GEOFF BENNETT: Good evening.

I'm# Geoff Bennett.

Amna Nawaz is away.

On the "NewsHour" tonight: The House of# Representatives returns to Washington to## take up a bill aimed at ending the# longest ever government shutdown.

President Trump faces fresh questions# about his friendship with the late sex## offender Jeffrey Epstein, as newly released# e-mails mention the president multiple times.

And children from Gaza who suffered debilitating## wounds of war receive treatment# and a new life in the U.S.

DR.

ZEENA SALMAN, HEAL Palestine: We# can't give them back everything that## they have lost, but we can start# to put those pieces back together.

(BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

The House of Representatives has returned to# Washington for the fir.. months, set to vote to end the nation's longest# ever government shutdown.

This is a live look at## the House floor as they debate the shutdown# deal ahead of votes expected later tonight.

Our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins,# is back from Capitol Hill and joins us now.

It's always good to see you.

So, Lisa, the big question, does.. LISA DESJARDINS: Most Democrats# will be no, but House Republicans## say they do have the votes.

Here's how# Speaker Johnson put it earlier today: REP.

MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I just want to# say that we're very optimistic about the## vote tally tonight.

We think this is going# to happen, and we're sorry that it took## this long.

So Republicans are going to deliver# for the people.

We're ready to get back to our## legislative agenda.

We have a very aggressive# calendar for the remainder of this year.

LISA DESJARDINS: Helping him is Johnson# has committed to allow a vote later on## to take out an unpopular provision in# this deal.

That's that provision that## allows senators who were not notified, but# investigators accessed their phone data,## allowing those senators to sue for up to $500,000.

That is very unpopular in the House, and# Speaker Johnson is going to allow a vote## to take that out later.

But -- so that kind# of quelled some dissent on that end.

But,## otherwise, it does look like, for# now, this is on a glide path to track,## to be signed by the president tonight, and# then government would open fully tomorrow.

GEOFF BENNETT: Democrats, as you well# know, made this about health care,## this spike in the Affordable Care Act# subsidies.

We know that many Americans## are about to see their premiums increase.# What are Republicans saying about that?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

Our congressional producer Kyle Midura#has been talking to people with me today about this.

I want to talk about the# landscape in general.

The House is## really the heavy lift here when it comes# to dealing with health care problems.

Now, we spoke with some key members today.

There# are many who don't just want these extended,## but instead want broader reform# in the system.

One of those,## for example, is South Dakota's Dusty Johnson.

REP.

DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): Well, the Democrats# have been asking for the subsidies to be extended## as they're in law today.

That's not going to# work.

It doesn't make any sense when we're $38## trillion in debt to borrow more money from# the Chinese so we can help out Americans## who are making $500,000 to $600,000 a year.# I think they can afford their own insurance.

Now, if this comes down to, all right, how do# we target some relief to working-class families,## I think there's a far higher likelihood# there of some bipartisan agreement.

LISA DESJARDINS: That was pretty# clear by congressional language,## but let me translate a little bit.

We're hearing about he's worried about income,# wants to lower the.. benefits.

And also what he's saying there# is he doesn't like these subsidies.

He wants## something else altogether.

There are some# moderate Republicans in the House who want## to continue the subsidies in some form.# One of those is California's Kevin Kiley.

REP.

KEVIN KILEY (R-CA): I don't have any clear# lines in the sand.

I mean, we chose two years in## our extension, which I think makes a lot of sense.# But there's going to need to be a compromise.## And I think that's going to need to include# the length of the extension, as well as the## reforms like preventing fraud, like placing some# cost controls in place in terms of eligibility.

LISA DESJARDINS: He's someone who's an example of# a Republican who sees urgency now, who wants to## get talks going right now.

Other Republicans# in the House, I don't think are as likely.

There's a political issue in the House.

This is# one reason Johnson was happy to not have this## vote, because there are some House Republicans# who just want to eliminate the Affordable Care## Act altogether.

So what's happening here is# that, while Senate Democrats may want to get## something done by December, talking to these# Republicans and another one, Stephanie Bice,## who's in leadership, it's hard to see that# happening in the House by that timeline.

GEOFF BENNETT: So after this vote,## Lisa, what's next for Congress?

Is# this it for the .. LISA DESJARDINS: Well, you and I are waiting# along with members to find out what happens## in the House.

You heard the speaker say# it's going to be some long weeks ahead.## There is talk of maybe another budget# bill.

We're waiting for that schedule,## but I think the next month supposedly is# going to be busy.

We will hold them to it.

GEOFF BENNETT: And maybe something on# the Affordable Care Act.

We will see.

LISA DESJARDINS: Talk about the Affordable# Care Act.

We will see what happens.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins,# our thanks to you, as always.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.

GEOFF BENNETT:## And we start today's other# headlines in the Middle East.

President Trump is urging Israel to pardon Prime# Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption## trial, which began more than five years ago and# has divided that nation.

In a letter to Israeli## President Isaac Herzog, Mr.

Trump characterized# the case as political unjustified prosecution.

The president made a similar plea during# a speech at the Knesset last month.## Netanyahu faces unprecedented charges of bribery,# fraud and breach of trust, which he denies.

Separately, President Herzog issued a rare# condemnation of violence in the West Bank today,## after masked Jewish settlers# hurled stones at car windows## and set trucks on fire.

Some locals# called for an end to such violence.

MAHMOUD EDEIS, West Bank Resident# (through translator): What happened## here shows terrorism.. This can't happen.

It just can't.

As# a person, I have the right to live in## safety.

It can't be that we keep living our# whole lives in a state of fear and danger.

GEOFF BENNETT: The Israeli military says# four Palestinians were injured in the attack,## part of a growing wave of settler# violence in the occupied territory.

