PBS News Hour - Full Show - May 29, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Episode Date: May 30, 2026

Friday on the News Hour, a Kenyan court blocks U.S. plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility there. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi faces Congressional scrutiny over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein Files. Plus, a grieving father on how a family tragedy inspired him to speak out about rising antisemitism around the world. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett. And I'm Amna Nawaz. On the news hour tonight, a race to contain the spread of Ebola in Central Africa, as a Kenyan court blocks U.S. plans to open a quarantine facility. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi faces congressional scrutiny over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files. And a grieving father on how a family tragedy inspired him to speak out about rising anti-Semitism around the world. We look for peace, but we look for understanding. attending one with the other, that we love other people. We are not people that is seeking for war. Welcome to the News Hour. In Central Africa, officials and health workers are still struggling to get

control of a spreading and deadly Ebola outbreak. There are now more than 900 suspected cases and over 220 suspected deaths. Authorities fear the real numbers may be significantly higher. And today, a Kenyan court temporarily blocked the Trump administration's plant, open a quarantine facility there to treat Americans exposed to or infected with the virus. William Brangham has more. That's right, Jeff. Kenyan officials had initially approved this plan for an Ebola facility requested by the Trump administration, but local backlash spurred a legal challenge to halt that project.

Under today's ruling, that facility must remain closed until the court hears the case next week. For more on all of this, we are joined again by Dr. Craig Spencer. Associate Professor of Public Health and Emergency Medicine at Brown University. He worked in West Africa during the 2014 outbreak and survived Ebola himself. Craig Spencer, so good to have you back on the program. About this Kenyan quarantine facility, you wrote that this was an abdication of American responsibility to possibly send Americans there. How so? Well, over the last year, we've seen an abdication of U.S. leadership on the global stage,

and I think we're seeing the ramifications of that in terms of the response in Eastern Congo right now. But this detail, not only that it's a quarantine facility, but that the U.S. also planned on treating American citizens who are infected with Ebola in this facility that they're creating in Kenya right now is an abdication because I'm worried that there's no way that in the span of a few weeks or even a few months, They're going to be able to stand up the quality of care that is necessary to really take care of a very sick of bullet patient. And I'm also concerned because over the past decade, the only real good thing to come out of my illness was the fact that we built and sustained a system of specialized treatment centers all around the United States that are capable of managing patients exactly like this. Right now, those are sitting empty.

and I would be saddened if those continue to sit empty when we have Americans that needed this type of treatment, this type of specialized treatment, as opposed to having them treated in some new facility abroad. I think that they should be provided that treatment here at home. So given that, I mean, is it your sense that this move was more about public fear than medical necessity? My concern is that over the last few weeks, we've seen the priorities of this administration, unfortunately, inverted in terms of, what I think we need to be focusing on to truly end this outbreak. We have heard that the first priority is to keep Ebola out of the country at all costs, and the second priority is to end the outbreak in Congo. The problem is, of course, is that we're not going to be able to truly prevent Ebola from coming to the U.S., even with all travel restrictions, any other type of ban, if we're not

able to actually end the outbreak on the ground in Congo. This Kenyan facility is really just for the few Americans who might get exposed. Again, wholly separate from the much bigger population of people who are wrestling with this epidemic right now, what is your sense about how things are going there today? I will say there's been a lot of focus on this Kenya treatment facility and access for Americans, but my biggest worry about all of this is actually the attention and the resources that's taking away from the quality of care that we're actually able to offer to the hundreds and likely eventually thousands of patients. that will be treated and will need high quality of care for Ebola over the coming weeks and months.

I would like us to focus our attention, our resources, financial, logistical, and human resources on making sure we're able to not just create a third-tier system between what we can offer in the U.S., what's offered on the ground currently, and what might be offered for American citizens. I would like us to focus on raising the floor and improving the quality of care for everyone that is impacted by Ebola, in the region. That is the only way that we're going to get people to trust that they can go to these facilities and get good quality care. That is the only way to make sure that communities are going to be on board with our response activities. And ultimately, that is the only way that we end this outbreak, which not only decreases the suffering in the region, but also lowers the risk

of importation of cases, not just in countries surrounding Congo, but in the U.S. as well. You mentioned all the criticisms about the cuts to CDC and USAID. and getting out of the WHO. The CDC argues they are doing and are on the case now. Do you believe that that is true? We have seen over the last two weeks the U.S. response has dramatically scaled up

in terms of sending people, money, and resources. However, I still think it's a fraction of what is needed and what we would have sent in previous outbreaks. And I still think that our priorities are inverted. I would like us to be focusing more on ending the outbreak right now at its source primarily in D.R. Congo, then what I've seen as the number one priority of this administration, which is doing everything it can to keep Americans out, including, unfortunately,

if that means Americans who might be infected with Ebola and need access to our treatment centers here at home. Dr. Craig Spencer of Brown University, always great to hear from you. Thank you. The day's other headlines begin with the war in Iran. President Trump huddled in the White House situation room for roughly two hours today to, in his... words make a final determination about a potential deal to end the war. The president made no announcement and that meeting has ended. U.S. officials described the possible agreement as a memorandum of understanding that would open the Strait of Hormuz and then kickstart a second phase of negotiations over limiting

