PBS News Hour - Full Show - July 19, 2025 – PBS News Weekend full episode

Episode Date: July 19, 2025

Saturday on PBS News Weekend, Trump’s yearslong relationship with Jeffrey Epstein comes under scrutiny. What major cuts at the National Cancer Institute may mean for the fight against the disease. Transgender U.S. service members fight to continue to serve despite the Trump administration banning them from the military. Plus, a look at the newest UNESCO World Heritage sites. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Tonight on PBS News Weekend, President Trump acknowledges that releasing all the Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts may not satisfy critics as his years-long friendship with the disgraced financier comes under scrutiny. Then, what major cuts at the world's premier cancer research institute may mean for the fight against the disease. And transgender U.S. service members fight to continue to serve despite the Trump administration banning them from the military. I think what people truly care about is your ability to meet the standards and perform

at your job. So long as you're doing those things, I don't think any of those kind of identity politics matter. Good evening, I'm John Yang. President Trump said today he wants all Jeffrey Epstein grand jury testimony made public as he continues to spar with parts of his political base over his handling of the matter. At the same time, Mr. Trump acknowledged that even releasing all that testimony might not be enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics. Earlier, Mr. Trump said that supporters pressing him to release more Epstein material are weaklings

who have fallen for a Democratic hoax. With some conservative critics saying now that the president is part of a cover-up, attention is turning to the relationship between the two men. New York Times White House correspondent Luke Broadwater has written about what's known about the Trump-Epstein relationship.

Luke, how far back do these two men go? Well, we know they've known each other since at least the late 1980s or 1990 when Jeffrey Epstein purchased a property in Palm Beach. Shortly thereafter, the two men became friendly. They ran in the same circles. They were both from New York. They were both rich. They both had a love for nightlife and for attending flashy parties and being surrounded by women.

And so for about 15 years, as best we can tell, they were pretty tight. Trump flew on Epstein's property, Palm Beach in New York, at least seven times. And it isn't until 2004 when they really have a falling out, when they become rivals over a real estate property in Florida. They both wanted the same oceanfront mansion. And Donald Trump and Epstein sort of become rivals or even enemies after that. And after that break, after the break over that real estate, did they ever get back together or was that it? Not as best we can tell.

There's no public record of them interacting after about 2004. And Trump himself, after Epstein died in jail, said he hadn't talked to him in 15 years. And we haven't found any evidence that contradicts that. What was his reaction, or public reaction, when Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking in 2019? Well, he tried to distance himself

from any connection to Epstein, and he called him a creep. connection to Epstein and he called him a creep. There have been times when he called for a full investigation. There have been times when he tried to suggest maybe Democrats were involved in wrongdoing in connection to Epstein. And there have been other times when he sort of hedged and said he didn't want everything out and that he believes maybe innocent people could be unfairly maligned. And he even expressed sympathy for Miss Maxwell,

who was Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, who's now serving a prison sentence for helping him with his sex trafficking ring. And she was convicted of that and is doing a 20-year prison sentence currently. You say he was sort of ambivalent about releasing this stuff during the campaign, but it was certainly a big part of the MAGA base

that was supporting him, and now he's trying to get them to move on. Do you think they will? It doesn't seem like it. He famously, he famously bragged he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and wouldn't lose any supporters. This seems to be the one issue though, where he's really put himself in a political fix. His base has been adamant that all these files be released.

If you look at sort of right-wing message boards or social media posts, really ardent supporters of Donald Trump are turning on him over this issue. They're saying he's becoming like the swamp, he's part of a cover-up. And so him saying move on does not appear to be working. Maybe it's working with some of the Republicans on Capitol Hill. Maybe it's working with a few talk show hosts. But by and large, the base seems to be demanding that every piece of information about Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes come out. As you know, there's widespread belief that there were rich and famous men who abused women

along with Jeffrey Epstein, and people want to see those men brought to justice. And to date, it's really only been Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell who have faced any legal repercussions. Luke Broadwater, The New York Times, thank you very much. Thank you. In tonight's other news, an investigation is underway after a car plowed into a crowd outside a Los Angeles nightclub, injuring dozens.

