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00:00:04,295 --> 00:00:07,090
[Hassan] This is         
     central Kharkiv, and this is

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00:00:07,132 --> 00:00:09,175
what Russian bombs have done.

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00:00:09,217 --> 00:00:11,845
Residential buildings      
              have been hit.

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00:00:11,886 --> 00:00:14,097
speaking Russian

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00:00:14,139 --> 00:00:16,516
We're very close to where     
     the Russian separatists are.

6
00:00:16,558 --> 00:00:18,935
speaking Russian        
              Get down.

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00:00:18,977 --> 00:00:20,645
Putin says            
       that this is not a war.

8
00:00:20,687 --> 00:00:21,855
speaking Russian

9
00:00:21,896 --> 00:00:23,023
[Hassan]   What is your feeling

10
00:00:23,064 --> 00:00:24,315
towards Russia now?

11
00:00:24,357 --> 00:00:26,693
speaking Russian

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00:00:26,735 --> 00:00:28,194
[Paola]   If I am knowingly     
             driving someone

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00:00:28,236 --> 00:00:29,696
to get an abortion,

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00:00:29,738 --> 00:00:31,031
-can someone sue me?       
              -You bet.

15
00:00:31,072 --> 00:00:32,365
[Paola]   SB 8 has created

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00:00:32,407 --> 00:00:34,533
this very dangerous culture.

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00:00:34,575 --> 00:00:36,703
We're seeing           
     bodily autonomy be attacked.

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00:00:36,745 --> 00:00:39,205
That includes trans        
         and nonbinary folks.

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00:00:39,247 --> 00:00:42,709
We've never been secretive    
          about our family.

20
00:00:42,751 --> 00:00:44,878
But this is a time        
        when private citizens

21
00:00:44,919 --> 00:00:45,879
can report you.

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00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,547
Will this stop you?

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00:00:47,589 --> 00:00:50,550
discordant          
            electronic music

24
00:01:07,692 --> 00:01:10,653
melancholy music

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00:01:19,621 --> 00:01:21,705
[Hassan]             
     We're on our way to Kharkiv,

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the second-largest city      
     in Ukraine and currently one

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of the most dangerous areas    
           in the country.

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00:01:26,961 --> 00:01:29,923
It was one of the first places 
       to be attacked by Russia

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at the start           
      of this all-out offensive.

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Kharkiv is just 26 miles     
        from the Russian border,

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and many of the people     
              who live here

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are ethnically Russian.

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Locals do business        
           and have families

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across the border,

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so it wasn't uncommon to find

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those who supported       
         the Russian government.

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Not anymore.

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This is central Kharkiv,     
        and there are streets

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that have been          
        completely destroyed,

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like this, all over the city.

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00:01:57,826 --> 00:02:00,411
This is a region that has     
    close cultural ties to Russia.

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00:02:00,453 --> 00:02:01,955
It's a Russian-speaking city.

43
00:02:01,996 --> 00:02:05,375
Yet this is what Russian bombs 
       have done to this area.

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00:02:05,416 --> 00:02:08,711
The fighting has started     
         to intensify again.

45
00:02:08,753 --> 00:02:11,631
We can hear a lot of explosions 
         throughout the day.

46
00:02:11,673 --> 00:02:14,134
This is a business center,    
            and there are

47
00:02:14,174 --> 00:02:16,219
buildings like this        
       that have been destroyed

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00:02:16,261 --> 00:02:17,804
everywhere you go.

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00:02:21,141 --> 00:02:24,144
[jets roaring]

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00:02:24,185 --> 00:02:27,147
energetic music

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00:02:29,190 --> 00:02:31,985
When Russia invaded Ukraine   
            on February 24th,

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00:02:32,026 --> 00:02:35,113
U.S. officials claimed     
       that Vladimir Putin believed

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00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:38,158
he could take Kharkiv      
            in just 48 hours.

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00:02:39,993 --> 00:02:42,537
But ethnic Russians       
       didn't welcome the invaders.

55
00:02:42,579 --> 00:02:45,165
Instead, locals,        
        facing missiles and death,

56
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rallied together.

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00:02:46,875 --> 00:02:48,626
The scale of the destruction

58
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and the use of cluster bombs

59
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led Ukraine's          
           President Zelenskyy

60
00:02:52,213 --> 00:02:54,340
to call the attacks       
            on central Kharkiv

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00:02:54,382 --> 00:02:56,217
a war crime.

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[Zelenskyy]   speaking Ukrainian

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00:03:07,811 --> 00:03:09,689
[power tools whirring]

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00:03:12,025 --> 00:03:13,860
Every day,           
        Kharkiv's rescue services

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00:03:13,902 --> 00:03:15,195
risk their lives

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00:03:15,236 --> 00:03:17,322
looking through the rubble   
              for survivors

67
00:03:17,363 --> 00:03:19,282
and recovering the bodies    
               of civilians

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00:03:19,323 --> 00:03:21,326
who've been killed.

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somber music

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00:03:29,334 --> 00:03:32,212
[Volodymyr]   speaking Russian

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[Hassan]   At least half      
         of Kharkiv's population

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are thought to have fled    
                the city,

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00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,350
but some            
          of the older residents

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00:03:45,391 --> 00:03:46,850
remained in their homes,

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like the woman who lived here,

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00:03:48,727 --> 00:03:51,898
73-year-old grandmother     
             Natalia Balenko.

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00:03:55,944 --> 00:03:59,072
Her body has been        
     under the rubble for ten days.

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00:03:59,113 --> 00:04:00,365
[Volodymyr]   speaking Russian

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00:04:05,828 --> 00:04:08,581
[Hassan]   So many people      
           have left this city.