Iran's nuclear program and lifting U.S. sanctions. But today in public, Tehran insisted that current negotiations did not include the nuclear issue. And a key negotiator, Mohamed Bahar Kalibov, struck a hardline tone on X, saying no step will be taken before the other side acts. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's so-called anti-weaponization fund, a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they've been targeted by the justice system. The order stops the fund's formation and any potential payouts for at least the next two weeks. Since it was announced last week, the fund has been challenged. at least three lawsuits. It's also drawn bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill, including from

Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Meantime, in another legal setback for the president, a federal judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to remove Donald Trump's name from the building. Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the venue's board violated the law, writing, quote, Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it. In response to the judge's ruling, and in a major concession, President Trump said he will pursue a full and complete transfer of responsibility for the Kennedy Center to Congress. In Louisiana, Republican state lawmakers have approved a new congressional map that could help the GOP pick up another House seat in the upcoming midterms. Just one month ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's current map as an illegal racial gerrymander.

The new boundaries would eliminate one of the state's two majority black districts, leaving just one of the state's two majority black districts, leaving just one Democratic stronghold around New Orleans. The state's U.S. House primary was postponed until the summer, so the map could be redrawn. Turning overseas to Lebanon, Israel says its troops have pushed deeper into Lebanese territory, widening its offensive against Hezbollah, in spite of a ceasefire that's had little effect. Israeli forces entered the village of Dibin today, crossing the Latani River, a longtime ceasefire boundary between the two countries. The IDF's advance came as Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across southern Lebanon, according to state media.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops on a visit to the northern border that the fighting will remain relentless. We are operating in Beirut, in Bikha, across the entire width of the front, and we are both eliminating Hezbollah and causing them to flee. In the midst of all of this, dialogue continues. Delegations from Lebanon and Israel met in Washington today for the first direct military talks between the two countries in decades. More talks are expected next week. Romania says that a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building near its border with Ukraine, injuring several people in the NATO country.

Last night's stray drone is not the first to fall inside Romania, but was the first to cause injuries. President Putin questioned that the drone was of Russian origin. Romania responded by closing the Russian consulate there. NATO allies condemned the incident, including Secretary General Mark Ruta, who vowed to, quote, defend every inch of Allied territory. Back in the U.S. in Texas, an ICE agent was arrested today. He was wanted for the non-fatal shooting of a Venezuelan man during the Trump administration's

immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year. Hennepin County officials had charged 52-year-old Christian Castro with assault and falsely reporting a crime. Castaire was one of two federal agents to face charges related to the Minnesota crackdown, which raised concerns about officer conduct, especially after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed. On Wall Street, the major stock indices kept adding to their record gains. The Dow Jones Industrial average ticked up 0.7 percent, posting another record high. The NASDAQ also reached new heights with a 55-point gain, and the S&P 500 ended with the ninth straight weekly gain.

And 14-year-old Shrey Parik spelled his way to victory last night in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which ended in a rapid-fire tie-breaker rounds. Fellow finalist, 12-year-old Ishan Gupta, correctly spelled 25 words. It's the third time a spell-off has decided to be since it was introduced in 2021. Parik's win marks an astounding comeback. Just last year, an illness and shaky performance at his school spelling bee. knocked him out of competition. Our congratulations to Shrey, who we are very confident can spell redemption. Still to come, on the News Hour, a massive rocket explosion casts doubt on the future

of NASA's moon mission. Jonathan Capehart and Matthew Contenetti weigh in on the week's political headlines. And journalist Martha Raditz on her new book, featuring inspiring stories of U.S. military service members. This is the PBS News Hour from the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation today during a closed-door interview with lawmakers. Over nearly four hours of questioning before the House Oversight Committee, Bondi, said

the department under her leadership was committed to securing justice for Epstein's victims. She declined to answer questions about President Trump. Bondi also acknowledged mistakes in the release of investigative records, saying, quote, there were redaction errors, but since day one of this process, the department has been committed to accountability and transparency. Some survivors of Epstein's abuse waited outside of the interview room today and called for Bondi to take accountability. I just hope that she does have a moment where she remembers her own humanity. and our humanity and finds her compassion and remembers that this is a bigger story than political rhetoric.

