Category: World

Amna Nawaz:

An American delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance will soon be leave for Pakistan to resume talks with Iran over the nearly two-month war.

Geoff Bennett:

Iranian officials have been noncommittal about attending the next round of talks. President Trump also sent mixed signals, predicting success, even as he warned the war could drag on.

It follows a tense weekend around the Strait of Hormuz.

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, begins our coverage.

Man:

Motor vessel Touska, motor vessel Touska, vacate your engine room. Vacate your engine room. We’re prepared to subject you to disabling fire.

(Weapons fire)

Liz Landers:

Yesterday, in contested waters, a show of U.S. force. Marines seized and disabled an Iranian cargo ship. U.S. officials alleged the vessel tried to evade its naval cordon. This is the first such interception of the U.S.’s over a week-long blockade of Iranian ports, yet, today, signs of renewed peace talks after a weekend of mixed signals.

A source tells PBS “News Hour” a U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance plans to travel to Pakistan soon. Iran has issued conflicting messages about its plans to attend. The regime’s Foreign Ministry said the U.S. lacks — quote — “seriousness.”

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman (through interpreter):

We witnessed that the United States insisted on bad faith and violation of the cease-fire. We are still in a state of war. A cease-fire has been announced, but unfortunately it has been met from the very beginning with repeated violations.

And the announcement that Iran’s ports and vessels would be targeted by the United States has complicated the situation.

Liz Landers:

Israel, the U.S.’s ally in the war, won’t be participating in the talks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted Israel’s war fighting during a Memorial Day celebration today.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister (through interpreter):

Our pilots control the skies of the region as irrefutable proof of our superiority over the Iranian axis. We have not yet finished the task, but the world already recognizes our determination to defend ourselves, not only to defend ourselves, but to defend humanity from barbaric fanaticism.

Small Israel and our great friend the United States carry the entire Western civilization on their shoulders.

Man:

If you attempt to run the blockade, we will compel compliance with force. Over.

Liz Landers:

The U.S. military released another video today showing their enforcement operations on Iranian ports. The blockade stretches from the eastern tip of Oman to Iran’s border with Pakistan.

(Bell ringing)

Liz Landers:

Meantime, rough sailing on global energy markets. Today’s opening trades were a sharp turnaround from Friday, when oil prices tumbled.

Now climbing oil prices and slipping U.S. stock prices roiled global markets. China, a major importer of Iranian oil, urged U.S. restraint.

Guo Jiakun, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson (through interpreter):

China expresses concern over the United States’ forced interception of relevant vessels, and hopes that the parties concern will act in a responsible manner and create the necessary conditions for the restoration of normal passage through the strait.

Liz Landers:

While the U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This comes as two Indian ships were forced to reverse course in the strait over the weekend following reports of Iranian gunfire.

Man (through interpreter):

Sepah Navy. Sepah Navy. This is motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance to go. My name second on your list. You gave me clearance to go. You are firing now. Let me turn back.

Liz Landers:

Indian officials said today they have been in touch with Iranian counterparts, and since, Saturday’s incident, another ship has safely crossed the strait.

Key Gulf Arab energy producers lost at least 40 percent of their crude oil output in March, according to OPEC, roughly equivalent to the combined output of U.S. oil giants ExxonMobil and Chevron. Yet U.S. officials say pressure, including financial sanctions and maritime enforcement, is intended to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright appeared on CNN yesterday.

Jake Tapper, CNN Host:

When will it be?

Chris Wright, U.S. Energy Secretary:

I think after a deal is reached, after a deal is reached. It won’t be in the too-distant-future. People are ready to go. Ships are there. The United States put through two warships through the straits. We can open it one way or the other. But the best way to do it is to have an end to the conflict and a defanged and de-armed Iran.

We’re also going after their financial tentacles, which are spread all throughout the region and around the world.

Liz Landers:

While ships at both ends of one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors wait for clearance, risking interception from U.S. or Iranian forces, the deadline of the temporary two-week cease-fire draws close.

And even with the vice president heading to Islamabad, that cease-fire appears likely to expire overnight tomorrow, Amna.

Amna Nawaz:

Liz, I know you spoke to President Trump directly this morning about the war in Iran and much more. Tell us about that.

Liz Landers:

I called him around 8:00 a.m. we just had a few minutes to speak on the phone. But I asked him first about this cease-fire, which is expected to expire tomorrow evening. And I said, what happens if there is no deal that is reached by then? And he said, “Then lots of bombs start going off.”

Of course, the United States has not bombed Israel in the last few weeks since the cease-fire has held.

Amna Nawaz:

Iran, rather, not Israel.

(Crosstalk)

Liz Landers:

Or — sorry.

Amna Nawaz:

Yes.

Liz Landers:

Yes, has not bombed Iran. Sorry about that.

I also asked him about Iran participating in these peace talks in Islamabad and whether they would show up and be there. We have questions about that still. The president told me he didn’t know if the Iranians were going to show up, but he did say that the United States agreed to be there. And he said: “That’s fine too if they don’t show up.”

I asked about the key objective for these talks in Islamabad. And he said: “No nuclear weapons. It’s very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Amna Nawaz:

You also asked him this very important question about potential conflicts of interest about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his diplomatic role, because he also has business interests in the Middle East. What did he say about that?

Liz Landers:

Jared Kushner started a venture capital firm in 2021 after the end of the first Trump presidency. It’s called Affinity Partners. And he has raised money from the Saudis, from their public investment fund, and from other countries in the Middle East region.

I asked the president if it was appropriate for Kushner to be negotiating about matters of war and peace in the Middle East while he has this investment fund that has raised money there. He told me — the first quote that he said to me is: “Well, he was there before, a long time before, and he’s purely negotiating for the fact that they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. Whether you have business or not, everyone knows that’s the right thing. He’s a very good negotiator.”

So then I started to ask a follow-up question. The president kept going. And he said: “I sent my A team. I sent my A team. He’s done an excellent job. He doesn’t participate with Saudi now, as you know. He’s taken — he doesn’t do that. He has a business, but he doesn’t participate now.”

