captioning sponsored by wnet >> sreenivasan: on this edition for saturday, june 2: tensions over trade as talks between thee united stas and china continue; in o signature segment, designing better products for those with disabilities; andthreturning to e historic city of palmyra after isis is driven out. next on pbs newshour weekend. >> "pbs newshour we is made possible by: bernard and irene schwart the cheryl and philip milstein family. sue and edr wachenheim, iii. dr. p. roy vagelos and diana t. vagelos. the j.p.b. foundation. the anderson family fund. rosalind p. walter barbar hope zuckerberg. corporate funding is provided

by mutual of america-- designing customized individual and group retirement products. that'shy we're your retirement company. >> additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station fr viewers like you. thank you. from the tisch wnet studios at lincoln center in new york, hari sreenivasan. >> sreenivasan: good evening. thanks for joining us. the united states is holding trade talks in beijing today. this ces days after the trump administration imposed new tariffs on aluminum and steel made in canada, mexico and the euroan union. commerce secretary wilbur ross arrived in cna for meetings pected to last several days. earlier this week, the white house said it would move forward with a plan to impose a 25% tariff on chinese products using new technologies in part to protect national security. just two weeks ago, u.s.

treasury secretatry steve mnuchin sainew tariffs on chinese products were "on hold" when china reportedly agreed to purchase more u.s. made goodsow and nats more than $300 billion annual trade surplus. amid the trade tensions, defensa secretary jameis denounced china today for deploying military equipment on a disputed chain of manmade islands in the south china sea. mattis called the strategy" intimidation and coercion" of china's neighbs in the region. last week, the pentagon disinvited china from planned international naval exercises because of its militarization of the islands. mattis made his statements in singapore, where he is attending an international meeting of defense chiefs. on the subject of the possible u.s.-north korean summit, mattis said changing the status of u.s. troops in south korea will not be on the table, and he promised agin that the goal is to remove all nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

>> our objectives remain as stated by minister onodera-- the complete, verifiable andve irible denuclearization and removal of all w.m.d. on the korean peninsula. >> sreenivasan: sociaz st pedro sancs sworn in as the new prime minister of spain today, replacing conservative mariano rajoy, who steppedown yesterday following a no- confidence vote. the 46-year-old sanchez was sworn in by king felipe with his right hand on the constitution, the first timeus bible was not in the ceremony. sanchez's socialist workers' party holds only 84 seats in spain's 350-seat assembly chamber. he is forming a new government with the support of six smaller parties. sanchez faces an unresolved independence movement in catalonia, where a new nationalist government was also sworn in today. late yesterday afternoon, missouri's governor resigned and lieutenant govnor mike parson was sworn in, promising a "fresh start" for the state. the rmer governor, eric greitens, left office as part of a plea deal to dismiss a felony chage alleging that he stol charity's donor list for his

2016 campaign. greitens still faces an ethics investigation and possible chargefor taking a photo of a partially nude woman without her consent. greitens has said that he had an affair with the woman but refused to say if he took the photo. the music streaming service rtotify has reversed its recent decision to removets from playlists as part of a new" hateful conduct policy." the company dropped musician ll kelly and another artist from playlists based onations of abuse. lsterday, spotify withdrew the decision, postinggthy explanation on its web site that said, in part: "across all genres, our role iso noegulate artists. therefore, we are moving away from impcylementing a po around artist conduct." it was a somber celebration last night as graduating seniors from santa fe high school in texas received their diplomas. graduates wore white stoles as a tribute to the eight students and two teachers killed two weeks ago in a mass shooting. a 17-year-old fellow student is

being held on charges of capital murder. valedictorian corrigan garcia irld his classmates that t shared experience only brought them closer. >> moving on will tough. nothing will ever be the same for any of us. >> sreenivasan: learn what uppens when unaccompanied minors arrive at t. border. visit www.pbs.org/newshour. >> sreenivasan: the operators od coaluclear power plants got a boost from the trump administration this week. the president ordered energy secretary rick perry to "prepare immediate steps" to stop the often unprofitable pnts from shutting down. proposals include ordering power-grid operators to buy electricity from coal and nuclear plants even thoh natural gas and alternative energy sources are considered cleaner environmental options. bloomberg reporter jennifer dlouhy obtained an internal memo outlining these controversial proposals, and she joins us now from wasn,hing.c. first, what is the administration trying to do? >> well, i mean, they're

