captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. d the newshour tonight: >> i am officiallaring a national emergency. >> woodruff: the state of the pandemic. utnancial markets rally, b major shutdowns continue to cascade. a federaaid package is still up in the air as covid-19 touches every aspect of american life. then, coping with the coronavirus. p we examine thesychological effects of the pandemic-- how to address our fears, and finding a healthy state of mind in a crisis.ha >> i thinkwe're getting into is a spiral of fear that is leading people to engage in responses that aren'very helpful. >> woodruff: and, it's friday. mark shields and david brooks break down the politics of

the pandemic, the trump administration's response, and this trying time. all that and more, on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our es.nomy for 160 bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> consumer cellular offers no-contract wireless plans that are designed to help you do more of the thingyou enjoy. whether you're a talker, texter,

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cially under a national emergency. p the covid-demic has now infected some 1,700 americans, and claimed the lives nearly 50 people. today's emergency declaration after yesterday's ic wall street nosedive. w jones industrial avera surged 1,985 points to close above 23,185. the nasdaq soared 673 points, and the s&p 500 rose 230. but overall for the week, stocks posted their worst week since the 2008 global financial meanwhile, as outrage intensified over the lack of matters into their own hands to help slow the spread. thousands of schools closed across the country. more major sporting events were postponed or canceled. and, one state's presidential

primary was even delayed. amna nawaz begs our coverage. >> nawaz: weeks into the spread of covid-19 in the u.s., president trump ramps up the federal response. >> i am officially declaring ana tional emergency. no resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever. >> nawaz: the move opens up to $50 billion in federal resources for state and local governments to respond, similar to actionn ta the face of previous public health crises-- president bill clinton in 2000, reacting to west nile virus, and president barack obama in 2009, to contain the h1n1 flu pandemic. the president's team announced a new website for citizens to ndreen their symptoms and testing sitethif needed, and also announced hundreds of thousands ofdditional tests potentially ailable next week through an expedited process now underway. the house of representatives ha been working weasury secretary steve mnuchin on a sweeping aid package aimed at reducing the pandemic's economic impact. today, house speaker nancy

pelosi pledged to push forward yiwith that bill, without if republicans or the white house had bought in. >> the three most important parts are testing, testing, testing. this legislation, free testingt for everyone teds one including uninsured. we can only defeat this if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope. >> nawaz: all this, as covid-19 cases contue to rise in the u.s. known cases have now spread to at least 47 states, and washington d.c., though testing remains limited. in new york, drive-through isting was rolled-out tod new rochelle, still under strict containment after a recent outbreak. a similar curbside program in denver, where coloradans yesterday waited in long lines to get tested.an across the country, mass cancellations continued of major

sport events and large gatherings, as did closures of schools and universities. eric williams is superintendentn of loudon virginia schools. >> we have lots of two-parent working families, and many of whom don't have significant flexibility in terms of taking off and in order to care for. their childr and so this was a consideration. but at the end of the day, we need to make our decision based on student and staff safety. >> nawaz: and for the first time today, a delay in the 2020 election cycle. here louisiana's secretary o state. >> today, i ha certified that a state of emergency exists, and requested that the governor issue an executive order postponing the elections safe and secure elections also means safety to the people of louisiana. that's why i signed the certification. >> nawaz: as england announced a year-long delay in its local elections, world health organization officials reiterated that all of europe remains at high risk.

>> europe is now the epicenter. more cases are now being reported everyday than were reported in china at the height of its epidemic. >> nawaz: in italy, another grim benchmark, as infections soared by more than 2,500 cases to more deaths jumped by more than 250, now totaling more than 1,200-- the biggest single day jump nce the outbreak began, leading officials in denmark to temporarily close the country's borders. in brazil, reports that thead first f-state was infected-- forcefully disputed by brazilian presider bolsonaro and his son, congressman eduardo bolsono, in an interview with fox news. i confirm the test was negative. after an aide to bolsonaroised

tested positive for the virus, after accompanying him to the u.s. last ek and meeting with president trump. president trump has so far not been tested, but today sl d he likely w. >> i most likely will be tested. >> nawaz: dr. anthony fauci, an administration leader on coronavirus, expressed confidence that the administration's newest efforts would have an impact. >> what's on today wl d. what's going on today is going to help it end sooner than it would have. >> nawaz: for the pbs newshour, i'm amna nawaz. >> woodruff: across the country, has been another day of major closings, postponements and cancellations.en at leasttates announced in the past 24 hours that they are closing schools statewide-- all of the latest seen here on this map. ncjor school districts ann their own closures, including the second-largest district in the country, the los angeles and san diego unified school district. the master's golf tournament,wh h is traditionally played at the srt of april, was