Kushner is not actively raising money from the Saudis right now. And we got a statement from his lawyer from Affinity Partners. The chief legal officer, Ian Brekke, told us that: “Affinity had early conversations with its anchor investor and does not intend to take any additional capital while Jared is volunteering for the government. An SEC-registered investment firm, Affinity has abided by all laws and regulations and will continue to do so.”

As a volunteer right now, he is not subject to financial disclosure forms.

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, we saw the energy secretary, Chris Wright, on CNN earlier, and he mentioned he doesn’t foresee gas prices coming down to under $3 a gallon until next year. You asked the president about that. What did he say?

Liz Landers:

This was the last question we got to.

I asked if this was a concern for the upcoming midterm elections in November. The president told me: “I disagree with him totally,” meaning Secretary Wright. “I think it’s going to come roaring down if it ends. If we end it,” meaning the war, “if Iran does what they should do, it will come roaring down.”

The president has said this a number of times, though, I would say, Amna. He keeps saying that gas prices are going to fall. So far, we have not really seen that. Americans are still feeling the pain at the pump.

Amna Nawaz:

Terrific reporting, as always.

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, thank you.

The ousted KP Sharma Oli-led communist government in Nepal used to attack India intermittently through rhetoric. The present Balen Shah-led government, however, has apparently leapt to rolling out policies antagonising India. This time, at the cost of making the Nepali populace suffer. Protests have erupted in many parts of Nepal after the government issued directives enforcing a tax on all items above Nepali Rupee 100 imported from India.

Nepal imposes Rs 100 customs duty on Indian goods

As per the new rules, a mandatory customs duty or Bhansar will be imposed on goods costing more than Rs 100, to curb the loss of national revenue for Nepal. The order to levy customs duty on Indian exports was originally issued by the Oli government around two years ago; however, it could not be implemented at that time.

The move came reportedly after complaints emerged that Nepalese citizens residing in the India-Nepal border areas frequently visited Indian markets for the purchase of household, food, clothing and other items.

There has been an increase in the presence and activities of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF) in border areas to enforce the draconian tax levy on Indian goods.

Confirming the imposition of NRS 100 custom duty on Indian exports, an official from Nepal’s Department of Customs told ANI, “It has always been the government’s policy to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to prevent illegal imports in customs areas. The Customs Act already had a provision requiring duties on goods worth more than 100 rupees. ‘We have become more proactive now.”

High-level team has been formed to monitor the imposition of customs duty on Indian exports

To ensure a strict implementation of the customs duty imposition, a joint monitoring team consisting of the Department of Customs, the Department of Revenue Investigation, District Administration Offices, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force have been formed. Inspections are being conducted by the APF on Nepali people coming back home from the weekly market in  Kakarbhitta, Bhadrapur, Pherniya, and Rupandehi. Nepali citizens have to stand in long queues to have their packages checked by the authorities for Indian goods.

From Jhapa in the east to Kanchanpur in the west, all main and secondary customs points are witnessing intensified crackdowns under the pretext of curbing tax evasion. Besides inspections, the Nepali authorities are also running ‘awareness’ programs to apprise citizens about the new customs duty on Indian goods priced above NRS 100. The move comes across as the Balen Shah government’s diktat to deter Nepali citizens from visiting India and purchasing Indian goods altogether.

In addition to levying customs duty on Indian exports, Nepal, under Prime Minister Balen Shah, has also banned the entry of private vehicles with Indian license plates without prior authorisation.

Earlier, motorbikes with Indian number plates entered Nepal without any harsh restrictions, with many people even using them within the country.

However, the Balen Shah government’s unilateral, stringent policy, in addition to the prohibition on Indian-registered vehicles, has caused massive distress in Nepal’s border districts of Madhesh. The lives of ordinary people have been significantly affected by the Balen Shah government’s unwarranted targeting of India under the pretext of preventing revenue leakage.

Nepali residents in border areas rise in protest  

Local Nepalis who boast of having roti-beti relations with India have expressed immense discontent and slammed the Balen Shah government for its ignorance of the ground realities in the Madhesh region. Many political parties and activists have also extended support to protesting Nepali citizens.

Umesh Yadav, a member of the Central Coordination Committee of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), said the open border between Nepal and India cannot be controlled by those sitting in air-conditioned rooms, be it in Kathmandu or Delhi. “’The open border is a literal and practical truth here. It is completely wrong to impose policies arbitrarily without understanding the concerns of residents from Biratnagar to Nepalgunj,” Yadav said.

Crazy visuals from Indo-Nepal border as Nepali forces SNATCH even small packets from citizens & TAX them 🤯

Balen Shah Govt has imposed a custom duty on every item, even as small as ₹100.
– Thousands of Indian traders in Bihar & Uttarakhand are also hit. Bad signs! pic.twitter.com/7DgZNHcXSw

— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) April 20, 2026

Similarly, Rastriya Swatantra Party and chairman of the Open Border Dialogue Group, Dr Rajiv Jha, said that India and Nepal not only share a geographical border but also maintain social, cultural, religious, and familial ties.

“Setting a limit of 100 rupees in today’s era of inflation is extremely low and impractical; the government must review this immediately,’ Dr Jha said. ‘There should be a clear distinction between simple gifts brought by a daughter visiting from her maternal home and goods for commercial purposes. Food items should be exempt from customs,” Jha said.

Binay Yadav, Chairman of the Rastriya Ekta Dal, went a step ahead and dubbed the Balen Shah government’s move to levy customs duty on Indian goods, “undeclared blockade”.

“This step is against the provisions of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty. The government should immediately remove the customs limit for household items and instruct security personnel to behave in a citizen-friendly manner,” he said, adding that if the directive is not rolled back, a massive protest will erupt in the Indo-Nepal border region.

The Nepali government’s divorced-from-reality move is not only causing immense inconvenience to Nepali citizens but also stoking troubles for Indian traders in the border areas.