essentially looking at an extraordinary intervention in the power markets to t to sav these coal and nuclear power plants that are struggling to make money in the ce of competition from cheap natural gas. and they've dusted off the law books and settlednessentially o two pretty obscure statutes to try to do this, to orderrid operators to buy power from these at-risk plants, these plants at risk of closure, and to set up a national electric production reserve to help in time ofergency. >> sreenivasan: so is the rationale then that this is a national security issue, that the grid needs to be stable? >> absolutely. they're asserting that this is a national securityr conn, that the grid is threatened by the premature closures oef se plants. you know, they argue that, you know, nuclear plants and coal power plant, they have fuel on site, so they're a little bitur morele and resilient. they can snap back more quickly after an emergency or cyber attack. this is the assertion that the energy department is making and

they're saying, you know, our defense department installationd are 99endent on the u.s. electric grid, and that the grid itself is threatened when coal reants and nuclear plant reti because that means that we have more natural gas power, we'rent more depenn natural gas power, and we're more dependent on renewable power that doesn get produced around the clock. >> sreenivasan: another line of thinking would be if themi tary is so dependent on the specific types of energy, shouldn't they actually diversify to make sure that they have resiliency after a storm? i'm assuming that some of thein critics are ng to a different type of logic here. >> right, absolutely. you know, thea critics sy that you can make our grid more durable. and in fact it has become more reliable because it is becoming more diverse by, you know, the-e e getting our power increasingly from a wider array of sources and that that actually helps buffer f usm emergencys. , you know, what's interesting is the energy department and the administration is r its argument here in national security, probably partly for

legal reasons, tl hep butcher them from a legal challenge down the road. but the enerme depa's own analysis has found that the grid is more reliable because it has power coming from a wider array of sourerces. >>ivasan: speak of those legal challenges i'm assuming this will get sorted out in the courts. nothing actually happas of yesterday or tomorrow. what's the likely timeline of this now? >> well, i think we're looking at-- most analysts i talked to looked at the memo i obtained and the actions we've seen over the anst couple of dayd think some action is going to happen in coming weeks. it will probirly be ative from the energy department spelling out, you know, thehi logistics ofplan, exactly what grid operators have to do. but opponents, you know, whether it's the oil industry, the wind producers and environmentalists, they've all indicated that they plan to march right into federaf court and le challenges to this. again, you know, i think the fact that the enetmrgy dept is throoght in national security is an effort to insulation ofalate itself. it is also a temporary

intervention planned for two yeurs. but the c will decide. i think that's almost a given at this point. >> sreenivasan: jennifer dloughy from "bloomberg" joining us from washington, thank you. >> thank you >> sreenivasan: since them passage of theicans with disabilities act 28 years ago, society has become more accessible to the disabled community. but there is still worto be done. recently, some of the most promising efforts have come from the design world. increased awareness, advocacy and advances in technology mean that products we all use are becoming more accessible. newshour weekend's meghan thompson reports. >> rr: walei sabry works r's the new york city ma office for people with disabilities. sabry is losing his vision due to a progressive eye condition and began idtifying as blind 13 years ago at the age of 19. he says, back then, his disability meant he had difficulty using some

technologies that everyone elsek could,mobile phones. >> and i was getting mobile phones that were specifically adapted. so, i would have to get a super expensive phone and then get a super expensive software on top of that to make that phone give me access to maybe 20% oits feaeptures. >> rter: then came the iphone. its designers built in features fothose with a vision disability. >> now, whatever i will touch ow the screen, l read out loud. so... >> walei sabry, hello. >> here was a phone that anyone could get, and i didn'ha to pay extra for it. i paid the same price as everyone else, and i had access to a lot more of theeatures than just making a call and maybe sending text message. >> walei is typing. >> i can't think of a more important area now for design activity than this area. >> reporter: cara mccarty is the head curator at the cooper hewitt smithsonian design

museum in new york. she put together its current exhibit, "access+ability," whict calls atn to the recent surge in design for people with disabilities. the exhibit has prototypes like this bodysuit with electric muscles to aid movement... >> we see these now with people who've had strokes, who need to relearn how to walk. >> reporter: ...and canes with features like light-up handles and weighted bases. >> we're seeing experiments with self-righting canes, sort ofn like buoyster that tip over and they... they right themselves up to balance. >> reporter: mccarty says this increase in accessible design means that products we all use are being made to be more inclusive. and products specifically for people with disabilities are being made better. >> this comparison is st so powerful. >> reporter: and, design is being used to change perceptions about people with disabilities, as well. for example, there's a campaign to update the international symbol of access from this depiction of a person in a wheelchair...

