wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. the xfinity 10g network. made for streaming. >> good, i am geoff bennett. >> on the newshour, iran accuses israel of striking its consulate

in damascus, syria, a potential major escalation of the regional conflict. >> we speak with the former official who ran the investigation into the havana syndrome. >> and gretchen whitmore on democrats' push to protect abortion rights in this critical election year. >> we know abortion rights are in threat all across the country , as we have the potential of a second trump term. >> major funding for the pbs "newshour" has been provided by -- ♪ the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the "newshour," including leonard and norma clore vine and the judy and peter bloom kovar foundation. >> actually, you don't need vision to do most things in life.

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foundation, advancing ideas to promote a better world. at hewlett.org. and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. geoff: welcome to the "newshour." there is an escalation of tension in the middle east tonight beginning in damascus, syria. amna: earlier today war planes attacked the consulate and killed some of the most senior members of

iran's revolutionary guard corps. tonight there are reports of new attacks on international ships in the red sea and a base in southern israel. nick schifrin has been following this. let's begin with damascus. what do we know about what happened this morning? nick: an official with knowledge of the operation tells me that israel attacked inside damascus killing three senior islamic revolutionary guard corps commanders. including a brigadier general. that is him there. this is the most significant strike against the rotc since the u.s. killed soleimani. you can see him on the left in this suit. zahadi was extremely important to iran's efforts in syria and lebanon. he was the point man with iran backed hezbollah up, who oversaw financing in syria and lebanon as well as shipments of iranian weapons into syria and lebanon.

also killed was his deputy, mohammed rohini. you see him there. what happened today is the decapitation of irgc leadership in syria and lebanon. it was not just the targets, it was the location. you see that inside iran's consulate in damascus. that is the first time iranian sovereign territory inside syria has been struck, apparently by syria. an official with knowledge of the operation says that was not a diplomatic building, but nonetheless a significant strike against iran's long time efforts in lebanon. amna: there is always a concern about rising tensions, escalating violence. has there been any kind of response yet? nick: i iran, absolutely. as you suggested at the top, there has been confirmation by israel of an attack in southern israel on a naval base there permit believed, an israeli

official tells me, from yemen. houthis in yemen. we are also tracking reports of a houthi attack on international ships off the coast of yemen. that would be the first time in a few days. and an attack on the u.s. base in syria that hasn't been attacked since february. amna: u.s. officials met about israel's plans for a potential operation in rafah in gaza. nick: president biden and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu's senior national security aids met to talk about this operation permit the u.s. does not want a major operation into rafa, where 1.4 one million gazans have fled, but where home's final four battalions are hiding among israel says there is no way to win the war, but what the u.s. wants is a say they have the same executive --

the same objective. amna: nick schifrin with the latest. thank you very much. geoff: for the last decade, american diplomatic law enforcement and intelligence personnel have suffered grievous, often life altering injuries in the line of duty. no guns, bombs or rockets were involved. many say they felt attacked by sound, debilitating waves of sound and pressure that left them with traumatic brain injuries, vertigo, and other physical ailments grouped under the government designation of a -- of anonymous health incidents. you may know it by havana syndrome. last evening, 60 minutes reported on this story and assigned blame to a foreign adversary of the u.s., russia. for perspective, let's bring in retired army lt. col. gregory.

he ran an investigation of the defense intelligence agency about the sources of havana syndrome. he is now the founder and ceo of advanced echelon, you for being with us. you have said russia is behind these attacks. what informs that confidence? >> i just went off of a large body of open source reporting. you can go to the insider. they put out a great piece recently. there is a lot of arrows pointing to moscow right now, and i suggest you talk to some of the survivors because they will give you insight into the backgrounds and what they were doing and working on, and it paints a clear picture to the layperson about who could be responsible for this. geoff: you ran the military investigation into havana syndrome. you told 60 minutes that the bar for proof was set impossibly

high. what was the bar of proof and what was the motivation behind elevating it, in your view? >> i can't get into specifics based on classification levels. what i can tell you is that from my perspective, things and requirements from higher levels of the government seem to change quickly and you have to contact those officials still inside the government to figure out why they are changing certain requirements for the intelligence community. i can tell you this problem isn't going to get better with time. we need to address it head on and take care of the havana syndrome survivors and their families. it is about time to take action and that time is now. geoff: you retired from the army to start a company that helps the havana syndrome survivors. i imagine every case is different. generally speaking, how are they faring, the folks you work with? >> they are not doing well.