For more on the Epstein Investigations, we're joined now by our justice correspondent, Ali Rogan. Allie, it's good to see you. So what more do you know about Bondi's appearance today? This interview today, Jeff, was neither a sworn deposition nor was it videotaped. We will eventually get a transcript. But today, the top Democrat on the committee said that it was a shame and disservice to the American people that it wasn't recorded.

oath as previous depositions have been. Bondi was also represented today by DOJ attorneys, including the head of the Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dillon, which Democrats said was unusual, given that she is no longer employed by the Department of Justice. And Jeff, the only Republican present today was the committee's chairman, James Comer, who took some questions before the interviews began, including from some survivors. The one thing that we can say with confidence as far is the survivors, the survivors, the survivors, were failed by the government. And I hope that we can do the best that we can do in getting answers and getting the

truth to American people. So what did Bondi say? Not much, according to Democrats, in the room. She answered many questions by saying she did not know or did not recall. She deferred many questions to Todd Blanche saying that he handled the documents, including all the mistakes of failing to redact some of the documents. the survivors' names and images. In her opening statement, she said she, quote, delegated oversight over this process to Blanche.

She also refused to comment on her conversations with President Trump. And Blanche, now the acting attorney general who used to be President Trump's personal attorney. That's right, Jeff. And he's been very involved in this investigation. He met with co-conspirator Gulen Maxwell in 2025, after which she was transferred to a minimum security prison. Bondi said she was unaware that that meeting was happening. And as acting Attorney General, Blanche has said that he said the Epstein files, quote, should not be a part of anything going forward at the DOJ.

Whatever his role was, Blanche is now the head of the department, and Democrats said they will subpoena him to testify. For their part, survivors say that the most important thing for them is that the DOJ follow through on some of the investigative leads that are revealed and some of the names that have been released in the Epstein file. And as we've reported on this program, President Trump's own relationship with Epstein has come under scrutiny. The president has gone after media outlets, news organizations that have chosen to report on it. So what's the latest on that front?

Yes. Earlier this week, President Trump re-filed a defamation lawsuit that he had filed against the Wall Street Journal over a report that he had written a letter to Epstein for his birthday in 2003, which featured an illustration of a naked woman's silhouette. Trump denied he wrote the letter or drew the picture and he sued the journal for defamation. The judge threw out the case saying he had not proved that the reporters deliberately reported false information. He said Trump could file a new complaint. We've seen that today. There's not very much new in this new complaint, except there's an anecdote that he spoke with Rupert Murdoch, the chairman, before this article was released. Murdoch said he would handle it.

We don't know how this judge is going to respond to this, and the Wall Street Journal stands by its reporting, Jeff. On a separate matter alley, the Justice Department pursuing investigations, targeting Mr. Trump's perceived enemies, there's now a new development in that the DOJ has reportedly focused on a private citizen, in this case, E. Jean Carroll, bring us up to speed. That's right. Carol was the author whom Trump was found liable for sexually abusing in 2023. There was reporting earlier this week that the U.S. attorney in Chicago was investigating Carol. That attorney denied that was the case. Instead, today, several outlets are reporting that the investigation actually focuses on LinkedIn founder and Democratic donor Reed Hoffman, whose nonprofit did pay for some of E. Jean Carroll's legal fees. We should also mention Hoffman had what he calls a fundraising relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,

although this investigation does not seem to have anything to do with Epstein. Hoffman posted on social media today saying that Trump is, quote, investigating me because I supported E. Jean's lawsuit. And that the president, quote, hopes that these fraudulent investigations will silence those who stand up to him. He is wrong. I will not bend the knee. Jeff. All right, All right, thanks to you. You bet. Last night, Blue Origin's new Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad during a test in Cape Town. Canaveral, Florida. The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, said no one was injured and all personnel

were accounted for. But the rocket has a crucial role in NASA's Artemis program to return American astronauts to the surface of the moon. Here to walk us through what happened and its significance is our science correspondent, Miles O'Brien. Miles is always good to see you. This was a massive explosion, though. The company said there was an anomaly during a test. What happened? You might call that a euphemism, Omna? Anomily? Yes. That was a major malfunction for sure and quite an impressive sight. First of all, let's be clear, nobody got hurt. Everybody was a long way away from this rocket as they were conducting what they call a hot fire test, which is light up the engines, but don't release the rocket, see how

everything goes. Obviously, things did not go well. They will investigate it. They'll figure out what it is. Was it one of the engines? Was it something else? A lot of plumbing has to work well on a rocket in order for it to fly safely. But crucially here, Omna, the issue is the destruction of the launch pad. That is a big deal because they are complicated structures. It takes time to build them and to certify them at least a year, maybe 15 months to build a new one. And this is the only launch pad that the new Glenn rocket has to get to space. And we should remind folks, This was a blue origin rocket. The head of its competitor, SpaceX, Elon Musk, posted on X.

