PBS News Hour - Full Show - April 30, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Episode Date: April 30, 2026

Thursday on the News Hour, lawmakers approve funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the longest government shutdown in history. Oil prices rise even further as Trump weighs options to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, an immigration judge fired by the Justice Department gives an inside look at asylum cases that the Trump administration has halted. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Good evening. I'm Omna Nawaz. And I'm Jeff Bennett. On the news hour tonight, lawmakers approve funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Oil prices rise even further as President Trump weighs options to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. An immigration judge fired by the Justice Department gives an inside look at asylum cases that the Trump administration has ground to a halt. When I went back to that village and saw the grave, the brother who was killed in the attack, and the scars on the father's face, I knew what I had done that day in July in the courtroom was correct. And gold medal skier Lindsay Vaughn opens up about her devastating crash at the Olympics, her recovery, and the chances of yet another comeback.

I, of course, don't want to end my career on that run at the Olympics, but I'm also, you know, a realistic person. Welcome to the News Hour. The longest shutdown of a government agency in history has ended with President Trump today signing a House-passed bill to fund most of the Homeland Security Department. The administration had warned that money to pay

thousands of federal security workers would run out after today without new funding. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardin's back with us here after spending the day reporting at the Capitol. So Lisa, what finally changed to end this shutdown? You know, it was a matter of. who changed, and that was House Republicans. As we were coming into today, there was pressure from President Trump and from House Republican leaders themselves on some of their voters, and suddenly

a rainbow appeared on, not as it does. Here's exactly what happened. The Senate had passed weeks ago, repeatedly, a DHS funding bill. That bill funds most of DHS, except for ICE and Border Patrol. House Republicans wanted more of a guarantee that ICE would eventually be funded, and that process has now started. The ICE funding was, in fact, a real issue for the GOP, but so were internal divisions over how exactly to do this. And, you know, after all the drama, I want to peel away the curtain a little bit, and I want to show people the actual vote to fund DHS today. It was an absurdly easy one, listen. The question is, will the House suspend the rules and recede from the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment and concur in the Senate Amendment? All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed say no. And the opinion of the chair, two-thirds, meaning affirmative, the rules are suspended. Very easy. Why did it take months? There was a real challenge for Speaker Johnson. This was one of his toughest weeks yet, and he spoke to reporters today. The equations that we solved on legislation this week were virtually impossible. Many of you said it couldn't be done. But we got it done because ultimately we just used patience and frankly prayer.

I don't know anyone who said that exactly, but it certainly was a lot of people. a hard task. He has a historically small margin. Absolutely. One other thing, Democrats, they triggered this shutdown initially over ICE conduct. They got a lot of attention on that, but there were no official changes at this point to ICE conduct. But for DHS employees, a massive welcome. Their pay should start flowing and work should resume as normal in the next few days. There is another self-created deadline looming, rather, that they're dealing with on FISA authority as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires at midnight. What's the latest? More rainbows. Actually, just not long ago, the House also passed a short-term extension for FISA.

This started in the Senate. The Senate passed around lunchtime today a 45-day extension, daring the House essentially to block it. This important foreign surveillance powers where the U.S. can get wiretaps on foreign actors, there are warrant concerns. So this 45-day sort of punt buys time for reformers to negotiate over their issues. So that problem now solved for the time. But I want to raise something else that happened in a blink and you might miss it vote. The Senate also today very quickly passed a rule so that senators themselves can no longer vote or no longer bet on places like polymarket,

none of these sort of prediction markets. And we expect the House to do the same. Meanwhile, President Trump withdrew his, some say, controversial pick to be Surgeon General as Casey Means. What can you tell us about that? Quite a lot of news today. Means is someone who's known well within Secretary Kennedy's Maha movement. She has a massive social following, social media following. Often she says we rely too much on pills and doctors,

and we need to change our health and lifestyle, our diet, those kinds of things. But there were a lot of questions about her during her confirmation hearing with senators, some about her experience. She does not have a current medical doctor's license, for example, but also about how she answered questions on vaccines. So her supporters say she's been triggered or targeted unfairly, but she doesn't have the votes to get out of committee. and that just is a matter of fact.

So the president is pulling her nomination. Instead, who is he nominating? This is Dr. Nicole Sapphire. She is the director of the Breast Imaging Center at Sloan Kettering Monmouth. You may recognize her because she's frequently been a medical contributor at Fox News.

