captioning s sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, a massive moment-- law enforcement steps back and peace prevails as huge crowds gather nationwide to protest police brutality and systemic racism. then, defunding the poefce-- a resources takes hoationwide. of examine the practical realities he proposed reforms to invest in communities. plus, essential work-- despite the risks of the coronirus pandemic and a funding shortage, the postal service continues to carry out its critical duties. >> we pray that we're covered through the day and that we can be at work and work safely and return home to our family safely.

>> woodrf: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> life isn't a straight line, and sometimes yocan find yourself heading in a new irection. fidelitys here to help you work through the unexpected, with financial planning and advice for today, and tomorrow. >> the william and flora hewlett

foundation.ha for more50 years, advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world. at www.hewlett.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutis: and individuals. >> this program was made by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: the nation echoes again tonight with protests over police violence against black americans. and, there are mounting calls for wholesale changes in policing. all of this comes amid final farewells for the man whoseat

galvanized a movement. white house correspondent coverage.lcindor begins our >> alcindor: lines ole snaked around houston's fountain of praise church, as family, friends, and strangers paid their final respects to george floyd. separately, the presumptive democratic presidential nominee joe biden and his wife jill met privately with floyd's family. meanwhile, in minnaupolis, derek n, the now-fired police officer who pinned floyd to the ground with a knee on his ck, and his first court appearance. he faces an upgraded charge of second-degree rder. floyd's death two weeks agoke has spnationwide and now global protests against police brutality and systemic racism. in the u.s., massive peaceful protests continue across the

country, from small towns and suburbs to thousands in large cities like los angeles, wre an estimated 20,000 people came out on sunday. l-a prosecutedders announce thed would not charge thousands of protestors arrested for curfew and other vilations. and in washington on sunday republican senator mitt romney of utah marched with protestors near e white hose. today in washington. today, in washingt >> the world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in our country. >> alcindor: ...congressional democrats introduced a sweeping set of policing reforms in response to floyd's deat' and protestemands.in the justicolicing act bans chokeholds; develops a national standard for use of force; limits the transfer of military weapons to police departments; lfines lynching as a fede hate crime; establishes a national police misconduct registry; and, limits qualified immunity, which protec officers from lawsuits over alleged misconduct. congressman hakeem jeffries of new york is among those leading the push.

>> all we've ever wanted is to be treatedqually. not better, not worse. equally. why has that been so difficult to achieve? that's all we've ever wanted. world is they-- they led a round table with law enforcement officials. he and his campaign have attacked democrats including vice president biden for wanting to quote defund the police. >> there won't be defunding. there won't be dismantng of our police. there is not going to be any disbanding of our police. our police have been letting us live in peace. >> today biden's campaign pushed campaign pushed ba said he" does not believe the police should be defunded." in minneapolis, nine of the 13

city council members have called for dismantling the police department and replacing it with a new public safety system. other prosals, backed by ogressive activists and a few elected officials do not call for police departments to be fully abolished. instead they push state and relocal governments to dece police budgets, while increasing spending on things like education and housing.e now outse white house people have gathered to protest for yet another day. they've been doing this fomore than a ek. they tell me that they are going to continue to peacefully gathem here untilrica confronts in a meaningful way the devastating and often deadly impact of racism, judy. >> woodruff: >> woodruff: in the day's other news, new york city began a

gradual reopening for up to pandemic restrictions. months of at its peak, in april, the disease kill more than 500 people a day in new york. the number now is in the single gits. meanwhile, in geneva, the worldz health orgion warned that, globally, the pandemic is still getting worse. >> i know many of us would like this to be over, and i know many situations are seeing positive signs, but it is far from over. and we need to shorer activities, we need to build up the activities and infrastructure that is not in place in many countries and coninues to not be in place many countries. ewhere, indiae began reopening malls, hotelses and plf worship, despite reporting nearly 10,000 new cases of covid-19. but, new zealand announced ithe has eradicatedirus. wall street's lly started its

fourth week today, on optimism that the worst of the pandemic recession is over. the dow jones industrial average gained 461 points to cse at 27,572. the nasdaq rose 110 points, and, the s&p 500 added 38. in paris, work began today to clear 200 tons of melted scaffolding atop notre dame cathedral. it had been installed for renovations before last year's disastrous fire. crews were lowered into the wreckage today. they will work through the summer and dismantle 40,000 pieces of charred, twisted metal.l and, a tropiorm that came ashore sunday along the u.s. gulf coast has weakened to a depression, dumping rain as it goes. flooding paralyzedarts of mandeville, louisiana today.mm ities near new orleans were also inundated, along with the region around passn, chriississippi.