Back in this country, a former aide to# California's Governor Gavin Newsom has## been indicted on federal charges related to# an alleged scheme to steal campaign money## from former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.# Dana Williamson, seen here next to Newsom,## faces 23 charges, including bank fraud,# wire fraud and making false statements.

The U.S.

attorney's office says that Williamson# conspired with others to divert approximately## $225,000 in funds from a dormant political# campaign to an associate's personal use.## Williamson was Newsom's chief of staff# until late 2024.

For his part, Becerra is## not implicated in the indictment.

If convicted,# Williamson could face up to 20 years in prison.

The president of the Federal Reserve# Bank of Atlanta is retiring in February,## opening up a seat on the committee that sets# the nation's interest rates.

Raphael Bostic's## departure comes as President Trump is trying to# exert more control over the Central Bank.

Bostic## has served since 2017.

His replacement won't be# selected by the Trump administration directly,## but rather by the Atlanta Fed.

However, the Fed's# board in Washington, D.C., can veto that pick.

The U.S.

Mint in Philadelphia pressed its last# penny today.

President Trump ordered the Mint to## stop producing the 1 cent coin earlier this year.# It costs about 4 cents to create a single penny,## and the Treasury Department says it will# save about $56 million by ceasing production.

And even though there are billions in circulation,## they are rarely used in modern-day# transactions.

Still, some banks## and retailers complain that the phase-out# was abrupt, leaving them short on change.

Large parts of the nation are starting to thaw# out after a record cold spell hit states in the## Southeast.

At one point, 18 million people# were under some form of freeze warning.

In## Southern Kentucky, drivers scraped ICE and snow# from their cars, while the first major snowfall## of the season swept through the Great Lakes and# into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Other parts of the country got treated to# clearer skies and dazzling colors from the## Northern Lights, like here in Iowa.

The solar# displays could be seen as far south as Kansas## and Texas and may be visible again tonight# in areas farther north, closer to Canada.

On the Wall Street today, stocks ended# mixed, as tech shares dragged down the## broader markets.

That Dow Jones industrial# average built on its recent gains, adding## more than 300 points.

The Nasdaq slipped about 60# points.

The S&P 500 ended the day virtually flat.

And in Australia, there was a record-setting# bagpipe bonanza on the streets of Melbourne today.## An ensemble of 374 bagpipers played AC/DC's "It's# a Long Way to the Top" in the city's Federation## Square.

The location is where the band filmed# their original video for the song back in 1976.## The Australian Book of Records certified# the performance as a new record, beating## the previous record.

Yes, there was a previous# record, which involved about 330 bagpipers.

Today's event came hours ahead of AC/DC's# first Australian show in a decade.

And pro football player Rob# Gronkowski is retiring again,## he says, for good this time to# fulfill a late friend's dying wish.

ROB GRONKOWSKI, Former NFL Player:# I'm a Patriot for life.

My career## started here.

It 100 percent needed to# end here.

There's no doubt about that.

GEOFF BENNETT: Gronk signed a one-day contract# with the New England Patriots so he can retire## with the franchise where he won three Super# Bowls and became one of the team's all-time## leading receivers.

The star tight end originally# retired in 2019, only to return to win another## Super Bowl with his longtime quarterback Tom# Brady and a new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gronk, who is 36 years old, is eligible# for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

Still to come on the "News Hour":# a former career immigration judge## weighs in on being fired without# warning by the Trump administration;## tensions rise in the Caribbean with the arrival# of a U.S.

aircraft carrier; and author David## Szalay discusses his Booker Prize-winning# novel about an immigrant's lost fortune.

Lawmakers in the U.S.

House of Representatives# reached a critical threshold in the push to## release information related to the federal# investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

At the same time, one committee has made# public a set of e-mails and documents## that raise new questions about President# Trump's ties to the late sex offender.

White House correspondent Liz Landers has been# reviewing those materials and has the story.

LIZ LANDERS: As the House returned# to Washington today, Democrats on the## House Oversight Committee released more# Epstein files that name President Trump.

In one e-mail from Epstein to his former# girlfriend and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine## Maxwell sent in 2011, Epstein wrote -- quote --# "I want you to realize that the dog that hasn't## barked is Trump," adding that an unnamed victim# -- quote -- "spent hours at my house with him."

Maxwell responded the same day -- quote# -- "I have been thinking about that."

The White House called the e-mails a hoax and# distraction.

Karoline Leavitt said today the## redacted name is Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein# survivor who died by suicide earlier this year,## but had previously said Trump# was not involved in her abuse.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, White House Press Secretary:# These e-mails prove absolutely nothing, other than## the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.# And what President Trump has always said is that## he was from Palm Beach and so was Jeffrey Epstein.# Jeffrey Epstein was a member at Mar-a-Lago until## President Trump kicked him out because Jeffrey# Epstein was a pedophile and he was a creep.

LIZ LANDERS: In another e-mail exchange# dated January 31, 2019, with journalist## and author Michael Wolff, Epstein writes --# quote -- "Trump said he asked me to resign,## never a member, ever.

Of course, he knew about# the girls, as he asked Ghislaine to stop."

President Trump has said that he and Epstein had# a falling out after Epstein -- quote -- "stole## young women" who worked for the spa at his# private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.

PBS## has reached out to attorneys for both Maxwell# and Wolff, and has not received a response.

In another exchange dated December 15, 2015,## the day of a Republican presidential# primary debate on CNN, Wolff allegedly## e-mailed Epstein that he'd heard the network# planned to ask Trump about their relationship.

Epstein asked -- quote -- "If we# were able to craft an answer for him,## what do you think it should be?"

