Ifill all that and more on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by lincoln financial youre in charge. Years. Moving our economy for 160 bnsf, the engine that connects us. 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 this programade possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Ifill president obama today insisted he will send a resistant senate a Supreme Court nominee. Senate Republican Leaders are insisting theyll hold no hearings or vote and will, instead, wait until a new president takes office next year. But in a Oval Office Meeting with the king of jordan, the president said hes going to his job, and senators should do theirs. I recognize the politics are hard for them, because the easier thing to do is to give in to the most extreme voices within their party and stand pat and do nothing. But thats not our job. Our job is to fulfill our constitutional duties. Ifill meanwhile, it was widely reported the white house is vetting republican governor Brian Sandoval of nevada as a possible nominee. He confirmed hes discussed it with the states two senators minority leader harry reid and republican dean heller. Well delve into all of the court fight, later in the program. The senate did confirm a new commissioner of the food and Drug Administration today. Robert califf has been the agencys number two official. Before that, he was a wellknown cardiologist and medical researcher at duke university. Also today, the president nominated carla hayden to be the 14th librarian of congress. Shes currently head of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in baltimore, and would be the first woman, and african american, to serve in the post. House republicans now say theyre gearing for a legal fight if president obama tries to close the Guantanamo Detention Center and transfer prisoners to u. S. Soil. Speaker paul ryan today warned the president not to use executive action to bypass a congressional ban against moving inmates. We are making legal preparations, if the president tries to break the law. And what boggles my mind is that the president is contemplating directing the military to knowingly break the law. Our law is really clear. And by the way, democrats wrote this law when they were in the majority, when they ran congress, which is these detainees cannot come to american soil. Ifill Top Senate Republicans said they would join in any legal challenge. Austria and balkan nations agreed in vienna today to tighten border controls against migrants. Government ministers met amid rising security concerns and shrinking resources. Greece complained it was not invited, but the austrians said athens has done nothing to stop the flow. Meanwhile, an estimated 20,000 people are stranded in greece, after countries to the north began barring migrants. U. N. Workers handed out blankets and other aid. Russia has ramped up diplomatic efforts to sell a ceasefire in syria. President Vladimir Putin made phone calls today to syrian president bashar alassad, plus the king of saudi arabia, the president of iran and the Prime Minister of israel. And, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met with former u. S. Senator sam nunn, chiding those whove questioned the cease fire. translated on the very day when the president s of russia and the United States approved the joint initiative on the ceasefire in syria, voices could be heard both from the capitals of the u. S. Allies and from washington, which doubted the feasibility of this agreement. There is a call for war, and not for peace, in these voices. Ifill secretary of state john kerry said again today he cannot vouch that the truce will work. He and lavrov also spoke by phone. Severe weather threatened nearly 90 Million People along the u. S. East coast today. The powerful system killed three people in virginia after killing three others in the gulf state overnight. Officials say at least seven tornadoes struck louisiana and mississippi, and left thousands without power. Drone video captured the destruction in pensacola, florida, where more than 70 homes were damaged. Meanwhile, a major snowstorm blasted parts of the midwest today, canceling more than 1,000 flights to and from chicago. Stanford university has announced the Worlds Largest fullyendowed scholarship program. Nike cofounder phil knight is donating 400 million to an endowment thats expected to reach 750 million. It will fund 100 full scholarships each year for masters and doctorate degrees. Candidates will be nominated by their undergrad universities. Wall street managed to stave off another day of losses. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 53 points to close at 16,485. The nasdaq rose 39 points, and the s p 500 added eight. And, the big apple is no longer home to the most billionaires in the world. A chinese firm reports that in its latest yearly rankings, beijing is the new title holder, with 100 billionaires. New york has 95. The shift highlights how chinas elite are piling up vast wealth, even as the nations economy cools. Still to come on the newshour donald trump Gains Momentum ahead of supertuesday; a look at the showdown between the president and the republican congress; should the u. S. Rebuild its entire Nuclear Arsenal . And much more. Ifill and its off to the races, as the 2016 Campaign Turns into a scattershot chase among democrats and republicans, for votes across dozens of states. Political director Lisa Desjardins reports. Reporter