"nightline" is next. and hey, you know what? throw an extra banana in your oatmeal tomorrow. go crazy, live a little. good night. >> this is "nightline." tonight, the state of policing in america. following the killing of george floyd, the calls to defund law enforcement growing louder. do you support defunding the police? we hear from a senator and congresswoman shaping the debate on capitol hill as thousands attend a memorial for floyd in his home town. plus loruing bahurt oed t d these satellite images could have signaled disaster for the u.s. what experts believe these pictures may tell us about the early spread of covid-19.

>> announcer: "nightline" starts right now with juju chang. thanks for joining us. as the city of houston prepares to lay george floyd to rest, chants of defunding police in his memory growing louder. some call it reckoning long overdue, others call it impossible. they came by the thousands, lined up in houston's sweltering heat full of grief and ready for change. >> i'm here to pay respects to george floyd. >> we wanted to become a part of this movement of reminding everyone that we are all people, we are all human. >> i was speechless, just standing there. looking at him. >> reporter: paying respects to george floyd in his home town today. his killing. >> hands up. >> don't shoot. >> reporter: at hands of police

igniting two weeks of protests. over the weekend in san francisco, new york city, los angeles. in the nation's capital, civil rights icon congressman john lewis, 55 years after being beaten on that march to selma, standing at the new mural "black lives matter" painted just blocks from the white house. and among the chants, a growing cry to defund the police. latest flashpoint in fierce debate over how to reform and reimagine law enforcement, to root out racial injustice. in minneapolis where floyd died, tense debate playing out on the streets as protesters clashed with mayor jacob frey. >> we don't want no more police. is that clear? we don't want people with guns in our community, shooting us down. it is a yes or a no, will you defund the minneapolis police department? >> i do not support defunding

the police. >> get the out of here. >> reporter: response leading to boos from the crowd. on the heels of this public rebuke, minneapolis city council voting 9-3 in favor of disbanding the police department. >> you'our commitment is to end toxic relationship with the mayor's department. >> reporter: explaining his stance. >> let me be clear i'm for massive structural and institutional reform for entire system that has not for generations worked for black and brown people. we have failed and we have to entirely reshape the system. >> reporter: protesters confronting the mayor saying do you believe in abolition of police, are yes or no. what is the answer? >> frankly the short answer is no. there will always be a role for

police. but don't we have a more courageous imagination to see a society with so many people hurt, vulnerable, addicted, struggling with health challenges aren't criminalized? >> reporter: former mayor now senator booker made a name for himself in newark, new jersey, city with its own history of distrust for the police. some think defunding the police will lead to more crime on the street. >> as a mayor who lowered crime in newark, new jersey, there is a balance here and all strategies are critically important in investing in things that lower crime. drug treatment, mental health, not criminalizing children. for the safety of the communities we have to take a different approach. doesn't mean abolishing police.

it means police officers doing those things that society needs them to do and make massives investments and commitments to community care. >> reporter: some cities starting to restructure what public safety could look like. in new york, mayor de blasio moving police funding to youth initiatives. and mayor eric garcetti of los angeles redirecting budget to community programs. but for some, blanket calls to defund are worrisome. in houston's third ward where george floyd group, former police chief charles mclellan says it's about defining what defunding means. >> folks in the community calling for defunding police should understand how police budgets are put together, what they consist of, those type of things. i do not support taking away funds from the police agency and

taking away their capabilities to keep communities and neighborhoods safe. i do support cities, municipalities, states and national government putting more resources into community programs. >> reporter: in washington, duelling messages in response to the nation's unrest. today president trump praised members of law enforcement during a white house round table. >> there won't be defunding, won't be dismantling of our police. >> reporter: on capitol hill, congressional democrats knelt for 8:46 and proposed the justice in policing act of 2020. >> we must change laws and systems of accountability. starts with accountability, transparency, and number two, for police officers who do wrong there's accountability in the courts, either through civil cases by massively changing

qualified immunity to criminal prosecution, and finally bans practices like choke holds. >> reporter: dramatic surge of support on the streets but still uphill battle. how optimistic are you on getting republican buy-in? >> protesters out there made this bill possible. one month ago writing this bill and getting this support from democrats would not have been possible. i'm already in conversation with republicans trying to get them on parts or all of this bill but i think continued protests will change the realm of what's possible. >> reporter: what would you say to them to sign on? >> don't be bystander to history. do something for the cause of your country. i couldn't be there for freedom rides, sit-ins, storming beaches in normandy. pay it forward, this moment, voices of millions of americans demanding change, nothing in our

history has proven more powerful than that. >> reporter: all of that social action inspired by this man. george floyd's family tonight finding some comfort knowing that the movement sparked by his death lives on. >> we will get justice, we will get it. we will not let this door close. >> reporter: a and now to one of the loudest voices calling for defunding the place, representative omar, i spoke with her about why and how. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> you called the minneapolis police department as rotten to the core, needing to be dismantled. what does policing look like if it's defunded? >> looks like us trying to reinvest in community.

