PBS News Hour - Full Show - March 20, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Episode Date: March 20, 2026

Friday on the News Hour, President Trump lashes out at NATO allies for not helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to strike oil and gas facilities in the region. A wide-ranging conversation with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Plus, despite the president's vow to revive manufacturing, we explore why finding a factory job has become so difficult in the U.S. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Good evening. I'm William Brangham. Amna DeVaz and Jeff Bennett are away. On the news hour tonight, President Trump lashes out at NATO allies for not helping to secure the strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to strike oil and gas facilities in the region. A wide-ranging conversation with New York City mayor, Zoran Mamdani. We believe that a structural crisis deserves structural solutions, and that comes from taxing the wealthiest, but a little bit more. And despite the president's vow to revive manufacturing, we explore why finding a factory job has become so difficult in the U.S. Welcome to the NewsHour. President Trump said today that the United States was not interested in a ceasefire with Iran because from a military standpoint, he said Iran was finished. Late today, Trump said on Truth Social that, quote, we are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down are great military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the terrorist regime of Iran.

Meanwhile, Israel and the United States continue to attack Iran today, hitting the same kinds of targets they've struck throughout this campaign. And Iran continued to strike back, with missiles and drones landing in Israel and on oil and gas facilities across the Persian Gulf. White House correspondent Liz Landers has the latest. Today in the Holy Land, its holy city bombed. Why, why? Iran today struck the ancient old quarter of Jerusalem.

A missile landing only a few hundred feet from the Alaska Mosque and the Western Wall, places of prayer sacred to billions. As further Iranian attacks hit the city of Rehovitz in the country's center, killing 15 people nationwide as the war's casualty rate continues. to grow. Iran is threatening to keep up the fight. Its Revolutionary Guard today releasing a statement announcing that the embattled regime is continuing to produce missiles and stockpiles are high. Having again today struck Kuwait's al-Mahadi and Mina Abdullah oil refineries forcing both to shut down. As the price of gas inches up even higher, a barrel of front crude oil today peaked at $11. With the war now entering its fourth week, Iran has heavily damaged many petroleum facilities and other targets in the region. As the new supreme leader Ayatollah Mosh Tabah Khomeiniy today released a statement on the eve of Noruz,

vowing to continue the battle and urging the nation to stay steadfast in the face of war. In Tehran, mourners gathered to pay their respects to intelligence minister Ismail Khatib, killed Wednesday by Israeli fire. We have come to say that no matter how much you kill us, we become more awake, more alert. We will not back down. We will not abandon the streets. We will not abandon the front line. Death to America. Death to Israel.

15 senior IRGC government officials have now been killed since the start of the war. President Donald Trump touching upon these regime losses as grounds to continue the war. You know, you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side. They don't have a Navy. They don't have an Air Force. They don't have any equipment to, they don't have any spotters. They don't have anti-aircraft. They don't have radar.

And their leaders have all been killed at every level. The U.S. today continued its campaign targeting Iran's Navy and drone capabilities in order to open the Strait of Hormuz. As President Trump today criticized NATO countries for not helping in the effort, writing on truth social that the quote, complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices, so easy for them to do with so little risk, cowards, and we will remember. As the strait remains in the war's chokehold, seven NATO countries today issued a statement condemning Iran's attacks. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada,

head to the statement saying that they were ready to, quote, contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait, we welcome the commitment of nations who are engaged in preparatory planning. But French President Emmanuel Macron expressed doubt in joining the war after European nations met in Brussels today. I have not heard anyone here express a willingness to enter this conflict, quite the opposite. And I do not believe that taking part in escalation should one occur, would in any way resolve the international situation or its consequences for our economies. That concern for the war's economic fallout shared by some Americans. It's very disheartening all the lives that are lost and also just the state of the economy in

general. But the president's base remains supportive of the military intervention in Iran, according to a new Politico poll out Friday. 70% of the president's 2024 voters support the strikes last month, with 53% of self-identified MAGA voters saying they back the military moves because they trust Trump to do the right thing, though more than half of Americans overall do not support the war, according to several polls. Meanwhile, on the streets of Beirut, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, displaced by Israeli attacks, now greet Eid meant to be a time of celebration and peace, homeless and in the rain. 33-year-old Samma Yuhola was forced out of her home in Bairid's southern suburbs.

She now lives in a minibus with her two children. This Eid is certainly different from the Eid before. Our circumstances used to be different. We were at home. My children had new clothes for the Eid and their lives were of course different. Everything is difficult. There's nothing that isn't difficult. And while the adults put on a brave face this holiday for the nation's children,

the destruction and loss is everywhere. For the PBS News Hour, I'm Liz Landers. We start today's other headlines on Capitol Hill, where a stalemate over the funding of the Department of Homeland Security is showing no signs of ending. A bond reconsideration, the motion is not agreed to. A fifth attempt to fund the agency, in a Senate vote today.