Wolff offered in part that -- quote -- "If he# says he hasn't been on the p.. then that gives you a valuable P.R.

and# political currency.

You can hang him in## a way that potentially generates# a positive benefit for you, or,## if it really looks like he could win,# you could save him, generating a debt."

Trump was not asked about# Epstein during the debate,## according to a PBS News review# of transcripts and video.

REP.

ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): These e-mails clearly## show that there are still a# lot of unanswered questions.

LIZ LANDERS: Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia## is the ranking member on the# House Oversight Committee.

REP.

ROBERT GARCIA: These are# pretty serious allegations and## lead us all back to questions that should be# answered by the White House.

And most importantly,## the big question that I have and that we have# been talking to and talking with every single## day of many people as possible is, why won't# the White House just release all the files?

LIZ LANDERS: In response, Republicans on# the Oversight Committee accused Democrats## of cherry-picking documents to release# and posted their own trove of 20,000## Epstein-related documents later this morning.

Many# of them are not incriminating, but among them,## an e-mail from Epstein stating former President# Bill Clinton never visited his private island.

The e-mail exchanges come as new# information came to light earlier## this week from a whistle-blower# alleging that Maxwell is receiving## special treatment in the Texas prison# she was moved to earlier this year.

The whistle-blower claims that Maxwell's# meals have been customized by prison staff## and personally delivered to her cell,# an inmate who trains service dogs was## instructed to provide one to Maxwell so she# could play with a puppy, and that Maxwell## is preparing a commutation application# for the Trump administration to review,## a possibility the president# has left open in the past.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United# States: I will take a look at it.

I## will speak to the DOJ.

I wouldn't# consider it or not consider it.

I## don't know anything about it, so# -- but I will speak to the DOJ.

LIZ LANDERS: During his presidential campaign# last year, Mr.

Trump said he would release files## related to Epstein if he won a second term in# office, including an alleged list of Epstein's## high-profile clients, but has downplayed its# importance since returning to the White House.

DONALD TRUMP: It's all been a big hoax.# It's perpetrated by the Democrats.

Some## stupid Republicans and foolish# Republicans fall into the net.

LIZ LANDERS: A few members of the# Republican Party have broken with## Trump to seek the public release of# the Epstein documents.

Four House## Republicans have joined Democrats in signing# a petition that would force a vote on it.

REP.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA):# This is the most important fight we## can wage here in Congress.

It's fighting for# innocent people that never received justice.

ARICK FUDALI, Attorney For Epstein# Accusers: It's just still not enough.

LIZ LANDERS: Arick Fudali represents# several Epstein survivor.. the slow-roll release of documents# creates more questions than answers.

ARICK FUDALI: It's been so, so debilitating# and so revictimizing for these survivors,## that it's like -- it's just it's# three steps forward 100 steps back,## and it's just been -- it's# been like this for decades.

LIZ LANDERS: Today, with the House back# for the first time in more than 50 days,## Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva was## sworn in to fill a seat she won in a# special election back in September.

REP.

ADELITA GRIJALVA (D-AZ): That is why I will## sign the discharge.. (CHEERING) LIZ LANDERS: Providing the critical 218th signature needed to force a# vote to release the files.

Trump and members of his administration are# reportedly pressuring Republicans not to release## the files, the president writing on social media# -- quote -- "There should be no deflections to## Epstein or anything else," and members of the# administration also reportedly meeting with## some House Republicans directly to urge them# to retract their signatures on the petition.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Liz Landers.

GEOFF BENNETT: Gaza now has the highest# number of child amputees per capita in## the world, a stark reminder of the war's# horrific toll on the youngest victims.

Before the State Department paused new# medical visas for Palestinians back in August,## a group of children was able to leave Gaza# for lifesaving medical care here in the U.S.,## among them, four young survivors, children# and teens whose stories reveal not just loss,## but remarkable resilience and hope.

Amna Nawaz and producer Zeba# Warsi captured their stories.

A warning: Some images are disturbing.

AMNA NAWAZ: In here, 7-year-old Qamar can create# her own world.

Surrounded by Disney characters## drawing fishy fish, as she calls them, she forgets# for the moment what was lost in the real world,## where she's still learning to take small# steps in her new body and with 3-year-old## brother Omar working to piece together a new# life far from the war she left back home.

Two months into Israel's war in Gaza, an airstrike# destroyed her family home in Jabalia.

That was on## December 4 of 2023, Qamar's sixth birthday.# Her mother Huda helps her to find the words.

HUDA, Mother of Qamar: "This# was my worst birthday ever."

Of course it is.

We got bombed# seven times.

The whole area was## bombed.

It was crazy day.

It was# -- they call it the blood day.

Qamar's 14-year-old cousin, Moatasem (ph), was# killed that day.

Sister Tuleen (ph) suffered a## head injury and was blinded for days.# Huda today is haunted by the memory.

HUDA: After the five bomb, I heard Tuleen.# She was in the kitchen.

She was scared.

But## she's got injured in her head.

So there's# blood everywhere.

She can't see.

She's## just calling me.

So I had to put Qamar in a# corner, because Qamar, she had a leg injury.

AMNA NAWAZ: As Huda carried the smaller# children out, Qamar faced her worst fears.

QAMAR, Medical Evacuee From Gaza: Just me# and my cousin.

So I grabbed her hand and## we sit together.

And then I told her: "OK,# nobody can come.

So just me and you.

Really,## it's just me and you.

So we're# going to, like, die right now."

AMNA NAWAZ: She survived, but delayed# care at the overwhelmed hospital## meant Qamar's leg had to be amputated,# even as bombs fell around the facility.

QAMAR (through translator): I used to be afraid# earlier that, because there were a lot of bombs.

Then there's a lot of bombs.

(through translator): I got used to it.

