john: tonight on "pbs news weekend" -- four years later, how the lasting effects of george floyd's death continue to shape the city of minneapolis. >> i think for a lot of people, they're still waiting for the outcome of, you know, all these promised reforms. to see if they can actually feel like they trust what the city has been doing as far as policing in the last few years. john: then, a frontline report as depleted ukrainian forces

struggle to contain russia's advances. and the hidden history of anna may wong, considered the first asian-american movie star, and her struggles with hollywood's racism. ♪ >> major funding for pbs news weekend has been providedy -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour.

this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. john: good evening. i'm john yang. despite international criticism, israel is pressing ahead with its assault on rafah. medical personnel set new israeli attacks killed more than 40 palestinians across gaza. a school being used as a shelter was hit. at the same time come increased diplomatic activity is raising the prospect of restarting stalled talks aimed at a cease-fire and the release of israeli hostages. a russian strike on a residential area of kharkiv damaged a shopping center and killed at least two people. the two sides are battling for control of territory along the border. ukraine says it's taken back villages north of kharkiv that russia captured in recent weeks. russia claims it still controls at least one of those villages.

secretary of defense lloyd austin has resumed his duties after undergoing a non-surgical procedure for a bladder-related issue last night. during his two-and-a-half-hour treatment at walter reed medical center, he transferred his powers to the deputy secretary. on monday, austin is expected to take part in memorial day ceremonies at arlington national cemetery. and, the tsa says it screened nearly 3 million passengers at airports on friday, ahead of the memorial day weekend. that's the most ever on a single day. aaa estimates that nearly 44 million americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between thursday and monday, 38 million of them by car. still to come on "pbs news weekend," exhausted troops fight to fend off russian forces in eastern ukraine. and, the story of anna may wong, one of the first asian-american actresses in hollywood. ♪ >> this is pbs news weekend from

weta studiosn washington, home of the pbs newshour weeknights on pbs. john: it was four years ago today that george floyd died while three minneapolis police officers pinned him face-down on the pavement, one of them pressing his knee onto floyd's neck. cell phone video of the incident recorded by a teenage witness was seen around the world, igniting international protests over racism and police abuse and calls for police reforms. despite that global reach, for minneapolis, it is still very much a local trauma. jon collins is a senior reporter at minneapolis public radio. he covers the future of policing. jon, four years on, how much is this still part of daily life in minneapolis? how present is it? jon: you know, it's very present. you can walk down the streets and you see signs in people's yards still, you see murals of george floyd. you know, if you go 10 blocks

away from here, you'll see george floyd square, which is where activists have kind of set up, you know, a mecca to memorialize floyd. and then on top of that, this reform of the minneapolis police department has been at the very forefront of what's been happening in the city for many years now. folks are still very aware of what happened to george floyd and thinking about how they might be able to avoid that happening in the future again. john: when it comes to policing and public safety, has anything changed? jon: yeah, lots has changed. i mean, the city of minneapolis was investigated by the minnesota department of human rights, as well as the u.s. department of justice, and both of them found glaring problems with the minneapolis police department. so, the minnesota department of human rights has a court enforced agreement with the city of minneapolis requiring all sorts of changes. for instance, you know, one of the things they did right away was ban chokeholds. and we also expect a federal

consent decree to be coming down at some point here, which will make other requirements, for the city of minneapolis, that they need to change with the minneapolis police. so, that would make minneapolis the first city to really experience both a state and a federal consent decree on policing at the same time. so, there's a lot happening right now. john: has any of this helped rebuild the trust of the residents of minneapolis and the police department? jon: yeah, i think that's a long journey, john. i think for a lot of people, they're still waiting for the outcome of, you know, all these promised reforms. this does not come very quickly. you know, it comes very slowly and it's many small steps. so, people are waiting to see if they can actually feel like they trust what the city has been doing as far as policing in the last few years. john: i mean, i know there's a push to change the civn oversight board of the police. is that sort of an indication that they're still working to