80
00:04:08,623 --> 00:04:11,084
Was it ever something       
        that you considered?

81
00:04:11,125 --> 00:04:12,752
Fleeing from this war?

82
00:04:12,794 --> 00:04:14,963
speaking Russian

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00:04:23,429 --> 00:04:26,933
[Hassan]   You're speaking to me 
        in Russian, not Ukrainian.

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00:04:26,975 --> 00:04:28,851
This city has

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00:04:28,893 --> 00:04:32,105
a historical relationship     
             with Russia.

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00:04:32,146 --> 00:04:34,607
What is your feeling       
         towards Russia now?

87
00:04:34,649 --> 00:04:37,026
speaking Russian

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00:04:54,002 --> 00:04:55,336
[Hassan]   The city         
              has long shown

89
00:04:55,378 --> 00:04:56,921
its conflicted identities

90
00:04:56,963 --> 00:05:00,383
when it comes to Ukraine    
               and Russia.

91
00:05:00,425 --> 00:05:04,137
In 2014, the pro-European    
            Maidan Revolution

92
00:05:04,177 --> 00:05:09,017
engulfed Kyiv and spread    
     to other parts of the country.

93
00:05:09,058 --> 00:05:10,893
Kharkiv was no exception.

94
00:05:10,935 --> 00:05:13,855
[people chanting]

95
00:05:13,896 --> 00:05:16,691
But the pro-Russian opposition 
          to the Maidan movement

96
00:05:16,733 --> 00:05:18,151
was fierce.

97
00:05:18,192 --> 00:05:20,278
Counter-protesters stormed   
           government buildings

98
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:21,571
and clashed violently

99
00:05:21,612 --> 00:05:24,782
with pro-Ukrainian       
              demonstrators.

100
00:05:24,824 --> 00:05:27,285
Pro-Russian separatists     
             quickly took 1/3

101
00:05:27,327 --> 00:05:29,495
of the eastern regions      
         of Donetsk and Luhansk

102
00:05:29,537 --> 00:05:33,166
with military and financial   
        help from Vladimir Putin.

103
00:05:33,207 --> 00:05:36,336
The conflict continued     
        over the next eight years,

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00:05:36,377 --> 00:05:39,005
killing 14,000 people.

105
00:05:39,047 --> 00:05:41,841
But throughout the fighting, 
        Kharkiv has stayed firmly

106
00:05:41,883 --> 00:05:44,677
under Ukrainian control,     
        and it remains that way,

107
00:05:44,719 --> 00:05:46,137
despite the devastation

108
00:05:46,179 --> 00:05:47,680
it's witnessed         
           since the invasion.

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00:05:47,722 --> 00:05:49,849
somber music

110
00:05:49,891 --> 00:05:52,185
In January,           
       before the Russian invasion,

111
00:05:52,226 --> 00:05:54,687
we traveled to the front line 
          in the Luhansk region,

112
00:05:54,729 --> 00:05:56,022
southeast of Kharkiv,

113
00:05:56,064 --> 00:05:58,191
where Ukrainian soldiers    
           were still fighting

114
00:05:58,232 --> 00:05:59,400
the separatists.

115
00:06:00,860 --> 00:06:05,073
[soldier]             
         speaking native language

116
00:06:08,409 --> 00:06:10,328
[Hassan]   We just have       
               to run here,

117
00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:11,996
really quickly,          
       because we're very close

118
00:06:12,038 --> 00:06:13,414
to where             
     the Russian separatists are,

119
00:06:13,456 --> 00:06:15,041
so this is            
       a very dangerous point.

120
00:06:16,918 --> 00:06:19,295
[soldier]             
         speaking native language

121
00:06:19,337 --> 00:06:21,714
-[translator] Get down.      
         -[soldier] Get down.

122
00:06:21,756 --> 00:06:23,883
[Hassan]   They were poised     
            for a new invasion

123
00:06:23,925 --> 00:06:25,551
whilst also defending      
               their posts

124
00:06:25,593 --> 00:06:27,677
in the ongoing war.

125
00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,765
How far away from here are     
     the separatists right now?

126
00:06:30,807 --> 00:06:32,225
speaking native language

127
00:06:33,768 --> 00:06:35,395
[Hassan]             
         But in towns like this,

128
00:06:35,436 --> 00:06:39,232
the war divided communities   
            and even families.

129
00:06:39,273 --> 00:06:42,151
Do you believe that you have    
    the support of the civilians

130
00:06:42,193 --> 00:06:45,905
who live in Eastern Ukraine,    
    or do you think some of them

131
00:06:45,947 --> 00:06:50,410
might prefer to be under     
        the control of Russia?

132
00:06:50,451 --> 00:06:53,454
speaking native language

133
00:07:24,777 --> 00:07:26,903
[Hassan]   Russia thought      
       those attitudes would aid it

134
00:07:26,946 --> 00:07:28,573
in its mission         
             to take Ukraine,

135
00:07:28,614 --> 00:07:30,992
but in Kharkiv         
           and across the east,

136
00:07:31,033 --> 00:07:33,369
it was met           
          by fierce resistance.

137
00:07:33,411 --> 00:07:35,496
So Putin then turned

138
00:07:35,538 --> 00:07:37,874
to his playbook,        
            crafted in Syria,

139
00:07:37,915 --> 00:07:39,792
where it was brutally used   
                to prop up

140
00:07:39,834 --> 00:07:42,879
the country's president,    
             Bashar al-Assad.

141
00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,715
There and in Ukraine,      
              Russian troops

142
00:07:45,756 --> 00:07:47,967
targeted            
         civilian infrastructures

143
00:07:48,009 --> 00:07:49,969
and tried to besiege      
            and cut off cities

144
00:07:50,011 --> 00:07:51,637
from water and fuel.

