PBS News Hour - Full Show - September 16, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode

Episode Date: September 16, 2026

Wednesday Wednesday on the News Hour, the Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years to combat surging energy costs. We sit down with Cuba's deputy foreign minister to discuss rising tensions with the U.S., including President Trump's threats to invade. Plus, after decades of restoration, a medieval Greek palace reopens to the public. 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. And I'm Jeff Bennett. On the news hour tonight, the Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years to combat surging energy costs. We sit down with Cuba's deputy foreign minister to discuss rising tensions with the U.S., including President Trump's threats to invade. A country like Cuba looking to what's happened in the world and our own history, who will be naive if we don't take that seriously. And after decades of restoration, a medieval Greek palace reopens to the public. Welcome to the news hour. The Federal Reserve today raised interest rates by a quarter of a point. The first hike in three years.

It comes as the war in Iran continues to put pressure on prices. It's the first major move by Fed share, Kevin Warsh, to combat elevated inflation. President Trump has long pressured the central bank and Warsh's predecessor to lower interest rates. But Warsh, who is four months into the job, after being handpicked by Mr. Trump to lead the Fed, explained why the committee voted unanimously to raise rates today. The least well-off are the ones

have the most to gain from stable prices. The decision we made today was the right decision to deliver on the remit that Congress gave us to ensure stable prices. Moreover, I would say, because of the underlying strength of the economy, because we are, as I mentioned, largely acting consistent with full employment. We can be focused on stable prices.

Some months ago, I said we will deliver stable prices. Today's action is consistent with that. And for more, we're joined now by Julia Coronado, an economist at the University of Texas at Austin, who runs her own firm called Macro Policy Perspectives. Welcome back to the program. Thank you for having me. So what does this first decision by the Fed under Warsh's leadership

tell us about Warsh as a Fed chair committed to fighting inflation and as a Fed chair who was willing to operate independently of the president who appointed him. Yes, it's a pretty quick turnaround for an official who was nominated, presumably, to bring rates down to turn around in hike rates by September. And I think that reflects the data he's facing and the committee he has to manage. So the committee is looking at the data, and as Warsh, Chair Warsh described, unemployment is low, inflation is high. That's a pretty simple formula for central bankers. There was a lot of support. It was a unanimous decision. And most officials think that it's not

the last of the rate hike, so more lie ahead. So bring this down to the household level. What gets more expensive and how quickly? Well, we've already seen longer-term interest rates back up. Over the last month or so, we've seen a tremendous rise in borrowing costs, reflecting expectations that the Fed would need to raise rates, reflecting some of the geopolitical tensions we're seeing, ripple through the commodities markets, and the inflation data itself just showing a lot of persistence. So in a sense, the borrowing cost consumers face have already increased.

Mortgage rates are a lot higher. Auto loan rates are likely going to rise as well. So it's really, I think you mentioned, This is really about the Fed following through and the new Fed chair demonstrating that he is independent of politics and will do what the data, what the economy says is necessary. And I think that's, in a sense, that's reassuring that the Fed is acting independently. On those borrowing costs that you mentioned, the 10-year treasury has now passed 5%. How much does that complicate what the Fed is trying to do here? Well, it actually is a reflection of what the Fed is trying to do, which is to slow the economy down, in a sense.

It's an unusual picture because the economy is being driven by this enormous AI buildout rather than the typical hot labor market, hot consumer spending. We're in the middle of a huge KAPX boom. and that demand for capital is part of the reason interest rates are higher. And so it sort of soes the seeds of its own slowdown. There's a lot of borrowing being done by the tech companies, the hyperscalers. That's putting a lot of demand for money, and that's driving up the price of money, and that in turn could slow down that build-out. Returning to what you said a minute ago, how most Fed policy watchers expect another rate hike,

what would have to change for that not to happen? I think we'd have to see. I mean, one of the reasons that Chair Wars cited for moving today was the resilience in the economy. The economy just has absorbed blow after blow from tariffs and wars and a lot of disruption. And the unemployment rate is at 4.1%, which is very low. So I think what we would have to see

are signs of wobbles in the economy. of vulnerability, a labor market where unemployment is on the rise again, or some pretty noticeable cooling off in geopolitical tensions and pipeline inflation pressures and in the inflation data itself. And neither of those is the most likely scenario in the near future. So most of the officials who wrote down a forecast today, the vast majority think that we will see another rate hike before year end, likely at the December meeting. And Warsh has promised a different approach to how the Fed communicates. What did you hear from him today in terms of his language, his tone, or what he chose not to say

