The legal controversy for one denver bakery that turned away a gay couples request for a wedding cake. We strongly support the right for people to believe whatever they believe in their hearts, but a bakery is not a church. It is a place of business open to the public. Woodruff those are some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. At lincoln financial, we believe youre in charge. Youre the chief life officer, and this is your annual shareholders meeting. Youre overseeing presentations on research and development and welcoming new members of the team. Youre in charge of it all. Lincoln financial is committed to helping you take charge of your future. Life, income, retirement, Group Benefits and advice. Lincoln financial. Youre in charge. I. B. E. W. The power professionals in your neighborhood. Supported by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information at macfound. Org and with the ongoing support of these institutions and. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Ifill on this day after the state of the union, president obama took the next steps toward trying to make his agenda a reality. He sought a new setting, and a new audience far from washington. With the big speech behind him, the president journeyed deep into republican territory to sell his Economic Program in boise, idaho. Middle class economics works expanding opportunity works these policies will keep on working as long as politics in washington doesnt get in the way of our progress lets make sure all our people have the tools and the support that they need to go as far as their dreams and their effort will take them ifill the road trip is designed to build on last nights address to congress and the nation and on the president s declaration that years of recession and war are finally over. It has been, and still is, a hard time for many, but tonight, we turn the page. Ifill and for mr. Obama turning that page means pushing a newly assertive agenda despite last falls democratic losses. The agenda includes firsttime proposals, such as making Community College free for many americans. Requiring businesses to provide paid sick leave to their employees. And bolstering efforts to prevent cyber attacks. Overseas, hes calling for new authority to use force against the Islamic State. Plus, lifting the decadeslong embargo on cuba. But it was clear last night what the new republican majorities in the house and senate think of the president s calls for new taxes. But for far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight. Ifill and of his plan to raise the minimum wage. If you truly believe you could work fulltime and support a family on less than 15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest working people in america a raise. Ifill today, House Speaker john boehner drove home the point. All the president really offered last night was more taxes, more government, more of the same approach that has failed the middle class for decades. These just arent the wrong policies theyre the wrong priorities. Ifill Top Republicans also criticized the president s pledge to veto bills that could roll back health care and immigration policies. Senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. We know the president may not be wild about the peoples choice of a congress, but he owes it to the American People to find a serious way to work with the representatives that they elected. And if the president is willing to put the veto threats away and the designedtofail talking points aside, we can still cooperate to get some smart things done for the people we represent. Ifill but as the president said last night, with no more campaigns to run, he will put all his energy into pushing his ideas. Today, minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar and other democrats said theyre invigorated by that approach. The president is not going to be spending his next year and a half slouched in his armchair planning his president ial library. I think what we saw last night is a president that wants to get things done in his remaining time in office and i think that we see an energized country that also wants to get through the gridlock and move forward. Ifill president obama plans to move forward again tomorrow, with an event in another heavily republican state kansas. Well ask two of the nations mayors how the president s state of the Union Priorities will affect them right after the news summary. Woodruff the president faced new challenges on iran today from here in washington, and from both sides of the capitol. Senators pressed a bipartisan bill that imposes new sanctions unless iran accepts curbs on its Nuclear Program by july 6th. New jersey Democrat Robert menendez helped draft the bill. At a hearing, he said iran is dragging out negotiations. After 18 months of stalling, iran needs to know that there will be consequences for failure. Now some of us believe those consequences should be additional sanctions. While we are playing nice, however, iran is playing an asymmetrical game violating, in my view, the spirit and intent of sanctions. Ifill the president warned again last night that he would veto a sanctions bill. And at todays hearing, deputy secretary of state tony blinken warned iran would simply walk away from the talks. Iran is well aware that a sword of damocles hangs over its head. It needs no further motivation. So the sanctions, new sanctions at this point are not necessary, but we also believe their passage now would put at risk getting to a final deal over the next several months. Woodruff meanwhile, House Speaker john boehner invited israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu to address congress on iran, and netanyahu accepted. The white house was not consulted in advance. It said the invitation goes against diplomatic protocol. Ifill shiite rebels in yemen took the proamerican president captive in his own home today. Hours later, the state news agency reported that president Abdrabbu Mansour hadi reached a deal with the rebels. The agreement calls for the gunmen to pull away from the hadi residence, and to give the shiites more say in yemens affairs. That includes more representation in parliament. Woodruff france has announced nearly half a billion dollars in new spending, over three years to fight terror. The measures include hiring more than 2,500 new officers, giving them better weapons and expanding surveillance of some 3,000 islamist radicals in france and abroad. Prime minister manuel valls says the paris attacks show the need to act. translated one should never underestimate the magnitude and the difficulty of the tasks of the intelligence services. Thats why the first urgency the first requirement is to further reinforce the human and technical means of our intelligence services. I say further because we need to go further than our commitments since 2012. Woodruff also today, police in belgium arrested a fifth suspect in an alleged terror cell that was raided last week. Ifill meanwhile, in iraq, Prime MinisterHaider Alabadi appealed for more help against Islamic State forces. He said the u. S. Coalition isnt moving fast enough to deliver weapons and train iraqi troops. There is a lot of things being said and being spoken and very little on the ground. We are very thankful for the air campaign to support our military but i think you cannot achieve victory without a real fight on the ground and we are doing this fight and we are expecting other countries to match our fight. Ifill and in japan, Prime Minister shinzo abe arrived home from the middle east, saying time is running short to save two japanese hostages. Islamic state militants are demanding 200 million to let them live. Woodruff in nigeria, boko haram militants claimed responsibility today for recent mass killings. Amnesty International Says up to 2,000 people died in the northeastern town of baga. In a youtube video, the boko haram leader showed off a stockpile of weapons. He warned that baga was just, the tip of the iceberg. Ifill theres been another palestinian attack on israelis in tel aviv. A man stabbed 11 people on and near a bus during morning rush hour. Soon after, ambulances and medical workers rushed to the scene. The attacker was a 23yearold man from the west bank. Police shot him, then took him into custody. Woodruff and fighting escalated today in eastern ukraine, as the government charged russia has sent more tanks and troops across the border. Associated press video showed an armored convoy of prorussian forces near luhansk. Ukrainian officials in kiev said in fact the russians are supplying the fighters and weapons. The allegations came as fourway peace talks were set to resume, in germany. Ifill back in this Country House republicans pushed through a bill to set one year limits on approving natural gas pipelines. Democrats said there is no need to short circuit the established process. The bill goes now to the senate, president obama has threatened a veto. Woodruff wall street, managed small gains on hopes that the European Union central bank will announce new stimulus measures tomorrow. The dow jons industrial average gained 39 points to close at 17,554; the nasdaq rose 12 points to close at 4,667; and the s p 500 added nine to finish at 2,032. Ifill still to come on the newshour how the state of the union plays on main street. Historic talks with cuba. The Supreme Court weighs fair housing laws. Can expressions of faith discriminate . An update on the fight to contain ebola. And, did the new England Patriots cheat by using under inflated footballs . Woodruff a day after the president s state of the Union Address, both republicans and democrats predict most of his proposals wont go very far. The gridlock in washington has left the heavy lifting of government to more local levels the cities and towns across the country. We wanted to find out what local leaders think about the issues raised last night what the economy and infrastructure look like to those managing it. For perspective on that, we are joined by two mayors. They are democrat Stephen Benjamin is the mayor of columbia, South Carolina. Hes had the job since 2010. And Richard Berry is mayor of albuquerque, new mexico. He has been at his citys helm since 2009 and was the citys first republican mayor in three decades. We welcome you both to the program. Good evening. Glad to be here. Woodruff mayor berry, lets start first with a question about the president s speech last night. What did you hear that you could support and what did you hear that you couldnt support . As a republican leader that takes pride in being able to work with the white house, there are things i heard that are exciting to me because were working on those in our city. Womens pay equity is important nationally. Were the first city in the country to put forward an incentive for our local companies to make that a priority. From the standpoint of taxing the Capital Gains, can support a middle class tax cut, but as a Small Business person myself with my wife and i having worked hard for 20 years to build a business, i think hes off with the Capital Gains tax because it will hurt those trying to create jobs in our country. Woodruff though the purpose would be to put money in the pockets of the middle class. Right, but