PBS News Hour - Full Show - September 20, 2025 – PBS News Weekend full episode

Episode Date: September 20, 2025

Saturday on PBS News Weekend, Trump’s drastic visa fee hike leaves companies scrambling. Parents and patients search for answers after government funding cuts to pediatric brain cancer research. The effects of reductions in diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses across the country. Plus, a public garden grows in Michigan with a lot of love and a nearly all-volunteer crew. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Tonight on PBS News Weekend, government cuts to funding for childhood brain cancer research leaves parents and patients in search of answers and losing hope. Then the impacts of reductions in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on college campuses across the country. And how does your public garden grow? In Michigan, it's with a lot of love and a nearly all-volunteer crew. What consistently boggles my mind about this is just the incredible complexity of it. This palette changes every 10 days.

It's just this constant series of moving parts. Good evening. I'm Ali Rogan. is away. Tech companies scrambled today to get their foreign workers back to the U.S. after President Trump announced a drastic hike in visa fees. It applies to the H-1B visa for high-skilled jobs, which previously cost $215. The president's proclamation requires a $100,000 fee. Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, and Amazon all told their employees on those visas not to leave the country, and if they're currently overseas, to get back by midnight tonight. That's according to internal emails reviewed by Reuters.

India and China account for the highest number of H-1B visa applications, and in India, some saw a silver lining to the move. It's a big hit for the tech talent, but also the other side, I think it will be good for India, because it could be a reverse brain drain in the lakes where people can work here. The Trump administration argues companies

use H-1B visas to hire foreign-born workers for cheaper wages. overnight, the U.S. conducted its third strike this month on a boat alleged to be smuggling drugs. President Trump announced it in a social media post, along with unclassified video. He said three narco-terrorists were killed. The president did not reveal where it happened, except to say it was in the U.S. Southcom area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean and Central and South America. The prosecutor involved in the mortgage fraud investigation against New York's Attorney General is leaving his post. Eric Seabert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia,

handed in his resignation shortly after President Trump told reporters Friday evening he wanted Seabert out. Seabert was in the middle of investigating Letitia James, but it had not resulted in criminal charges. On social media, the president said he fired Seabert because the attorney had, quote, unusually strong support from two Democrats. The Trump administration has imposed new rules for how journalists can cover the Department of Defense, now renamed the Department of War. The Pentagon sent a memo requiring reporters to sign a pledge, vowing not to gather or use any information that isn't formally cleared by the department, even if it's unclassified. Those who do not comply will be stripped of their credentials. Secretary Pete Hegeseth posted on social media, the press has to, quote, follow the rules or go home. The National Press Club called the move a, quote, assault on independent journalism.

And in Hong Kong, police ordered a massive evacuation after construction workers unearthed a piece of history. Thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes after a World War II era bomb was discovered. Police say the five-foot-long, 1,000-pound bomb was found at a construction site in a residential and business district on the island. Teams worked through the night and into the morning, eventually deactivating it. Still to come on PBS News Weekend. What's the future of DEI in higher education after many schools shut down programs and closed centers? And a public garden for all seasons and all types of gardeners in the heart of Detroit. This is PBS News Weekend from the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington, home of the PBS News Hour.

Week nights on PBS. Each year, close to 5,000 children are diagnosed with brain tumors, which are the leading cause of pediatric cancer-related death. Last month, the Trump administration announced it would stop supporting a federally funded network dedicated to researching these deadly cancers. Starting in March, 26, the pediatric brain tumor consortium will no longer receive funds from the National Cancer Institute, which is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research. To discuss the implications of this, I'm joined by Misha Meta. She is the president of the Neve Colte and Brave Roneal Foundation, which she founded in honor of her late son who was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2020,

and Dr. Paul Graham Fisher, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Stanford University and co-investigator in the PBTC. Thank you both so much for joining us. First to you, Paul, what makes pediatric brain tumors? unique and challenging and why are these clinical networks important they're challenging in that these are tumors not only in little kids and that are tumors of childhood but the brain is obviously a very tricky part where sometimes surgery is very challenging and then the effects of the therapies radiation

drugs other therapies they have profound implications on who the child is so that's one aspect the other aspect you highlighted that brain tumors in children are really the hardest or most difficult to cure in childhood, and we just don't have effective therapies. That's why having investigational groups, a consortium, is just so darn important. And Paul, there's a lot that we don't know about the future of this research, but one thing we do know is that the network has paused enrollment in its ongoing clinical trials. What does that mean for families who are waiting to get their kids into these trials? It means a lot of things for families.