that tells us how he intends to run the Fed differently? Yeah, so there was a couple of differences. One, he sort of noted that, well, decisions have sometimes been made, down to the last minute on high-frequency data that the Fed is waiting and then they make a decision based on sort of one month of data, or that's the perception, that he is going to be stepping back and looking at underlying trends more. So that's one difference. A second difference is that in the past when the Fed thought it was embarking on maybe a sequence of rate hikes, they would kind of telegraph that at the press conference. Prior chairs would say,

that they think a sequence of moves is likely chair war steered clear of that specific kind of guidance. Although he did say it's very hard not to provide any forward guidance. He did say that today's action is the start of the Fed demonstrating that they're going to make good on their inflation target. So the start of something suggests that, yes, more rate hikes probably lie ahead. Julia Coronado, always great to speak with you. Thanks for making time for us. My pleasure. Late last night, for the third time, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to end the war with Iran.

That war powers resolution would stop President Trump from continuing military action against Iran without congressional approval. But it still needs to pass the Senate. And it comes more than six months into a conflict the president said would last weeks. For a view from inside Iran, I spoke earlier with news hours Tehran-based special correspondent, Reza Sey. on a rare trip home to the U.S. Brezah, welcome back to the news hour. It's good to see you here in person. Great to be here. Good to see you.

So you are there on the ground reporting for us and others. With the war now approaching seven months, what has daily life become for people in Tehran and across Iran? It's very difficult. I mean, life in war is difficult. You know, initially they had to deal with being bombed on a daily basis. than the economic pressure, the uncertainty, and now you have additional sanctions.

So, you know, war is difficult. And the ones who feel it the most are the average people. At the same time, you see a lot of pride in Iranians. You see a lot of confidence. You see in a lot of Iranians, they know that this moment could be defining for the future of their sovereignty and independence. So you have all these emotions together. But definitely, when you're at war,

it's difficult and painful. Let's talk about the leadership and the sort of strength of the regime. As you've been covering, we know the U.S. and Israel have killed dozens of Iran's top military commanders and senior officials, ramping up the economic pressure as well, hit a number of Iran's military installations. And yet, the regime seems to still be standing. New supreme leader, of course, but the same ideological regime. Has that surprised you to see that strength of the regime? Do you know how weakened they have been by the U.S.? Well, this was a defining moment for them.

They took a very hard punch from the world's lone superpower, the United States to nuclear powers. And despite their senior political leaders, military leaders, and the Supreme Leader being assassinated, the leadership is still there. They have different names, different identities, but they are still there. And to many observers, this was an indication that Iran has very powerful, entrenched, well-rooted institutions that can take a punch like this and still survive.

And not only, in their view, have they survived. Now indications are that they're getting more aggressive, that they believe that the United States does not want a fair diplomatic solution, that they want to destabilize the United States. In their view, Israel wants Iran to be a failed state. And they believe that diplomatic solution, negotiations has not worked. They haven't gotten anything tangible. So they're considering and carrying out measures that indicate that they're being more aggressive. There were, as you well know, mass protests, millions of Iranians who took to the streets before the war, we saw the Iranian government respond with a brutal crackdown, which we've seen before,

reports of these dozens of the protesters who've been executed since then. Human Rights groups, say, 100 protesters still on death row. How would you describe the anti-government sentiment right now? Are people still willing to come out in protest? Well, they haven't come out in protest. It's not, you know, Iran is 90 million people. There's certainly a significant, considerable segment of the population that the very least want reform. There's a segment of the population that wants regime change. And there's also a big, huge part of the population that doesn't want to be the targets of foreign attacks, foreign wars. And they see this moment as a moment of survival for Iran.

So the anti-government protesters that we saw in January have not reappeared in the streets. That doesn't mean that people don't want reform, that don't want change. But I think the population that has made its presence felt is the Iranian population that sees this as a war of survival and their outrage that they've been bombed by the United States and Israel. So what is it like for you as a journalist reporting on the ground in Iran for Western outlets? Do you face repercussions or pressure, intervention from government officials? Repeatedly, there's this narrative that American citizens are in danger there, that the Iranian government systematically goes after dual citizens and American citizens in order to use them as pawns and negotiations.

There have been some arrests of dual citizens, and those have been unjustified. They have been crimes. But I have not seen any systematic effort by the Iranian government over these 20 years that I've reported there to go after dual citizens. And I'm an example. I'm an American citizen. I have an American passport. I'm able to report freely over there.

They have criticized many of my reports, especially. in 2009 during the Green Movement. They were very critical of my reports where they didn't grant me press credentials. But my experience with them has been if my reports are fair and balanced and if, in their view, I'm presenting both sides, they're willing to welcome international journalists, including American journalists. Reza Saya, special correspondent for us on the ground in Iran. It's good to have you here.