In the Banbasa area of Uttarakhand’s Champawat district, Nepali citizens rely on the local Indian market for their daily essentials. Imposing a duty on Indian goods priced above NRS 100 would not only affect trade here but also result in price hikes in Nepal. This will force Nepali traders to procure affordable goods from non-Indian sources.

India-Nepal Border : Protests erupt over tax on imports from India exceeding ₹100. pic.twitter.com/o4UAs8dCcV

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) April 19, 2026

During a protest, a Nepali citizen told ANI, “Whatever the rituals are performed here (Nepal) from birth to death, we bring all the essentials from there (India), even the fertilisers which the Government of Nepal at times is not able to provide on time, we bring them from there. Now the situation has turned different; it is an unannounced blockade. The Jana Adhikar Party demand it to be withdrawn. Failure to control the plunder by the Government of Nepal is its incapacity.”

Another one said, “They’re not allowed to bring in items that cost above NRS 100 without paying tax; we want this provision to end. It has brought us to the protest. They should also respect the relation that exists- the relation of Roti-Beti between India and Nepal. We are demanding that the government give an exemption to the items that cost above NRS 100, which is for domestic use.”

MIAMI (AP) — Voting technology firm Smartmatic is seeking to dismiss a criminal indictment for money laundering, blaming President Donald Trump and his allies for seeking its prosecution as part of a “campaign of retribution” against those they blame for his 2020 election loss.

Smartmatic’s parent company, UK-based SGO Corporation, was added to a criminal indictment last fall previously charging several executives with paying $1 million in bribes to election officials in the Philippines.

In a motion to dismiss the indictment filed Tuesday, attorneys for Smartmatic said the company had been cooperating with the Justice Department since it first learned of its investigation in 2021, including by producing millions of pages of documents and making presentations to federal agents. A trial date for the executives, including co-founder Roger Pinate, had been set and the company believed that it was in the clear.

But when Trump returned to the White House, the Justice Department reversed course and decided to press charges against Smartmatic. Attorneys for the company said the decision was prompted by Trump’s demands to prosecute his perceived enemies and his “mantra” that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election won by Joe Biden — allegations that are at the heart of a $2.7 billion lawsuit filed by Smartmatic against the president’s allies in the media.

“The prosecution of SGO furthers their collective false narrative that President Trump did not actually lose the 2020 election,” Smartmatic said in the filing in Miami federal court.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

READ MORE: Americans are increasingly worried about voting, new poll shows

Attorneys likened the prosecution to the Justice Department’s targeting of Kilmar Armando Ábrego García, a Salvadoran migrant who was criminally charged for conduct years earlier after he successfully sued the Trump administration over its decision to deport him.

In the years since the election, the filing states, “Smartmatic USA has exercised its right to hold those individuals and entities legally accountable for their deluge of defamatory statements and the attendant damage inflicts on its business, putting it squarely in the crosshairs for retribution.”

The criminal case against Smartmatic and its employees stem from payments, between 2015 and 2018, that were allegedly made to obtain a contract with the Philippines government to help run that country’s 2016 presidential election. Pinate, who no longer works for Smartmatic but remains a shareholder, has pleaded not guilty.

As part of the criminal case, prosecutors in August sought the court’s permission to introduce evidence they argue shows that revenue from a $300 million contract with Los Angeles County to help modernize its voting systems was diverted to a ” slush fund” controlled by Pinate through the use of overseas shell companies, fake invoices and other means.

They also accused Pinate of secretly bribing Venezuela’s longtime election chief by giving her a luxury home with a pool in Caracas. Prosecutors say the home was transferred to the election chief in an attempt to repair relations following Smartmatic’s abrupt exit from Venezuela in 2017 when it accused then-President Nicolas Maduro ‘s government of manipulating tallied results in elections for a rubber-stamping constituent assembly.

Smartmatic was founded more than two decades ago by a group of Venezuelans who found early success running elections while the late Hugo Chavez, a devotee of electronic voting, was in power. The company later expanded globally, providing voting machines and other technology to help carry out elections in 25 countries, from Argentina to Zambia.

But Smartmatic has said its business tanked after Fox News gave Trump’s lawyers a platform to paint the company as part of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election.

Fox said it was legitimately reporting on newsworthy events but eventually aired a piece refuting the allegations after Smartmatic’s lawyers complained. Nonetheless, it has aggressively defended itself against the defamation lawsuit in New York — arguing that the company was facing imminent collapse over its own internal misconduct, not due to any negative coverage.

Dealing with grief and trauma can look different for everyone, and a group in Miami has found an unconventional way of helping people cope. Alessandro de Palma of Student Reporting Labs, the PBS News journalism training program, has the story.

Geoff Bennett:

A group in Miami has found an unconventional way of helping people cope with grief and trauma.

Alessandro de Palma from the “News Hour”‘s journalism training program Student Reporting Labs has the story.

Sharon Johnson, Participant, Dance Kickin’ Therapy:

Hello, everyone, I’m Sharon. And I’ve been attending now, and I love it. I take a lot from it. It’s a safe space.

I lost my daughter at the age of 32 and, last year, I lost my husband to lung cancer.

Alessandro de Palma:

Sharon Johnson is one of the many people working through their trauma with each step of this line dancing class.

Sharon Johnson:

I was going through a lot of grief. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know where to put the feelings I was feeling. I didn’t know how to cope with it. Some of the things that even my grief counselor suggested was finding a hobby.

Once I found out about the line dancing, I thought that would be somewhere, because I can express myself. The things that I can’t talk about, I can express it through dance.

Alessandro de Palma:

The classes are run by the Circle of Brotherhood, a nonprofit organization based in Liberty City, Miami, a neighborhood which has historically seen high crime rates. Their goal is to help people dealing with grief and trauma, including victims of gun violence or those like Sharon, coping with any kind of pain and loss.

Sharon Johnson:

I’ve seen people line dance going to parties or clubs and seeing them doing it. It was intimidating at first, but it turned out to be just what I needed.