145
00:07:52,513 --> 00:07:55,475
speaking Arabic

146
00:08:04,984 --> 00:08:06,860
[Hassan]   Those tactics      
              have destroyed

147
00:08:06,903 --> 00:08:09,906
any public friendly feelings 
           towards Russia here.

148
00:08:09,947 --> 00:08:12,825
[people shouting]

149
00:08:14,660 --> 00:08:16,287
This hospital is one       
            of the closest

150
00:08:16,329 --> 00:08:17,455
to the front line.

151
00:08:17,497 --> 00:08:19,957
We're only 30 kilometers     
          away from Russia.

152
00:08:19,999 --> 00:08:23,127
A lot of the injured civilians 
     and soldiers are brought here.

153
00:08:23,169 --> 00:08:25,505
We can also hear        
            constant shelling

154
00:08:25,546 --> 00:08:27,089
in the background.

155
00:08:27,131 --> 00:08:30,051
With Russia attacking      
        hospitals in other cities,

156
00:08:30,092 --> 00:08:32,386
patients here are being held 
              in corridors,

157
00:08:32,428 --> 00:08:34,639
because they offer       
             more protection.

158
00:08:34,680 --> 00:08:38,017
[patient]   speaking Russian

159
00:08:51,072 --> 00:08:53,741
[Oleksandr]            
         speaking native language

160
00:08:58,162 --> 00:08:59,705
[Hassan]             
        Dima Kisianov was injured

161
00:08:59,747 --> 00:09:01,123
in a Russian rocket strike

162
00:09:01,165 --> 00:09:04,168
which damaged his brain,    
           lungs, and stomach.

163
00:09:06,462 --> 00:09:10,091
Dr. Dukhovskyy is Kharkiv's   
         chief pediatric surgeon.

164
00:09:10,132 --> 00:09:11,801
He's been living         
            at the hospital

165
00:09:11,842 --> 00:09:14,053
since the bombardment began.

166
00:09:14,470 --> 00:09:16,472
[Oleksandr]            
         speaking native language

167
00:09:29,443 --> 00:09:31,904
That's in his--          
        shrapnel in his spine?

168
00:09:32,405 --> 00:09:35,616
[Oleksandr]            
         speaking native language

169
00:09:48,170 --> 00:09:50,214
-Sorry.              
         -[Hassan] It's okay.

170
00:09:53,467 --> 00:09:54,927
-Sorry.              
         -[Hassan] It's okay.

171
00:09:54,969 --> 00:09:57,096
speaking native language

172
00:10:10,067 --> 00:10:12,903
[Hassan]   Despite         
        Dukhovskyy's best efforts,

173
00:10:12,945 --> 00:10:16,115
Dima died a few days later.

174
00:10:16,157 --> 00:10:17,617
He was eight years old.

175
00:10:17,658 --> 00:10:20,119
somber music

176
00:10:20,161 --> 00:10:22,622
Kharkiv's morgues        
             are overflowing,

177
00:10:22,663 --> 00:10:25,374
so bodies are being stored   
                 outside.

178
00:10:27,126 --> 00:10:29,086
There are just rows       
         and rows of bodies here,

179
00:10:29,128 --> 00:10:31,088
and there's even more      
            in the basements.

180
00:10:31,130 --> 00:10:33,007
The vast majority that      
     we're seeing are civilians.

181
00:10:33,049 --> 00:10:34,925
There are some soldiers,     
               as well,

182
00:10:34,967 --> 00:10:37,803
and we know that there are    
          a lot more inside.

183
00:10:37,845 --> 00:10:40,348
Even in their death,      
       they can't escape this war,

184
00:10:40,389 --> 00:10:42,266
because we can constantly hear 
                the sound

185
00:10:42,308 --> 00:10:44,935
of incoming           
       and outgoing fire, as well.

186
00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:48,814
[explosion]

187
00:10:50,524 --> 00:10:52,902
[people]             
             speaking Russian

188
00:10:55,988 --> 00:10:58,949
tense music

189
00:11:03,454 --> 00:11:05,081
We've just had to run inside

190
00:11:05,122 --> 00:11:06,749
because of a huge explosion    
               outside.

191
00:11:06,791 --> 00:11:08,000
We don't know what it is.

192
00:11:13,881 --> 00:11:15,174
That's what happened.

193
00:11:15,216 --> 00:11:16,842
That's what we heard happen    
        when we were filming.

194
00:11:16,884 --> 00:11:20,346
Because this city is only     
     around 30 to 40 kilometers,

195
00:11:20,388 --> 00:11:22,598
at different locations,      
       from the Russian border,

196
00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,267
it's always            
         within firing range,

197
00:11:25,309 --> 00:11:28,813
and that means absolutely     
       everywhere is a threat.

198
00:11:28,854 --> 00:11:31,524
Two members of Ukraine's    
        Territorial Defense Force

199
00:11:31,565 --> 00:11:33,859
have been killed        
              in the attack.

200
00:11:33,901 --> 00:11:35,903
Rescue crews remove        
          still-burning rubble

201
00:11:35,945 --> 00:11:37,530
to try and find victims.

202
00:11:37,571 --> 00:11:40,574
speaking Russian

203
00:11:46,414 --> 00:11:50,334
speaking native language

204
00:12:15,359 --> 00:12:17,403
[Hassan]   As the war enters    
             its third month,

205
00:12:17,445 --> 00:12:19,488
Russia continues to claim    
            it's carrying out

206
00:12:19,530 --> 00:12:21,323
a clean special operation.

207
00:12:22,408 --> 00:12:25,286
[civilian]            
         speaking native language

208
00:12:32,626 --> 00:12:36,005
So Putin says that this is    
   a special operation, not a war.