still to come on the newshour: defunding police-- a major tfort to reallocate fundi vest in communities. we discuss the massive protel s and potentforms with senator cory booke despite the risks of covid 19, the postal service and delivery critical duties. to carry out and much more. >> woodruff: as we've seen inpo minns, there's a shift underway in some places on when it comes to reforming police practices. namely, some are arguing reform does not work. that's behind the idea of "defunding the police." it includes a range of views.

that can mean shifting money and dgets to other social services agencies that might be better equipped to handle i assigned to the police.om in se cases, people are calling for outright abolition of police departments. we're gointo spend some time looking at what these changes could mean. charlene carruthers is an thganizer with movement for black lives and of "unapologetic: a black, queeran feminist mandate for radical k vements." and chxler is the executive director of the police executivresearch forum, an organization of law enforcement officials. t and welco both of you to the newshour, thank you for being here. charlene rruthers, to you first, what is it that you would like to see happento police departments across this country? how should they operate.en >> so fundlly the problem that people are rising up ross the country right now is the issue of how much our police

departments are invested in and how much our communities are not invest in. so what i would like to see happen in a city like chicago where i currently live, is that our over 1.7 llion budget which amounts to just under 5 million dollars a day be greatly reallocated and invested in our community and our pubc education and our health care and quality public housing, jobs and our environment. and frankly that's not happening. what we are seeing with police departments is surveillance, violence, and the death of our people. and that simply must change. and we know that bandaid reform solutions aren't effugh. >> woodso to clarify, what would the role of police be. d you would leave some money for police working on crime that is committed, right? >> well, i understand that the process o living in a society where safety exists beyond policing will take r y-- it will take time, it won't happen

overnight. so what i would like to see our local goernments andlso local police departments commit to a process in whch we move essential safety services from the power and control of police departments into our community. that means crisis response, and that also means with how we deal th violence,onflict and harm it means that actually,, eventuale police are not the people who intervene or show up in instances of crisis, conflict, harm or violence but, am fact, it is a community-based response that is outside of systems of poling, prisons and jail. >> woodruff: chuck wexler, what about this concept of shiftinghese kinds of responsibilities, at least initially, for issues that around situations around mental health counseling, dru counseling, immediate yaition, that-- mediation, that money be shifted to other social service agencies. >> well, actually, i agree with a lot of what miss carruthers

said in terms of, this is a joint responsibility with the community. mental health, homeless, dealing with t opioid issue, this can't be done with the police alone. we need the community. and i agree witr about investment in those institutioge. we need t kids to have jobs. we need to beorkingin community policing. we need to be doing problem resolving. so ts not really much which i disagree with miss carruthers. except for the fact that at the very moment that we have a spotlight on police, that is the at how take a hard look they do their job. but we need the police, weed smart police, so i don't disagree with mis carthers said about the need to help prevent crime. we need community peopl i've worked in chicago. i know the crisis of people that work, and they prevent gang violence those people in chicago are gang interrupters that precevent viol we need them. but here is where we are today.

we had a huge incidenin minneapolis it is a de fining chment for this country. but we have someces. do we walk away from the police or do we say hey, you know what, we tried to change the police. but we, this was an eye opener. what happened in minnwaeapoli a total police failure. but there are some good cops out there. and when you are in crisis we need a good cop. we can't just walk away from police. now is the time to t into policing, to do problem solving, to work with the community, tor be bett what we do.ru >> charlene caers, in your view, is this a choice between reforming policing further, we know some reforms are clearlyal ady instituted it is it a choice between reforming policing and jus with policing or how do you see it? >> so actually mr. wechsler and i havn fudamental disagreements. i actually do not believe that we agree about the role of the police. i do not believe that we should have a partnership betweenth community an police in order to deal with conflict,

harm and violence in our community. what that power, those decisions and that rolln icluding the money needs to actually be completely shifted. and not just social service agencies because we also know and understand that many social service agencies act in proxy to ehe police department across th country. and what we're seeing in of a few bad apples.imply a case in reality, we know that the t entie is rotten. it has been rotten since policing was even developed in this country. we know its origins as serving as slave catchers foreign slaved africans. we know how police played a role, a major role in ji crow. we know how police continue to play a role in the mass incar raise of black-- incarceration of blacks ande, brown peowhat we are talking about a radically ifting and transforming the world that we live in. we know that defunding the police is one p, but one

