Complexity of an object, and you can get them to read it in many ways, through encountering facsimile. Woodruff all that and more, 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. The ford foundation. Working with visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff theres word tonight that north korea has testfired another ballistic missile. South koreas military says it happened early saturday, local time. A u. S. Government source told reuters that initial indications suggest the test was a failure. We will return to the north korea story, after the news summary. In the days other news, congress has gone home for the weekend, and the federal government will go on running for another week. The house and senate today approved a shortterm funding bill to prevent a shutdown at midnight. The voting took place after leaders on both sides lamented the need for the stopgap measure. The continuing resolution is never anyones first choice for funding the government. However, this is our best path forward. This c. R. Is very short term, very limited scope and will help us complete our important work. We shouldnt be in this situation. We shouldnt have allowed partisan politics to once again turn a looming deadline into a political standoff with, really, a manufactured crisis. Woodruff next week, lawmakers aim to finish a package to fund the government through september 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. Two u. S. Army rangers killed in afghanistan this week may have been victims of friendly fire. They were taking part in a raid on Islamic State forces in an eastern province. The pentagon said today it is unclear whether they were fired on by afghan commandos, or other american troops. The National Security agency has announced a major shift in surveillance policy. It will no longer collect emails or Text Messages simply because they mention a foreign intelligence target. Instead, only those sent to or from a target will be collected. Privacy advocates had pushed for the change. President trump vowed today to defend gun rights, as he addressed the National Rifle association in atlanta. His appearance at the groups annual convention was the first by a sitting president since Ronald Reagan, 34 years ago. Mr. Trump painted a stark contrast between his priorities, and those of the obama administration. The eightyear assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end. You have a true friend and champion in the white house. No longer will federal agencies be coming after lawabiding gun owners. Woodruff the n. R. A. Is now pushing for federal legislation to make any states concealed carry permit valid anywhere in the country. On another issue, the president served notice to south korea today that he wants to re negotiate or terminate a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. In an interview with reuters, he called the fiveyearold deal horrible and unacceptable. Arkansas has wrapped up an accelerated execution schedule, with its fourth lethal injection this month. Kenneth williams was put to death last night for a 1999 murder. A witness said williams convulsed as he was administered the first drug, a sedative. The governor said involuntary motions are a widelyknown side effect. Former president george h. W. Bush is back home tonight, from a houston hospital. He was released after two weeks of treatment for pneumonia and then bronchitis. The 41st president is 92 years old. And on wall street, stocks edged lower after firstquarter growth in the u. S. Turned out to be the weakest in three years. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 40 points to close at 20,940. The nasdaq fell one point, and the s p 500 slipped four. For the week, all three indexes rose 1. 5 to 2 . Still to come on the newshour the secretary of state calls for a global crackdown on north korea. The pope visits egypt, reaching out to both christians and muslims. Laughter in the Supreme Court, and much more. Woodruff the news that north korea has carried out another missile test is sure to add to rising tensions with the u. S. Observers also say the country appears to be preparing to conduct a nuclear test. Meanwhile, for the past two months, the u. S. And South Koreans have been conducting another large scale military exercise. The United Nations took up the issue today. For too long the International Community has been reactive in addressing north korea. Those days must come to an end. Woodruff the warning from secretary of state Rex Tillerson came at the u. N. Security council. He said it is time for painful new sanctions to make north korea give up its nuclear and missile programs. Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences. Woodruff President Trump has pressed china to help rein in the north, tweeting just last week, if they want to solve the north korean problem, they will. And tillerson said yesterday that china may impose its own sanctions. Beijing would not confirm that today. Instead, foreign minister wang yi urged a return to multination peace talks. translated china is not a focal point of the problem on the peninsula. And the key to solving the Nuclear Issue there does not lie in the hands of china. Woodruff tillerson had said in an interview yesterday that the u. S. Would be open to direct talks with north korea, a shift in american policy. Today, he clarified the conditions necessary for that to take place north korea must understand north korea must take concrete steps to reduce the threat that its illegal weapons programs pose to the u. S. And its allies, before we can even consider talks. Woodruff earlier