they continue to see government products, such as the recent nih reports or intelligence community assessments that gaslight them and tell them that their problems don't exist. we have been there before. this happened with the moscow signal for decades. this has happened with ptsd and we need to start taking care of people that signed up to protect america and america's values and their interests abroad. because if we don't, america's eyes will be blinded and our ears deafened. geoff: nick schifrin reached out to the office of the director of national intelligence for a response in regard to this reporting by 60 minutes, and they directed reporters to previous remarks by director avril haines, part of which read, most i see in the intelligence committee -- community elements concluded that it is unlikely that a foreign adversary is responsible for the anomalous health incidents. there are different degrees of confidence associated with that.

at the same time, we continue to be vigilant looking for information that undercuts those assumptions. what is your reaction to that? >> i would ask whoever wrote that to watch the 60 minutes episode and read the insider's recent reporting. it paints a clear picture to most americans and also lists clear evidence that has been uncovered with open source reporting. geoff: do you believe the federal government is covering this up? >> i won't get into discussions of coverups and conspiracies. but what i will say is that hundreds of families have been impacted and this is also affecting our national security. it needs to be addressed. geoff: one of the survivors who spoke to 60 minutes, an fbi agent identified as carrie, she referred to this attack as being the result of next generation weaponry and said that she and the other survivors, she viewed them as being test subjects. and yet as i understand it, the federal government has not been

able to pinpoint or replicate whatever this weapon is. can you help us understand more about that? >> i believe what the survivor was referring to is a directed energy weapon, and i imagine after this 60 minutes episode aired and recent insider reporting, there is going to be an avalanche of foia requests to uncover what the government nose and resurge it has done on this, what countries are using these technologies. but one might just go to google and search for a energy weapons and russia and see what comes up. there are plenty of examples of president putin pinning on medals and various awards to russian scientists in the field of directed energy weapons. look at the comments he made in september about fielding more directed energy weapons and the national security advisor in moscow, what he said in the article in september of 2023 about how moscow has successfully removed hundreds of u.s. intelligence officers from the field in the past decade.

i would like to know more about that. geoff: that is retired army lt. col. gregory. thanks for your insights and time. >> thank you. take care. stephanie: here are the latest headlines. former president trump posted today the 175 $1 million bond in his new york civil fraud case, averting asset seizures by state authorities. in february trump was found liable for fraudulently inflating his net worth to secure better loan terms permit trump is appealing. late this evening, a new york judge expanded a gag order against trump in his hush money case. the decision followed trump's social media post assailing the judge's daughter. israeli forces withdrew from gaza's largest hospital

after a two-week battle that left much of the area in ruins. the u.n. health agency said more than 20 patients died. the israelis denied that claim but said they killed hundreds of hamas fighters. mangle buildings spread across the hospital complex and surrounding blocks. palestinian patients said israeli forces allowed them only limited supplies amid the strike. >> they let in a very small amount of food. we were 150 patients and 50 medical staff members. not sufficient at all. no treatment, no medicine and bombing for 24 hours that caused immense destruction to the hospital. amna: the israeli military said some hamas fighters had barricaded themselves inside hospital wards and others launched mortar rounds inside the complex. workers from the international aid organization world central kitchen and their driver were

reportedly killed in gaza when an israeli airstrike hit their vehicle. they had been delivering aid that arrived in a ship earlier in the day. the israeli military says they are investigating the airstrike. the aid ships are carrying some 400 tons of food and supplies. they left from -- they left on saturday to feed them more than one million palestinians on the brink of famine. in israel, antigovernment protesters lingered after mass protests over the weekend. hundreds slept in tents outside the parliament building overnight, demanding a hostage deal with hamas and early elections, insisting that prime minister netanyahu must go. >> if good leaders or a new coalition is not taking over, we are doomed. we cannot imagine him not being replaced, because he is driving us to the abyss.

