Outside the White House if Giuliani is still his lawyer water no I haven't spoken to read this book but yesterday bravely he's a very good job he has been my dear Trump was also asked if he personally pushed for the removal of the former u.s. Ambassador to Ukraine Maria von of edge Trump said he didn't know where and she may be a wonderful woman in his July 25th call with the president of Ukraine Trump said something quite different that she was bad news Tamara Keith n.p.r. News the White House a federal appeals court has upheld a congressional subpoena for some of President Trump's financial records records that are held by one of his accounting firms the decision is the 1st appellate court ruling to up hold any of the many congressional subpoenas that the House issued for Trump's records as N.P.R.'s Nina Totenberg reports this one was issued by the House Oversight Committee the committee said it subpoenaed certain Trump financial records to see whether federal ethics laws needed to be amended in order to curb abuses that purpose is certainly the gym at the court said disputes between Congress and the president are a recurring plot in our national story it continued that is precisely what the framers intended they sought to balance the powers between the 3 branches of government to quote save the people from autocracy the $2.00 to $1.00 decision is not the last word on this issue it could be reversed by the full court of appeals or potentially the u.s. Supreme Court Nina Totenberg n.p.r. News Washington Fox News anchor should Smith is leaving the network no reason has been given but Smith's reporting often drew president Trump's anger N.P.R.'s David Folkenflik has more chestnuts repeatedly as fact check the president he's called him out on lies and distortions He's called him out for shattering norms he's called out for statements that he's described as racist or sympathetic to anti semites or the like and that is not something that Fox viewers were often comfortable with and that is not something that a number of leading Fox News personalities think of at night Laura Ingram Sean Hannity have wanted on. Their network these are among some some the most loyal supporters you'll find for the president and the president has repeatedly expected a fox a kind of uniformity in its loyalty to him N.P.R.'s David Folkenflik Smith has been with Fox News since 1906 all straight hired by the closing bell the Dow up 319 points the Nasdaq up 106 the s. And p. 500 up 32 you're listening to n.p.r. News mandatory evacuation orders are out in the l.a. Area as firefighters in Southern California battle several wildfires today dry conditions and hot winds are fueling those flames the saddle Ridge fire north of downtown l.a. Is burned 70 $500.00 acres and destroyed at least $25.00 structures it's 13 percent contained and the sandal word fire is burning east of downtown l.a. It's burned more than $800.00 acres and is 10 percent contained Democrats on the House Education Committee released a new report today placing the blame for the troubled public service loan forgiveness program squarely on the Education Department N.P.R.'s Corey Turner has more there's been little doubt that p.s.l. Left the program that promises loan forgiveness in exchange for a decade of public service isn't working 99 percent of borrowers who have applied for it have been denied what's debatable is whose fault is it today's report which includes several previously unreleased Department documents argues the department has known for several years about problems with the program's management Those include telling borrowers they work for qualified employers when they don't and failing to take steps to more quickly and accurately count borrowers payments for its part the department insists the program's high denial rates are by congressional design Cory Turner n.p.r. News. Subaru is recalling more than 350000 foresters with heated seats because an electrical connection in the front passenger seat could loosen and deactivate the airbag The recall affects vehicles from 2015 to 28 team I'm Janine Herbst And you're listening to n.p.r. News from Washington support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include c. 3 died a i c 3 died a Eyes software enables organizations to use artificial intelligence at enterprise scale solving previously unsolvable business problems learn more and see 3 died a I. Supported by the Region 9 economic development district of Southwest Colorado offering flexible loan programs to help small businesses with capital expansion and job creation find out more as well as about their micro loan program for qualifying businesses at scan dot org. This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ari Shapiro and I'm Mary Louise Kelly shortly after 10 o'clock this morning the former u.s. Ambassador to Ukraine arrived on Capitol Hill she was there against State Department wishes to testify before the House committees running the impeachment inquiry into President Trump Maria on of it spent hours answering committee members questions earlier today we spoke with one of those committee members Congressman Eric Swalwell is a California Democrat and a member of the House Intelligence Committee he joins us now from Capitol Hill Congressman welcome thank you for having me back on Glad to have you with us can you give me your top line impression of the testimony that you heard today what I can tell you right now it's ongoing but the ambassador showed up and that's what's most important is that despite lawless orders from the president to not show up this investor showed up and that helps us in our investigation did she explain that in any way that she was ordered the administration has said it's not planning to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry in any way do you know how it was possible that she was able to testify given she still works for the State Department where she was subpoenaed and we learned last evening that she was being ordered by the State Department not to show up so we issued a subpoena last evening and she complied with the subpoena but we have had many witnesses