Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20170919

Those weapons from the United States. Why are you giving these weapons to terrorists we ask our friends in the United States. Woodruff and, mexico rocked by a deadly 7. 1 earthquake, bringing buildings down in the densely populated mexico city. Plus, Hurricane Maria batters the caribbean, setting its sights on puerto rico, as the islands brace for the second major atlantic storm in as many weeks. All that and more on tonights pbs newshour major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and with the ongoing support of these institutions this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff for President Trump today, a time to press a new world view and lay down the law. It was his inaugural address to the u. N. General assembly. Lisa desjardins has our report. Excellency donald trump. President of the United States of america. Desjardins at the u. N. , stepping onto the literal world stage, President Trump spoke with uncompromising words. As president of the United States, i will always put america first. Just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always, and should always, put your countries first. Desjardins he had one key word, sovereign, something he said more than 20 times. Strong sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny. We are guided by outcomes, not ideology. We have a policy of principled realism, rooted in shared goals, interests and values. That realism forces us to confront a question facing every leader and nation in this room will we slide down the path of complacency, numb to the challenges, threats and even wars that we face. Or, do we have enough strength and pride to confront those dangers today so that our citizens can enjoy peace and prosperity tomorrow . Desjardins the president painted those dangers in stark and specific strokes the scourge of our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principal on which the United Nations is based. They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries. If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. Desjardins chief among the wicked few north korea, its leader kim jong un and its missile tests and nuclear explosions. The president was blunt. The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy north korea. Rocket man is on a Suicide Mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. Desjardins the president next turned to iran, lambasting recent missile tests. And its relationship with the lebanese militant group, hezbollah. We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. Desjardins monitors have found iran is sticking to the terms of the nuclear deal, but mr. Trump warned, again, the u. S. Might pull out. The iran deal was one of the worst and most onesided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and i dont think youve heard the last of it, believe me. Desjardins in all the president singled out five nations as the wicked few north korea, iran, syria, and in this hemisphere, cuba and venezuela. We are prepared to take further action if the government of venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the venezuelan people. Desjardins this was part of a broader theme, a return to a pointed, ardent defense of democracy versus socialism. From the soviet union to cuba to venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Desjardins later, venezuelas foreign minister complained the speech smacked of a bygone era. This return to the cold world, for a moment we didnt know if we were listening to president reagan in 1982 or to President Trump in 2017. Desjardins irans foreign minister javad zarif joined in the criticism. In a tweet, he called the trump address hate speech. Desjardins but President Trump was focused elsewhere on a vision of selfinterest and nationalism across the world. The true question for the u. N. Today is a basic one. Are we still patriots . Otect their sovereignty and toto take ownership of their futures . Desjardins the president said history will tell whether the leaders are up to the task. For the pbs newshour, im lisa desjardins. Woodruff in another major story, an earthquake shook central mexico, knocking down buildings and killing at least 61 people. The quake measured 7. 1 and was centered about 75 miles southeast of mexico city. Richard ensor is with the economist, based in mexicos capital. He spoke to us just a short time ago. Richard ensor, thank you very much for talking with us. What are you seeing . What is the very latest from mexico city . Well, im just outside of mexico city in a town that is close to where the epicenter of this earthquake was. There are rescue operations under way and im currently outside one right now. Theres a lot of activity. A dome has fallen and crushed a bus. It seems that people. Nobody seems to know whether there are going to be any people inside the building. Its a very, very somber occasion. Theres shock. Woodruff we know this is a very populated area. Of course, mexico city itself and the area around it. What did you feel . So i felt this a lot stronger than i did the previous one even though its a 7. 1 versus 8. 