amna: also today, ultraorthodox israeli jews protested the end of their military exemption. after an israeli supreme court decision. the issue could divide netanyahu's coalition, which includes ultraorthodox parties. north korea has launched at least one ballistic missile tonight, according to south korea's military. the missile appeared to land in the sea outside japan's exclusive economic zone. it is north korea's first known launch event since march 18, when it conducted live fire artillery drills. the florida supreme court upheld a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. that could pave the way for the state to enact a stricter ban after six weeks. the high court today allowed a referendum on abortion rights to go before voters in november. california is drying out from destructive downpours over easter weekend. in big sur, the daily caused a

chunk of highway 1 to collapse into the sea. some people were stranded before police began escorting them out on sunday. forecasters say the storm will dump more rain and snow as it moves east this week. most fast food workers in california will learn $20 an hour after the new minimum wage law took effect today. california has more than 500,000 fast food workers, many supporting families in a state with a high cost of living. the law applies to fast food chains with at least 60 locations nationwide. the last known survivor of the uss arizona battleship, lou conter, has died. he was a navy quartermaster when the japanese attacked pearl harbor. the arizona exploded and sank, killing nearly 1200 sailors and marines. conter flew 200 combat missions and survived being shot down.

he was 102 years old. still, tempora keith and amy walter break down the latest political headlines. a look at why access to government nutrition programs varies across the u.s. and a rhode island artist fuses design and accessory, creating art you can carry. >> this is the pbs newshour w eta studios in washington and from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. geoff: the u.s. coast guard temporary alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris at the site of the collapsed francis scott key bridge in baltimore. over the weekend, one of the largest floating cranes on the east coast arrived to the site capable of lifting up to 1,000 tons. but before it can start removing steel and concrete, officials have difficult work, like removing a section of the steel

bridge that is draped over the cargo ship. today marilyn governor wes moore explained how large of an undertaking the cleanup is. >> we are talking about a situation where a portion of the bridge beneath the water has been described as chaotic wreckage. every time someone goes in the water, they are taking a risk. every time we move a piece of the structure, the situation could become even more dangerous. we have to move fast, but we cannot be careless. geoff: president biden is expected to underscore the government's commitment when he visits the area on friday. for more on the recovery efforts , we are joined by one of the key people in charge, lieutenant general scott spellman, commanding general of the u.s. army corps of engineers. thanks for coming in. >> thank you for having us. if i could begin by saying on behalf of all the men and women of the united states army, certainly the men and women of the army corps of engineers, our

thoughts are with those who lost loved ones in this accident. we are going to do everything in our power to help the governor achieve his number one priority, return those loved ones to their families. geoff: how are you and your team approaching the herculean task of reopening that main shipping lane? walk us through the process you envision. >> president biden called me shortly after the bridge collapsed and wanted us to know that the army corps of engineers' number one priority was to reopen the navigation channel. we are going about this in three steps. the channel is 700 feet wide by 50 feet deep and we know we have a large section of steel truss bypassing that channel. we have to get the truss out of the channel, then get the concrete and reenforcing bar, any other wreckage on the bottom of the channel off the floor. when these ships come into the port of baltimore, they are drafting 48.5 feet.

the bottom of the channel is 50 feet deep, only 12 to 18 inches of clearance. that's why it's important we have a clean floor. second step, we work with the coast guard and their counterparts. we have to move the dali on the lip of that navigation channel. we have to refloat that vessel and get it to a safe portion of the harbor, and that will allow us to restore normal two-way traffic into and out of the port of baltimore. finally, we have to get the concrete, the asphalt, and remaining structure off the river bottom. geoff: the stretch of bridge draped over the ship weighs something like 14,000 tons? >> that's correct. geoff: how long might this take? >> we are going through the mass on each one of those numbers for that particular portion of the structure. if you imagine those beams like a rubber band, if we go to cut the rubber band, it will respond in the same manner, but instead of snapping like a rubber band,

think of thousands of tons of force. we want to know how it's going to behave before we put the first steelworker against the beam to make the cut. we are doing all the analysis around baltimore and our teams are also placing gauges on the steel members so we understand the forces in play. as soon as we cut one member, those forces redistribute and we have to reanalyze before we make the next cut. geoff: this incident is unparalleled, but are there any previous army corps projects that can inform the work you need to do? >> in 2007, the corps was involved with the recovery of the i-35 collapse in minneapolis over the mississippi river and we have gone back and looked at lessons learned and things to take forward to this mission. i think more recently, our ongoing recovery of the maui wildfires. when we started off on that effort, we

did not know if all the casualties had been found. it is much the same today. we still have four workers missing and have to take care and diligence into our planning. geoff: you have all of the resources and equipment that you need? >> we have everything we need to accomplish this mission. geoff: lieutenant spellman, we appreciate you coming and our best to you and your team. >> thank you. amna: since roe v. wade was overturned by the supreme court, democratic leaders have worked to protect reproductive rights in their states. in michigan, voters enshrined abortion rights in the constitution in 2022, and the governor, gretchen whitmer, has pushed for several reproductive rights measures. today she signed new laws protecting ivf and decriminalizing surrogacy contracts. governor whitmer joins us now.