Alessandro de Palma:

Every Wednesday and Saturday, coach Darryl Thomas can be seen grooving to the music.

Darryl Thomas, Wellness Coordinator, Circle of Brotherhood: Dance kickin’ therapy is the community coming to relieve their stresses, their traumas through line dancing. This room will pack out real quick. It’s going to be a lot of participation from the young to the young at heart. I think our youngest line dancer is 8 and our youngest at heart is 91.

Alessandro de Palma:

And Thomas says he came here after learning that he was injured.

Darryl Thomas:

So I went to the optometrist and found out I had a detached retina. It happened out of the blue. They didn’t want me doing anything because of the strain, right? So I said, well, what am I going to do? I’m an active person. I play pickleball. I play golf. I do all these things and I couldn’t do those things.

I said, what can I do to continue to move around and be active? Line dancing. It started out with 25 people. Now we’re up almost to 60 people per class because the word was spreading through social media, through our Web site, through word of mouth.

Alessandro de Palma:

And the impacts of line dancing are felt in every step. According to a study this year, line dancing benefits mental health in communities by bringing people closer together, encouraging dancers to support each other outside of the classroom.

Sharon Johnson:

This is a type of therapy that can help you express yourself, place your grief or your — whatever it is you’re going through. It may not be grief, but whatever you’re going through, and know how to deal with it.

I’ve been through a lot, and I can tell you life is very short. So the time that I have here, I want to enjoy it and I’m going to enjoy it through dance, line dancing.

Alessandro de Palma:

For PBS News Student Reporting Labs, I’m Alessandro de Palma in Liberty City, Miami.

Geoff Bennett:

Minnesota is still dealing with the fallout from a massive monthslong federal immigration crackdown. Even though the number of agents in the state has dwindled, many immigrants remain fearful.

As special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports, that includes those who entered the country legally.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

The so-called Operation Metro Surge was billed as an effort to remove the — quote — “worst of the worst” from Minnesota.

Tom Homan, White House Border Czar:

President Trump made a promise of mass deportation, and that’s what this country’s going to get.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

But as the operation ramped up in January, the Trump administration announced it was taking new steps to tighten even legal immigration. It launched Operation PARRIS, a reexamination of some 5,600 refugees who arrived legally in Minnesota, but hadn’t yet received their permanent residency, also known as a green card.

Within days, there were reports of refugees being arrested by agents at their homes or when they arrived at a local ICE office after receiving notices to appear. Refugees and advocates sued to block the enforcement.

Seo Gia Vang, Human Rights Activist:

Refugee are among the most care carefully screened groups entering this country. We are simply asking for promises to be kept.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

In late January, a federal government judge temporarily stopped agents from arresting and detaining refugees in Minnesota.

Jay, Refugee (through interpreter):

I didn’t think I would be targeted because I came to the U.S. lawfully.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Jay was admitted to the United States as a refugee late in 2024. We changed his name and aren’t showing his face because he fears for his safety. Before the judge’s ruling in January, Jay received a letter asking him to appear for an interview about his status.

So he took time off from work and showed up at the Whipple Federal Building right behind me just outside of Minneapolis. After hours of waiting, he was called forward, handcuffed, and led to a small room.

Jay (through interpreter):

They didn’t tell me why I was detained, just that my case would be processed quickly. I figured they thought I was a criminal, and once they found out that I wasn’t, they would let me go.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

But Jay wasn’t let go. Instead, he was flown to a detention facility in Texas, he says, with no real explanation.

Jay (through interpreter):

We slept on the floor. We didn’t change clothes. We didn’t take showers. There wasn’t enough food. There wasn’t enough water. It was very hard to keep track of day and night. The inside was horrible. People were just shouting.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

It was days before Jay spoke to a lawyer, whose main advice was not to sign any documents. More than a week after arriving in Texas, Jay got word that a judge ordered his release.

Jay (through interpreter):

Somebody brought a document for me to sign. I asked them, what is this? And I was told that it was a document indicating that I’m leaving the facility.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Did you sign it?

Jay (through interpreter):

Yes, I did sign it because I wasn’t handcuffed or shackled. I felt happy and hopeful to be released. I tried to read it, to understand it. I was hoping it wouldn’t hurt me. I tried to find the word deportation on the document, and it didn’t have that.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

All told, Jay spent 14 days in custody before he was released in Minnesota and reunited with his wife and daughters.

Jay (through interpreter):

From when I arrived in the U.S. until I was detained, life was great. After I was detained, all my hope became kind of dark. The most difficult thing was about my kids and my wife. My daughter didn’t know where I was. She said: “Why don’t you come home?”

I said: “I’m coming. I’m on my way.” I was just kind of tricking her the whole time.

Paschal Nwokocha, Immigration Attorney:

For those who have done what is asked of them, they should not be punished.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Paschal Nwokocha is an immigration attorney in Minneapolis. He says the crackdowns in Minnesota have left a mountain of litigation. By one count, more than 1,000 wrongful detention lawsuits were filed in federal court since December. That’s three times the total filed between 2016 and 2024.

Paschal Nwokocha:

It’s not just going after those who have criminal record. It’s just harassing anybody who looks like me, who looks like you, or who doesn’t fit the mode they have in mind.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Why do you suppose this is happening in the manner that it is?

Paschal Nwokocha:

I don’t know how else to say it that there is a concerted effort by the administration to define or to redefine the demographics of this country.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Now even those who already have permanent residency are finding a narrower path to U.S. citizenship.

Laura cooper, International Institute of Minnesota: They certainly are making the questions harder and more obscure.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Laura cooper is a retired law professor who teaches a class at the International Institute of Minnesota, helping immigrants prepare for the citizenship test. She’s been tracking both changes to the exam and the overall standards to become a citizen.

Laura cooper:

Good moral character is one of the requirements, understandably, for attaining citizenship. It used to be that if you had, for example, a vehicular violation, you paid your ticket and, when you applied for citizenship, you showed that you got a violation and you paid your ticket and that was it.