essential step. because power, how it works in this world is to organize resources, meaning money, and organize people. and so we're going towards the source of what we know the government understands, corporationsunderstand,and police unions understand. is that we're coming to say we want power shifted into our community. >> woodruff: and in essence chuck wexler what i hear miss s carrutheing is that police as an institution doesn't work any more. >> well, you know, maybe if i was in her shoes i might fee the same way. ti don't take away anything she says. e has lived thi i haven't. but here's what i know at the end of the day, there are 18,000 police departments in this country. 90% of us, 25 officers are left we have no gaid line on use of force. we put out guide les one of force six years ago and we believe in the sank tit of huan

life. we believe in the duty to intervene, rendering first aid. we need humane police, we don't bhave a plan. if you said in minneapolis we're going to des band the police,oe whatthat mean. swub needs to respond to someone when they are in crisis. if you need a policficer and are you in crisis, there is absolutely nothing better than a good cop and absolutely nothing worse nan a bad cop. we need police in society. but we need humane police, weo need goodlice, we need to be working with groups like yours in chi cli.ot we cano this alone. we cannot change police. we need the community with us. this was a de fining moment in minneapolis butet's use thi moment to change an institution yoknow, society needs police. we need humane police.be we'rer than what happened in minneapolis. >> woouff: miss carrhers, what about his point that as a country, as a ciety we need police in crisis situations. >> shi live one south side of chicago.

and every single day my community is sur vailed by the chico police department. we put literally well over a billion dollars into the chicago police department every single day. at the same time we see story after storaof violence this happening in our community. the police are not keeping us safe. any semblance of safety that we have comes from within our community. we know things like good jobs, good education, go health care, mental health crisis actue ly reduces violeat happens in our communities. and to mr. wechsler's point, about who dnto we o respond in crisis, imagine that you are being assaulted by your partner or are you in the a middle mental health crisis and instead of a person showing up with gu and a taser and an entire police department behind them, it is a social service worker. it is a mental health crisis worker, it is a second all

assault crisis-- sexual assault countries is resnder. our chicago public schools have more cops than we have counselors. what i am resaying s something that some neighborhoods an communities already know. we know wealthy communiti and white communities know what it is like to actually have resources insmotead of havinge cops. and that's what we're talking about here. 's not a vision that is unattainable. it is a vision that invites more >> woodruff: chuck wexler,. final word, is that something that is workable? >> i think that is workable. i think teaming up, men mental health workers with the police can be absolutely workable. don't feel like we have a monopoly on mental health issues, be drug issues, on people in crisis. but here's the reality. it is 3:00 in the mor.ni are those other social service agencies willing to step up if they are, me join us, we needll the help we can get. >> woodruff: well, we certainly hear you both it is ao

conversatigoing for sometime to come. chuck wexler, charlene carruthers, we thank you both. >> thank you. uf >> woo while "defund the police" has become a rallying cry foblack lives matter thousands of proteacrosse the country, democrats in congress are considering a different set of proposals. amna nawaz has more on that. >> nawaz: that's right, judy.st and oday, the new jersey state attorney general released video of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black manice gordon, by a white state trooper last month. it happened just two days before the killing of george floyd in minneapolis. in congress, more than 200 house and senate democrats have signed onto the "justice in policing act." as we laid out earli in the

program, it would, among other things: ban chokeholds. end no-knock warrants in drug cases. mandate police training on racial bias. and collect data at the federal level on the use of force. one of the bill's sponsors isco senato booker of new jersey, and he joins me now. welcome back to the newshour, let's talk about this legislation now becauseme there are lements in here that have been on the table fore, efforts to stop militarization of police, to end racial profiling. neither of those bills came to a vote under pressure from policea uniod others. so what is different about the proposals now other than the momes in which they are bing brought forward? >> well, i think first of all the moment is the message that we have today. there has been no great bills of social change in this country from workers' rights to civil rights, lgbtq rights, that hasn't had large orale eff, mass mobilization of nonviolent proteste't. change doeome from washington, change comes to

washington. so when you have hundreds of thousands not millions of americans engaging in norms of nonviolent protest in all 50 states, multiracial, multigenerational, multigenerational coalition this bill wouldn't have goten many cosponsors a month ago, now has two thire or more of th democrats in senate and a hundred plus, close closing to 200 house members. so this bill hasot more momentum to it. and you are right, and that is almost a ridiculous reality. is that many of these common sense ideas in this bill have been around for decades of people demanding those theen change to ha now the demand has grown louder and auld around this countrhe some of tse practices that should have been banned decades ago, i believe we now have a chance of getting it do. >> you mentioned the cosponsors, st worth pointing out you don't havengle republican cosponsor out of those many that you listed right there.y t? you pride yourself on reaching across the aisle, working with your republicanolleagues, what