The driver veered onto a sidewalk and crashed into a taco truck and valet stand before hitting pedestrians. Firefighters on the scene say the driver may have lost consciousness before losing control of the car. 30 people were injured, three of them critically. In Gaza, at least 32 people are dead after Israeli troops fired toward a crowd at a food aid site. It happened near the distribution site run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The Israeli military said it fired warning shots when people approaching them ignored orders to stop. Witnesses said the situation is going increasingly desperate and dangerous. We said, let's go get flour and bring food from what they're distributing. We stood and the sites opened with a sign that said, we're allowed in. And people started running. And when people started running, they besieged us with tanks and snipers and started shooting young men in a hysterical way. Is this food or death?

Why? They don't talk with us, they only shoot us. All four of the Gaza humanitarian foundation-merit aid distribution sites are in areas controlled by the Israeli military. The United Nations said a lack of humanitarian aid has led to preventable deaths. Big changes are in the works at the Environmental Protection Agency

as part of the Trump administration's drive to shrink the federal workforce. Late Friday, the EPA announced the closing of its research branch, which provides scientific data linked to protecting the environment and human health. Instead, research will be conducted by the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the move will save $748 million. And Edwin J. Fullner, a prominent figure in the American conservative movement, has died.

Fullner was the founder and longtime leader of the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. Fullner grew up in the Chicago suburbs, raised as a devout Catholic. died. Fulner was the founder and longtime leader of the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. Fulner grew up in the Chicago suburbs, raised as a devout Catholic. He studied economics and founded the Heritage Foundation in 1973. He said its goal was to offer alternatives to failed liberal policies. It helped shape the policies of the administrations of Ronald Reagan and now through Project 2025, President Trump. Edwin J. Folner was 83 years old. Still to come on PBS News Weekend,

how major funding cuts at the world's premier cancer research center could affect the fight against the disease. And the newest additions to the list of world heritage sites just in time for summer travel. to the list of World Heritage sites just in time for summer travel. For decades, the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, has spearheaded breakthrough advancements against the disease. Since the 1990s, cancer deaths have been reduced by a third.

But now the world's premier cancer institute is in the midst of a fierce battle over its future. William Brangham spoke with Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News. Rachana Pradhan, thank you so much for being here. Can you help us understand the scale of the cuts that are being made at the National Cancer Institute? And are they falling in particular areas or regions of that institute? Based on what we have heard from scientists who are currently still at NCI and ones who have left is that the cuts and the upheaval overall that is happening to this agency are

unprecedented. They have never seen anything like it. There are people who are leaving and also being cut that work on various aspects of cancer research and communication. And the second thing is research money is being cut at NCI and across the board at the NIH. So, what you're seeing is very rapid escalation in the amount of money that is being trimmed for studying all sorts of interventions, right, to reduce cancer mortality and morbidity in this country. WILLIAM BRANGHAM. How does the Trump administration explain that? Because it seems like funding cancer research and cures for cancer seems like a no-brainer in any administration.

DR. NICOLE GONZALES-SAMO, National Cancer Institute of California, USA, Director of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute of California, USA, Director of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National

Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute of California, National Cancer Institute's work and it represents a necessary transformation and that the Department of Health and Human Services,

which is where NCI ultimately sits, still values and plans to prioritize research into cancer and other health conditions. And so that is what they are saying, essentially it's necessary under the administration's policies and to sort of realign what NCI is doing. And from talking to researchers and clinicians

within the NCI, what have they said to you about what the impact of these cuts has been? They say that it is harming research severely. We had one scientist saying that people will die because there are lifesaving efforts that are being curtailed at this moment. I think the other thing that's really important to underscore is so many people we talk to

