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

Episode Date: March 30, 2026

Monday on the News Hour, President Trump threatens to seize one of Iran's oil hubs as the wider war engulfs the region. TSA workers are finally getting paid, but lines remain long at airports nationwide amid the partial government shutdown. Plus, companies bet on nuclear energy, building a new generation of advanced reactors to meet growing demand. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Good evening. I'm Amna Nawaz. Jeff Bennett is away. On the news hour tonight, President Trump threatens to seize one of Iran's oil hubs as the wider war engulfs the region, including Israel's expanding military campaign in southern Lebanon. TSA workers are finally getting paid, but lines remain long at airports nationwide amid the partial government shutdown. And the irradiament in each one of these balls produces about as much power is about four tons. of home. Companies bet on nuclear energy, building a new generation of advanced reactors to meet growing demand. Welcome to the News Hour. The war with Iran has entered its second month, and President Trump says the onus is on Tehran to quickly agree to end the war or face the widespread destruction of its energy resources, including its power plants and its oil hubs. But Iran remains publicly defiant, calling U.S. demands unrealistic and continuing,

its attacks on Israel and the region. Nick Schifrin begins our coverage. In northern Israel today, the country's largest oil refinery engulfed in smoke. Iran is trying to punish Israel and the region with attacks on energy facilities and a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt said today Iran was beginning to release. 20 additional tankers, which we expect to see over the coming days, are a result of the direct and indirect talks that are taking place between the United States and Iran.

President Trump told the Financial Times the Strait of Hormuz Agreement was personally authorized by Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohamed Bagar Galibaf. He's long been a hardliner, who this weekend warned he would, quote, set American troops on fire. But today, President Trump said Iran was led by a, quote, new and more reasonable regime. He also threatened to escalate, writing, if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately open for business, we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their electric-generating plants, oil wells, and Karg Island.

Karg Island is about the size of New York's JFK airport and exports 90 percent of Iran's oil. Trump told the F.T. that he would, quote, prefer to take Iran's oil by seizing the island. Maybe we take Karg Island. Maybe we don't. We have a lot of options. It would also mean we had to be there for a while. Even for President Trump, a threat to possibly indefinitely occupy Middle Eastern territory is a remarkable statement. As a least, leader who has for one decade vowed to avoid endless wars. But the president dismissed his detractors. My favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the U.S.

say, why are you doing that? But they're stupid people. Over the last week, the U.S. has demanded Iran dismantle its nuclear facilities and hand over its highly enriched uranium, cap its ballistic missile inventory and range, and give up its support for proxies, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. said today. So they have to abandon all these weapon programs and all their nuclear ambitions, and if they do that, then Iran's future can be bright.

But today, the U.S. demands were rejected by Iran's foreign ministry spokesman. The U.S. demands have been very excessive, unrealistic, and illogical. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what's being communicated to us privately. Today, Levitt said Iran was embracing diplomacy. When the president says more reasonable, again, these folks are appearing more reasonable behind the scenes privately in these conversations than perhaps some of the previous leaders who are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to the United States.

But Iran also accuses the U.S. of using diplomacy as cover. Twice during Trump's second term, the U.S. has attacked Iran during high-level diplomatic talks. I would only say that we're doing extremely well in that negotiation, but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up. The U.S. is amassing more forces, including thousands of Marines with sailors who can launch amphibious assaults. They could conduct raids into Iranian territory, but they could also help defend tankers passing through the strait.

In Iran, today the White House said it had struck 11,000 targets out of what President Trump says are 16,000 targets. And Israel continued to target what it says are Tehran weapons production sites. says among the targets have been three universities, as well as now hollowed out high-rise apartments. At least one strike hit a busy street in downtown Tehran, and the city has faced power cuts. Israel is also expanding its invasion into southern Lebanon, expanding what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this weekend called a security strip.

I have now instructed to further expand the existing security strip in order to finally thwart the threat of invasion and to keep the anti-tank missile. fire away from our borders. That expansion has come with a cost. Today Israel buried 19-year-old sergeant Iran-Benzion, an American-Israeli and the sixth Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon in the last month, when Hezbollah entered the war and has since fired at least 850 drones and missiles into Israel. The UN's peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon said today three peacekeepers had been killed

in less than 24 hours. And in southern Lebanon this weekend, an Israeli strike killed three journalists and multiple paramedics. And to examine that incident and also the challenges facing journalists reporting in Lebanon and the larger Middle East right now, we turn to Sarakouda, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Middle East and North Africa Regional Director. Sarekuda, thanks very much. Welcome back to the News Hour. One of the journalists killed in southern Lebanon was Ali Hassan Shweb. And the Israeli military released this statement, saying it had targeted him, but calling him, quote, a terrorist in the intelligence unit of Hezbollah's Rodwan force, accusing him of aiding Hezbollah in various ways while working as a journalist. And in 2020, officially joining Hezbollah's military wing. What can you tell us about him and Al-Munar, the outlet he worked for?