donald trump is on a roll. After winning in nevada last night, hes is sprinting to super tuesday states, like virginia today. I think were really doing well. It looks like were in a great trend and we have tremendous support and we have amazing people in this country. Reporter out of the first four republican contests, trump has won three straight new hampshire, South Carolina, nevada. But now the map and the game is changing dramatically. No more onestateatatime campaigning; in the next three weeks, a blitz of states will vote. In fact, half of the states will go to the polls between now and march 15. Thats why trump tackled virginia today, and john kasich was in mississippi and louisiana, a day after finishing fifth in nevada. Meanwhile, marco rubio who placed second in nevada plus thirdplace ted cruz and fourth place ben carson, they were all in texas, the crown jewel of super tuesday, with 155 delegates. And for lone star senator cruz, its a mustwin home state today. And hes telling supporters the stakes in its vote next tuesday are high. This call from texas to the country, we have six days to say we will not give up on our country, we will not give up on our freedoms, we will not give up on our children. Reporter also, look whos sitting next to cruz Texas Governor greg abbott, who endorsed him today. Unlike far too many in washington, the ted cruz weve seen in the senate is the same ted cruz we elected. Reporter as republicans fan out, the democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is focusing on a theme in South Carolina black voters. Democrats there vote saturday. Today she shook hands with members of a social justice group, and then spoke of Racial Equity at a black sorority luncheon. Clinton is also using endorsements, like one today from Senate Democratic leader harry reid, to argue that she has momentum. I think the middle class would be better served with hillary. Reporter Bernie Sanders has a different strategy he started the day in South Carolina as well. But he told reporters in hes already looking past the palmetto state. Weve got to go on the states. Im leaving for oklahoma in a little while, where we think we have a shot to win. We think have a shot to win in massachusetts, colorado, minnesota. And in other states. Reporter from there, sanders flew to missouri, and oklahoma, and the bigger super tuesday map. And so it is for both sides, as february melts away into march, the 2016 race has shifted into a crosscountry scramble to stay alive. For the pbs newshour, im Lisa Desjardins. Ifill now we take a closer look at two key upcoming states, with andy shain of the state newspaper in columbia, South Carolina; and in houston, texas, abby livingston, the Washington Bureau chief for the texas tribune. Andy shain, what has been the pitch that the candidates have been making heading into this democratic primary in South Carolina . Both candidates are trying to win over the africanamerican vote. They make up the majority of democratic voters here in South Carolina. Its crucial if you are going to win in South Carolina. At this moment Hillary Clinton is doing a much better job. She has been winning over africanamericans as part of an effort that shes been doing for a number of years now as shes felt the ground work for her campaign. Also of course shes with a major factor in the 2008 primary where she did not beat barack obama here in South Carolina. But of course those are relationships that she was able to carry over. Senator sanders has been working very hard to try to win over africanamericans especially by visiting africanamerican churches, working with africanamerican lawmakers. It just hasnt maded inroads he was hoping. Ifill in fact today he had a press conference he didnt throw in the towel, but he sounded a little resigned to the possible outcome. He has. His pollster told our jamie south yesterday that he understands he doesnt want folks to look at the margins because it is going to be fairly big. Right now secretary clinton is leading by 28 points in the most recent polls. Its not looking good. Senator sanders was here for the News Conference today. And he said im not giving up on South Carolina and then he flew off to the midwest to obviously look at some supertuesday states where he is hoping to do better. Lets talk about supertuesday, abbey livingston. Texas is one of the jewels in the crown everyone is waiting to see which way it goes. In the republican primary, at least, it has a home state favorite son, as it were, in ted cruz who today got the governors endorsement. Not a big surprise but certainly a sign of things to come. Absolutely. Ted cruz is definitely a native son and a favorite among the base voters who will show up in a republican primary. He ran a brilliant 2012 senate campaign. He knows how to get the vote out. But the problem for ted cruz is he cant just narrowly win. And donald trump is coming in with a head win of momentum. An ted cruz really has to run up the delegate count to upset wins that donald trump might get elsewhere. So its were not quite sure, cruz will probably come out far ahead of trump but how much is the big question. Ifill so texas is a big state. I dont need to tell you. How does campaigning happen there especially hard on after these other back to back to back primaries. Are the people all over the state . Is it playing out differently than we would expect . Its been very quiet. Its almost as if texas was is in the