Now they have said that they will talk to people’s neighbors. So let’s say someone has a neighbor that thinks that this immigrant doesn’t cut his or her lawn properly or doesn’t shovel the snow in time. You wonder whether little things like that a neighbor could say, oh, these people are not good neighbors, they’re not meeting the standards of our community.

Woman:

These Minnesotans are our friends. They’re our neighbors. They’re our colleagues.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

Late last month, the federal judge extended his order protecting Minnesota’s refugees from being detained. It came days after the Department of Homeland Security issued a memo making it official policy that agents can look for and arrest refugees who’ve been in the country for a year, but do not yet have green cards.

Advocates said the move was a dramatic break from past policy.

Mevlude Akay Alp, International Refugee Assistance Project:

Everybody should be disturbed by the administration’s insistence that it has the right to indefinitely detain people who have legal status.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

But in a statement to the “News Hour,” a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it was — quote — “not novel or discretionary. It is a clear requirement in law. The alternative would be to allow fugitive aliens to run rampant through our country with zero oversight. We refuse to let that happen.”

DHS did not respond to broader questions about its enforcement efforts or changes to the citizenship process.

For his part, Jay remains fearful. If he’s arrested again and forced to return to the country he fled, he worries he could be imprisoned or killed.

Jay (through interpreter):

Nobody wants to leave their own country unless conditions are very difficult. They want to improve their lives and leave past trauma behind. So people need to understand that and have mercy on us. I will obey the law. I still want to apply for a green card and adjust my status.

If something worse comes and I don’t have a choice, I will accept it. I want my daughters to get a good education, so they don’t live the life I lived.

Fred de Sam Lazaro:

For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Fred de Sam Lazaro in the Twin Cities.

Geoff Bennett:

President Trump vowed this week not to sign any bills into law until a sweeping new voting bill is passed.

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, takes a closer look at its prospects.

Liz Landers:

Early Sunday morning, hours after returning from Delaware, where he took part in the solemn observance of the return of remains of six U.S. soldiers killed, President Trump posted about the SAVE America Act.

Quote:

“It supersedes everything else,” he wrote, and — quote — “must go to the front of the line. I as president will not sign other bills until this is passed.”

President Donald Trump:

And, perhaps most importantly, I’m asking you to approve the SAVE America Act.

(Cheering)

Liz Landers:

If passed, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America, Act would transform voting in this country in two major ways. It would require all Americans to prove U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and it would require all voters to show an I.D. when voting in person or by mail.

Voters submitting absentee mail ballots would have to provide a photocopy of their I.D. The bill would also require states to frequently review voter rolls and remove any noncitizens. And it would mandate states share voter registration data with the federal government, which most states have refused to do, a move backed by several federal judges.

President Donald Trump:

We don’t want people that aren’t citizens of our country voting. We don’t want people that aren’t studied, and we don’t want people that can’t love our country voting in our elections. So it’s very simple.

Liz Landers:

But it’s not that simple. By any definition, the number of ballots cast illegally and by noncitizens in America elections is incredibly small.

David Becker, Executive Director, Center for Election Innovation and Research: We know our elections are more secure than ever. We know we have more protections and checks and balances against fraud than ever. And we also know that this administration has gone out hunting for fraud with all of the tools of the federal government over the last year, and they have found virtually none.

Liz Landers:

A study by the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security found that, of the 49.5 million voter registrations that were checked for the 2024 election, about 10,000 cases were referred for additional investigation of noncitizenship. That’s roughly 0.02 percent of names processed.

In Georgia, a 2024 audit of its 8.2 million registered voters found only 20 noncitizens who had registered.

Rick Hasen, UCLA School of Law: If you’re a noncitizen and you sign under penalty of perjury that you are a citizen and you’re eligible to vote, you’re committing a felony which could render you not only deportable, but also get you jail time. And for what? For — to have one vote. So it’s really not the way that elections are stolen.

Liz Landers:

And Americans are not overly concerned about the chances of voter fraud. In our new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll out today, 66 percent of Americans are confident their state or local government will run fair elections in November, which is down from 76 percent in October 2024; 33 percent of adults believe the biggest threat to safe and secure elections is voter fraud.

Republicans are much more concerned about this than Democrats.

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary:

You need an I.D. to go and purchase alcohol. You need an I.D. to go to the library and check out a book. And so the president thinks you should have an I.D. to vote in our nation’s elections.

Liz Landers:

But requiring I.D. documents like passports and birth certificates could disenfranchise millions of people.

Rick Hasen:

If you’re poor, you’re moving a lot, you’re say a student who’s gone away to college, you have changed your name because you have gotten married or for some other reasons, all of those people would have more difficulty obtaining these documents.

Liz Landers:

About half of Americans don’t have passports and many do not have a copy of their birth certificate. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents.

And voting rights advocates say the SAVE America Act requirements could disproportionately affect older Americans and low-income voters, another concern, newly married voters. A 2023 Pew survey found that more than 80 percent of women and 5 percent of men change or hyphenate their names after marriage, meaning their passport, birth certificate and other documents may not align, requiring additional paperwork to register to vote.

Tammy Patrick, National Association for Election Administrators: I don’t think there’s anyone that wants ineligible voters to participate in our democracy, full stop. But what we do want to make sure is everyone who is eligible doesn’t have obstacles that they have to overcome in order to participate.

Liz Landers:

When it comes to federal oversight of elections, President Trump’s outside allies are also pressuring him to declare a national emergency around elections. We asked the president about this recently.

Are you considering a national emergency around the midterm election?

President Donald Trump:

Who told you that?

Liz Landers:

There’s been reporting that there’s an executive order, proposed executive order about this. Are you looking at that? Are you considering that?

President Donald Trump:

No.

(Crosstalk)

Liz Landers:

The president has also said he regrets not using the National Guard in 2020 to seize election equipment. Our poll asked Americans how they feel about the National Guard around voting sites. A slim majority of Americans oppose National Guard’s members around polling locations. But 46 percent support this idea.