209
00:12:36,046 --> 00:12:37,423
What do you say about that?

210
00:12:37,465 --> 00:12:40,468
speaking native language

211
00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,072
[Hassan]   Increasingly,

212
00:13:02,114 --> 00:13:04,533
Russian president        
         Vladimir Putin's tactics

213
00:13:04,575 --> 00:13:06,702
appear to include        
         indiscriminate bombings,

214
00:13:06,744 --> 00:13:08,454
like they did in Syria.

215
00:13:08,496 --> 00:13:10,164
And as his troops        
             are withdrawing

216
00:13:10,206 --> 00:13:12,500
from parts of Ukraine,     
        more evidence is emerging

217
00:13:12,541 --> 00:13:16,462
of potential          
           Russian war crimes.

218
00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:19,215
So far, Moscow has been     
        denying these allegations,

219
00:13:19,256 --> 00:13:22,551
but in a city that once had   
          close ties to Russia,

220
00:13:22,593 --> 00:13:25,471
the damage is done.

221
00:13:25,513 --> 00:13:27,598
Nearly two weeks        
          after she was killed,

222
00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,185
the family of Natalia Balenko   
     was finally able to bury her.

223
00:13:34,271 --> 00:13:35,523
[pallbearer]           
         speaking native language

224
00:13:39,026 --> 00:13:41,320
[Hassan] This war has been    
          so unpredictable,

225
00:13:41,362 --> 00:13:43,906
and no one knows         
        how it's going to end,

226
00:13:43,948 --> 00:13:45,991
but the one thing we do know   
             is that it's

227
00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:47,827
the poorest            
       and the most vulnerable

228
00:13:47,868 --> 00:13:49,495
who will suffer the most,

229
00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:51,997
and there'll be          
       many, many more victims.

230
00:13:52,039 --> 00:13:54,625
[mourners]            
         speaking native language

231
00:14:03,050 --> 00:14:06,010
dramatic music

232
00:14:08,722 --> 00:14:11,684
suspenseful          
            electronic music

233
00:14:24,405 --> 00:14:27,825
We're about to meet a family   
     with a transgender teenager

234
00:14:27,867 --> 00:14:30,119
that literally had to flee    
         the state of Texas,

235
00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:31,704
and that's because       
               in February,

236
00:14:31,745 --> 00:14:33,873
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas

237
00:14:33,914 --> 00:14:35,875
called on citizens to report

238
00:14:35,916 --> 00:14:37,543
the parents           
           of transgender kids

239
00:14:37,585 --> 00:14:39,545
if it appears          
        that the minor's receiving

240
00:14:39,587 --> 00:14:42,464
gender-affirming        
            medical treatment.

241
00:14:42,506 --> 00:14:45,551
What's happening in Texas is    
    part of a larger legal trend

242
00:14:45,593 --> 00:14:48,053
of vigilante laws         
        that are slowly making

243
00:14:48,095 --> 00:14:49,847
their way across the country.

244
00:15:02,234 --> 00:15:03,319
[Carrie]             
     Bud, will you check and see

245
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:04,403
if the butter is melted?

246
00:15:04,445 --> 00:15:05,613
Yeah.

247
00:15:07,781 --> 00:15:09,158
[Paola] Do you like to cook?

248
00:15:09,199 --> 00:15:10,618
[Carrie] I do.

249
00:15:10,659 --> 00:15:12,870
Getting back into doing      
       just some more cooking,

250
00:15:12,912 --> 00:15:15,664
it makes me feel like       
     bringing some normalcy back

251
00:15:15,706 --> 00:15:18,626
under these really weird,     
        surreal circumstances.

252
00:15:18,667 --> 00:15:22,588
[Paola]   Governor Abbott's order 
     mandates that nurses, doctors,

253
00:15:22,630 --> 00:15:25,132
and teachers,          
       as well as ordinary Texans,

254
00:15:25,174 --> 00:15:27,343
report parents suspected    
                of seeking

255
00:15:27,384 --> 00:15:28,928
gender-affirming        
            medical treatment

256
00:15:28,969 --> 00:15:30,262
for their trans kids

257
00:15:30,304 --> 00:15:33,432
or face criminal penalties   
               themselves.

258
00:15:33,474 --> 00:15:36,435
ACLU Texas says it's been     
     receiving an uptick in calls

259
00:15:36,477 --> 00:15:39,939
from concerned parents      
           of trans youth.

260
00:15:39,980 --> 00:15:42,942
Abbott and Paxton went so far   
       as to say that this care

261
00:15:42,983 --> 00:15:45,444
should be categorized       
           as child abuse.

262
00:15:45,486 --> 00:15:46,904
[Paola]   Carrie Jackson,

263
00:15:46,946 --> 00:15:48,781
a former school         
            guidance counselor

264
00:15:48,822 --> 00:15:52,242
and mother of a 17-year-old   
         transgender teen, Cass,

265
00:15:52,284 --> 00:15:55,788
is one of thousands of parents 
        facing a difficult choice:

266
00:15:55,829 --> 00:15:59,375
stay in Texas and risk being 
         reported for child abuse

267
00:15:59,416 --> 00:16:01,293
or leave the state.

268
00:16:01,335 --> 00:16:04,046
Were you scared that people    
      would actually target you

269
00:16:04,088 --> 00:16:05,422
and report you?

270
00:16:05,464 --> 00:16:07,132
[Carrie] Yes.

271
00:16:07,174 --> 00:16:09,093
I knew that there were      
           a lot of people

272
00:16:09,134 --> 00:16:13,097
that were aware          
      of our family's situation

273
00:16:13,138 --> 00:16:15,808
and also that are         
         mandatory reporters.