back of everyones minds in these political campaigns. They were just trying to survive weektoweek. Suddenly the jugger naught of delegates delegates is upon these campaigns. What they seem to be doing is almost too late to Book Television ads, too late to send direct mail. Instead they are blowing into these cities. The republicans are in town with the houston debate. So they are doing local appearances here in houston and going into dallas which are the two largest cities and the two Largest Television markets. But beyond that its firely dorm ant. Lets talk about South Carolina and the delegates. Were talking about proportional all gaition of the delegates after the primary. Does that mean Bernie Sanders has a chance to walk away without his hands completely empty . Thats for sure. You know, you have a majority of the del galts in South Carolina that will go to the winner but will you have three delegates in each of ourselve enCongressional Districts up for grabs. If bernie is able to capture at least 125 15 of the vote in any of the Congressional Districts, hell be able to walk away with at least one delegate. So he wont come away emptyhanded but it doesnt look like he will come away with a large number of delegates here. Ifill and there is a treasure troaf of delegates in texas. Absolutely. There are 155 on the republican side. About 57 of those are awarded statewide so ted cruz, if he could break 50 , he might be able to walk away with those but that is unlikely. The rest are three for Congressional District so this is a big, big state. But it also is feeling smaller in recent days as donald trump has been winning in multiple states. Ifill lets talk about the donald trump effect especially in texas, coming in after this kind of momentum, we saw him in a nevada caucuses come out pretty strongly last night. Is that when people perk up and Pay Attention or is there a way that things work in texas that maybe none of these candidates have figured out yet . Texas just hasnt been that relevant in primary campaigns. Were usually too late and pretty bitter about it. This time texas is to the all to the allly relevant and its very much like a national campaign. There are 20 media markets, typically in the past when you win a campaign you get on a private plane and bolt from place to place. Here they are heading up the local markets in dallas, and houston and just trying to make their case. Donald trump has a big rally in Fort Worth Texas on friday, competing with marco rubio in dallas. Its all penned around this debate tomorrow night. And the rest are bolting on to the other states and trying to hit up the rest of the march 1s primary. As we saw in nevada, lots of conversation about the latino vote. How big a factor is that in the democratic primary, especially. Well, on the republican primaries t doesnt matter which primary in texas. Republicans say that the latino vote is consequently, that there are plenty of hispanics who are Business Owners and religiously conservative so there is an appeal am but boy on the democratic primary its powerful. Secretary clinton began her political ka year in 1972 registering south texas voters. So they are certainly coming back, they are reminding all of their old friends of these relationships. But i was down in south texas last week and i started to sense some tremors that the local college, some of the kids were starting to feel the bern and were loving Bernie Sanders. So its much like what we are seeing playout in South Carolina. You have these voting blocs that the clintons are trying to remind, hey, weve been there for you for decades. And the kids are just starting to revolt some. Ifill andy shain, are you probably getting ready for all these ads to go off the air but what are voters seeing and saying in their mail boxes, on their radio and on television . Well, for the most part its been on television. And what we are seeing mostly is Hillary Clinton ads at the moment. Between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, theyve spent about, as of last week, 1. 5 million here in the state. Thats about the same as what donald trump spent and he was way behind jeb bush and marco rubio and ted cruz. So they havent really saturated the market here. I think in part because of just the wide margin that secretary clinton has held. Ifill andy shain of the state newspaper in columbia. Abby livingston, have fun. Thank you for having me. Thank you. Ifill and be sure to tune in tomorrow night for joody woodru f preprimary report from South Carolina. Ifill be sure to tune in tomorrow night, for Judy Woodruffs preprimary report from South Carolina. Ifill separation of powers is at the heart of american democracy, but the level of division has ramped up after the death of Supreme Court justice antonin scalia, as republicans announced they would not hold confirmations in an election year. We explore this current political environment with two writers of new books from a lens on the left and the right. E. J. Dionne is a liberal columnist for the washington post, and the author of our divided political heart; and matt lewis is a senior contributor for the daily caller, and author of too dumb to fail. The power gentlemen, thank you both for joining us. Matt, lewis what is happening if anything to the Republican Party . I think with the rise of donald trump clearly you have a populist moment. I really do worry if donald trump wins the nomination he will redefine what it m