who have not complied with subpoenas throughout this term in Congress so the fact that she showed up you know is I think pivotal for us and we have learned a lot because she has showed up and at this point that's all I can say as far as characterizing her testimony we again understanding that there's a lot you can't get into the opening statement of Maria avantage is out I'm looking at a copy of it this is a 10 page statement I'm flipping there as we speak in which she gives what looks like a pretty good roadmap in terms of what she was willing to say what to do with the ground that she is willing to cover can you in general characterize whether she parted ways with anything from the statement yeah and I get appreciate you know you have to ask and I'm going to wait for. Chairmanship to characterize you know her testimony but you know what we have seen with all of these witnesses is that you have career diplomats people who have dedicated themselves to serving the United States and carrying out our foreign policy and then President Trump and Rudy Giuliani and others are running this shadow shakedown track and you know that is not in the interest of the United States it's in the interest of their own Trump and that's what we're investigating I'm sorry to press you on this but it isn't the entrance of the American people trying to follow along a couple of lines she says in her prepared remarks I was incredulous that the u.s. Government chose to remove an ambassador based as best as I can tell on unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives understanding that you can't get into specifics of what was said was that the tenor of this testimony did she say anything contradictory to that well you know it the chairman characterize it but the president has actually acknowledged he did not like this embassador and there's been no legitimate reason to remove her that I or any of my colleagues have seen but I just want to put one other piece of information into this conversation that I think supported in light of the arrest yesterday of 2 associates of Rudy Giuliani Mr Parness and Mr Ferman it was end of summer of 2018 that they had made their 6 figure contribution to the Trump super pac and the Republican super pac organizations and that's the same time that all of these rumors started to swirl and so you know understanding whether there was a connection between their contribution and then the president the United States now having this unfounded belief about our ambassador and it is something that we would want to find out I know that those 2 men who you referenced who were arrested yesterday these 2 Giuliani associates were on the list of witnesses that Congress was hoping to call which prompts me to ask about the additional witnesses lined up as far as you know are they still on for next week I'm referring to a few. And a hill who served on the n.s.c. Until this summer and Gordon Scotland the Us ambassador to the e.u. Who was supposed to testify this week until it was blocked at the last minute who now we hear it's back on for next week when we're still seeking their testimony and we believe that if they want to you know help our investigation you know be patriots that they will show up and honor the request and not follow lawless orders from the president final question has any of the testimony any of the documents that have come to you and your committee thus far. Given you pause about the central narrative of the whistleblower complaint has any evidence come to light that causes you to question the veracity of that complaint to the credibility of that complaint the urgency of that complaint the more witnesses we hear from the more documents we review puts more arrows and only one direction which is that the present United States used our taxpayer dollars to extort the Ukrainians to only help himself there's been no counter arrow that would suggest anything else is going on here and we're going to run a fair investigation but it's going to be swept you have the president confessing to the crime you have a cover up in progress and we will move judiciously California Democrat Eric Swalwell He's a member of the House Intelligence Committee and he joined us having just stepped out from the testimony of Maria von of edge today Congressman thanks so much for your time thank you and for some context on that conversation recorded earlier today we have N.P.R.'s congressional correspondent Susan Davis who was listening in hi Sue What stood out to you from that from congressman's while there one thing I think is interesting is we know that Democrats have are almost unanimously on board for this impeachment inquiry but the question of whether they bring forward articles of impeachment still seems to be an open question but not when I'm listening to Democrats like Eric swallow in the end there who seems fairly conclusively in his mind that articles of impeachment are all all but certain it has been announced but that the. House seemed more and more likely as they have over this 2 week break where they've been conducting this investigation certainly move closer in that direction my fear something out I'm sure if the chairman said a couple weeks ago we already have a smoking gun exactly I think that the question that Democrats have now is and by the standards that the speaker has met is does the public support them and do they have it do they have enough case to make to the public a lot of Democrats think they already have the fact that they need to make the case for impeachment including the White House efforts to obstruct the investigation going on on Capitol Hill are Democrats willing to take that step if they don't believe that the public's behind them is one of the questions we're going to be watching and are you getting a read on how Republicans are responding to this testimony they heard from Ambassador Yavanna it's today well and as he's discussed a lot of this is happening behind closed doors we do know a lot of Republican staffer the 3 committees involved are allowed to question witnesses members are allowed to attend although it's been a mixed bag of who shows up