We do not know a lot about her sort of larger health viewpoints, but no doubt we will as her nomination moves forward. Lisa DeSerdin, kicking off our coverage tonight. Lisa, thank you. You're welcome. The top U.S. commander in the Middle least briefed President Trump today on potential military options and the ongoing blockade of the Persian Gulf. While talks to end the war with Iran and ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,

both remain at a standstill. Meantime, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced more grilling from lawmakers as the price of oil is surging and as a key deadline for congressional wartime authorization is fast approaching. Here's Nick Schiffin with more. Operation Epic Fury. It's been a smashing military success. We've got a see action a whole lot sooner in the straits. Today on Capitol Hill, much of the partisan war over the war in Iran focused on the fate of the waterway that both Iran and the U.S. today claim to control. We're not going to bring this war to an end until we seize control of the straits in a way. Which in part is why we have a blockade that has been impenetrable for the Iranians

because they don't have a conventional navy to contest it, which means we control the straits. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset said a U.S. blockade that has stopped 38 ships from Iranian docks, was pressuring Iran, as echoed today by President Trump. The blockade is incredible. The power of the block. Blockade is incredible. They're not getting any money from oil. And hopefully it can be worked out very soon. But in a message read on state TV, today Iran's new supreme leader, Moujtvahmene, said he has no interest in working it out and said Iran had an ongoing chokehold over the strait.

The Islamic Iran and gratitude for the divine blessing of exercising authority over the the Strait of Hormuz will secure the Persian Gulf region and eliminate the ground for exploitation by hostile enemies. You know, we can try and tell the American people that it's going great and we're killing it, but until the Strait of Hormuz is open, I don't think we can credibly say that with any seriousness. Global markets also do not believe the strait is open. Earlier today, Brent Crude surged past $126 a barrel, the highest price since the beginning of the war and the highest in four years.

This war is costing so much money. Over $25 billion already estimates a billion dollars a day, and they're feeling it every single day at the gas pump. This war is stuck. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. The Iranian regime is in place. The nuclear material still in their hands. Hegsseth urged critics to wait. And I would remind you and this group that we're two months in to an effort. Many congressional Democrats, as I pointed out, want to declare defeat two months in. To discuss the blockade and the possibility of restarting the war, a U.S. official tells PBS NewsHour the military's top commander in the Middle East.

Admiral Brad Cooper is briefing the National Security Council this afternoon. But so long as the ceasefire continues, Heggseth says the requirement that the administration get congressional authorization to keep fighting is on hold. We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day. clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire. So you're not in. That's, it's our understanding, just so you know. Okay, well, I do not believe the statute would support that. I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration. But there appears no congressional appetite to enforce that war power statute. The U.S. this week made a new call for countries to join a coalition to help secure the strait. But that effort wouldn't

begin until the war concludes. Until then, the strait and efforts to end the war remain at a standstill. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Nick Schiffran. In the day's other headlines, Maine Governor Janet Mills dropped her Senate bid in a race seen as a litmus test for which candidates can best help the Democrats in this year's midterms. The two-term governor said that while she was eager to carry on the campaign, she simply does not have the financial resources to do so. That leaves oyster farmer and political newcomer Graham Platner with a clear path to the Democratic nomination.

He's vowed to work with Mills in unseeding the Republican incumbent. We need to beat Susan Collins. That's what this project has been about since the beginning. That is exactly what the governor got in it to do as well. And I think we all at this moment need to come together and recognize that building power for working people across the state, that's how we're going to do it. The 41-year-old military veteran held a strong leader. lead over Mills and the lead-up to the June primary, that's despite controversy over past online comments about women and a tattoo he has since covered widely seen as a Nazi symbol,

though Platner says he was unaware until recently that the image had been associated with Nazi police. Maine is a key state for the Democrats should they hope to retake control of the Senate this fall. In Texas, officials at Camp Mystic are dropping plans to reopen this summer amid outrage by family members who lost loved ones in last year's flooding. In a statement, camp leaders say they want to give families more time to grieve. The decision comes just weeks before it was set to welcome hundreds of campers. And it follows days of tense hearings in which state lawmakers grilled camp officials over their handling of the disaster.

25 campers and two teenage counselors were killed when a flood swept through the camp last July. The camp's owner also died. The head of the U.S. Secret Service provided new details today about last weekend's shooting at the White House Correspondence dinner. Director Sean Curran told Fox News that the officer who was injured in the attack was not hit by friendly fire, but rather was shot at point-blank range by the suspect. Curran also said that same officer was the one who fired five rounds toward the suspect, though he did not hit him. That officer, while being shot, was in the process of falling down and was returning. gunfire. To be shot at is not a pleasant thing, and to be able to actually return fire,

and that rate of speed is just remarkable. Meantime, the suspect appeared in a Washington, D.C. court today where his lawyers said he would not contest the government's effort to keep him in federal custody ahead of trial. President Trump says he's easing some tariffs on scotch whiskey. The decision was, as he put it, in honor of the king and queen of the United Kingdom, who wrapped up their state visit to the U.S. On their fourth and final day, the royal's return to the White House to bid farewell to President Trump, who has hinted that the visit could help ease recent U.S.-UK. tensions. Then the king and queen laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington, Virginia,