274
00:16:15,849 --> 00:16:18,310
[Paola] Cass, what was it like 
        for you when you heard

275
00:16:18,352 --> 00:16:20,312
about the governor's directive?

276
00:16:20,354 --> 00:16:21,939
I've sort of dealt with feeling

277
00:16:21,981 --> 00:16:25,484
like the world          
        and people around me,

278
00:16:25,526 --> 00:16:28,028
like, dislike me, distrust me,

279
00:16:28,070 --> 00:16:30,823
but to have that,         
          like, actualized,

280
00:16:30,864 --> 00:16:35,786
and then to see neighbors,    
       friends, family members

281
00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:37,663
support that publicly?

282
00:16:37,704 --> 00:16:42,001
It's definitely the worst     
              I've felt

283
00:16:42,041 --> 00:16:44,002
probably ever before.

284
00:16:44,044 --> 00:16:46,005
Like, I felt like I needed

285
00:16:46,046 --> 00:16:49,842
to take myself          
          out of the world.

286
00:16:49,883 --> 00:16:52,594
About a week before we moved,

287
00:16:52,635 --> 00:16:55,597
I got hospitalized for that,

288
00:16:55,639 --> 00:16:57,516
and I got, like,         
          institutionalized.

289
00:16:57,558 --> 00:16:59,977
And we couldn't go        
       to a hospital in state.

290
00:17:00,019 --> 00:17:02,354
They could just take me      
      and put me in foster care.

291
00:17:02,396 --> 00:17:04,356
[Paola] What did that feel    
    like, for you, too, to manage,

292
00:17:04,398 --> 00:17:05,733
as a mom?

293
00:17:05,774 --> 00:17:07,943
[Carrie] I think that is one   
        of the hardest things

294
00:17:07,985 --> 00:17:09,319
that I've ever had        
            to deal with.

295
00:17:09,361 --> 00:17:11,989
I was like, "This is       
         my breaking point."

296
00:17:12,031 --> 00:17:13,699
dramatic music

297
00:17:13,741 --> 00:17:15,993
[Paola]   State courts       
         have temporarily blocked

298
00:17:16,035 --> 00:17:18,412
Governor Abbott's        
         anti-transgender order,

299
00:17:18,454 --> 00:17:20,164
but vigilante justice

300
00:17:20,205 --> 00:17:22,666
is still alive and well     
                in Texas.

301
00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:25,502
Last year, the state passed   
             two major bills

302
00:17:25,544 --> 00:17:27,755
that also empower        
             ordinary people

303
00:17:27,796 --> 00:17:30,007
to take the laws        
          into their own hands.

304
00:17:30,049 --> 00:17:32,926
SB 1 is a sweeping       
         restrictive voting bill

305
00:17:32,968 --> 00:17:34,928
that allows           
          partisan poll watchers

306
00:17:34,970 --> 00:17:37,431
who have a history of      
       intimidating voters of color

307
00:17:37,473 --> 00:17:40,225
to sue election workers     
       for as little of an offense

308
00:17:40,267 --> 00:17:42,770
as blocking your view      
           in polling stations.

309
00:17:42,811 --> 00:17:45,814
And SB 8, one of the most     
       restrictive abortion bills

310
00:17:45,856 --> 00:17:48,901
in the country,         
         offers a $10,000 bounty

311
00:17:48,942 --> 00:17:51,153
to private citizens        
          who successfully sue

312
00:17:51,195 --> 00:17:53,655
anyone who aids         
           or abets an abortion

313
00:17:53,697 --> 00:17:55,157
after roughly six weeks.

314
00:17:55,199 --> 00:17:56,909
[anchor]   It is the strictest   
            law in the nation

315
00:17:56,950 --> 00:17:59,578
and leaves women seeking     
     abortions with few options.

316
00:17:59,620 --> 00:18:00,996
[reporter]   Many providers     
               in the state

317
00:18:01,038 --> 00:18:02,748
have halted procedures

318
00:18:02,790 --> 00:18:04,583
in fear of getting sued.

319
00:18:04,625 --> 00:18:07,503
[Paola]   That not only includes   
     doctors, but family, friends,

320
00:18:07,544 --> 00:18:10,422
and even Uber drivers      
      who take patients to a clinic

321
00:18:10,464 --> 00:18:12,591
and those who help fund     
            their procedures.

322
00:18:19,765 --> 00:18:22,267
So we're on our way        
        to meet Kamyon Conner.

323
00:18:22,309 --> 00:18:25,562
She's the executive director   
   of the Texas Equal Access Fund,

324
00:18:25,604 --> 00:18:27,314
which is             
     this grassroot organization

325
00:18:27,356 --> 00:18:29,525
that helps people         
       pay for their abortion.

326
00:18:29,566 --> 00:18:31,735
There's anti-abortion       
             legal groups

327
00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:34,905
that are interested in pursuing 
     a civil lawsuit against her.

328
00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:36,990
She's asked us not to show you 
           where she lives,

329
00:18:37,032 --> 00:18:39,368
and that's because        
           SB 8 has created

330
00:18:39,409 --> 00:18:42,746
this very dangerous culture    
            of vigilantism

331
00:18:42,788 --> 00:18:45,874
where her safety could actually 
      be at risk in this moment.

332
00:18:52,297 --> 00:18:53,465
[knocks at door]

333
00:18:53,507 --> 00:18:55,300
[Kamyon]             
      Just follow me down here.

334
00:19:00,347 --> 00:19:02,391
So here's one you can see.

335
00:19:02,432 --> 00:19:06,353
"Every one of your employees,   
      volunteers, board members,

336
00:19:06,395 --> 00:19:08,814
and donors will be charged."   
       That's a blatant threat.