and who does not Republicans have really been upset with this process than in They've echoed the White House they've said that you know in past impeachment proceedings the full House has called for a vote to sort of structurally formally make the inquiry happen and in certain cases in the past give the minority rights like powers to issue their own subpoenas I don't think Democrats are likely to give Republicans subpoena power in this investigation but it is certainly give Republicans a talking point to sort of attack the integrity of the investigation I think in these sort of the war of public opinion make a case to the public that this is kind of game from the start that Republicans haven't been given the kind of input that past minority parties have been and Sue and this is Mary Louise here I want to jump in and ask your take on one fing that Congressman Swalwell told me there when we were talking about the 2 Giuliani associates arrested this week. For a man he was talking about the campaign contributions for which they've been indicted was talking about the timing and suggesting this was around the same time that the u.s. Ambassador the rumors about the u.s. Ambassador to Ukraine are you know your Vonage started. Do we know that is is there any evidence these 2 things are linked in some way we don't have to discernible evidence that those 2 things are linked one of the congressman that was identified in the indictment or not identified but has been identified as former Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas who was one of the people that called for the Ukrainian ambassador to step down but in a statement saying he took no official action he did take of campaign money but he did not take any official action in the words of the president no quid pro quo. Is N.P.R.'s Susan Davis listening in and giving us some context there thanks as always say welcome to another story now a fast moving wildfire in Southern California that has destroyed dozens of homes closed freeways and forced roughly 100000 people to flee from its path this fire broke out last night in the foothills north of Los Angeles it's being fueled by strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions and here's Nathan Rott reports that is making for a really difficult fire fight most of California was already on high alert when forecasts were so high across the state this week that utility companies had preemptively cut off power to hundreds of thousands in Northern California and if you are here in the southern part of the state the power was still on for homeowners on settle Ridge Road when Roberta Delgado heard his wife yelling there's a fire back at the house. I'm trying to run I looked out the window there was fire right at the bottom of that tower a power line tower on a now blackened hillside not more than 150 yards from the back of Delgado's house that car came down that hill so fast. It was this overwhelming Delgado called the fire department and raced outside to spray down some of the bushes in trees at the back of his property that deck right there I was on that deck the fire the flames were going over these brushes over me going over our house embers were just coming over our house landing on top of her house. As those embers thrown by gusting Santa Ana winds leaped freeways and entire neighborhoods pushing the fire officials now say to grow at nearly $800.00 acres per hour when we left here were in tears I think in our house as burning it's a miracle Delgado says wiping floating ash from his eyes that it didn't now tens of thousands of other homeowners are hoping for the same thing with evacuation notices expanding westward the direction the fire is being pushed by strong Santa Ana winds Monica Rodriguez is the Los Angeles city councilwoman who represents this area's again these mandatory evacuation areas are going to remain in effect until they're lifted residents will not be allowed back in these areas the National Weather Service says dangerously high winds are forecast to continue in the area until tomorrow evening Nathan Rott n.p.r. News so Mark California. Stay with us for more All Things Considered from n.p.r. News. 2020 will be a big year in politics and you might notice all the news starting to sound the same but on Morning Edition we tell stories about the upcoming election from different angles offering the diverse perspectives of voters and from presidential candidates to Morning Edition takes you want to journey through the issues and keeps you informed about all the campaigns listen every day from n.p.r. News. Morning Edition on every weekday morning from 5 to 9 am. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from visiting angels professional caregivers assisting adults at home in bathing dressing meals and light housework nationwide visiting angels America's Choice and senior home care learn more in 180-365-4189 zoom offers cloud video conferencing on line meetings and a video conference room solution in one platform featuring digital video and audio with screen sharing account registration and more. Dot us. From n.p.r. News this is All Things Considered I'm Mary Louise Kelly and I'm Ari Shapiro as the protests in Hong Kong press on the clashes have grown increasingly violent but there are peaceful gatherings too like this one at a secondary school for boys 5 propre though that low birth read out that. Students in a crisp white dress shirt and black face masks gather at the school's front gates they tape up pink posted notes with pro-democracy messages that is where our co-host also Chang started her recent reporting trip in China Simeon Autonomy's Hong Kong is now the only place in China where real protests are even possible Elsa sat down with 2 people who understand that all too well they also started out as young activists they were pushing ideals the Chinese Communist Party once embraced only to see that same party crack down on their efforts and want to start the story on June 4th 1989 this is a c.b.s. News poll report from the main road gentlemen spoiled the last a few days did and other protests as well as Chinese on. Chinese military