About becoming smart, strong and tough men. 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. And the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. 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. Woodruff the head of nato is calling for a Spearhead Force to deter any russian aggression in eastern europe. Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the plan today, in response to russias actions in ukraine. It calls for several thousand troops, ready to move on short notice. Alliance leaders will consider the plan on thursday. Well turn to the days events in ukraine, after the news summary. The United NationsHuman Rights Council today condemned the Islamic State group for what it called abuses on an unimaginable scale. The Council Approved an investigation of the militants actions in iraq, from mass killings to sexual abuse to forced conversion. This came after iraqs human rights minister appealed for help, saying, we are facing a terrorist monster. translated from here, i call upon countries all over the world to take a responsible stand in line with international conventions, norms and humanitarian principles and values, to take a clearcut and strong action against the Islamic State group. It is not an iraqi phenomenon, it is a terrorist organization that jeopardizes the security and peace of countries all over the world. Woodruff meanwhile, iraqs caretaker Prime MinisterNouri Almaliki visited the small town of amerli today. It was retaken by iraqi forces on sunday, after a twomonth siege by the Islamic State group. Maliki toured the streets and spoke with shiite turkmen townspeople. He branded the militants beasts and killers and pledged iraq will send them all to their deaths. The siege was broken with the help of u. S. Air strikes. In afghanistan, talks on a powersharing deal between rival president ial candidates have collapsed. Abdullah abdullahs camp said today that he and ashraf ghani failed to agree on the powers for a chief executive in a National Unity government. The deadlock raises the risk of chaos as u. S. And other combat troops are leaving. Heavy fighting erupted today in syrias golan heights, between the syrian army and militants linked to alqaeda. Government troops are trying to recapture a crossing point that the nusra front rebels captured last week. 44 u. N. Peacekeepers from fiji were abducted in the area last week. Their whereabouts remain unknown. In north korea, three american detainees were allowed to speak with u. S. And foreign news media today. They appealed for a highranking u. S. Representative to negotiate their release. Kenneth bae is a missionary, convicted of trying to bring down the state. Hes serving 15 years. Jeffrey fowle and Matthew Miller are due to face trial soon on similar charges. President obama vowed this labor day to keep pushing congress for a higher minimum wage. He wants to raise the federal minimum to 10. 10 an hour. Today, in milwaukee, he said persistence is the key to winning over congress, and he joked the same is true in affairs of the heart. There is no denying a simple truth america deserves a raise. And i think eventually, congress is gonna hear them. Well break those folks down, well just stay on them, well just keep at it. Thats how i got michelle to marry me, i just wore her down. Woodruff republicans have blocked a minimum wage increase, on the grounds it will hurt Small Business and job growth. Still to come on the newshour. Ukraine peace talks resume amid escalating tensions on the ground; the challenges facing parttime workers in america; violent street protests in islamabad threaten pakistans fragile democracy; how Summer School can get middle School Students thinking about College Early on; and, celebrating the sport of football and the way it reflects American Culture. Woodruff talks aimed at restoring peace in ukraine opened today, with ukraine, russia and ukrainian rebels taking part. The gathering in belarus played out against the backdrop of battlefield gains by the rebels. And as matt frei of independent Television News reports, the parties on the ground seem to be bracing for more conflict despite the new dialogue. Reporter the first day back at school in ukraine, always a big deal but especially here in the embattled east of the country where defiance is measured in the size of bows, and where the war on their doorstep is dismissed like an unruly classmate. Test we should keep the children of ukraine. We do not want to see it destroyed. We want to live in peace and we want to say to all, we want to you have a peaceful life. First day back at school here too, the sandhurst of ukraine. In recent years the army had been an afterthought. But these fresh faced recruits are likely to see action on the countrys new eastern front, in a war that at best is a civil conflict and at worst a regional one the assumption since the end of the cold war that conflict in europe was well Night Impossible has evaporated in heat of a ukrainian summer. President poroshenko today did not mince his words. Direct and open aggression has been launched against ukraine from a neighboring state. This has changed the situation to resolve the conflict in a radical way and raises newer questions for the security forces. We are thoroughly analyzing the events of the last week. Conclusion license serious. These are the pro russian rebels tooled up allegedly by russia for another attempt to take back donetsk airport in the military ping pong that has defined this limited but increasingly vicious war. The big question this week is whether russia itself is now getting more openly involved, something which moscow continues to deny but the rest of europe and america increasingly believe. The ukranians use this as evidence. On the horizon a ukrainian