337
00:19:08,856 --> 00:19:11,108
[Paola] What does it feel like 
       for you to have to read

338
00:19:11,150 --> 00:19:12,317
those tweets and messages?

339
00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:13,944
It feels overwhelming.

340
00:19:13,986 --> 00:19:16,780
These folks not only        
        don't care about us,

341
00:19:16,822 --> 00:19:18,490
but want to harm us

342
00:19:18,532 --> 00:19:20,868
and the people          
         that we're serving.

343
00:19:20,909 --> 00:19:23,370
[Paola]   As a result        
        of an ongoing litigation,

344
00:19:23,412 --> 00:19:26,832
Conner went on record      
      stating that her organization

345
00:19:26,874 --> 00:19:29,793
has helped pay         
        for at least one abortion

346
00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:31,962
that was in violation of SB 8.

347
00:19:32,004 --> 00:19:34,798
A Texas citizen named      
              Ashley Maxwell

348
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,676
enlisted conservative lawyers 
             to depose Conner

349
00:19:37,718 --> 00:19:39,219
based on her statement,

350
00:19:39,261 --> 00:19:42,556
with the goal of suing anyone 
         in Conner's organization

351
00:19:42,598 --> 00:19:45,434
that may have been involved   
        in the illegal abortions.

352
00:19:45,475 --> 00:19:46,894
Do you know Ashley Maxwell?

353
00:19:46,935 --> 00:19:48,270
I don't know Ashley.

354
00:19:48,312 --> 00:19:50,189
-[Paola] Have you ever met her? 
          -Never met Ashley,

355
00:19:50,230 --> 00:19:52,191
and if I have,          
          I don't remember.

356
00:19:52,232 --> 00:19:55,277
So are now members        
            of your staff

357
00:19:55,319 --> 00:19:57,487
exposed to civil lawsuits?

358
00:19:57,529 --> 00:20:00,449
Are people scared         
      of being potentially sued?

359
00:20:00,490 --> 00:20:02,659
There's a risk for us       
        to operate every day.

360
00:20:02,701 --> 00:20:05,454
It's about weighing the risk   
         versus the benefits.

361
00:20:05,495 --> 00:20:09,833
We have had some donors      
     be hesitant to donate to us

362
00:20:09,875 --> 00:20:12,169
because they are fearful     
            of being sued.

363
00:20:12,211 --> 00:20:15,047
How do you make sense of     
     someone like Ashley Maxwell?

364
00:20:15,088 --> 00:20:17,674
Is it perhaps           
        a financial incentive

365
00:20:17,716 --> 00:20:18,884
to sue someone like you?

366
00:20:18,926 --> 00:20:20,385
Is it a moral incentive?

367
00:20:20,427 --> 00:20:23,180
I can't guess to, like,      
        what her motives are,

368
00:20:23,222 --> 00:20:26,725
but I know            
    that anti-abortion extremists

369
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:31,063
will do a lot to ensure people   
   don't have access to abortion.

370
00:20:31,104 --> 00:20:33,232
And it's not just abortion,    
                right?

371
00:20:33,273 --> 00:20:35,067
Like, ultimately,         
            it's an attack

372
00:20:35,108 --> 00:20:36,610
around bodily autonomy.

373
00:20:36,652 --> 00:20:39,238
These are attacks         
       on people's personhood.

374
00:20:39,279 --> 00:20:41,114
[Paola]   Maxwell did not respond

375
00:20:41,156 --> 00:20:42,783
to numerous requests      
               for comment,

376
00:20:42,824 --> 00:20:44,910
but average citizens      
               like Maxwell

377
00:20:44,952 --> 00:20:47,204
hold more power         
           than they ever have,

378
00:20:47,246 --> 00:20:50,082
and now, other states      
        are following Texas' lead.

379
00:20:50,123 --> 00:20:53,210
[DeSantis]   We are gonna be    
      including in this legislation

380
00:20:53,252 --> 00:20:56,713
giving parents          
      a private right of action,

381
00:20:56,755 --> 00:20:58,423
to be able to enforce

382
00:20:58,465 --> 00:21:00,592
the prohibition on CRT.

383
00:21:00,634 --> 00:21:02,970
[Newsom]   If Texas can use a law

384
00:21:03,011 --> 00:21:05,264
to ban a woman's right     
                to choose,

385
00:21:05,305 --> 00:21:09,017
we will use that same law     
            to save lives.

386
00:21:09,059 --> 00:21:11,061
[Paola]   Across the country,    
            state legislatures

387
00:21:11,103 --> 00:21:14,022
are advancing their own     
          controversial agendas,

388
00:21:14,064 --> 00:21:16,191
from banning critical       
         race theory in Florida

389
00:21:16,233 --> 00:21:19,111
to enforcing gun control    
              in California.

390
00:21:19,152 --> 00:21:22,281
suspenseful          
            electronic music

391
00:21:24,992 --> 00:21:27,411
David Noll, a legal scholar   
            and law professor

392
00:21:27,452 --> 00:21:29,288
at Rutgers Law School,

393
00:21:29,329 --> 00:21:30,956
has been tracking bills     
            across the country

394
00:21:30,998 --> 00:21:34,293
that incorporate what he calls 
           vigilante federalism

395
00:21:34,334 --> 00:21:37,462
and sounding the alarm     
      about the fundamental dangers

396
00:21:37,504 --> 00:21:38,839
they pose to our democracy.

397
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,633
How many, approximately,     
          are you tracking?

398
00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:44,469
So laws that literally copy    
                SB 8--

399
00:21:44,511 --> 00:21:46,513
we're up to 32 right now.