thanks for joining us. today's bill takes one big step when it comes to surrogacy. it lifts a ban on compensated surrogacy that has been in place in michigan since 1988. but there are ivf protections you also signed into law. why are those necessary? are ivf treatments currently under threat in michigan? gov. whitmer: we know that abortion rights, reproductive rights, are in threat all across the country, as we have the prospect of a second trump term we thought it was very important to be clear, ivf is something we value, that we protect in michigan, and we wanted michigan to get on the right side of the law when it came to letting families do surrogacy. we were the only state in the whole nation that criminalized this way of creating a family. so in michigan, we want michigan women and their families to be able to decide when and if they bear a child and what way they go about creating their family.

all those rights are important. amna: a lot of folks will remember the february alabama court ruling that put ivf back in the spotlight. it is worth reminding folks, it was republican lawmakers who took steps to protect ivf in alabama. a number of republican leaders, former president trump among them, have said they support ivf. by taking this action, are you saying you don't believe them? gov. whitmer: let me tell you what happened here in michigan. we put this measure before the michigan legislature and only two republicans voted for it. i think that is a really important message. when you have a standardbearer for the republican party who has changed his possible on abortion many times, who appointed the three supreme court justices who gave us the jobs decision and overruled roe , we cannot trust where they are on any of these reproductive freedoms, whether creating a family through surrogacy or ivf or the right to make a decision

about your own body and whether you bear a child, or even access to a contraception. one thing i would add, we know that this extension could be applied to things like embryonic stem cell research. that means the race for cures for things like alzheimer's or juvenile diabetes could be impacted by this morass of what republican policy looks like. the fact of the matter is we have to secure these rights and we want to be very clear here in michigan, we protect these rights. amna: you believe this is a key issue in mobilizing democrats and independents. you have said previously that maybe president biden should speak about reproductive rights and should say the word abortion more frequently than does. he has displayed some discomfort with that, changing the language even in the state of the union to avoid saying that word. if this is such a key issue for democrats, does his reluctance to say that word hurt him politically?

gov. whitmer: president biden is on the right side of this issue. he has undertaken every effort to protect a woman's ability to make her choices. he has worked hard through dhhs and policies in other branches of government to ensure this right is protected, and he has vowed to make sure that if he is given a second term, he will utilize every appointment to ensure that a woman's ability to make her own decisions about reproductive freedom is secure and safe. i have every confidence in president biden and i think every one of us should be very skeptical of a possible trump second term, what it could mean for our rights and the foundation of our democracy. amna: actions like you have taken today have helped mobilize democrats and independents in the past. do you think that mobilization, especially in a state like michigan, is enough to overcome the weaknesses that president biden

has displayed so far, especially with hundreds of thousands in the primaries voting uncommitted? gov. whitmer: michigan is always a state where we will have close elections. it's not going to be a surprise that this race will be close probably all the way up to election day. i will tell you during my re-election, there were polls and people writing my political obituary and i won by almost 11 points. i think it's because i stayed focused on the fundamentals that mattered to the people of michigan. president biden has done the same, whether it is putting resources to ensure we are rebuilding our infrastructure and making sure people are respected and protected under the law. the president has delivered on these fundamentals and will be talking about that story through election day. in michigan, elections are always close. amna: more than 100,000 people were voting as a protest to oppose president biden's stance on israel and the conflict in gaza. as one of the cochairs of the biden-harris reelection