patrol boat and then an explosion. Was it Russian Artillery as kiev claims or an airstrike . We dont know, but this is what it looked like up close and personal. The naval vessel ablaze, seven crew members injured, two missing. The ghosts of european history are knocking on the door in what looks at times like a grim re enactment of the grimmest past. Here ukrainian prisoners of war were paraded in front of pro russian civilians, exposed to anti ukrainian anger. There are thought to be 700 prisoners of war now and treatment like this is against the geneva convention. We dont know the number on the other side but we do know that the civilian population in the pro russian areas is increasingly becoming prisoner to ukrainian artillery. The cellars of donetzk have become bomb shelters. A year ago such scenes would have been dismissed as outlandish fantasy now they are become the new normal. Woodruff at the meeting in minsk today, the rebels softened their demand for outright independence. Instead, they offered to respect ukraines sovereignty in exchange for a measure of autonomy. For more on todays developments, i talked a short while ago with fred weir of the Christian Science monitor in moscow. Fred weir, thank you very much for talking with us. Before i ask you about the diplomacy, give us an update on the situation on the ground. Does one side or another now have clearly have the upper hand . Well, yes, it has shifted back and forth over the past several months. But it appears that Ukrainian Armed forces overextended themselves. They surrounded the two rebel capitals. And the rebels did give up a lot of territory. Turns out they were kind of enticing the ukrainians into a trap. And they appear to have encircled several concentrations of ukrainian forces. They apparently have taken 700 prisoners just in the last few days. So at the moment in that area, that is the eastern provinces of donetsk, the rebels clearly have its up are hand there on the offensive. And kiev forces are retreating. It doesnt mean that theyre go og to march on kiev any time soon but they certainly seem to have reversed their fortunes and they may now be in a very, very strong position to bargain for some kind of autonomy or even independence. Woodruff and thats what i wanted to ask you about. Because it appears that they have changed their position somewhat. Instead of asking for complete independence, if looks as if theyre asking for something else. Whats your understanding of what the rebels are asking for in these talks going on in belarus . Well, its very likely that they are synchronizing their position with moscow. I think that its it is basically Vladimir Putin who is deciding what the end game is here. And he does not want to invade ukraine or an exin Eastern Ukraine in or anything like that. And so the rebels now in these semi official talks that are going on in belarus and minsk have dropped their demand for full independence and are saying that they would settle for some kind of sweeping autonomy which would give them control over the language they use, the right to elect their own leaders, to appoint their own Law Enforcement officials. And more crucially, to make their own economic arrangements. Which means that they would be able to continue dealing with russia across the border regardless moscows relations with kiev. As i say, theyre winning on the battlefield now. It does look like there won be any military solution which was plan a in kiev, to liberate this territory and restore kiev. Kiev, that doesnt look set to happen. So probably negotiations are the only way out. Woodruff and how does what theyre asking for, the rebels, square with what the government of ukraine is prepared to do . Well, you know, if we could separate ourselves from the passions we all feel about whats going on there, it isnt that hard, i think, to see that ukraine could accept moscows conditions. I dont mean that they would like to be dictated to by moscow but moscows conditions are basically, ukraine must be nonaligned. Never join nato. Two, russian language should have official status in ukraine, particularly in Eastern Ukraine. And third, there is this sweeping autonomy for the eastern provinces. Woodruff right. Those are not that hard to live with. It would be some kind of status like say finland had during the cold war, or something, which is what moscows i think sees as the end game. Woodruff so is the thinking that there could be an accommodation here . Well, if neither side can actually win on the battlefield, then what is the alternatives . They cant go on bleeding themselves the way they are. Ukraines economy is imploded. There has to be, this has to break somehow. And if ever there was an opening for diplomacy and for some kind of compromise to settle, i think that would probably be now. Fred weir with the Christian Science monitor reportsing in moscow. We thank you. Thank you. Woodruff now to a labor day story about the changing nature of the job market in this country. As workers seek more flexibility in their hours, and employers seek more control over labor costs, the number of part time jobs is soaring. Newshour economics correspondent paul solman looks at some of the consequences. Its all part of his ongoing reporting, making sense of financial news. Reporter nearly 11 00 on a saturday night, and 24yearold onieka okieffe is leaving the brooklyn apartment she shares with her mother, sister and one yearold niece for manhattan. Its an hourlong trip, between the walk to the subway station and then three train rides to midtown. But okieffe isnt going to a party or pub. Shes heading to work, to get her parttime schedule for the coming week, and she might be on the sunday midnight shift, which begins in an hour. Im not sure if im working, so