With college football games airing Saturday on ABC, CBS, and NBC, none of the three aired their evening newscasts for viewers in the eastern or central time zones, but the CBS Evening News was shown in the western U.S. and featured another segment hinting at a link between the Planned Parenthood baby parts video scandal and a string of recent fires at their facilities.
Just as the network did in a story on September 5, it provided no direct evidence linking the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) videos and the incidents, but Saturday anchor Jim Axelrod and correspondent Weijia Jiang still forged ahead with the assertion that the push in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood “could fuel frustrations and lead to more crimes” against them.
Axelrod began the two-minute segment by informing viewers that “[t]he FBI is now investigating a series of attacks on Planned Parenthood offices around the country, including arson.”
Citing the September 4 arson of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Pullman, Washington, Jiang ruled that it represents “a recent example of why the FBI has released an intelligence warning” which determined “criminal or suspicious incidents will continue to be director against reproductive health care providers, their staff and facilities.”
Jiang went onto highlight how there have been “nine attacks on reproductive health facilities across the country, including cyber attacks, threats, and arsons” with one example being a fire at the Auora, Illinois location and a car fire outside a Planned Parenthood being built in New Orleans.
Going directly to the supposed cause of all this, Jiang touted the belief that the CMP videos may have played a contribution: “The incidents started after an anti-abortion released undercover videos claiming Planned Parenthood has illegally profited from selling fetal tissue to researchers.”
In addition to the videos, Jiang trotted out another possible cause in the “intense fight on Capitol Hill over Planned Parenthood” being led by conservatives and a defunding bill passing the House on Friday.
Citing “law enforcement sources,” Jiang wrapped up the segment by floating the proposition that “the debate in Congress could fuel frustrations and lead to more crimes and so could the release of more videos” with CMP “not commenting on the new warnings.”
The transcript of the segment from the exclusive Western edition of September 19's CBS Evening News can be found below.
CBS Evening News: Western Edition
September 19, 2015
2 minutes[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Planned Parenthood; Under Attack]
JIM AXELROD: The FBI is now investigating a series of attacks on Planned Parenthood offices around the country, including arson. Here’s Weijia Jiang.
WEIJIA JIANG: This fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Pullman, Washington was ruled an arson, a recent example of why the FBI has released an intelligence warning, saying “criminal or suspicious incidents will continue to be director against reproductive health care providers, their staff and facilities.” Federal investigators report there have been nine attacks on reproductive health facilities across the country, including cyber attacks, threats, and arsons. On July 19, someone started a fire at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora, Illinois. Then, on August 1 in New Orleans, a car was set on fire at a facility under construction. The incidents started after an anti-abortion released undercover videos claiming Planned Parenthood has illegally profited from selling fetal tissue to researchers.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD MEDICAL DIRECTORS’ COUNCIL PRESIDENT DR. MARRY GATTER [in 2nd Video]: $75 a specimen.
JIANG: Planned Parenthood denies selling fetal tissue and says the videos were deceptively edited. Now, they’re concerned about the safety of staff and patients. Today, the group released a statement saying, “[d]ue to the recent campaigns of false attacks against Planned Parenthood, we have increased security measures over the last couple of months.”
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN ROBERT PITTENGER (N.C.) [on 09/18/15]: How can anyone defend the sale of a little baby’s body parts?
JIANG: The FBI assessment comes amid an intense fight on Capitol Hill over Planned Parenthood.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN VIRGINIA FOXX (N.C.) [on 09/18/15]: The bill has passed.
JIANG: On Friday, House Republicans voted to block federal funding for one year, a bill the Senate is expected to reject. Law enforcement sources say there is concern the debate in Congress could fuel frustrations and lead to more crimes and so could the release of more videos. Jim, tonight, the group behind those videos is not commenting on the new warnings.
AXELROD: Weijia, thank you.
