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. geoff: good evening. i am geoff bennett. on the newshour tonight, is inflation under control enough for the fed to lower interest rates? we'll talk with one key player. the environmental protection agency puts strict limits on the amount of so-called forever chemicals in drinking water. and christian groups face a violent crackdown in russian occupied ukraine.

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these 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. inflation came in higher-than-expected last month, raising concerns once again about its persistence. some experts also worry this rise could delay or prevent a series of interest rates cuts expected from the federal reserve later this year. last month the consumer price index climbed 3.5% year-over-year, pushed up by gas, rent and car insurance. neil kashkari is the president of the federal reserve bank of minneapolis and he joins us now. it is great to have you with us. >> thank you. it is great to be with you. geoff: federal reserve officials initially penciled in three interest rate cuts by the end of 2024. you've raised the possibility we

potentially could not have as many or any cuts this report today affect your thinking on this? neil: well, it is a little bit concerning. in the second half of last year we made a lot of progress and bringing inflation down very quickly. not all the way to our 2% target by around 3%. and then i'm the beginning of colleagues have said that we will. should shift over the course of this year the longer than inflation moved sideways and does not move back down. that would make me say we should pause indefinitely until we see that confidence that inflation is beat. the good news is that job market remains very strong, there -- a lot of jobs are available and the overall economy appears to be very healthy and robust. we are in a good position to take our time to get this data. geoff: on that point, is there a risk that the fed and keeping

rates high to tame inflation, is there a risk they can potentially slow down the economy? neil: well, that is what interest rate increases are trying to do. we are trying to tap the brakes on the demand in the economy to bring that inflation back down and as you said, we want to be careful that we do not overdo it. and then slow the economy too much and tip the economy into recession. there was a lot of concern a

year ago that the economy would be headed into recession because we raised interest rates so quickly. the good news is the u.s. economy proved to be resilient. a lot of americans came back to work. we have a lot of immigration coming in filling important jobs. all of that put a lot of relience in the economy. we are in a good position today but we cannot take that for granted. we have to keep our eyes open on inflation in the labor market. off: what is causing inflation to be so intractable? neil: well, a bunch of things. i think there are some changes in consumer behavior. we know before the pandemic consumers were saving 7% or 8%. that seems to be lower, indefinitely lower right now. people are out there spending their money. if people are spending more and saving less, that is more demand in the economy and you expect more inflationary pressure. we have some pent-up demand for housing. we have seen sticky housing inflation after the financial crisis in 2008. we did not build enough homes to keep up with our population growth. there are some structural reasons that there is a lot of

pressure on apartment rent. so, some of things are going on. we hope to unwind in the near future some of them may be more persistent, and we have to take that on board with what we do with interest rates. geoff: what will the fed chair need to see to feel confident that inflation is heading toward the central bank's 2% target on a sustainable basis? neil: i think, i do not want to speak for the fed chair but i think for myself, we want to continue to see progress that the inflation readings are continuing to come down. and that it is coming down across different categories. we know that goods inflation, people bought a lot of goods in the pandemic, goods inflation has come back down here at housing inflation has proven to be sticky. services inflation, we are going on airplanes, going to restaurants, the services side of the economy which is very labor depended, that also has been sticky. for me, i want to see more progress on housing and see more progress on services. so that i have confidence we are getting back down to the 2% inflation target. so the american people can put their concerns about inflation in the rearview mirror. geoff: in realizing the fed operates as an independent and nonpolitical organization, what

are the implications if the fed cuts rates for the first time later this year, in september ahead of the november election? neil: you know, my colleagues and i are absolutely committed to making the right calls based on economic data. and congress has given us our charge. congress has told us, chief our maximum employment -- achieve our maximum employment and stable prices which we defined as 2% inflation and my colleagues and i are absolutely united that we will make the best calls that we can based on what the data is telling us, not focus on the politics. politics is up to the american people. it is up to congress. it is up to the executive branch. our jobs are to stay out of it and focus on what the data is telling us and that is the best