this week, President Trumps top advirs said the administrations first course is diplomacy. And, in a reuters interview the president said hed love to solve things diplomatically. But, he also said its very difficult, and added his own warning that there is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with north korea. Woodruff the u. S. Has already sent an Aircraft Carrier group to the Korean Peninsula as a show of force against the north and its leader. And, the pentagon said today that a u. S. Missile defense system, known as thaad, that it recently sent to south korea will be operational soon. China, in turn, said it still objects. translated i want to reiterate chinas Firm Opposition against u. S. Deployment of thaad antimissile system in the r. O. K. It is a move that seriously undermines the Strategic Security of china and other countries in the region, and woodruff President Trump also suggested in his interview that south korea should pay for the system an estimated 1 billion. South korean officials said today, the United States will bear the cost. For more on all of this, we get two views. John merrill had a 27year career at the state department, where from 20012014, he was the chief of the northeast Asia Division of the bureau of intelligence and research. Hes now a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins university. And, Balbina Hwang served in the state department during the george w. Bush administration, and is now a visiting professor at georgetown university. And we welcome 3w0e9 of you to the program. We were planning to have this discussion before we learned within the hour about this latest missile test. Why look out for us. What is the state of u. S. innovator korean relation right now . What track are we on. I dont think its nearly as tense as everybody is making it out to be. I understand why President Trump is saying there is a potential for major major conflict. We have to remember theres always been the potential since 1953 when the korean war essentially ended arm. Woodruff are we overplaying this, john merrill. There might be an element to that m meowing meowing, a possie threat to the North Koreans that there is a military option. So its brinkmanship on all sides. Woodruff is that a course to be pursuing. I understand why and i believe its partially brinkmanship and about centralling. What im worried about right now is not consequences with north korea, i think there will be trouble with south korea. We have to focus on this and really the solution has got to include and has to have the leadership and input of korean on the resolution of the north korean issue. Woodruff how is the relation with the south more of a worry. I think part of the brinkmanship is exactly as john said, it is indeed to try to essentially make the North Koreans understand that the u. S. Is very serious this time as we have been for 20 years. Its also to get china to listen. But china, and i think john, chinas reaction to the deemployment inside korea is indicative on this. So i think south korea is stuck in the middle. Woodruff given that with south korea stuck in the middle, john merrill, how do you see the u. S. In the news from here, from this point forward . Because the north isnt making provocative statement, the Trump Administration has been making provocative statements. I think people should try to cool the situation to the extent possible. Theres going to be a new government, and so i think think woodruff the election coming up. And a president will be installed immediately. I think its unseemly to rush a sad battery in the dead of night. And theres serious questions about whether the thing works. Certainly the new government would like to probably have a chance to review the system before it commits to it. What about that . Im far less concerned about, i dont think its surreptitious. What concerns me is on the one hand were trying to send the message to china and to north korea that were serious. On the other hand at the same time this is all happening and secretary tillerson and President Trump are emphasizing the strength of the alliance as the last defense against a major conneck with north korea. Unfortunately President Trump also announces that south korea should be responsible for paying up to 1 billion for it. I think thats what sends the mixed signals and thats what worries me. Woodruff let me turn to john mayoral what wjohn merrillm tillerson with npr. It appeared what he was saying is this administration is open to direct talks with north korea. But then he went on to say the north would have to have the right policy so to speak. Today he hardened that like he was saying there had to be preconditions in place. How important is that discussion about whether there will or wont be direct talks with the u. S. . I think if there are direct talks, its huge. Its a major development. Before this, weve always said were only going to talk to them in the context of the six parties talk process. If thats really by the board with a period for direct negotiation, thats great. I would like to really suggest woodruff why. For the reasons you mentioned. Woodruff because he said, he sounded more clear that he was open to direct. Yes, exactly. Woodruff to direct talks. What about this. I think this whole debate about engagement, not engagement, is it right or wrong do we need pre conditions or no pre conditions is a little bit of a red herring. I think whats actually critical is this. All of the u. S. President s have at some point understood that they will try to negotiate with north korea. First, negotiations take more than