here in minneapolis we spent $103 million in policing. six times higher than what we spend in affordable housing, 11 times more than health, and 482 times more than we spend on crime prevention. model of saying not only defund but dismantle and start anew, allows us to really reimagine what public safety should look like in our community. there are many cases in which the police don't need to be involved, no one is advocating for a community that is not -- does not have the ability to have public safety. so what we are advocating for is reorientation, reimagining of what public safety should be and having community be part of that conversation. >> mayor of minneapolis was asked do you believe in the

abolition of police, yes or no. what's your answer? >> police department here in minneapolis needs to be dismantled and we need to start anew. >> representative omar, thanks for your time. we appreciate it. up next, new investigation into when covid-19 may actually have started in china.

[shouting] [clapping and shouting]

[cymbals clanging] [knocking] room for seven. and much, much more. the first-ever glb. get 0% apr financing up to 36 months on most models, and 90-day first-payment deferral on any model. over time, you go noseblind to the odors in your home. (background music) but others smell this... (upbeat music) that's why febreze plug has two alternating scents and eliminate odors for 1200 hours. ♪breathe happy febreze... ♪la la la la la. neuriva has clinically proven oingredients that fuel five, indicators of brain performanc: memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference.

it's always gooder what you'to have 'em.or, and when it comes to your internet, xfinity gives you the ones you need. on a budget? there's a speed for that. not ready to commit? try a plan with no annual contract. wanna save even more? just add xfinity mobile, and save big on your wireless bill. it's internet with the power of options. and that's simple, easy, awesome. get started with xfinity internet and mobile for just $30 a month each, and save up to $400 a year on your wireless bill.

call or visit xfinity.com/savebig. myi'm 70 and i live in mill valley, california. my biggest passion is gardening. i love to be outdoors. i have jaybirds that come when i call. i know how important it is to feed your body good nutrition. i heard about prevagen and i heard about the research behind it. taking prevagen, i have noticed that i can think clearly. my memory is better. i can say that prevagen is one of the most outstanding supplements i've ever taken. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

the wind in your hair... the feeling of freedom that drives us to go out and discover.. at chevy, we're committed to getting you there with confidence and peace of mind. that's why your chevy clean dealers commit to using enhanced vehicle cleaning measures with cdc-approved cleansers. if you need a new equinox, get 0% apr for 72 months or, four thousand five hundred dollars cash allowance on most models. you may even shop online and take delivery at home where available. so you can find new roads with confidence.

tonight, connecting the dots. the new study of satellite images possibly painting updated picture of the time line of covid-19 before it was reported to the world in the epicenter. >> reporter: october 2019, another fall season began in america. ♪ fresh powder >> reporter: lizzo, a new anthem with "truth hurts." >> let's begin. >> reporter: millions watched 12 people stand on a stage in the fourth democratic primary debate. >> if i get the nomination, i

will beat him like a drum. e world series.packed minute ge >>he washington nationals have world champions. >> reporter: and president trump touted progress in the tariff battle between the u.s. and china. >> there was a lot of friction between the united states and china, now it's a lovefest. >> reporter: little did we know parking lots on the other side of the world would foreshadow the collapse of the u.s. economy and loss of more than 100,000 lives. images reviewed by harvard researchers to paint a picture that seemingly shows a major health event in wuhan in october 2019, nearly three months before china would report its covid-19 outbreak to the world. >> when you put these images together and see pattern emerge, first thing you think, can't be

possible. >> reporter: lead researcher of the new study from boston children's hospital and harvard medical school. uses images from commercially available satellites, analyzed more than 400 photos of wuhan hospitals. satellite photos showed hospitals in october 2019, clues are the red dots, cars inside packed hospital parking lots. >> satellite photos, mirror images, october 2018 and october 2019, cars skyrocket. >> greater than any period through multiple years. >> reporter: this satellite him of women's and children's hospital was taken in 2018. full year later, goes to 714. 171 cars in october 2018, to 285

in 2019. 506 to 640, and this medical center, 112 cars in 2018 compared to 214 a year later. 90% increase. >> more cars to a hospital, hospital's busier. likely because maybe something is happening in the community, infection growing and people have to see a doctor. >> reporter: researchers say they can't prove increased activity is due to covid-19 but did uncover another clue looking at google equivalent in china. you looked at internet searches, what did you find? >> people searching for diarrhea, important symptom of covid, as well as cough, starting to increase late summer and early fall. >> reporter: brownstein says