For more than a month now, the lapse has especially impacted the TSA wreaking havoc on airports around the country. Separately, senators are sticking around Washington for a rare weekend session to debate some of President Trump's priorities, namely, the SAVE Act. That's the GOP bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship

when registering to vote. Sponsors say the idea is simple and popular, but Democrats, and a few Republicans, say the legislation goes too far. The Trump administration has sued Harvard University again. The Justice Department's newest lawsuit accuses Harvard of allowing anti-Semitism to spread on its campus and seeks to recover billions of dollars in government grants

that were given to the school. It is the latest escalation in a lengthy battle between the government and the Ivy League institution. Last year, a federal judge cited with Harvard in a separate suit, ruling that efforts to cut funding were unconstitutional and ordered that money restored. The government has appealed. CBS News said it is shutting down its storied radio service as part of a new round of layoffs that amount to 6% of its overall workforce. CBS News Radio will stop operating in May after almost

100 years of broadcasting. Some of its most famous moments included Edward R. Murrow's World War II broadcasts from Europe and FDR's historic fireside chats, which ran during the Depression. CBS News leadership, including editor-in-chief Barry Weiss, called the move a necessary decision, citing economic challenges and changes in listening habits. More than 4,000 people in towns north of Hawaii's capital have been told to evacuate. Rising floodwaters could lead to the potential failure of a more than century-old dam there. Emergency sirens blared early this morning along Oahu's North Shore. Residents of Waiulua and Haleiwa were told to leave.

This is the second significant storm to hammer the Hawaiian Islands in just a week. Last weekend's storm triggered dangerous flooding that washed away roads and damaged homes. The state's National Guard has been activated to respond to this latest round of floods. As the war with Iran sends oil prices climbing, stocks on Wall Street continued plummeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has now logged four straight weeks of losses, its worst stretch since 2023. The NASDAQ lost more than 2% as both major indices are approaching correction territory. The S&P 500 also ended the week lower, losing more than a percent.

The world-famous K-pop group, BTS, will make its long-awaited comeback with a free concert in Seoul tomorrow. The band has been on a hiatus for roughly four years as the members completed mandatory military service and did some solo projects. Workers have built up the venue at one of Seoul's most famous cultural heritage sites. The hour-long concert is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans and will be live-streamed on Netflix.

And a passing of note, Chuck Norris, the fighting frontman of Hollywood action films, has died. His mastery of competitive martial arts began in Korea during an Air Force deployment. After his service, Norris dominated the sport, winning six karate world championships in a row. He brought those skills to the big screen alongside his friend and frequent sparring partner, Bruce Lee. Their Coliseum face-off in 1972's Return of the Dragon is an iconic showdown. Then, in the 90s, Norris took on his most famous role. You have the right to remain silent.

Norris starred in the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, for nearly a decade. His tough guy persona would resonate with a new generation online. Memes about him, called Chuck Norris Facts, went so viral he published his own fact book full of them. Norris was also an outspoken conservative, and very much. backed a number of Republican candidates over the years. His family gave no cause of death, but said it was a sudden passing. Chuck Norris was 86 years old. Still to come on the news hour, long lines continue as the partial government shutdown

causes TSA shortages at airports nationwide. David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart weigh in on the war in Iran. And to look at the rising business of sports betting as March Madden, begins. This is the PBS News Hour from the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes to a close, Amna Nawaz traveled to New York City to talk to one of the most high-profile Muslim leaders

in one of the most high-pressure political jobs in the country. Zoran Mamdani is less than three months into his term as mayor of America's biggest city. He's juggling how to fulfill his ambitious campaign promises, manage a huge budget deficit, and respond to a rise in Islamophobic rhetoric across the country. The young Democratic socialist has also forged a unique relationship with President Trump through Oval Office visits and their shared love of New York City. Here's Amna's exclusive conversation with Mayor Mamdani. Mr. Mayor, welcome to The News Hour. Thanks for making the time. Absolutely. Thank you so much for being here. So let's talk a little bit about your first few months in office.

You really had to hit the ground running. You had a lot coming at you, too. You had a major nurses strike to handle a record-breaking snowstorm. I know you've probably heard the difference between campaigning in poetry, governing in prose. Does that ring true to you? You found that to be true? I think there's still a little poetry in the day-to-day. Okay.