stponed, as was the boston marathon.f in the worldtertainment, disney announced that it is halting all production of live action films, and the late night shows on tv have shut down production for the remainder of the month. for a closer look at today's developments and the politics of the pandemic, i'm joined by our lisa desjardinand yamiche alcindor. so, yamiche, this national emregency the president dec today, what exactly does it allow to happen now that couldn't happen before? >> well, the presidenk a major step today in declaring this national emergency and he says it will have the full force of the federal government focused and targeted on a corovirus response. so walking through somee of th things it's going to do.'s oing to provide $42.6 billion in disaster aid that w tll be ab go through states, through fema -- federerl ncy management agency -- that's something that happens when it comes to hurricanes testimony other thing food

assistance, shelter and medical responses, basic needs amecans might need. the other thing is unemployment, insurance and overtime payd men, at's going to be focused on wkers who are impacted byr the avirus. so we're seeing the president really trying to say we are stepping up efforts, all happening as th president himself says he wilell likbe tested for the virus. resort tested positive for the virus. and congress have been trying to b work out a deal to help people who arout of work ortoo sick to go to work, and there's news in the last few minutes. >> in the space of time it took amna nawaz's package to play, we between nancy pelosi and the white house. they said they're reaching an agreement. they said they have secured emergency leave, two weeks of sick leave for workers and up to three weeks of paid family and

medical leave. there is, iuspect, about a billion dollars fr food security, that would include seniors who are homebound and children whose schools closed and they rely free and reduced lunch. there are a lot of questionsto about this, buday was a very difficult day because everyone knows the importance of deling with these very first vulnerable populations, and, yet, the white house and house democrats could not reach a deal. it looks like, at this minute, they finally have, after 24 very tough hours of neiaons, house speaker nancy pelosi and treasury secretary mnuchin one the ph dozen times today trying to get this done. >> woodruff: looks like a number of false s where they looked ke they were close but weren't there titll lierally right now. >> the devil's in the details and they say they have the details worked out. >> woodruff: yamiche, what is the white house saying? if they've comoe tgether, that means they've agreed. >> i was just rushing over from the white house and the president was questioned about

this durg his press conference, and he said there were a number of problems and he wasn't fully on board.e as learned through lisa's great reporting, there has been a deal reacheandhe whi house is, it seems, on board with this. it means that the president is go lg to bekely signing this sometime in the next few weeks, maybe the next week. i have been talking to white house sources who say the president was debt desperate to have something to show the american people, that they were federal government was there for people who are scared and panic. >> woodruff: there s been resistance to permanent sick leave being a part of this. >> i believe this is temporary related only to the coronavirus, and that is something the democrats conceded. >> woodruff: yamiche, at this news conference tod, you asked the president about the office of the national security council office that dealt with pandemic and why that office was don away with. tell us about that exchange. >> well, what happened was thatt the house used to have this office that dealt specifically with pandemics, and in 2018, pre disbanded that, and there were

people who were heading up that office that left the administration very abruptly. here's the exchange between me and the president. and the officials >> alcindor: and the officials that were working in that office said that you-- thathite house lost valuable time because that office was disbanded. inat do you make of that? >> well, i just it's a nasty question. because what we've done is, and tony has said numerous times lthat we saved thousands es because of the quick closing. and when you say me, i didn't do we have a group ofe-- i could ask perhaps in my administration, but i couldrh s ask tony about it, because i don't know anything about that. i mean, you say we did that. i don't know anything about that. >> so the president is saying he didn't know anything about this, but this is a national security council office, it was his administration that di it,t was under national security advisor john bolton whos no longer in the administration, but the president says he has no responsibility for this, which is preditty ince. now, this office, democrats say, and the obama administration say they set this up t afte ebola

crisis, and they felt like this would be something that th administration could use, the trump administration, if there was another pandemic. now, of course, there is another pandemic and the office is no longer there. critical time they could haveost been using to respond to the coronavirus. >> woodruff: but again, theid prt, today, saying it wasn't his decision, he didn't know much about it. administration, hiional security advisor. the buck, people would say, stops with the president on this, but the president sayingt it wasn't me,s people in my administration. >> woodruff: very, veryte sting. yamiche alcindor, thank you. lisa desjardins, we thank you. >> thank you. and the president is indeed directing more money and announced moves today to speed up testing in coming weeks. t there are still a number of questions about how prepared we are, and why testing is taking so long to provide. we examine those issues with o. irwin redlener, direct the center for disaster

