIT RATE. WHAT IS TO SAY ANOTHER COMMISSIONER COULD NOT CHANGE THAT, AND DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO TARGET? JOHN: YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THERE ARE ONLY TWO APPOINTEES IN THE IRS, THE COMMISSIONER AND CHIEF COUNSEL. EVERYONE ELSE IS A DEDICATED CAREER EMPLOYEE. I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THEM. NO ONE WANTS TO WASTE TIME CHASING TAXPAYERS WHO DON'T OWE MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE

ALREADY PAID. I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ALREADY FILE APPROPRIATE INCOME TAXES AND NEVER HEAR FROM THE IRS. THOSE WHO ARE CHEATING WILL BE MORE NERVOUS. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID WHEN YOU UNDERFUND THE IRS, IT IS A TAX CUT FOR TAX CHEATS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO BENEFIT B THE LOWER AUDIT RATES. THE IRS WITH THIS FUNDING IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NONCOMPLIANT. THE HARD-WORKING AMERICANS WHO ARE FILING APPROPRIATE TAX RETURNS ARE NOT GOING TO HEAR ANYMORE FROM T IRS IN THE FUTURE THAN THEY HAVE HEARD IN THE PAST. LISA: DEMOCRATS ARE COUNTING ON THIS IDEA, EXPANDED IRS ENFORCEMENT, TO BRING IN HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. DO YOU THINK THERE IS THAT MUCH MONEY OUT THERE IN TAX SHEETS THAT THE IRS CAN GET AT NOW? LISA: WHEN I WAS THERE LOOKING AT THE AUDITS THAT WERE SELECTED TO BE DONE, THAT COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, MY ESTIMATE AS WE WERE LEAKING EIGHT -- LEAVING $8 BILLION ON THE TABLE.

THOSE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD RETURNS THAT HAVE SERIOUS QUESTIONS IN THEM AND WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE. I THINK THE REVENUE PROJECTED TO BE RAISED BY THIS BILL IS REASONABLE, AND I THINK IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE EXCEEDED OVER THE COURSE OF THE EIGHT YEARS. LISA: JOHN KOSKINEN, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US. JOHN: MY PLEASURE. ♪ JUDY: WE ARE NOW LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND AS DEMOCRATS HOPE, RECENT LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES WILL BOLSTER THEM THIS FALL. REPUBLICANS ARE HOPING THEY CAN WIN BACK CONTROL OF CONGRESS BY ECONOMIC CONCERNS. JOINING ME TO DISCUSS THIS ARE TWO POLLSTERS WHO HAVE TEAMED UP TO RESEARCH VOTERS ATTITUDES. JOEL BENENSON IS A DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST WHO WORKED ON BARACK OBAMA AND HILLARY CLINTON'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AND NEIL

NEWHOUSE WAS A LEAD POLLSTER FOR MITT ROMNEY AND JOHN MCCAIN'S PRESIDENTIAL BIDS. HELLO TO BOTH OF YOU. THERE IS A LOT TO ASK YOU ABOUT. NEIL, LET ME START WITH YOU. AS YOU HEAR WHAT VOTERS ARE SAYING, WHAT DID YOU PICK UP AS THE MAIN ISSUES ON THEIR MINDS AS THEY APPROACHED THESE ELECTIONS? NEIL: FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON. ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THIS STUFF. THE FIRST AND FOREMOST ISSUE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS THE COST OF LIVING, RISING PRICES, IS MAKING ENDS MEET. AMERICANS DON'T FEEL THEIR INCOME IS GOING AS FAR AS IT USED TO. GAS PRICES HAVE GONE UP. GROCERY PRICES. AND AMERICANS ARE FEELING IT. . THEY ARE CUTTING BACK. SOMETHING LIKE 80% OF AMERICANS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE RISING COSTS. AND THEY HAVE HAD TO TRY TO MAKE IT JUST MONTHS. IT IS AN ECONOMIC. .