rebuild that trust? jon: you know, that's part of their process of just, kind of, i think learning exactly what does work. the new civilian oversight board, it was created just a year ago. you know, has had a ton of trouble coming up with new policies for the police department or, you know, they're supposed to go through police complaints, but there's a huge backlog. so, yeah, that's totally a part of it. and it's something the city needs to resolve because it's required under the court-enforced agreement. so, it's going to be something they need to figure out. and at this point, you know, it's not clear yet how they're going to do that or when that's going to actually come together, because it's quite dysfunctional at this point. john: i know minneapolis has also been, sort of in the forefront of alternative policing, and responding to people who are in the mental health crisis. how successful has that been? jon: one thing that people in the city of minneapolis maybe don't hear enough about or understand is all the different,

changes that have been made to public safety that don't involve armed police. so, one thing that they did is they really created and boosted this behavioral crisis response team. in the city of minneapolis, at this point, if you want to call 911 and there's a nonviolent, you know, crisis or situation happening, you can ask for these folks to show up and it's in their nature to de-escalate. so, i mean, there's been quite an investment in the city of minneapolis on these sorts of unarmed public safety responses, and people maybe don't directly experience them right away. but the people that i've spoken to who have partaken of these services, you know, appreciate it. in that particular case, i would say, you know, from the evidence that we have thathat has been a success. and then, there are quite a few other programs that they're also exploring or just launching

right now. john: as you say, the people of minneapolis may not be seeing this or haven't seen a lot of it. how long do you think it's going to take for the city to truly heal from this incident, or will there always be scar tissue? jon: so, i think there's going to be remnants of 2020 and what happened to george floyd in minneapolis' dna forever. you know, it's changed the nature of the city, it's changed how the city thought about itself. but i also think there is a process that's happening right now. and it's actually thanks to the state government and the federal government for doing these investigations, and then the eventual consent decrees that require changes in the minneapolis police. and we know from other cities and their experiences that these consent decrees can take many, many years to resolve. you know, they don't lift the consent decree until minneapolis meets the requirements. so, we are certainly going to be

dealing with this in the city of minneapolis for many years. if not, you know, a decade or more. john: jon collins of minnesota public radio, thank you very much. jon: thank you. john: along the russia-ukraine border, badly-stretched ukrainian forces a struggling to deny russia a foothold. the town of vovchansk, just three miles inside the border, has seen some of the fiercest fighting since russia launched its offensive. that's where john ray of independent television news joined soldiers from ukraine's 57th brigade. john r.: these are anxious times for ukraine. and especially for the men of the 57th brigade.

the shooting starts the moment we arrive. it turns out they're hunting a drone that's hunting them. there's danger from every direction, at any time. >> it's so loud. they are striking everything. everything they can, they strike. john: oleg is a new recruit. and already an exhausted veteran. >> everything is very difficult. very hard. john: a lot of rockets? a lot drones? >> drones like bees. like everywhere. all you hear is buzzing. what's frightening, it's like rain. like rain. john: have you had any rest?

>> no. john: then suddenly, his unit is called back to the action. these men are being stretched to the limit. the battlefield is a wasteland. street by streetfighting. volchansk, one soldier tells us, exists now in name only. this was the hospital, leveled by ukrainian missiles after russian soldiers took up positions inside. that is the sound of outgoing artillery but the russians have conquered this land once before and now ukraine is having to fight for it a second time. a little more than a week ago, this was a border. now, it's a battlefield. the men here have been rushed to this new front line. leaving defenses elsewhere thin.

deep in his bunker, it is a fear shared by their commander. >> yes, i really worry about that. there are a lot of russians. we need more of everything. the front line was already very long. now, it's even longer. john: the russians have punched a deep hole in ukraine's defenses and these men are doing their best to fill it, but they been fighting with almost not a break for almost two years and right now the russians are regathering their strength. lives lost and lives abandoned. this village has been hit four times. they'd just finished rebuilding this school after the last russian occupation two years ago. now, roman is one of very few civilians left.