thing we can do. for the economy as a whole. geoff: the president of the federal reserve bank of minneapolis. we appreciate your time and your insights. >> thank you. geoff: in the day's other news an israeli airstrike in gaza killed three sons of haman's leader. israel said the men were militants. he accused. israel of acting in the spirit of revenge" meantime president biden in an interview called prime minister benjamin netanyahu's approach to the war a mistake. speaking at the white house alongside japan's prime minister, president biden laid out conditions he expects netanyahu to fulfill. >> he agreed to do certain things to number one, getting more aid and food and medicine into gaza and reducing significantly the attempts, the civilian casualties in any

action taken in the region. we will see what he does in terms of meeting the commitments he made. geoff: the president also said it is up to hamas to move on the latest cease-fire proposal put forward by mediators at talks in cairo. israel and iran exchange new threats of attacks on each other's territory. the escalation falls are suspected israeli air strike earlier this month on the israel -- iranian consulate. iran's supreme leader is vowing to retaliate. >> embassies are considered part of the soil of the country that owns them. when they attack our consulate, it is if they attack our land. they must be punished and will be punished. >> israel's foreign minister wrote unsold immediate if iran attacks from its territory, israel will respond and attack in iran. the european parliament approved a major overhaul of migration laws after years of deadlock.

law makers in brussels endorsed a series of measures that aim to speed up procedures at their borders and more fairly spread responsibility for migrants across their 27 member nations. but human rights groups say the agreement "fails to offer sustainable solutions." flood waters are rising even higher across parts of russia after the ural river burst through a dam. surrounding towns have been transformed into swamps. more than 100,000 people have been evacuated. streets are now canals. residents say it is the worst flooding they've seen in decades. >> something like this happened in my life only during the soviet years in 1980. in 1986, but the flooding this year from the point of view of an old timer is very unusual. it has never happened before

that water reached up to 10 meters. geoff: the kremlin says president putin has been briefed on the situation though he has no plans to visit the flood zone. meantime, spring storms have trenched parts of the southern u.s. streets flooded in new orleans and their tornado is reported outside the city. emergency workers in texas surveyed the damage from overnight. more rain, hail and potential tornadoes could come tonight across the gulf coast and. deep south in mississippi, the six former officer tortured two black men last year were sentenced today to 15 to 45 years in prison on state charges. the so-called goon squad pled guilty in august to state and federal charges related to the abuse. a federal court handed down sentences of up to 40 years. their state and federal sentences will run concurrently. former president donald trump

criticized arizona's near total abortion ban. the state supreme court revised a civil war -- law yesterday that provides no exceptions for rape or incest. mr. trump was asked by reporters if he thinks that the court went too far. >> yeah, they did. and that will be straightened out. it is all about states rights -- i'm sure that the governor and everybody else -- that will be taken care of very quickly. geoff: the biden campaign has been quick to tie mr. trump to the arizona ruling with a spokeswoman same result is " because donald trump overturned roe v. wade." separately a new york appeals judge has denied mr. trump's t hird attempt to delay the start of his hush money trial due to begin on monday. the bid was based on request to have a judge removed. trump has plead not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

the trump organization's former chief financial of is heading back to jail for a second time. allen weisselberg was sentenced in court today for five months relying- for lying under oath during the civil fraud trial. he has admitted to helping mr. trump exaggerate his net worth for better loan terms. he already served 100 days in jail for tax fraud. on wall street today, those inflation numbers renewed concern that the fed will not start slashing interest rates anytime soon. the dow jones lost 422 points, to close at 38,462. the nasdaq fell 136 points and the s&p 500 gave back 49. olympic track and field champions will soon be taking home cash to go along with their gold. starting with this summer's games in paris, gold medalist will receive $50,000 for their efforts. track and field is the first sport to reward prize money. still to come on the newshour, judy woodruff travels to oregon

for a look at the growing political divide between rural and urban areas, and muslims observe ramadan and eid. and congress honors the women who inspired rosie the riveter by joining the workforce during world war ii. state, cherry blossom and a performance on the menu. the dinner is his first this year. muslims in jerusalem observe ramadan.