. ELECTION. IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED SEEING DATA LIKE THIS BACK IN JULY. ESSENTIALLY, IT HAS NOT REALLY CHANGED SINCE THEN. IT IS A POCKETBOOK CAMPAIGN NOW, POCKETBOOK ECONO. THAT IS WHAT THIS ELECTION, RIGHT NOW, IS REVOLVING AROUND. AGAIN, WITH THE ISSUE OF ABORTION NOW SURFACING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THAT IS CERTAINLY WHAT PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL. BUT IT IS ECONOMY AND SOCIAL ISSUES. JUDY: THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO ATTACK -- WANT TO ASK YOU. WHAT DO YOU -- HOW DO YOU READ VOTERS ARE SAYING? JOEL: I HAVE A MANTRA WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTIONS. I GENELLY SAY THEY ARE ABOUT BIG THINGS, NOT SMALL THINGS. THEY ARE ABOUT THE FUTURE COME ANOTHER PAST. . IT IS ABOUT THEIR LIVES, NOT YOUR LIFE. THAT DOES NOT MEAN CANADA'S BIOS DON'T MATTER. I THINK THERE IS MORE GOING ON IN PEOPLE'S LIVES TODAY THEN THE ECONOMIC CONCERNS WHICH ARE VERY SALIENT. THERE IS NO QUESTION. ON AN ARRAY OF OTHER ISSUES, AND I THINK YOU SAW THIS IN KANSAS

RECENTLY, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE MOTIVATING TO VOTERS IN THE CENTER. INDEPENDENT VOTERS IN THE SURVEY WE DID TOGETHER. WE DO WORK TOGETHER QUITE FREQUENTLY. VERY STRONG ON WANTING TO PROTECT CHOICE AND A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE, ON TAX FAIRNESS ISSUES, THEY ARE CLOSER TO WHERE DEMOCRATS ARE THAN REPUBLICANS. . THEY DON'T THINK CORPORATIONS NEED TAX BREAKS. THEY THINK WORKING PEOPLE AND AVERAGE PEOPLE DO. THINK WE CAN SAY THE ECONOMY WILL BE FRONT AND CENTER. BUT WHICH PARTY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A VALUES ARGUMENT THAT WILL GO INTO TO CONNECT WITH THOSE VOTERS IN THE CENTER. I THINK IT IS THE PARTY THAT WILL DO BETTER. I'M NOT SURE THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN THAT PLACE, EVEN ON THINGS LIKE LOWERING THE CROP -- THE COST FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND LETTING MEDICARE NEGOTIATE, WHICH REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST. THE BIGGEST PURCHASER OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WILL NOT LET THEM NEGOTIATE THE PRICES DOWN. IT'S ABSURD. NEIL: IN OUR OWN POLLING, WE

SHOWED REPUBLICANS WITH A 10 POINT ADVANTAGE ON REBUILDING THE ECONOMY. REPUBLICANS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES. YOU WANT TO BRING ALL OF THESE OTHER ISSUES IN AND CERTAINLY ABORTION IS A KEY ISSUE. ON POCKETBOOK ISSUES, WE WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE. ABORTION IS NOT GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT AS IT WAS IN KANSAS AND EVERY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY IN NOVEMBER. IT IS GOING TO BE A KEY ISSUE, BUT NOT ON THE BALLOT. JUDY: WHAT ABOUT THAT? JOEL: SOME OF THAT IS RIGHT. BUT HOW PEOPLE DEFINE ECONOMY IN THEIR OWN LIVES WILL BE ON THE BALLOT. I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, THE POINT I'M MAKING IS THEY ARE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT -- WHERE DEMOCRATS ARE ON ISSUES, WHETHER IT IS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, TAX FAIRNESS, AND EVEN ISSUES LIKE MINIMUM-WAGE, AND FAIR PAY ACT. I THINK YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THE ECONOMY AT LARGE IS GOING TO COLOR EVERYTHING. .