2 a few weeks ago. I was in a place with the Swimming Pool. I saw the Swimming Pool flashing around and moving from side to side. The students in the school were incredibly scared. No were seeing images of people in the street looking pretty frightened. How are people handling this right now . And do you. Is the country prepared in any way to deal with this crisis . Well, this one is going to hit some of the Population Centers like mexico city a lot harder than the previous earthquake did, because the epicenter is so close. There are areas in mexico city that are built on very shallow ground, so the buildings are prone to coming down very easily. One of the things that was commented on after the previous earthquake is a lot had been earned since the horrible earthquake in 1985 which killed 10,000 people, and a lot of lessons about building regulations and Emergency Response had been learned. This was a stronger earthquake. Well have a real test of how the country and those Emergency Services hold up. I know that president pena has been very active on social media, putting out information and drawing up a National Plan of action. On the ground here, the epicenter of the quake, theyre searching the hardesthit town to find any survivors in the rubble. Woodruff richard ensor, the Mexico City Bureau chief for the economist magazine. Thank you very much and we wish you the best. Thank you. Woodruff as the earthquake struck mexico, Hurricane Maria blasted the northern caribbean. Its a category 5, the strongest on the scale, and in its wake, theres major destruction, and at least one death. Howling winds of 160 miles an hour and driving rain battered the tiny targets of guadeloupe and dominica, during the night. Before being rescued, dominicas Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit posted live updates from his home, describing merciless winds, and saying we pray for its end then, minutes later my roof is gone. I am at the complete mercy of the hurricane. House is flooding. Today, all communications were cut with dominica, and on guadaloupe, people waded through flood waters several feet deep, with cars and buildings partly submerged. As night came on, the storm roared toward the u. S. Virgin islands, just days after hurricane irmas destruction forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate to puerto rico. Maria is on track to pass directly over st. Croix, in the Virgin Islands overnight, and then slam into puerto rico by early tomorrow morning. Puerto rico avoided much of irmas wrath but still suffered an estimated 1 billion in damage. Now, much worse may lie in store. Weary residents on puerto rico had just started to clear debris and unboard homes after irma. Puerto rico is not prepared for this. We are going to have a bad time of it. We ask almighty god that we can get through this without serious damage. Woodruff meanwhile, hurricane jose rolled up the atlantic today spinning off rip currents and big waves along the u. S. East coast. It is not expected to come ashore. Hurricane irma devastated the u. S. Virgin islands and now they sit directly in marias path. Kenneth mapp is governor of the u. S. Virgin islands. We spoke by phone a short time ago. Governor kenneth mapp, thank you very much for talking with us. Coming so soon after Hurricane Maria, after hurricane irma, how are you preparing . How are you trying to make sure people are safe . Were going to have some rooms breeched, some windows blown out. Youre going to lose your personal belongings. We want you to be safe. We just went through that 12 days ago on the island of st. Thomas and st. John with a cat 5 called hurricane irma. Were pleased that notwithstanding, we did not see any number, my number of folks with broken bones, cuts and gashes, and our loss of life still remains at four. And so i think were literally doing the same thing all over again, except for the southern part of the u. S. Virgin islands. Woodruff at this hour, governor, what is your main worry . Protection of folks, protection of life, folks are off the street. Weve got the shelters open. Folks are in the shelter, and so my biggest priority at this moment and for the next eight hours is the protection of lives and their safety. Woodruff well, governor, we wish you and all the people of the Virgin Islands, the u. S. Virgin islands the very best as you try to withstand the storm in the coming hours. Best of luck, and well talk to you on the other side. Thank you, judy. Take care. Thank you. Woodruff puerto rico dodged the worst of irma, but now faces a direct hit from maria. Ricardo rossello is puerto ricos governor. Governor rosselloo, thank you very much for talking with us. A dire warning from your Public Safety commissioner telling people if they live in wooden or flimsy houses to get out or theyre going to die. This is the strongest storm that puerto rico will face in over a century. So the danger is real. And the comments made by officials were making people aware that this is not your average storm. This is going to have grave impact on infrastructure. Its going to provoke a lot of flooding. Sustained winds of 160mph. So you want to make sure people were really aware and cognizant of the need to move to one of our 500 shelters or other family shelters, but to be safe. And once the storm passes, you can start the rebuilding process. Woodruff are people following those directions . Are you feeling confident about how prepared you are . Theres typically sort of a late exponential push of people coming into the shelters. Right now im happy to start seeing those flow in. We have a dashboard. As far as tabulating all of the people going in. At the outset we were a little nervous, as was hurricane irma, but shortly and quickly right now people are flocking in. And its for the best really. We havent faced a storm and its better to be safe than either losed a love one or lose ones life. Woodruff we know that puerto rico has been under some financial strain in recent years. Is that in any way affecting your ability to be ready for this . Not at all. We know what priorities are. Our priority right now is to make sure that we save peoples lives. Woodruff governor ricardo rosselloo, thank you very much. We wish you the very best in the hours to come. Thank you, judy. Woodruff in the days other news, Senate Investigators cancelled a private interview with President Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen in the russia connection probe. Leaders of the Intelligence Committee complained cohen violated an agreement by releasing a Public Statement beforehand. They suggested theyd subpoena cohen to testify in public. The lawyer left the capitol after 90 minutes, and offered no details about what had happened. It was a request by the Senate Committee to postpone and i look forward to being back and providing all the info they are looking for. Woodruff cohens statement said a proposal to build a trump tower in moscow, as the president ial campaign was starting last year, was, solely a real estate deal and nothing more. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that former Trump Campaign manager Paul Manafort has been told to expect an indictment. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating manaforts contacts in ukraine and russia. Senate republicans appeared to Gain Momentum today in a last ditch effort to overhaul obamacare. South carolinas Lindsey Graham and louisianas bill cassidy are pushing a bill to give socalled block grants to states to cover some health care costs, while reshaping and cutting medicaid. They claimed today that theyre close to getting the votes, over staunch democratic opposition. At the end of the day, i really believe were going to get 50 republican votes. And i make a prediction. There are going to be a lot of democrats struggling with a no vote because at least eight of them, eight of them, their states do far better than obamacare in terms of funding and theyre going to have more control over the money. And thats going to be a hard no. No guarantee of a preexisting condition, and an end to medicaid as we know it. Tens of millions of people could well lose coverage. People who desperately need essential services would lose it. Our republican colleagues dont seem to care about how this affects the average american. Woodruff Vice President mike pence met with Senate Republicans today and said the Trump Administration is all in on the plan. Turkey has stepped up a show of force along its border with northern iraq. Its aimed at discouraging iraqi kurds from holding an independence referendum on monday. Dozens of turkish tanks and rocket launchers took up position today. The turks also staged air strikes on kurdish militants. Ankara fears the vote will embolden turkeys own kurdish population. Well hear from the turkish president right after the news summary. In myanmar, leader Aung San Suu Kyi gave her First National address on the flight of 420,000 Rohingya Muslims into bangladesh. The rohingyas say theyre fleeing attacks by myanmars military. Suu kyi, a nobel peace laureate, condemned any human rights violations. She did not address u. N. Claims that her buddhist nation is engaged in ethnic cleansing. We are concerned to hear that numbers of muslims are fleeing across the border to bangladesh. We want to find out why this exodus is happening. We would like to talk to those who have fled as well as to those who have stayed. Woodruff suu kyi invited International Diplomats to visit myanmar and see the situation for themselves. But her speech drew a lukewarm response at the u. N. General assembly. In economic news, the oncegiant chain toys r us filed for federal bankruptcy protection today. The company said its more than 5 billion in debt. Its the latest big box retailer to be pushed aside by growing online sales. And on wall street, the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 39 points to close at 22,370. The nasdaq rose six points, and the s p 500 added two. Woodruff Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led turkey since 2003, first as Prime Minister, and since 2014 as president , an office he has remade into the nations preeminent leader. Turkey has been an ally of the u. S. For decades, but that alliance is now tense. A main source of division u. S. Support for Syrian Kurdish militia known as the y. P. G. , and its related organization, the p. Y. D. , which the u. S. Is helping fight isis in syria. Both groups are allies of erdogans sworn enemy in turkey, the p. K. K. , a kurdish separatist group. There are also concerns about the state of turkish democracy, in the wake of last years coup attempt. Erdogan says the feto organization orchestrated it. Thats his term for a group run by a former ally, fetullah gulen; he lives in pennsylvania, another source of tension with the u. S. Erdogan spoke today at the u. N. , and will meet President Trump thursday. I sat down late yesterday afternoon with him in new york for an exclusive interview. President erdogan, thank you very much for talking with us. Youre here to speak to the United Nations and to an american audience. What should the American People know about the state of turkeyUnited States relations right now . translated of course turkeys relations with the United States date back a long time in history. Weve enjoyed very serious relations throughout history within the framework of this Strategic Partnership, and all throughout the years this process successfully sustained our Strategic Partnership, peaking within nato. We are together. Were allies within nato, and turkey is one of the founding members of nato, and the Strategic Partnership was then converted into a model partnership, and weve been enjoying a cooperation in that regard. Woodruff i ask this because there is some tension in the relationship right now. Just today its reported that the Trump Administration has decided not to allow the sale of guns and other weapons to your president ial guard. Is this a problem . What does it say about the relationship between turkey and the u. S. . translated this is a question that ill be talking about when i get together with President Trump on the 21st, and these are all rumors. There are no statements. And these rumors are not very healthy rumors. I just want to address the audience and state the following openly in syria the pyd terrorist organization is present and the ypg is there, as well. They are extensions of the pkk separatist organization in turkey. We are all fighting these extensions of the pkk. I know that the United States officially recognized pkk as a terrorist organization, however, as long as that is the case, the pyd or ypg, which are extensions of the pkk, i dont think it is the right move to fight dash in raqqa with those groups. I think its wrong for the United States to fight terrorism with the ypg or ypp. This is something ive shared with the higher echelons of the United States. We need the fight these terrorists with the United States. And we