congress honors the women who inspired rosie the riveter. >> this is the pbs newshour from weta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. geoff: the environmental protection agency has set for the first time that forever chemicals which are harmful to human health must be removed from u.s. drinking water. it is a moment that public health advocates have long called for. >> the head of the epa said these new rules could be "life changing." the agency will require municipal water suppliers to virtually eliminate six different chemicals that are currently in the water 100 million americans drink every single day. they are collectively known as pfas, and they have been linked to certain cancers and birth complications.

according to the cdc, nearly all americans have measurable amounts of pfas in their blood today. so for a closer look at this, we are joined by melanie benish, vice president of government affairs for the environmental working group which is one of the organizations that has been pressing for this for years. welcome. >> nice to be here. >> these chemicals have been around for a very long time. i was looking at the listed all the different things they are in. pizza boxes, nonstick pans, they make are clothes and furniture stain resistant but they can make us sick. how big of a move do you think this is for the epa today? >> this is a consequential, historic monumental decision from the epa.

this is probably the most consequential decision the epa has made with regards to drinking water in a generation. it is really hard to overstate the importance and the impact of this rule. pfas are incredibly ubiquitous. the contamination in the united states is incredibly pervasive. and this is the single most efficient way that the epa can reduce our exposure to these toxic chemicals. >> i mentioned michael regan seems to think that this could change people's lives. you seem to believe that health applications here are enormous. >> it is hard to overstate. in fact, how significant the impacts are on public health. not only alife changing regulation, this is a lifesaving regulation. because of these new rules, people will be exposed to significantly lower amounts of pfas. and thousands of lives will be saved and there will be tens of thousands fewer like heart -- preeclampsia, immune effects, hypertension, and list goes on and on and on.

so this is really an incredibly consequential, life saving decision by the epa. >> given that there are thousands of pfas chemicals, two have a sense as to why it took the epa this long and of those thousands, why did they justpick these six to come out of the water? >> pfas chemicals have been around for a long time. and the chemical companies manufacturing these chemicals have been dumping them into the water of americans for decades. so, americans have been drinking contaminated water for decades. that's because the manufacturers of these chemicals lied. they didn't tell their workers, they did not tell the regulators, they did not tell the epa, they did not tell the nearby communities. they did not tell anyone about

the risks of these chemicals which allowed them to get away with evading environmental regulation for decades. until this epa finally stepped in to regulate these six pfas chemicals. and even though this is the six of the potentially thousands of pfas chemicals, what is really smart about this regulation is it is targeting six of the best studied pfas. >> we are the ones we know the clearest effects of. >> the regulation is crafted in such a way that it addresses them as a mixture and it addresses a combination ofp pfas chemicals that ensures that the steps that utilities will have to take to comply be it seeking out alternative sources of water or selling filtration technology, will effectively treat for the whole class of pfas. even though the regulation is targeting this six, when you filter them out, they are not going to just go those -- through those six. you will get much more of the class and other contaminants. >> water suppliers have strongly come out against this and they say this will cost a fortune. the epa estimates it could cost $1.5 billion per year to do this.

the industry says it will cost way more than that. and that it will be costs that fall and consumers including communities that may not be able to afford this. what is your response to that? >> i think what is really important is to think about cost of not taking action. the epa has he calculated $1.5 billion in public health benefits and that comes in the form of fewer cases of bladder cancer and fewer cases of hypertension and fewer heart attacks and fewer strokes, fewer affects from lower birth weights. the cost of not taking action is more people getting sick and ultimately more people losing their lives. for decades, the public has been bearing the cost of exposure to these chemicals in the form of illness and in the form of medical cost and in the form of social cost and anxiety around being exposed to these chemicals and watching their friends and family get sick. i don't want that to get lost in the conversation around cost.