I THINK PEOPLE WILL SEE THEIR LIVES IN THIS CONVERSATION, AND WHICH PARTY IS GOING TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THEY WILL DO A BETTER JOB, IF YOU ARE A WORKING OR MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICAN, OF ADDRESSING THE ECONOMICEEDS AND PAIN POINTS I HAVE. I THINK IT IS NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE THAT ADNTAGE AT ALL. JUDY: HOW DO YOU SEE REPUBLICANS ADJUSTING THEIR MESSAGE TO WHAT HAPPENED IN KANSAS, AND FRANKLY, WHAT JOEL WAS JUST DESCRIBING ABOUT THESE BOATS ON LOWERING PRESCRIPTION -- THESE VOTES ON LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES? NEIL: I THINK AMERICANS WANT TO SEE RESULTS. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD A YEAR AND A HALF OF COMPLETE CONTROL OF CONGRESS AND THEY FINALLY GET SOMETHING DONE AT THE LAST MINUTE. I THINK IT IS REALLY TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. I THINK AMERICANS WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THEIR POCKETS NOW. THEY ARE FRUSTRATED WITH THE DYSFUNCTION IN D.C. AND THE INABILITY OF THE DEMOCRATS TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER FOR OVER A YEAR TO GET THIS DONE. IT'S GOOD THAT SOME OF THIS

STUFF HAS PASSED. BUT YOU LOOK AT THE RATE OF INFLATION. THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT TALKED ABOUT THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. JUST BECAUSE THEY NAMED IT THAT, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO DO. HOW YOU SPEND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND REDUCE INFLATION. I THINK AMERICANS WILL SEE THROUGH A LOT OF THIS, AND COME BACK TO A SENSIBLE CONCLUSION IN NOVEMBER. JUDY: I WANT YOU TO RESPOND TO THAT. WE DID HAVE A SEGMENT EARLIER WHERE WILLIAM INTERVIEWED AN ECONOMIST, TALKING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE FEEL THAT YES, THE RATE OF INFLATION IS SLOWING, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL HURTING FROM HIGH PRICES. ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN THE LOWER INCOME BRACKET. JOEL: THEY ARE. BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING ECONOMIC TRENDS THAT ARE UP. WE HAVE SEEN POSITIVE JOB GROWTH, POSITIVE WAGE GROWTH. I THINK I AM NOT A PERSON WHO BELIEVES THE STOCK MARKET IS A MEASURE OF ANYTHING, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HEARING

BETTER NEWS ON THE MACROECONOMIC FRONT, TO SOME EXTENT. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH NEIL ON THE POINT ABOUT INFLATION. ALL I'M SAYING IS WHEN PEOPLE MAKE THEIR CHOICES ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, THEY ARE -- THERE ARE AN ARRAY OF ISSUES THAT CONNECT WITH THEM VISCERALLY, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE VALUES THEY PREACH AT HOME, IN THEIR CHURCHES, IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES. THINK THIS DOES NOT COME DOWN TO THE MACROECONOMIC CONVERSATION THAT HE ECONOMISTS HAVE. IT IS, WHO IS GOING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PROTECTING PEOPLE LIKE ME, WHO MAY BE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, WHO ARE WORKING HARD FOR OUR MONEY, AND WHO IS GOING TO CARE MORE ABOUT THE FAT CATS ON WALL STREET? I THINK THAT IS A CONTRAST BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. AND I THINK WE CAN HAVE A MACROECONOMIC DEBATE, OR A DEBATE ABOUT THE ECONOMIC LIVES OF PEOPLE, AND I THINK PEOPLE TEND TO TRUST DEMOCRATS MORE. NEIL AND I HAVE BEEN IN ELECTIONS AGAINST EACH OTHER SOMETIMES WHERE WE HAD TO MAKE A CASE IN A DIFFICULT ECONOMY. JUDY: I'M GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE BY SAYING THIS MAKES ME