campaign, where would you point those protesters to say, we heard you, we see you? gov. whitmer: recognizing that we are all human beings with humanity and all these innocent people at risk of losing their lives is real pain, and that is something i will continue to work with a variety of communities in my state to keep people safe at home but also build bridges and make sure we focus on the different things that are at stake this upcoming election. amna: you are seen as a rising leader in your democratic party. there was a recent new york times column by michelle goldberg i want to ask you about. she said, there are many reasons people fantasize about whitmer replacing biden on this year's ticket and see her as a likely presidential prospect in 2028. she insists she is not interested but if seem to believe her. end quote. how much of that speculation do you think is fueled by low

enthusiasm and dissatisfaction in president biden, and how does that change before november? gov. whitmer: i don't know, i didn't read the article. in talking with people across michigan, these are good, hard-working people, just like across the country. people who want to know that the government is working as hard as they are, if not more. everyone wants a fair shot and that's what the biden administration has always been about, what president biden has always been about. as co-chair i am proud of the work he has been able to do and i am proud to stand by his side as he goes for re-election. these are unique times. everyone is exhausted but we all have to roll up our sleeves and get involved. this is going to have ramifications not just for us today but for generations of americans to come. amna: thank you, governor. good to speak with you. >> thank you.

geoff: house speaker mike johnson says a vote on ukraine aid will come next week. it's time for a check-in with our monday's political team. amy walter of the cook political report with amy walter and tamera keith of npr. we just heard governor whitmer talk about the michigan family protection act, which supports surrogacy and ivf and lgbtq+ parents. we have seen reproductive rights emerge as a major driver this election season, but this is additional action by democrats on issues beyond abortion. amy, what kind of impact does it have on a swing state like michigan? >> the challenge right now that the biden team has politically is people who turned out for him in 2020, many of whom were

inspired not so much by joe biden but voting against donald trump. they just are not as engaged in the election as trump supporters are. if the biden campaign can give these voters, especially younger voters, a reason to show up and believe this election is important, even if they are not excited about him. in michigan, for example, there was not big uncommitted vote that -- was that big uncommitted vote amna talked about with the governor. there is reticence on behalf of many voters to show up and vote affirmatively for biden. but by putting either issues on the ballot, which we are seeing in nevada and arizona, or making sure this is part of the conversation, it could help to motivate some of those voters to show up, even if they are not particularly excited about biden. this is an issue that does give

them an incentive to go to the polls. geoff: what about that, tam? is this enough to bring out democrats and independents that democrats can preserve that so-called blue wall? we have also learned abortion rights will be on the ballot in florida in november. >> this bill is like a technical correction. several of the items are technical corrections, and not the kind of thing that seven months from now voters are going to be like, wow, democrats in our state passed this thing. we are so happy, we are going to vote for joe biden. that isn't the spillover effect i would expect to see. however, as the discussion about reproductive rights happens all over the country, as the state of florida is likely seeing in a -- likely seeing a more restrictive ban at the same time that there is now going to be a ballot measure on the ballot, this is going to be a conversation that is going to be

very live all over the country and the biden campaign is going to make sure that democratic voters know what is going on all over the country. in terms of florida, the biden campaign six months ago, eight months ago, a year ago would say we are going to compete in florida. they do not mention florida anymore. the farthest they go is they are still planning to compete in north carolina. florida was always a stretch. i don't know adding a ballot measure is going to be enough to overcome real organizational challenges that democrats have had on the ground in florida for a generation. geoff: meantime, house speaker mike johnson is raising expectations for a vote on ukraine funding when the house returns next week, even at the risk of johnson potentially losing his speakership, since congresswoman marjorie taylor greene has invoked a measure that would allow her to call for a floor vote on his speakership. here is what johnson said to fox yesterday.

>> marjorie is a friend. she is very frustrated about the last appropriations bill. so am i. as we discussed. these are not the perfect pieces of legislation that you and i and marjorie would draft if we had the ability to do it differently. with the smallest margin in u.s. history, we sometimes get legislation we don't like. democrats know when we don't always stand together with our razor thin majority, they have a better negotiating position. geoff: is that enough to mollify his right flank? >> i don't know that some of these folks are mollify-able, if that's even a word. the point is not about policy, this is really about the ability for many of these members just to show they can do it. and johnson doesn't have any margin. as he pointed out, he has the smallest margin in history, a one seat margin. a call to vacate the chair, if indeed that comes to the floor with a one seat margin, that is