for the utilities that will need to take action to upgrade their systems, there are resources available. congress has already provided $10 billion in infrastructure funding that can be used to help water utilities filter out these chemicals. some of that money is targeted to small rural communities. the epa is making funds available to private well owners which are typically not covered by drinking water regulations. and water utilities have been successfully bringing private litigation against chemical manufacturers like 3m and dupont and having getting recuperating their costs in settlements. so the resources will come, but what is really is important -- what is important is to acknowledge the tremendous cost that comes from not taking action and how important it is that the epa is now finally taking action because the results of that action will be like safe -- lives saved. >> thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. geoff: russia first occupied the southern ukrainian city in early march 2022. and russian secret services

after persecuting pro ukrainian activist, former government officials and human rights defenders, have since targeted the churches and their pastors. with support for the pulitzer center, a special correspondents report from ukraine. [gunshots] >> all across russian occupied ukraine, soldiers are shutting down places of worship that don't fit the world vladimir putin wants to build. >> september 11, 2022. it was sunday. it was worship service. like 20 armed people with masks, military uniforms, they

were very brutal. >> they said, you have to stop this. you have to stop this meetings. he said, i am a pastor, i cannot stop the will of the people and they said if you will not stop, there is going to, you're going to see the blood. >> they are ministers who once led their flocks but no longer. since the, occupation , evangelical congregations and all the non-russian orthodox christian faiths have been deemed undesirable and tens of thousands of believers have been forced to flee. those who remain gather in secret in private homes for fear of angering the new regime.

the head of that new regime makes himself out to be the defender of the faith, his faith. with the patriarch of the national church, vladimir putin and his supporters make little secret of their plans to put russian orthodox christian area above all other forms of christianity. this footage is from the grace evangelical church, the people gather here do not know it is their last service in this building. a russian soldier stops the worship and tells the women and children to go downstairs to have their id's checked. no one knows what will happen next. by this stage, russian forces had already killed five priests. >> they started fingerprinting everybody. they copied their i.d., made

pictures of addresses. >> believers sing as they wait their turn to be questioned by russian soldiers. >> we are accused of being an extremist organization. we are accused of being spies and german and american spies. >> he's pretty far from being a spy. >> he's been a pastor since 1991 when the church building was given back to the evangelical community after being nationalized by the soviet union. >> i was -- to their military. old church building, they searched my house. and they told us to leave in two days.

>> in two years of war, no denomination has been spared death and destruction. this was an orthodox church affiliated with moscow, collateral damage in the russian missile strike a year ago. but two groups in particular has suffered the most in terms of shear numbers -- and that is the orthodox church of ukraine and protestant churches. that have come under extreme pressure in areas occupied by russia. >> the baptist protestant church. it is still standing but everything is destroyed. >> at least 206 evangelical churches have been expropriated or destroyed, according to the

institute for religious freedom. the ukrainian watchdog group. stephen moore is a former republican congressional staffer. the founder of the ukraine freedom project, a nonprofit. >> when the russians come in to a town in an occupied area, they see protestant churches, they say, this is an american religion. you must be an agent of the american government, so they go to the churches, they shut them down, they frequently torture the pastor and sometimes they murder believers for their faith. we know of 29 christian leaders who have been murdered in ukraine by the russians. >> today here they blew up a ukrainian tank. >> pressure came in the city, may be in 7:00 p.m. 24th of february. i see chaos in the whole city. so many families, they are afraid to stay in their houses, in apartments. three weeks under the occupation, our church was the shelter for the people. >> new generation church was the largest and the first to draw the ire of the russian occupation. >> i think they are looking for us because my father, the senior pastor, when he preached, he always said that we have our own country, our own culture, and we