are they telling you is their hesitation on signing on to this. >> i wl not put a spotlight on anybody right now that i am inod aith negotiations with, but i'm talking to republican colleagues across the aisle. it is a long process. it took me yearso get many of my republican colleagues who were earlier on in my senate career, who were talking against criminal justice reform but ultimately we have a bill that liberated thousands of people fromrison. something people told me was impossible to get done. so again, this is what is right. and this bill son the right side of history. and i know this is just the beginning. this is less than 24 hours since we presented this bill but now we go to, without. and the great ing again is that the community at large, is demanding these changes. beyond partisanship. you see people just saying this right. warrants where plain clothes officers barge into people's houses, guns drawn. that is a recipe for disaster

li breonna taylor. we have already seen a few dozen police departments ban the kind of choke holds that killed eric garner. these are very common sense things that a police officer does he greejous wrong shouldn't have virtual immunity in federal court. so these are things that the average american would say are common sense, enableto hold people accountable, and will stop things like tamir rice being shot and killed by a police officer who was on the verge of being fired from another police department andc just d out of that one and into another one because we have no national database of misconduct. these are common sense reforms that will protect people's lives.and it is the right side f history and we're going to keep fighting until get them done. >> senator booker, i wanted to ask you about the otheer cotion around the police right now. that is this defund the police movement andn. conversat you said you won't use the phrase but that you understand the substance. so what does that mean? do you believe police departments today constitute too much of a line item budget, too

big of a line item budget in local and city governments. i >> first of alm tri watching trump weaponnize this slog, that is not a conversation we need right now, what we need ask to istalk to the reasue going on in our nation, that we are the la of theee, five percent of the global population but one out of every four incarcerated people are here in america, one in three incarcerated women here in america. you go into our prison and see who we treat in police, and prisons and jail. it is the most vulnerable in our society. we need help. we overwhelmingly incars ratele peith mental illness. that is not a policing problem, that is a health-care problem. we overwhelmsly incarcerate those addicted eto drugs ovr and over again, costing us millions of dollars before they geent trea that is not a police problem, that is a societial problc and a medicae problem. we now criminalize poverty in this count and have for years.

ask anybody who has warrants out for their arrest because they couldn't afford the hundreds of dollars worth of traffic violation tickets that they have. clearly we are a society that is investing in things, it costs taxpayers mu more money, that are an affront to human dignity, that don't elevate humanpo ntial and don't reflect our common values. so i'm not going to get intoit false polal argument. what i want to get into is how we create a more belovedin communitur nation, when we care por those people hurt and in pain and struggling and help them to avoid the need for police in the first place. if we were making investments. >> i am sorry to cut you off, i know your time is limited. i hear you saying you think ose funds should be reallocated to meet the problems on the front end but this isan issue for mayor, this is an issue you have had to make before in newark back in 2010 when you were facing a budget crunch, you made the decision tb cut 150 police officers out of that budget crunch and back then you id when i first came in we were disarving our city departments to push more

resources into the police departrsnt. other mitoday could make the same argument, was that a mistake back then? >> i think because are you dealing with this as if it is zero sum game. the reality is what we started doing tend of my term as mayor is experimenting with bringin in the psychology of criminology to see if we could attack somepr of theblems, drug crime, drug violence, not with police intervention but with community intervention and we saw tremdous success on tha this is not a zero sum game, pulling a dollar from one place and putting it another it is about deconflicting our society, it's about stpping the overreliance on police, prisons and jails and finding solutions, evidence-based solutions that work. and if we keep constructing it in a way that it is a zero sum game we will start lining up people on both sides, if we talk in a larger way, that there is a way to keep our society much safer with the less use of taxpayer dollars, in fact, a better investment, i can give you case after case to study

cities for the greater part of my 2s and 30s. i can show you cities and communities that have made thes decisions, strategically, and taxpayer dollars,p crimeve more than any police can, and eleve human potential. and that is what we should be having a constructive kfertionz about-- conversation. >> before i let you go, vase president biden has not yetck someone to run alongside him. given race relises are more urnt priority for america right now, does he need to pick a black woman. >> i am not going to tell t nominee from our party who i trust with being the president of the united states, i'm nhi going to tel who he has to pick. i trust that joe biden will pick someone who is prepared to be president of the united states. pick someo who can help to heal our country and bring us together, and someone who isal ied for that job. i know he has a lot on his mind and a lot to weigh. this is the mont impor election of our lifetime. and i trust that he will make not just the righdecision in this case, but as president of the united states he will make