preparedness at columbia university. for the record, he is also now an advisoro joe biden's committee on the novel coronaviru and, dr. sheri fink of the "new york times." she habeen covering the testing issues extensively. we appreciate yourng us. dr. redlener, to you first, you did hear what the president had to say today about declaring a national emergency. you heard what they're say about speeding up testing. how much difference do you believe all this is going to make? >> well, you know, guess i'm glad, finally, he's doing it, but i think almt everything to do with our handling of the coronavirus threat hasway too little and too late. i was shoed, many weeks ago, when we could get it right in terms of developing a reliable test that could be widely distributed to the country, we tried distributing what the c.d.c. had, turns out the testing materials were

defective. sheri wrotanextraordinary ysis oft what went wrong there, but people are seeing this as an incredible, you know, incompetence of the government to get this right from the beginning. ten now, i spoke juis morning ith several emergency medicine doctors who are still frustrated that they can't get these tests done, and i think this is sort of, in way, symbolic of some widespread failures of this government to do what eds to g done, and i'm not really saying this politically, i'm saying thiss a matter of public health. you know, we just look out the front window of theicle and we're looking at italy, and, i'm telling you, were a absolutely not prepared to deal with the medical health system consequences of this kind of outbreak. >> woodruff: dr. sheri fink, you did do some remargtble reporthat shed a light on what happened with efforts to come up with a hnew test,e difficulty in getting it done. with that in the background, yoh look at the administration is saying today, that they are going to be able to do.

how much closer doesat get this country toward we resolving this testing problem? >> it sounds like a great solution, once it's in place. unfortunately, we've heard over and er again that solutions are right around the corner, when tt c.d.c. test was wn not to work the first week of february or to have somse isues, that was the first week of february, and we're still in the position where we ae no, far into march. so hopefully, th will really expand the testing capacity, particularly the approval of the first commercial test today through roche. >> woodruff: sheri fink, what your understanding of what changed on the part of the administration and c.d.c. d whoever was involved in getting us to where we are right now? >> think what changed is that there was a alization something had to be done. so the first test was intended for thetion's public health laboratories. they can only do so much

anyways. now we need a broad expansion, there seems to be recognition of that. also, a change, there s a real insistence on very strict rules that were very mucslowing down the process of getting rules for dhe laboratory developed tests, and the f.. has since relaxed some of those rules. maybe that could have been done sooner, as soon as we realize there was an issrue hee. i read about private academic labs that stepped up and wantedu to help gent situations when cases started to appear in communities. there has been a recognition that this has needed to expand for quite some time now. it's very sad we lost that time. it's unfortunate. >> woodruff: for s dr. redlener, as you listen to the president and the officials around h speak today, dr. fauci and others, do you have a sense thathe gravity of what is going on has now taken hold and that we are going to see movement in this country

the, as you and others have said needs to be recognized and to take plce? >> well, you know, of course, the public hlth officials, including tony fauci and many of the people at the c.d.c., and so on, are legitimate, world-class public health professiona, they've worked through many presidencies, and it's -- you know, i think they havbeen pretty much telling us what should be happening and what'sro goneng. however, it's been in contrast to this onstant barrage of happy talk from the president and vice president, reassuring us everything is under control, when it obviously wasn't, and the net effect of this confusio about the messaging leaves the american public and our public health officials locally inat and so on very, very confused and uncertain abouta what they're hring. we lose confidence in the federal public healthd architecture, at's just really, really bad in terms of e situation we need to be helping people and guiding them,

and thre getting mixed messages. >> woodruff: stang with you going to the states to ramp up to make resources vaicialtion that will make a difference? >> hopefully it will make some difference, but to fixhat's no missing in our health system in terms of being able to respond efctively, is not going to be fixed in a hurry, no matter how much money we hav r example, we're going to have a severe shortage of mechanical vent laift breathing macnes to help people who are quite sick from this. the federal stopile is limited, the number of ventilators around the country is limited. we may need 100,000 ventilators. those won't appear magically. it's not a question of money, it's a question of manufacring d buying large supplies. we are very tight on respiratorr ists to run these machines, so we've got a loft work to do. the money is certainly fantastic, i'm grateful for it,s

but i it would have happened weeks ago. >> woodruff: sheri fink, i wothd like you to answeat question as well. eased on what you heard, the money they are sing, we heard the president say we're going to be buying a lot more respirators, how reassuring is all that? >> i'mheot sur meant respirators which are9 n5 respirators which are the masks the workers need, they have a higher level of filtration for the virus, those are sometimesed ventilators, who help people with artificial breathing in critic't care. i waure what he meant but, certainly, the machines themselves, yes, as dr. redlener said, you need not only the machines but the people to staff them. so our hospitals really need to be making some plans around that. and it's very hard. is is a problem that's been recognized for years. i've heard it talked aboutor years and, unfortunately, we are