are not able to acquire those weapons from the United States. Why are you giving weapons to those terrorists is the question we ask our friends in the United States . Woodruff the United States, as you know very well, has been saying it depends on the syrian kurds to lead the fight, be an important part of the fight against isis. So are you saying, unless the u. S. Stops working with the syrian kurds, that is a deal breaker in a relationship between turkey and the u. S. , or is there some accommodation here possible . Well, we should not mix one thing with another. First and foremost, this issue has got nothing to do with kurds. Were just talking about terrorist organizations. Some of the kurds in the northern parts of syria are involved in terrorism, and they are to be called terrorists. And some of them are moderate, and they have positive relations with turkey, and they defend to maintain those positive relations via turkey. Both of them should not be confused with another or else we will have different interpretations of the issue in turkey. I want the highlight this fact because were not against the kurds. We are against the terrorist organization, and kurds are our friends. Woodruff so you are saying that there is an accommodation possible. After raqqa falls, which many expect it to do, after isis is driven out of raqqa, is there an agreement, an understanding between turkey and the United States about who will be in charge and what role will the wpg play . Will other groups play in that area, the Syrian Democratic forces . translated whatever the stance we had embraced via the terrorist organizations on a global scale would be exactly the same views of the ypg, and especially the name dash should not be confused with the others. We are fighting dash in a very committed fashion and very seriously. We have killed more than 3,000 dash terrorists. But we are very sorry to see the following were sad to i rad kate one terrorist organization using another as a vessel. The United States is working with the ypg in order to eradicate dash. The United States is using wpg to fight dash. We said we can be of help. There we are turkey, we can do that. Lets walk hand in hand. Woodruff while were talking about the kurds, next door in iraq there could be a time in the near future when there is a separate kurdish state. There will be a referendum it appears. Can turkey live with an independent kurdish state in iraq . Well, let me be very clear in my remarks first and foremost, since day one, weve always defended the territorial integrity of iraq, even though nobody else seems to be doing the same. This referendum should not be conducted. How can we accept a referendum in turkey when we have a border line of 350 kilometers of iraq. Iran doesnt seem to agree. The federal state doesnt seem to agree with the referendum, so how can you make a decision all by yourself as the northern part of iraq . We do not accept this decision. Woodruff syria, we were talking about russia is a major player in syria, just last week you announced a multibillion dollar deal to buy surfacetoair missiles from russia. Why . And is this a contravention of your commitment to nato, which youre a longtime member of . Weve asked for those weapons from many nato allies, primarily the United States, but we were turned down. Thats why we have to resort to other meanings, because these systems are very important in terms of our defense. Weve had discussions and deliberations with russia, and russia is willing to support us all the way to a possible joint manufacturing of these missiles. Its quite natural for us to take decisions on our own selfdefense mechanisms. The secretarygeneral of nato officially declared that every country had the discretion to make up their own mind and take the necessary measures. Woodruff does this mean that you cannot rely on nato for your defense, and nato was partly created to defend against russia, in opposition to russia. So is turkey now closer to russia or closer to nato . Where do you place turkey in that divide . Turkey is a very powerful member of nato, and why are you standing against such a member of nato as turkey . Were going to pay for these weapons and acquire them, but terrorists are being supplied these weapons free of charge. 3,000 trucks carrying these weapons were provided for these terrorists, and we, as a legitimate member, failed to acquire those weapons, and we had requested to acquire predators or drones from the United States. And for many years we have never received them. We were not supplied drones, but terrorists are being supplied all those drones and all those weapons. This is unacceptable, and we have to take care of ourselves. Woodruff turkey has for many years sought membership in the european union. Are you still interested in joining . I say so because there has been a dispute recently. Chancellor merkel of germany has said this shouldnt happen. Is turkey still interested in being part of the e. U. . Has the e. U. Decided to admit turkey as a full member . They should come up with a statement. Are they going to take us in or not . We are ready for everything and anything, vaz they tell us what theyre going to do. We are very sincere, and we expect the exact same from the e. U. , to be sincere, but i dont know to what extent well be able to tolerate this lingering on. But i think this can only be tolerated to a certain level, and after this threshold, i think turkey will come to the point where we have to make our own decisions. Woodruff one of the sources of tension, a great source of tension between turkey and the e. U. , turkey and the United States, has been the strength of the democracy in turkey. Your move before and especially after the coup attempt in the summer of last year, many people in turkey and the government, in the military, in the journalism field, reporters, and others have either lost their jobs or have been imprisoned, in jail. The question from the United States, from many in the u. S. And in europe, is is this the permanent course for turkey . Or