they know what russian rule means here. >> yes, yes, we can see the russians. we know how they steal, how they loot everything. they take everything they can. john: they know there are more russian troops further along this border ready to move. a long summer of fighting lies ahead. john y.: that was john ray of independent television news. what constitutes sex education and the grade in which it's taught varies greatly in america. and this year is shaping up to set a record for legislative proposals that are mostly aimed at restricting the teaching of the subject in schools.

ali rogin has more on the increasingly complicated nature of sex education. ali: the centers for disease control defines quality sexual education as medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally-relevant content that promotes healthy sexual development. but, only three states require comprehensive sex educion to be taught in all schools. 17 states provide abstinence only sex education, and so far this year, at least 135 bills pertaining to sexual education have been introduced or are in place nationally, a majority of which would place restrictions on sexual education in public schools. that's according to an analysis by the nonprofit organization sexuality information and education council of the united states. sarah flowers is vice president of education at planned parenthood federation of america, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual health care and sexual education in the united states and globally. dr. flowers, thank you so much for being here.

first of all, when we think about comprehensive sex education, what does that look like? dr. flowers: comprehensive sex education means teaching a wide variety of topics in grades k-12, including topics like consent, understanding what boundaries are, and how to decide what your personal boundaries are. self-esteem, anti-bullying. healthy relationships, how to stay safe online, and of course, the things that most people usually thk of when they think of sex education, which is like puberty, contraception, and sti prevention. there's also a wealth of research that shows that kids who get this sort of comprehensive sex education and start in elementary school, build on those skills through middle and high school, are more likely to foster healthy relationships, have better social emotional skills, respect sexual and gender diversity, and prevent unintended pregnancy and sti transmission when they do become sexually active.

sex education works like building blocks, so it's incredibly important to start these conversations at home and in school, and to have them early and often. what i mean by building blocks is this. when we teach math, we start with the basics. kids learn to count zero, one, two, three. eventually, we move into addition and subtraction. we don't start with calculus. so for a topic like consent, if you're a small child, you understand that you don't want someone to take your truck without asking. in elementary school, consent covers topics like how to ask before taking a snack from someone else's lunchbox, or how to respect another person's decision not to want to be hugged. in middle school, learning about consent includes talking about peer pressure, learning assertive communication skills, thinking about your own boundaries, and learning to respect the boundaries of others. in high school, we talk about

consent during sex. we talk about thinking about what we ourselves would like, getting clear on our own wants and dislikes, and being a good listener. making space for a partner to communate their wants and needs, and being able to say no, and also to respect someone else's. it also talks about how to continually check in to make sure that everyone feels safe as the relationship evolves. ali: there's a wide variety of sexual education curricula that really varies based on the state. and as i mentioned, 17 of them are abstinence only. but, what is behind the varied nature of sexual education state by state? and what is the effect of having such different regimens available depending on where you live? dr. flowers: it's really important for parents to understand that in the u.s., there is no law or national program that dictates if sex education is going to be taught in schools and how sex education

is going to be taught in schools. we have a patchwork of sex education laws and policies across the country. so instead, decisions about sex education are left up to states and school districts. this means that the quality of sex education, including the curriculum, who is teaching, and whether or not it's medically accurate, as well as whether or not you receive it at all, all of that depends on where you live, who makes and who makes decisions about sex education in your area or school or school district. ali: there is an effort happening on the federal level in congress pass a bill that would establish grants for comprehensive sexual education. is that what you see as a necessary step here, and how would that potentially change things? dr. flowers: it would absolutely be a necessary step if all young people got the sex education that they deserve. sex education that is comprehensive, inclusive, culturally congruent and age appropriate, then we as a