I think it's important that we don't let our imagination become constrained by what we are inheriting. And in some ways, we tasked ourselves with trying to keep up with New Yorkers. because in addition to first winter storm in a while, first blizzard in 10 years, nurses strike, where we stood there on the picket line with the nurses as they fought for wages that could afford to have to live in New York City as they worked in New York City. We also just wanted to show New Yorkers

that city government could work as fast as they do. What surprised you most about the role since you've stepped into it? I think the amount that you can do, to be honest with you, it's not to say that this work is easy, but that when you are willing, there is an immense amount of possibility. I mean, on day eight, we joined together with Governor Hockel to announce a $1.2 billion funding of a pathway to universal child care.

And that's transformative for New York City families. And to have the opportunity to be able to act upon the vision that we'd shared with New Yorkers, it's the gift of a lifetime. You also very early held a press conference in which you shared that you'd inherited a major budget deficit, $12 billion. Tell me, and you've been very important. I've repeated it actually since then in multiple interviews. I know you want to get that message out.

Is that a little bit about expectation setting? Like you might not be able to hit all of the affordability goals that you set out? We just want to be honest and transparent with me workers. We're talking about a generational fiscal deficit, as you said, inheriting what was $12 billion. And thanks to the work that we've done in terms of savings, in terms of utilizing our reserves, we've brought that down to $5.4 billion,

also in partnership with the governor's commitment to this city. And now, over these next few weeks and months, our job is to bring that down to zero. What's the plan to bring it down to zero? You have to raise revenue. We believe that a structural crisis deserves structural solutions. And that comes from taxing the wealthiest, but a little bit more, and also ensuring that the relationship between the city and the state isn't as imbalanced as it's been in the past. Following up on a campaign promise you made, you said you were going to create a Department of Community Safety with a billion-dollar budget. What you announced this week, I think it's fair to describe, as a pared-down version.

So is this part of this pairing down of ambitions because of the budget crisis? How should we look at this? Our ambitions will never be pared down. This is the beginning of what it looks like to fulfill that promise. It's the start. However, New Yorkers can't afford to wait for an answer to the mental health crisis. They can't afford to wait for a legislative process to play out or for politics to come its course. What this is all about is responding to the crises, whether it's the mental health crisis,

the crisis of gun violence, the crisis of hate violence, even gender-based violence in the city, we are finally cohering what were previously disparate offices, putting them within one portfolio of work within city government, and starting to respond to them in a manner that actually befits the seriousness of the issue. So, Mr. Mayor, we are speaking on the last day of Ramadan. And as the first Muslim mayor of New York City, you, I understand, have been fasting this entire time as you are governing in this very demanding environment. Just give me a sense of what your days have been like. Well, you know, in many ways, the days look as they did before. There's

obviously an absence of food and water over the course of them. This may be the first time they're seeing a Muslim in public office during the month of Ramadan and all that comes with it. For me, I am seeing so many Muslims who've been here far longer than I have who've been doing this work, and they've been doing it no matter what the demand is. You also chose to break your fast one day out on Rikers Island. Tell me about that. Why? It was one of the most meaningful evenings I've had as the mayor. And to be on Rikers Island, praying alongside incarcerated New Yorkers,

as well as New Yorkers who work on Rikers Island, it was really an occasion to recognize the humanity and others, and also in doing so, recognize more of it in ourselves. It's worth noting, too, though, in your first few months in office, you've already seen anti-Muslim protesters outside your home, not protesting your policies or anything else, protesting your faith outside of the place that you live. You have been the target of attacks by lawmakers,

calling for you to be denaturalized and deported. Representative Andy Ogles has said Muslims don't belong in American society. Representative Randy Fine said, we need more Islamophobia, not less. Representative Andrew Clyde said, no more Islamic immigration. immigration. I think anyone who grew up post-9-11 knows that anti-Muslim bigotry isn't anything new here,

but to you, does it seem like there's something different or something new this time? I think there's an unabashed nature to it, and it is being echoed from the highest offices in this country. They do so without any sense of shame. And what is remarkable about Islamophobia and anti-Muslimbigotry is not that it is bigotry. for there is so much bigotry in this country, it is that there are very few who speak up in opposition to it, the manner in which it has become normalized, and it is not exclusive to any one political party.

It is endemic, frankly, to our politics. And what this kind of bigotry shows is a complete erasure of the million or so Muslims who call the city home, whose identity has often been one that they are made to feel as if is in tension with being a New Yorker. When, as I grew up here, I understood in so many others, did that there is no tension in those identities. They can be one and the same. But Mr. Mayor, when they're coming after you, when they are showing your face on TV screens,

calling you a jihadist saying you're the enemy, do you worry about your own safety and security here? I'm very lucky that I have an incredible team of NYPD officers who keep me safe each and every day. And my fear, frankly, is for those whose names we do not know, whose professions we do not know who are seen and understood to be Muslim and will be attacked for it. And they will not have the protections that I do. Among the millions of people, of course, that you represent here in New York is also the largest Jewish population. Any city outside of Israel, over a million people, many of whom, as you know, did not vote

for you. Have you met with the groups that have expressed concern about what they say was a rolling back of protections against anti-Semitism? What are those conversations like? They have been continuing. And it's really been a pleasure to meet with so many Jewish leaders across the city. It was actually not that long ago in this very room that I met with a number of Orthodox leaders across the city. And we discussed anti-Semitism and our commitment to rooting it out across the five boroughs.