have to pray for ukraine. >> the russian security services approached his father several times, threatening violence to pressure him to publicly pledge loyalty to russia. >> and they said if you will not stop, there is going, you're going to see the blood. they said, you have to record a video. he has to record a video that russia will -- we have to relax, putin is great president and everything is ok. my father said, i will never do this. >> a day after this incident, his father victor was tipped off to leave the city as soon as possible because of the imminent threat to his life. the whole family escaped. a few days later, russian soldiers stormed the church building and broke through the doors. but they did not stop there. >> i remember this day, i think

i'm going to remember it for the whole of my life, we driving with my brother and father calle d me and said, look, there is no cross anymore. they just cut the cross. >> russian forces searched his home and broadcast the search on tv. to betray his family as an arm resistance cell. >> we received information that there was a weapons cache. >> they showed like, they found some bomb. and the guns. in a garage of my father and said, look this is the pastor who works with the united states and with cia. a™ >> meanwhile, the new generation

church building was expropriated by russia. the large cross that one stood out front replaced with a russian flag. where people once prayed, officials hold secular events such as the citizenship ceremony. >> there is no protest on churches in all occupied territory. >> so the only church still open here is the orthodox church affiliated with moscow? >> yeah. >> this is not the first time religion has faced persecution, priests have been killed and churches are being shut down. in the 1930's when stalin launched his campaign of red terror, religious leaders of all denominations were targeted, including evangelists. >> we get some documents from kgb archive. we formed the case when ministers of our church were accused during stalin's terror in these documents showed that they were accused of being extremist and german spies.

>> three pastors were put to death on espionage charges that were cleared -- were declared falls. >> it is incredible how similar the language in the soviet documents is compared to the modern russian documents. declaring your organization as an extremist organization. and this was made in december 2022. the wave of religious persecution has forced most evangelists to flee russian occupied ukraine. those who remain have to pray in secret. >> i don't think that a lot of americans know about ukraine and about protestants in ukraine. part of my mission now is just to tell -- to raise awareness of what happened in occupied territories. >> mark was also forced to leave, and he is still a preacher. his main job is now on the front lines with soldiers as a chaplain.

>> in the name of jesus let us defeat and destroy this enemy. >> i wanted to say to the whole, you know, english-speaking world, we have so many protestant churches in ukraine. they have to understand that some many pastors were killed. we need weapons because russia cannot stop. pray for ukraine, still pray. it is only what i can ask you to do really. >> for the pbs newshour, i am simon -- in ukraine. geoff: shifting our focus to oregon. judy woodruff recently traveled across that state to learn more about the perceived divide between some rural and urban areas. her latest installment of america at a crossroads. dy: for ian williams it is not just about the caffeine buzz at

deadstock coffee. >> the reason why the shop existed is for the community to come together. judy: the shop reflects william's love of basketball, shoes. and thepeople who gather here >> we are city that accepts so many things whether it be lturally or sexual orientation -- it makes up so many things and it is a beautiful thing. judy: william sometimes known as the mayor of portland is deeply involved in this community and worried about its future. >> portland, the government, the city has allowed people to make the rules. and when we talk about things being dirty, like mental health issues and things like that, we are not regulating, we are not on top of whatever is going on. judy: rachel who moved back here in 2018 it acknowledges its problems. a consultant by day, she has also worked to help build stronger communities in the city. >> portland has enough problems to take care of on its own. obviously the house looseness for our citizens, support in getting people who are addicted or having troubles with addiction, the services they need off of the streets. feels really evident.

it is a safety issue now for people. we have a huge violence issue in portland that is bigger than it has been in decades. judy: portland is oregon's most populous city. and is one of the economic hub's of the state. just 80 miles from the pacific ocean, it sits at the northern tip of the wood laminate family -- the will limit valley, where the vast majority of the people live. many in urban areas like salem and eugene. they have helped turn the state strongly democratic. >> god bless you. judy: a republican presidential candidate has not won here in 40 years by east of the nearby cascade mountain range, that divides the state, many have different worries and far more conservative views.