and attended events in the fittingly named town of Front Royal. The visit was meant to mark 250 years since America's his independence from Great Britain. This week, King Charles instead highlighted what he called the unbreakable bond between the two nations. The U.S. economy grew 2% in the first quarter of the year when compared to 2025. Economists say business investment and government spending helped drive growth, though the impact of the war with Iran is likely to weigh on the economy moving forward. Also today, a closely watched reading on inflation hit its highest level in almost three years last month as gas prices soared. Meantime, when Wall Street stocks rallied today,

despite the latest spike in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 800 points on the day. The NASDAQ added more than 200 points. The S&P 500 closed out its best month in more than five years. And Jay Craig Venter, the Maverick Scientist, who played a critical role in sequencing the human genome, has died. In 2000, his company, Salera, achieved the feat faster than the government-funded human genome project, and Salara did it using Venters' very own genome. The accomplishment was a major advancement in the understanding of human diseases and their origins. In 2007, he told the NewsHour about the benefits of his work at a time of public skepticism surrounding the study of genetics.

It takes us in a step of public accessibility of this information versus it only being in secret databases, and it sends an important message to the public. You don't have to fear your genetic information. Jay Craig Ventor's namesake institute said he had recently been hospitalized for side effects from cancer treatment. He was 79 years old. And singer-songwriter David Allen Coe has died. You never even called me by my name.

Did I miss anybody, Mama? In the mid-1970s, co-solidified his outlaw country image with songs like, You Never Even Called Me By My Name and Long-Hared Redneck. His music was inspired by his own checkered past, which included a stint in prison. And some of his most well-known songs were actually recorded by other artists. Take this job and shove it. I ain't working here no more. Johnny Paycheck turned Co's Take This Job and Shove It into a blue-collar anthem in the late 1970s.

Coe himself appeared in a film of the same name and had minor roles in a hand. of others. His representative said Coe died yesterday but gave few other details. David Allen Coe was 86 years old. Still to come on the news hour, airlines under pressure amid rising fuel costs and a budget carrier bankruptcy. Germany builds up its military to prepare for a potential future without U.S. support. And we report from Texas on how changes to SNAP benefits are affecting residents there. This is the PBS News Hour from the David M. Rubenstein studio at W. WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. The war with Iran is driving energy costs to levels not seen in years,

and that surge is now rippling through global air travel. Several U.S. budget airlines are asking the federal government for a $2.5 billion lifeline, warning that soaring jet fuel prices are putting pressure on their business models and threatening thousands of jobs, along with the affordable fares that millions of travelers depend on. The appeal comes as Spirit Airlines, faces a potential bankruptcy, and is negotiating separately for a $500 million government bailout, one that could leave the Trump administration with a significant ownership stake. We're joined now by David Shepardson, Aviation, Transportation, and Technology correspondent at Reuters. Thanks for being here. Thanks, Jeff. So as we mentioned, these low-cost carriers are asking for $2.5 billion a bailout.

What does that really signal about the health of the sector? Is this just about the cost of fuel? Or is this an issue about the deeper business model, deeper problems? I really do think it's about the fuel, right? So as you mentioned, jet fuel prices have doubled. Everybody is suffering, not just the budget guys, but the mainline carriers, American Delta, United Southwest. They're all struggling.

They're all being forced to raise prices, raise baggage fees, and deal with this. But the budget guys are in a much, or at a tougher spot, in part because they've got less room to raise prices. Their consumers are much more price sensitive, so it's harder to raise fares and keep those planes filled. And they're also asking Congress to waive the fuel taxes, the surcharge that you pay on your airline ticket. So between that and the 200 billion, it's a big ask. And right now, it doesn't appear Congress, the administration, are going to do it now, but depending how long these fuel prices go on, if we see some of these budget guys get in trouble or file for bankruptcy, then I do think Congress might take a more realistic look.

How unusual is a request like this? The airline's got a, what was it, a $25 billion bailout back in 2020. Of course, it was a once in a generation pandemic, we hope once in a generation. I mean, how does this compare? So I do think the rationale is somewhat similar, although you're right, the COVID pandemic was much different, right? Because demand fell 90% overnight. and they actually got three rounds of bailouts, and they got $54 billion in funding in 2020, 2020, 2021. So the structure that the budget guys are talking about

is similar in that the government would get warrants in exchange for that money that they could exchange for stock. Because remember, in the COVID bailout, those warrants were basically worthless on the day that they gave them the bailouts, and then the government got the appreciation. So the government only got $500, $600 million in exchange for a very large bailout.

So I do think it's similar. Obviously, things are not nearly as bad, but it really depends how long this goes on. And Spirit Airlines is asking for a $500 million lifeline. If that funding falls through, what options remain? Really, it doesn't look like much. I mean, if you listen to Spirit and their lawyers, they're basically facing liquidation. So they do have some money on hand, but they're restricted from using it. There are negotiations with their creditors and the government to try to reach a deal.

It was supposed to be done by today. The talks are continuing. You know, Spirit has really struggled. So since 2019, they haven't made a profit. They filed for bankruptcy twice in the last two years. And they made some mistakes. They made a big expansion bet before COVID. It didn't pay off.