troops rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators after weeks of protests. The night to come from China has knives sifted course after 10 and then 2 people who would dedicate themselves to activism in the years that followed was definitely a and Vanya and a 57 year old feminist organizer in Beijing and I'm going on I'll go and hunt on phone a labor organizer Han was a 26 year old railway worker when he wandered into the crowds at Tiananmen that summer of 1989 Well we walked him to the square I was so the students talking about what is the mock receive better or worse fantastic and I was I really admired so he decided to join the protests he pitched a tent in the square and within days he was giving speeches himself. And then one night hunt was suddenly awakened by gunfire here. Outside a tent. And I walk out I looked at a sky that dark sky where the pinky color line is so for all that people ask me. What down what we do would spend the next 22 months in prison after his release he was never allowed back inside mainland China so in Hong Kong he founded a group called China labor bulletin a workers' rights organization and in those 1st years when Han was starting his new life a woman in Beijing was struggling with her own memories of Tiananmen take a she could puppet you that after what happened I was very depressed for a few days how late. I felt like I could hardly do anything new and had been a reporter for Chinese state media in 1989 and after that crackdown at Tiananmen her boss wouldn't let her go out and report. The year old daughter more than a year I couldn't go out to do interviews I was wondering this is out there what can I do with my life but I didn't see any real options at the time the had $92.00 she felt useless listless a few years crawled by and then in 1905 the United Nations decided to host a women's conference in Beijing then 1st lady Hillary Clinton gave a blockbuster speech let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for. You and your company soon Beit Shean health need I think for 5 as a whole person yes that's where your identity. Different and yes I comports them and to get together so then they all now I am on the cut Trinity. He set the t.v. Together like a activists and I watched dog because I was Jordan East and also asked her that Trinity activist watchdog and thinker forms the feminist that funk is today she runs a 24 hour hotline taking calls from women experiencing domestic or sexual violence is a work that's done mostly in the shop here. I met funny in one of old Beijing's with home alleyways she has a short but that. She rushes me into a small room with these windows all covered up with black even yet easier to talk with the door closes Yeah Also I don't know who is out there and this is a hotshot and it's for good reason in recent years feminist organizers have been harassed by authorities just planning a seminar now can land you in jail still fun says she's very proud to call herself a feminist even though in China that word is loaded What does it mean to be a feminist in China today what do this inside the dome. And for many ordinary Chinese the word feminism is still a derogatory term like effeminacy to someone who is not Ressa disliked by many a woman who is radical which feels like such a stark departure from 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded back then the Chinese Communist Party or c.c.p. Promised to elevate gender equality it pushed through laws ensuring women equal pay and the right to divorce but today Fung says So much has changed the tides is down the this is our side of the the c.c.v. Knows from its past the kind of power the grassroots organizations have to rise up from the bottom so if years the potential that I and other grassroots power can one day emerge to subvert the state and to subvert the. Jeems his to subvert the Communist Party the c.c.p. Was once a party of revolution it acutely understands the power of the movement whether the movement be about feminism or workers' rights a communist party is supposed to be the party of working class but in reality it's a molecular nation also sees a disconnect between the founding ideals of the Chinese Communists and how they govern today he says now the c.c.p. Actively suppresses the labor movement in China whom do you think the Chinese Communist Party most protects the Bose ironic thing is I want to hand in the wording very said they represent the workers very the pioneer of working draws on the other hand in reality workers they should represent and are living in terrible condition not allowed to organize a union not allowed to bargain for themselves in fact the Chinese government has quietly disappeared labor activists who have tried to unionize What is the Communist Party here fear so much about workers' organizing what do you think it is I do understand their fear what is the fear the party failed to deliver their promises. A façade tell you what equality in a society our country got beaten by working class and what the heart of the Chinese Communist Party. Still feels communist to here today when they look at me. What do you mean that there's a still a columnist. Group of people believe in cobblers and believe in socialism and they are still fighting for it every day in their work you believe that you represent in your organization represents the true ideals of the additional Chinese Communist Party. I do believe and I will continue to fight for that dream a dream that Hyundai a worker's rights act. The best and funny men a gender equality advocate share it's a dream that the China of tomorrow will be a better China and the country they see today. That was our co-host sorting. Out our stories from China produced by Valerie Greengrass an edited. This is n.p.r. News some of the funds for Kiss shady come from the federal government and some contributions come from businesses and foundations we count on those funds to keep us on the air but the greatest a most dependable source of funding comes from listeners like you day after day year after year j.d. Depends on you your gift along with the contributions of others he