400
00:21:46,555 --> 00:21:48,307
[Paola] And what about      
     different versions of SB 8?

401
00:21:48,348 --> 00:21:51,143
I would say a little north    
          of 100 right now.

402
00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:53,270
-All across the country?     
            -That's right.

403
00:21:53,312 --> 00:21:54,813
[Paola] How would you describe

404
00:21:54,855 --> 00:21:57,691
the current legal and political 
        environment we're in?

405
00:21:57,733 --> 00:22:00,027
I would say that we're      
      in a crisis of democracy.

406
00:22:00,068 --> 00:22:02,029
The best historical precedent   
               for this

407
00:22:02,070 --> 00:22:03,864
is also incredibly alarming,

408
00:22:03,905 --> 00:22:06,241
and that's            
   the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

409
00:22:06,283 --> 00:22:10,162
Any person could apprehend    
         an alleged fugitive

410
00:22:10,203 --> 00:22:12,331
and then literally haul      
             that person

411
00:22:12,372 --> 00:22:13,832
in front of a commissioner.

412
00:22:13,874 --> 00:22:16,001
The commissioners got $10

413
00:22:16,043 --> 00:22:18,754
if they found that a fugitive   
        was indeed a fugitive

414
00:22:18,795 --> 00:22:20,505
and had to be returned      
             to slavery.

415
00:22:20,547 --> 00:22:23,008
And SB 8 is doing         
        the exact same thing.

416
00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:25,594
But typically,          
        right, ordinary people

417
00:22:25,635 --> 00:22:30,307
understand civil lawsuits     
       as having, in some way,

418
00:22:30,349 --> 00:22:32,017
felt the damage.

419
00:22:32,059 --> 00:22:35,354
What damage are plaintiffs    
      feeling in this scenario?

420
00:22:35,395 --> 00:22:38,482
As the statute is written,    
       absolutely none at all.

421
00:22:38,523 --> 00:22:40,192
So it's basically         
          moral outrage...

422
00:22:40,233 --> 00:22:41,360
[David] Precisely.

423
00:22:41,401 --> 00:22:42,652
...that is driving         
         someone to do this?

424
00:22:42,694 --> 00:22:44,488
Dating back            
      to the Tea Party movement,

425
00:22:44,529 --> 00:22:47,866
there's incredible frustration 
       among hard-right voters

426
00:22:47,908 --> 00:22:50,035
that they can't get        
           what they want.

427
00:22:50,077 --> 00:22:52,371
SB 8 is finally able to deliver

428
00:22:52,412 --> 00:22:54,164
the restriction          
          on abortion access

429
00:22:54,206 --> 00:22:57,042
that anti-abortion activists   
          have long wanted.

430
00:22:57,084 --> 00:22:58,752
It galvanizes the base,

431
00:22:58,794 --> 00:23:01,254
which is             
       numerically diminishing.

432
00:23:01,296 --> 00:23:05,675
And so if you put them into    
    the role of citizen enforcer,

433
00:23:05,717 --> 00:23:08,261
you're giving them power.

434
00:23:08,303 --> 00:23:10,514
[Paola]   In a country       
       that is increasingly diverse

435
00:23:10,555 --> 00:23:12,599
and approaching         
           a majority minority,

436
00:23:12,641 --> 00:23:16,353
these vigilante policies    
      may be the GOP's last resort.

437
00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:18,647
So we're             
     in the Texas state capital,

438
00:23:18,688 --> 00:23:20,732
and we're about to meet      
       Republican State Senator

439
00:23:20,774 --> 00:23:22,025
Bryan Hughes.

440
00:23:22,067 --> 00:23:23,193
Now, Bryan Hughes is considered

441
00:23:23,235 --> 00:23:24,736
one of the most influential    
                voices

442
00:23:24,778 --> 00:23:26,071
among Texas Republicans

443
00:23:26,113 --> 00:23:28,490
and really among Republicans   
          across the nation.

444
00:23:28,532 --> 00:23:31,034
He's authored SB 8,        
          he's authored SB 1,

445
00:23:31,076 --> 00:23:33,036
but the reason         
       why Hughes is so influential

446
00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:34,579
is because he's crafted

447
00:23:34,621 --> 00:23:37,416
a very unconventional      
      mechanism to enforce the law.

448
00:23:41,795 --> 00:23:43,588
The definition          
          of a bounty hunter

449
00:23:43,630 --> 00:23:45,590
is a person            
        who pursues a criminal

450
00:23:45,632 --> 00:23:47,259
for whom a reward is offered.

451
00:23:47,300 --> 00:23:51,430
So is it fair to say that SB 8 
      encourages bounty hunters?

452
00:23:51,471 --> 00:23:53,723
Someone filing a suit,      
         under Senate Bill 8,

453
00:23:53,765 --> 00:23:56,309
it sounds like, would qualify   
        under that definition.

454
00:23:56,351 --> 00:23:57,477
I think that's fair.

455
00:23:57,519 --> 00:23:59,104
So it's fair to say that SB 8

456
00:23:59,146 --> 00:24:00,981
deputizes bounty hunters     
         to enforce the law?

457
00:24:01,022 --> 00:24:02,232
[Hughes] Well,          
     it doesn't deputize anyone.

458
00:24:02,274 --> 00:24:03,900
They don't have          
      any government authority.

459
00:24:03,942 --> 00:24:05,193
They're bringing suits      
         as private citizens.

460
00:24:05,235 --> 00:24:06,736
Do you see any danger in that?

461
00:24:06,778 --> 00:24:08,697
We're comfortable with it.    
       We believe it's working.

462
00:24:08,738 --> 00:24:11,074
[Paola] Support for        
    political violence is rising.