in a situation where those earlier.n't made it makes it hard to catch up, but, certainly, it's a good th, g to have the funds nor sure. t >> sheri fink "new york times," dr. irwin redlener, we thank you both.nk >> tou. s. >> woodruff: it is a time of enormous disruption in america,e and all aroundorld, as many of our daily routines are being upended. beyond the cancellations, medical questions and financial turmoil, there is fear and many other concerns. jeffrey brown takes a closer look at that. >> brown: the thoughts a unavoidable, whether you're eager to get a test, seeing the empty shelves the grocery store, concerned for your children and loved ones, or watching events unfold elsewhere. david desteno studies emotions in times of stress and trauma. he's a professor of psychology at northeastern university in boston. so welcome to, emotions are clearly high, kno,wled

arguably, is low. what does that combination add up to in the behavior you're seeing now? >> unfortunately, it's a perfect storm for us right now. the reason we have emotions is to holp us c to adaptive decisions very rapidly, but wheh e emotions are mialibrated or when the context is wrong o especially now when we have a few clear facts atur fingertips, those emotions can start filling in the blanks and what would be an adaptive response can go awy. >> but now we have a situation where the reason for fear is real, tests are hard to come by, people are getting sick, they see what's going on in other countries. you're not suggeing we cn avoid that or should avoid that? >> no, by no means. you know, there is clearly a reason for fear and anxiety right now the problem is a lot of us don't think like vilogojists or epidemiologists and have then informat hand.

when you feel fear, it makes ything that seems threatening more likely to happen. when i sneeze and feel afrai one sneeze, i'm more likely to believe that's due to corovirus. the more i think about it, the more opportunities there are to fill in the blanks. hmm, was i really six feet away from the guy in the store next to me today? so, yes, please do wt dr. fauci said, if there is reason for concern, seek mical treatment if you have it, but i think we're getting into a spiral of fear that's leading people to engage in responses that aren't helpful. >> make it as concrete as you can even if your own life, stocking aunt the grocery store, making decisions on wherto take your children, whether to take them out and see other people, how do you balance those kinds of fnears ad decisions to go on with life? >> i think the best way to do it right now, when you feel fear, you are motivated to act, but mostf us, as i said, don't know the best things to do, so this is really a siuation where

expertise is warranted. so, you know, do what your public healthfficials, your provider tells you, what dr. anony fauci says. the trick is to not obsess about that fear because it will begin to make you second gueng everytou're doing and it may lead you to actions that arl ac more problematic, as we're seeing if there's a run on supplies or face masks, wha we're doing is getting into ath situatio single actions that may not benefit us that much will end up causing collective harm. >> reporter: you used the word help but think o phones we can't all carry. the difference is from this national moment to hers and you and i are familiar with, 9/11, the 2007 crash, and other periods, where the iormation mes smuch faster and we're taking it all in and not sure .hat to do with it >> that's right. so that's another thing about emotions, emotions are very contagious and that serves a

purpose. if you and i are talking like this and all of a sudden, i wen- (gasped) that woulde a signal to you that i feel fear and you would feel fear and act accordingly. but now, because of social media, if anyone's feare gts out of what can and too intense, it becomes a cycle that's spread rapidly and quickly and, again, if we don't have rational facts or information at our fingertips, kit become an upward spiral of fear very rapidly. >> reporter: so, in a word, ieck your device but not too often, not stay ? what are you doing? is thmedia is going to showppens you the worst case scenarios. it's imptant and i'm not saying we shouldn't understand what's going on, but you're seei worst case scenarios of everyone who's sick, but they're not showing everyone who's doing okay with mild symptoms of the virus or not having it. so it seems to beore prevalent. i don't mean to be complacent,

follow the advice pof thelic health officials. what you're seeing is the worst-case scenarios and our brains evolved in a world without social media and smartphones, and what we saw around us was a clear example of what was happening. now we're getting curated to us some of the worst things going on. >> reporter: all right, david desteno of northeastern university, thank you very much. >> thank you, jeffery. e woodruff: we now go to south korea, to at seems to be working in the fight against cornd-19. the gont there is spending nearly $10 billion to fight the country's outbreak. as special corresponde bruce harrison discovers, money is it also takes communities willg to come together. >> reporter: kim gyeong-su took o work as a bus driver to pitch in on what's become the national priority here--

defeating covid-19. now, he's volunteering at this "drive-through" test clinic. >> ( translated ): acitizens, we're here for the safety of our fellow citizens, to volunteer for goyang city. >> reporter: anyone can pull in, with or without symptoms. this local office worker is here just as a precaution. he tells nses he recently smoked a cigarette with someone who may have been in contact with infected people. after taking his temperature, they say he seems symptom-free for now, but to come back if that changes. others receive a much more thorough exam based on their physical symptoms and potential exposure to confirmed patients. thousands of koreans have driven through this clinic in the past two weeks. 's free, takes ten minutes, and you get resulte in two to thys. >> ( translated ): staying sick longer ocreases costs and puts people's lives in danger.