keeps public broadcasting alive support his j.d. Now at k s j d o r g. It's All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Mary Louise Kelly and I'm Ari Shapiro coming up a new novel from a crime Dom of Irish literature at no O'Brien I've always written about girls and women both to me and fight her show. But they became through hell and somehow they come through 1st news. Live from n.p.r. News and Washington I'm Winsor Johnston as Turkey continues its military attack against Kurdish forces in northern Syria Secretary of State Mike pump aoe met with a group of Christian counselors in Nashville today sir Martinez Beltran of member station reports Pompei o. Addressed efforts by the trumpet ministration to protect religious freedom and human rights in this speech from pale talked about the role that Christianity has split in his career and decision making and he says speaking truth is part of it something he says President Donald Trump has provided on many issues for example on China's braking and authoritarianism for example on why the Islamic Republic of Iran is an aggressor not a victim but didn't mention the Kurds Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish refugee community in the us and their people have recently been under threat again after the Trump administration decided to withdraw troops from the Turkey Syria border Nashville Kurds are pushing back on this decision and are demonstrating today for n.p.r. News I'm set here. In Nashville Emergency crews are battling tri conditions and high winds as they work to contain several wildfires in Southern California Sharon McNary of member station reports the saddle Ridge fire burning in northern Los Angeles has grown to about 7500 acres forcing thousands of people from their homes the fire started abodes some of these farms burned down and here the community they think they have maybe as many as 25 houses that might be burned that's a very preliminary estimate share a big Mary reporting fire crews are also working to get the upper hand on a wildfire burning east of Los Angeles and Riverside the sandal wood fire has spread to more than 800 acres this is n.p.r. News from Washington. California is expanding its gun violence restraining order program 3 years after it launched Capital Public Radio's Ben Adler reports Governor Gavin Newsom signed a pair of new red flag laws today as part of the package of gun control bills right now only family members and law enforcement agencies can seek gun violence restraining orders in California against people they believe could be dangerous if granted by a judge officers serve the restraining order in confiscating guns back as eans or ammunition they find now under a law signed by Governor knew some employers coworkers and teachers will also be able to petition for restraining orders former governor Jerry Brown twice vetoed similar bills in part because of opposition by both gun rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union another new law extends the maximum length of a restraining order from one year to 5 both measures take effect next September for n.p.r. News I'm Ben a lawyer in Sacramento a federal judge has blocked a trump administration regulation that allows immigration officials to deny green cards to immigrants who receive certain public benefits under the rule immigrants would be questioned about their use of food stamps housing assistance and Medicaid or the likelihood that they might use such benefits in the future the rule change was set to take effect next Tuesday stocks traded higher today on Wall Street the Dow was up 319 points the Nasdaq up $106.00 this is n.p.r. News from Washington local news on chaos j.d.s. Supported by Keziah Motor Company because the Motor Company has been the 4 Corners source for Ford and Lincoln sales and service for over 45 years because the Motor Company at 111 South Broadway in Cortez and because the Motor Company dot com. Or. Or. Are our. 'd support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Tire Rack family owned and operated for 40 years since 1979 Tire Rack has been committed to helping people find the right tires for their vehicles more a tire rack dot com from American Jewish World Service working together for more than 30 years to build a more just and equitable world learn more at a.j. Ws Dato argy and from the John d. And Catherine team MacArthur Foundation at mac found dot org. This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Mary Louise Kelly and I'm Ari Shapiro staff members at n.b.c. News are upset at their leadership this week after more detailed allegations emerged involving the firing of Today co-host Matt Lauer Lauer was dismissed nearly 2 years ago after what was then described as inappropriate sexual behavior with a subordinate now a new book catch and kill reveals the identity of the woman who made the complaint and she says Lauer raped her at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia the book is by former n.b.c. News reporter Ronan Farrow who also alleges that n.b.c. Executives caved to pressure from Harvey Weinstein to stonewall Pharaoh's reporting on the Hollywood mogul our own Weekend Edition Sunday host Lou Garcia Navarro sat down with Ronan Farrow earlier today to talk about the book and who's here with a preview of that interview Hi Hi Matt Lauer has put out a lengthy statement denying that he raped Brooke novels the former n.b.c. News producer Have you asked Ronan Farrow about his reporting on her allegations what he said he says he stands by his reporting it was quote fact check to the nth degree Lauer is claiming that the 1st incident between him and novels was consensual not rape and the beginning of an affair now Farrah says she was forthcoming about her continued interactions with Lauer but clearly saw things very differently she readily concedes that there were communications where she was trying to not make him angry where she feared for her career where she was trying to make it Ok in her own narrative to herself and stay cheerful about it but that this was never something she described as an affair this was a painful agonizing process Farrow