>> just itting there, quietly, passively. >> reporter: ...to this. >> just by incling the torso a little bit, arms back, propelling the wheelchair gis this sense about get up and go, and just engage. >> disability will affect everyone at one point or another in their lives. whether it's as they age or,ebou know, if sy breaks a leg, accessibility is there ithey need it. >> reporter: in 2016, walei sabry was put in charge of making all of new york city's government web sites and digital tools accessible to everyone. >> just different policies like what... what will our policy be for making videos accessible? what will our policies be for ensuring that plain oanguage is usour web sites? >> instagram, be my eyes. seeing a.i. >> reporter: he says app designers have stepped up their game recently, too. >> let's open a random page here. >> reporter: microsoft's app called "seeing a.i." reads printed text to sabry... >> department of housing. >> reporte ...and identifies

objects in front of him. >> woman with blonde hair looking happy. >> reporter: sabry says in cases when he has to use a separate, specialized device, it draws >>tention he doesn't necessarily want. he conversation would be, "oh, let me see how different you are. i want to see how you do thingsi erently." you know, those are the kind of conversations that, you know, further exclusion, imy inion, because, you know, there's a difference between ceoubrating differences and, know, pointing them out. >> i love to talk about this voting booth. >> reporter: cara mccarty says this is a good example of nclusive design, a new vo machine created for los angeles county for the 2020 elections. >> today, if seone has a disability, often they vote separately. often they... they don't have the privacy because they verbalize how they want to vote, so other people can hear how they are voting. this has not only a privacy screen, it can be onjusted for sowho's standing. if you're in a wheelchair, you can roll up to it.s the ballotectronic.

we can change the font size if someone has difficulties with their vision. >> reporter: the machine was designed by ideo, a company known for including users in the design process. >> that has really created and resulted in a lot of products that are much more functional, often more aesthetically pleasing. >> reporter: for example, ideo consulted people with cerebral palsy. the designers found that touch scr weeked best for them. and, it turned out, touch screens worked best for most mccarty says that's typical. itveral of the products in the cooper hewitt exhiere originally intended for someone with a disability but ended up being useful for many; like this smartphone app made by mayaan ziv, who has muscular dystrophy and found it difficult to find information about whether she could access buildings iher wheelchair. >> one can put an address in it ywhere in the world. is it accessible? are the restrooms accessible? t patio accessible?

just remember, if you are perhaps a parent pushith a stroller, same needs apply to them. >> reporter: in products used primarily by someone with a disality, like wheelchairs, mccarty says users are getting more choices and more features. >> for so long, wheelchairs were viewed as just a place to sit, sort of one size fits l. >> reporter: now, for example, there's this wheelchair, made specifically for people in the developing world where streets are often unpaved. >> so, the wheelchairs are very durable. note that it is three wheels as opposed to four. this is a much more stable e nfiguration. >> reporter: the more options in fashion, too. >> some very simple changes. reporter: there's a shirt that looks like one you could find in any department store, bueit has magnets behind th buttons, making it easier to snap together for someone with limited dexterity. >> and then, one of my favorites here. >> reporter: again, it's not obvious these sneakers are different from any others.

nike designed them after being contacted by a 16-year-old witha cerebral y. >> and he wanted to be able to put on his own pair of coollf shoes by him so, they responded by creating these flyease shoes there's a rear entry. so, the... the person can just put their foot in that way. and by the way, anybody can wear these. >> reporter: and assistive devices are getting new look these hearing aids are decorated with colorful rhinestones, making them look like earrings. and prosthetic limbs are getting a makeover, too. >> so many peoe use accessories in outfits as a way to express themselves, and it shouldn't be any different for any... for us, right? >> reporter: mama cax is a new york-based fashion model.le her righwas amputated when she was a diagnosed with bone cancer as a teenager. at first, she covered her prosthetic with skin-colored am to hide her disabilit then, she covered it with nothing at all. >> and i didn'ly like the look. it wasn't fashionable enough for

me. >> reporter: a couple of years ago, mama cax found theseos etic leg covers manufactured by a company callee al >> i think before, the constant lhing was meeting people who had this sort of, likeook of pi t. and althout still happens now, but i think when people see me, the first thing they think of is how cool of a design it is. and they want to know more about it. they want to know if i ditigned yself or how many of them i have. >> reporter: cax ns 18 covers in all, and she did design one herself in partnership with the company. >> it... it just gives me this, you know, newfound cdence because i... i just feel like it's such a great way to expres myself orter: and that, cara mccarty says, is tower of innovative and inclusive design-- giving people choices, indendence and pride. the cooper hewitt access+ability exhibit will run until september.