you can do that in many ways. Were heading toward aim goals but maybe just different no, sir phis on how to get here. Woodruff mayor benjamin, what did you like and what gave you pause . We heard a great deal to support. Pay equity obviously making childcare more affordable making access to higher education, Community College being potentially free, a focus on apprenticeships and getting more people into the workforce and starting earlier directing children towards real opportunities in the 21st 21st century economy. All of those were very appealing. What i wanted to hear more well certainly wait for the president s budget is to hear more talk about infrastructure and the way in which we finance infrastructure. As you know, over 90 of americas Gross Domestic Product is created in cities and metropolitan economies, and our ability to invest in infrastructure, water, sewer or roads using the tax exempt Municipal Bonds is essential to americas prosperity and our ability to compete globally. So we want the make sure that our message, that we protect that 100yearold Tax Exemption on Municipal Bonds. Local governments dont tax debt and were asking municipal government not the tax debt. Woodruff what about in albuquerque, mayor berry, how much is that an issue . The infrastructure is a big issue. We have a great example in our community how we understand we cant do it ourselves and just rely on dollars coming from washington for a major Infrastructure Project where people in my state teams with the federal government to get things done. We need to do more of that. Yesterday our governor outlined an infrastructure proposal for the state. We have an aging infrastructure in new mexico and the country and we need to do more. I agree, we need to protect the taxfree Municipal Bonds the cities can put out and do more in our country to rebuild the infrastructure. Woodruff is federal help on infrastructure going to be important . Its important but we have to have a target thats set and the problem in the last couple of years is continuing resolutions not having things solidified in washington. We have uncertainty and it wants difficult to finance the projects we need to do. This is where i think mayors have important lessons for washington in scwen, for our friends in congress and the president and others, lets Work Together and make take some of the bipartisanningship out of some of the discussions and get some of that common sense from main street going up here. Woodruff what about that . Couldnt agree with richard more. The reality is that theres no republican way to pick up the trash or democratic way to pick up the trash its got to be picked up, and americas cities we have to get it done. Columbia, South Carolina is experiencing some signature Economic Growth now. 1 billion invested downtown in the past four years. Unemployment rates been cut by 40 over the last four years, columbia is on fire and i dont mean it in the general sherman sense. Next year we commemorate 150 years since the burning of columbia. Its risen like a phoenix from ashes and its because we dont allow partisan gridlock to shut us down. We have to get things done and work across the aisles on a regular basis to get things done. Woodruff i know you mayor benjamin. You put emphasis on job training. We know the employment story has picked up in columbia. Is there federal asens thats helped you that you are looking for or that you dont need . We work well with the administration on the transportation piece you mentioned earlier. We received an 11 million infrastructure grant, tiger grant thats helped us thats going to help us complete a 40 million project to redevelop our city. There are really exciting apprenticeship opportunities that secretary perez at the department of labor a 100 million grant opportunity hes sharing with mayors all around the country. Really, you know, a Fouryear College is not for every young person. I know there are some young people who have a certificate from a Community College in a particular discipline and theyll make more than someone graduating from some of our universities with a fouryear degree. Creating opportunities for everyone regardless of strikes they may have against them giving them a chance to create in Economic Prosperity of our country is the goal. Woodruff to albuquerque i look at youre looking at job training to expand. Were overly relying on federal Government Spending to diversify our economy. Some of the gridlock thats happened in washington is hurting our cities so were trying to bring nawrpship entrepreneurship to the forefront. To help people be more economically mobile, this is what leaders are working on the set the basis for the 21 century economy to give people the skills to success seat rather than just another program. Woodruff does it matter whether democrats or republicans cooperate in washington. Its vital. Once again, this is where mayors have an important lesson for washington. Were getting it done in our cities. Mayor benjamin and i Work Together. Democratic majors have to balance budget. Republican mayors are working on homeless initiatives. We are not allowing ourselves to be pigeon holed and i think is needed in the country. Do you say that . Absolutely, working across the aisle is essential. There are no quick fixes. These are complex issues. Some took years to create, will take years to fix. Longterm solutions are key. We have been able to in our city and are required by law to balance our budgets. I know mayor beer berry is as well. Weve balance owrd budget in eight years with a tax increase. That comes with planning. Being able to do that along with