And a lot of the market has moved toward the premium segment, right? People want the fancier seats, the United American deltas of the world. And so Spirit has struggled to keep those seats filled. And that business plan they have depends on much cheaper fuel. And the question is, how can they exit bankruptcy, the plan to survive with money? much higher fuel prices. Why should we care if Spirit collapses? To your point, they've been struggling for seven years. If they can't get it together, it's just a free market at play. No, you hear that argument for a lot of people on both sides of the aisle. However, even if you don't fly Spirit,

you do benefit if you're a flyer. They're about 5% of the market, and studies show that the markets where Spirit competes with a Delta or American, those fairs are lower. And we've seen certainly in the past that when budget carriers go out of business or stop flying, the legacy carriers can raise prices. So they do act as a downward pressure on airfares. And also, you're a college kid, or you just can't afford to travel. I mean, Spirit, Frontier, the small guys, they do provide airline travel options for people who really can't afford to fly the mainline carriers. Well, what is the bigger picture for the major airlines? Because as you point out, first class seats are really driving profits in airlines like Delta and United.

And credit cards, too, right? Between the credit cards and that, that's, billions of dollars in profits. Now, there's still a big demand. They're all trying to fill those other seats. And that's why you see the other airlines have these basic economy, no frills, fares, because they're trying to compete with the spirits and the frontiers of the world to have a lower cost fair. But they're really trying to upsell you to all the fancier seats and the, you know, the premium food or whatever they have, you know, in the front of the cabin. So, but the spirits of the world, right, they just don't have that, they don't have the the run room to, like, raise the prices.

Because, you know, they're consumer base, if you raise prices, $20, 50, $75, they're much less likely to stick with that airfare. And also, they're less likely to be business travelers because they have fewer options with fewer flights. If your flight gets canceled, you might get stuck for a day on a small carrier, unlike the bigger guys with lots more flights. And let's leave our viewers with some news they can use. If they have summer travel plans, now's the time to buy their tickets.

Yeah, it sounds like a salesman, right, but you really should buy, right? the airlines all say they've only been able to pass on 30 to 40 percent of the higher cost of fuel. As a year goes on, they plan to increase that. United wants to do all of it. So really my advice is look for airfares now because prices are only going to go up, assuming the war and these high prices continue for months to come. So don't wait, get your airfers now before it's too late. Okay, David Chephenson of Reuters.

Always great to speak with you. Thanks for coming in. Thanks, Jeff. President Trump has ramped up his criticism of Germany's leader after Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said the United States had been humiliated by Iran. In a post on truth social, the president told Mertz to, quote, spend more time on ending the war with Russia, Ukraine, where he has been totally ineffective and fixing his broken country. Despite Trump's rhetoric and repeated threats to withdraw the U.S. from NATO, Germany's top military officer claims relations with American military leaders are as strong as ever. But he also says the threat from Russia means Germany's

push to strengthen its own armed forces is a race against time. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Germany. In Marianburg, in former East Germany, near the Czech border, the country's newest recruits perform a last-minute drill before their passing out parade. For some, the army offered a path out of unemployment. Others were motivated by Ukraine's resistance against Russia. For security reasons, they only gave their first names. My personal view is that I owe a lot to this country,

for education, the health system, and I would call myself a patriot. Of course, I think I'm a little bit concerned, but I'm not really afraid that Russia will attack us or a war will break out, because I think it's more like a warning or a wake-up call for us. Marching alongside Marianburg's town band, the 371st mechanised infantry battalion will become the tip of NATO's defensive spear.

They can expect to be deployed to Lithuania to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank. If the German government gets its way, passing out parade is going to be a far more frequent occurrence. The German Chancellor Friedrich Mauser said he'll do whatever it takes to make sure that Germany is war-ready by 2029. He's boosted defense spending to make sure that by the end of the decade,

Germany will have the strongest military force in Europe. This footage from the Bundeswehr, or federal armed forces, shows mechanized infantry training to defend the West against Russian aggression. How dangerous would you say this particular period is? I'm now in the military since 42 years, and I must say I've never experienced such a dangerous situation like we are having it. at the moment. The clock is ticking. General Karsten Breuer is Germany's most senior military officer in charge of the Bundesweir, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Russia is rebuilding their forces. We see that the Russian personnel, military personnel, is going up to 1.6 million soldiers. So what we see is a restructuring of the Russian military, and it's all directing against the West. increasing the pace of Germany's rearmament has become more urgent after President Trump reiterated his dismay over America's NATO allies' refusal to join the war against Iran. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds of protecting them, and we would have always been there for them,

but now based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we? While Germany's relationship with the White House may be turbulent, According to General Breuer, connections with his American counterparts are secure. Are there any breaks in military relations? Definitely not. They are as good as in former times. It's totally clear and we also understand that we have to take over more responsibility for our own security. Germany's rearmament alarms the nation's teenagers. 18-year-old males are now required to declare whether they're willing to serve. Fears that compulsory conscription will follow are driving widespread school strikes and marches.