you must find them quickly, and you must not be frugal about t costs. it's the state's basic duty to e pport the lives of its people. >> reporter: moran 200,000 south koreans have now been sted. top health officials gathered this week in seoul to eth eir results, and they didn't skimp on precautions, in a room >> with a transpard openas societhe goal, we recommend a response system that blends voluntary public participation with creativ application of advanced technology. >> reporter: text messages alert the public to the location of confirmed cases, and quaranted patients update the government on their health via smartphone app. seoul has rejected citywide lockdowns and left its borders open to everyone except those coming from the hardest hit region of china. >> the general consensus among public healthcare professionals seems to be that tral bans are not effective in containing

contagious illnesses, and can make things woe, even, by fueling a sense of complacency.e >> rep korea's neighbors china and japan disagree,ba ing travelers from south korea's worst affected regions. despite tougher quarantine measures, japan is struggling, ead of the prized summer olympics. south korelargely credits mass testing for its relatively lowam death ratig hard-hit areas. south korea's ratio is less tho 1%, comparedre than 4% in iran, and 6% in italy. and today during a pentagon videoconferenc the top u.s. mmander in south korea also credited testing for keeping covid-19 off u.s. bases-- testing initiay done by the koreans. >> they have been extraordinary partners. we typically got our test results turned around in 24 hours. >> reporter: one u.s. service

member and eight others connected to the u.smilitary here have tested positive, but general robert abrams said strict controls and transparency preventea larger outbreak. >> for example, daily live- b stream communiefings by our garrison and installation commanders, with questions and answers, as well as multiple virtual town halls with our senior commanders. >> reporter: most korean cases have been limited tohe country's southeast, but recent cluster infections in seoul may te the korean model for success. this testing center was set up specifically for residents and employees of this building, ere there's been a large outbreak of covid-19. and as you can see behind me,ma a genthas just sat down, and he's beginning the testing the outbreak here has really concerned this community. a lot small businesses, restaurants and cafes, have and perhaps more concerning, right along this area runs one of seoul's most busy metro lines. typically, hundreds of thousands of people transfer at sindorim

station every day. there's now just a t during rush hour-- there's been an outeak up the road. one area in this neighborhood where foot traffic hast slowed is outside of pharmacies. people have been lininup here for more than an hour. the government has limited customers to just two masks a arweek, to make sure healt workers get what they need. still, there's no panic here, as people in th community come together to cope. >> ( translated ): i'd like to buy more masks, but i know if i did that, others wouldn't be able to. so, i feel i shouldn't. >> reporter: lee says foreigners who don't find masks necessary may have a change of heart as itthe coronavirus continue deadly global march. you have to experience it personally, he says, to understand. for the pbs newshour, i'm bruce harrison, in seoul.

>> woodruff: in the day's other news, delta air lines is that the pandemic has triggered a decline in demand for travel. it is also halting all flights to continental europe for the next 30 days, and groundingla up to 300 ais as a way to delta's c.e.o. sai he is hopeful they will get financial assistance from the whuse and from congress. the u.s. state department today summoned the chinesesador to the u.s., after an incendiary accusation by a cherese official ovid-19. in a tweet, a chinese ministry eokesperson alleged that u.s. army brought the virus to wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbak. but, he cited no evidence to support that claim. china's embassy in washington did not immediately respond. and, iraq today denounced u.s. strikes on iranian-backed militias that left six people dead overnight. the u.s. targeted sites linked

to the militia group blamed for a rocket attack that killed three american serce members wednesday. in washington today, the head of the u.s. central command said the tit-for-tat strikes sent a >> these attacks are designed to usprevent future attacks o, which would be the definition o fensive action. i think the tension is still very high. i ink the risk is still significant in the theater and even though we may go days or a period of time without anythi happening, i think we're still at a period of significant risk. >> woodruff: wednesday's attack was the deadliest to targetam ican troops in iraq since last december. >> woodruff: and now, for their outake on the political faof the global coronavirus pandemic, it's time for the anysis of shields and brooks.