is this temporary . You have said these people are terrorists, they were attempting to overthrow your government. But many of them are schoolteachers, lowlevel government workers, news reporters, and i think its hard for people in the west to understand why you believe so many of them are terrorists. translated why are you not calling terrorists what they are . Thats what im curious about. Call terrorists terrorists. And secondly, in our country, a terror act involving many individuals with the eventual goal of toppling the government is subject the legal measures to be taken against them, to which were committed to staying in the future, because these individuals have infill traited into law enforcement, into the armed forces. They were wearing their uniforms, but they had their terrorist agendas in their minds. And they have infiltrated into the police force, into the ministries of the state. There are many echelons within those institutions bearing titles, having different agendas. All of these individuals are subject to prosecution, and their agendas are being identified as a result of the judicial process. Democracy is quite strong in turkey. Looking at the number of votes cast throughout the election, you will see the turnout was around 80 to 85 , demonstrating that democracy is quite powerful in turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the president of turkey with 5 of the vote in the first round of elections. I was elected at the president and im being called a dictator. However many Media Outlets in the west, in the United States, im being defamed, and they are being very disrespectful. We are receiving the full support of our people, and we are continuing down our path. Woodruff under President Trump, this administration, there have been charges filed against some of your president ial security detail, because of an incident that happened in washington this summer when you were visiting. Outside the residence of the ambassador. You disagreed with these charges. Youve said the u. S. Judicial system is corrupt. Again, fundamental disagreement. Can you do. How can you get along with President Trump, how can you do business with President Trump when there is this fundamental disagreement over what happened that day . transl im very sorry about that. Actually, President Trump called me about a week ago about this issue. He said that he was sorry, and he told me that he was going to follow up on this issue when we come to the United States within the framework of an official visit. The protesters were insulting us, and they were screaming and shouting. The police failed to intervene properly, and similar protests were seen around the white house, as well, when we were inside of the embassy residence. The protesters were very close to my car, my vehicle. The pkk terrorists and the feto terrorists were protesting. These Police Officers were officers of the state, not the federal government, but they are in charge of maintaining safety around me and security. They failed to do that. Of course, that would be the moment when my personal security would come to my aid and make sure that everything was safe and secure around me. Im going to get together with President Trump on thursday, and im going to talk about these developments in a very extensive fashion. I hope and pray that justice will be served as soon as possible, because i know that the United States is very sensitive in terms of judiciary and in terms of 2t rule of law and the legal aspects. And there will be many other things that we will discuss with President Trump on thursday. Woodruff and finally, president erdogan, i understand there are many turkish nationals living now in the United States. I think over a million live here in this country. Do you have a message for them . Have they made the right decision to live in the United States, to work here . translated i hope and pray that the u. S. Administration and the turkish descendants will build a bridge between us, and they should sustain this relationship on and on. Woodruff president erdogan, thank you very much for talking with us. Thank you. Woodruff we return to the legacy of the vietnam war and a story of one woman, whose pilot father was shot down over neighboring laos. She went on a mission to find the place he died and some measure of comfort. A new film lays out her odyssey along the ho chi minh trail. Special correspondent mike cerre, a vietnam veteran himself, reports. I dont have any of my own personal memories of my dad. I mean he left when i was very young we have very few photos really just one or two of me with him as a baby. Reporter rebecca ruschs father steve was shot down in laos in 1972 while flying a Bombing Mission over the ho chi minh trail near the end of the vietnam war. Wasisted as m. I. A. G in action, most of her life. This is my remembrance, this is my dads crash coordinates the place really where my life changed. They are the military navigation coordinates we received years ago. Its also a remembrance that hes still a part of my life. Reporter rebecca, an idaho firefighter and endurance Mountain Bike racer, has spent most of her life wondering about what happened to the father she never had a chance to know. He left for vietnam when she was only three years old. Im attached to vietnam in Southeast Asia for the rest of my life and ive been attached through my dad my entire life i just hadnt really hadnt really recognized the depth of it until now. Theres a place ive been avoiding for a long time. Its been in my thoughts for 40 years. What happened there long ago set me on this path. Reporter rebecca rode nearly 1,200 miles the length of the ho chi minh trail to visit her fathers crash site, both as a memorial tribute to him, and for some possible closure to her familys vietnam experience the past 45 years. Her journey, along with a vietnamese Mountain Bike racer, was documented in the theatrical film blood road. They call it blood road because so many people died there and countless americans countless vietnamese, lao, cambodian