one party just as it takes two to tango, it takes two to negotiate. And north korea, very specifically denied every overture by president obama for eight years to enter any kind of talk, number one. Number two, the Six Party Talk is actually very critical. Thats christopher you know who led the talk. His point was it established that multilateral negotiations are the key, and that every regional player has to be involved and most importantly south korea. And i think now whats happening is, this idea of direct talk basically precludes the role of south korea. Woodruff so john merrill, are we talking about a solution here that could lead to the north eventually getting rid of their Nuclear Weapons which is what the administration said is their goal. That is going a very difficult hill to claim. For the moment, i think the most we can hope for is perhaps a freeze on testing, freeze on deployment of new systems. I would just remind balbina that 69 United States is responsible for this whole issue. At some time we had the 700 or so tactical Nuclear Weapons up along the dnz. So the chickens are coming home to roost now. Woodruff its certainly gotten all of our attention. Thats for sure. Woodruff i thank both of you comingth and well continue to report on it and youll continue to watch it. John merrill and balance be know wong. Thank you balbina wong. Thank you, judy. Woodruff it is the first papal trip to egypt since Pope John Paul ii in 2000. Pope francis visit to cairo today comes at a time when Egypts Christians are under attack, and the socalled Islamic State is emboldened. Hari sreenivasan has our story. Sreenivasan pope francis received a red carpet welcome, but security was on high alert across the egyptian capital. Still, he insisted on driving to the president ial palace in a simple, unarmored blue fiat. He is trying to prove to the world that egypt is still safe, no matter what terrorism is trying to do in our country. Sreenivasan just three weeks ago, 45 people died when the Islamic State bombed Christian Churches in two egyptian cities on palm sunday. And in december, an isis suicide bomber killed 25 people at cairos main coptic christian cathedral. In a video message before his arrival, francis called for unity and tolerance. translated i hope that this visit will be an embrace of consolation and of encouragement to all christians in the middle east. A message of fraternity and reconciliation to all children of abraham, particularly in the islamic world. Sreenivasan the pontiffs first stop was a meeting with egyptian president abdel fattah alsisi. The former general came to power after a 2013 coup that ousted Mohamed Morsi and banned the muslim brotherhood. Francis also took part in a peace conference to bring muslims and christians together. translated to counter effectively the barbarity of those who foment hatred and violence, we need to accompany young people, respond to the incendiary logic of evil by patiently working for the growth of goodness. Sreenivasan the day concluded with a meeting with the leader of egypts Coptic Christians. For more on what these leaders hope to achieve together, im joined by tarek masood, a professor at Harvards Kennedy school of government. Now, mr. Masood, lets start with the violence. Is this something new or something the christians had to deal with forever. Hi, hu hari. I think its the latter thats really played Christian Community in e just a minute for a very long time under mubarak, 9 president overthrown in 2011 and when the military took over in 2011, there was violence against the christians, when the brotherhood was in charge, there was violence against christians and that violence against christians in egypt continue today under assissi. Whats the understandinassis. Sreenivasan whats is understanding of christians in society or does it matter. It matters a great deep. Most egyptian c christians are called Coptic Christians and the word cop has the rule as much as egypt. Cop is the worlds old else church and. Coptic are indigits to e jips. Im a muslim but im clearly descended from people who convert from christianity around the 11th century. So christians are really an inextrickable part of the fabric of egyptian life. Particularly since the 1970s, society has become increasingly islamized that christians have been seen as the other and there have been a lot of attempts to delegitimize them, discriminate against them and now were seeing acts of violence against them. Sreenivasan whats the strategic violence for them to kerrcarry out the marion. The fact we dont know how much of the population there are is in itself a problem. What isis wants to do by attacking christian and Christian Churches are due things. First they want to delegitimize the egyptian reseem. The king came to power promising stability so these kinds of spec tack ter acts of violence underscore his ability to provide that stability. The other thing they want to do is payment the government as some paint the government as antiislammic, they attack christians and the government as it should does thing to defend the Christian Community such as putting armed guards around the churches or the president making estimate there should be no discrimination against cops and no violence against cause. It makes it possible for islamic radicals to point to the government and say look at these guys theyre on the side of christians, they care more about christians than they do about the average muz loom egyptian. Sreenivasan part of a larger strategy for isis in the region. It may be. Clearly everywhere that isis operates they try to polarize so