courting disaster. one -- this is not likely, but a possibility -- that actually a democrat wins the speakership. but more than that, if we thought that the mccarthy vote was drawn out or getting johnson into that job was drawn out, just imagine how difficult this is going to be with one seat. what johnson seems to be doing it is trying to mollify conservatives by saying, one, maybe we we will put legislation or put additional aspects into this legislation that deal with liquefied natural gas, also let's make it more of a loan. let's use assets, russian assets we have taken in this country and use those to pay for it. but again, i don't -- we know at the end of the day, he is going to need democrats. this bill does not make it without democrats. whether it is mollifying them or

not, it is still going to pass because democrats decide to go along. geoff: speaker johnson referred to those measures you mentioned as important innovations. house republicans have blocked president biden's request for additional ukraine aid for six months. how do you see this coming together? >> it's not clear yet how it will come together. johnson is -- he has taken on this remarkably pragmatic tone laying out the challenges that exist in divided government when you have a very narrow margin . it's not the kind of thing he would have said when he wasn't in leadership, but now he is in leadership. i will say he avoided a government shutdown. he has avoided a couple of other cliffs by innovating. really not actually changing the underlying numbers or changing the underlying thing they ultimately agreed to, but by changing a deadline or

rebranding funding the government. and that appears to be potentially what he is doing again. but as amy says, in the end, he would be very lucky if a majority of republicans supported ukraine funding or a broader national security supplemental. he would be very lucky if the majority of republicans supported it. he needs democrats for it to pass. geoff: let's talk about the 2024 race. president biden, fresh off that record-breaking fundraiser in new york, his campaign released a digital ad which is making a direct appeal to nikki haley supporters. this is obviously a coalition of republicans and moderates who are turned off by donald trump. are there enough republicans in the middle who are winnable by president biden, or are these folks really just democrats, as the trump campaign is assuming? >> when you look at the group of people who voted for nikki haley

in the primaries, they probably fall into three categories. one, never ever going to vote for donald trump, probably didn't vote for him in and 2020. there's the group i would like somebody other than donald trump but i'll probably vote for him. i was talking to people today, trying to figure out how big the group is of people who voted for donald trump in 2020 and don't want to vote for him again. the key for the biden campaign isn't necessarily they win them over, but even if those voters show up and skip the top of the ticket, vote third party or maybe not go to the polls at all, that's a vote for biden because that's a vote trump got last time. geoff: how does the biden campaign see it? >> i will go to the michigan primary, where nikki haley got more than 25% of the vote. some of those people probably were democrats, but not all of them. you saw similar numbers in every state. the biden campaign is aiming for addition rather than subtraction or keeping things where they are.

as that ad points out, trump has in his rhetoric, publicly at least, said if you wanted nikki haley, you are not ma ga, you are not me. the biden campaign is targeting that ad specifically to areas where nikki haley got a lot of votes. geoff: thanks as always. >> you are welcome. amna: the program snap, formerly known as food stamps, is one of the nation's largest welfare systems, helping to feed more than 40 million low income americans. for people in need, without assistance looks like and who can access it varies greatly. laura baran lopez and producer maia lenai buhra have this report, the final one in our

series america's safety net. >> for single mother betsy cruz, every trip to the store is a tightrope walk. >> i have to calculate down to the penny because when i get to the red dirt, i don't need any surprises. if it comes over the amount i have, i have to ask them to put it back. laura: that amount is usually $56 a month, the total benefit she and her 21-year-old son colton received from snap, the supplemental nutrition assistance program. is it enough to support and cover your food costs? >> no, it's not. you go to the grocery store and you come out with three or four bags and that's it. that's it for the month. laura: to bridge the gap, cruz gets help from food banks like this one near her home in gilbert, south carolina. she says she is grateful, but she can't rely on this help for healthy food. >> most of the stuff you get at the food banks are very high carbureted or starchy items, and

my son is a diabetesic, but we have to use it. we have no choice. laura: this struggle is new for cruz. she worked a steady job as a government meat inspector for nearly three decades, but she was forced to retire early and take a reduced pension after her son's struggles with a developmental and behavioral disability worsened. >> it's not that i don't want to work, it's i can't. laura: you have no choice right now. >> i have no choice. i am a mother first and it has been 21 years of it. he has to come first. laura: the cruz family is not unique. about 90% of snap recipients live in households with older adults, children, or someone with a disability. to qualify for snap, a family of two in south carolina must make less than $25,700 a year. in 2022, 12% of the state's population were on snap. that reflects the national