It is not a secret that El-Munar TV is affiliated to Hezbollah and owned by Hezbollah. That does not make journalists who work with this media outlet or this TV station terrorists or in any way providing intelligence secrets. They are still civilians. IDF did not provide any kind of evidence that Ali or the other two journalists are participating in any military action. There is a key principle under international military law. journalists are considered civilians and therefore they are protected from any kind of attacks

unless they were in any way participating in conflict with an army. But until now, IDF did not provide any kind of evidence that Ali Shraib is part of Hizbullah or he has been part of the military. This is a pattern. It's not an isolated incident. It became a playbook by Israeli authorities and the IDF. We saw it in Gaza since 2003, where they were killing a journalist, and after they killed them, they smear them saying that they are terrorists and they were part of Hamas or participating in military actions.

We mentioned three journalists, another one was photojournalist, Mohamed Fatuni. The third journalist killed was Fatima Fatuni, that is, Mohamed's sister. and the Israeli military does not say that it targeted her, saying instead, quote, the IDF directs its strikes to target terrorists and not journalists and is operating to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible. Just three hours before Fatima Fattuni was killed, she recorded this video of herself.

And she posted this video in 2024 from the site of another air strike that allegedly targeted journalists, saying they were only armed with microphones and a press fest. What do we know about her and how she died? The killing of Fatima was

unfortunate and I think it was even more painful than the killing of Ali and her brother, Muhammad, because Fatima survived the first strike and she tried, footage and videos

do show that she tried to escape from the car after it was targeted, but she was killed in another strike. So saying that they did not try to target her or killed her, she survived the first strike. Why did they target her again after she was trying to escape the car? Zoom out for us in Lebanon.

How dangerous has it been in Lebanon to report on this war since the war in Iran began and since Hezbollah joined the war in Israel? Journalists are facing several dangers, one of them coming from Israeli strikes, but the other one is also from Hezbollah's obstruction. intimidation to journalists. So far we know of five journalists killed in Lebanon. Also, at least four media outlets, buildings, they were destroyed by Israeli strikes. On the other hand, Hezbollah is imposing severe restrictions on journalists. They are being questioned, detained, their equipment are taken from them, search, their phones are searched, their cameras

our search. Let's zoom out here. It has been one month exactly since this war began, that Israel and the U.S. launched this war with Iran. Let's go through the region. How hard has it been, from what you can tell, for journalists to report, for example, from the Gulf? What restrictions are they facing, given Iran's repeated attempts to try and hit targets

throughout the Gulf? Across the region, across the Gulf, we have repeatedly seen authority. in Gulf countries, especially in Qatar and United Arab Emirates, where they imposed strict restrictions on journalists, not to film or report on any kind of strikes that are happening in the country, not just the military bases and military protected areas, but also strikes that are happening in civilian areas. On the other hand, Iran, there is a nationwide internet blackout,

day number 31 today, and this is the long. in modern history where we see such an internet blackout imposed on a country, which really hinders the ability of journalists to report and to inform citizens and the world about what is happening inside their country. And so what should we understand about the images that are coming out of Iran? What should we understand about who is being allowed to broadcast these images from Iran? Some journalists were able to access the white internet through people that they know, and they were able to transfer some footage and images, but the vast majority of the reporting

is happening through state-owned media, which means that the country, the authorities, are controlling the narrative. The same is happening in Israel. It's not very different. Journalists has been obstructed. Journalists on live air were obstructed and asked to stop filming and to stop reporting on what's happening. Sarah Kuda of the Committee to Protect Journalists, thank you very much. Thank you, Nick.

In the day's other headlines, a sanctioned Russian oil tanker is now off the coast of Cuba, about to deliver some 700,000 barrels of much-needed oil. Russian officials say it arrived at Cuba's Matanzas port this morning, though ship tracking data suggests it won't dock until later tonight or tomorrow. It comes amid a crippling U.S. oil blockade, which has led to recurring blackouts and gas shortages. Yesterday, President Trump told reporters that despite the blockade, he has, quote, no problem with Russia's shipment. Today, a Kremlin spokesman said Russia discussed the shipment with the U.S.