I don't want to fight in a war for Germany. I don't want to die for Germany. I don't want to kill for Germany. The anti-war rhetoric of author and podcaster Olinu Mern has turned him into a national figurehead. The state doesn't care whether people want to fight or not. It's just forcing its citizens to. And this is, in my opinion, the most important argument against fighting for your country. Stroll through the German capital and it's easy.

capital and it's easy to find evidence of the decisive 1945 battle between victorious Soviet troops and Berlin's defeated defenders. Pillars on Museum Island are pockmarked with bullet holes. As it atoned for its Nazi past, Germany has projected a peaceful posture. Now the Bundeswehr is having to counter deep-rooted skepticism about its purpose. The job of Captain Mike Siebert is to convince young people that the the army is an essential pillar of Germany's democracy. He's taking a class on a tour of parliament. As youth information officer, our job is political education in terms of security policy.

And we are institutionally prohibited from any kind of recruitment. So if we get invited for a teacher and they're requesting a study script, for example, it's good that the students get a chance to see that democracy is not abstract. Opinion polls have consistently shown that most young Germans, oppose conscription and are unwilling to fight. A contrast was provided by this predominantly middle-aged audience at a debate about choosing freedom, who were asked to stand if they take up arms to defend Germany.

So will the military reach the required numbers to counter the Russian threat? Cernke Naisal is a military historian. There are definitely enough young German males who want to defend Germany. It's about 12%, and you could argue well that's not enough. But we don't need any size of an army of millions of soldiers. We are aiming for 260,000 and possibly unofficially up to 300,000. But this is enough. In common with other nations which have donated equipment and ammunition to Ukraine,

Germany's stocks are severely depleted. Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Bonner, represents the German Armed Forces Association. So ammunition is one of our biggest challenges, so we need much more. Our industry builds up capacities currently, so they will produce a lot more. But we are only able, I guess, to defend Europe with our partners.

So only munitions of Germany will not be enough to really defend us. As Russia triples its defense spending, Drone warfare is one area of Germany's military-industrial complex that needs rapid growth. Stark, a small startup, has won a $300 million contract for its loitering suicide drone that's been tested on the front lines in Ukraine. Senior Vice President Yosef Kwanavet-Vegovel shows off the warhead that can take out a tank. It's highly effective. It can destroy up to 800mm of armoured steel. It's battle-proofing from beginning on, I would say, because...

because we get quite a lot of feedback from soldiers that use our systems from the front line. It is essential that you scale up your production right now. And it can't be done within some minutes or seconds, so it needs some time to ramp up production and to set up production sites and we are on it to do this right now. Germany's race to build its stockpile of weapons and ammunition is predicated on the fear that in the not too distant future an emboldened Russia may test NATO's strength by attacking one of the former Soviet Baltic states. Is it a threatening situation at the moment?

Is it a dangerous situation at the moment? Yes, it is. Are we going into the war? No, we don't. Because we have understood this. We are preparing to defend ourselves. And therefore, deterrence is key. Deterrence is coming back.

Deterance for NATO. Deterance for European countries. And if you have this deterrence, this is your insurance. It is it all over. It is an order. In Marionburg, the young Grenadiers swore to faithfully serve the Federal Republic and to bravely defend the rights and freedom of the German people. It's important for me to stand up for my country, because this country gives you so many possibilities, so many freedoms.

Brave words on such a big day, but their families are hoping that the vow of their sons and daughters won't be put to the test. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Malcolm Rabin in Marionburg. Since returning to office, President Trump has made sweeping changes to the legal immigration system, including speeding up deportations and tamping down on asylum seekers. The Justice Department has also fired more than 100 sitting immigration judges and is now advertising to hire so-called deportation judges in their place. Ali Rogan recently spoke with one of the fired judges. Jeremiah Johnson served as an immigration judge in San Francisco for eight years.

He was appointed during President Trump's first term. In November, he was fired. Johnson also serves as the Executive Vice President of the National Association of Immigration Judges, and since his firing, he's been traveling south of the U.S. border to understand the implications of his and other judge's decisions. Judge Johnson, thank you so much for joining me. President Trump has pursued an aggressive agenda of deportations and detentions since taking office. How did that political agenda impact the work that you and your colleagues were doing in the courts? What you saw were judges were given a little time to make those important decisions.