on the high desert, it is a constant struggle to keep the cattle healthy. says 58-year-old lonnie carter. and safe from mother nature and from the government. >> i've had wolves in the field by my house. judy: carter runs this 19,000 acre ranch with a small team of family members and ranch hands. >> she would not have made it out there by herself. judy: chief among their concerns are the uncertainties. >> every branch out here has water rights. the state of oregon controls that. we do not own the water. if the reservoir is low on water, they say they can take our water, without even, saying we will take it and they will drain my reservoir. they don't care about fire protection. they care about my irrigation. judy: this ranch not only sits literally at the geographic

center of oregon, the people here find themselves at the center of a passionate debate. increasingly americans in rural and urban areas are growing farther and farther apart on critical issues in oregon and across the country. >> this is so striking because it did not exist in the american past. judy: professor mettler of cornell university researches is the growing divide between urban and rural americans which she says has grown dramatically among white americans. >> it is only beginning in the 1990's that began to see rural people in all parts of the country line up in one political party. prior to that, both parties had some supporters in rural places in different parts of the country but since the 1990's, to be a rural person means in so many places you are a republican. and it's led to a wider and wider divide.

it is enormous and it is growing. >> the rural parts of the state have gotten less political power. i have talked representatives -- judy: the political divide in oregon has been so great that some are calling for drastic changes. matt mccall is a spokesman for the greater idaho movement. which wants to break off the eastern more conservative counties in oregon and join neighboring idaho. >> the west side of oregon is very different than the east side. it is populated, it is green, its climate is different in the culture is different. you get out here on the east side, and it is high desert. there is very little moisture. it is agricultural. culturally very conservative. judy: the proposed greater idaho it would encompass all or parts of 17 counties in eastern oregon. so far, 12 half past initiatives in favor of leaving. the latest passed by seven votes out of nearly 3500. the entire area represents roughly 65% of oregon's land mass. but less than 10% of the population. and just one of its six congressional districts.

>>ou can get those people in oregon, state government for idaho that matches their values and is the kind of government that they want. and that long-standing problem of the urban/rural divide goes away. judy: it would also allow people like him to be represented by a government more aligned with his views. favoring more restrictions on abortion, lower taxes and fewer limits on guns. >> it is partisanship on steroids. judy: the executive director of the oregon historical society dates the widening chasm between

the east and west to the diversion economic fortunes in the state. in 1990, the northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the endangered species act. marking the beginning of the end for oregon's timer -- timber industry. >> many of them were union members. when the environment movement happen, they lost all those jobs. it move them away from -- equivalent to what happened in ohio and pennsylvania with the manufacturing jobs. >> this is the time when people in rural areas start to feel like the economy is bottoming out. once you get into the 2000's, and you feel the policies are being foisted upon them. judy: urban areas were able to bounce back more quickly from economic downturns. that fueled resentment from those in rural areas that account for 20% of the u.s. population. >> that is when we start to see this politics of grievance and resentment. people in rural places started to feel that the democratic party was run by elites, people who were better off than them,

and who were imposing policies on them. without asking them what they want, or without listening to them without being respectful of their communities and their values. judy: in any event, the political and logistical hurdles for secession are too high. in order for the border to change, both the idaho and oregon legislatures would have to sign off. and it would require an act of the u.s. congress. >> the economics that would involve, the legal issues would keep, it would be a lawyer's dream. there is so much going on. that is never going to happen. judy: but for rancher lonnie carter, it is not an idea he's willing to let go of. >> my grandkids, the oldest kid,