Democrats and independents overwhelmingly oppose the idea, but 73 percent of Republicans are in favor of having the National Guard monitor voting locations.

Are you surprised that 46 percent of Americans do support the idea of having National Guard’s people outside of voting locations?

David Becker:

I was surprised at that. Look, it is illegal. I,Is against federal law for troops or armed men — that’s the term in the statute — to appear at any voting location. That is 18-USC-592. And hopefully the American people understand it. It is part of our culture that we vote in a safe and secure environment.

Man:

Mr. President.

Man:

Majority Leader.

Liz Landers:

The Senate is poised to take up the bill next week, where it is expected to fail.

For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Liz Landers.

Geoff Bennett:

Now that the Shahed drone threat has arrived in the Middle East, the U.S. and Arab allies formally requested Ukraine’s help. And, this week, Ukrainian troops have arrived to start training.

Nick Schifrin speaks to a Ukrainian official key to that effort.

Nick Schifrin:

And I’m now joined by the adviser on strategic affairs to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksandr Kamyshin.

Oleksandr, thanks very much. Welcome. Good to see you again.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Strategic Affairs Adviser Ukrainian President:

Happy to see you again.

Nick Schifrin:

What is Ukraine now providing to the Middle East now that it is the Middle East that is facing the threat of Shahed drones, as Ukraine has faced for years?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Well, this night, we had probably the biggest in our history, the record high night of the number of Shaheds and missiles coming in, and that was 700-plus. So we’re going through really complicated days, even though we got 11 official requests from Middle East countries.

Nick Schifrin:

Eleven requests across the region.

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

European and U.S. as well, to help with deterring Shaheds in the Middle East. We get over 60,000 of Shaheds for the last year.

We learned now to take more than 90 percent of them down at cheap cost, in efficient way, and that’s probably something we would be happy to share with our partners.

Nick Schifrin:

There’s no one way to shoot these drones down, so the Ukrainians that are arriving in the Middle East, will they bring with them the ability to shoot down the drones, to bring down the drones electronically? What are the capabilities that they’re going to help teach these countries?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

That’s all types of counterdrone solutions. That’s E.W.

Nick Schifrin:

Electronic warfare.

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Yes. That’s sonic acoustic sensors, and that’s drone interceptors. All types of them finally give us the capability to take down over 90 percent of Shaheds.

Nick Schifrin:

How difficult has it been for Ukraine to learn over the years how to create your own technology to do this on a cheap basis regularly?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Well, Nick, last time we met, three years ago, we would not produce so much. Now we have learned how to produce Zbroya. That’s Ukrainian name for weapon.

The drone interceptor cost is less than $5,000. The cheapest ones are roughly $2,000. Considering the cost of Shahed, because some of them cost from $50,000 to $150,000, that’s pretty much efficient. And, at this point, the fast relief is sending some assets and some trainers to them, and later we would be happy to go on with investments, joint procurement, joint production, whatever.

Nick Schifrin:

Is that Ukraine’s long-term goal to get some of this international investment to build up its own capabilities?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Exactly. There is a drone deal in discussion between U.S. administration and my President Zelenskyy, and we would be happy if the drone deals finally happens and we will have joint production of Ukrainian Zbroya in U.S.

Nick Schifrin:

As part of that drone deal, a senior Ukrainian official tells “PBS News Hour” that, last August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Ukrainian anti-drone technology to help defend the Middle East. The official says the offer received no formal reply until Iranian drones started landing in the Gulf 11 days ago.

What has been the United States, what has been the Trump administration’s role in trying to get some of this Ukrainian technology into the Middle East?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

At some point, there was a discussion that my president doesn’t have cards.

President Donald Trump:

You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying.

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Looks like the card is already in his hands, and looks like the card is called Zbroya. That’s Ukrainian weapon. We are happy to share the lessons learned.

Nick Schifrin:

Has Russia been improving Shahed drone technology that originally, of course, came from Iran, in order for these Shaheds to be better at evading air defense? Have you seen that in Ukraine? And do you know whether that technology has been transferred to Iran?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Indeed, Nick, they made it better in Russia. They innovate well. We have to accept it. And at this point, we know that they share back to Iran not only the technology, but also some components.

Some drones taken down in the Gulf have Russian components produced in Russia. So, finally, it’s both-way exchange of the technology between Iran and Russia.

Nick Schifrin:

And, finally, is Ukraine worried that, with the world’s attention on Iran and the Middle East, the United States’ attention on air defense for its own bases in the Middle East, that Ukraine will get fewer weapons?

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

We are helping to make secure Gulf. And we believe that we will still keep the same support from U.S., from Europe, from all our strategic partners, and we will get more with helping the Gulf.

The axis of evil is working well. They support each other in a very strong way. I strongly believe that all the allies, all the free world, as I say, will stand together. And with things we learn how to produce in Ukraine, with resources you have, we will make the free world safer.

Nick Schifrin:

Adviser on Strategic Affairs to President Zelenskyy Oleksandr Kamyshin, thank you very much.

Oleksandr Kamyshin:

Thank you, Nick.

For more than 10 days, Iran has used Shahed drones to target American bases, killing U.S. troops and hitting civilian infrastructure facilities. But long before they flew across the Middle East, Shaheds fired by Russia targeted Ukrainian troops and infrastructure. Special correspondent Jack Hewson reports from Kharkiv, where he spoke with frontline forces who have experience facing the drones.

Geoff Bennett:

For more than 10 days, Iran has unleashed one weapon in particular at countries that host U.S. troops. Shahed drones have targeted American bases, killing U.S. troops and hitting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities.

But long before they flew across the Middle East, Shaheds fired by Russia targeted Ukrainian troops and infrastructure. We have two looks at the drone threat, starting with special correspondent Jack Hewson, one of the few foreign correspondents who reported from Kharkiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Jack returns to that Eastern Ukrainian city to meet frontline troops, who have more experience facing Shahed drones than anyone else.