463
00:24:11,116 --> 00:24:14,119
Trust in public institutions,   
          in the government,

464
00:24:14,161 --> 00:24:15,620
is almost at an all-time low.

465
00:24:15,662 --> 00:24:19,499
And trust between citizens     
     is also at an all-time low.

466
00:24:19,541 --> 00:24:21,501
Can that not lead to violence?

467
00:24:21,543 --> 00:24:25,922
We're always concerned      
             about that.

468
00:24:25,964 --> 00:24:28,133
In Texas, we believe        
        that that little baby

469
00:24:28,175 --> 00:24:29,634
growing inside          
          her mother's womb

470
00:24:29,676 --> 00:24:30,886
is a human being

471
00:24:30,927 --> 00:24:33,096
worthy of the full protection   
             of the law,

472
00:24:33,138 --> 00:24:36,141
and so once we settle that,

473
00:24:36,183 --> 00:24:38,310
then we have to be         
         very, very careful

474
00:24:38,351 --> 00:24:40,479
and very thoughtful in the way 
        we implement the law.

475
00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,315
But the bill specifically bans 
      state and local officials

476
00:24:43,356 --> 00:24:44,816
from enforcing the law, right?

477
00:24:44,858 --> 00:24:46,818
Was that a legal maneuver     
         to protect the state

478
00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:47,944
from being challenged?

479
00:24:47,986 --> 00:24:49,654
We realized that by doing this,

480
00:24:49,696 --> 00:24:53,450
this could allow the law     
    to go into effect more quickly

481
00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:55,327
than other pro-life laws,     
             in the past,

482
00:24:55,368 --> 00:24:56,411
so yes, you bet.

483
00:24:56,453 --> 00:24:57,787
And when you designed       
              this bill,

484
00:24:57,829 --> 00:24:58,997
did you ever imagine

485
00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:00,457
that it would have        
         such a ripple effect

486
00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,751
across the country,        
        on both the Republican

487
00:25:02,792 --> 00:25:04,252
and the Democratic side?

488
00:25:04,294 --> 00:25:06,630
[Hughes] So we knew        
    that it would work, on paper,

489
00:25:06,671 --> 00:25:09,925
but of course, we didn't know, 
       until we passed the law,

490
00:25:09,966 --> 00:25:11,134
until it took effect, so--

491
00:25:11,176 --> 00:25:12,427
[Paola] Were you surprised?

492
00:25:12,469 --> 00:25:14,471
We've been encouraged.

493
00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:19,142
It's been more effective     
   than we expected it to be, yes.

494
00:25:19,184 --> 00:25:22,103
[Paola]   As more and more states 
            copy the blueprint

495
00:25:22,145 --> 00:25:24,523
that Hughes and his colleagues 
          spearheaded in Texas,

496
00:25:24,564 --> 00:25:26,942
in this United States      
              of vigilantes,

497
00:25:26,983 --> 00:25:28,860
it's hard to let         
            your guard down,

498
00:25:28,902 --> 00:25:31,071
no matter where you are.

499
00:25:31,112 --> 00:25:33,490
This is the downstairs.

500
00:25:33,532 --> 00:25:36,034
So this is where you spend    
          most of your time?

501
00:25:36,076 --> 00:25:39,162
[Cass] Yes. I sleep down here.

502
00:25:39,204 --> 00:25:42,374
[Paola] How has the adjustment 
         been like in school?

503
00:25:42,415 --> 00:25:44,209
Finding new friends        
         and, like, getting

504
00:25:44,251 --> 00:25:48,213
into the groove of things     
      has not really been easy.

505
00:25:48,255 --> 00:25:52,634
Lately, I've been         
         very, like, nervous

506
00:25:52,676 --> 00:25:57,389
about being attacked       
         in, like, bathrooms

507
00:25:57,430 --> 00:25:59,057
and, like, just on the street.

508
00:25:59,099 --> 00:26:03,144
That's way more          
         than I was in Texas.

509
00:26:03,186 --> 00:26:05,522
[Paola]   Vigilante federalism   
              is disrupting

510
00:26:05,564 --> 00:26:08,567
the lives of thousands     
      of people across the country.

511
00:26:08,608 --> 00:26:11,027
[all]    Happy birthday,      
               dear Tasha

512
00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:12,362
[Paola]              
         It's slowly transforming

513
00:26:12,404 --> 00:26:14,030
democracy as we know it,

514
00:26:14,072 --> 00:26:16,366
empowering bounty hunters    
                to govern,

515
00:26:16,408 --> 00:26:18,368
ordinary civilians to police,

516
00:26:18,410 --> 00:26:20,745
and extremists to undermine

517
00:26:20,787 --> 00:26:22,872
our constitutional rights.

518
00:26:22,914 --> 00:26:25,250
Does the paranoia        
             ever leave you?

519
00:26:25,292 --> 00:26:28,378
It is not as intense as it was,

520
00:26:28,420 --> 00:26:32,215
but even here, I just feel    
   like I'm looking around to see,

521
00:26:32,257 --> 00:26:34,884
and I'm afraid.

522
00:26:34,926 --> 00:26:39,556
What if that type         
     of legislation happens here?

523
00:26:39,598 --> 00:26:42,892
It just feels like it's      
      spreading like a wildfire.

524
00:26:42,934 --> 00:26:44,603
A couple of times,        
        it's crossed my mind,

525
00:26:44,644 --> 00:26:47,272
like, what if we actually have 
        to leave the country?

526
00:26:47,314 --> 00:26:50,025
You know, so we'll do       
        whatever we have to do

527
00:26:50,066 --> 00:26:51,651
to protect our family.

528
00:26:54,613 --> 00:26:57,574
dramatic music