that is syndicated columnist mark shields, and ew york times" columnist david brooks. >> woodruff: hel to both of you. it's been a week hke no oter, that i can remember. mark, where are we? what -- how do you make sense of t at's going on riw? >> well, the only way i could make sense of it is by wat we have been through before. i mean, i compare it, judy, to the time after world war ii began or the polio epidemic in the '50s, and there was a time of collective national sacrifice, everybody was in it together. we were all at risk. it was especially at the beginning to have the war, i was a time of collective sacrifice where there wer shortages of alcohol, tobacco, meat, butter, you name it, but americans through 20 million country's vegetabheyed the

sacrificed collectively the president of the new york stock exchange went into the ar for chairman of the federal reserve. at the time of pol, there was terror in the country. we closed bowling alic swimming pools, beaches, 490,000 americans were paralyzed. then the magical moment in1955 when there was a cure. that's where we are. it's the unknown. u it's tkno, and there's a sense of terror. >> woodruff: can we make sensea of it, dvid? how do we get our arms around it? >> well, there are two issues, maybe i should do them separately. one is the political leadership issue and one is the moral andci issue. just on political, i found it an enraging week. we sat heremany years ago when we saw images of katrina an bodies floating in new orleans, and i think both mark and i felt a deep sense ofger, and i

feel a deep sense of anger thate our gove has responded so badly and, frankly, this is what happens when you elect a sociopath as president, who doesn't care, who treated this whole thing the past month as if it's about him, how do people like me, mithimizin risks, does the stock market reflect welln me and hat done the things a normal human being would do is let's ke precautions and do the backup things we need to do. any president wold sit down with his team and say people will suffer here, let's get he's incapable of that and he's distortion field around him. even the press conference day was all hisr popaganda, he wasn't honest with people. then with yamiche's perfectly good question about an agency, maybe th didn't know wheat hart of the national security was shut down, but he should

know about it now. it's a sign no one is willing to tell him bad news and we have a dysfunctional process at the heart of the natn in a gat time of crisis. >> woodrf: with all that going on, mark, how does that afict americans' lity to get through this? >> it affects it in many respects. i ú&a ú&aeithis is . i mean, i think if americans who are informed and put to the test, whom do you want -- who do you want in carge of this epidemic, interest tony fauci or donald trump? anybody who watched it would say dr. tony fauci. i mean, he's knowledgeable, he's straight, he'srect, he's candid, he's thoughtful, he's everything that we want. the president is impulsive and

uninfoed, he misled the people that it was contained. any president of the united states saying he's going to lee americans on a boat docked thf california rathean bring them to shore for treatment because it would increase the number of people, would hors his numbers, would hurt "my numbers," that's not somebody lacking in empathy, that's somebody with an empathy void. to me, i thinkt's a seminal moment in the trump presidency where we realize, in spite of my 401k having been terrific, now all of a suden it's at jeopardy and he puts the nation at jeopardy and the health of my family and friends at jeopardy. >> woodruff: is there someone amerans can look to for example and leadership at a time like this? >> tony fauci, the n.i.h., a lot of the state and local

governments have beenta fanic. >> anthony cuomo. cuomo. there are leaders out there, and look to eac other. as others have said, it's quite remarkable with how the couhanty responded with all the social distancing and the very vedrastic measures that een taken, it should be said we shouldn't pect that wonderfulness to continue. i've spent the last week reading about pandemics in the pad they're not good for social trust. people go into them thinking i'm going to be a good soldier and citizen for people around me, but when the fear gets going, they stop seeing each other, op caring about each other, i've always wondered why the 12918 spanish flu that hapned here killed 675,000 americans, and it left no tra on the national culture, and i've always wondered why was that? and reading about wt it was like, people were ashamed of how they behaved because they looked after themselves, and that's understandable. fear is just this terrible

been hit by the raw,t rea gut-wrenching fears of seeing hospitals overwhelmed but we will and we need to sa social and health steps to mitigate that. >> woodruff: tony faci said it will either go up like this before it comes down or we can distancing and the rest of it. but we are at a moment when we dre looking for guidance, a we're also in the middle of presidential campaign. you've got joe bidennd bernie sanders still campaigning, although it's been moved -- oved to the side lines this. we >> right. >> woouff: the two of them the last few days have made statements, talked abot needs to be done. do we see something going on there that gives the american people hope? >> well, i hope so. i mean, i thoht both statements yesterday, i thought particularly biden's, were quite thoughtful, to use an adjective

not loosely "presidential," they were rlective, and given a serious -- you know, there's, as vice president biden sa, this isn't a foreign threat, this isn't organationed by the chinese government bureau, flis isn't tive of the status or station or anything of the sort, and i thought that came through. as far as the election, i feel bad for senator sanders beause you're behind and how do you catch up? you catch up by showing enthusiasm, by drawing crowds and showing energy. all of a sudden, you can't do that any. you're not going to have crowds or be out there. >> woodruff: not going to have rallies. not going to have rallies. it's almost frozen in time. day nighthe debate sun takes on greater importance, and i would commend it because there is no auience, and i would hope that would be the pattern for