and knowing that we were going to travel that path of history but also that path of death was very somber. Are you ok huyen . Okay. There was trepidation about what were going to find in the jungle but also this deep sense of remorse and sadness for what this trail represented. Reporter this Critical Network of roads, trails and foot paths through vietnam, laos and cambodia was used by the north vietnamese to move troops and supplies to fight in south vietnam. It was heavily bombed by the americans. I didnt i really didnt expect to see so many bomb craters and the land to still be pockmarked with you know representation of the devastation that happened there. I didnt expect to see so many physical remnants of the war while we were riding and this included a boat that we took that was a fuel fuselage from an f4 phantom the same plane that my dad flew. Reporter she also didnt expect to be greeted so warmly by villagers once they understood her familys connection to the decadelong Bombing Campaign that claimed many of their family members. If someone came to my house dad had been dropping bombs on my family and she came and knocked on my door would i be as open and welcoming and say come on and i want to help you on your mission. Sadly i dont think that i would that i would be that open and it was its a big lesson to take from them on forgiveness and getting past the painful history. Reporter the son of the villager who saw her fathers plane crash in 1972 took her to the site in the jungle where his father buried her father, next to a large tree. Picking around in the dirt with his machete he actually found parts of the plane and finding those pieces an actual remnants made it very real and made it you know that this really is the place where dad was. You know thats his gravestone for me. Reporter there are very few pictures of you and him. Yes this is the only one. Reporter instead of closure, rebeccas journey opened a new chapter in her vietnam war history, one inspired by how her fathered signed off one of his last letters home to his family. I love the flying in the airplane but i dont really like the job regardless of any opinions i have of this war or any other. I try to rationalize and say it has to be done but i cant see any reason why if anything should happen to me. Please dont let me die. Be good, steve. Reporter rebecca has gone back to laos since her initial ride to keep her fathers memory alive, as well as those of the local casualties of the war, whose numbers continue to grow due to u. X. O. s, the unexploded ordnance that is still injuring another generation of lao. Two of his fngers were cut off. Reporter the u. S. Government estimates 2030 of the bombs dropped here did not go off as designed. As a result there maybe tens od millions of unexploded ordnance littered around the landscape. So this one is safe . This one safe too . Reporter to help pay for the clearing of the land of this dangerous legacy of the war, rebecca is working with local artisans and the new york jewelry company, article 22, on recycling metal from u. X. O. s and parts of downed aircraft like her fathers into jewelry a portion of the sales goes to u. X. O. Cleanup. The bracelets ive had engraved with in my dads handwriting the way that he signed his letters home the words be good. And on the opposite side in my handwriting is the lao translation of be good and really does represent a combining of the two cultures and my trip over there. The bracelet is not just is not just about my dad or my story or or even one person its you know there are millions who lost their lives there. And we can look back at our history and be embarrassed or devastated by it or ashamed by it. But then its up to us who actually do something to make a better future. And thats whats happening with my trips back and my taking Mountain Bike groups back there is. I feel a responsibility to be part of that change. Reporter for the pbs newshour, mike cerre reporting. Woodruff tonight we conclude our special education series, rethinking college. Tonight how one University Offers customized learning to fit the busy lives of non traditional students. Hari sreenivasan has our report, part of our weekly segment, making the grade. Sreenivasan Terence Burley lives on the navajo reservation in Northern Arizona. A place where college often seems beyond the horizon. I wanted to go to college, and it didnt work out. Sreenivasan only 7 of residents on the reservation get college degrees. It was a money issue. My parents werent making a lot of money. Sreenivasan now, a 42year old father, terence is pursuing his bachelors degree hoping to advance his career in computer technology. I want to make myself more marketable. Sreenivasan burley is using federal grants to pay tuition at Northern Arizona university, a campus that is 160 miles away. Hes enrolled in an unusual Online Program called personalized learning. Rita cheng is the president of Northern Arizona university. Personalized learning is a perfect approach to students who may have competency they have gained from their work experience. It is a demonstration of mastery. Sreenivasan the Program Allows terence to quickly move through College Courses because its based on a subscription, like netflix. Students pay one flat fee every six months, and take as many courses as they have time for. If they can master something quickly, they can speed through segments of the curriculum. Sreenivasan terence is studying information technology, and as a software administrator, hes been able to use what hes learned on the job to advance. The courses reemphasizes what you know already. Im tested for my competency. If i pass my test, im able to pass my courses. Sreenivasan he must still take the core curriculum required of all oncampus university students. Cori gordon is the coordinator for n. A. U. s personalized learning program. Everything is online, and it was all curated by a professor. Well use online textbooks, we use videos, we use case studies, simulations, interactive software. Whats different