We also discussed childcare and housing and quality of life issues because those are also the concerns that fill the lives of Jewish New Yorkers across the city. My job is not to be a mayor just for those who voted for me or those who agree with my politics. My job is to be the mayor for everyone who calls the city home and to deliver them a city that they can. can be proud of. So, Mr. Mayor, there was a time not too long ago when the president himself was attacking you quite frequently. And you him, we should say. He was calling you a lunatic.

You had promised to be his worst nightmare if you were elected after your meeting with him in the Oval Office in November. All of that changed. Why? What happened in that room? You know, the president and I have many disagreements. We're not shy about them. We've been public about them.

We've been private about them. One thing we have very much in agreement is a love of New York City. And so in that meeting, in the subsequent conversations, and then in the following Oval Office meeting, I have gone back to the president with our hopes for what it could look like to actually put the city on better footing in the years to come. I put forward a plan to build more housing than New York City has seen in any single housing development since the early 70s. Alongside that, I also made clear to the president, as I have before, my continued belief that ice raids are cruel and inhumane, that they do nothing to advance the cause of public safety. And I gave him and his chief of staff a list of five who had been detained in or around Columbia University.

And maybe about 30 or so minutes after the meeting, the president called me to say that he made the decision that he was going to release that student who'd been detained that morning. So you found a way to have a productive relationship with this president, despite your differences. How would you describe that? Is it a partnership? Is it an alliance? What is it? I think it's a productive relationship between the mayor of this city, the president of this country, and one that is also honest. You know, I want to always be honest with the president and with the public about where those disagreements are. And also that my job is not to litigate the disagreements, but to deliver for the people of New York City. How often do you two

text or talk to each other? I'll leave that to the two of us, but I'll tell you that that's the focus of that relationship. Once a week, twice a week. Hot or colder? I will keep that between the two of us. I've got to ask you about your family before I let you go. Because I think anyone familiar with the specific and what I would say, very fortunate experience of being raised by Desi parents, South Asian parents,

especially those with the courage and the hope to forge an entirely new life in new nations, you know that you can learn a lot from them. Yes. What have you learned from your parents? You know, my mother would always tell me if we don't tell our own stories, no one else will. And she imbued within me the importance of being proud of who you are.

And my father also, he taught me so often when you're growing up as a minority in a place, you can grow up also with a sense of almost a chip on your shoulder. With it also comes the ability to see the truth of a place in its entirety, the promise of it, and that which still needs to be worked on. And that was in such a way so freeing to hear as a young person to understand my place in the world and the responsibility that I had within it and the fact that it was a gift, not a burden. Mr. Mayor, it's been such a pleasure to speak with you today. Zoran Mandani, the mayor of New York City. Thank you for making the time.

Very welcome. Thank you so much. The airport delays tied to the partial government shutdown aren't going away and may be getting worse. Several major airports are seeing long security lines, flight delays, and growing frustration among travelers as TSA workers are not getting paid. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental appear to be some of the worst hit with delays of up to two hours or more. Philadelphia's airport was also very backed up this week. TSA workers missed their first full paycheck on the shutdown a week ago. Some say they are calling out sick, taking other jobs, or simply quitting altogether because of financial hardships.

People have to make the hard choices between gas, babysitting money, being able to come to work. It's really difficult right now. For more on these workers and they are delays, we are joined by the Wall Street Journal's Alison Polly. She covers the travel and tourism industry. Allison, thanks so much for being here. I mentioned Atlanta and Houston are particularly bad. right now. Where else are things bad? And how does this compare to, say, a week ago? Things have started to get worse across the country. So we've seen longer delays in Phoenix

today, as well as at JFK. So compared to a week ago, these delays are much longer. We've also seen an increase in people traveling for spring break. So there are more travelers. It's also a longer period of time that TSA workers have not been paid. And we're They're coming up on yet another month where rent will be due, utility bills will be due, et cetera. So we're seeing lines grow across the country. Given that all TSA workers are suffering, why is it that we're seeing problems only particularly in some airports and not others?

Like I understand Chicago O'Hare was pretty clear. That has been the case so far. In certain situations, workers are under different arrangements. So in Atlanta, for example, workers have told me that they have to pay for gas, of course, to get to work, but they've also historically had to pay for their parking. When you're not getting paid, those expenses add up. So what the airport has done is stepped in to cover parking for TSA workers during this time. But even though the situation is the same across most airports, it also does vary.