says Lauer's behavior towards women at n.b.c. Was an open secret he reports in his book and told me that there were multiple nondisclosure agreements dealing with sexual misconduct well before his firing and he says he spoke with multiple n.b.c. Executives who had heard about it so the pivot from out Lauer to another me to story the Harvey Weinstein Farrow says that n.b.c. Executives including the president of n.b.c. News know Oppenheim tried to stop his. Reporting on the Weinstein story he ended up doing that reporting for The New Yorker and want to hold her for it what did run and tell you about that yeah Farah told me that Harvey Weinstein was calling Oppenheimer and other top brass at n.b.c. Frequently Farrow says his reporting shows they gave assurances to Weinstein that they would kill his story he has reporting to back it up and then there's also this comments Oppenheimer allegedly made to Ronan Farrow during his reporting about Weinstein asking how serious is this stuff really he says there were 6 times that Oppenheim told him to actually stop his reporting also Farrow includes excerpts from columns Oppenheimer wrote in college at Harvard and a feminist writing including this line quote Apparently women enjoy being confined pumped full of alcohol and preyed upon they feel desired not demeaned and I asked Farrow why he thought these columns were relevant I go to pains to say no Oppenheim was young when he wrote that however it's worth noting that in the context of the book it becomes relevant because his behavior does not have Vince the thinking of someone who has grown and changed in the way that I readily say is possible and even hopeful over the years you know this is someone who is making very similar arguments in the present day as a rational for shutting down this story saying you know this is simply not news this does not matter we should note n.b.c. Is completely denying Pharaoh's version of events but there are reports that Oppenheim is facing really tough questions right now at n.b.c. And then perhaps Reuters The Weinstein story Ronan Farrow told you an anecdote involving an interview request he had with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tell us about that yeah he said Hillary Clinton had committed to doing an interview with him but then she suddenly got quite busy or that's the story her press person told him after referencing his continuing reporting on Weinstein Now Weinstein raised funds for Hillary Clinton she has described him as a friend and this is how he describes how he views this interaction I don't suggest that she was of paramount importance in terms of the machine of complicity around Harvey Weinstein I do think that she was part of the broader circle. Of powerful interests that were allied with him now Pharaoh does say he eventually did get that interview with Clinton but he said to me that he had to tell her that he was going to disclose the nature of that conversation and that is what led to that interview being given to him in the end and we should also say that Clinton's press person Nick Merrill says the timing of the postponement of that initial interview was a coincidence of course we'll hear more of your interview with Ron Farrow on Sunday morning on Weekend Edition Lou Garcia Navarro thank you for talking with us My pleasure. The 200-1000 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopia's prime minister met he is credited for ending the 20 year conflict between Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea the Nobel Committee cited in particular quote decisive initiative in resolving that border war Well for more on Avi N.P.R.'s East Africa correspondent ater Peralta is here and I should know you're actually in the studio in d.c. Welcome home it was so nice see you here is so nice to see you in person Ari So tell us more about Mad Who is he when did he come to power so he came to power about 2 years ago and he came to power after a huge popular rebellion I mean it was more than a year of street protests bloody deadly street protests and what he did as soon as he came to power no one sort of expected it because he was coming in from the ruling party was he changed everything and let me just give you an example is before Abbey when I would go to Ethiopia I would have to go in and say that I was reporting on the African Union and do everything secretly record secretly meet people secretly and then he came into power and overnight it just changed people were on the streets they were criticizing the government I was able to have coffee in public with opposition figures with a big microphone in front of them you could commit journalism in public on the streets right and that that was such a huge change in Ethiopia well and this is fascinating because you're describing a man who had not been in the job for even to yours. Ending a 20 year war being credited with ending a 20 year war I'm sure it's more complicated than that how did he manage to do it he just declared it I mean he literally got on a plane and met with the president of Eritrea and somehow convinced I.C.'s of Herky to fly to who. Have these peace talks and they did and all the sudden the president of a country with whom very few more until that war being welcomed in and Abby decided to pull away all the troops from the border area and open up the border you know switch on the phone lines that had been dead between these 2 countries for 30 years and all this and what you saw was these just amazingly emotional reunions between brothers and sisters you know cousins who had not seen each other in decades and these 2 men met specifically reached out and said let's end this so I suppose the question is is this achievement for which the Nobel Committee has just honored Abhi Akhmed will it endure is it premature to give the prize to somebody who great help to end a war but the word just finished I think that is the hardest questions on both fronts by the way the borders have closed since then not because there's conflict but because Eritrea is still till this day one of the most authoritarian repressive countries in the world and then Abi has