Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20140704 : vimarsana.com

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Woodruff the United States observes 238 years of independence today and except for some serious weather disruptions on each coast, americans across the land found ways to celebrate. Woodruff july 4th wouldnt be the same without its patriotic parades. And from philadelphia, to indiana, to the nations capital, there were plenty to watch. I hereby declare on oath. Woodruff at the white house, president obama spent the morning welcoming a group of foreignborn military service members, as they took their oath of citizenship in a special ceremony. He also used the moment to repeat his call for a revamp of immigration laws. If we want to keep attracting the best and brightest from beyond our shores, were going to have to fix our immigration system, which is broken, and pass commonsense Immigration Reform. We shouldnt be making it harder for the best and the brightest to come here, and create jobs here, and grow our economy here. We should be making it easier. Woodruff well south of washington, in the outer banks of North Carolina, thousands of americans put their july 4th plans on hold to get out of the way of hurricane arthur. It brought heavy rains and sustained winds of 100 Miles Per Hour when it made landfall at cape lookout late last night. We made out great but i was very afraid. When the wind came through at about 5 30 this morning, it woke me up. It didnt wake my husband up, so i woke him up and i said, david next time i say to leave, lets leave, because the wind was really whipping around. Woodruff in the light of day there was heavy coastal flooding, and about 40,000 people lost power. But no injuries from the storm were reported. In the western u. S. , drier weather was the problem, as a massive 3,000 foot tall dust storm swept across Southern Arizona last night. It knocked out power and canceled flights and fireworks celebrations. And farther west, in california, the dry conditions fueled several wildfires. In the Mountain Town of julian, fourth of july celebrations that draw about 5,000 spectators were canceled. The fire there is only 40 contained. Woodruff a little more than an hour north of those fires, about 120 demonstrators from both sides of the immigration debate massed again outside a u. S. Border patrol station in the city of murrietta. They rallied as another convoy of migrants who illegally crossed into the u. S. From mexico was expected to arrive at the agency for processing. On tuesday, protesters at the same site blocked buses carrying migrants from Central America. They had been flown in from texas, where facilities are overwhelmed by the influx. The department of Veterans Affairs is facing more criticism today after a veteran died just 500 yards from an emergency room. The man collapsed monday in an albuquerque v. A. Hospital cafeteria and waited 20 minutes for an ambulance. The e. R. Is a fiveminute walk next door, but hospital policy requires staff to call 911. That policy is now under review. The v. A. Has already come under fire for major delays in veterans treatment. Iraqi Government Troops reported gains against islamic militants today, on two battlefields. They recaptured the village of awja, the birthplace of the former dictator saddam hussein. And they made headway in taking back iraqs Largest Oil Refinery in beiji. Government airstrikes there killed up to 30 insurgents. Also today, iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Almaliki vowed to defeat the militants and signaled he wont abandon a bid for a third term in office. Senior officials in ukraine today accused russia of letting separatist rebels use its territory to attack Ukrainian Border posts. Ukraines secretary of National Security said Russian Troops are also still massing near its border, a charge russia denies. translated theres a Constant Movement of military equipment and armed forces of the Russian Federation close to ukraines border. I want to underline that the violation of ukraines border continues. Attacks are taking place at checkpoints of our military and border guards, which were set up to defend the state border. Woodruff in spite of that, as of today, Ukrainian Forces claimed control of 23 of the 36 regions in the donetsk and luhansk provinces that have declared independence. Billionaire newspaper publisher Richard Mellon scaife died today at his home in pittsburgh. The heir to the mellon banking and oil fortune also funded libertarian and conservative causes. In the 1990s, several of his foundations also gave millions to organizations that were run by critics of president bill clinton. Scaife was 82 years old. Still to come on the newshour the latest on escalating tension between israelis and palestinians; an angry dissent at the Supreme Court; the deadly ebola virus spreads in west africa; british journalists begin prison sentences for their role in hacking phones; the analysis of ruth marcus and michael gerson; and restoring Thomas Jeffersons lost library. Woodruff in the middle east, tensions continued to escalate today. The family members of a Slain Palestinian teenager say their son was murdered in retribution for three young israelis killed in june. Israeli police say they have not yet determined who killed mohamed abu khdeir, or why. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu has called his death a despicable crime and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, adding that there is no place for murder, riots, incitement and vigilantism. Those words did little to satisfy the thousands who turned out for the 16yearolds funeral, however. Lindsey hilsum of independent Television News was at the funeral in East Jerusalem. Woodruff it was a day to chant political slogans, to wave flags, and to remember a boy. Mohamed abu khdeir looked young for his sixteen years. He loved dancing and going to the mosque. And for palestinians he has become a potent symbol of injustice and fear. His family and neighbors prayed as they waited for the Israeli Police to release his body. Across town his father hussein watched as they transferred mohamed in his shroud for an israeli to a palestinian ambulance. How could any father bear such a thousands jostled to see the body as it was taken into the mosque. To walk with the martyr on his last journey. The simple green wooden coffin was brought out of the mosque. Thousands followed the route. It wasnt a formal event like the funeral of the three murdered israeli students buried on monday. No Prime Minister here. No official national mourning. Just raw emotion and anger. They streamed across the scrub land toward the cemetery. Behind them the jewish settlement of ramot. Family members believe that mohameds killers came from there. Determined to avenge the deaths of the three israelis. As they prepared to lower the coffin into the grave, the sound of firing in the air. Mourners saw mohameds killing not just as an act by individuals, but as more evidence of the perfidy of the israeli state. translated the israeli leaders dont want our unity. They found in our unity an enemy. So they want to destroy our enemy, our unity by their actions. Their continual action of killing people like mohamed abu khdeir. 16yearsold. Burned alive by the settlers. Woodruff a handful of dust and moor, men filled in the grave in the traditional way. The cousin was overcome. Not by the politics, but by the misery of losing a boy so young. The family needs, they need justice, they need the truth. Reporter do you think that woodruff after the funeral, young men took out their frustration on the Israeli Security forces. Rocks against rubber bullets. The family is waiting for the autopsy result. The israeli Authorities Say they are investigating. They will get answers. But theres no trust and little dialogue. Woodruff the Associated Press reports that thirteen israeli officers and dozens of palestinians were injured in todays fighting. Jeffrey brown has more on this story. Brown in addition to the clashes in East Jerusalem. The Israeli Air Force struck targets inside of gaza tonight after hamas fired rockets again today into southern israel. The exchange happened despite word of a possible ceasefire between israel and hamas being mediated by egypt. Journalist josh mitnick has been reporting the story on all fronts for the wall street journal. I spoke to him a short time ago. So, josh mitnick, you were at the funeral today. What would you add to what we heard from lindsey hilsum. Well there was a real air of anger and militancy in the air. The debris from several days of riots in jerusalem had not been cleaned up. I saw mourners praying amid shattered glass of a light rail station, and people were, religious chance, antiisrael chance, chance for revenge, chance for blood and people were saying that they thought the Israeli Police were treating this with kid gloves, they were angry that the Israeli Police a had not come to the conclusion that they confidently believe this was a lynching and they were frustrated also with the Palestinian Authority and president Mahmoud Abbas for not embracing them and they accused him of collaborating with israel. And are there signs of protests and violence spreading in the west bank, further escalation . You know, that is the concern of the israeli the israeli army and also i assume that is the concern of the Palestinian Authority and at this moment, that has not happened. At this moment it has been contained to jerusalem. From what i understand is that the president abbas has an interest in this not spreading and ironically in the west of the west Bank President abbas has his own Security Forces which basically try to lower the flames of the conflict. In East Jerusalem it is a different story, however, president abbas does not have the control and it is more easy for the protesters to go out to the Israeli Police and protest and engage in clashes. Well, the Israeli Government has of course condemned the killing, but is there anymore information on the investigation into finding who did it . You know, i spoke with the Police Spokesperson today, and he said that they are still investigating several different motives again, as i said, the fact that the police have not classified this as a nationalist crime, very insulting to the family. They have not released details of the autopsy yet. They will only say that the body of the boy was severely injured. And in the meantime rocket attacks from gaza and Israeli Military planes in reprisal going into