s many of the right decisito help our country heal, come together and envision and establish a more beloved nation. >> senator cory booker, democrfr om the state of new jersey joining us today. thank you very much, senator. >> thank you. >> woodruff: in the dst of this pandemic, millions of people are relying on mail carriers and delivery workers for essential supplies. the postal service, meanwhile, is struggling financially, seeking help from congress, and r fire from the presiden who says he won't back financial relief, unless the postal service raises prices. amna is back with a report based on talks with postal and delivery wkers on the frontlines every day, about the sks they face, and the challenge of staying safe. >> nawaz: every morning, in louisville, mississippi, latonya outlaw and the mail clerks she

supervises at this post office gather in a circle. outside, and six-feet apart. >> effective immediately and until further notice follow the >> nawaz: it's their daily safety protocol meeting. standard, during the pandemic. >> avoid ringing the doorbell if awpossible. >>: latonya has added another team ritual... >> we start a prayer saying that we pray. that, you know, weuge covered ththe day and that we can be at work and work safely and return home to our family safely. >> naw are some of the 630,000 u.s. postal service workers, sorting and delivering mail to millions of americans every day. but that is not without risk. more than 2500 postal service employees have tested potive for the virus and, according to the american postal workers union, me than 60 have died. they aren't the only ones on the from companies like fed-ex and u.p.s., who are among the essential, workers keeping people connected, delivering packages from shuttered businesses, groceries to families sheltering in place,

and prescriptions straight to patients' doorsteps. >> u.p.s. calls me a service provider, but i'm a truck driver. i deliver packages for a living. >> dada. >> nawaz: steve o'connell has been with u.p.s. 15 years, and says he's never been busier. >> i gotta go to work >> nawaz: ten to 12 hour days are his new normal. >> i'll have nightmares ofd he loads e amount of packages that are in the truck on a daily osis that you really have stop and take a deep breath when you see it. >> nawaz: and he knows the risk he faces each shift.ee he'sit up close, at the boston u.p.s. facility where he works. >> it was just weekly. one, two to three guys would go out and uld come back and another one would go out. you would ask, where is this guy? oh, he's out on covid. >> nawaz: according to o'connell's union, teamsters local 25, five employees at that u.p.s. facility tested positive for covid-19 and another five were presumptive positives. u.p.s. told the newshour that ivthey do not disclose pos

cases to the media and said in a statement that theare vigilaly taking steps to protect the health and welfare of employees, customers and the general public. but back in march, o'connell worries he carri the virus home from work. his wife hanna was diagnosed by her doctor with covid pite testing negative. just 33-years-old, she was hit hard. >> watching her and trying to walk from the couch to thehe bathroom andcome back in and with the two year oldreathe. running around and he doesn't understand what's wrong with his mom. >> nawaz: today hanna is slowly recovering. and after two weeks of self- quarantining, o'connell is now back at work. n,aring this "boston strong" mask for protectn a place he says social distancing is near impossible. >> every truck is right next to each other. everyone's crammed in a hallway together trying to get, you, kne board in the morning. and there are guys in my

building who have kids with brain tumor as wives who's got over breast cancer. and they're scared to death.to they don't wanring the virus home. >> nawaz: as a shopper for shipt, arget's delilvery service, willy solis is an essential worker right now. too.the job is essential for him >> i honestly open up my bank utcount to see how much money is there and figuref it's something that i have to go out and venture out intorlhe into the to kind of expose myself to make money. today's one of thoseays, i >> nawaz: solis, who is immunocompromised, has his own rituals totay safe. before entering a store, he repeats his rules, to reduce his anxiety. >> remembesocial distancing. remember to give you yourself some space. six feet apart. >> after he leaves each store... >> nawaz: ...an exhaustive decontaminion: disinfectant spray on his clothes and even his hat, then immediately washing his clothes and showering once back in his home. it's stressful, he says, but he can't afford to stop working. >> if it wasn't for the limited amount times that i'm out there,

i wouldn't have any money to put him gas in my car or food on the table. >> nawaz: the work of these essential workers can seem thankless. their customers are hidden behind doors-- the less contact, the safer they all stay. but more and more, during this pandemic, some customers are finding ways to connect, and show their gratitude to the workers they've come to rely ono in falls, south dakota, 11 year old emerson weber, an avid, and prolific letter writer, decided to write one to her own mail carrier, doug. why did you decide to a ite him tter? >> well, i didn't knny his name oring about him. and i knew he saw a lot of letters, but he may not receive a lot. n i just wanted to put it there to brighten his day during work as he was picking up my letters. >> nawaz: doug shared the letter who shared it with more colleagues. who shared it with more. next thingn he knew? emers getting letters from postal workers across the entire country. there are people writing and things like i work alone in a small rural post office. people write little thing. my kids all live far away.