AMNA NAWAZ: She's now getting# used to a new life in New Jersey,## where she arrived in March with her mother and# brother.

Her father and sister remain in Gaza.

STEVE SOSEBEE, HEAL Palestine: There's# literally thousands and thousands of## children in Gaza right now who need# medical care that cannot get inside## Gaza because the health system's# been decimated and destroyed.

AMNA NAWAZ: Steve Sosebee and his wife,# pediatric oncologist Dr.

Zeena Salman,## are co-founders of the organization HEAL# Palestine that's evacuated Qamar and more## than 60 children from Gaza to the U.S.

for# medical treatment in the last two years.

A former journalist, Steve says# he was moved to change paths.

STEVE SOSEBEE: It was an encounter with an# injured child back in 1990 who had had his## legs amputated, had lost a hand from a# bomb, and he was only 10 years old.

And## I got to know him and I felt kind of# an obligation as a human being first## and foremost to try to help him get# prosthetic limbs and become mobile.

This is a global responsibility to# heal these kids.

It's an individual## responsibility for myself and for Zeena.

DR.

ZEENA SALMAN, HEAL Palestine:# We call it a healing community,## where we have our families living# amongst each other.

We just love them## through this whole process so that# they can start to feel whole again.

As a mother, every night, I put my own kids to# bed, and I get a little teary-eyed most nights,## because I think how blessed they are to have a# full belly and a warm bed and a roof over their## heads.

And that to me is reason enough.

They have# lost so much.

We can't give them back everything## that they have lost, but we can start to# put those pieces back together with them.

AMNA NAWAZ: In another part of New Jersey,# we meet 19-year-old Sara and her family,## big sister Sikham (ph) and mother Lana (ph).# Family time is quieter now with just these three.## Back home in Gaza, as one of nine children,# then 17-year-old Sara's home was always full.

That video was minutes before bombs# fell outside their family home,## just moments before she held her little# brother Hamoud's (ph) hand at the window.

SARA, Medical Evacuee From Gaza: So# I rushed to the home because I know## Hamoud.

And I found him standing# there looking shaken.

So I said:## "Hamoud, you're so brave.

Nothing is# going to happen.

This is just a sound."

The moment I let go of his hand,# something extremely hot.

I had## my back forward.

I was overcome with fear# that I couldn't recognize where I was.

Oh,## hold on.

It was enough to catch the# sound of endless crying and screaming.

AMNA NAWAZ: The blast killed 8-year-old# Hamoud and 15-year-old Ahmed (ph) and left## Sara with third-degree burns# over 60 percent of her body.

How did you learn that your# brothers had been killed?

SARA: When I heard my sisters# screaming (INAUDIBLE) outside.## And I know there was no way he's still alive.

And Ahmed left without any goodbye and Hamoud# followed him without any goodbyes.

And when## Hamoud passed away, my sister Farah# (ph) tried to say: "No, no, no, no, no,## be happy for him.

There is an ambulance outside.# We got the permission to get him to the hospital."

I was like: "Farah, stop it.

I heard# Hamoud stop breathing.

I know it."

AMNA NAWAZ: You heard your# brothers stop breathing?

SARA: Yes, because smoke were pouring# out my mouth.

And Hamoud is choking.## He wasn't able to breathe.

He was like,# oh, like that.

So when he passed away,## I hear Hamoud stop breathing,# like completely silent.

AMNA NAWAZ: Blocked from leaving the# neighborhood by Israeli troops, Sara's## family fought for 14 days to keep her alive,# using supplies at home to fight off infection.

SARA: My skin was open, like# I have within everywhere,## and it was bleeding.

So just# imagine someone wiping with vinegar.

AMNA NAWAZ: Your father had to# wipe your body with vinegar?

SARA: Yes, there was... AMNA NAWAZ: To keep infection away.

SARA: And I was screaming, even though# they gav.. was expired.

And I was like: "Daddy, stop."

And he said: "I know.

I know I'm doing too much# for you, but I have to do it.

I can't lose you."

AMNA NAWAZ: When she was evacuated, Sara# couldn't move her legs, arms or neck.

Today,## she's undergone over 20 surgeries,# with at least a dozen more ahead.

SARA: When that happened, I just realized# my life is done.

My mom was like: "Sara,## stop.

Nothing is going to stop the life for you.## You have to keep going.

You have to# keep looking forward to the future."

And this is what I'm going to do right now.

AMNA NAWAZ: In Chicago, meanwhile, the HEAL# community is just trying to keep up with Adam,## a 4-year-old force of nature with a relentless,## insatiable curiosity and a sense of# stubbornness like any ordinary kid his age.

But Adam has already survived the extraordinary.

Superheroes.

In July of 2024, an explosion ripped through his# family tent in the Khan .. his entire family, mother, father,# brother and sister, all killed in an## instant.

Adam lost most of his right leg.

He# was evacuated with his grandmother, Aliya.

ALIYA YOUSEF ABU FOULEH, Grandmother of# Adam (through translator): At the beginning,## he would cry all day, asking f.. AMNA NAWAZ: Today, the two live with a# host family.

Aliya now helps Adam to walk,## as she once did with his father.

ALIYA YOUSEF ABU FOULEH (through# translator): I see my son Ahmed in## Adam.

It's as if he's the one in front of# me.

He looks just like him.

I pr.. get to live long enough to see him grow up# and become a man and then God can take me.

AMNA NAWAZ: Just a few miles away,# 15-year-old Khalil tries to keep Gaza close,## playing the music of his homeland and watching# scenes from the streets he once roamed.

KHALIL, Medical Evacuee From Gaza# (through translator): I had great## memories with my friends.. rent out a field and play soccer# together.

I really miss them all.