WANT TO COME BACK TO TALK TO YOU ALL AGAIN IN GOOD TIME BEFORE THE SELECTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOEL BENENSON AND NEIL NEWHOUSE. GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU. NEIL: THANK YOU, JUDY. ♪ JUDY: SHORTLY AFTER RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE, IN FEBRUARY, SOME UKRAINIANS GOT TATTOOS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. AS THE WAR DRAGS ON, THOSE PATRIOTIC SYMBOLS HAVE BECOME A LIABILITY. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT -- OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT REPORTS. REPORTER: OLHA CHUMACHEKO IS A CUSTOMER SUPPORT AGENT FOR A BANK IN UKRAINE. WHEN RUSSIAN FORCES SWEPT THROUGH HER HOMETOWN OF KHERSON FIVE MONTHS AGO SHE WANTED TO SHOW HER SUPPORT FOR HER COUNTRY. >> I JUST WANTED SOMETHING THAT SAID, I'M UKRAINIAN, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT, ON MY BODY.

REPORTER: HER HOUSEMATE ALINA AVIE WAS A TATTOO ARTIST SO OLHA ASKED HER TO THINK THE WORD "UKRAINIAN" ON HER CHEST. SHE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE. IN THE INITIAL WEEKS OF THE RUSSIAN OCCUPATION OF HER CITY, ALINA, WHO HAS SINCE RELOCATED TO GERMANY, DID DOZENS OF UKRAINE-THEMED TATTOOS FOR LOCALS INSPIRED BY THE WAR. >> THE GHOST OF KYIV WAS TATTOOED, A KHERSON WATERMELON ON THE HAND OF MY FRIEND, TATTOO WITH SUNFLOWER, BECAUSE SUNFLOWER IS ONE OF THE SYMBOL OF KHERSON. IT WAS TATTOOS ABOUT UKRAINE. REPORTER: PRECIOUS FULL SCALE -- RUSSIA'S FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE FIVE MONTHS AGO AWAKENED A SENSE OF PATRIOTISM AND PRIDE IN MANY UKRAINIANS, STIRRING SOME TO COMMEMORATE THOSE SENTIMENTS PERMANENTLY, IN INK. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME TO GET SPECIFICALLY PATRIOTIC TATTOOS. SOME WOULD GET EARS OF WHEAT, SOME WOULD GET MAPS OF UKRAINE, SOME WOULD GET THE COLORS OF THE UKRAINIAN FLAG, THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. REPORTER: OLHA EVEN GOT A SECOND TATTOO ON HER WRIST, THE WORD

"HOME" WITH THE LETTER O MADE OUT IN THE SHAPE OF HER HOMELAND, UKRAINE. >> WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OVER IN A MONTH, TWO MAX. WE WANTED TO REMEMBER THAT MOMENT. THE EMOTIONS WERE SO POSITIVE. IT WAS LIKE A GULP OF NORMAL LIFE DURING OCCUPATION. REPORTER: BUT HOPE THAT THE RUSSIANS WOULD LEAVE QUICKLY BEGAN TO FADE ANOLHA REALIZED THAT HER NEW TATTOOS WERE PUTTING HER IN DANGER. >> I NEEDED TO GO TO THE STORE. YOU GO OUT FOR FIVE OR SIX HOURS, NOT O. YOU SPEND THE WHOLE TIME IN LONG LINES. IN THE WHOLE TIME YOU ARE THINKING, LORD, I HOPE NOTHING IS SHOWING OR STICKING OUT SO THEY DON'T STOP ME AND SEARCH ME. REPORTER: VALERIIA SOLONETS IS A TATTOO ARTIST WHO IS ALSO FROM KHERSON. SHE DESCRIBED HIDING AT HOME WITH HER PARENTS AS RUSSIAN SOLDIERS RAIDED THE APARTMENT OF HER NEIGHBOR, A UKRAINIAN BORDER GUARD. >> THEY TOOK OUT THE COMPUTER PROCESSOR. AND OF COURSE, THE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES. THEY HAD AN ELECTRIC COOKER AND A MICROWAVE, OBVIOUSLY. WE SAW THEM STEALING THE APPLIANCES WITOUR OWN EYES.