inside the government and even outside the government said, it is inexplicable why this is being done. They don't understand the aim, the objective, because we have seen so much progress in the fight against cancer in this country and around the world. But that being said, it is still the nation's second leading cause of death. Only heart disease surpasses it, right? In 2023, which is the most recent data we have, over 600,000 people in the U.S. died from cancer, and we still have millions of people that are diagnosed with it every year. And so there's clearly still a lot of work to be done. And NCI has

contributed an almost immeasurable amount for reducing cancer deaths in this country. WILLIAM BRANGHAM. Does this also impact current cases, people who are living with cancer now being treated for their cancer today? DR. KATE BAKER. I think it does, as part of widespread firings that HHS carried out earlier this year across the department and many important agencies. Among the people who lost their jobs were most of the workers inside of NCI's communications office. Those workers were responsible for disseminating really important health information, and that includes information that is found on Cancer.gov,

which is a website that is used widely in this country by cancer patients and their families, and also updating resources that physicians and other clinicians who care for cancer patients rely on with the latest research about a particular disease or a particular type of malignancy. And so the fact that those resources are not being updated because most of the workers were fired will have an immediate impact on cancer patients who are looking for information about treatments and research to help inform their care. WILLIAM BRANGHAM. All right, this is some really hard-to-read reporting. Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News, thank you so much for being here. RACHANA PRADHAN, KFF Health News Director, KFF Health News, Thank you for having me.

Thousands of transgender troops are facing removal from the military because of the Trump administration's ban on their service. The Pentagon says they have a choice, either self-identify and leave voluntarily with extended benefits or face involuntary separation. Dan Ming with the nonprofit news organization Evident Media spoke with some of the transgender military members who are fighting the ban in court. They say what the Pentagon is offering isn't a choice,

it's coercion. I was born into a military family. Spent my entire childhood moving from military post to military post. I've been serving now for 14 years as of yesterday. Graduated high school in 2007. Immediately went to West Point following that. Four years there, and then I commissioned in 2011 as a second lieutenant.

The Army is literally the only lifestyle I have ever known, and I think it is incredibly difficult knowing that it is likely going to be taken away here in the coming weeks. Erica Vandal is a major in the US Army. She's risen through the ranks, deployed to Afghanistan, and was awarded a Bronze Star. She's also about to be forced out of the military for being transgender. What has it been like to be trans in the military? Overall, it's been a massive net positive.

It made me more empathetic, more approachable, more open and honest to my soldiers. When you're living authentically, I think soldiers see that and they can reflect that back on you. It kind of instills that trust, I think. One of President Trump's first executive orders after returning to office was a revival of a policy he introduced in his first term, a ban on transgender service members. To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military. It's going to be wrong.

The administration argues that trans individuals pose an unnecessary burden on the armed forces, undermining unit cohesion and military readiness. We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind. No more dudes in dresses. Now the Pentagon is identifying and removing them from service. Does receiving gender affirming care impact your ability to serve? No, gender affirming care has zero impact on our ability to deploy, our ability to be ready, and our ability to meet standards. As far as my medicines that I'm taking, it is a shelf stable pill I take twice a day, no different than medication of whatever variety that thousands

of other troops take daily. What will you do if you're forced out of the military? It's going to be devastating should that occur. I will lose this core component of my identity that's been with me my entire life. I will lose the single source of income right now for my family, the health care, the benefits associated with that, the on-post housing that we have. Just we'll lose everything at that point. Major Vandal is one of 32 plaintiffs suing the Trump administration over the trans ban,

which the Supreme Court has allowed to move forward while legal challenges make their way through the courts. One of the most outspoken lawmakers against the policy is Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I don't see why someone who can truly serve this country, who can meet the requirements to serve in the military, who can pass a physical test, who can pass the, you know, all of the skills testing and is already doing the job should be kicked out of the military. I just think that's very arbitrary and it's not what America is about.