about us, though, is the students really have the keys. So, everything is available when the student starts, and they determine when theyre ready to move on to the next concept. They determine when theyre ready to take the test. Sreenivasan but there are challenges with Terence Burleys remote learning. He lives in his mothers house which currently has no electricity or internet. I use my cell phone to get connected and on a good day i usually get two bars. Sreenivasan when his laptop runs out of power, burley recharges it by plugging into his truck. And his day is long. Usually i wake up at 4 00 in the morning, be on the road by 4 30 a. M. , i get home, by 6 00 p. M. , i study 8 00 p. M. To 10 00 p. M. There are so many working adults. This allows students to go at their own pace, balance their family, work and stay on the job, demonstrate what theyve learned in their career, and complete the degree. Sreenivasan Northern Arizona university was the first Public College to receive accreditation and federal aid for four year degree students who can move through courses by proving competencies. But the program is still very small. So far, only 172 students have graduated. Selina larson is one of them. Selina graduated on the same day as her 22yearold daughter, raven. Larson decided on personalized learning after her daughter began classes at n. A. U. s flagstaff campus. I said, you know what, im going back to school, and im going to finish before you. Sreenivasan larson did graduate before raven, by five hours. Heres my hero graduating from college. Five hours before you. Sreenivasan larson did all the coursework for a liberal arts bachelors degree at their family home in phoenix. It took her three years. I did appreciate having my own timeline, i think that gives you a lot of control, but you have to be very motivated on yur own. Sreenivasan the university points to anecdotal success stories, but theres been Little Research to show if this new way of learning benefits students. And for larson, the process wasnt always easy. There were technical glitches. There could be a struggle with software, where something something, and it doesnt open. And you cant get in, and their it cant help you, so youre going around in circles sometimes, theres no office to go to, to talk to somebody. Sreenivasan president cheng acknowledges early problems with the software, but says technology has been improving. Every year were Getting Better with the technology, and n. A. U. Has always been known to adapt to the latest in technology, and we will continue to do that. Sreenivasan president cheng herself was a nontraditional student, relying on the u. S. Post office and correspondence courses for much of her college work. I spent seven years and five universities getting a bachelors degree, affordability and access were always important sreenivasan for selina larson, the bachelors degree has given her new confidence. Were just this huge, proud family right now. She was super, super proud. I dont know that it changed how she saw me, but i know that she has this huge sense of pride, that i have in her, now she has in me. Sreenivasan and while Terence Burley estimates he still has two years to go, he believes a bachelors degree is finally within reach. Ill just take it course by course and eventually ill get there. Sreenivasan for the pbs newshour, im hari sreenivasan. Woodruff finally tonight, a former professional athlete takes on color divisions in sport. Jeffrey brown has our look from new york as part of our race matters series. Brown a beautiful late summer day on the grounds of the u. S. Open at flushing meadows, new york, tenniss biggest stage in this country, the kind of day that can stir memories. This place is so special to me because i was a fan here first. Brown james blake was born in yonkers to an African American father and White British mother. He started playing tennis at five alongside his brother thomas who also became a professional player. I grew up an hour from here, was born less than 30 minutes from here. I was getting autographs of the qualifiers. Brown you did as a kid . Yeah. I snuck in. Brown they havent come after you to get payment . They havent come after me. I think i still owe them about 20 or 30 for back tickets. Brown blake more than repaid the sport, becoming a top american star, known for his speed and his power. He climbed to the world number four ranking in 2006 and retired in 2013 after a 14year career. Two years later, awaiting a ride from his Manhattan Hotel to be a commentator at the u. S. Open, blake was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and arrested by a plain clothes new York City Police officer. It was caught on a surveillance camera, a case of mistaken identity for which the new York Police Commissioner publicly apologized. My apologies for the incident which he found himselfs involved in. But one that drew National Headlines and charges of Excessive Force and racial profiling. Theyve got you cuffed, you dont know whats going on. I know i had done nothing wrong. But while thats going on, you just feel so weak and ineffective because they are totally in control of the situation. And the know that. And some of them handle that situation well, some dont. And the officer that handled this case was not handling it well. Brown i assume that you had never experienced anything like that . Not to that extent. I think almost every person of color at some point in their life has been profiled, whether it be walking into a store or driving your car and youre pulled over for no reason. So ive had instances like that but never physical violence like this. Brown the incident caused blake to rethink his own role as a citizenathlete. He began to speak out about cases of police misconduct, and now has a new book about the efforts work of other athletes ways of grace stories of activism, adversity and how sports can bring us together. I want to see some positive headlines about athletes. And thats what i try to in this book and show that there are athletes that have