REPORTER: BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE, TATTOOS HAD BECOME A LIABILITY. A MARK THEY WANTED TO GET RID OF. VALERIIA RECEIVED AN UNUSUAL REQUEST FROM A CLIENT. >> HE WAS AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT ON THE PHONE. HE JUST SAID "I NEED A NOT GOOD TATTOO COVERED UP." REPORTER: WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN HE CAME TO YOU TO ASK TO HAVE HIS TATTOO COVERED UP? >> I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS A MILITARY TATTOO. REPORTER: -- THERE ARE STILL PARTISANS IN THE UNDERGROUND IN THE CITY AND THEY ARE BEING HUNTED. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THEM AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TATTOO BECAUSE IT WAS MILITARY AND HE COULD SIMPLY BE KILLED. REPORTER: MANY OF ALINA'S CUSTOMERS WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE CITY AND ALSO WORRIED THAT PASSING THROUGH MULTIPLE RUSSIAN CHECKPOINTS WITH TATTOOS THAT IDENTIFIED THEM AS SUPPORTERS OF UKRAINE WOULD BE DANGEROUS. >> THE MEN WERE SCARED AND WANTED TO GET THEM COVERED UP AS

QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE SEARCHED MOST OFTEN AND IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOU NEED TO COVER IT UP WITH SOMETHING. REPORTER: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE COVERING UP YOUR OWN TATTOO ARTWORK? >> I WAS VERY ANGRY ABOUT THAT, NOT TO THAT PERSON. I WAS VERY ANGRY TO RUSSIANS. REPORTER: OLHA, FEARING FOR HER OWN LIFE, MADE THE PAINFUL DECISION TO ALTER HER TATTOOS TOO. >> IT WAS TOUGH MENTALLY. I FELT THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT BUT I HAD TO. THERE WERE TEARS. IT'S REALLY PAINFUL AND IT LOOKS LIKE A FRESH SCAR TO ME. BUT IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART AND SOUL. >> WE TELL OUR FRIENDS IN THE UKRAINIAN MILITARY AND THE SECURITY SERVICE THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF RUSSIAN VEHICLES SO THEY KNOW WHERE TO DIRECT THEIR FIRE. REPORTER: VOLODYMYR, WHOSE NAME WE'VE CHANGED, IS PAROF THE UKRAINIAN TERRITORIAL DEFENSE

FOES IN HIDING IN KHERSON. HE SWITCHES APARTMENTS FREQUENTLY IN ORDER TO AVOID DETECTION BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF SEARCHES. THEY NEED TO SHOW NAZIS. THEY NEED TO FEED THEIR AUDIENCE AND TELL THEM THAT EVERYONE HERE IS A CARD-CARRYING MEMBER. IF THEY FIND A PERSON WHO HAS THAT HAS THE KIND OF TATTOO, THEY WILL SAY, GOLLY, LOOKEE HERE, WE GOT ANOTHER NAZI, AREN'T THEY GREAT? SO YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH TATTOOS, COVER THEM UP OR THINK THEM OVER. IT'S A REAL PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED OVER TATTOOS IN KHERSON. REPORTER: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DOCUMENTED THE TORTURE OF THREE MEMBERS OF THE KHERSON TERRITORIAL DEFENSE FORCES WHO WERE P.O.W.." -- P.O.W.'S IN A REPORT PUBLISHED LAST MONTH. TWO OF THEM DIED. THE REPORT ALSO DOCUMENTED 42 CASES IN WHICH RUSSIAN OCCUPATION FORCES EITHER FORCIBLY DISAPPEARED CIVILIANS OR HELD THEM ARBITRARILY, TORTURING MANY OF THEM. VALEIA FELT IT WAS TIME TO ESCAPE THE CITY, BUT SHE FEARED RAPE, OR WORSE, IF SHE WAS OUTED AS A SUPPORTER OF UKRAINE.