One is all new entries are on hold or suspended. So no new entries could be made on these trials. There's a little bit of uncertainty about how these trials will be handled, whether they'll be transitioned to Children's Oncology Group in part. And that is another body that is run by the National Cancer Institute. Is that right? That's true. Correct.

The Children's Oncology Group is also under the NCI of the National Cancer. Institute, but it will also likely face some sort of budgetary cuts, too. It's not going to be exactly a one-for-one. This is going to be very hard to families, because there are families not only who want to get their children on these trials, but there'll be certain trials that now just are not available. They'll have to seek other sources, other sites, other ways to try to find novel treatments for very hard and refractory cancers. Misha Mita, you represent some of those families who are going through this with a child. Your PIN has your beautiful son, Knieve, who was diagnosed and passed away due to a pediatric brain tumor.

As a parent who's gone through this, what does it mean to have access to trials like this? Yeah, thank you, Ali. For my son, Nave, participated in four phase one clinical trials, right? similar to what the consortium puts out for families like us, for kids like Neve, they translate into hope, right? When there is the standard of care is radiation and a phase one clinical trial, and if you're taking away hope, what are you going to do? You have no path forward.

This is hope for us. That's the only way we get a chance to save our kids. You have been in touch with leaders at the National Cancer Institute about the future of the research. that's being done. What is your understanding and what have they told you about why they're doing this now? So the understanding is that the consortiums is run out of 16 different hospitals. When rolling under the larger Children's Oncology Group, it will have access to about 45 more different institutes that are part of that larger phase clinical trials. I think that idea

sounds good, but the point is that there is no clear path forward as to what happens to kids right now who are looking for treatment or I say looking for hope when they're diagnosed and battling these deadly brain cancers. Paul, I want to put to you the position that we're hearing from the federal government on this is that moving this work into a larger body will be a more efficient use of resources. How do you see it? There may be some areas where there's efficiency, but there's innately in treating cancers that are very refractory with the earliest treatments, face.

one treatments, there's going to be a lot of drugs that sometimes are treatments that are not successful. I think the other thing to point out is the children's oncology group is a wonderful group. These 16 centers of excellence see somewhere on the order of about a third to up to half of all children with brain tumors in the United States. So these are centers that are extremely specialized that bring a lot more to the consortium in terms of their science and their other early initiatives in terms of translating science into treatments. And Misha, this conversation is broader than this one consortium. There are many changes happening in the field of pediatric brain tumor research,

pediatric oncology more broadly. Tell me about what's happening and how it's affecting your community. As a parent advocate right now, I am fighting for other kids that come after my son, Neve. And we've seen this time and time again that they've been sustained funding that has been removed from pediatric cancer in general in research, right? Parents that came before me advocated for the last 10 years to get the funding from NIH from 4% to 8%. That's where we were. But with repeated cuts that we are seeing that is leading

to decrease the funding, like Dr. Fisher said, this is a hard disease to study. It is hard for people to be convinced enough to come and study this disease, but the rewards are very little, but the need is extraordinary. So if you remove the funding around it, you're going to lose the talent or train the next round of scientists and doctors like Dr. Fisher into this field, right? So it's like, for me, it's a systematic issue

where we are losing piece by piece in already a community that has seen so little amount of infrastructure that is coming into from federal funding. Misha Meta, Dr. Paul Fisher, thank you both so much for your time. Thank you, very much. College campuses are buzzing with activity as students return after summer break, but change is also in the air.

At more than 400 colleges and universities, programs and centers that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion have been eliminated or rebranded. DEI programs have been under a microscope since. in state laws and President Trump's executive orders labeled them as discriminatory. So what's the future of DEI in higher education? Paulette Granbury Russell, president and CEO of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, is here to tell us more. It's part of our rethinking college series. Paulette, thank you so much for joining us.