There are some TSA workers who are not federal employees. So some airports, like Kansas City, for example, and San Francisco use private contracting services where private workers are able to perform the duties of TSA officers, but they're not affected by the shutdown. They are getting paid, so there are airports that are in different situations. I see. We saw the funding bill in Congress again failed today. Is there any sense of where this goes from here?

It's still an extremely tough battle going forward. So Democrats have introduced legislation that would fund the Homeland Security Department except for ICE and except for customs and border protection, or it would fund just TSA, but Republicans have voted those down. They have introduced bills to fund the entire Homeland Security Department, and Democrats have not voted for those. So it's a tough road going forward on both sides. It seems like no one has moved so far. And so what I'm hearing from TSA workers is that March 27th next Friday is the day that Congress is scheduled to go on its two-week recess.

That is a make-or-break day for them. If Congress ends up leaving for the recess without reaching a deal, TSA workers say they're not sure they're going to be able to make it into work after that. Yeah, I can only imagine if Congress is going off on a break of their own when TSA workers are not being paid,

that would be tough to swallow. You recently spoke with the general manager of Atlanta's airport about all of this. How did he explain how they're trying to get out of this morass? What they're trying to do is just support workers in ways that they can. So I mentioned the parking earlier. They're also giving the workers one meal voucher per shift. And so that's their way of enticing people to come to work

and show them their appreciation for what they're doing. In terms of getting out of it, I think, unfortunately, it's just going to get a lot tougher. So the week of March 29th is actually the week that most schools go on spring break. About 40% of schools across the country are in spring break during that time. So at Atlanta, for example, the general manager didn't have a full solution. They're just taking it day by day. He did say that at least in Atlanta, people, though they're waiting in extremely long lines, have been orderly.

They understand what's going on. and they're appreciative to the workers. But, of course, it is really tough when you get there three hours early and you still miss your flight. That is Alison Polly of the Wall Street Journal. Thank you so much for being here. Thanks for having me. The U.S. job market has been cooling recently,

and government data shows it's only getting harder for Americans to find a job. One sector that has proved tougher than most is manufacturing. President Trump has promised a manufacturing boom in both his terms, but while he's been able to get pledges for more factory investment, the actual jobs inside those factories tell a different story thus far. Economics correspondent Paul Solman has this report. The Ohio State Marching Band and its featured instrument, the brassy sousaphone, emblem of school spirit and state pride,

made just outside Cleveland. We handcraft everything. We've perfected the process for it, It's been working for 58 years in our facility, and that's what I think you get when you get that American craftsmanship. Rob Heinz, an American craftsman's sousaphone buffer at the Kahn Selmer plant, where he's worked for nine years. It's not an easy job. It's a grueling job, but we do it because we love what we do. And what they lovingly produce, which is why he and coworkers were stunned when the company suddenly said it will shutter the factory in June and relocate to China. hunting 150 people to the street.

It's a lot of fear, you know, right now. A lot of people are afraid. We're talking about some of the best brass instrument craftsmen in the world going into job interviews and being told, well, that's good and all, but you don't actually have any skills. Wyatt Gorski, another buffer. His future? I don't know what I'm going to do. We're all left in a limbo right now. Of course, some of you've seen it as long as I have.

manufacturing jobs on the wayne ever since 1979. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. It's a trend President Trump has famously vowed to reverse, with tariffs and domestic investment. Foreign leaders and business executives have frequently visited the White House grounds pledging to spend in the U.S. of A. In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over This number is widely thought to be implausible and almost assuredly includes commitments that were made before Trump's second term.

But there's no contesting the fact that since President Trump took office, the U.S. has lost nearly 100,000 manufacturing jobs. The administration and its allies, however, tout their dedication to a turnaround. We need to protect American jobs and protect American manufacturing. We can't have American producers close at American factories and offshoring. And yet it's this same famed investor, John Paulson, who owns the Brass Instrument Factory. Paulson hosted a $50 million fundraiser for President Trump during the 2024 campaign. A lot of our members support Trump and believe in the administration.

Or did, claims Con Selmer Union President Rob Hines. And how are people feeling about it now? Some people feel slighted, you know, and some people are even questioning if Trump actually knows about the moves, his allies make it in the dark. Some people still believe in the administration. Some people feel let down. In recent years, the company had already been moving parts to China, cheaper production to buff the bottom line. But at a hidden cost, says Heinz. We've seen over the last year the quality deteriorate just from trying to integrate those foreign parts. Wait, the myopic maximizing of shareholder value we've heard so much about?