it is their right to have a good life without someone taxing us to death and telling us we cannot do this and we cannot do that. on her own piece of property. we do not go over there and tell them what they can and cannot do. we are destroying their city over there. judy: have you try to have a conversation with some of the folks who have a different view on these issues? >> oh, yeah. they have been pretty interesting. it has been a couple years i met with a couple from portland. there were like, why would you want to do this? i said, because we don't win. and they said we do not need ranchers or farmers. this lady actually thought you can go to your butcher and tell them what you want and he pushes a button and a machine and outcomes her meet. and that is not a joke. judy: if the whole country would say we would organize ourselves only by where our politics are, so some of the country would be red, some would be blue. do you think it is healthy that

we divide up into our respective beliefs? >> i do. i think it is far healthier than having groups of people that have radically different worldviews and value sets trying to force their worldview on another group of people. i, believe and i think most people in the united states believe that we would be better if we allow people to have the government that make sense for them and policy that their communities actually want rather than forcing policies on people that don't want. judy: but mettler says movement like greater idaho go against the grain of our democratic system of government. >> i have heard of some other efforts where bills have been introduced for parts of the state to separate that is even happened in new york state. we can see the whole country getting divided up. and, you know, into multiple states or seceding to join other states. and this is no way to -- it is no way to have a democracy. it is no way to engage in trying to solve large public problems together. judy: divides like this can be burst by building coalitions and respect. >> i think democrats in the state like that, need to work harder to listen to rural people

and finding out why is it that people don't like the way some policy was put together? is there a way to do it that would make people more satisfied? judy: despite the challenges, coffee shop owner ian williams remains convinced it is possible to learn where others are coming from. in 2020, he took a road trip across oregon and as far away as texas documenting it all on social media. he brought his coffee set up in the back of his truck, sneakers and all, serving people coffee and had conversations he would otherwise never have. >> how do we meet in the middle and say, like, understand where you got -- what you got going on with your family and the people. we don't get on the same page. we start with your wrong. we do not do a good enough job understanding. judy: in crook county in eastern oregon, voters will weigh in in may on the next measure to support talks to join idaho.

for the pbs newshour, i am judy woodruff near post, oregon. geoff: the muslim holy month of ramadan and with it comes celebration. eid, the holiday of breaking the fast. but in jerusalem and in the west bank, the mood is as subdued as fellow palestinians struggle in gaza with hunger and starvation. as the war between israel and hamas grinds on. >> at jerusalem's damascus gate,

the main entrance to the old city, the end of the holy month of ramadan is usually festive. a treat for families. but this year, jerusalem might say eid's lights are dimmed. mustafa spent ramadan's final morning preparing -- >> we are making this for my grandkids. >> a traditional palestinian -- but this time of turmoil ramadan has brought no joy. >> everybody here in jerusalem are sad because of the situation. they do not have food or clothing, they live in tents. it is really bad for them, you know. and we support them just, not celebrating. >> was stuff is an islamic scholar and lecturer -- mustafa is an islamic scholar and a member of the council in jerusalem and for the past 12 years has worked at the mosque, the third holiest shrine. >> unfortunately with all of these stories coming from the gaza strip, they had a great impact on our psyche. we are sad.

[call to prayer] >> but each day this ramadan, the compound hosted tens of thousands of worshipers. to break their fasts. and pray together. friday prayers typically attracted more than 100,000 people. this relative peace was kept as a quiet defiance despite hamas's military leader urging palestinians to march. >> we call on all our people not to allow our occupation to impose facts on the ground and we call on resistance fighters and masses of our nations to declare jihad on every battlefield and every arena. >> a benjamin netanyahu spokeswoman. >> that extremist terrorist organizations like hamas, like islamic jihad are trying to inflame the region, and even

further and not just our region, they have already called for attacks on israelis during ramadan. >> but netanyahu rejected calls from his own security minister to ban muslims under 70 from alaxa and restrict access to arab citizens. >> the entry of worshipers to the temple amount will be permitted. >> from jerusalem but also those -- without citizenship did lower the temperature i would say. let's not forget, that those from the west bank only men above 55 and women above 50 were allowed to come to our mosque.