a huge problem in his own country that is it's just being split apart by ethnic violence I mean there have been more people displaced in the past 2 years from fighting in Ethiopia than there has been in Syria and the same time period the same time period and Abby is this kind of inspirational figure but he has been able to inspire his people to stop fighting amongst each other and one political analyst I spoke to today said that what this prize does is. It allows him to try and mend his country once again. And that is N.P.R.'s East Africa correspondent Ader Peralta talking about Ethiopian prime minister Abi Akhmed who today was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize thank you thank you Mary Louise. You're listening to All Things Considered from n.p.r. News Shepard Smith was one of the few voices on Fox News that had been willing to challenge President Trump today the 55 year old chief anchor at Fox abruptly resigned saying it had been an honor and a privilege to report the news without fear or favor so recently I asked the company to allow me to leave Fox News after requesting that I stay they obliged under our agreement I will be reporting elsewhere at least in the near future this is my last newscast here it's been on her Joining us now to discuss Smith's departure is n.p.r. Media correspondent David Folkenflik Hi David Hey Ari many people were surprised by this Twitter seems to be blowing up about it what do we know about why he chose to resign today. He just simply said that it was his decision and he didn't give the address why he did it but you know this is been a tension that as you know was headed for a fracture at some point you had Shep Smith an independent voice guy who saw himself as a journalist and also says was somebody who had been kind of skeptical a guy who had. Offered fact checks on the president somebody who called out the questions of norms that have been shattered by this president and. Fox has adopted almost up and down its lineup of resolutely pro Trump or at least anti antitrust Bly and I think you saw this was a dynamic that was going to be untenable in the future President Trump has attacked Smith personally Trump recently tweeted watching fake news c.n.n. Is better than watching Shepard Smith Do you know specifically what was behind that tweet. I think that it stems from this very kind of dynamic you know you had Shep Smith called certain remarks by the president racist you had the Shep Smith talk about the president indulging. Anti-Semitic tropes or supporters the president calling for certain kinds of violence Shep Smith acting as a journalist and as a skeptical one at that at that insight a line up where the president expects a certain kind of fealty this is the same dynamic preacher up that led Shep Smith to be you know taken from desirable slot at 7 pm and slapped into 3 pm sort of mid afternoon slot even though he's given the title chief anchor by then Fox News chairman Roger Ailes you know Shep Smith was somebody allowed independence but there was a tension and a cost as a result of that so I think many people are going to see this is a purge based on purity whether at specific direction of the White House and its allies or just the strong implication how accurate is that. I think it's more about the dynamic you know look the attorney general Bill Barr met last night with Rupert Murdoch the controlling owner of Fox News and its parent company this is said to been in the works prior to that in the said not to be a result of that but it's a sign of the kind of closeness that the Murdoch's have basically gone at least to date almost all in on Trump they doesn't have a ton of respect for the president and yet at the same knows him from New York but at the same time felt like he would have an entree like he's never had before with the United States president and that has been the case well this tension between somebody journalistic like Shep Smith you've seen this also with Chris Wallace the host of Fox News Sunday a tough minded journalist an interviewer as well this tension has been heightened by the impeachment crisis that the president is currently facing and right now you've got a high stakes game where the president is relying on Fox to rally his base where the president sees their core viewership as his core supporter and he's relying them ever more even as their journalists are trying to figure out well wait there may be stories that are damaged at present how do we deal with this ship Smith decided he want out at this pivotal time I don't think there's any accident of why the timing occurred the way it did n.p.r. Media correspondent David Folkenflik thank you. You bet. And you're listening to All Things Considered from n.p.r. News. You're listening to chaos j.d. Where we always try our best to keep it clean I'd throw something from Captain Beefheart on right now but I gotta be careful with Amie says Bad Words sometimes. Ideas stories immune. To such. Americana and blues guitarist Brooks Williams will be at the sunflower Theatre on Friday Oct 18th at 7 30 pm he just released his $28.00 solo album lucky star tickets for $15.00 at Sunflower theater. A dime store in their. Testing. This is All Things Considered from n.p.r. News I'm Ari Shapiro and I'm Mary Louise Kelly I was a girl once but not anymore that is the 1st sentence of Edna O'Brien's new novel it goes on blood dried and crusted all over me and my wrapper in shreds my insides a morass as you're already gathering the novel can be hard to read neither the book nor this interview may be appropriate for everyone but girl as it's titled also tells a story of quiet dignity of hope of love It is a fictional portrait of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria 5 years ago it's the story of their kidnapping their suffering how many of them were raped how some were forced to marry and no Brian joins me now from London and welcome to All Things Considered Thank you you went to Nigeria to research this gives I went to more than once yes yes it was related to it but of all of the many things their own to write about what why these girls well I've always