Thank you very much. You're welcome. We start today's other headlines on Capitol Hill. House members are heading home a full day early and won't be back until after November's midterm elections. Their departure leaves a number of matters on the table, including an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseff and a push by Democrats to address the risks posed by artificial intelligence. But lawmakers did approve a resolution to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he defied subpoenas related to an investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It's

now up to the Justice Department whether to seek criminal prosecution. Also in Washington, D.C. fencing has gone up around the Kennedy Center. One day after President Trump's handpicked board voted to close it for repairs. But President Trump has said renovations will not begin until the courts allow the center to bear his name. Today, Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty requested an emergency hearing over the closure. She's been leading efforts to keep the president's name off the building. Also today, the White House posted this video appearing to show the building in decay, though these images have not been independently verified.

Federal safety officials are investigating the cause of a news helicopter crash in Los Angeles that killed three people. The helicopter was reporting on a bus collision for NBC for Los Angeles when it went down around 7 p.m. last night. Fire officials say both the pilot, George Marcono, and reporter Eliana Moreno, were killed. Their colleagues paid tribute to them today, calling it a terrible loss. 29-year-old Eddie Gutierrez, Mejia, was on the ground, and he also died. And a motorist has been arrested for causing the crash the news crew was covering. Authorities say she slammed her SUV into a city bus, killing at least two people. European Commission President Ursula Vondra Lyon says she wants Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was on hand for the announcement in front. France, where he received a standing ovation from European lawmakers. The proposal comes as Carney navigates Canada's ongoing trade war with the U.S., Bondi Lyons said Canada and Europe should take their partnership to, as she put it, the highest level possible. But above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy. That power does not belong to the strongest, richest and loudest, but to all of us. that democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work.

Experts say it's unclear exactly how such a relationship would work since the EU has never had an associate member. The idea has been floated before for Ukraine and for Britain after Brexit, but never moved forward. In Gaza City, search and rescue efforts are underway after a building collapsed early today, killing at least 21 people, including 11 children. Aid workers used excavators to sort through the debris,

while others dug through the rubble with their bare hands. The structure had been damaged by Israeli airstrikes earlier in the war and was known to be unstable. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in such buildings, while Israel has refused to allow rebuilding efforts until Hamas disarms. Neighbors living in tents nearby described what happened. The building collapsed in less than 10 seconds. The residents here were good people. They did not cause harm.

They were respectful. All the buildings were full of children and women. And the elderly, they were struggling because there was no shelter for them. They had nothing. This comes amid reports that the Trump administration is planning a $2.8 billion sale of powerful bombs to Israel. The Biden administration paused delivery of similar weapons two years ago, citing concerns about the risk of mass casualties in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels both claimed new attacks today

as the fighting between the two sides intensifies. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a drone heading toward the city of Mecca, calling the attempted attack a red line. The Houthis deny targeting the city. Houthis later, the group released video claiming to be the downing of a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen's territory.

The remains of the jet can be seen burning on the ground with a Saudi flag visible on its tail. On Wall Street today, stocks ended lower. After the Fed raised interest rates, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points. The NASDAQ gave back three points, so basically flat. The S&P 500 lost nearly half a percent. And we marked the passing of two award-winning authors. British American writer and commentator Bonnie Greer has died. She was a prominent voice on both sides of the Atlantic,

advocating for greater racial and gender representation through her books, plays, and public appearances. Therefore, diversity and democracy are, to my mind, the same thing. They're exactly the same thing. And diversity creates democracy itself. For her contributions to the art, she was made an order of the British Empire in 2010. Bonnie Greer was 77 years old. And Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard has died. Her 1974 work, Pilgrimate Tinker Creek, drew comparisons to Henry David Thoreau as a nonfiction meditation on nature, religion, and the meaning of life itself. In 2014, then President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal. Annie Dillard was 81. Still to come on the News Hour, primaries come to an end, a look at the political landscape

heading into the November midterms. The fallout grows after McLemore is dropped from Ed Shearin's tour over his pro-Palestinian remarks, and a reopened Greek-Bizantine palace sets an example for what's possible with restoration. This is the PBS News Hour from the day. David M. Rubenstein's studio at WETA in Washington, headquarters of PBS News. For months, the Trump administration has ramped up economic pressure and military threats against the island nation of Cuba. A de facto oil blockade means blackouts, food, and water shortages for millions have worsened. Cuban officials say they're willing to talk, but publicly there's been no progress. I spoke earlier today with Cuba's deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cozillo as he visits.

the U.S. Deputy Foreign Minister de Kossia, welcome to the NewsHour. Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. So this month, the Foreign Minister of Cuba said that there are no talks happening between the U.S. and Cuba, but that the Cuban government would continue reaching out to its contacts. Is that happening?