>> i cannot just go. it is like a few kilometers in the north where i am. and i can't just go. >> he is a palestinian author in bethlehem in the west bank. visiting the mosque used to be his highlight. not this year. >> i was deprived from practicing the freedom of worship. also from the freedom of movement. i cannot visit jerusalem. i cannot visit my family members living there. when you are taking jerusalem and not allowing us to visit it, it is like taking something from inside us. >> but his focus remains on gaza , as the u.n. warms a famine and gazans pray on ruins. >> it is very hard not to know someone who was killed in this conflict in gaza. >> he goes to work every day and talks to worshipers about ending the war. >> it is about a call for cease-fire, for sustained humanitarian aid, for, for really like a marshall plan to rebuild the gaza strip. >> but that call feels far off even in the old city. with the sound of nearby gunfire in a war that is miles away but

also close to home. for the pbs newshour, i am nick schifrin. geoff: some 80 years after their wartime efforts, real life rosie the riveters are receiving the nation's highest civilian honor from congress.

john yang has the story. >> the call came clear. wake up, miss america. >> some of them went to work in factories during world war ii to join the war effort. some to help make ends meet while their husbands were fighting the war. >> i have the honor of presenting this medal to rosie the riveter. >> today about 30 of them represented millions of sister workers at the u.s. capitol to receive the congressional gold medal. one of the nation's highest civilian honors. as men went off to war, six million women went off to factories and shipyards, filling the jobs the men had left. between 1940 and 1945, women in the workforce went from 27% to 37%. they were dubbed rosie the riveter, celebrated with an iconic poster, a norman rockwell painting and a popular song. working for victory rosie the riveter a™ a™ >> at age 17, mae went to work as what else, riveter on the b-17's at boeing's plant in seattle. she said she wanted to do her part in the war effort. >> i was rosie the riveter.

we became very patriotic and we did what our country needed. we are so proud of what we were doing. and it makes us proud to realize that we would -- we not only helped save our country helped to save the world. >> and she said she was sending a message across the atlantic. >> i love to tell the story what hitler's set. he said american women couldn't produce he said that we are soft and spoiled and we spent too much time on cosmetic and frivolous things. i think we showed him where what american women were made of. >> when peace came and former gi's went to work, many rosie's their jobs. their service was quickly forgotten. >> after the war, everything was for the men. which they deserve, i do not mean to take that away at all. but the men will tell you, they could not have run the war without with women building, -- i wanted to recognize the women. so many of our women did not realize that they were rosie the riveters. they would build engines and electric systems. they build the tires. we could not of got the plane off the ground without those women. so many of them did not think they are rosie because they did not fall under that category.

it is such a nice honor and i'm so proud to be able to symbolically accept this medal. >> today they got that long overdue recognition. >> we're so proud of the women and young girls who are following our lead. that is one of the greatest things we left behind is what we have done for women. i think that is so important. to all of the rosies everywhere, we have gone down in history. i love that. my last thought is remember these four little words, we can do it! >> now 98 years old, she says she will never forget the day the war ended, seven decades ago. and she will likely never forget

the day when she and the millions of other rosies were honored at the capitol. i'm john yang. geoff: and there is a lot more online, including a look at how some native nations are taking the lead on solutions for climate change. that is at pbs.org/news hour. and join us again here tomorrow night for a look at efforts to develop climate friendly shipping vessels. and that is the newshour for tonight. i am geoff bennett.

for all of us here at the pbs newshour, thanks for joining us. and have a good evening. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> actually you do not need vision to do most things in life. yes, i 'm legally blind. and, yes, i'm am responsible for the user interface. data visualization. if i can see it and understand it quickly, anyone can. it's exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that is the most rewarding thing. people who know, know bdo. >> the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions -- and friends of the newshour, including jim and nancy build there and the robert and virginia schiller foundation. certified financial planner professionals are proud to support pbs newshour. cfp professionals are committed to acting in their clients'

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