You saw an increase in cases. You saw pressure to decide cases, dockets ballooned. So it didn't allow judges the opportunity to take the time to consider the evidence and get everything right. For example, in before July of the past year, I was hearing things. three individual cases a day. That included testimony, reading through evidence, submitted, and making a decision. In July, I was three additional detained docket cases were added to my docket, so I was hearing six cases a day. The stakes couldn't be higher. These were people that were fleeing their countries, claiming that they would be murdered, killed, raped, harmed in their

home countries. So you had to spend the time to make sure you got it right. How were you fired and were you given any reason? I was given no reason. It was an afternoon. I had heard my afternoon case on the bench. And I learned that other judges in San Francisco had been fired. I then went to my chambers and logged on and saw an email with the subject line termination. And before I could even print that letter, I was shut out of the computer and escorted out of the building. President Trump has tried to block all asylum seekers from applying at the border. He's been blocked several times by the courts. But do you think he's ultimately going to succeed?

And what would be the implications if he were to succeed? Well, I don't know if he will ultimately succeed. But the law does allow for people who are in the United States to apply for asylum in the United States. You know, what I worry about is that the access to this important protection is being limited. And that's being limited in a number of ways, not just by the inability to apply for asylum, but those who are also here in the United States who have applied to have their cases terminated or pre-termitted or denied without a full hearing on their asylum application. Another change to immigration policy under this Trump administration is the ability to hold migrants without bond, meaning that they're held for much longer periods in detention centers, which are often overcrowded,

unsanitary. How is that affecting the experience of migrants who are seeking to get their asylum cases through court? Well, it impacts it by them returning to their country that they claim fear and that they fear of being harmed. The impacts on them are tremendous. I do recall an instance where a woman had entered the United States legally. She had applied for admission into the United States. She had been held in detention for over eight months. And by the time she got to my individual hearing docket,

she requested to be returned to her home country. She no longer could bear the harm that she experienced in detention facilities. And so we had that case had to be dismissed and terminated. And she returned to her home country despite having a viable application for asylum. We talk a lot about how the asylum process works on this side of the border. Since you've been fired, you've been spending time traveling to the other side of the border to understand the implications of your and your colleagues' decisions. You recently got back from a trip. What have those travels been like?

They've been very eye-opening and very enriching experience. For many years, people have traveled all over the world to get to my courtroom in San Francisco and tell me stories about the harm they suffered and why they came to the United States. It was an opportunity for me to retrace those steps and go on the same path and meet those not the same individual, but other people who are fleeing their country or migrants or asylum seekers and see them in a different context. The last day, we were talking about before I was fired, the case I heard was a family of four indigenous Guatemalan, and I had granted that case. And you hear a lot about asylum cases not being real or there's talking in the administration

about the eligibility requirements. But when I went back to that village and saw the grave, the brother who was killed in the attack and the scars on the father's face, I knew what I had done that day in July in the courtroom was correct. Judge Jeremiah Johnson, thank you so much for sharing your views. Thank you very much for having me. This year, 22 states across the country are changing what people on food assistance can buy with their benefits. The new rules are meant to cut out sugary foods and drinks, a central focus of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

But advocates fear they could cut down on what food is available for those in need. Stephanie Sy, traveled to Texas, which just introduced its ban to learn how these new cuts will affect businesses and families. At this modest house in Garland, Texas, a line stretches out the door and down the sidewalk. Every weekday, Good Samaritans of Garland welcomes around 300 families to its food pantry. Food is what brings them in, because that's the first thing you think of. Hunger is what takes over your mind and your body. Sarah Kennefeck is the pantry's executive director. She says many here depend on the federal government's supplemental nutrition assistance program or SNAP to buy

groceries. But it's not enough, so they come here. In Texas, the average SNAP recipient receives $6 per day. I mean, you just look at our economy. Things are costing more money, but the other things are not changing. The amount of money we make our minimum wage, our SNAP benefits, all of those things are not changing. And as of this month, SNAP benefits in the Lone Star State can no longer be used for sweetened drinks like soda or items defined as candy. Allowing states to introduce these types of bans is a pillar of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again Agenda. We're not giving our children good food. Taxpayer dollars should not be funding these injuries to our children. And we pay for it twice. We pay for it through the SNAP

program and we pay for it later on with diabetes and obesity. Twenty-one other states are rolling out similar restrictions, but in some places, implementation has been rocky. In Texas, some of those who receive SNAPs say the guidelines are confusing. For example, one SNAP benefit recipient we spoke to likes to buy energy drinks for her kids when they play sports. But with 17 added grams of sugar, that mom can no longer buy this with her SNAP benefits. The state's definition of candy has also raised some eyebrows. It includes chocolate, but also gum and yogurt covered nuts and raisins. I've seen reports from acquaintances that I tried to check out.

My entire transaction was declined, and I had to figure out what was not covered. So what does that mean for somebody at the checkout counter? It is downright embarrassing. If they don't have the cash to cover because I've been that person, what do you put back? How do you know what to put back? Garland mom, Brittany Quick, visits Good Samaritans every other week. She used SNAP for years to help feed her family of four. She says the changes might restrict a family's options for things like special occasions.