Sorry to see this. I hope you recover quickly. But also SpaceX's Starship program had its own problems recently, right? Miles, tell us about that. Yeah, we could go. You know, Space is hard, Omna. We've said this many times. The Starship flew its 12th flight and underperformed yet again.

In this case, the booster, which carries the ship, to, in this case, near orbit, as it came down, it basically lost control. And the FAA gets very concerned about that because they are concerned about public safety. And if engines do not fire and if it does not return in a controlled way, they declare it a mishap, which is what happened in this case. And so the Starship vehicle is also non-operational now. So these two big vehicles that the commercial players are trying to build right now, can't do anything for NASA.

So what does all this mean for that Artemis program we mentioned? NASA's efforts to return astronauts to the moon. Well, as you know, the astronauts are flying on the government rocket, the space launch system, which we saw fly around the moon not too long ago and enjoyed that. But once the astronauts get into space, they are relying on the starship and the new glen to get cargo down to the surface of the moon. and ultimately get astronauts down there. The starship will be modified to be a lunar lander,

and New Glenn will carry a lander called Blue Moon, which will carry cargo, and eventually it is hope people. So these are integral to the Artemis program, and in this case, could really slow down the process of getting Artemis back on track. We've seen big setbacks here. NASA's been talking about another spaceflight mission, next Artemis 3 mission in 2027, even talking about a sustained presence on the moon, a lunar base.

What did these setbacks mean for those plans? Yeah, big plans, tight deadlines, and now not an operational heavy lift vehicle in sight. So this is not a good equation. Artemis 3 is supposed to fly about a year from now. It's going to take at least a year, probably more, just to build a new launch pad for that new Glenn rocket, which is supposed to loft into space, a lander, a moon lander built by Blue Origin, which would rendezvous with the Artemis 3 Orion capsule.

Meanwhile, Starship, not operational either. They have a lot of work to do before they're going to be ready for that rendezvous mission as well. So a setback right there, but when you think about it, Omna, they're talking about building a moon base there, and ultimately this would involve hundreds of launches of these heavy-lift rockets,

and nothing is operational right now. So thinking about a moon base right now seems a little bit like the cart before the horse. That's our science correspondent, Miles O'Brien. Miles, thank you so much. Great to speak with you. You're welcome, Mauna. Well, this week's midterm primary elections

showed more signs of strength for President Trump within the GOP. That unfolded as Jill Biden spoke up for the first time about the former president's health while he was running for a second term. For analysis of all of this and more, we turn to Jonathan Capehart and Matthew Contonetti, K-part of MS Now.

And Contonetti, a Wall Street Journal, opinion columnist, and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. David Brooks is away this evening. It's always good to see, gentlemen. Thank you, Jeff. So the biggest political story of the week came out of Texas where Attorney General Ken Paxton routed longtime Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary there. You've got Cornyn who represents the Republican establishment. Paxton, who was backed by President Trump.

He's faced securities fraud charges dating back a decade. He was impeached for purportedly misusing his office. There had been accusations of infidelity. Jonathan, what does a nearly 30-point margin tell us about where the GOP is right now? Well, what it says, you take Corny's loss by almost 28 points. You take Cassidy's loss in Louisiana, coming in third, another sitting Republican senator,

losing by 20 points. To me, what it says is that President Trump is king of MAGA. in that specific core base. But it also says he is the ruler of the Republican Party. And if you are a Republican running for office, you fear not getting the president's endorsement. The question is, does that translate to the general? Now, the president's approval numbers are in the 30s,

depending on which survey you look at. In Texas, he is underwater by three points, and it went for him by 14 points in the 2024. election. Democrats have always wondered, ooh, Texas, this is the cycle we're going to do it. This might be it, but the test is going to be, does the popularity of the president within his own party translate to the general ballot? And Matthew, as you well know, Cornyn voted almost in lockstep with President Trump in terms of his priorities. If someone with that sort of profile, his establishment backing, the fact that he has supported the president's priorities, you know, if he

loses by 30 points, what message does that send to other incumbents? Well, I think the message it sends is that the Republican Party under Donald Trump is a conservative populist party that is extremely suspicious of incumbency. Use the word establishment. That is a curse word in today's Republican Party. If you have ties to the Republican establishment in town, the non-Maga establishment, then you're liable to bring in one of these primary challenges from a Trump-to-endorse nominee.