Under the blockade, our Cuban friends need petroleum products and oil for the country. country's life support systems for generating electricity and for providing medical and other services to the population. Russia considers it its duty not to stand aside, but to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends. Experts say Russia's shipment of oil is enough to meet Cuba's energy demand for about nine or ten days. The U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Venezuela's capital of Caracas today. It's a major step in the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the country following a U.S. military operation that removed then-President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Good days to allos. The U.S. Charged Affair and other officials marked the reopening by posting a Spanish-language video to social media, touting what they called, quote, a new chapter in our bilateral relationship. The facility is in need of significant repair after a seven-year closure that began during President Trump's first term. Israel passed a law today making the death penalty by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. Far-right lawmakers had pushed for the measure for years and cheered its passage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed up in person to vote in favor of the bill.

Israel's firebrand National Security Minister, Yitzamar Ben-Givir, had spearheaded the measure. From today, every terrorist. will know, and the whole world will know, that whoever takes a life, the state of Israel will take their life. The bill has faced criticism from both Israeli and Palestinian rights groups, with one calling it discriminatory by design. The law is set to take effect in 30 days, though it's expected to face legal challenges in Israel's Supreme Court.

The FBI said today the suspect who crashed his truck into a Detroit area synagogue earlier this month was inspired by the Iran-backed militant. militant group, Ghazbollah. We do not make this characterization lightly without a thorough review and keen evaluation of the facts. At a press conference, official said the suspect, Eamon Ghazali, made a video prior to the attack, saying he wanted to, in his words, kill as many of them as I possibly can. The 41-year-old fatally shot himself after an exchange of gunfire with a security guard

at Temple Israel in a northwest suburb of Detroit. No one on site was injured in the incident. attack. U.S. immigration officials said today that a Mexican immigrant passed away while in ICE custody in California earlier this month. Jose Guadalupe Ramos is now the 14th such fatality so far this year. His death comes as around 68,000 immigrants are held in federal detention amid President Trump's immigration crackdown. That's near record levels, according to the latest available figures. Last year, at least 31 people died in ICE custody. That was a two decade high. The debts have prompted calls for congressional investigations into conditions at federal

detention centers and led to multiple lawsuits. Police in Italy say thieves stole three famous paintings from a private museum near the northern city of Parma. The works include cup and plate of cherries by Paul Cizanne, plus paintings by Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse. Italy's public broadcaster says they're worth more than $10 million, though that figure has not yet been confirmed. Police say the heist took place about a week ago after the robbers forced their way through the museum entrance. Local media outlets say they were in and out in less than three minutes. An investigation is ongoing. On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed as oil prices continue to rise. Investors also weighed comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who said today the

central bank can quote, wait and see how the Iran war affects inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial average managed a slight gain of about 50 points, the NASDAQ lost ground shedding around 150 points, the S&P 500 also ended lower on the day. Still to come, on the News Hour, the potential risks and rewards of building a new generation of nuclear power in the U.S. Tamara Keith and Amy Walter break down the latest political headlines. And young adults contend with rising rates of colorectal cancer. This is the PBS News Hour from the day. M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News.

After 44 days of working without pay, TSA workers are finally starting to get back pay. That comes after President Trump issued an executive order on Friday to pay TSA officers immediately. Still, some airports continue to see long lines due to staffing shortages. William Brangham has more. The Department of Homeland Security announced that most TSA employees received, a first retroactive paycheck today that covered several weeks of unpaid work. But many workers say damage has already been done. Some are still calling out sick or struggling to catch up on bills, child care, and missed payments

after weeks without income. For more on this, we are joined by Angela Grana. She's the TSA officer in Colorado and the regional vice president for her state's branch of the American Federation of Government Employees, U.S. Union. Angela, thank you so much for being here. Before we get into this larger struggle, about these back paychecks, did you get your check this morning? I did. I got mine about 4.30 this morning. I got a paycheck, yes. And can you give us a sense of how TSA workers like yourself, prior to these paychecks coming, what it has been like for you all and how you have had to try

to deal with working for so many weeks with no pay? It's been devastating. It's been a constant battle with trying to stay alive financially and trying to keep a nice face on, but when the passenger comes up to greet you, you greet them just the same and let them not let them know that there's something very bad deep down inside. And what kinds of, I know I've heard some reports about workers having to take other jobs

or do other things to supplement their income? So supplementing the income is not an easy to. You cannot just go get another job. The agency has to okay that other income and that other work. And where would you have time to do that when you are already pulling a 10 to 12-hour shift and with one day off a week trying to cover for those that couldn't come to work? Right. Can you give us a sense of these paychecks started to hit people's bank accounts today?