Is that part of why you're here in Washington? It's not the reason why I'm in Washington. I'm here because I'm attending the UN General Assembly. We have a major embassy in Washington, and what's normal for us for senior officials, to visit and engage with our diplomatic missions. What our position on contacts with the US is that first we have diplomatic relations, so we have official channels of communication.

And we've had several contacts and meetings with the US that what we claim is that they had no progress. And we say that because you only have to look at the fact that practically every week or every 10 days or 15 days, there's a new announcement by the US government of sanctions and coercive measures that punish the people of Cuba. So you could not claim that there's progress

in any dialogue or any type of communication if hostility continues to happen. And that's our main point. But we continue to be ready to engage with the United States when they are ready to try to solve our political differences, our bilateral political difference, which are many. But we are firm believers that, through dialogue, through respect between the two governments, some common ground could be found.

When was the last time, I apologize, when was the last time there were any direct talks between your two governments? I prefer not to go into details. We try to treat this discreetly. We truly reject the leaks that have been occurring. But I can assure you there's meetings have occurred and we would be ready to engage again. Are you saying that in other words, they are not closed, they're not suspended, they're not shut down. Simply, there's no progress to this moment. And by your definition, progress would mean the U.S. would stop with additional sanctions. That could be. But in a broader sense, we would have to identify a common goal that we want to reach

that implies progress in the bilateral relationship. Up to now, if you look at the claims of the U.S. publicly, they want to take over Cuba. That is quite an ambitious goal that certainly is unacceptable for Cuba. Cuba is a sovereign nation. Do you take that as a real threat? Are you worried about a U.S. invasion? It would be naive if we do not take that into account. It is constantly repeated.

U.S. senior officials are asked constantly if that is on the table, and they claim that nothing is off the table. So a country like Cuba, looking to what's happened in the world and our own history, we would be naive if we don't take that seriously. Can I ask you about what's happening on the ground in Cuba right now? Because we've seen blackouts amid the oil block, We've seen life gotten so much worse for Cubans. Food is expensive.

It spoils without electricity. We know there are water shortages as well. What is your message to Cubans about what you and other leaders are doing to alleviate that pain? First of all, it is very clear that the policy of the United States is to produce collective punishment, which is an international crime, to try to induce a humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Meaning, that is, to use the pain of each and every Cuban to try to achieve a political goal. That, again, is an international crime. The people of Cuba understand that.

And when you see in the media normally, the reports of what's happening in Cuba, they speak about the lack of energy, the blackouts and people being irritated naturally, people being uncomfortable naturally. But that's only the surface. They don't take into account what it implies for a family that has a sick person at home, and then doesn't know how to transport them to the hospital. They don't take into account what implies for a person who needs an urgent surgery and has to wait in line because as a result of lack of energy,

surgery has to be postponed. What it implies for a family that has a newborn whose life depends on a machine not stopping because of lack of power. What implies for people having to take children school to do homework at night. So it has a human face. We use statistics many times of what it implies, but this has a human face. And the main problem is that is not collateral damage.

It is the aim of the policy. So the people of Cuba understand that. And the government has says, claims, and we're doing, trying to introduce in Cuba the transformations and to take the steps that allow us to cope with this situation that does not depend on us. I mean, as you say, these are the most significant privatization steps. The nation has taken in over six decades,

If this does lead towards an alleviation of suffering for Cubans, if opening up the economy does help, would you continue to do so? Yes, it is our aim. Our aim is the main priority here is how do we satisfy, how do we respond to the needs of the people of Cuba? And that is a driving goal here. That is an enormous shift for a communist nation to say you will continue to open up your economy.

We will continue to go down this path, but we will retain the role of the role of the of the state to respond to basic needs of the population and the economic capacity to do that. I have to ask you about the allegations from U.S. officials as well, about the gap between Cuban leaders and what they're experiencing and everyday Cubans. They say the leaders aren't feeling the pain as evenly. I want to put to you what the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Walts,

said back in July. He said, there's no food or fuel for hospitals. How is their fuel for the Castro private family jet? How does President Diaz Canal afford his Hermes Thai, is Rolex watch. How does the Castro family afford their 17 homes, their trips to Madrid and Moscow? What would you say to that?

First of all, this is claimed by the representative of one of the countries with the most inequality in the world today. An inequality that has grown dramatically in the past 20 years and above all, under the current government. People who are not experiencing 20 hours a day of blackouts, all due respect.