gaza. What are authorities on both sides saying about that situation . That right. For the last week there has been a titfortat drinkable of, trickle of rockets into israel and israeli planes launching reprisals. The Israeli Military. In a rare appeal for calm yesterday said they are not interesting in in escalating the situation but that if the militants in gaza and hamas doesnt get control of the situation there, they are prepared to escalate. So something of availed threat knicksed with a message of mollification. Hamas has been putting out mixed signals. Some of the members of its political leadership, of the government there saying they are not interested in escalation however a statement from the military wing of hamas saying they are not willing to engage in any cease fires and they will not impose their control on the other militant groups in gaza strip. And, very briefly if you would, what is your sense of the level of fear that this could escalate to something that the region hasnt seen in some time . With the comparative to different intifadas in the past, especially 2,000, the difference is that the palestinian president , the Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas consistently has come out against the use of violence and assumed he is actively working to cool the flames. However, there is an air of vigilantism in the west bank, there is a new, relatively recent phenomenon of vigilantism among pro set her groups who have carried out revenge attacks on palestinians in the west bank. So as long as this air of taking the law into ones own hands continues, then it is anyones bet and things could spiral out of control. Josh mitnick, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you. Woodruff the u. S. Supreme court late on thursday temporarily exempted a religious college from the contraception coverage provisions of the Affordable Care act. The decision provoked a sharp rebuke from the courts three female justices. The injunction came down just days after a contentious 54 ruling in favor of some businesses that objected to providing Birth Control on the grounds it offended the owners beliefs. For more, we are joined by marcia coyle of the national law journal. Oh, happy to be here, judy. So interesting in that this is an opinion written in about a page or page and a half. The dissent is 15 or 16 pages long. Yes. But tell us the background. What is it that the college was complaining about. First you have to start with what the court said in the lobby hobby lobby case. The majority ruled the contraceptive requirement violated the constitutional restoration act to corporations and their religious owners. In that majority opinion, the court said the real the problem with what the government did here was that it did not choose the least restrictive means of providing that coverage to women who need it. The courts suggested less restrictive alternatives to doing this, for example, the government could pay for the coverage itself or the government could extend an act accommodation that it gives to religious nonprofit organizations. That accommodation says if you sign a government form saying you object, the law then shifts the burden of providing the insurance to the insurer or a third party administrator. That accommodation is what was at the heart of what Wheaton College was objecting to in the u. S. Supreme court this week. This is a Christian College based in illinois. And now this is a college, it is not a corporation. Yes. Unlike the one on which the monday case was based but they are saying we are entitled to win exemption. They are. In fact, no one really objects. They are eligible for this accommodation, but they are claiming that the accommodation itself, the signing of the government form makes them complicit in providing the Conjunto Primavera accept if the coverage and they say that violates the religious freedom act. So they are asking the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction that would prevent the government from fining them if they didnt comply with the requirement or would prevent government from insisting on the accommodation or being fined for not providing the coverage. And there is this form that there is about. Yes. Justice stone i cant, Sonia Sotomayor in her dissent used very Strong Language about what the majority had held. She did. She really made three points. First she said that that the court was retreating from what it said in hobby lobby, the monday decision, in that decision, the majority again said that the accommodation itself achieved all of the governments objectives here as well as provided greater respect for religious liberty and Justice Kennedy even reemphasized that in a separate opinion. He said that would give confidence in the court. The second thing she said Wheaton College had not made out the case for getting an emergency injunction, which is an extraordinary remedy and that one of the requirements is that your legal rights be indies disputably clear and that was didnt case here because the lower courts had yet to rule on the merits of wheatons claim. And finally, she argued, the court by telling Wheaton College all it had to do is submit to the government in writing its objections, not sign the form, the court itself was rewriting f