Is it your sense that that is going to bring the vast majority? of people back to work and deal with this issue? No. So if you resigned, you turned in your badge, which means you also lost your security clearance, which means you're not coming back. And those that couldn't come to work, hopefully they will eventually be able to, you know, pay off whatever bill that's holding them to stay at home, probably a child care issue. And so it's not an easy quick fix.

it's going to take some time. And I don't think we're ever going to really recover from this abuse. There's a lot of finance charges and late fees. And, you know, we're still trying to get ourselves out of the last shutdown, where if we took a loan there against anything that we had, that you couldn't take another loan because you already had one outstanding. And unfortunately, the agency does not like it. And they frown big on a bad credit report.

And I guarantee you, we're going to have some officers with bad credit readings. You mentioned that you try to put on a brave face for the customers who are coming through the airports. And I know a lot of people have expressed frustration being at the airport and getting stuck. And they may not know what you all have been dealing with or the machinations here in D.C. What do you want those people to know about what you've been dealing with? Well, walk a mile in our shoes. Of course, we're not going to let them know it when we're on the checkpoint. We're going to be professional.

We're going to be diligent at our job and only focused on our jobs. Of course, we'll say hello and have a nice day and have a safe flight, but we're not going to let them know how we truly feel. I would like them to know that it's a big thank you for all of those gift cards that they gave us in the donations of food and diapers and laundry detergent, all kinds of, even pet food. Those were crazy donations that they didn't have to do. They already pay a 9-11 tax.

when they bought their boarding pass, and that 9-11 tax should be something that we're using as, you know, our budget money. So I'm not sure where the politicians or how the politicians handle our budget line. But it would be nice if the politicians got themselves together and figured all this mess out and stopped doing it on our backs. Because I think it's going to happen again at the end of May

and probably at the end of September. We'll have to go through all of this all over again. And we don't have that kind of pay to say for a rainy day. We start at $40,000. So I don't know how we're going to ever have money to pay for another shutdown. I guess the same question I would ask to you about what you would like the leaders here in Washington

to understand. I mean, a lot of them have now left for a two-week Easter recess. What do you want them to understand about all of this? Well, I have a nice vacation. We are not getting a vacation. Me as a grandmother, I've missed a lot of milestones because I'm not allowed to take an unscheduled leave. Our Easters are not going to be the same.

Most of us are going to work that day. Easter baskets, forget it. We're not going to have money for that. You know, we don't have a red line and a blue line for passengers to be separated. We have a red, white, and blue checkpoint. We treat everybody the same. We don't discriminate on what their political desires or wants and needs are.

So we don't understand why the politicians can't serve the American people and fix this issue. Angela Grana, TSA officer and member of your local union, thank you so much for being here. Thank you. Appreciate it. Organizers of this weekend's third No King's protests say it was the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history. They said more than 8 million people participated at more than 3,000 events in all 50 states, from Minnesota to Texas, from New York to Iowa, and even in world capitals abroad, chanting, marching, holding signs, and speaking out against President Trump and his administration's policies. The size of the protests and the frustrations among those who attended have only grown since the last event in October.

The administration's immigration crackdown and the administration's immigration crackdown and the frustrations. the Iran war were among the top concerns. I don't like foreign wars. I don't like excessive government spending, which we're also managing to do somehow. It's just pure frustration and need to express the injustices, and we need to gather together to create change and, you know, harness our energy. I'm tired, we're exhausted.

This brings me hope. I have so much hope here. And we can change this. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's not going to do it. It has to be we the people. To discuss the protests and other political headlines, we turn now to our politics Monday duo. That is Amy Walter of the Cook political report with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith of NPR. Welcome to you both. Tam, I'm going to start with you. These massive no king's protests here and abroad, including one we should point out in a place that actually has a king. What, what do you take away from the scale of these protests?

and the message the protesters were delivering. What we have seen in polling recently is that Democrats have a lot of enthusiasm. Democratic voters don't necessarily support their party's leadership or that direction, but they are very energized, and that sort of energy is what you're seeing out on the streets with these no-king's protests. And similarly, back when President Trump was first in office

the first time around, you had the... women's march, which led to sort of built energy among voters towards the midterms in 2018, which were very good for Democrats. This level of energy, if you, you know, you see people out in the streets. If they're willing to do that, it's sometimes in cold weather, then they're probably going to be willing to vote. Amy, is this a venting of frustrations or can it lead to real change in some way? I mean, I do think this is as much about the person as it is about policy.