The Trump endorsements is the most valuable commodity in politics. Whether it translates to the general, I think we're looking for a contest between Paxton's biography and James Tala Rico's ideology. And in a red state like Texas, that blue wave is going to have to be mighty high to overcome the partisan tilt toward the Republican Party. What about that? Does this put Texas in play potentially, or is that more theory than reality? Well, I mean, if you look at the Cook political report, at the most of the most of the most of the most of the United. moment Cornyn lost, they switched it to no longer, I think, from toss-up to lean Democratic. But again, as I said before, Texas has been, you know, the whale that the Democrats have been hoping to turn for at least 20 years. This might be it. But to Matthew's point, you know,

this race is going to be ugly between the two of them. It's already starting to be ugly with some of the innuendos about James Tolariko. The question in my mind is, will Tolariko, how will he take the punch, and then how will he respond to the punch? And that's something that Democrats nationally will be looking at, but I bet that's something Texans, of all sorts, who will go into the voting booth, will be watching for it to see, like, is he Texas tough?

And no matter what, it's going to cost a lot of money, money that I think Republicans would have preferred to spend in other battleground states, but now they'll have to spend it in Texas as well. We'll say more about that, because you have Republicans defending congressional majorities in this political environment that includes concerns about inflation and gas prices and voter fatigue over President Trump. What do Republicans see as their strongest argument to voters heading into midterms? Well, I think the strongest case they can make is that they're trying to address voters'

concerns on affordability, on the price of energy. And they also have an argument that Trump addressed one of the main causes of his election in 2024, and that was the crisis of the southern border. But, of course, voters are always asking, what have you done for us lately? And unless the president can show real gains in the Strait of Hormuz and on the price level and income growth, it is an uphill climb for Republicans in the fall. Well, it's not helpful when the president is out there seemingly every day saying, I don't care about how all of this is hurting Americans' financial situation.

Oh, it's peanuts. You cannot tell people they feel economic pain when they are feeling it every day. And if they're not feeling it, they're seeing it when they drive by a gas station. Well, former First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, she's out with a new memoir. And of course, you know how this goes in order to gin up publicity and interest in the book. There has to be a headline. The headline in this case is that, you know, you know, you know how this goes. she was frightened after her husband, obviously President Joe Biden's 2024 debate performance,

and she thought that he might have been having a stroke. Here's what she said on CBS. I wasn't horrified. I was frightened because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never. Or since? Yes. Or since. You've never seen them like that? Never. No. What happened? I don't know what happened. I mean, As I watched it, I thought, oh, my God, he's having a stroke. So the issue of Joe Biden's health has been litigated in public exhaustively. We're talking about it again because she's talking about it. But the fact that she was so concerned and thought that there might have been a serious problem,

that is not what top figures in the Democratic Party were saying at the time. So, Jonathan, does this undercut their credibility? That's not what she even said. Right. The day after, you said, you answered every question, Joe. This is not helpful. This is not helpful, certainly, for Democrats who have a unique ability to circle the wagons and then just fire at each other while Republicans watch with glee. This is sort of a second self-inflicted wound on the party, the first one being earlier last week with the draft of that autopsy that was released.

To my mind, to your point, Joe Biden's... health has been litigated up and down, even when he was in the White House, which stands in stark contrast to what is happening today with the current sitting president, who's went in for yet another physical at Walter Reed. He's only been in the job for 18 months. Three visits to Walter Reed? Why are we, as a profession, not talking as extensively and exhaustively and urgently about the health of the sitting president of the United States when we did that to Joe Biden for four years. What level of disclosure should the public reasonably expect from any president, especially

this president, who is the oldest president to ever be sworn in? I think they should expect a reasonably high level of disclosure. I mean, you have the two oldest presidents back to back, right? But, I mean, you mentioned earlier, what is the Republican argument going to be in the fall? One of the biggest arguments is going to be, don't look at me, look at the alternative. Exactly has Joe Biden campaigned in 2022. The one thing that the Republicans are banking on is the Democratic Party failing to learn from its mistakes in 2024, including the way in which the Democratic Party establishment handled questions about Joe Biden's capacity to run for a second term.

And it is quite striking to hear the former First Lady make these comments. It is not true. There were signs before that debate. There were signs on the trip to Europe, there were signs of the Juneteenth celebration, there were earlier signs. And it wasn't until it was exposed into the entire world that we had those three weeks of panic until finally he relinquished the nomination to Kamala Harris. Does all of this point to a bigger problem, not just having to do with anyone, president,

but a system that gives presidential administration strong incentives to disclose as little as possible to the public? Yeah. I mean, it is a problem. And it's only made worse by this current administration where on any policy, I question, am I being told the truth? And I think I mentioned this last week when we were talking about the possibility of a deal

between the United States in Iran. And I don't know, because I don't trust the administration, and I certainly don't trust the Iranians. So if that's my mindset on something as important as war, then you can't know. imagine my mindset when it comes to the president's health, the president's economic plans, the president's plans to beautify Washington and all sorts of other things that he's doing and saying. I think Jonathan is expressing exactly how Republicans felt during the four years of the Biden administration.