Your organization is more than 20 years old, which seems to underscore the fact that these efforts to promote diversity on college campuses is not new. but do you think that history is reflected in the current national conversation we're having about DEI? As you reference, the organization that I helped to lead has been around for 20 years. But that is not representative of the efforts within our colleges and universities to become a more welcoming, supportive environment for students based on diverse backgrounds, identities, lived experiences. So we've had quite a bit of work over the, I'd say, the last 60-plus years to create a more supportive environment for all of our students. And some of them have told us about the ways in which these types of programs help them get access to specific scholarships, program centers, designed to encourage diversity.

We spoke to one student at the University of Texas, Dallas to find out what these programs on his campus meant to him. When I did have access to DEI programs, they helped me a lot in being able to find a community where there was none. It's very easy as a Latino to feel very lost, especially if you're coming from a low-income background like me. It helped me find a lot of common community with people who genuinely cared about what was going on around them and also helped me find access to conferences and programs that I wouldn't have known otherwise. So what are some of those real-world changes that you're seeing now or anticipate happening in the future now that some of these programs are going away? I think across the country, we've seen efforts both at the state level and certainly more recently with the executive orders to dismantle diversity equity and inclusion efforts. We are seeing women centers. We're seeing centers for members of the LGBTQ community, other cultural spaces that are being closed or defunded. And it's clear, I think, as represented by the student, that these spaces were built over decades as a direct response to student needs and their disappearance is deeply troubling.

And those disappearances, do you anticipate that those are going to lead, or perhaps they already have, to demographic shifts as incoming students consider where they want to apply? Well, it could. And if those individuals do not feel that that campus is either respectful or supportive of their needs, then it is possible. that they will seek support in other colleges and universities across the country. But what should be noted is that these centers are not extras to campus life. They act as vital resources that ensure that all students, not just some students, are supported in their education. The Trump administration this week announced a $500 million increase in funding to historically black colleges and universities, while at the same time cutting funding for colleges that mainly serve Hispanic students. How does that change fit into this administration's agenda when it comes to promoting diversity on college campuses?

At its core, our perspective is that this is not a win for students. It is a zero-sum approach. Funding resources are already scarce and potentially results in these institutions being pitted against each other. in all of these institutions, whether they are HBCUs, tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving, minority-serving institutions, they play a vital role in expanding access and opportunity for all students. The Trump administration has also said that getting rid of some of these initiatives will lead to a society of, quote, colorblind and competence-based workplaces.

How do you think about that vision as articulated there? And what does it mean to you? Well, I think a colorblind employment environment, while a noble goal, that is not the reality of individuals' lived experiences or their sense of community. Our communities are diverse. People are not necessarily uncomfortable extending themselves across communities, but there are times when, in fact, we do not anticipate, nor should we expect that every community is going to be welcoming and supportive. That is not the country that we live in currently. We have a long ways to go. And I think to achieve a colorblind society or country, while noble, I don't think that's the reality. Nor do I think somehow diminishing culture and experiences is truly what is valued about this democracy.

Paulette Branberry Russell with the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Thank you so much. And thank you, Allie, for this opportunity. Finally tonight, as the end of summer nears a public garden in Michigan that evolves with the seasons, thanks to its meticulous design and an army of volunteer gardeners. John Yang went to Detroit for our Arts and Culture series Canvas. There are birds chirping, bees buzzing, flowers waving in the breeze. Tucked away on Detroit's Belle Isle, just minutes from downtown, sits a three-acre public garden.

It's tended to by a grounds crew that is almost entirely made up of volunteers. I would say it's one of the retirement loves of my life. Native Detroiter Linda McKenzie recently traded her stethoscope for a garden trowel. If I were to describe what I did as a physician, it was really about shepherding people to a better, you know, level of health. And so with gardens, it's shepherding the environment to a better level of beauty. Plants will tell you exactly how they feel. You plant something, and you can tell when the soil is right and it's happy with the amount of sun. And if it's not happy, yeah, it's going to die.

So they don't scream at you. They don't argue. They just do what they do. But where in Aldolf Garden, Detroit, they would do it, was carefully plotted by Pete Aldo, the world-renowned garden and landscape designer. In 2019, Aldov showed PBS News's Jeffrey Brown the plans for the garden during a visit to his studio in the Netherlands.