AMNA NAWAZ: In April of 2024,# Khalil walked down the street## to a barbershop to retrieve# a pair of forgotten glasses.

KHALIL (through translator): When I went# back to get my glasses, I was hit by a bomb.

AMNA NAWAZ: Khalil, do you remember anything about## what it felt like or what# happened after the bombing?

KHALIL (through translator): No, I# don't remember.

After the injury,## I was in a coma for a week, and that's it.

AMNA NAWAZ: He awoke to learn that he'd# lost both his legs.

He's now traded his## bike or a wheelchair and soccer for basketball# therapy.

He's now also adjusting to a new life,## with his mother Reem (ph) and# sister Lulu (ph) by his side.

He's a quick study too, eager to learn a new song.

Yes.

that was it.

He says he works hard in school.

He# wants to be an engineer.

We ask him why.

KHALIL (through translator): Because# I want to build Gaza back up again,## so it'll be better than it ever# was, even better than America.

AMNA NAWAZ: Sara too is looking to the future.

Do you think about going back?

SARA: In this case, no.

But# of course, like two years,## three years, when Gaza is going to go back# stronger, of course I'm going to go back.

AMNA NAWAZ: For Qamar, the# dream is to be a doctor.

QAMAR: Because there's some people like# me, so I want to do them a prosthetic,## so they can be two legs.

AMNA NAWAZ: And to return# to Gaza and to her sister.

QAMAR (through translator): I love when my sister# and I used to play.

When we go back to Gaza,## and there's no more Israeli military, we're# going to start everything over from scratch.

GEOFF BENNETT:## Dozens of immigration judges across the# country have been fired by the Trump## administration in recent months with# no explanation for their dismissals.

From coast to coast, nearly four dozen# judges have lost their positions as the## immigration court system faces a record backlog# of more than three million cases.

Many of those## dismissed had previously worked in immigrant# defense, prompting questions about whether## the firings are part of the administration's# broader hard-line approach to immigration.

We're joined now by one of those former judges,# Emmett Soper.

He served as a judge in Virginia.

Thank you for being with us.

EMMETT SOPER, Former Immigration# Judge: Thank you for havin.. GEOFF BENNETT: So let's start there.

You were# .. a career staffer, almost 20 years.# Do you believe your termination## was connected in any way to your# prior work defending immigrants?

EMMETT SOPER: I don't know# exactly why I was terminated.## I was terminated without any warning.

The letter I## received telling me that I was terminated# did not give any reasons for my termination.

So I'm a little bit in the dark as to why# I was terminated.

I had been a Department## of Justice employee for a long time, and# I had also been an immigration judge for## a long time.

They fired me without# any warning nor any explanation.

GEOFF BENNETT: What does the wave# of firings mean for the backlog of## cases and for those immigrants who# are waiting for their day in court?

EMMETT SOPER: Well, the wave of# unlawful firings of immigration## judges is already exacerbating the# backlog at the immigration courts.

As judge after judge after judge gets fired# unlawfully, their cases -- and each judge## typically handles hundreds or thousands of# cases -- have to be redistributed to the## judges who remain on the courts.

As each judge# gets fired, those cases are redistributed,## the backlog gets longer, people have# to wait longer for their hearings,## and after their hearings, they have# to wait longer for their decisions.

GEOFF BENNETT: The Trump administration, in# the meantime, is approving military judges to## work as temporary immigration judges.# What does that shift signal to you?

EMMETT SOPER: It's hard to know# because the military judges,## to my understanding, are just getting started.

We will have to see how it plays out.

I# have to assume that the military judges## who come into the immigration courts# are going to be people of integrity## who try their best to do the job of# being an immigration judge.

But it's## a very difficult job.

Immigration# law is very difficult to pick up.

It's complicated.

You don't learn# it overnight.

When I started as## an immigration judge, I was told it would# take roughly two to three years to become## really fully comfortable in being a judge in# immigration court.

And that proved accurate.

This is not something that these military judges,## regardless of how hard they try, are# going to be able to pick up overnight.

GEOFF BENNETT: Do you believe the# administration sees veteran judges## like yourself as an obstacle to# their mass deportation effort?

EMMETT SOPER: They may.

What I can say# is that I always tried very hard to treat## everybody fairly and to resolve cases as# I thought was appropriate under the law.

I tried my best to block out all of the noise# and all of the really political interference that## has been going on really since the start of this# administration.

I think, as a veteran judge,## you're probably in a better position to do that# than, for example, a judge who has just started.

So it's a little bit hard to know what# this administration thinks of veteran## judges.

And I was one.

But they may see us# as less controllable than some other judges,## and this might be an issue for them.# Overall, though, it's really hard to say,## because we really don't know for the most part# why we were fired because we weren't told.

GEOFF BENNETT: What's fundamentally# different about what's happening## now compared to previous administrations?

EMMETT SOPER: I think that previous# administrations, the immigration## courts have always had their flaws.

Nobody# would argue that it's a perfect system.

But the leadership of the immigration# courts in previous administrations,## I think, were people of integrity who saw# the immigration courts as neutral arbiters,## as neutral decision-makers, and tried# their best to insulate the immigration## courts from politics and the policies of# whichever administration was in charge.

I think that that is out the window now.

I think# the current administration of the immigration## courts does not fundamentally see the immigration# courts as neutral decision-makers.

I think that## they see the immigration courts as a tool for this# administration to advance its policy objectives.

GEOFF BENNETT: You have said that,# as shocking as your firing was,## you felt a bit of relief because# of what you had witnessed toward## the end of your tenure with ICE arrests# happening right outside your courtroom.

What did you see and what was it like?

EMMETT SOPER: Well, it was unprecedented# and it was disturbing, frankly.