Matthew Continenti, Jonathan Capehart. Good to see you both. Have a good weekend. Thanks, Jeff. The Anti-Defamation League recently announced a decline last year in anti-Semitic incidents, like vandalism and harassment. But physical assaults against Jews in America reached their highest level since 1979, with over 200 such attacks reported. One of the highest profile cases was in the nation's capital. Nick Schifrin has more on that story and the father fighting to preserve his son's legacy. One year ago, a gunman approached an event for young diplomats at the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., and killed two young employees of Israel's U.S. embassy.

Lashinsky was 30 years old. Sarah Milgram was 26. They were about to become engaged. This month, the Department of Justice announced that it would seek the death penalty for their alleged killer. And I'm pleased to welcome Daniel Lashinsky, Yaron Lashinsky's father. Thank you very much for being here. What do you want people to know about your son? He was a peacemaker. He was a person that he tried to bring together. And also if you knew him, he was approaching every person like a human being, never looking for your title, your position.

If you are rich, poor or black or white or Jewish or Gentile, he was simply human being, like most of us Israelis. He was born in Israel. You moved to Germany when he was very young, and you moved back to Israel when he was 14. And he had been working at the embassy since September of 2022, and that is where he met Sarah.

What did he hope for his future? I think he would have stayed one year more here and then to decide maybe to get married in that year with Sarah and together to decide. They wanted to live in Israel. And I think to work for the understanding between the people, that was her heart's desire. Yeah. The American Jewish Committee recently said this of your son's death and Sarah's death.

The attack spread fear throughout the Jewish community across the world. Do you think that's true? I think it's no doubt that the anti-Semitism is growing. Yesterday we were in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial, where they also honor the Sarah and Yaron. And you go through the museum, when you see how it began, and it began with the lies that we hear today in the news and in the media, and it began with propaganda.

And sadly, what we are seeing today. The Anti-Defamation League measures anti-Semitic incidents, and it said that in 2020, there were 6,274 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. That's actually 33% lower than the 9,354 incidents from 2024, but it is five times higher than one decade ago. What do you think the cause is of that kind of hate? Well, what we hear is that the cause is the war in Gaza, the Gaza war.

But anti-Semitism is an old virus, is an old demon that sometimes awake and begin to make the bad work. The prosecutors who are pursuing your son's alleged killer released some of the language that he wrote. And he wrote, quote, the atrocities committed by the Israelis against Palestine, description and defy quantification, nonviolent protest has not amounted to much. There are many Americans for which my action will be highly legible and in some way the only sane thing to do, free Palestine. Do you see a connection between how the State of Israel acts and anti-Semitic violence? I see that people make a connection, but I don't see any connection.

There is no other country that if you attack a neighborhood or something, first you ask the people to leave the neighborhood because you will attack because you know that terrorists are hiding in that neighborhood. That if you will attack a building, you will knock on the roof first. Yeah, with these kinds of knocking on the roof before giving time to the people. There is no other country that will do something like this. It's like in the Nazi time, the lies that they came about the Jewish people, that the lies that they try to put in the minds of the people,

I see the same that is happening today, sadly. The Justice Department recently said it would seek the death penalty and the person who allegedly killed your son. And you recently gave an interview where you said that that made you conflicted. Why? My wife, she says that he deserve it. He cannot. He premeditated, he plan it.

He came from Chicago. to kill her son and Sarah, and maybe more people if he would have had that. For me, it's still difficult to want the death of somebody. I mean, of course, like I said in that interview, thank God that I am not a person that needs to decide that. For Jews, memory carries responsibility. And so how will you not only remember but honor your son's legacy?

We are publishing a book with his pictures. Personally, I want to engage also in speaking in churches against anti-Semitism. So I will dedicate part of my life also to that in memory of Iran to try to... He was a peacemaker. He was a person bringing people together. I would like to...

In that way, also to bring people together to try to teach about Israel. against anti-Semitism. You have brought, if I may say, grace and compassion to this moment of your grief. How do you think you've maintained that grace and compassion despite what you've been through? We know that the grace and compassion comes from God,

comes from above. So we try to be ambassadors. of him in this earth and to try to be compassionate with other people. To try. It's not easy. We are human beings. But if we get grace and compassion from God,

we can give to others. Daniel O'Shensky, we appreciate you being here. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for having me. For three decades, Martha Raditz has reported from the front lines of America, America's wars, bearing witness to extraordinary acts of courage under unimaginable circumstances. In her new book, The ABC News Chief Global Affairs correspondent turns her attention to the service

members, families, and everyday Americans whose resilience and sacrifice often go unnoticed. I spoke with her recently about her book, The Hero Next Door. Martha Raditz, welcome to the News Hour. Great to be with you. Thank you. This book is filled with people who reject the label hero, even as they've shown extraordinary sacrifice, extraordinary courage. Why do the people who sacrifice the most? Why are they often the least willing to talk about it?