society have the potential to raise a generation of young people who not only know how to love and take care of their own bodies, but we'd work towards a world where all people, including people who are in power, making decisions for others. everyone would understand the importance of things like respecting bodily autonomy, respecting people's differences, and the basic understanding of how pregnancy happens and how it works. ali: some of these bills that we mentioned would ban discussions around gender identity and sexual orientation. some would remove instruction on contraception and emphasize abstinence. some lawmakers who are in favor of these bills would say these are to protect the age appropriate nature of the sex education content that's in the classrooms. what do you see as the impact of those steps that are limiting the topics that can be discussed? dr. flowers: it's really important to understand that sex education is under attack, and it is under attack by the same groups that are trying to ban

books, stop trans youth from being able to play sports or use the bathroom that they need, and the same groups that are trying to ban teaching accurate history. the bans a all connected, and it tells us that these groups are actually working to exert power and control our kids. they are not trying to keep kids safe and healthy. parents can do something about these bans. u can start by finding out what's currently taught in your kid's school, and if it's not sufficient, ask for better. now, we did mention that there are people who live in states and communities where sex education is not permitted to be taught in schools in those areas. parents and families can reach out to their local planned parenthood to find out if their education department can connect you with sex education programs. sex education can happen on afterschool programs and on weekends. it doesn't have to happen in schools. ali: sarah flowers, vice president education at planned parenthood federation of america. thank you so much for being here. dr. flowers: thank you so much for having me.

♪ john: as this year's asian american, native hawaiian and pacific islander heritage month draws to a close, we bring you the story of a pioneering actress considered to be the first major asian-american star, despite the limits imposed by hollywood's racism. >> before there was lucy liu, awkwafina, or michelle yeoh, there was anna may wong, considered hollywood's first asian-american film star. she appeared in more than 60 movies, beginning in the silent era, but racism meant that in most of them, she played stereotyped supporting roles

while white actresses in yellowface got top billing. it wasn't until she went to europe in the late 1920's that she was cast as a leading lady, starring in british, french, and german films. wong liu-tsong was born in los angeles in 1905, one of seven children of american-born owners and operators of a laundry business. as a teenager, she skipped school to go to the movies and to watch scenes being shot on the streets of chinatown. she landed a role as an extra and quickly rose through the ranks. over her parents' objections, she dropped out of high school to pursue an acting career. when she was 17, wong landed her first major role. it was in a largely forgotten silent retelling of puccini's "madame butterfly," called "the toll of the sea." it's one of the first films made using an early version of technicolor. her big breakthrough came when douglas fairbanks, the biggest

matinee idol of the day, cast her the classic swashbuckling film, "the thief of baghdad." but after that, the roles hollywood gave her were limited to exotic "dragon ladies" or stereotypically submissive characters. off screen, wong was nothing like those roles. she was an all-american 1920's flapper, right down to her signature bangs. but on-screen limitations led her to abandon hollywood for europe, where her race didn't matter. despite her success overseas, wong returned home to find that little had changed. during the planning for the 1937 film version of pearl buck's novel "the good earth," which is set in china, wong was mentioned for the lead. but the role went to the german actress luise rainer, who won an oscar for her performance in yellowface. she left hollywood for a year-long tour of china. but she found herself criticized there for her stereotyped roles, rejected in hollywood for being too asian, she later lamented, and in china for being too american.

she returned to the united states and found modest success in the infancy of television. starring as a crime-solving art gallery owner in "the gallery of madame liu-tsong," the first show to star an asian-american woman. it lasted one season. she found more work in television, but years of heavy drinking had led to poor health. she was about to appear in the movie version of rodgers and hammerstein's "flower drum song" when she died of a heart attack at age 56. today, wong is largely forgotten, beyond her image on a quarter and a star on the hollywood walk of fame, both firsts for an asian-american woman. but, her refusal to accept a career of stereotyped supporting roles laid the groundwork for today's asian-american actors and the push for representation in hollywood films. ♪

john: "pbs news weekend" for this saturday. i'm john yang. for all of my colleagues, thanks for joining us. see you tomorrow. >> your funding for pbs news week and has been provided by -- >>omebody's pocket, i thought i would let you know that with consumer cellular, you get nationwide coverage with no contract. that is kind of our thing. have a nice day. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪

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