ICE earlier this year at the court where ICE# served, which is in the Washington, D.C., area,## began on a regular basis arresting people# who were showing up for their preliminary## hearings in their case.

These are people who# typically did not have criminal records.

These## are people who were not doing anything wrong.# They were trying to follow the law by showing## up for their immigration court hearings,# like they had been told they had to do.

In many of these cases, ICE was waiting for# the hearing to be over.

Then, when they left## the courtroom, they were immediately arrested.# And this wasn't just people showing up on their## own.

In some cases, these were people who# came as part of a family.

In some cases,## following the hearing, ICE would arrest,# let's say, the father and the family in## front of the mother and the family and their# children, who had all come to court together.

So, in other words, ICE, in the# lobbies of the immigration courts,## in some cases, were splitting up families.# Regardless of how you feel about the law,## and regardless of how you feel about# immigration policy, I think that it is## just impossible to defend that sort of# policy on a moral or an ethical basis.

This was happening on a regular# basis during the last few weeks## that I was at the immigration court,# and I found it extremely disturbing.

GEOFF BENNETT: Emmett Soper, thank you again# for your time this evening.

We appreciate it.

EMMETT SOPER: Thank you very much.

GEOFF BENNETT:## The U.S.

military announced this week that the# USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has reached## Caribbean waters off South America's northern# coast, part of the Trump administration's## escalating pressure campaign on Venezuela and# its broader effort to combat drug trafficking.

In recent months the U.S.# has killed dozens of people## it describes as narco-terrorists off# the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia,## prompting an outcry across the region# from governments and human rights groups.

As Nick Schifrin reports, it's all part# of the administration's increasingly## aggressive approach to its relations# with many countries across Latin America.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The world's largest aircraft# carrier has arrived in the Caribbean with## its strike group of more than 4,000# sailors, dozens of combat aircraft,## warships, even submarines joining an# already large deployment of ships,## far more firepower than could ever be needed# to continue the administration's campaign## that's destroyed 19 fishing boats allegedly# carrying drugs and killing at least 75.

This new war on drugs also designed to# pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

NORAH O'DONNELL, CBS News Anchor:# On Venezuela in particular,## are Maduro's days as president numbered?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United# States: I would say yes.

I think so, yes.

NICK SCHIFRIN: This week, Venezuela's# military launched televised nationwide## military exercises vowing a -- quote# -- "armed struggle" against the U.S.

VLADIMIR PADRINO LOPEZ, Venezuelan Defense# Minister (through translator): We are lovers## of peace.

We deeply love peace, .. they will find us here a people determined# to defend this homeland to the death.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The administration's# stated goal is to prevent drugs from## transiting through Central America to# the United States.

For that, the U.S.

and## Colombian militaries and intelligence# services have long worked together.

But yesterday on X, Colombian President# Gustavo Petro wrote that Colombia## would -- quote -- "suspend the sending# of communications and other dealings with## U.S.

security agencies as Long as the missile# attacks on boats in the Caribbean persist."

And I'm now joined by Juanita Goebertus Estrada,# the Americas director of Human Rights Watch,## who is also a former member of Congress# and national security official in Colombia.

Thanks very much.

Welcome to the "News Hour."

As I just mentioned, Colombian# President Gustavo Petro says he## has cut off military and intelligence# sharing from the United States.

So## what's the significance of his saying# this, assuming that he follows through?

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA, Human Rights# Watch: This will have a very important,## significant impact on the capacity of Colombia# to combat different organized crime groups## that operate within the country and that I# have to say threaten civil society leaders,## human rights defenders, environmental defenders.

They recruit children constantly.

On# the other hand, it is true that the## different attacks on vessels in the# Caribbean and the Pacific are very## clearly human rights violations.

And# it's understandable from that point of## view that the Colombian government# would cease to share intelligence.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Well, let me ask you about that.

The administration's defenders say interdiction,## which has been historically the U.S.

approach# to these boats, has failed for decades.

And the## administration calls these traffickers -- quote --# "narco-terrorists," members of foreign terrorist## organizations who represent imminent threats# to Americans because they're delivering drugs.

What's your response to that?

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA: These are# very clearly extrajudicial.. These are organized crime groups, at best,# who need to be defeated in a court of law.## That's what a rule of law is meant to be, is# that you collect evidence, you prosecute people.

You don't go executing people just on# the assumption that they're criminals.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Let's switch to the Trump# administration's immigration policy.

Earlier this year, in March and April,# the U.S.

very publicly deported about## 250 Venezuelans to El Salvador, accusing# them of being members of Tren de Aragua, a## Venezuelan organized crime group.

They# arrived at night shackled and were## deposited into the notorious Center for# Terrorism Confinement Prison, or CECOT.

Today, you released a new report about what# happened next titled -- quote -- "You Have## Arrived in Hell."

What happened# when they arrived in CECOT?

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA: They were welcomed# by the guards that told them that they had## arrived in hell.

And they were day in and# day out beaten with batons, with kicks,## with their fists.

Some of them were convulsing# on the floor.

Some of them threw up blood.

Some of them even reported choking on# their own blood.

This was systematic## torture during the almost four# months that they spent there.

And## the U.S.

government knew very clearly# where they were sending these people.

NICK SCHIFRIN: We saw a visit earlier this# year from the Department of Homeland Security,## Kristi Noem, into CECOT.

Why do you say --# or why are you so certain that the U.S.,## one, knew this torture was happening, and, two,## had an obligation to know that, and therefore# not send these people to this prison?

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA:# There was significant reporting,## including by Human Rights Watch, but also# other organizations, showing that the## penitentiary criminal justice system in# El Salvador was constantly having these## kinds of torture patterns, hundreds# of people that have died in jail.