While some of the folks there were talking about Iran or ICE, I think what the central unifying figure is Donald Trump and the frustration with the way he runs his administration. And Tam's right. It's a sign of just the significant enthusiasm advantage that those who don't support Donald Trump have. And we've seen it show up not just in the polls, but in these special elections where Democrats are flipping state legislative districts in. areas that Trump once carried. It's a sign that they're very interested and enthusiastic about voting. Republicans even concede that point as well, that Democrats are fired up. Their own base, while they still support the president, have not shown up with the same level of fervor in these specials. Well, Amy, let me stick with you on this, because Tam mentioned there, the Women's March. We have seen big movements like this, really catch fire in the moment, and then fizzle over time.

the Women's March did sort of fizzle after a while. Occupy Wall Street also comes to mind. What's the difference between those that have staying power and those that don't? Yeah, I think it's a really great point. And when a protest like this is really centered around one person, not around a policy, right? So there are a bunch of people who probably have different opinions about what the top policy priorities should be in this country. But what brings them together is they don't like Donald Trump and they don't like what he stands for. And so they're unified there.

This is what's going to be a fascinating challenge in 2008, quite frankly, not just for the Democrats, but for Republicans as well. Our politics has been centered since 2015 around one person. And in 28, it is going to have to be broader than that. These two parties are going to figure out who they are and what they stand for when Donald Trump's not at the center of everything. Tam, do you agree with that? Do you see a central policy message in these protests or something else? It is no kings. It is President Trump is imposing his will on the country, his face and name are on coins and buildings and everything else. And so that is, it is a Trump opposition movement.

And as Amy says, this is going to prove to be a really big challenge for Democrats. It might be, you know, Trump opposition might let them paper over the big issues about what the Democratic Party stands for and who their vote. voters really are that came to light through 2024. You know, President Trump being in office is probably going to help them move past that. But it isn't necessarily going to answer that question of what they want to stand for beyond 26. I mean, while we still remain in a partial government shutdown, Amy, and it's a shutdown.

We should remind folks that Democrats started, right? They wanted to hold up DHS funding to get changes in ICE and immigration policies. but it really continues because Republican leadership in the House and the Senate at the White House have not been able to get on the same page about how to end it. How do you look at where this is right now? It is quite remarkable that the debate right now really is within the Republican Party about what they should be doing going forward, as opposed to it being about the policy itself, debating about that.

This really could be solved very quickly with the president. who considers himself the dealmaker in chief. But right now, he does not seem particularly interested in making a deal within his own party to solve this problem. And so the fact that these TSA workers are now getting paid, I think takes some pressure off of both sides, but certainly even within the Republican Party to come to some sort of agreement on what this policy should look like going forward.

But at some point, the president is going to have to weigh in and give a sign-off to his party about what is the acceptable route. Tam, the president stepping in to order that TSA workers be paid, as we reported earlier just a few days ago, it takes away one of the biggest pressure points that was causing real harm in people's lives, right? Travelers and certainly those TSA workers as well, it does beg the question why he couldn't have done that earlier as well, right? It certainly does, but the experts that we've spoken to question just how legally clear this is and whether this really was or is something that the president has the power to do. The funds aren't being moved around, but there are all kinds of rules about moving funds around and Congress is supposed to have the power of the purse.

I think that the administration really thought that the lines at airports were going to put enough pressure on Democrats to get them to fold. And as Amy says, now it's about the president deciding what he wants and imposing his will on his party in Congress because he has proven that he can get them to do what he wants them to do. But it's not clear what he wants them to do. And other than things that they have said they won't do, like overturn the filibuster and on the Senate side,

approve the Save America Act. Right. And that has been a consistent theme for this president. We know that he ran on saying, I alone can fix this. He has bypassed Congress consistently, even though his party controls both bodies. He wants to be making things happen

through executive authority. And he really enjoys having the fight over, with Democrats about who's going to be on the right side of these things. So getting him to, you know, figure out what that window is to win, that's where we're left. So I'll ask probably the most important question of this conversation. Is it going to ever end? How do you keep this ending? Right.