What do the workers here just see what they want to see? I don't think it will be just because it's in our interest. As somebody who works with these parts day in and day out, six days a week, we see the quality. The employees have complained about the quality and it's falling on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the job attrition and Wyatt Gorski's part of the plant. At times, it's been over 100, and now we're down to this group of 16 of us who are sending out the last American-made French horns and sousaphone and tubas. Plus, there's another cost, often ignored when a plant goes under, the loss of internal community.

That's just as big a way as losing your job financially. I mean, it might sound kind of bizarre to say, but a lot of people are devastated because we have people 40, 50 years have been working together. It's been a tragedy, right? Not only for community, but for bar buddies and friends everywhere. But that too has been happening for eons. In fact, the destruction of all those jobs down on the farm is what helped create the manufacturing boom of the last century. But is there no way to protect American jobs from foreign competition? The push now is let's get manufacturers from here and especially abroad to bring their manufacturing to the United States, which is then supposedly going to create more jobs than at least are here now.

The question is how significant would those jobs be relative to the whole economy? Trade economist Robert Lawrence. We had a $1.2 trillion trade deficit in manufacturing last year. Suppose all the money that is going abroad would be used to buy American goods. Even under such a fantasy, how much would actual factory floor jobs increase? Professor Lawrence estimates less than 1%. And of course, American-made products, would then cost more. In addition, he says,

If we were self-sufficient, what would it do to the opportunities for the typical worker in the United States, who doesn't have a college education, would it create large numbers of employment opportunities? That's basically what's been driving our policies. And the answer is very little. But in addition, those jobs are increasingly likely to be displaced as a result of increased automation. And perhaps increasingly likely to be overpromised,

like two Ohio Intel plants. Intel promised 5,000 jobs in the construction. We're seeing less than half that, and 3,000 permanent jobs to man those two plants and manufacture silicon chips. Frankly, I think that's over-promised and under-delivered, as they say. Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb, where the Intel project is located.

Is it an unrealistic expectation that we're going to have lots more manufacturing jobs in this country than we used to? Well, I'm not going to go as far as unrealistic, but you don't want to be overly optimistic. We're still an expensive labor market. We have competitors around the world. It's a world market now in Asia and other places that have been pretty darn competitive in manufacturing and shipping to this country. More over ads, Bub. One of the problems we have in this country is trained workforce. You can move manufacturing plants back here, but who's going to work in them?

But at the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the watchword is patience. Just as it took a couple of decades for us to deindustrialize, I don't think that we're going to see immediate results in manufacturing. Scott Paul runs the alliance. I'm optimistic that over time we will see manufacturing jobs. growth come out of both the massive amount of construction that's going on right now, the trade deficit coming down a little bit, and a reshoring trend that was already underway before Trump became president. So he says manufacturing jobs won't be stuck forever at today's lower level.

A new corporate investment promised by Trump will be part of the Renaissance. The U.S., he says, added a million manufacturing jobs between 2010 and 2019, when many thought that simply wouldn't happen. It's not impossible to regrow the sector if we have the right policies. There might be a ceiling on the manufacturing job growth that we can see because of automation and productivity, but that doesn't mean that we can't grow the sector again over time. Patience is a luxury for the likes of Wyatt Gorski, though. I'm not even thinking day to day. I'm thinking second to second.

All I'm thinking is, can I get enough sousaphone out? Can I get enough tubas out that they won't close this plant at a whim because they see productivity dip. All I can think about are the people around me and my duty to them and to our legacy to keep the place open just a little longer so we can get a few paychecks. As of last week, the plant was still open, the paychecks still being issued. But the deadline seems to be the end of June for the PBS News hour, Paul Salman. With the war in Iran stretching on for almost a month, and President Trump, struggling to contain the economic fallout,

now is the good time for the analysis of Brooks and Capehart. That's the Atlantic's David Brooks and Jonathan K-part of MS. Now, good evening, gentlemen. Hi, William. Jonathan, as you talked about here last week, the president has given all sorts of conflicting ideas as to why we got into this war, how the war is currently going,

and what might happen to get out of this war. The thing that's not unclear at all is the toll, toll, the lives lost, the infrastructure damage, the economic toll. With the Pentagon now saying that they might need an extra $200 billion to continue fighting this, what does this say about this ongoing conflict? Where to begin, William, I'm still trying to understand what the president's true objectives are. Is it regime change? And if so, who comes next? What comes next? He wants a he wants them to surrender, but in the same breath says,

there's no one to talk to, we've killed everybody. Just before we came on air, there's a long truth social post from the president saying, basically, you know, we're almost there, and here are all the things

we've been able to do, and then said to the allies, if you guys want to open the straight, that's on you. And he's, you say, we don't use the straight, we don't need it. Okay, so then what does that mean