>> WHEN WE DECIDED TO LEAVE I HAD TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH. I TRIED TO DRESS AS BADLY AS POSSIBLE. I GATHERED MY HAIR INTO A BUN AND PUT ON SEVERAL SHIRTS. NO ONE PAID ANY ATTENTION TO ME. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GETTING RAPED. >> IT WAS SCARY WHEN WE WERE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY UNDRESSED THE MEN DOWN TO THEIR UNDERWEAR. WITH WOMEN, THEY WOULD OCCASIONALLY CHECK THEIR PHONES. WHEN WE WERE IN LINE AT ONE OF THE MANY CHECKPOINTS SOME PEOPLE GOT OFF THE BUS BECAUSE IT WAS HOT AND THEY WANTED SOME FRESH AIR AND THEY JUST STARTED SHOOTING THEIR MACHINE GUNS TO FORCE THE PEOPLE BACK ON THE BUS. REPORTER: BOTH OLHA AND VALERIIA MANAGED TO GET OUT OF KHERSON AND NOW LIVE IN CITIES THAT ARE STILL UNDER UKRAINIAN CONTROL. BUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIANS REMAIN IN KHERSON TOO SCARED TO LEAVE OR LACKING THE MEANS TO DO SO. FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR, I'M SIMON OSTROVSKY IN PERVOMAISK, UKRAINE. JUDY: ACROSS THE COUNTRY, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ABANDONED OIL

AND NATURAL GAS WELLS SIT IDLE. KNOWN AS ORPHAN WELLS, THEY CAN POSE A SIGNIFICANT DANGER TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND NEARBY RESIDENTS. FOR MORE ON THIS PROBLEM, WE GO TO STEPHANIE SY. STEPHANIE: JUDY, WELLS ARE COIDERED ORPHANED WHEN THEY ARE FORGOTTEN OR IGNORED BY THE COMPANIES THAT DRILLED THEM. OFTEN LEAVING A MESS BEHIND FOR STATES AND TAXPAYERS TO CLEAN UP. FOR MORE, I'M JOINED BY OUR COMMUNITIES CORRESPONDENT ROBY CHAVEZ WHO HAS BEEN REPORTING ON THIS FROM LOUISIANA. IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU. LET'S JUMP RIGHT IN. WHAT KIND OF SPECIFIC DANGERS DO THESE WELLS CAUSE AND HOW FAR WILL THIS INJECTION OF FEDERAL FUNDS GO TO HELP STATES CLEAN THEM UP? ROBY: THE IMPACT IS EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT, ESPECIALLY TO COMBAT THE GROWING DANGER OF THESE ABANDONED WELLS. WE KNOW THE DANGER. ORPHAN WELLS CAN LEAK OIL, BRINE, AND OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS, AS WELL AS EMIT METHANE, A GREENHOUSE GAS THAT HARMS AIR QUALITY, IT CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY CONTAINED WATER SOURCES AND

LOWER PROPERTY VALUES. THERE HAS BEEN GOOD NEWS ON THE FUNDING FRONT. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER MONEY IS BEING PREPPED TO BE SENT TO STATES TO HELP ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER BACK IN JANUARY, UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT WAS PASSED, THERE WAS $4.7 BILLION EARMARKED TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM. MANY STATES ARE NOW HOPING IT WILL HELP TO CAP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WELLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STEPHANIE: THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM. WHERE ARE ALL OF THE WELLS LOCATED AND HOW HAVE STATES DEALT WITH CLEANING THEM UP IN THE PAST? ROBY: EVERY STATE IS DIFFERENT. LOUISIANA FOR EXAMPLE HAS ITS OWN FUND. UP UNTIL NOW, IT HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. ONLY A FRACTION OF THE MONEY NEEDED, IN FACT THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR SAID IT WAS NO WAY ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF THE GROWING DEMAND OF THESE ORPHAN WELLS. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING TO LOUISIANA WILL HELP THEM DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF

MONEY IN THIS FUND. AS FAR AS THE REST OF THE NATION IS CONCERNED, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND HAS MAPPED SOME 81,000 ORPHAN WELLS IN 28 STATES. ACCORDING TO THAT ORGANIZATION, 9 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN ONE MILE OF AN ORPHAN WELL. ACCORDING TO AN EDF ANALYSIS, IT MAY TAKE MORE MONEY. IT WOULD COST $6 BILLION, ACCORDING TO THEM, TO PLUG THESE WELLS. MANY OF THE STATES CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MONEY COMING THEIR WAY TO HELP ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GRAPHIC WE PUT TOGETHER. HERE ARE THE TOP 10 STATES WITH THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF ORPHAN WELLS. PENNSYLVANIA HAS MORE THAN 27,000, FOLLOWED BY OHIO, OKLAHOMA, KENTUCKY, AND LOUISIANA ROUNDS OUT THE TOP 10. STEPHANIE: I KNOW YOU ARE ON THE GROUND REPORTING AND COMMUNITIES IN THE LOUISIANA. WHAT KIND OF CONTACTS HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING ABOUT? ROBY: LOUISIANA HAS 4600 WELLS. THE STATE TELLS ME THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CAP 100 TO 200

WELLS PER YEAR. THERE ARE 230,000 PEOPLE IN THE STATE THAT LIVE WITHIN ONE MILE OF AN ORPHAN WELL, INCLUDING 15,000 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS OLD. AS FAR AS THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE CONCERNED, LOUISIANA IS EXPECTING TO GET $111 MILLION TO TRY TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. THEY EXPECT THAT WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF WELLS THEY ARE CURRENTLY CAPPING. IT IS A REAL PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THESE WELLS. WE SPOKE WITH RICKY GEORGE, WHO LIVES IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. BACK IN 2017, HE UNCOVERED AN 83-YEAR-OLD WELL IN HIS BACKYARD UNDER THE WINDOW WHERE HIS DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTER SLEEP. HE REPORTED IT TO THE STATE. THEY HAVE GONE OUT AND ONLY PARTIALLY FIXED THAT PROBLEM. THE WELL CONTINUES TO POKE OUT OF THE GROUND. STEPHANIE: BACK TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING, DOES THIS MEAN THAT TAXPAYERS ARE FOOTING THE BILL FOR A MESS THAT WAS LEFT BY OIL AND GAS COMPANIES? ROBY: IT DEPENDS WHO YOU TALK

TO. THE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS SAY THAT BY SENDING FEDERAL DOLLARS, THEY EXPECT THE NUMBER OF ABANDONED OIL WELLS TO EXPLODE NOW THAT FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE COMING THEIR WAY. WE HAVE SEEN THAT ALREADY IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE NUMBER OF ABANDONED WELLS HAS GROWN BY 200%. IN OKLAHOMA, THE NUMBER OF WELLS HAS GROWN BY 1500%. IF YOU TALK TO THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY, THEY SEE THIS AS A SUBSIDY TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. THEY FEEL IT IS A GOOD THING AND BELIEVE IT WILL HELP PUT PEOPLE TO WORK. ONE WAY WE EXPECT THE MONEY TO START FLOWING TO THE STATES BY OCTOBER. STEPHANIE: THANK YOU. ROBBIE CHAVEZ, REPORTING FROM LOUISIANA. ITS AN UNDE CU BOTH. STORY. YOU CAN READ MORE OF ROBY'S REPORTING ABOUT ORPHAN WELLS ON OUR WEBSITE. AND THAT'S THE NEWSHOUR FOR TONIGHT. I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. 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 --

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TO "AMANPOUR & COMPANY." HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP. >> AN FBI RAID FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS. AFTER AGENTS SERGED T SEARCHED TRUMP'S MAR-A-LAGO HOME, I EST FORMER TOP LAWYER AT THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, NEAL KATYAL. >>> AND WE DO NOT WANT TH GOVERNMENT MAKING OUR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR US IN KANSAS. >> A DEMOCRAT IN A RUBY RED STATE, CONGRESSWOMAN SHARICE DAVIDS JOINS ME ON KANSAS'S SURPRISING SUPPORT OF ABORTION RIGHTS AND WHY SHE THINKS SHE DESERVES ANOTHER TERM. >>> THEN -- >> GANG VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN HAITI, AND ORDINARY CITIZENS ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSS FIRE. I GET A SHOCKING REPORT FROM THE GROUND AND SPEAK TO THE WORLD