Secondly, there are no private jets of the Castro family. It's totally untrue. There are no 17 homes. of the Castro family totally untrue but he can claim whatever he wants when he has a microphone in in front of him all Cubans of every type senior officials in the government are suffering the same situation of Cubans i'm not saying that all Cubans are equal footing depends on the neighborhood you live the amount of hours you take the conditions of your home but the level of inequality the level of differences in Cuba is dramatically different than the ones you have in the

United States. The pain is on the Cuban population as a whole in ways that no other country perhaps have suffered unless you put the example of Gaza in Palestine. It's warfare against the population of a whole country. And for an American official to claim that there are differences from the United States, a country where you have a minusical elite in which a few people have more money than the whole population of the richest country in the world is quite hypocritical. This survey says some 54% of people surveyed in Cuba say they ran out of food in the prior three months. There's reports of up to 20 hours a day without power. Are you saying that Cuban officials are experiencing that same level of pain?

I can tell you that my colleagues and myself, we have two, two and a half, three hours of power a day. That our refrigerator is closed. That you can't cool food. And we don't have running water. And I'm talking about Cuban officials in general. And anyone who knows me can go and check or who knows any one of my colleagues. Now, there are people which are not government officials, which are simple private citizens, that might live across the street from a hospital.

And they don't suffer blackouts because hospitals are protected. Clinics are protected. And that's just look where they live. And some of us have to take our food and our protestant ask them, can you refrigerate this for some time? That is normal life in Cuba for everybody. The claim in the United States that there's a difference between an elite

and the people different, it's totally, totally untrue, and they can't prove it. The U.S. has claimed, this administration has claimed, that Cuba is a national security threat. It's been deemed a state sponsor of terrorism. The White House has said that the Cuban regime aligns itself with nations hostile to the U.S. that Cuba maintains close ties to other state sponsors of terrorism.

What is your response to those claims? Most of the countries that U.S. claims that Cuba is close to. The United States has a more comprehensive and broader relationship with those countries than Cuba does. We're talking about nations like Russia, Iran. The U.S. has a much broader relationship with China, at least, and with Russia than we do. With trade, with exchange of different types, than we do. It is an adversarial relationship with Russia, though. We would not call Russia an ally.

But they have more trade still today with Russia than we do. More contacts, more high-level meetings and visits than they have with Cuba, than Russia has with Cuba. With China, it's the same. They claim it's arbitrary, but it's a claim. But they have a more relationship than we do. What does happen next then? How do you see this ending? With the pressure, with the military threats, with additional U.S. sanctions, how does this end?

We'll have to cope on ourselves. Ourselves. And at some extent, the international community, perhaps we would say this is unacceptable. for one superpower to be dictating everybody having to do. But what cannot occur and what would be treason is for the Cuban government to tell our people, look, there's nothing else we can do. Let's ask the U.S. government what they want us to do

and how they want to organize our country and how they want to organize the Cuban economy, the Cuban political system, Cuban property, and Cuban business. That would be treasoned by the Cuban government and the Cuban authorities. Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba, Carlos Fernandez, Thank you very much for being here. We appreciate your time. You're welcome.

You're welcome. For more of that conversation with the Deputy Foreign Minister, you can watch our full interview online on our PBS News YouTube page. Well, the 2026 primary season is officially over. Voters in Delaware cast the final ballots yesterday, and no surprises, they set up a U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat, Chris Coons, and Republican Michael Katz. Now, the general election is finally under underway. Mail and ballots have gone out in several states, and with just seven weeks left until Election Day, Lisa Desjardin takes a closer look at the increasingly competitive match

for the U.S. Senate. Democrats are looking to North Carolina as one of their best chances to flip a Republican Senate seat. And President Trump is taking a firsthand look. He's there today to try to help his hand-picked candidate, former Republican Party chairman Michael Watley. A recent Elon University poll shows the Democrat, former governor, Roy Koum. with a double-digit lead over Watley. For an on-the-ground report, I'm joined by Colin Campbell of Public Media Station, WUNC. Colin, just take us there.

Where does this race stand? Yeah, so this is a race where we're expecting it to be a lot tighter than it has been, at least in the polls that we've seen. That lead that Governor Roy Cooper hasn't really changed a whole lot over the last few months, and we sort of expected it to tighten up. But this is the first we're seeing of President Trump and really any of the high-ranking members of his administration actually coming to North Carolina to campaign.

with Watley. So we'll certainly see if that helps boost him among Republicans. But the president's approval ratings in North Carolina are kind of the worst that they've been. And this is the case for many other states as well. So whether this helps him with swing voters sort of remains to be seen, but certainly energizes the Republican base to have Trump here in North Carolina. How is Watley handling Trump specifically? Not every Republican candidate wants Trump to fly into their state or district right now. Yeah. And for a while we were wondering whether we would see the president in the state. And certainly this seems like a conscious choice on Watley's part.