written about gauche and women both as victims and as fighters I'm by and but they be through hell and somehow they come through so one day I was you know way to doctors and I rather small item in your newspaper I was waiting which said Go old amino something something was found in some piece of forest wandered in with her baby with nothing to eat didn't know her name and didn't know where she was and for some reason that's inexplicable to me I thought. I have to write that story I didn't think of when I 1st read about the goals or when I heard about the hash tag Bring Back Our Girls there was something about the girl alone in a forest that resonated with maybe lived and maybe imagined experience inside me one can't write a novel about an outside subject unless it has some conceiving within the writer's own self and the world is full of stories the world is full of very difficult stories where that was the one that I believed I would be able to write about with both pain and passion and enthusiasm and enthusiasm there's there's a fairy tale quality to it a horrible fairy tale but the girl alone in the forest of the 38 Absolutely I wanted that I am a great admirer of fairy tales for their magic. And for their doctor nurse I love the brothers Grimm I love him script you know Anderson because those stories of everything in them they have the suspense of great stories that are so have that thing all of the unknown and usually an individual income tree in either the nature or in human beings something I think Thea they may never come through. What made you confident you could do it in a way that wouldn't make us your readers Funch and look and look away because what you're describing in unflinching terms is brutal violence mass rape her after horror that is true there's also humanity I'd like to stress it's not horror for the sake of horror Greek drama Greek tragedy Greek fiction. Hope it's not too conceited to mention the Great told me and others is rule it has to be role in order to be truthful there is a crucial difference and this I would like to emphasize between what is role and truthful as opposed to what he's lurid. And if you like souped up almost a fractured. I want to ask a question about the arc of your work you published your 1st novel The Country Girls nearly 60 years ago to great acclaim Although we should note it was banned for a while in Ireland. As someone who has been telling the story of girls of women for decades now do you think the way they are read has changed are men more likely to dive into these stories than they were when you were starting Well I think when I started writing it was exclusively women who read my books and nod and defied to so much stand with them or else criticize them for being too much about victims they didn't understand I was writing about victims in order to make the joining of the victims emergence to Victoria or to someone against who comes through these things which are part of human eye with this book the reviewers have mostly been women. Because I suppose with the title and the material what I think there would be yes a percentage more of women would men are either ready or curious I don't know which to also read my books now dish do you think that's I mean you're a big name you're a famous writer do you think that's part of it or do you think this is men have changed society has changed what we want to read I think actually I don't feel famous I just feel I wonder can I have a Russian other book. I definitely from my own son's Kahlo and Sasha I think men have changed it changed a lot about their of fiction or their demonstrated affection towards their children men how fathers you see fathers now as often as you in the West as you do mothers carrying babies or wheeling you know pushcarts changing tables in the men's room exactly I believe you raise the question as to whether there's another book Is there another book in you I would like to think their use I have I have no guarantee yes or no insurance policy about it but writing has been my whole life it has been a news essential to me I think I was breathing if I couldn't write I would be. I'm anxious as a writer and I can't say that I find it easy because I rewrite very extensively and I worry when I'm writing which is more and there's all the time I'm home very boring I'm so hot but if I could not do that if I did not have writing it's like my inner world where he's my you know world is my inner chamber I'm in a Dickens and was always rising about the different chambers of the mind. The chamber of my mind the most are war Froebel cold his Royal Room of all to do with writing and reading then really reading great literature because I think literature is one of the most important things in our life and as our hero we would abuse discredit minimize or throw it away. And no O'Brian talking there about her new novel titled girl and no Brian if I may say I very much hope it's not your last and it's been a pleasure to speak with you thank you oh and thank you very much that was very short because we we talked we just thank you thank you and goodbye and. Have a great weekend from all of us here at All Things Considered from n.p.r. News support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Capital One offering the spark cash card for businesses committed to helping business owners turn purchases into meaningful investments that can help drive business forward Capital One what's in your wallet more if Capital One dot com. From Home Advisor committed to helping homeowners find the right pro for their home projects homeowners can get matched to local pros read reviews and check project cost guides at Home Advisor dot com and from a.d.p. An h.r. Partner committed to designing a better way to work with h.r. Talent Time benefits and payroll informed by data and design for people learn more it designed dot com This is k.s. J.d. Ideas stories community 91.5 k. Street he Cortez 90.5. 89.5 k. I see a Rico we're broadcasting from the corner of Main Market Street in downtown Cortez and through the following translators 215 f. 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