did you expect that wotal strangerd open up like that? >> i certainly didn't. >> nawaz: hefather, hugh weber: as a family, just read them all and it was emotional at times and it was also this moment of recognizing homuch we needed that kind of echo back. >> nawaz: new connections made, even as old ones are tested. at the end of every day for latonya outlaw, another ritual before she can greet her two young children... >> and i always try to keep that distance before i actually go and get myself ready f end of the day. t odd for you to not walk in the door and immediately be able to hug your kids? >> it is very odd and it's cose, they're there with open arms and, you know, it hurtful to a certain degree. but i know we have to maintain that distance just for a short period of time until i can get myself in position where i el safe enough to give them gs and kisses. >> nawaz: for the pbs newshouram i' nawaz.

>> woodruff: the ser magnitude of protests in the streets has raised a public health question over the pasweek or so. if people are not social distancing and they're gathering in the thousands andens of thousands, aren't people exposing themselves to a greater risk of covid? and how should that risk be weighed against publich concerns over the lives and living conditions of african- americans? lisa desjardins explores some of that now. >> desjardins: judy, those questions are pa of what protesters, physicians, and public health specialists have been weighing people mobilize. in fact, nearly 1300 public health professionals signed a letter supporting the protests, arguing that systemic racism had contributed to or led to a disproportionate number of deaths among african-americans. more than 20,000 african-

americans have died from covid already. dr. georges benjamin is executive director of the american public health association.. njamin, i want to start right away with how we balance these two things. these protests are happening about aublic health crisis, african-americans being killed or harmed by polthice. bu're also happening in a coronavirus.h crisis, the how do you weigh those two things? >> you know, it is a difficulci on. but people have to make a decision, recognizing that there is a risk of going out. g they mt infected. but the challenge is thatfr particularlyican-americans are fearful each and every day. and at's a risk that we have to take. going to go out, then you needre to protect yourself.

you need to wear masks. you need to carry hand sanitizer, you need to try to physally distance as much asyo can but understand you are having a risk when you go in public like that. >> should they be doing things plike shouting, for ex. and how do they keep from kind of getting too other people'she space eventhey are in a small base. also, how about the authorities? what should they be doing to try and minimize the coviurexp for themselves and for the people there. we have seen a lot of reports about how the use of tear gas of this. health problem bec can you talk to both of thosegr ps? >> absolutely. so those out there, just trying to stlyy as physic separate as you can, recognizing that yeah, you're going to talk, you're going to shout. the more you do that, the morou likelyut yourself at risk but keeping your mask on as much as you can. and fothe police, tear gassing is a problem. you know, you should use thatry

under hall very strict guidance. it causes infn lammat the lungs, it causes people to ugh. they will take off their mask. putting people in a little box which brings them all together, is a problem. and of course the plastic bullets, those rubber bull epts that they talk about being nonlethal are also very, very, very dangerous. but you know, this is a global phenomenon. and we see that people are very ncerned. and as a nation, this is a phenomenon. and people making a risk--based decision that they would much rather be out there letting people know that black lives matter versus, and taking that risk each and every y, vesus the risk that they take simply walking down the street being black. >> i want to come back to that big picture in a second. but one mo specific question about how this works. we're learning a little bit por about how the virus speads do you have a sense of the best and worse case of what may happ in these crowd situations from the virus spread right nowy