And then, most importantly, the U.S.

paid the# Salvadorian government $4.7 million to receive## these people.

So it was a very clear contract.# That implies and it's our conclusion that,## as a result of this, the U.S.

Trump# administration was complicit in## acts of torture and acts of enforced# disappearance of these Venezuelans.

NICK SCHIFRIN: I asked the White# House today about your accusations,## and this is the statement they sent me --# quote -- "President Trump is committed to## keeping his promises to the American people# by removing dangerous criminal and terrorist## illegal aliens who pose a threat to the American# public.

PBS should spend their time and energy## amplifying the stories of Angel parents whose# innocent American children have tragically## been murdered by vicious illegal aliens that# President Trump is removing from the country."

Were these people -- quote# -- "criminal and terrorist## illegal aliens," the Venezuelans# who were sent into this prison?

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA: They were not.

We checked criminal record.. We checked criminal records in Venezuela and# the different states throughout Latin America## that they crossed, and only 3 percent had been# convicted in the U.S.

for violent crimes.

It's## a paradox that the response of the White# House does not address the torture claims.

I assume they don't have anything to prove# that they were not involved in torture.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Juanita Goebertus# Estrada, thank you very much.

JUANITA GOEBERTUS ESTRADA:# Thank you for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT:## Two pictures for the Cleveland# Guardians were charged this week## with sharing inside information about# their own play with sports bettors,## information that enabled them and others# to profit off the very pitches they threw.

As Stephanie Sy reports, it's# just the latest in a series## of gambling scandals surrounding# the world of professional sports.

STEPHANIE SY: Geoff, charges against# the two baseball players come just## weeks after similar indictments rocked the# NBA, implicating current and former players.

Taken together, the scandals raise# questions about how the legal sports## betting industry is potentially impacting# the integrity of the sports we love.

To help break it down, we're joined# now by Jonathan Cohen.

He is the## author of "Losing Big: America's# Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling."

Jonathan Cohen, thank you so much for joining us.

Let's start with this most recent# indictment.

These two MLB players## allegedly rigged their pitches.

What# exactly are they accused of doing?

JONATHAN COHEN, Author: Right.

So, the new version of sports betting#unleashed these sort of new kinds of bets that you couldn't do before.

And# what Ortiz and Clase are specifically## alleged to have done is to tip off# gamblers and associates that they## were going to throw specific pitches to# be balls, outside of the strike zone.

And so you say, I -- you can bet a lot of# money -- and you can do this -- that on the## first pitch of the third inning will be a# ball.

And they would tell their associates,## their associates would gamble, and# their associates would win money## because they had inside information# as to how the pitchers would perform.

And that is different from other types# of betting, especially betting on sports.

STEPHANIE SY: So fans of America's# greatest pastime are concerned about## the integrity of the game at this point.

The## MLB has responded by announcing some# limitations on these bets on pitches.

What do you make of their response# and what difference it could make?

JONATHAN COHEN: To me, the response of Major# League Baseball to this scandal is the kind## of thing that should have been happening seven# years ago, which is the sports leagues, states,## and sports betting companies just unleashed# sports betting as quickly as possible,## as aggressively as possible, and the# most aggressive version that they could.

And, lo and behold, what they result is# unnecessary scandals like this one.

Maybe,## if the leagues had had a# little bit more foresight,## they wouldn't have ever offered the chance# to bet on the speed of a baseball pitch,## because who in their right mind is# gambling on the speed of a baseball pitch?

So, to me, I'm glad the MLB is doing# it, but it's sort of an unnecessary## crisis of their own making, because,# with a little bit more foresight,## a little bit less greed, they wouldn't# have had this problem in the first place.

STEPHANIE SY: Well, it seems Jonathan,# like people are betting on all of these## details.

Legalized sports gambling, as# you know, has grown tremendously since## the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 giving# states the discretion to legalize it.

Here's some statistics; 39 states plus the# District of Columbia now allow some form## of sports betting.

The industry posted a# record $13.7 billion revenue last year,## and Americans wagered more than $99 billion# in the first eight months of this year,## 19 percent more than the same period in 2024.

So those that are pro-gambling have pointed out,# Jonathan, that legalization makes it easier to## hold players accountable.

Can't it be argued that# these indictments prove the system is working?

JONATHAN COHEN: Technically, yes,# right, because we were able to detect,## or the sports leagues were able to detect these# malfeasances so relatively quickly and easily## because the players were gambling on a legal,# regulated sportsbook and sports betting market.

So, on the one hand, that is proof that the# system works.

But on the other hand, the only## reason that the sports -- that these players were# able to bet on the speed of the next pitch is## because of this technologically supercharged# version of sports betting that we now have.

So this feels like sort of the sports leagues# and their partners patting themselves on the## back for a problem -- for solving a problem# of their own making.

And so on the one hand,## we have had sports gambling-related# crises, like these -- scandals like## these going back to the Chicago Black# Sox of 1919 and many cases in between.

And so there is some amount of sports# betting that it seems baked in to behavior## among athletes.

But the question is,# is this new version making it easier,## making it more possible and making it# more likely, regardless of whether it's## easier now to catch the players who are# betting when they're not supposed to?

STEPHANIE SY: You have two# scandals, one at the NBA,## one at the MLB, just in the last couple# of weeks.

Is this an inflection point?

JONATHAN COHEN: I think the leagues should# hope that this is an inflection point,## by which I mean I think the leagues should# hope that this is as bad as it gets,## and that there isn't a bigger,# more prominent name, for example,## a really -- like a household name-type athlete# who gets embroiled in a scandal of their own.

And so I think this is an inflection point,# in that lots of people, lots of sports fans## especially, had been having concerns over the# integrity of the game related to gambling, but it## wasn't -- they didn't sort of have evidence really# that there was actual illegal behavior going on.