You look at this drawing. You see the groups of plants, and this is one particular grass that meanders through all these groups. Yeah. So it feels more like a meadow. He was already a big fan of the city. I was always sort of intrigued by Detroit. I found so much energy and so many people that were just, the one was doing this,

the other one was doing that. So you see it and I felt that the whole city was vibrating. The roots of Aldolf Garden Detroit reached back to 2016 with, with a letter. Three members of the Michigan Garden Club asked Aldolf if he'd design a garden in Detroit, just as he had done in Chicago with the Lurie Garden, and in New York

with the High Line. Please, they implored him. Say yes. Mara Campbell was one of those behind the letter. For years, she led efforts to make the garden a reality. She died last year, but her husband, Duncan, was there every step of the way, including for Aldo's first visit in 2017.

We called it our first date, so we picked them up at the airport, and we drove them all over Detroit, southwest Detroit, the train station, the depopulated east side of Detroit, and he fell in love with Detroit. The path from a plan on paper to plants in the ground wasn't easy. In 2019, a harsh winter and heavy rain raised the Great Lakes water levels to historic highs. The Detroit River, which surrounds Bell Island and connects with Lake Erie, flooded the plant. site for the garden. I came out here with a yardstick and a GPS unit and one-third of the garden was underwater. Pete was very flexible on it, but we had to go completely back to the drawing boards. We pulled it back from the shore and we basically raised it up three feet. And that way it insulated us from high water in the future. Then came the pandemic, delaying planting until

the fall of 2020. The garden opened in August 2021, paid for entirely with private donations. There are four distinct areas, the main garden, a rain garden, the bird border, and the meadows. There are nearly 80,000 plants in the garden and horticulturist Richard Thomas oversees them all, faithfully carrying out Aldo's vision. His goal is to excite an emotional response and the same kind of response that you would have if you were coming across natural beauty, a meadow that's blooming. Designing the plants or choosing the plants in the colors,

is it almost like an artist figuring out what goes on the painting? That's really astute because it very much is, and he's often referred to as painting with plants. And that's where his genius really shines out because very few people can see a plant through all the seasons and add a layer of time and understand how that garden is going to look. Part-time horticulturist Alexandra Sarkozy assists Thomas. What consistently boggles my mind about this is just the incredible complexity of it.

Planning a garden, yeah, you want something in bloom in May, June, July. Whereas this palette changes every 10 days. It's just this constant series of moving things. parts. That one is called Fatal Attraction. Is that that fun? And the other one that we have is called Hula Dancer. Great name plants.

And this Dalia Purperea, which is a prairie plant, and it's just finished blooming, plus fatal attraction, the echinacea, and then there is an accidental butterfly weed plant with Sclepius in tuberosa right there. Can you say that's accidental? What do you mean? It's seated here, but its color matches the intensity of everything else that's here. And when it's all in bloom together, it's fiesta time. So you'll leave it there.

You'll leave it there. Seated there by itself. Right. So even within the script, there's room for improvising. I've looked at this a bunch of times. But still, volunteers carefully check Aldos plans to be sure the wrong things don't get weeded out. It's hard for even seasoned gardeners to see the plants sometimes from the weeds. Meredith Simpson manages the roster of nearly 300 volunteers, keeping in mind what each has to offer.

We have all kinds of activities for our volunteers. Not everyone is a gardener. Some folks love to mow lawns. They're our amazing green team. We have folks that will work on pathways. Maybe they can't bend down and work in the soil. You know, we have folks absolutely who are bedcaptaining these amazing beds and learning every single plant in those beds, but there's everything in between as well. As the day draws to a close, volunteers gather to take a look at the results of their labors with spot quizzes thrown in. Do you say Culver's Root? Well, then you were right. Their efforts attract many of the more than five million annual visitors to Bell Isle. To have access to nature out here, right in the city, to have this beautiful, emotional, sort of ephemeral, always changing garden, you see people simply relax and just exhale and truly enjoy it. It touches you very deeply.

And that's our program for tonight. I'm Allie Rogan for all of my colleagues. Thanks for joining us. See you tomorrow.