At some point, either it becomes clear that this funding for TSA workers is either running out or there's some problem in continuing to pay workers like this, and ultimately, a deal has to be cut. What it looks like at the end, we don't know. I would suspect that the president will find a way to weigh in at that moment. Tam, you cover this president. Feels like we've had this conversation in some form before as well about when and how he chooses to insert himself into these kinds of negotiations.

Give us your take. How do you see this ending? Yeah, he tends to choose a clear win when he can see one. And at the moment, that isn't clear. And, you know, I was pressing the White House, actually, on why is he pushing for the Save Act? Why is he putting himself in this box canyon? And they insisted he can be very persuasive and they see a way. I think it's possible that some sort of reconciliation bill, which doesn't require 60 votes, might be how they get there.

And by the way, a reconciliation bill is also going to be really tough to get through the Senate and the House because folks are going to want to put a lot of other stuff in that bill, which is going to reopen the battle lines within the Republican Party. Welcome you both back for that conversation. We'll have that conversation. If and when that happens, Amy Walter, Tamara Keith, always great to talk with you both. Thank you so much. You're welcome. The Trump administration has rolled back support for many forms of clean energy. One exception is nuclear power. The president wants to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050,

and a new generation of advanced reactors is in development that some say could signal the dawn of a new nuclear age. Our correspondent Paul Solomon reports as part of our series, Tipping Point. 25 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee, a construction site designed to spark a nuclear power renaissance. This is the site where Kairas Power is. He's currently building the only nuclear reactor under construction in the United States right now. First step for Kairos, Mike Laufer's startup, a demo of a small modular reactor called Hermes,

as in this rendering being built right where the nuclear age was born. Oak Ridge became into existence because of the Manhattan Project. So this is K-25. Historian Ray Smith says 80 years ago, this very area housed the vast complex that made the stuff of a time. atomic bombs. All of the highly enriched uranium the nation has today. For weapons, that is. But by the time I was in school, the atom was our friend.

I give you the magic fire of the atom. On TV's Disneyland series, for example, touting the switch from nuclear threat to nuclear promise. Then came Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima, safety regulations in complex new technologies, hamstrung development, causing long delays, huge cost overruns. Today, there are 54 nuclear plants in the U.S. Most, however, were built long ago, average age 42 years. So says CEO Mike Laufer.

Our Hermes demonstration reactor is going to be the first reactor that Chiris builds. It's time for new nuclear. It's clean, it's reliable. If done correctly, it can certainly be affordable. Now, the Hermes reactor is much smaller than current, nuclear plants. The big benefit of small is that it reduces the cost, the total cost, the amount of money that needs to go in.

As in older reactors, atoms of uranium 235 will split apart. That chain reaction produces heat, usable energy. That uranium is packaged in these golf ball-sized graphite balls. Each one of these contains about 16,000 tiny poppy seed-sized particles of uranium. That's where that splitting is happening. The irradiament in each one of these balls produces about as much power as about four tons of coal. Balls more efficient than the nuclear rods of old. But a key difference from the usual big reactors, a special molten salt transfers the heat instead of water.

Another distinction, modules are built in a New Mexico factory then assembled at the site. A really big feature of our deployment model is really trying to take the Henry Ford model. Chief Technology Officer Ed Blanford studied nuclear engineering with Mike Laufer at U.C. Berkeley. How do we take the construction site, bring it into more of an assembly line environment, and really be able to get that repetitive learning that you could do in an indoor factory environment? The goal, faster construction, lower cost. It's really a combination of being able to leverage this equipment modularity, so building the equipment in Albuquerque, and then we're also leveraging precast construction.

concrete elements come here and then they get installed very quickly. Like Legos. Like Legos. That's exactly right. The work they're doing now is on a demo without nuclear fuel. Next, a demo with nuclear fuel, getting more of the kinks out. After that, the real thing. Build the same thing over and over again so that the construction process gets faster.

That's really how we're going to drive down the overall cost for nuclear power. One true believer, Google, which is signed on to purchase power from Kairos, beginning. beginning in 2030. We're starting with 50 megawatts and then extending to a total of 500 megawatts by 2035. Google's Lucia Tien says the company is investing in all kinds of carbon-free energy to fuel its data centers and meet its net zero emissions target by 2030. We know that as electricity demand grows, we're going to need to grow nuclear power alongside with it.

The wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. You need sources like nuclear that provide that steady flow of electrons that fills the gaps. Kairos will send power to the federally owned Tennessee Valley Authority's grid. It's so important to have this diversification of a portfolio that one fuel doesn't drive everything. Chief nuclear officer Matt Rasmussen says TVA is investing heavily in new fission nuclear, like Kairos, and even in nuclear fusion, though that's still a long way off. So what you're seeing here is the retired Bull Run fossil plant. But what you see behind us is what the future potentially looks like,

which is the development of a type 1 fusion energy reactor here at Bull Run. This is yesterday. That's tomorrow. That's correct. This being called the Manhattan Project 2.0. In the last five years, some $10 billion has been invested in all manner of nuclear development in Oak Ridge. Small modular reactors being built. We've got centrifuges coming in that are going to be enriching uranium. Laser process that's going to be enriching uranium.

We've got the trisoex that's going to be creating fuel for molten salt reactors. So all good, right? Well, as usual, not so fast. Nuclear reactors are like rocket science. They're difficult. They're complex. And historically, they've cost billions of dollars, says former nuclear regulatory commission chair, Allison McFarlane. It will take huge sums to bring these technologies to commercial viability.

The small modular reactor developers are saying, well, we'll just build them in a factory. But factory production is not necessarily easy. Westinghouse tried to build the large reactors that just turned on in Georgia in a factory, and they had massive problems that led to their bankruptcy. Those reactors came in $17 billion over budget and seven years late. Five minutes before critical mass. Critical what? And in addition to the costs and technical challenges, there are the safety concerns.

We don't! Center 7G is now being isolated. As lampooned on the Simpsons. And new reactors like Hermes also carry risks, radioactive leaks, where to put the waste. Or so says Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Every design that I've looked at has potential safety and security vulnerabilities, which are not being addressed to the extent that they need to be. Lyman thinks regulators are going too fast in approving new projects.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been under tremendous pressure from the nuclear industry and from Congress to accelerate licensing of new and novel types of reactors. And the problem is that with new reactors, they introduce new safety concerns, and new technical issues, and sometimes you can't resolve them in a short period of time. Chiros' Laufer, however, insists safety is a central focus of his. For us, that means making sure that these fuel pebbles remain where they're supposed to be, and they're surrounded by the proper shielding to protect the plant workers and also to protect the public as well. And the TVAs Rasmussen believes nuclear power is safer than ever.

One of the safest energies out there, we have one of the lowest industrial accident rates of any industry in the world. 40% of TVA power, he says, already comes from nuclear in a part of the country that's unafraid of it. Tell me what city you have that would not allow a target store to come in, would not listen to the idea of having a racetrack built, but are happy to have nuclear reactors in their city. And outside investors are pouring billions into it. But McFarlane isn't buying it. So you yourself, Assuming you had this kind of money wouldn't invest in these things? No, absolutely not. Because?

I don't think they're going to be successful. Mike Laufer, however, plans to prove a wrong, starting small, building bit by bit. So when I go say, we're going to deliver these power plans at this cost and at the schedule, people will be able to believe that we can actually do it. So after all that, would you invest for the PBS News. Paul Salman in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. If you're under the age of 50, it's likely that colorectal cancer isn't on your radar, but it should be.

Once considered an older age disease, rates are skyrocketing among young adults. Dima Zane has more. This year, an estimated 108,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon cancer. That's according to the American Cancer Society. And one in five are young. under the age of 55.

I spoke with two people who were diagnosed at an early age. Here's some of what they told us. My name is Chrissy Garrett. I am from Long Island. I am currently 34 years old. I was originally diagnosed with stage 3C colon cancer, and I am currently stage four young onset sporadic MSI colon cancer. And I am currently still in treatment three years later.

My name is Cynthia Sussain. I was diagnosed at the age of 26 in 2020, and I was diagnosed with colon cancer stage 3B. I think I was just in complete shock because having no family history of cancer ever, never expected it. For the past month and a half, I had been in and out of the hospital with different reasons because the tumors have been causing pain in my back. They've been causing pain in my ribs. I've had an allergic reaction to the medications. And chemotherapy is not easy.

I never thought that I would have cancer because I was like just young, 26 years old, you know? And it was heartbreaking. Throughout the time when I start my treatment, I think that my health start going down, you know. That part was one of the hardest because I was the breakfast winner of the house, you know, and not being able to go out and work and not being provide from my family and somebody, my wife, have to take care of me. My life has been stripped from me.

Chemotherapy has stripped my life. And it's been very tough mentally, physically, and all the way around. The first time I got my bleeding, I should have gone to colonoscopy. Because I ignored that. I got I started bleeding seven months prior to I got diagnosis. You know, when I went to my doctor, I should have asked for clunoscopy. They thought that it was just an ulcer. This is not okay. In your 30s, your 40s, in your 20s, you're just starting off your life. You're just starting.