for oil production? What does that mean for Americans here at home who have seen gas prices rise by tomorrow? It could be that gas has increased a full dollar since the start of the war. A huge jump. A huge jump since the war started on February 28th. And so, I mean, I would just love it

if the president would do an Oval Office address and talk to the American people formally about why he would. did what he did, what he sees his objectives are, or his accomplishments, and then tell us what's next. That would be infinitely more helpful than what we've seen over the last four weeks. Let's say he did that. Would it matter? I think so. I was pleased that he said in this true social post that he was thinking of winding it down. Right. And, you know, he said we've achieved a love of our mission. He's at this moment of decision where they either decide we're going to

clear the Straits of Hermotes, or we're just going to try and negotiate a settlement right now. And clearing the Straits of Hermotes is a multi-week, maybe multi-month operation, and that's where the $200 billion were, and the Marines were going and would come in. And that could involve all sorts of things. And that is just an ugly proposition. If we could clear the Straits of Remotes in a week, I'd say, go for it. But that doesn't seem to be on offer. So we're looking at a lot of economic turmoil, a lot of death, probably boots on the ground.

And so that's an unattractive option. Right now, he can say the region's language is mowing the grass, that Iran tries to build up terror capability, terror capability, and every once in a while they have to mow the grass, which to reduce their terror capability. And this would be the mother of all mowing the grasses. Right. But he could say, basically the key thing is we have reduced their ability

to be a regional power. And we may have eliminated their ability to be regional power. And that would be a total win for the region. And that is a legitimate argument that they have genuinely done that. They have. They've decapitated the regime. They've gotten rid of a lot of the Hamas and Hezbollah. They've taken out a lot of the weapons capabilities. Most importantly, they've taken up the factories where they make the weapons.

So it takes a long time to build all that stuff back. And so that would be somewhat of a win. It would not be a total winner. It would be a very ugly win because we basically be telling Iran, you intimidated us. You closed the straits, and you sort of beat us on that front. And so it would not be good,

but it might be, of all the bad options in front of us, that might be a decent one. Yeah. But in the interim, Jonathan, we are still in this position where Iran, although the president says their military has been utterly destroyed, they are showing in that 0%

that they allegedly have left, remarkable tenacity to punish other Gulf states to destroy critical. oil and gas infrastructure. I mean, analysts have been arguing that what's been done in Qatar recently could be years undoing. The Iranians don't seem to be ready to give up this fight yet. Right. And that's why there seems to be this dissonance and disconnect. Certainly for me here in Washington, but I'm sure for the American people who are just loosely watching, the president says one thing, such as the straits are open, everything is great, and then the split screen

tankers on fire. The words that are coming out of the president's mouth and out of his administration don't seem to match the facts on the ground, which is why I think it would be really important for the president to come to the American people and explain what's happened. The problem that he has,

and the problem, admittedly, I would have watching such an Oval Office address, is I would not know how much of what he says I can trust. Right. Do you think that rising energy prices, David, are going to force his hands? in this? Not necessarily. I mean, it's not great to have the gas of a buck, as you say. But if you look at his base, we have the numbers on earlier in the show, he's not losing his base.

Right. And he could say, if there was a plausible idea that you could really change the regime, it would be worth a couple weeks of economic hardship. Right. But there's probably no plausible possibility of that. And then the economic hardship is the economic hardship. So to me, it's not a killer, but it's certainly pressure on him. And he's a guy who follows the stock market. Affordability is a number one issue. It doesn't seem to bug him particularly. Right. Which is interesting to me. He's not like trying to make a case about it. Right. So he seems to have decided this is worth doing. And, you know, you could say, I don't, any war is not worth doing if it's being led by Donald Trump and Pete Hexas.

Right. So that would be where I would share some of Jonathan's concerns. But, you know, if they could reduce the power of Iran for the next generation, that would not be good for the people of Iran, because they'll still be stuck with this regime, but it would be good for the region. And you're seeing the Gulf states, you're seeing the Saudis, basically fighting alongside Israel and saying, you know, what Iran did in bombing all these states was a true atrocity that's altering the landscape of that region. And that, too, is a, the more we can get a grand coalition against Iran, not bad. long that lasts.

Right. I mean, what do you make of this argument, though, that some in the Trump administration are making, Israel's making, and certainly some foreign policy hawks, that as David is describing that it might be worth it, even if you put aside your feelings about Trump and Heggseth and the way he's operated this and the way he's communicated about this, that what they have done to a regime that so many people do argue is an awful totalitarian regime, that it could be worth it. Might be worth it. Could be worth it. If it were possible, why didn't previous presidents of both parties do it? Why did they always seem to stop? There was always something that stopped them.