the fuf:re. >> woodro live audience. no live audience because live audiences bring out the worst in candidates, they pander, look for applause lines, they taunt. i just think this would be a serious debate betwo people. but joe biden carried every countynhigan. that was just sobering. i mean, the turnout was up 31%, and most all went to biden. i mean, bernie sa sders wastuck where he was in 2016. so i don't know where the hope is for him. biden is now ahead in the state of washington of 4:00 th afternoon. >> and florida is coming. yeah, i don't see much hope for bernie sanders. i would also say the dynac anges because sanders is running on a rev tolutioump ran on the revolution, we should get rid of the establishment and drain the swmp, as the republicans say. in time of pandemic, you need the establishment. the establishment is pretty t good. you dont to burn the system in a moment when people are dying and disease is spreading. id that the swamp is

something you need, it's something that's hit everybody hard, and everyone is saying where are the tests and whyv doesn't the ernment do this for me, if we're ever reminded of when we need the institutions of government,s in a reminder. >> woodruff: and if there was er a time all americans have a right to health cars e, t it. and he clearly wants joe bidwhen he seems to acknowledge is going to wim the noination to adopt some of his -- >> well, i think the$15 minimum wage, bernie sanders can make the argument he moved thparty to the left. bernie sanders cannot say 2016 was rigged.he articipated in the change of the rules to limit the influence of superelegates, to lead to more primaries, to -- and made the case that someone who has ar ity ought to be the nominee and it's going to be

hard -- and the question is can he bring his people withm. >> woodruff: but as both of u are saying, now that we have improves in front of us, this presidential race takes a back seat. it's a different environment. >> it becomes a vefey difnt race as we begin to look for somebody who can actually run a government. >> woodruff: and, with joe biden moving into the front, though, david, d we then jut see the end of this process cong in a week or have we got a few more primaries coming tuesday? in the political process, went have our nominees. it's not a terrible thing to forget politics and focus on something more important for a little while, and t hopeful country will do that and this will be over by the summer some time and we can refocus. >> i'm going to d with a republican quote, that is dwight rrow, the faher of anne

morrow lindbergh, the republican from new jsey, said that the political party which takes credit for the rain should not be srprised when its opponents fault it for the trout. the fact is donald trmp has said all the increases in the stock market are because of him and his policies, and the confidence in him. the 401ks have doubled because of him. and now the drought has set in.h i thin is the one area where donald trump has had poy tive, from a major americans, positive ratings, 56, 57% on the economy, and that is in jeopardy. >> mark shields, david brooks, thank you. >> woodruff: and we will be back shortly. i want to share a thought to end

this difficult week. but first, take a moment to hear from your local pbs station. it's a chance to offer yr support, which helps keep programs like ours on the air. >> woodruff: as we look around is week for hopeful news we want to take a second look at this story.n trees d beauty and a sense of serenity to a neighborhood. as john yang discovered,ve researchers aunched an kentucky, to see inery canville, .so improve public health >> yang: on a crisp morning in south louisville, a 20-foot evergreen is deployed n urban laboratory. at the designated spot, ew three-man crainstakingly lifts, twists and bes the tree-- a green giant arborvitae, to be precise-- maneuvering it under a web of utility lines,

until homeowner mark goeing is the happy treecipient. you turn around, you see that brand-new tree in your yard, how does that make you feel? i hink it looks beautiful. and maybe it is just a long-term impact that maybe i won't live to see, but trees are obviously a good thing for our environment. >> yang: goeing, a retired zookeeper, iamong the hundreds of south louisville residents getting trees, shrubs and othery greever the next year. it's part of a projected $15 million research project conducted by the university of louisville and sponsored by the eanational institutes of hlth and the nature conservancy. it's called green heart uisville. researchers say this project is the first of its kind, a large-scale scientific study of how trees and green spaces affect residents' health.cr it comes aucial time for the city of louisville. 2 between 2004 a2, the city

a year to development, storms, pests, and oldt ge. during tme, the tree canopy coverage in louisville dropped just 37%, well below other cities in the region. and since 1996, the american lung association has given the city a failing grade for air pollutantsike ozone. what's more, louisville is one of the nation's stest-warming urban heat islands. parts of the city can beee ten dehotter than surrounding areas. green heart researchers think more trees could be a solution. they can improve air quali, cool neighborhoods, help combat global warming, and even muffle noise pollution. chris chandler is the nature conservancy's urban conservation director in kentucky. when you look at a street like this, what do you see? >> i see an aged neighborhood with a declining urban tree canopy. it's had a lack of stewardship over the years, and a lack of investments. our old trees are dying, and