And this week really provided that evidence and# validated, I think, a lot of concerns that fans## have that the games are not on the level and# that there's a chance that they could be rigged.

So I hope it's -- again, I think the league# should hope that it's an inflection point,## because that means that they will# have turned a corner after this,## they will do the work, the necessary work# that should have happened seven years ago## to ensure that fans can bet on the games, but# also can trust their integrity 100 percent.

STEPHANIE SY: That is author# Jonathan Cohen joining us.

Thank you so much.

JONATHAN COHEN: Thanks.

Good luck.

GEOFF BENNETT:##The Booker Prize is one of the world's most#prestigious literary awards given annually to a single novel written in English# and published in the U.K.

or Ireland.

MAN: The winner of the 2025# Booker Prize is "Flesh."

(CHEERING) GEOFF BENNETT: Its winner receives# 50,000 British pounds, about $65,000,## and typically a big boost in book sales.

This year's winner announced at# a gala event in London Monday## night is Hungarian-British writer# David Szalay for his novel "Flesh."

Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown spoke## with him earlier today for our# arts and culture series, Canvas.

JEFFREY BROWN: All right, well, David Szalay,## congratulations.

You were on the short# list for this prize once before.

And I## saw the other night at the ceremony# that you said this time was better.

(LAUGHTER) JEFFREY BROWN: So you had fun?

DAVID SZALAY, Author, "Flesh": This time# was be.. of course, but also because I did -- I was# determined to actually enjoy the ceremony## whatever happened, because when I was# last involved in this in about 2016,## it was really a sort of horrendously stressful# experience, and I didn't want to repeat that.

So I made a great effort to stay calm this time# round, which did involve persuading myself that## I absolutely wasn't going to win.

So when# it did actually happen, I got quite a shock.

JEFFREY BROWN: So for those# who haven't read it yet,## tell us a little bit about the story# of Istvan that you wanted to give us.

DAVID SZALAY: I mean, it covers many# decades of the main character's life.## It starts when he's 15 years old in a kind# of housing estate in provincial Hungary, and## it then covers the next 40 or 50 years of his# life until he's in sort of late middle age.

But it does that in a series of# glimpses.

It's made of 10 chapters,## each of which provides a brief glimpse# of a few weeks or months of his life,## and the chapters are then separated by many years.

JEFFREY BROWN: We see him at war, in the# army.

We see him kind of lost at home.

We## see him years later ending up in London as# a security guard, all kinds of episodes.

DAVID SZALAY: Exactly.

It covers a huge# range of different environments, really,## from kind of relative poverty in rural# Hungary to great wealth in 21st century## London.

So it's a kind of -- it's a very# broad canvas in some respects, but, as I say,## it's quite intimate as well because it's made# of these brief glimpses of the character.

JEFFREY BROWN: It is a story about a person# living between worlds in a sense, and also## some way a novel about contemporary Europe, the# differences that you yourself have seen, right?

DAVID SZALAY: Sure, sure.

No, absolutely.

I mean, I grew up in England, but my# dad is Hungarian.

And as an ad.. I moved to Hungary and lived there# for some years.

So, yes, I mean,## this sort of movement around contemporary# Europe.

I mean, movement in terms of making## your life somewhere else, is something that,# yes, I have very immediate experience of.

But it's also a very major social# phenomenon generally.

I mean,## the total number of people involved is many,# many millions.

So I wanted to write a book## that had a great sort of realism in terms# of its portrayal of the world as it is.## And that realism is important to sort of# -- for the emotional impact of the book.

JEFFREY BROWN: What has stood out for many and# for me in my reading is the writing itself,## the episodic nature of your storytelling and# then the spareness of the writing itself.

Roddy Doyle, the writer who served as# the chair of the Booker jury, he said:## "I don't think I have read a novel that uses# the white space on the page so well.

It's as## if the author is inviting the reader to fill the# space to almost create the character with him."

I thought that was a very# interesting way of putting it.

DAVID SZALAY: Absolutely.

JEFFREY BROWN: Using us to.. DAVID SZALAY: Yes.

JEFFREY BROWN: Do you think of it that way?

DAVID SZALAY: I do.

I do.

And, I mean, the fact is that all .. it's what -- it's -- reading is always# an imaginative collaboration between the## writer and the reader.

Reading is# an imaginative act, so absolutely.

And this book does perhaps take that quite# far, because, as Roddy said, it leaves a## lot of white space, not only literally, but# also sort of metaphorically, in that there is## a lot about the character that we are not told# and that the reader themselves has to supply.

And I hope, despite that,# that, by the end of the book,## that the reader has a very intense and# quite full idea of who this person is.

JEFFREY BROWN: Have you had a moment# yet to absorb the meaning of this## or the impact on you as a -- for book# sales or you as your own writing life?

DAVID SZALAY: It will take time# for it to completely sink in.

When I didn't win in 2016, when I was# nominated, but didn't win, I told myself,## and I believed it and I think probably still# do, that one good thing about it was that it## would sort of guard me from complacency# and laziness, not winning the prize then.

So now I guess I have to be on my guard against## those things now that I have# won it and I will do my best.

JEFFREY BROWN: All right, David Szalay,# thank you again, and congratulations.

DAVID SZALAY: Thank you very# much.

A pleasure to be on.

GEOFF BENNETT: And there is a lot more online, including#a comprehensive timeline of the recent U.S.

military strikes on boats in the# Caribbean.

That's at PBS.org/NewsHour.

And that is the "News Hour"# for tonight.

I'm Geoff Bennett.

For all of us here at the "PBS News Hour,"# thanks for spending part of your evening with us.