picture. >> we must distribute more food to the needy. laura: food stamps started in 1964 as a key part of president lyndon b. johnson's war on poverty, and at feeding low-income americans. as the program expanded, rising sharply after economic downturns like the great recession and the covid-19 pandemic, it has become a target for conservative lawmakers, who argue the country can't afford a welfare program that costs more than $100 billion annually. in last year's debt ceiling agreement, republicans in washington negotiated a raise in the age limit for snap's work requirement from 49 to 54, and states have experimented with more stringent snap requirements. for nearly a decade in kansas, republican legislators have passed laws restricting who qualifies for food assistance, from implementing higher work requirements to forcing people to apply for child support.

kansas is 105 states that makes single parents seek child support to receive snap benefits. >> i think it's an absolutely good policy. >> comments on the minutes. laura: republican representative francis air camp is the chair of the kansas house committee on welfare reform. >> it's an opportunity to find that other parent and make sure they are doing their duty so the child and custodial parent, normally the mother, has the resources they need to run a stable life. >> it seemed like a very drastic move just to feed my family. laura: in 2017, 6 months into a pregnancy, cecelia douglas's partner unexpectedly abandoned her and her two daughters. the kansan had just taken a pay cut to focus on her pregnancy and says her ex left her with crippling debt. >> when i found myself single, there were a lot of financial responsibilities that were left on my shoulders and it was very difficult to recover from that financially.

laura: after giving birth, she decided to apply for snap and quickly realized that to enroll, she would be required to apply for child support. >> it was an immediately, an moment of pause because i knew that my intention was not to rely on this assistance longer than i absolutely needed. >> tell me when to let go. laura: for douglas, that meant opening a case against her newborn son's and working -- newborn son's absent father and working with the department of children and families to establish a child support order in court. a daunting prospect. >> i felt if i applied, it would create an unhealthy environment for my son and older daughters. laura: weighing her options, douglas chose to go without. >> it's heartbreaking when your child comes to you and says, mom, i am hungry, and the only thing you have to feed them is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. laura: the chairman notes

parents can apply for exemptions from the rule if it -- if pursuing child support could create a dangerous situation for them or their children. >> if there is good cause for an exemption, the exemptions are granted. laura: but exemption requires official evidence like a police report or witness statement. >> this doesn't affect the noncustodial parent, this is affecting the mom and the kids. who do you have packing it? laura: karen is a policy advisor for harvesters, one of kansas's largest food bank networks. she supports efforts to repeal the requirement. >> child support services has many levers to get child support. they can garnish wages, do all sorts of things. bringing food assistance in as a weapon is what we have a problem with. laura: karen says she sees the effect of these kinds of requirements up close at the food pantry her organization serves. >> the effect of these

restrictions is that people are no longer on these programs were cap access these programs, so they are turning to the charitable sector. laura: when asked about the restrictions on food assistance, the chairman said the policies are about creating a life of self-sustainability. >> it is important to understand the spirit of these programs. what are they for? it's not to keep people on food welfare, it's actually to help them move on. laura: kansas ranks third from the bottom in access to snap, according to the u.s. department of agriculture. experts say three in 10 kansans who would otherwise be eligible do not receive it, largely because of state policies. despite that, kansas state foodstamp reforms, particularly the time limit, have been held up as a model by right wing groups and nearly a dozen states have made changes based on the ones in kansas. >> they go to state legislatures where they have a receptive audience.

laura: the director of snap state strategies at a progressive think tank. >> we have seen indications that folks are losing benefits without positive outcomes. laura: with this year's election, snap may soon be on the line. former president donald trump proposed major cuts to food assistance while in office and has nodded again toward welfare restrictions on the campaign trail. >> there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, cutting, and also the theft and the bad management of entitlements. laura: bolen worries that further restrictions to snap would hurt america's poorest. >> the research has shown that those time limits don't work, that the only real outcome is less snap participation. hopefully we can get past the idea of taking away food assistance from these folks in order to get them to work.