>>dy can tell that you they can really model it, they know that it wilcrease.ut we do it will get people that will be sicker. e good news is thest majority of folks that get this disease have a mild case but the concern is for that 15 to 20% that have a very is he seer case. and just to point out tat anyone with a cron you can disease, diabetes, hypertet ion, heisease, lung disease, you are at greater risk. and we also know thatco unities of color, particularly african-americans are even more at risk because they disproportionately have those diseases. >> you e the executive director of the american public health association. i have to ask you, looking in a much bigger way which is our privilege to be here on newshour, where would you place the role on race, this is a big question, on the american health. what kind of doeffecs it have in our system. >> race tragically is the

original sin which causes health inequities. we need to change things so that we value all people equally. and if we don't do that, we're not going to really process as a society, race matpers. >> somle are looking at minute, most statel areng wait a not allowing large gatherings. even as we phase in some reopening, people aren't supposed to be meeting in groups 25 or 50 but thy are allowing these protests. you support these protests, can >> you know, i believe that everyone has to make a risk-based decisn in life. i would prefer that george george didn't need to be killed. i would prefer that we didn'tru ve policetality. i'm a strong supporter of sound policing but when thgs get out ofcontrol rass they have in our society, then we have to eak t, we have to do something. and the american public health association has been a strong pronent of human rights, and

we would not be who we were if we did not believe in this social justice movement that wee aring. it is a risk but at the end of the day, if he with don't take this risk right wew, when ar going to do it? dr. george benjamin of the american public health association, thank you for joining us.ha >> you. >> woodruff: it's been a momentous two weeks in american life, with the potential to transform political discourse, policy and the 2020 presidential campaign, which is now officially down to president trump and former vice president joe biden. biden quietly crossed the delegate threshold to clinch the democratic nomination on friday night.r oupolitics monday team is back here.ke on where things go from

that's amy walter of thelicook cal report" and host of public radio's "politics with amy walter."ma and keith of npr. she also co-hosts the "npr politics podcast." so good to see both of you, especially after this tumultuous days that we've been through. let's talk first about the pressure we, that demrac members of congress, tam, must be feeling right now we heard a little bit earlier in the show from senator cory booker. lbut what do al these protests and calls for police refesorm, what dthat add up to if you are a democrat in the house or the senate. >> it adds up to they are working on legislatioand pushing ideas forward. i mean certainly they do feel some pressure from the protests to get out there and stand for something. but also they're out there trying to create a contract th

president trump and his administration which has not really talked much about police brutality in a sytemic way. the president has been very focused on the case of george floyd but he hasn't, he hasn't been willing to broaden it out o.bo he has talked bad apples being involved in floyd's case. but not willing to talk about police reform more seriously. he nodded to it a teeny bit at an event today. but democrats are out there saying that they want to stand for something. >> amy, you ve protestors as we heard earlier in the program, people saying we need to get rid of police departments. we don't just need to add on whre reformsh they say haven't made any difference. we need to do something drastic, if you are an elealcted offi what do you do with that? >> well, we know what one person did, the pers who is the democratic nominee for

out with a statement saying he wants to see police reforms but the idea of de funding the police is not something that we support, and look, i think when right now between where joetract biden is and where donald trump s the onus really is on president trump right now. overwhelming majorities think that the president has not ndled these protests very well. majorities believe that the protests themselves are valid. about this last week, judy,alk especially white voters believe that th is systemic problems thin policing, that black than whites to police violence.y so the shift of balance right now, the presse is really on donald trump right now to change where the race is, the race

between joe biden and himself and also where the conversation is. and right now we've seen a c number of polme out in this last week where the preside is down against joe biden anywhere from 7 to 14 points. >> woodruff: so tam, ithe thinking whether it's from these polls or other evidence that what we are seeing in the streets of america is having an effect on trump voters as well as democrats who are presumably many of them eneized by all this, to vote against president trump. but what about the peoe who voted for him the last time. are they hearing this?e >> thele who voted for president trump last time are hearinthe mesage that now.ident trump is delivering and that message is a law and order message. he said he's theresident of law and order and he has been pushing this idea that the

protests are violent or he's really highlighted, keyed in on the aspect of the protests that have turned violent or th looting. st really familiar territory for im. he did the saing back in 2016. and the difference s time though is as amy said, public opinion has moved a lot. i was talking to democratic pollster without looks at that polling but also looking at who is out there protesting. and he says when you have suburban white kids out there protestingk then this law and order theme that republican candidates including president trump going back to richard nixon has used, it doesn't have the same resonance on the suburbs if sburban kids are marching in those protests. >> woodruff: and that's my question, amy. is this actually cutting into voters who chose donald trump the last time? >> i don't know that it isss neily cutting into trump