they're not being replaced and managed over time. nature is not a nice-to-have. it's a must-have. >> yang: so, streets like this are a focus of the green heart study. crews are planting and helping maintain around 8,000 trees, shrubs and flowering plants inut louisville neighborhoods that are home to about 35,000 people. researchers have made baseline physical and psychological health assesents of some blood pressure, luacity,their and stress levels. half the participants will get new foliage on or around their properties. half will not. after two year they will be examined again to compare changes between the two groups. >> this is aery ambitious project, both in terms of its scope, its time and its resources. >> yang: aruni bhatnagar of the university of louisville medical school is the lead researcher. ikis is like testing a new drug. >> it is exactly- same methodology.

we have a control group, in which there will bno change in greenness. we have a treated group, where is we have put greenness. so it's exactly rulike a clinical trial with a placebo, but without-- instead of a drug. we have tr >> yang: research has already shown that green space can relieve stress, but the team in louisville wants to know more about its effects on overall health. >> what we hope to uis new foundational science that better allows us to understand the role that nature plays in improving our health. and if we can do that, we cans change bluepri how you build a healthy, just community to be green prints and to include nature in that story. >> yang: in louisville, as in so many cities, tree canopy coverage is a matter of rich and poor. the view from above tells the story. wealthier areas, like this east side neighborhood, have up to twice as many trees as poorer areas in the south and west,

which have histories of discriminatory housing practices. and the difference in healths outcomesaggering. due to a variety of factors, life expectancy is up to about 13 years shorter on the west sidehan the east. >> your zip code determines your health probably the most. >> yang: dr. sarah moyer is louisville's public health director. >> we have neighborhds where people are living really long and experiencing great quality of life. and so, what is going on in those neighborhoods that we can bring to other ones? nature is one of those things that's different between those communities. and how do we bring that to everyone in our city? >> it's pretty much just always as trees go. this area, as far >> yang: amy yates' south louisville neighborhood is dotted with reminders of whereee once stood. yates says she inherited a green thumb from her grandmother. >> my grandmother and i planted this tree in 2009, the year after my dad passed away, kind >> yang: the single mother of 15 years. lived in this house

she volunteered for the green heart study partly, she says, because her 14-year-old son has asthma. >> trees produce oxygen.ey and lean the air. you know, they're beautiful. it sustains our life. it's the lungs of our planet. no>> yang: she says she's t entirely surprised about her hometown's health inequality. >> i'm always very curious to see how where we live affects us. you know, when you have kids, you want them to live long, happy, healthy lives. and, sometimes, you're limitedr with yans. and it is very sad to think that, because that, we might live less years on this planet because of it. >> yang: and this experiment will determine whether trees could spread a canopy of health over more neighborhoods. for the pbs newshour, i'm john .yang in louisville, kent

>> woodruff: and a personal note as we say good night. all of us.challenging time for this invisible new virus is frightening and spreading pidly. we all want to be as prepared as we can be, to avoid it if we ovssibly can; if not, to r and be healthy again, which most of us will. enand already, there have overwhelming actions of generosity. m but in tntime, some of us are acting in a way that could end up unintentionally hurting others.y grocore and pharmacy shelves that normally are piled and paper towels, are nowleenex empty. several days ago, peop started buying all the hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes they it is understandable: we want to keep our families and ourselves safe.s but itso worth remembering that this is a time for the lucky, healthy ones to think of others.

maybe there is an eldirly couple wh't get to the store as early as they wanted; perhaps someone with a disability a weakened immune system couldn't get there at all. this is a moment for americans to show our best qualities, we're going to worour way through this. let's keep others who may not be as strong and resilient as we are in mind, too. and that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. thank you, and good night.end. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fidelity investments. >> bnsf railway. >> american cruise lines. >> the william and flora hewlett foundation. for re than 50 years, advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world.tt

at www.hewrg. >> supporting social entrepreneurs and their solutions to the world's most pressing problems-- skollfoundation.org. >> and with the ongoing support of thesenstitutions and friends of the nshour. >> this program was possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

. hello, everyone. welcome to amanpour and company. here's what's coming up. the coronavirus stress test, leadership, health care and the global economy. first, italy und lockdown. >> no country in the world has emergency.een such a large scale >> a report from europe grll's nd zero with the italian foreign minister. stateso the united the governor of rhode island declares a state of emergency. spreads there.n,the virus brit except fromresident trump's travel ban. and