And look, I would be 100% behind you, David, if I knew what day two was and if I trusted the people who were doing all the planning. I can't trust the folks simply because their words don't match what's happening on the ground. But also, the way the president launched into this, great, you can start a war, but what's the game plan?

What is your end goal? How achievable is it? And then once you're done or while you're doing it, what does the rest of the neighborhood look like? The idea that the president was told by military leaders, you know, they're going to probably close the straight of Hormuz. But you've got to be prepared for that. He got that intel and decided I don't care about that.

I mean, so, Mr. President, what is your day after or two days after or a week after? Let's say that, you know, this very rosy idea of what the region could look like, let's say that is possible. Mr. President, how are you going to make the Brooks vision real and tell us, the truth. And the fact that we don't know what that answer is should be alarming to more than just me. You know, if I would just say one thing about what Trump has done has made the previous presidents look bad because they should have done something. Iran has always been the central threat and George WB. Bush went after Iraq. What the heck? Right. Barack Obama abandoned the red line in Syria gave a sort of a green light there in Syria. Joe Biden didn't do much. Trump didn't do

much in the first term. And so the problem built. Now, is the problem solved? No, it's not solved. And I think, I don't know if this is where U.S. and Israeli interests really diverge. We have a much stronger interest in trying to wind down. The Israelis do not have that interest. And so that'll be a tension. But if you can get a weakened regime, I don't know, it looks, it looks not as pessimistic as I was last week. Oh, all that progress. All right, let's take it to Friday night. Yeah, you didn't ask me. But that's okay, we're out of time. We'll come back next week.

We'll talk about it then. David and Jonathan, so nice to see you both. You too, William. Thanks. March Madness is in full swing, and it's that time of year when even those of us not inclined to gamble might just toss a few dollars into the office pool,

hoping to just pick up the right upset and land a big payout. For our podcast, Settle in. Jeff Bennett recently spoke with journalist and author David Hill. He's extensively covered sports betting for Rolling Stone and in his upcoming book. Here's a brief excerpt. One thing I know that a lot of casual betters don't realize

is that if you win too consistently, that sports books can really shut you out. Tell me more about that. This is something that American gamblers are growing more and more aware of as we see the expansion of sports betting in America, particularly with the types of companies that are controlling the market right now,

what some people would call recreational sports books. And that's that the larger sports books in America, like Fandul, Drav Kings, MGM, Sears, that they will, if a player shows any real propensity to win, you know, that they're adept at understanding how to win at gambling, they'll limit their bets, that they will limit those folks to betting small amounts of money to protect their own liabilities against those types of betters. And this shocks some people. I mean, originally, the betters who were getting limited in the early days of sports betting sort of growing in the United States were professionals, people that bet pretty large sums of money, and we're winning large sums of money.

But at this point, it's pretty scattershot. I mean, I think a lot of these sports books are painting with a pretty wide brush. And we're seeing that a lot of gamblers who don't bet very large amounts of money, myself included, have found that they've been limited by sports books down to where they can only bet a penny on a game or something like that, because they maybe, you know, won too much money or even, you don't even have to really win a lot of money. You just have to show that you're able to win at a certain type of bet or a certain type of sport over time. Well, tell me about your experience with this. My experience is that I'm not somebody who bets lots of money.

You know, somebody who if I bet a couple hundred bucks on a game, that was a pretty decent size bet for me. And I found that in a number of sports books, my bets would, you know, over time got limited down to where I couldn't bet $5, $10. And sometimes, in some cases, I couldn't bet more than a penny simply because I was winning. I was betting on things that the sports book maybe felt like they didn't have as strong of a mock. or as good of a sense of what the price should be than I did. And that's essentially what sports books are doing. They're profiling their players to say, if this player seems to understand the bet better than we do,

we just won't take their bet. But if the player seems to be someone who is just sort of betting foolishly and is likely to lose, we'll let them bet as much as they want. In fact, the more foolish this better looks, the higher limit will give them. And I think that these two things in combination is a real problem. The fact that you limit people who win, but you will expand the limits for people who lose is a bad recipe.

In Europe, they call this the ban or bankrupt model, you know, that you ban anybody that's going to win over time, and then you bankrupt all the players who you've identified are never going to win. You can watch that full conversation and all our episodes of Settle In on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Coming up tonight on Washington Week with the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg and his guests discussing the growing opposition to a, America's war with Iran. On horizons this weekend, we discuss Artemis II, NASA's first man

mission to the moon in decades. And on compass points, Nick Schifrin and his panel discussed the lingering questions about America's ultimate objective in Iran as the war enters its fourth week. Those are all right here on your local PBS station and on our YouTube page. And that is the News Hour for tonight. I'm William Brangham. On behalf of the entire Newsauer team, Thank you so much for joining us. Have a great weekend.