also considered potential outside factors unrelated to coronavirus that could impact the spike, mass gatherings or natural disasters. >> we couldn't identify other reasons. >> reporter: they should have told the world. >> here in the u.s. we have challenges on covering outbreaks. >> reporter: talking about a communist regime that closely monitors its people. >> at the same time public health is challenging. >> reporter: abc spoke with multiple infectious disease experts who told us there's almost always delay in identifying and reporting outbreak. china has always maintained they reported in timely fashion but their cdc director told media the novel coronavirus existed long before it was found at wet market in wuhan in late

december. intelligence about dangerous contagion in china was provided to pentagon early as november. >> when it comes to responding to pandemic, a new threat, time really matters. every day, every week matters. sooner something is reported to the world health organization, sere sooner entire global community can prepare and be ready. >> one person coming in from china, we have it under control, it's going to be just fine. >> reporter: january 31st, president trump moved to ban all travelers from china except americans and families. but came too late. >> first case in the u.s., patient in isolation. >> reporter: first official diagnosed case in u.s., 31-year-old man in washington state, and the virus continued its deadly spread all across the

world. house intelligence committee official telling abc news tonight that the harvard wuhan study will be reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation into the intelligence community's handling of the coronavirus. >> it's critically important that china and every nation reports as soon as possible, as soon as it's recognized there may be a new outbreak of new infectious disease. >> reporter: does china deserve blame for not notifying the world about this earlier? >> we have a general failure of health systems broadly. we have to invest in public health infrastructure at global scale. >> abc news reached out to the chinese government to ask about the study, no response but to point us to paper yesterday, origin of the virus requires research and must be based on facts and evidence.

up next, what ties us together as nation is stronger than what separates us. we'll be doing what we do best. providing some calm amidst the chaos. with virtual, real-time tours of our vehicles as well as remote purchasing. for a little help, on and off the road. now when you buy or lease a new lincoln, we'll make up to 3 payments on your behalf. now when you buy or lease a new lincoln, i but what i do count on...ts anis boost high protein...rs, and now, there's boost mobility... ...with key nutrients to help support... joints, muscles, and bones. try boost mobility, with added collagen. you think it smells fine, s in your car. but your passengers smell this. eliminate odors you've gone noseblind to for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip. wow, it smells good in here. so you and your passengers can breathe happy.

neuriva has clinically proven oingredients that fuel five, indicators of brain performanc: memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. treating cancer isn't just what we do, it's all we do. and now, we're able to treat more patients because we're in-network with even more major insurance plans. so, if you've been turned down before, call us now. with even more major insurance plans. michael vasquez! come over here. i've heard such good things about you, your company. well, i wouldn't have done any of it without you. without this place. this is for you. michael, you didn't have to... and, we're going to need some help with the rest. you've worked so hard to achieve so much.

perhaps it's time to partner with someone who knows you and your business well enough to understand what your wealth is really for.

♪ ♪ we've always put safety first. ♪ ♪ and we always will. ♪ ♪ for people. ♪ ♪ for the future. and there has never been a summer when it's mattered more. wherever you go, summer safely. get zero percent apr financing for up to five years on select models and exclusive lease offers.

finally tonight, making a difference. >> those are awesome.

>> nine-year-old cameron johnson and her friends started making bracelets, raising more than $50,000 to help rebuild minneapolis devastated by violent protests after death of george floyd, now slowly coming together one bracelet at a time. >> i like helping people and i just hope that we can build up some black businesses. >> love and friendship, that's "nightline," see you back here tomorrow at the same time. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. ♪ ba, da, ba ♪ ba, da, ba ♪ ba, da, ba, ♪ ba, da, ba ♪ ba, da, ba, ba, da, ba, ♪ jimmy kimmel live this is ridiculous. >> jimmy: hello, i'm jimmy. i am the host of the show. thank you for joining me via the original form of social distancing, television. what a time to be alive.

this year is so crazy. kim jong un died and came back to life this year, and nobody even remembers it. two weeks ago, we were on instagram teaching each other how to make no-knead focaccia and now we're dismantling systemic racism. i think that's progress. as i'm sure you know, thousands of americans were out this weekend gathering together, risking their lives so that their voices will be heard. oh, wait, no, that's las vegas. those people are risking their lives to play "baywatch" slot machines. this was the scene here in hollywood yesterday, 20,000 los angelenos marching together. this is where we shoot our show, usually. we've been on that street almost 18 years. i've never seen a crowd anywhere near that big. l.a. is showing up to march, which is encouraging. do you know how hard it is to get people to walk in l.a.? in l.a., activism usually means wearing a lapel pin to the nickelodeon kids choice awards.