I reminded people like, hey, this ban's going into effect. If you're using your staff benefits to help pay for your kids' Easter basket, make sure you go ahead and purchase it before the 30th. So I know a lot of friends were like, oh, I didn't even think of that. There are other things she says regulators may not have thought about. My kid says he has an upset stomach. I go by Sprite or Ginger L, whatever it is that gets fluids in him to stay in him. I feel that they are so detrimental to your health.

Stacey Ellis, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, agrees with the ban, especially on soda. When you're consuming it, it's going straight into your bloodstream. It's causing your blood sugar to spike. Your body doesn't like your blood sugar spiking. And so it's going to take it and turn it into triglycerides. And so if you do that day after day, that's going to further increase your risk of heart disease. And then you'll have what we call pre-diabetes and eventually diabetes. It's a chronic condition, so it slowly starts to deteriorate your body.

Diet-related chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Obesity and diabetes alone costs the health care system an estimated $586 billion a year. When it comes to the government's role in what we eat, what do you think that should be? I understand people's concern with not allowing people access to certain foods. We do have the freedom to consume whatever we like, but I do think the government has a role in educating the population of what we should and should not eat. So the patient in room 102. Leslie Redden is a family nurse practitioner in South Dallas, a predominantly black neighborhood. where at 68 years, life expectancy is more than 10 years less than the national average.

We're seeing a significant amount of pre-diabetes actually in our younger population these days. How young? I would say my youngest is probably nine right now that is in the pre-diabetic range that I'm personally caring for. And then we see a significant increase in cholesterol levels as well. But she says for many of her patients, sugary snacks and drinks aren't a preference. Instead, they may be one of the few ways to get calories for the day. I don't believe we actually even have a commercial grocery store in this zip code, so like a chain grocery store. Reducing sugary drinks, reducing candy, from an outsider's perspective, seems like a good idea.

I mean, it's actually the ideal. You know, I would love for all of my patients to be walking into the store that's across the street that's available to them with their parents and saying, hey, you know, like what can I buy with my benefits today? And that's going to be, you know, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables, but that's not what we have. That's not what they have access to by reducing the unhealthy foods. It just reduces the amount of food that they can purchase. What they do have access to, convenience stores. A lot of small businesses like ours aren't going to have like grocery aisles, like lettuce and produce and all of that stuff. Andy Torres says the restrictions have hit his customers.

are unclear. I think it would be better if they had like an exact list because it's kind of like a gray area of what you can and can't sell that's not really specified. It will also affect his bottom line. An analysis by the National Grocers Association shows the cost of convenience stores to cover changes and ensure compliance with the new restrictions could total $1 billion. And I get to see the progress. Nutritionist Stacey Ellis is optimistic about the health outcomes that may result. I do feel that the message that the government gives plays a huge role in what its citizens will consume. I really think that we will see some improvements. But Brittany Quicks says the new restrictions won't make her drink less soda. And for many busy working parents,

convenience is driving their choices. The ability to walk by the freezer, grab something and go out and hand it to my child in the car, say, eat this on the web. because I was so busy, I forgot to make time to make a meal. That's the war that goes on in any parent's head. For parents with few options to put food on the table, Quicks says the snap restrictions are just one extra burden to carry. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Stephanie Tsai in Garland, Texas. When she retired in 2019, Lindsay Vaughn was already considered

one of the greatest U.S. skiers of all time, four World Cup titles, three Olympic medals, including the first gold for an American woman in downhill skiing and 82 wins at World Cup events. But in 2024, at the age of 40, Vaughn returned to the slopes, once again competing at the highest level and becoming the oldest World Cup winner in history. In February, the world watched as she chased another Olympic medal in Italy. Just 13 seconds into that run, a devastating crash. Vaughn airlifted off the course with a broken. broken ankle and complex fractures in her leg. I recently spoke with Lindsay Vaughn and began by asking her how she's doing five surgeries

and just a few months after that crash. I'm doing better things. It's still very slow and I'm trying to make progress as best I can. But I'm in a lot better shape than I was when everyone last saw me, that's for sure. I mean, to watch it as viewers was horrifying, it's unimaginable what it was like for you to live through that, just 13 seconds into that downhill run. In the moment, did you know the extent of your injuries? Did you know how serious it was at the time? Yeah, I knew immediately that I had broken my leg. I didn't know how badly it was broken. I was hoping that it wasn't a compound fracture,

and then I was, I remember telling the doctor, you know, please don't let me get compartment syndrome, which I did. And, you know, unfortunately, there was nothing that anyone could have done about that. That's really dependent upon how much trauma is. is in your body. And of course, my leg was broken in quite a few places. But I actually didn't really know the severity of everything as a whole until I actually left Italy and was on my way to the U.S. And then my doctor kind of broke everything down for me step by step on, you know, what happened and where things were getting really serious and how he managed to manage the whole situation and make sure that I saved my leg. And he was able to make the right decision.

so that I could, you know, be where I am now. I mean, you are no stranger to comebacks. I think that's fair to say. You got a partial knee replacement and you came back to compete after retiring. It was just days before your Olympic competition that you'd torn your ACL, which would have been season ending for a number of people.