im going to go there and see my schedule, and if i have to work at least im ready. Reporter okieffe works the graveyard shift in the stockroom at American Eagle in times square, earning 8 an hour, her choice, she says, so that this job wont interfere with her other parttime gig, a day shift in the stockroom at crocs shoes in herald square. Between the two parttime jobs, okieffe worked 60 hours the prior week. On august 6th, shed gone to the er with 104degree fever. With the lack of sleep and not enough time to take care of myself my immune system was compromised and i got sick. Everyone tells me that its not good for you to like overexert yourself to that degree, but like the moneys necessary, for rent, utilities and things like that. Reporter while more americans are now employed than before the downturn began, okieffe represents one of the most startling statistics of the postgreat recession period three million more parttime workers who report that they want fulltime jobs but cant find them. The total is up by more than 50 since 2007. Why the parttime explosion . Because so many wouldbe full timers are competing for the same jobs, and have to take what businesses offer. And, says m. I. T. Business professor zeynep ton. The dominant view in business is to see labor as a cost to be minimized and pay employees as little as possible. Reporter so Companies Hire parttime, and use the latest Computer Technology to get maximum efficiency from every parttimer, with Scheduling Software that programs workers as interchangeable parts. Sometimes there are lots of customers, sometimes there are a few customers. And they can measure this in as short as 15 minute increments now with technology. So their view is why dont we match the number of people that we have as closely as possible to customer traffic . That way, when customers are there we can serve them better and when theyre not there we dont have anybody idle, standing around doing nothing. Makes sense. Makes sense. However, when the mindset is to see labor as cost to be minimized, retailers and lots of other Companies Find themselves in a vicious cycle. And this vicious cycle is downright brutal for employees. These are from repetitive strain injuries. Reporter starbucks barista Liberty Locke is in hand splints, the result, she says, of trying to supplement her 20 scheduled hours the prior week with enough additional shifts to get by. You never can find it spread out as a regular person would work you know . Its, you end up just having to take what you can. So i did a 12hour shift one day and 11 hours the next day and by the end both arms were just so cramped up i could barely close my hands. Reporter locke, whos been at starbucks eight years, says shes seen the advent of optimal scheduling. When i was hired, managers would be fired if they werent putting out schedules three weeks in advance, but now its every week and i believe its the new automatic system only allows them to do a week in advance, but were required to give six months in advance of availability of when were available to work. Reporter moreover, she says, baristas wanting to work at least 32 hours a week have to make themselves available 70 of the hours the store is open. This store is only closed three hours out of the day. So it makes you have to be available for over a hundred hours in the hopes of getting 32. So it makes it extremely impossible to go to school, impossible to work a second job. Reporter starbucks scheduling practices, and the havoc they can wreak on workers, were highlighted in a recent New York Times article about san diego barista jannette navarro, a single mother whose life was falling apart largely because of her erratic work schedule. Almost immediately, starbucks president Cliff Burrows announced a change of policy we will work quickly to update to our Scheduling Software to give store managers greater ability to provide stability and consistency in schedules weektoweek for our partners. Reporter but starbucks is far from the only Company Using so called just in time Scheduling Software. And some retailers go a step further, says Union Representative janna pea, with on call scheduling. You have to be available to work, but if they call you and say, we dont need you, you dont get paid, making yourself available for what you thought would have been a shift of money. That is the kicker and that is whats most unfortunate. Oncall along with justintime scheduling because the workers literally need to be available at the snap of the retailer. Reporter melody pabon became fed up enough to quit. A cashier at zara in midtown manhattan, she asked not to work weekends, when it was hardest to find affordable child care. So instead, she was often assigned to close on weeknights, putting her back home in brooklyn past midnight. Sometimes she didnt see her fouryearold mason for days. My son is well mannered for his age, but working those hours i started to notice, the whining and the crying and temper tantrums here and there which thats something he rarely did. So i was like, you know what . This is actually taking a toll on him as well. Reporter when she asked for further accommodation, she says her hours started to dwindle. So when the store closed for renovation last month and pabon was given the choice of a transfer or a layoff, she opted for the latter, and the relative security of a regular unemployment check. Am i gonna be playing juggling with my money, and work two days a week, three days a week, four days a week not knowing . Especially if its only maybe a few days in advance and i have rent to pay. I cant do that. Reporter the problem, says business professor ton, is that in squeezing employees, companies are shooting themselves in the foot. When you see labor as just a cost to be