Well, I think you've hit on exactly what I found, and that is really the way to find a true hero is the ones who don't think they are. So I think they're always the ones who's like, it's the other guy, or it's the team, or it's somebody else. I was just there doing what everybody would do, and I'm not sure everybody would do what they do. There's a striking moment early in this book

when an elderly Korean War veteran he mistakes Sal Junta for this ordinary tourist in Normandy only to discover he's a Medal of Honor recipient. The lesson becomes that there's no sure way to spot a hero. Why was that story the right entry point into this book? You know, it was an amazing day for me. We were in Normandy, and everybody was in civilian-en-cloz. military people I was with were in civilian clothes.

It's called an Army Staff Ride. The Army historian goes with you to explain these incredible battles. And it's sunset, and we're at the American Cemetery, which is so solemn anyway. And Sal was going to help fold the flag when it came down that evening. And I spotted that Korean War veteran. And Sal's about 5'8. He's in khakis and a Czech shirt. No one, you know, he looks like a college kid.

And I see the guy come over. and put a finger on Sal and say, young man, don't you know how to fold a flat? Because he was watching us with the protocol officer, and Sal just kind of freezes and stops. And then General Carter Ham, also when civilian clothes, came over and said, I'm General Carter Ham from European Command,

and I'd like you to meet Sal Junta, who President Obama has just about to award the Medal of Honor. Sal's the first, then the first living Medal of Honor recipient, in since Vietnam in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. That Korean War veteran, it was just such a moment, straightens up, says, whoa, and Salute Salute Saluted back. And that moment of a Korean War veteran and Iraq, Afghanistan veteran,

and all these American graves from World War II was just such a moment of power, of solemnity, but also told me, if this Korean more veteran can't spot a hero, no one can. It was just this moving, powerful moment, especially for this 9-11 generation that gets so

little coverage. And they get respect, but they get no attention at this point. One of the strongest undercurrents in the book is your concern that the country has been disconnected from the military, culturally, geographically, even emotionally.

And you cite the shrinking percentage of Americans with military experience. What do you think we lose as a nation, as a society, when there are fewer people who have a personal connection to those who serve? I think we lose a lot. I think, first of all, we lose the fact that this is a human story, that our service members are the women and men next door who one day were in a minivan dropping their kids off the school, but have volunteered to go into battle for us as they support and defend the Constitution.

they are the ones taking on this responsibility. And they're not G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane. They're human beings. And that's what I wanted to show this 9-11 generation. And the other thing that is so important is you've got to pay attention to this. You've got to, your voters, you're the electorate, you're Americans. You've got to decide and help decide about why we go to war. And if you don't know who's fighting those wars, I think that's a real problem when you start deciding that.

And we should say in the book, you honor the people who fight these wars without arguing for or against any war in particular. How did you navigate that? Well, I mean, look, these wars are controversial. Look at the horrendous way the Afghanistan war ended and the tragedy and the loss there. So I navigated that by saying no politics, whatever you feel about war, again, these are human beings. These are the people who have volunteered. And whether they're in battle or it's peacetime and they're planning to protect our country, that is something we should respect.

We should remember this 9-11 generation is no less great than the greatest generation of World War II. And I just think we have to remember. I have been around this my entire career. I have a book out. Obviously, I want people to buy that book. But I want the people to read that book. It's really from my heart. These people are extraordinary human beings.

They have found purpose even after their service, and that's what's so wonderful. That's why anybody can relate to it. After decades of covering war and the military, Martha, what have you learned about what courage actually looks like in real life? I think it is doing the best you can in circumstances that you don't expect. It is thinking of others, not just yourself. And I think that is a theme with all these people as well, whether it be the mother who's still caring for her son who was injured 20 years ago, or any of the people who want to do the best they can. And it's something we can all learn from, truly. I find these people a gift to me. Their courage makes me more courageous. Their service makes me want to contribute in some way in my job. I just think we can all find lessons in this.

If I have a challenging day, I think of their courage. And I think this stage is just fine for me. Martha Redditz, the book is The Hero Next Door, Stories of Patriotism and Purpose. Always great to speak with you. Thank you, Jeff. Appreciate it. Once seen as an old-fashioned pastime, the Chinese game of Mahjong is having a moment. In recent years, new players of all ages are strategizing and socializing over Mahjong tables from coast to coast. De Ma Zane reports on this.

the tile games resurgence. At Lucky Danger, a restaurant in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown, past the diners and the bar. You'll find customers hunched over tables, covered not in food and drink, but in tiles. The really good players will memorize all the tiles that have come out and who put it down. The strategy around Mahjong is to set yourself up to be lucky. This hidden Mahjong parlor is in part an ode to chef and owner Tim Ma's family. He was born in Arkansas in the 70s, the son of Chinese immigrants. It was the Sunday activity.