You know, as former chairman of the Republican National Committee, there's not a whole lot of daylight between Watley and Trump. He really hasn't made much of an effort to distance himself from anything the president or his administration has been doing. He talks about Trump less on the campaign trail than he did earlier on, which seems to be a strategic choice to focus more on attacking his opponent than he is praising the president's administration. But certainly you don't see a whole lot of difference between Watley's campaign and his position

on a lot of these national issues in the presidents. If you had to pick one or two key issues in this Senate race in North Carolina, what would they be? I think affordability is probably the top one. I mean, the economy here is an issue, and former Governor Roy Cooper has been making that his signature issue. He does these make stuff costs less tour events he calls them across the state, promoting his plans for that. Watley has been more focused on a tough on crime message trying to tie Governor Cooper to people who've been let out of jail or certain criminal instances and policies that if he's had.

And then you've also got a lot of discussion about AI and data centers that have been popping up around the state, but less by the candidates in this race. The candidates really have sort of picked their lanes, whether it be crime or affordability, and are sticking to that. And that seems to be the theme of most of the campaign events we've seen in this state so far. Colin Campbell, WNC, a state to watch. We appreciate your reporting. Thanks, Lisa. Democrats may have an advantage in North Carolina, but that's just one of a dozen competitive Senate races this year, according to the Cook Political Report. They rate which party is favored currently, and you can see that in shades of Republican red, Democratic blue, or the toss-ups there in yellow.

These 12 seats will likely determine the future of the Senate, and of them, Republicans are on defense in the majority, or eight of those seats. But to regain control of the Senate, Democrats need to pick up four seats overall. It's a rugged political map, and to help us navigate, I'm joined by Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Port. Jessica, let's just start off right now. 48 days to go, would you rather be a Senate Democrat or a Senate Republican? The map still is tilted toward Republicans because Democrats are trying to target seats in states that Trump won by double digits. But if you look at the political momentum, it's on Democrat's side, and that's why they are so competitive in these seats. So, you know, again, I think I'd rather be a Democrat in this environment right now, but the math still favors Republicans.

As you're saying, Trump won in most of these states in 2024, yet his disapproval rating right now hovers right around 60%. It's getting very close to that. How do you see the ways that he helps Republicans versus the ways he may be hurting them? When I watched that midterm convention last week and he said, pretend I'm on the ballot, I think Democrats were just rejoicing because that's the message they want. We see in polling, there was a CNN poll last week in Maine where Susan Collins is in the political fight of her life, which she has survived before. But 45% of voters said their vote is a reflection on President Trump is trying to send a message to President Trump. If you're Susan Collins, those are numbers you don't want to hear. You know, their only way that voters can send a message of being unhappy with this current White House and the president's policies is to vote against his party.

And that's why we're seeing states like Iowa and Texas that are so competitive. Alaska, Ohio, states that Trump won by double digits are now at the crux of the competitive Senate map. And Republicans are spending in some weird places. You mentioned Texas, for example. I'm having conversations in the U.S. Senate with MAGA Republicans who are worried about Kansas. Yeah. My question for you is, how much is the map expanding for Democrats right now? And do they have the muscle?

Do they have the money to take advantage of that? Well, Republicans also can't overlook the places that they're on defense. Michigan is central. Again, they want to be adding seats. They need to net four seats. You can't be subtracting Senate seats. This week, we just moved New Hampshire into the toss-up column. That's a state that Kamala Harris carried by less than three points, but it's one where Republicans have a unique recruit there in former Senator John Isanunu, who is from the state's most famous political family.

And so that's a seat that's a state that's going up as a Democratic congressman also with a well-known name, Chris Poppuss. Right, but that's a state where we see MAGA Inc. money coming in. It's one of their top reservations. Michigan, they feel like they have a real chance because Abdul-Offis. Syed. Democrats or Republicans are really demonizing him and making him the central to their attacks. So that's a much closer race than both than Democrats would like right now. So you still have places where Democrats are on defense so they can't take their eye off the ball. But is the map expanding now for Democrats? We're going to come back to that. So we know

Democrats, they have something that they've got to protect. But is the map expanding and do they have the resources to make, take advantage of that? I mean, the Republican money edge is real, but it's coming from Super PAC money. And so candidates, like James Talleyco in Texas, even though we've seen the main Senate Super PAC, Senate leadership fund, their Texas PAC has put over more than $60 million in reservations. You know, I'm looking at what the candidates are spending there. They get cheaper ad rates.