a social conscience, that arent just there for the three hours that you watch them on tv. They have lives, they have things that are important and they are passionate about. I think so many people focus on lebron james, was he selfish to go to miami, was he selfish here. Well you know what, the guy donated 40 million to education in akron, in his community. Realizing that education is one of the Biggest Barriers for income disparity. Brown blake writes of many athletes, including from his own sport lesser knowns such as amir hadad and aisamulhaq quereshi, an israeli jew and pakistani muslim who played doubles together at wimbledon in 2002 and beyond, in the face of opposition. And more famous names arthur ashe, who spoke out about apartheid and championed civil rights as well as support for those with h. I. V. aids which he himself battled. And billie jean king, who has accomplished so much for gender equality and social justice in tennis and beyond. And he writes with sympathy for the most controversial figure today former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who publicly took a knee during the National Anthem before games last year to protest police brutality. Hes is now out of football, and blake and others believe its because of his public stance. People are criticizing saying oh he makes 15 million, he should just shut up and play. And i just always have hated that narrative because it doesnt matter the amount of money thats being paid, you still shouldnt be able to control someone. Because then its just a matter of saying at what stage are you selling your whole soul . Youre selling all your beliefs for a certain amount of money . And i think Colin Kaepernick is showing that hes not for sale. Brown but do you understand fans who would say, look, i love and support you Colin Kaepernick, or athlete xyz, for what you do on the field. But thats what youre supposed to do. Thats your job. Dont push your politics on me. Well, fans are absolutely within their right to not go to the game, to say im not going to buy your jersey, to do anything like that. But i dont think its really fair to put that on him because what hes fighting for, as a lot of veterans have said, thats what we fought for. He has his freedom. And people say, oh, well, you know what, we want sports just to get away from politics. We want it just to be an escape. Well it can be an escape for when its on the field and hes still doing his job on the field. But when hes not forced to be on the field, its up to him. Its his right and its his freedom of speech that that he can say and do what he wants, especially since its peaceful. Brown do you think theres more responsibility with the higher profile you are, because you think about very famous stars of the past muhammad ali, jim brown, bill russell, people who spoke out. You think of michael jordan, who some people criticized him for not, being more connected with the brands and the advertising . Again, i think its individual and i think we talk about in the book with the fact that theres a little bit of an era where a lot of people werent speaking out. Michael jordan was in that era where it was, youre going to protect your brand at all costs. I think a lot of people in that time were going to be silent, and they were just going to try to sell shoes. I dont fault them for that, but i feel like its shifted. Now especially with social media, people are going to speak out. And i think previous to that generation, there was the generation of muhammad ali. There was the civil rights movement. There were people that stood for a serious cause. And it seemed like people thought, athletes maybe thought, hey, weve got it good now, lets not mess this up. Brown as for himself, blake settled a lawsuit against the new York Police Department this summer , and got the city to fund a legal fellowship. That was a good outcome. Exploring cases of police misconduct, you have a fellow on staff for the next six years, two years at a time, so itll be three different ones, straight out of law school, to fight these kind of cases. Because last year, over 50 of them werent seen to conclusion. So now theres someone on staff to help them see these cases through to the end, get whatever payout, get whatever accountability is necessary for the Police Officers. Its a start. Its not the end of the story. Brown for the pbs newshour, im Jeffrey Brown in flushing meadows, new york. Woodruff and a news update before we go, as rescueers dig through rubble of the earthquake that shook central mexico this afternoon has risen to at least 9 94 and it is expected to climb. Centered about 75 miles southeast of mexico city, the quake caused numerous buildings to collapse. Today is the an anniversary of a 1985 quake in that city that killed thousands. And thats the newshour for tonight. Im judy woodruff. Join us online and again here tomorrow evening. For all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you and see you soon. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and with the ongoing support of these institutions this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org rose welcome to the program. We begin this evening with the u. N. General assembly, the annual meeting taking place this week here in new york. We talk to john micklethwait, bloomberg editor in cheer and former editor of the economist magazine, also Nicholas Burns a veteran diplomat now professor at the Harvard Kennedy school of government. The u. N. Is not as efficient as we wanted to be, it is a bleeted bureaucracy. It cant resolve some of the big problems on its own, like the Syrian Civil War and north korea. But its the only organization we have where 195 nation states come under one roof it was our idea, its in our most important city. Were the largest contributedder to it. And i think the president in his first meeting in new york at the u. N. At the reform meeting, i think he surprised people. He didnt come with a big tough message. He basically urged reform but didnt say he would walk away. I thought that w