>> sreenivasan: over theourse of the seven-year civil war in syria, the ancient city of palmyra has changed hands multiple times, controlled by both isis militants and by president bashar al assad's government forces. r now, isis has been driven out of the world heritage site, leaving behind a trail of destruction. i.t.n.'s alex thomson waste granaccess to the city and brings us this report. >> reporter: a broken, abandoned place, palmyra may be in government hands, but the pe eoe t coming home. >> ( translated ): the town must returnecause palmyra is for everyone, for the whole world, not just syria or the people of palmyra. it's a place for all civilization. t >> reporter: few people we saw here did not yet feel secure. our military escort banned us

from filming iranian militias on the streets. the syrian government's allies. but we saw the flags of hezbollah here, their militia. the ruins, defiled by graffiti, some apparently from forces loyal to president assad, anan some pro-iralogans in farsi. r ban on us-- we can't film the russians as we droach through the empty shattered streets. there are checkpoints all across this ghost city. palmyra, forever now the scene of russia's greatest military embarrassment during its alliance in this war with the syrian government. ♪ may 5, 2016-- the st. petersburg orchestra plays in t in the roman amphitheater. syrian and russian forces have pushed the islamic state fighters from the city. and yet, six months later, the islamic state retook the entire

place. meting out revenge upon its monuments., previousey'd used this amphitheater for mass public executions. now they blew up the renowned central arch of the st ce. spent bullings, what appear to be a detonator and cord, still lie strewn about the stone seating. the city's arch of triumph destroyed, other monuments also blow. and revenge upon palmyra's people, too. we meet saleh mahmoud in the city.mi the isstate captures his son, adnand, accusing the family of lending their truck to the syrian ay. he watched the video the ismic state uploaded of his own son's execution. >> ( translated ): they made him kneel. ask anyone in palmyra, he was a man.

they made him kneel. they tied his hands behind his back. one the i.s. men pointed the gun at the back of his head. , d i was watching, and then my son, god bless h just looked at them and said, "you are terrorists. you are pigs." and he spat at them. and they shot him. >> reporter: the city's cemetery, every single headstone smashed up by the islamic state. they consider them idolatrous. >> ( translated ): when the islamic state took the they occupied my house and clinic and said i'm an infidel because my wife is a christian, and i am a muslim.

and i di't force her to nvert to islam. the islamic state saying marrying a christian is forbidden, so they condemned me in my absence, beheaded, and have my head displayed from that lamp post. >> reporter: here? >> yeah, yeah. >> reporter: this lamp post. ou yeah, yeah. >> reporter: and ybody. >> yeah. >> reporter: a few streets away in the main square, the remains of the cages where prisoners condemned to execution were kepl by theist insurgents. they've gone, though they still fight in the desert around the city. palmyra, a world heritage site, further damaged by war, and a modern city burned, broken, and largely abandoned. >> sreenivasan: that's all for this editi pbs newshour weekend. i'm sarsar. have a good night. captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by media access group at wgbh

access.wgbh.org >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: bernard and irene schwartz. tethe cheryl and philip mi family. sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. dr. p. roy vagelos and diana t. vagelos. the j.p.b. foundation. the anderson family nd. rosalind p. walter barbara hope zuckerberg. corporate funding is provided by mutual of america-- designing customized individuar anp retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. additional support has been provided by:

and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like y. thank you.

steves: this region's breathtaking coastline is traversed by three coastal routes -- the low, middle, and high corniche. the low corniche strings ports, beaches, and villages together. it was built in the 1860s, along wihe train line, to bring people to the casino in nearby monte carlo. the middle corniche mpmes with views ofssive villas, and the grande corniche caps the cliffs with staggering mediterranean vistas. while hailed as napoleon's crowning road construction achievement, itually sits upon the via aurelia, a road built by the ancient romans as they conquered the west. a towering roman ruen celebrates that co. caesar augustus built the trophy of the alpes to commemorate his defeat of the region's many hostile tribes. with this victory, the completion of the main artery connecting italy and spain was made pose. this opened the way for the continued expansion of the roman empire. the inscription tells the story.

it was erected by the senate and the people to honor the emperor. carved below is an inventory of all the feisbarian tribes that put up such a fight. and on either side are the nquished in chains at the feet of their conqueror, a reminder to any who would challenge the empire. nearby, standing high above the sea, is touristy but magnificent eze. the once-formidable town gate, designed to ep rampaging pirates out, leads into the medieval village. is self-proclaimed village of art and gastronomie mixes perfume outlets, upscale boutiques, cobbled nes, and scenic perches perfect for savoring a drink. the more adventurous can climb even further up to the scant ruins of the eze chaau. the paths leading there host a prickly festival of over a hundred

looking beyond the flowers, you'll enjoy a commanding riviera view.

announcer: explore n new worlds annew ideas through programs like this, made availableor everyone through contributions to your pbs station from viewee you. thank you. announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the perry como show! ♪ dream along with me ♪ i'm on my way to the stars nick clooney: perry como was the first of television's weekly va, and only perry had a top tv show hello, everybody, i'm nick clooney. and i am peter marshall, and we are here to celrate the wonderful musical legacy of the one and only perry como right here on... nick: my music! ♪ pa-pa-papaya ♪ pa-pa-papaya peter: for over 50 years, perry como ranked as one of america's most successful