So I think the map, it has expanded certainly since last year when I would not have said that Democrats were in contention for the majority at all, and they are right now. How worried are Republicans do you think about losing the majority? We still have some time before the election, but ballots have gone out in some states. I think they are very worried just when you look at the trajectory of the environment and when you look at, you know, they did not think in the spring when I was talking with strategists that the war would still be going on, that they would still have gas prices that are this high, diesel prices at record high. You mentioned Kansas. It's similar to me in a lot of ways like Iowa, where you have agriculture prices that are really hurting Republican voters there.

And so you see Republican voters on the defense, a Republican lawmakers in the defense over beef, over fertilizer prices. So it's a really sort of unique environment that is harming Republicans. And it all ties back to the Iran war, really. In our last few seconds, what are you watching in the next month or so to determine the final shape of these races? Does the money that Republicans are pouring in, is it moving it? Is it the money or the message that is going to determine this? If it's the message, Democrats have that on their side. But Democrats also, they might need to narrow that money advantage are, is there enough enthusiasm on their side that their donors kick in enough?

Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report, thank you for having your head completely in the game and helping us with it. Thanks, Lisa. The debate over the war in Gaza continues to reverberate throughout politics and pop culture. And this week, it erupted once again, leading to tough criticism of two musical artists and blowing up plans for a concert. tour. Anger erupted after the rapper MacLamore was kicked off musician at Shearren's stadium tour. Shearin, one of the most streamed artists in the world, said McLemore had to be dropped as an opening act because venue owners objected to McLamor's recent pro-Palestinian comments on stage. One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted

to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart, free Palestine. To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. In a statement, Sheeran said the decision was made not because of his own personal politics. Instead, he laid the blame on his tour promoter after upcoming venues threatened to cancel shows if McLemore continued to play. Yesterday, all four of Ed Shearhan's other supporting acts dropped out of the tour in protest. For more, we're joined now by Ben Cesario. He's a reporter

at the New York Times covering the music industry. Ben, thanks for being with us. Help us understand what happened here. Well, I mean, as you said, just in politics and a lot of other parts of culture, positions on the war in Gaza have really been a third rail in a lot of ways. But this flared up in a big way in music because of this tour, because Ed Shearren, one of the most popular artists in the world, and because of the apparent pressure that was put on him by the owners of stadiums around the country, they were apparently the ones that objected so strongly to McLemore's comments. He also, he has a protest song that he released a couple of years ago, again about the war, and in it he accuses Israel of genocide, and he shows his solidarity with student protesters

in the U.S. in New York. So his position has been widely known. I mean, this was not a surprise, but the idea that the owners of stadiums, including Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, apparently demanded that he be removed from the tour, and Ed Sheeran did not object. And Robert Kraft said that this wasn't just about McLemore's support for the Palestinian issue, but what he calls a broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery. MacLamore says he's being punished for political speech. Where do you see this line being drawn? Well, I mean, it certainly is about speech. And it's interesting that some of the venues, at least some of the venues that he was planning to go to on the tour are publicly owned.

The next stop on the tour is in Philadelphia, and I believe the stadium there is owned by the city of Philadelphia. But this is a rare example of the owners of these venues and of the teams, which most of them are billionaire businessmen, putting their foot down so strongly. And the reaction on social media and around the world has been very strong about this. Some in support. I mean, some agree with Mr. Kraft fully. But I think there's an even stronger objection, especially among music fans and in the music industry, that a venue owner could dictate this and that Ed Shearin is perceived as caving into that pressure rather than standing up for the artist that he chose to have on his tour. And once Shearin made his statement on Tuesday where he said, it wasn't me, it was the promoters and the venues. That is when you saw every other artist on his tour, the other opening acts and even the Irish traditional band that backs Shearing up for part of his show.

They all bailed within a couple of hours. So there's also this question of consistency. Kanye West has an extensive, well-documented history of making anti-Semitic statements, and yet he continues to find venues and audiences. So where's the line in the sand? Well, I mean, lots of people on social media have been calling this total hypocrisy. And it may indeed be. But if there is a line in the sand, it seems to be Gaza. It seems to be that is the issue that was intolerable to venue owners like Robert Kraft.

A lot of other stadium venue owners around the country didn't seem to have a problem with Kanye West being there. He has a song called Heil Hitler, although I don't think it was on the set. list for those shows. But, I mean, as you said, he has been absolutely outrageous in the past with anti-Semitism, with truly offensive comments, and he's been able to book a successful tour. So is the line now not what you say, but how much leverage you have and commercial success you have when you say it? That may be the case, but I also think it is specifically about the political issue of the war in Gaza and whether criticism of Israel's stance and Israel's actions in that war is considered allowable.