Jack Hewson:

Kharkiv’s air war doesn’t begin in the city. It starts out here in the fields and villages that lie between the front line and the regional capital.

We’re on our way to a position about 20 kilometers from the Russian line in Izyum in Kharkiv province. And, strangely, even though we’re a long way from Kharkiv, the city itself, this is where air defense actually begins. Shahed fly over this area in the direction of the city, and it’s here that they’re intercepted. And it’s also where they intercept Russian observation drones as well.

Notice the nets. That’s to protect cars like ours. Making this journey more harrowing is the fact that short-range first-person view, or FPV, drones have hit vehicles here. They have an expanded range and are now guided by fiber-optic cable to evade electronic jamming.

“Asket”:

Everything which is closer than 40 kilometers could be destroyed by Russian drones, by different types of drones, not only FPV drones but Lancet and a lot of other types of Russian drones.

Jack Hewson:

Drone and missile strikes, many launched from deep inside Russia have hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s most bombarded city, for years. And it’s only getting worse.

In addition to attack drones, Russian forces fly reconnaissance drones and longer-range Iranian-made Shaheds across this area and into Kharkiv city itself. To counter, Ukraine has developed reconnaissance and interceptor drones of its own and pushed its air defense network out towards the front line, trying to intercept before they reach the city.

They operate from below ground, hiding from Russian recon drones like the ZALA and Orlan. The latter is a direct threat to Kharkiv city, helping to guide missiles and Shahed drones onto their targets. They also threaten frontline troops. We blurred some images at the unit’s request to protect the unit’s operational security.

“Smile” (through interpreter):

The Orlan knocks out our units. They knock out our people, our equipment. They also actively knock out our artillery. Due to its relatively powerful zoom, it has both optical and digital zoom. It sees very far and it has the ability to help target both guided munitions and artillery. It can target just everything.

Jack Hewson:

But one of the most difficult targets for these pilots is the Shahed.

Kucheriavyi, Pilot, 115th Ukraine Mech. Brigade (through interpreter): Because it flies low and is very difficult to detect, plus the fall weather conditions, and it simply flies fast.

Jack Hewson:

Despite the challenges, Ukrainian crews are scoring hits like this one, but for every hit, many more slip through. There is a constant race to keep up with each innovation and counterinnovation in tactics and technology between the Hunter and the hunted.

According to Commander Mer, the evolution continues and, as their crews adapt, so do the Russians.

“Mer” (through interpreter):

Now the Shaheds are even being equipped with radio-electronic interference systems to interfere with our interceptor. The enemy also plays with the altitude and at the same time he began to launch a much larger number of Shaheds in one group.

That is, before the group consisted of three or four enemy Shaheds. Now this group, their number has increased to eight or nine.

Jack Hewson:

According to the commander, innovation happens primarily on the battlefield supported by start-ups and NGOs.

“Mer” (through interpreter):

The state can only provide what has already proven itself and has results. What has proven itself and has results is no longer effective on the battlefield. Such dynamics mean that we have to try. We have to constantly put the latest technologies in place and gamble with what works.

Jack Hewson:

To understand what they’re up against, the unit takes us to examine one of the drones they have recently brought down. This one had a gasoline-powered propeller motor, allowing it to travel at up to 115 miles an hour, but newer models are presenting bigger challenges.

“Akusher” (through interpreter):

Their warhead has from 40 to 50 kilograms of explosives, and they have already modified the design of the Shahed itself in the structure and are doubling the warhead.

I would also like to add that they are pioneering using jet engines. True, they haven’t been detected in our zone yet, but these are also their changes, their tactics.

Jack Hewson:

And with jet-powered Shahed coming to this war, with top speeds of more than 310 miles per hour, Ukraine’s air defense teams will continue to have their work cut out.

For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Jack Hewson in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

In our news wrap Wednesday, a series of tornadoes killed at least two people in Indiana and leveled homes and businesses in Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security reactivated its Global Entry program and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was warned of the “reputational risk” in appointing Peter Mandelson as U.S. Ambassador due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Geoff Bennett:

In the day’s other headlines: A series of tornadoes killed at least two people in Northwestern Indiana and leveled homes and businesses in neighboring Illinois. An elderly couple was killed when a tornado struck their home in Lake Village, Indiana. Fire officials there say at least 10 others were injured.

And in Kankakee, Illinois, a tornado flattened entire neighborhoods. Residents were left in shock, while the city’s mayor expressed relief that lives were spared.

Woman:

It was just devastation. It reminded me of the movie “Twister.”

Christopher Curtis, Mayor of Kankakee, Illinois: We’re very fortunate that where the tornado did come through at the city of Kankakee was mostly our commercial industrial area, and not heavy residential area, but it has suffered significant damage.

Geoff Bennett:

That same weather system swamped roads in places in and around Grand Rapids, Michigan, and reportedly dropped hail the size of golf balls. And there’s more bad weather ahead. Widespread storms with damaging winds will stretch from Houston, Texas, all the way through the mid-Atlantic and up to Philadelphia.

The Department of Homeland Security reactivated its global entry program early this morning. The fast-track service for preapproved travelers entering the U.S. was paused last month because of the partial government shutdown.

A DHS spokesperson said the decision was intended to help alleviate the disruptions to travelers caused by the shutdown. A handful of U.S. airports have seen long security lines and delays lasting for hours in recent days amid a shortage of airport screeners.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was warned of the reputational risk in appointing Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. That’s according to documents released today by the British government. The 147-page report lays out Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, as well as unrelated financial issues.

Mandelson was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged. Cabinet minister Darren Jones said the government fell short in its due diligence of Mandelson and that Epstein’s victims are their first priority.

Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to U.K. Prime Minister: Peter Mandelson’s behavior was an insult to them and their suffering. I am therefore sorry that these events leave those victims with no choice but to relive their horrors with still too little justice being served.

Geoff Bennett:

Meantime, in Washington, Epstein’s longtime accountant Richard Kahn told lawmakers today that he was, in his words, not aware of the nature or extent of Epstein’s abuse until after his death.