Is it resilience? Is it stubbornness? Is it determination? Like, what is it in you that you tell yourself that keeps you going in those moments? It's probably everything that you mentioned. I'm definitely a person that if I set my mind to something, you know, I will work as hard as it takes to get to where I want to go. You know, I think if I think my body responded really well to tearing my ACL.

There was really not a lot of other damage, relatively speaking, and with the amount of time I had to do rehab, which, you know, I spent 12 hours a day for those five or six days leading up to the games, purely doing rehab. getting my knee ready to be able to compete again. But that's, you know, that's my determination. And also I just wasn't going to quit. I was determined to be in these Olympics. And, you know, I didn't want to give up until I knew that was the only way forward. And to be honest, I made a smart decision, you know, I wasn't, I didn't just whimsically decide to race in the Olympics.

You know, I made sure that I consulted my doctor and my coaches and my PTs, you know, everyone agreed that I was safe enough to race. So if I hadn't have worked as hard as I did, I wouldn't have been able to do it. But I also had the support of everyone around me. And it was a difficult decision. But, you know, I still got third in the downhill training run. So I knew physically, you know, I was in a good, good spot leading up to those games. Even after all of those injuries, I see you've been posting updates online, sharing your recovery and your progress with all your fans who are following along.

physically, what are you able to do and not do just yet? Well, I'm on crutches now. I've worked my way off of the wheelchair, but I still can't go long distances. So, you know, when I was traveling here to New York, I still needed help. I was in a wheelchair for that. But I'm actually supposed to be trying to work my way off of crutches here soon. Again, it'll be really short distances. But, you know, I'll be 10 weeks out as of Monday.

So, you know, silly, but surely I'm getting. there. I'm still unable to do, you know, any sort of weight training. My rehab exercises are pretty limited for me anyways. I would always love to be doing more in the gym, but I'm trying to, you know, follow the doctor's orders and really be meticulous and slow about how I come back from this injury. But, yeah, working my way off crutches, walking without assistance is my big goal. So for nearly 10 weeks now, you haven't been able to. to walk on your own just yet. That has to be, especially for someone like you, that has to be really frustrating. Yeah, you know, especially while I was in a wheelchair, it was really 100% dependent

on people helping me. And I'm a very independent person. So that was hard. I feel like at times I was a burden and I don't like feeling that way, which I don't think was a case necessarily, but that's kind of how I perceived it in my mind. So now that I'm able to do more, I feel better. but I think it's more mentally a challenge at this point than physically. I know you're working with this biopharmaceutical company, too, as a spokesperson and Vivid to raise awareness for this antibodies for anybody campaign. Why is that? Is that antibody therapy something that's been a part of your recovery?

You know, as an athlete, of course, I always want to take care of myself. And I've, you know, been really cautious about getting sick my whole career. Even if I look back to Vancouver, you know, when I was flying over from Europe, I was wearing a mask and gloves, which everyone thought I was crazy, but I just couldn't afford to get sick. And I think also as an athlete, you know, we assume that we have all the information, but it's actually really hard to know what's true and what's not and what's actually important for you and not. And so this campaign, Antibodiesfor Anybody.com, is an amazing way to educate everyone on what antibodies do for you. They fight against germs and toxins. It just helps you kind of understand the choices that you make in your daily life that affect your health and your immune system and just gives you more information.

So you've been out recently talking about your recovery, talking about your plans ahead as well. And you recently said you had not ruled out returning to the Olympics in 2030. You said I would only do it if I could be as fast, but we'll see. Really? We'll see. You could be back on the slopes? I don't know. I feel like I've gone through such a weave of emotions since I crashed. And I, of course, don't want to end my career on that run at the Olympics, but I'm also, you know, a realistic person. I know the chances that are probably low and for a good reason. But I'm just not, you know, in a place to make any decisions yet. I feel like I need to get healthy first and then I can really assess my life and where I am. You know, I was retired for six years and I had an amazing life. and in a lot of ways I'm so excited to get back to it. But I know that if I'm physically healthy,

I could still be competitive in ski racing if I wanted to. So it just depends on, you know, where I am. And I don't know where I'll be even next week, let alone in a year. So it'll just take some time. But I'm sure when I make the decision, I'll let you guys know. Well, we'll be watching and waiting for what comes next.

Lindsay Vaughn, we're wishing you a full recovery. Thank you so much for making the time. pleasure to speak with you. Thank you. I appreciate it. And there's a lot more online, including a lightning round Q&A with Lindsay Vaughn. That's at pbs.org slash news hour. And join us again back here tomorrow night for the analysis of this week's news with David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart. And that is the News Hour for tonight. I'm Amna Nawaz.

And I'm Jeff Bennett for all of us here at the News Hour. Thanks for spending part of your evening with us.