There was mahjong. We would make dumplings. We would eat as a family. So yeah, it's a very visceral memory. When you set out to make this room, did you think it was going to kind of go where it went? This room was very selfish. Me and my friends would come. We'd put a bottle of berber down and we'd play mahjong all night.

But what began as a passion project has paid off. We started to see this room have more reservations than the restaurant. That's when we started to realize, okay, like there's still a lot of steam picking up. In fact, Mahjong is having a moment. Anybody play Mahjong in the house? Yeah, there's a couple. Celebrities count themselves fans. I play Mahjong with my girlfriends once a week.

That's probably my... It played a pivotal role in 2018's smash hit Crazy Rich Asians. My mom taught me how to play. She told me Mahjong would teach me important life skills. And according to review. site Yelp searches for Mahjong clubs and lessons were up more than 4,000% last year. At Talk Tiles to Me, a Mahjong studio in Falls Church, Virginia, beginners came to socialize. Really fun game and just beautiful, a nice way to meet other people.

And for the mental workout. We have parents with dementia and we read that Mahjong is good for brain health. You want to get rid of the least helpful tiles. Like many, owner Tori Rittenger discovered Mahjong's Zah. magic during the pandemic. I took a lesson and then I just started teaching friends and it grew so fast and people come in like, oh boy, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this. And then they leave and they love it. Mahjong originated in China in the 1800s and spread across the world evolving into at least 40 variations. Businessmen Joseph Park Babcock brought the game to the United

States in the 1920s. That developed into American mahjong, which surged in popularity, eventually becoming a staple in Jewish communities around the country. I take my tile and I rack it. Brittinger and some of her instructors showed me the basics. Players draw and discard tiles with characters and symbols, including three suits. The goal? You want to be the first person to have the tiles that you're going to get match a line on this card. The card unique to American Mahjong is updated annually by the National Mahjong League and lists more than 70 hands players can collect.

to win. It sounds easy, but you're going to get tiles and we're going to switch them. We're going to switch them some more. Despite the initial overwhelm. You know what you say now? No. Mahjong. This national trend has a deeper meaning for some new players. It's a way to connect to their heritage, says Nicole Wong. I think there's a lot of people like me who kind of were aware of the game, but maybe didn't fully actually learn how to play as kids. learned what's called old-style mahjong from her grandparents one summer after college. She details that version and many others in her book, Majong, house rules from across the Asian diaspora. Mahjong really makes people think about certain family members or a physical place,

so like their grandparents' house or going to their Lola's house in the Philippines. And it is the game that really builds this sense of connection and community, which I think people are really craving today as well. Mahjong's resurgence has come with some controversies. In 2021, a Texas company faced accusations of cultural appropriation after releasing a line of tiles without Chinese symbols. Some sets costing more than $400. If it's accompanied with a framing of like, oh, there's so much better now or they've been refreshed or they've been modernized, like that's where it gets inappropriate, I would say.

Tori Rittenger says she takes care to give a lesson on the game's origin at the start of every class. It's really important that people know where it came from, how it started, how it's changed, because it changed in the 1930s, the American version was born, and it's grown so much. So to me, I think that's a wonderful thing. It's great. Back at Lucky Danger, three generations of the Ma family play a traditional Mahjong style inherited from their elders. Oh, oh, Mazen. What?

But the automatic tables here can deal both Chinese and American style. Even though my older generation family members don't consider American mahjong, it's still mahjong. And it's still from our cultures. Seeing something that was like, you know, in our back rooms, only in our living rooms and all culture now become just like this almost like global phenomenon is just nice to see because it comes from your culture and you're proud of it. A cultural imprint that continues to grow. PBS News Hour. I'm Dima Zane in Washington. Well, if you want to learn how to play Mahjong yourself, you can check out Dima's how-to video to get started. That's on our YouTube page.

And be sure to tune in to Washington Week with The Atlantic later tonight right here on PBS. Moderator Jeffrey Goldberg speaks with longtime foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius about the global consequences of America's unpredictability. And don't forget, you can watch both horizons and compass points on our YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts, and on your local PBS station. Check your local listings for Saturday and Sunday. Well, that is the News Hour for tonight. I'm Jeff Bennett.

I'm Omna Nawaz. On behalf of the entire NewsHour team, thank you for joining us and have a great weekend.