laura: back in south carolina with the nations patchwork of food assistance programs, betsy cruz is glad her family can access the benefit, but it is still a struggle to put food on the table. >> yesterday i spent two sent over a. i was digging through my purse to find two pennies to pay the rest of my snap. laura: what does that feel like? >> indescribable. i just feel like trash. like i am here for a free handout and i am just nothing to this country. laura: for the pbs newshour, laura brian lopez in gilbert, south carolina. amna: find more of our coverage of america's safety net online at pbs.org/newshour. geoff: one artist has taken ever popular designer handbags to a whole new level, transforming artwork into accessory.

as pamela watts of rhode island pbs weekly reports, instead of his creations hanging on the wall, he decided to put them right in your hand. this is part of our old -- our arts and culture series, candace. >> 22 years ago if someone told me i would be making purses from my artwork, i don't know if i would've been happy hearing that. now i am living the dream. pamela: the dream for rhode island artist kent stetson is being a designer of handbags, whimsical, colorful, topical. they are all made by hand in his workshop and sold in hundreds of boutiques worldwide. the purchase are clutched by celebrities such as martha stewart and sarah jessica parker. not only do his bags star on the red carpet, they fly down the runway. these are not your mother's pocketbooks. they are a fusion of art and accessory. >> in terms of art, it's

interactive, it's modular. i think it speaks in an interesting way. pamela: and an interesting twist. stetson into the world of high fashion accessories. stetson grew up on this cabin on a working horse farm in new hampshire. he studied studio art and philosophy at brown university and started out creating these digital hybrid paintings. >> computer-generated paintings, at the time we called it new media. today i think it is just called digital art. these are colorful abstract pieces. pamela: stetson admits he was unsuccessful selling his modern art, so he pivoted. his plan b translated to in the bag. >> i worked in a shoe store and i had a gift for convincing people to buy shoes and handbags they didn't need. so i connected the dots. pamela: how did you land on purses as the frame for your artwork?

of all the things you could have picked. >> it was a way to package my art in a format that had some use permit a handbag gave me more license to be fun, that i never felt i had permission to do with a piece on the wall. almost instantly, i made pieces that were a little irreverent and tongue-in-cheek and funny. pamela: funny as in notoriously tasteful permit stetson's popular creations feature doughnuts, animal crackers, sushi, and even rhode island's famous new york system wieners. >> it is an iconic rhode island comfort food, so we had to translate it into a bag. pamela: stetson says when you carry one of his designer handbags, it starts a conversation and might make a friend. whether it is one of his doggy bags or a selection from his bar card of popular cocktails. it's a statement piece. >> it's an exclamation point on

your outfit. when you carry one of my pieces, it gets acknowledged. pamela: stetson's signature handbags, which sell between $150 and $300, support a number of charitable causes. one style references the lace collar of late supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg. >> when she passed, mariska hargitay used this on law and order special victims unit. >> you and i will go up. >> sales for this piece went haywire, so we donate the proceeds to the aclu. pamela: others may tote an alligator handbag, supporting everglades preservation. >> everything start to finish is done here. pamela: stetson says making each person takes 50 steps and three days to complete. first he creates an image, formats it on his computer, prints and laminates the canvass. while the process begins with high-tech innovation, the rest

is old world craftsmanship. hand tracing and hand sewing. in general, stetson's signature bags are slim envelope styles. >> a lot of people look at it and say, i can't get anything in this bag. >> it is a fun going out bag. if i made a larger bag, i would have to leave the state. we are the smallest state, i have to make small bags. pamela: describe what you want people to see in this form of art. >> i want people to a sense of outing that much more fun. i sign inside each piece as we sew them up. i want people to feel they have a creation to each piece, where it came from. it is a farm to table version of personal accessories. pamela: accessories that will do all the talking. >> people are going to say something, you are going to light up the room. if you want to be left alone, do

not carry one of my pieces. pamela: for the pbs newshour, i am pamela watts in pawtucket, rhode island. ♪ geoff: that's the "newshour" for tonight. i am geoff bennett. amna: on behalf of the entire "newshour" team, thanks for joining us. >> major funding for the pbs "newshour" has been provided by -- ♪ >> on an american cruise lines journey on the columbia and snake rivers, travelers traced the route foraged by lewis and clark more than 200 years ago. america cruise lines' fleet of modern riverboats traveled to modern american landscapes to historic landmarks, where you can experience local customs and cuisine. american cruise lines, proud

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this is pbs newshour west, from weta studios in washington and our bureau at the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >>

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