That’s according to opening remarks obtained by reporters ahead of a closed-door deposition by the House Oversight Committee. Kahn remains an executor of Epstein’s estate and also denies any wrongdoing.

Seven members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team remain in Australia, an Australian government official said today. That’s as the rest of their teammates head back to a country now at the center of a widening war. The players had traveled to Australia for the Asian Women’s Cup just before the war started.

Six of the women have accepted humanitarian visas that will allow them to remain in Australia for good. A seventh who had initially sought asylum has since decided to return to Iran, a decision supported by Australia’s home affairs minister.

Tony Burke, Australia Home Affairs Minister:

In Australia, people are able to change their mind. People are able to travel. And so we respect the context in which she has made that decision. For every member of this delegation, they have been shown a respect by Australia that would be unfamiliar to them in Iran.

Geoff Bennett:

Also today, Iran’s sports minister told state television that — quote — “under no circumstances” would the men’s team participate in this summer’s soccer World Cup, which is being hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Those comments came hours after FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino said that President Trump told him Iran would be welcome.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed as oil prices turned higher and investors digested the latest report on inflation. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 300 points on the day. The Nasdaq managed a slight gain of almost 20 points. The S&P 500 closed just barely in the red.

Geoff Bennett:

The decision by the International Energy Agency, or IEA, to tap into oil reserves is historic in its size and scope; 400 million barrels dwarfs the number of barrels that were released after Russia invaded Ukraine.

But there are many questions about whether this more ambitious effort will stop a surge in oil and gas prices if the war endures.

To explore some of these questions, we’re joined now by Clay Seigle, a senior fellow in the Energy, Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Thank you for being with us.

So the IEA has not laid out a clear timeline for when this release could begin, but in your view, how quickly could it hit the market and how much relief could it provide?

Clayton Seigle, Center for Strategic and International Studies: Good evening.

The oil that is expected from the IEA’s strategic drawdowns could hit the market relatively quickly. It’s a little bit of a function of whether industry, meaning the oil companies that are connected to those reserves, are ready to receive those barrels or if they have other commercial operations that are taking up bandwidth.

But, for the most part, as soon as the decision is made, within days, that oil can begin flowing to industry.

Geoff Bennett:

And President Trump has said that the U.S. will tap the Strategic Oil Reserve. Of course, as you well know, those strategic reserves are typically used for short-term disruptions, not prolonged crises. How much can this effectively stabilize prices?

Clayton Seigle:

It all depends on the duration of the disruption.

So the 20 million barrels per day of oil that come from the Mideast Gulf and supplied world markets is really must-have for global economic prosperity and the kind of prices, inflation, economic conditions that we’re used to.

So what a measure like drawing down reserves from the International Agency and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve can do is buy us more time. They can extend a lifeline for us to complete the operation in the Gulf and reach a postwar settlement with the Iranians that will bring security back to the region and allow those exports to flow again.

So it can buy us more time, but it’s not a substitute to getting those exports going again. It’s really just a temporary measure.

Geoff Bennett:

A lifeline, yet not a substitute. How much oil, how much of America’s reserves could be tapped here?

Clayton Seigle:

Well, the reserve is only about 60 percent full, following that big drawdown that you mentioned from 2022. And the thing about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is it’s designed to draw down very quickly, which is what was done a few years ago.

But because of the plumbing and other considerations, it can only be refilled very gradually. And that’s why we’re only at about the 60 percent level. So I think that U.S. policymakers will probably be very judicious in deciding the volumes that they want to commit to this, but also, again, with an eye toward how soon the cause of the problem, which is the blockage in the Middle East Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, can be resolved.

Think of the lifeline like this. If you lose your job, and maybe we all have, hopefully, you have an emergency fund or rainy day fund in the bank that you can use to pay the bills until you get a new paycheck. It’s not instead of getting a new job and a paycheck. It’s in addition to for the short term.

So you still need to get that job and the paycheck going again. And the world still needs to get that oil from the Mideast Gulf flowing to market.

Geoff Bennett:

Yes.

The IEA has only done this five times before, including twice after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How much difference did those releases actually make for supply and prices?

Clayton Seigle:

That was a really interesting case study from 2022 because the market was facing the prospect of five million barrels per day of Russian oil potentially being removed from the market.

And, famously, crude prices soared to $130 per barrel, United States pump prices, what we pay at the gasoline station, $5 a gallon. And that’s the nationwide average. It was a lot higher in certain states. But that was all just fearing five million barrels a day disappearing. At the end of the day, those Russian barrels didn’t disappear from the market.

They were just reshuffled to other buyers around the world. And so once that happened, the oil that had been released from the drawdowns stayed on the market and kept prices lower for longer.

Geoff Bennett:

Beyond tapping the reserve, what other tools do governments actually have to stabilize energy markets in a crisis like this?

Clayton Seigle:

You know, the supply-side interventions are pretty limited in their potential to help. And so the Trump administration is reportedly considering a lot of different tools in the toolkit, everything from the Treasury potentially intervening in the oil futures market to put a short position to backstopping insurance for the oil and gas cargoes that have been stranded, pending safer conditions to transit through the Gulf and the strait.

And then there’s also consideration of other measures, like waiving certain environmental specifications on the handling and processing of refined products like gasoline, jet fuel, diesel.

But I just have to stress that all of these measures can really only buy us a little bit more time and partially offset the missing barrels from the Mideast Gulf. There’s also some measures that folks in the region are taking. And so Saudi Arabia in particular has the ability to redirect some of its Gulf exports, not all of them, but some of their exports from the Strait of Hormuz and bypass that area and send it out through the west coast of Saudi Arabia into the Red Sea.

But those volumes are also limited. And then you potentially have to deal with other threats to shipping, notably from the Houthi militia that has plagued commercial shipping for years in that part of the world. We could see that again.

Geoff Bennett:

Clay Seigle, thanks so much for your insights.

Clayton Seigle:

Thank you.