The Trump administration makes this argument that trans service members undermine unit cohesion. As a combat veteran, how do you respond to that? When I was sitting in my helicopter and I was bleeding to death after I'd been shot down and an American service member came, I didn't ask if they were trans, straight, or gay. All I care about is, are you willing to carry the load? Are you qualified to do your job? And will you be willing to lay down your life to defend this country and the Constitution

of this great United States? And every single one of these people have said yes to that. Something that our president can't say. How does your own experience in the military inform how you approach this issue? Well, when I first joined the military, oftentimes I was the only woman in my unit, or one of two, when I first started flying,

they didn't let women fly combat missions. Early on when I was a cadet, I even had somebody tell me, oh, your uterus can't handle flying a helicopter from the vibrations. Someone said that to you? Yes, yes. And we know these are all just ways and bogus red herring arguments that comes up from folks who are basically trying to keep other people out. We reached out to both the Department of Defense and Republican lawmakers who support the trans

ban but received no responses. According to the Pentagon, there are around 4,200 service members with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which is when a person's gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. That's 0.2% of the entire military. Since 2015, the Department of Defense has spent an average of $9,000 on gender-affirming care for each trans service member, a small fraction of the military health system's $61 billion annual budget.

At Fort Drummond, New York, Erica helps lead a support group for her fellow trans soldiers, all of whom are bracing for the coming purge. Being trans has been a complete non-issue in any of the units I've served in so far. Right now I'm on my third one and it's kind of been a scramble to figure out how they're going to replace me in my specific position. I've come to call the people in the military, my family, my leadership I've looked up to, and they've been able to help me with so many different things and never once have I received any issues at all with me being transgender.

People think of military culture as pretty conservative and I think people watching this might be surprised that you guys haven't had issues being openly trans. I mean, people might think of it as conservative, but at the end of the day, I think what people truly care about is your ability to meet the standards and perform at your job. So long as you're doing those things, I don't think any of those kind of identity politics matter.

Why do you think the Trump administration is so focused on trans people in the military? We're an easy group to lie about. When people get to know us as people instead of just as abstract concepts, they will come around on a lot of their preconceived notions of what a trans individual is. It's driven by fear and it's driven by misunderstanding. When I informed both my chain of command

and my peers and subordinates that I was likely going to be placed on administrative separation soon, there was a lot of shock. There are clear indicators that I am one of the top performing officers within my unit. Why am I being removed for this part of my identity when I continue to meet standards? The Army has invested decades of training into us, millions of dollars, and I think the forced purge and removal of transgender service members is going to be very harmful to overall military readiness. And finally tonight, a look at some of the places that UNESCO, the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization, has added to its list of World Heritage Sites. The pyramids of Giza, Yellowstone National Park, the Taj Mahal, some of the more than 1,200 cultural sites around the world that UNESCO has deemed to be of outstanding value to humanity. I am delighted to welcome you to the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee. In Paris this month, a committee met to add to that list, something that's been done nearly every year since 1978. The 26 new sites reflect the wide range encompassed by UNESCO's criteria.

In Cambodia, two prisons and a site where, in the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge regime carried out mass torture and executions, atrocities depicted in the 1984 award-winning film The Killing Fields. Now a memorial, UNESCO says the buildings went from being centers of repression to places of peace and reflection. At a ceremony in Phnom Penh earlier this week, the nation's culture minister hailed the UNESCO designation. KHMATUK, Minister of Culture, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations,

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Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations, United Nations on the world stage. And this is a model for the world. In Malaysia, a new UNESCO site teams with life, a man-made tropical forest about 10 miles northwest of Kuala Lumpur. It was once barren land, scarred and degraded in the 1920s by tin mining. UNESCO says it represents a pioneering

reforestation effort. In Germany, a castle fit for a fairy tale. Neuschwanstein in Bavaria was Walt Disney's inspiration when he created his company's logo. It's one of four 19th century grand palaces built for King Ludwig II and now honored by UNESCO. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] Now on the PBS NewsTube channel, why social media is concerned

that fireflies are disappearing and that this generation may be the last to remember summer nights catching them. All that and more is on the PBS NewsHour YouTube channel. And that is PBS News Weekend for this Saturday. I'm John Yang. For all of my colleagues, thanks for joining us. See you tomorrow.