I mean, I'm a single homeowner. I just started my career nine years ago. This is not something you plan for. You have these big dreams of having a family, getting married, buying a house. You don't factor in cancer. Joining us to discuss this further is Dr. Robin Mendelsohn, a gastroenterologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and co-director of the Center for Young Onset, Colorectal and Gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Mendelsohn, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for having me.

Can you give us a sense of how much colorectal cancer is rising in young patients today? We've actually been seeing it since the 1990s, and it's been increasing by about 3% per year. As we heard from those two patients, you know, the majority of these patients don't have a family history. We used to think, oh, you're young and you have colon cancer has to be a genetic component. There has to be about a family history. But only about 10 to 20 percent will have a family history or a genetic predisposition. So the majority are what we call sporadic, so with no known risk factors. We are actively trying to figure out why this is happening.

And so we're talking about this. Who is most at risk then? And what are the symptoms that people need to be watching out for? So, you know, even though the numbers are increasing, the majority of people with these symptoms will not have cancer. But as we heard, the number one symptom is rectal bleeding. And, you know, we say any rectal bleeding that's persistent, So anything more than a couple of weeks should definitely get checked out.

Again, the majority of people with rectal bleeding will not have cancer, but should definitely be evaluated. Other symptoms are abdominal pain or distension that's new and not going away. Changes in bowel habits. So anybody that's had normal bowel habits and is suddenly constipated or has been constipated their whole life and now has diarrhea. unexplained weight loss, so losing weight without meaning to. And if you're found to be anemic on your blood work, so if your hemoglobin or your blood clout is low,

sometimes that can mean that the cancer is shedding blood into the stool, and that's why your blood count can be low. And both of the patients that we spoke to had more aggressive stages when they were diagnosed. Are we seeing people, especially these young people, being diagnosed at these later more aggressive stages, and if so, why? Yes, we are. So the majority of these younger patients will present at later stages at stage three or four. And that's because they're presenting with symptoms. So when it's early stage, stage one, there's usually no symptoms. And that's when we usually pick it up on screening. So when our people who are in our screening age group, which is 45 or older, when we do find

cancer on screening, because they don't have symptoms, the majority are, found at early stages where it is very, very treatable and curable. Unfortunately, once symptoms develop, that usually indicates that it's a later stage. And I know you mentioned there's not one factor that we're finding to cause this colorectal cancer in young patients, but is there something that people can do to protect themselves to lower the risk factor? Yeah, so, you know, the traditional risk factors of colorectal cancer in average onset, so over 45, also holds. true for the younger groups. So obesity, obesity is associated with colorectal cancer. And when you look at younger patients, there are some patients that are obese. When we look back at our patients at Memorial Sloan

Kettering, they were more likely to be overweight and obese, but when we compared them to a national cohort without cancer, they were actually less likely to be overweight and obese. So even though obesity is a risk factor, it's definitely not the entire answer. but trying to maintain a normal body mass index is helpful. It's also associated with diets that are high in red meats and processed meats. Again, many of these patients that we speak to do not eat red meat or processed meats. They're vegetarian or even vegan and adhere to what they consider a healthy lifestyle. But in general, avoiding red meats and processed meats, sticking to a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables,

also increasing physical activity and avoiding alcohol and tobacco. And if someone is unfortunately diagnosed with colon cancer, what steps should be taken and how critical is it to catch it early? So the earlier you catch it, the more treatable and beatable. But even at later stages, we do have options. So it's important that when diagnosed to go to a center that's high volume and is seeing these patients, there's different treatments based on the pathology, it looks like under the microscope.

There's different treatments depending on where it is in the colon. So if it's the majority of our younger patients are presenting with cancers that are lower down in the colon and what we call the left colon or the rectum, and those are treated differently sometimes than those that are at the top of the colon. So it really depends on where it is in your colon, how much is involved, what the options are. But there are options for all stages, but the earlier that it's caught, the better the outcomes. Thank you so much. Dr. Robin Mendelsohn. Appreciate your time. Thank you. For more on this topic, tune in to next weekend's episode of Horizons,

when William Brangham will take a closer look at rising rates of multiple types of cancer in young people and what can be done to prevent it. And that is the News Hour for tonight. I'm Omna Navaz. On behalf of the entire NewsHour team, thank you for joining us.