voters. he still has incredible support among republicans, still getti 90 plus something of their vote but even when you ask the question othat npr, news poll whether they thought donald trumwas handng it well, a third much republicans thought the protests were val aid. a third of republicans that president trump wast handlin it very billion well but are still supporting the president in the re-electith. challenge for this president has long been that he keeps going ck to these same issues, the same strategies over and over again which tend rtoing his voters in but do not bringr nibbles along e ride. and that is what you are seeing right now, is hess loing independence by bigger margins. he's always lo democrats and the bigger concern i think going into the fall for the president is that this suddenly doesn't

work to even energize his base enough. it's always about priming and pumping his voters out. at se point does thistart to lose that energy that he's counting on which is why we' hearing today that he is intending to start his rallies against, probably in the next couple of weeks.o >> wdruff: which wl be interesting to watch given social distancin but just quickly, tam, to the extent joe biden needs an energized, excited, motivated group of voters to turn out, if his position is not where some of the black livesmatt activists are in terms of defunding the police, you're saying you don't think that's a problem for him? >> y know, i think there is a real range in view points among the people protesting and marching and what they are calling for. and biden is, you know, his take in this position that he doesn't support de fund the police t

comes at the defund the police is a lot more nuanced than the words would let on. and certainly nuance doesn't always work in politics. but biden is certainly tryg to figure out where he stands on this. he does have aplusticen on his website. but the trump campaign is certainly trying to affiate him and tie him to thde defund idea and being able to run agnst that fr trump is easier than having to talk aboheut what s going to do to address the concerns of the protestors. >> woodruff: well, we're hearing it all now it is just the first of june but we're forecasting all the way to november shall, which is what i asked both of you to do every single week and we'll continue to do. tamara keith and amy walter, thank you both. >> you're weom >> welcome.

>> woodruff: itseen almost six years since the fatal shting of michael brown by a police officer in ferguson, missouri sparked national protests. tonight, we revisit our brief but spectacular interview featuring filmmaker damon davis. his documentary "whose streets"s followed the uin ferguson black americans.xperience of >> there are there are thingsth you must think about to survive daily being black in america. the neighborhood you're in.he the clyou got on. the way you talk to people. being black isde weapon, you tand? the weight that you carry and the darker your skin is so terrifying, that, like, you're just walking on eggshells your whole life and the level of anxiety that comes along with that...

i don't know any black person that doesn't know what i'm talking 'bout. i had been harassed byolice. i had been pulled out of cars, sat on the curbs, humiliated. there's a huge chunk of the population that this is everyday life for. and think about how, how privileged you must be to not be afraid, every day you walk out of your house. to not be worried about, i'm driving and one of my tail lights is out. or i'm driving in the wrong neighborhood. this tally list you have to go through being black in america. i hope people that are finding out about this that actually t care, try to ut privilege that they got to do something and make it a little more even for everybody else. over the last few years, i personally think the trajectory of my life has changed and the events of uson and mike brown changed my entire life i can honestly say.

"whose streets" is a call andha responsent that was used out in the streets in saint louis and in fergusoki it's also as whose streets is it? the police are working for the people, and your rights are to assemble, sa the constitution, are they o are they our streets? who whose stres actually are they? in the trajectory of american history i don't think things have changed much from three years o, or 30 years ago, 300 years ago. we been talking for abt two, 300 years. and i think that it's time t take some responsibility, some culpability, and really get uncomfortable, think about the everyday role people play in racism. whether it be, locker room jokes that, uh, thanksgiving dinner jokes, down to systematic and systemic racism in the jobs and roles that people play in it.

you know when they talk about being an alcoholic the first step to recovery is problem.dging you have a well, america has a pretty big problem with doing that, you know? no's like, why don't y'all just get over it, you it's like, but you had a 280 year head start. when people run around the track and then they shoot the gun for you to start. i think until we start talking about that the conversation is a waste of time. you ow what i mean? i think it's i think it's, um... and it's and it's patronizing at this point.. it really yeah. my name is damon davis, and this has been my brief, but spectacular take on courage. >> woodruff: you can watch additional brief but spectacular and tonight on the pbs newshour online, the latest episode of " our podcaserica interrupted." we hear from protesters in minneapolis and washington, d.c. about why they're out now and what makes this ment feel different. listen on our website, that's

pbs.org/newshour/podcasts, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. tomorrow evening.again here for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe and see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by:

>> supported by the johne . and cather macarthur foundation. committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information at macfound.org >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributns 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

♪ ♪ ♪ es-today on "america'st kitchen," dan makelejulia perfect grchicken thighs, jack challenges bridget to a tasting of fresh mozrella, and keith cooks bridget the ultimate italian pasta salad. it's all coming up right here on "america's test kitchen."