And Cesario of the New York Times. Thanks again for being with us this evening. Thank you. History buffs heading to Greece are mostly drawn to the country's wealth of classical temples and amphitheaters. But now the culture ministry has opened a stunning, restored palace from the Byzantine era in the 1300s. Greeks claim the UNESCO World Heritage Site

is a model of bringing ancient treasures back to life. From Mistras in southern Greece, special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports. Situated in the Tigettos Mountains, high above ancient Sparta, lies the ruined walled city of Mistras. It's golden years during the Middle Ages, when Mistras was a center for art and culture,

and a key outpost of the Christian Byzantian, empire, rule from what is now Istanbul. There are two ways to see this ancient treasure. One is by going uphill, the other downhill. There are 900 steps between, and the gradient is really steep, so I think we'll be going downhill. For decades, the palace at the heart of the complex has been closed to the public.

But now, after renovation work lasting 40 years, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is open for all to see. It's something unbelievable, and of course, when we first entered, because even myself could not enter the palaces earlier, it was something amazing, something taking you back to another world, to Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings or something, as you're going to find out. It's just amazing and the work that it did is also great. Demetrius Vlacacos has been a tour guide for 12 years and is an expert on this, the only remaining Byzantine palace in Greece. The Byzantine Empire actually was a

continuation of the Roman Empire to the East and became a Greek Roman Christian Empire. So when everything was collapsing in the western part of the Roman Empire, here they were flourishing. One of the priorities of the Greek authorities here has been to try to future-proof this site against the dangers of climate change, in particular wildfires. And that's because the Greeks had a really narrow escape about 20 years ago when a terrible wildfire got to the perimeter of ancient Olympia where the Olympics started. And it was just by a pure luck and skill of the firefighters,

that they managed to stop it before it got inside. Surrounded by forests, Mistras is a potential tinderbox. This area is very similar to California. The wildfires, the earthquakes, the flora, and such other issues, the temperatures, of course. So we have a big issue and a fear, a constant fear of a possible wildfire to break out. And so the archaeological site has been kitted out

with water tanks and the latest fire suppressant systems, which please Prime Minister Kiyakos Mitsutakis. How can we talk about preserving our cultural identity if we do not protect it from the modern threats of the climate crisis? Something that sits at the center of our priorities is the Ministry of Culture. At the heart of the renovations is the palace of the despots. In the Byzantine language, the word despot meant a prince, not a tyrant. I also want to speak about the future.

When we talk about the future, our minds automatically go to technology. All of our archaeological sites now, all of our monuments, are incorporating technology so as to enrich the visitor experience and enable us to create personalized roots. The palace transports visitors back in time by projecting ghostly images onto the stone walls. A lady in waiting combs her mistress's hair, while a page is chastised by a cook in the kitchen. Overseeing Greece's heritage is Culture Minister Lina Mendoene. Cultural heritage plays a crucial role both for collective self-awareness and for sustainable development and social cohesion. With this strategic concept we've been implementing in the last seven years,

the largest and most comprehensive investment policy in culture that the country has ever known. Avatar's of minstrels in the throne room provide a soundtrack as a Byzantine prince returns to the palace to the acclamation of his subjects. It's proven in practice that when there's a plan, consistency, cooperation and faith in the power of culture, we can give back to society with a substantial historical, cultural and developmental footprint. As part of that promise, Greece has launched an initiative to protect 19 ancient monuments at high risk from climate change.

They include the Knozos in Crete, which is getting a fire suppression network and lightning protection system because ever more powerful heat waves help to generate more wildfires. Christos Zerophos heads the Academy of Athens Flammatology Research Center. People in the past they would say, okay, it's only a heat wave, it will pass in a few days. Unfortunately, we see that the period of instability in weather becomes prolonged and becomes longer. are also monitoring coastal erosion and rising sea levels around the island of Delos, where, according to Greek mythology, the sun god Apollo was born. We need to know the rate of deterioration and the extent of changes in the quality of the sea,

like the pH of the waters. The heat wave is maintained by the increase of the sea. of the sea surface temperatures also, which follow the heating of the atmosphere by the greenhouse gases. Visitors to Mistras cannot fail to feel the weight of history. Protecting such irreplaceable treasures is not just a Greek responsibility.

According to UNESCO's abiding principles, it is the duty of all humanity. For the PBS News hour, I'm Markim Brabant in Mistras, southern Greece. Remember, there's a lot more online, including a look at why more than one million children have lost SNAP benefits since last July. That's at pbs.org slash news hour. And that is the NewsHour for tonight. I'm Omna Nawaz.

And I'm Jeff Bennett. For all of us here at The News Hour, thanks for spending part of your evening with us.