captioning snsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, kamala harris is the pick. joe biden taps the u.s. senator from california, and former rival, to join his ticket taking on president trump.in and, rethinkcollege-- as covid forces universities nationwide to reconsider their costs and currsiula, nearby dents increasingly voice their opposition to in-person classes. >> the real fear is if our local hospital gets overwhelmed and we have worked hard tmanage that. we fear that our public safety, gency medical services a police will get overwhelmed. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour.

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consumercellular.tv >> the john s. and james l. fostering informed and engaged communities. more at kf.org. >ng> and with theng support of these institutions: >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. r. woodruff: the wait is o former vice president joe den has chosen californi senator kamala harris as his vice presidential nning mate in the campaign against president trump. the presumptive democratic nominee announced his decision

this afternoon in an email to supporters. lisa desjardins joins me now teth the latest. so, lisa us, remind us who kamala harris is, and what experience does she bring? first,judy, a truly pandemic moment, how vice president biden told kamala harris she was the chose, the campaign has sent out this photo of that moment. of course it was digit. you can see the smiling harris accepting the offer. harris is a well-known bume, as you said, let's look specifically at r experience, what we know. most reof her er has been as a prosecutor in law enforcement, shewas a district attorney-general and attorney-geniaal of califo13 years, and she ran for the central, and three years she has been on capitol hill doing that. she is 55 years old. we know that joe biden, elected, would be the oldest president elected, and age is something that we know from his campaign

that they were thinking bout. >> woodruff: right. and she is, what, more than 20 years youngehethan s. lisa, what is known about why joe den settled on her? there were a number of women he was condering? >> reporter: right. let's ok at wt haden himself said. he tweeted out harris a fearless fighter. it is the second tweet that is more interesting to me. he wrote in particular he liked that harris was a frnd, when e was attorney-general, with bo biden, his son, who passed away from cancer the two worked together, biden wrote, and he was prouof her then, and he is proud of her now. judy, that first connection is important. and one other insight came from your interview one week a tonight with jill bidey who be the former vice president's most important advisor. when you asked her what qualities they were looking for in a running mate, she said trust is

, portant to us, experience, wisd needs a partner in governing, somne shoo knowwhoknows how to govern ande has perience. and trust and loyalty are critical, and that personal relationship with harris i think really helped her this job. and, judy, also, she would be the first black woman in the white house. she is alrey the first asian american to be on a presidential balaut. she is theter of immigrants. there is a lot of appeal to all of those qualities and her life story as well. >> woodruff: that's right, her father from jamaica, and her mother from india. the republicans areft already coming her. what are her main caawbacks as the poli experts look at this? >> reporter: two things: one, what her platform was before, they are trying to say that kamala harris is the left of joe biden. in fact, the trump campaign said today ey see her as someone who has embraced the radical left in her driv to be

president. they point to her medicare for all, universal health care program, which was not the same as bernie sanders, but was to the left of joe biden. and also on immigration, for example, sheas said she would like to make undocumented immigrants make thanot a criminal offense but a civil offense. so republicans will tr to cast her as to the left of biden. anthey'll point out when she, herself, was at odds with biden, d one ofthe most vigorous attacks on biden during the primaries was on joe biden. >> woodruf no question about it. i'm sure we'll h >> woodruff: let's take closer look now at kamala harricaand heer up until this moment of her as joe biden's running 'ste. lisa with that. >> reporter: when kamala harris tells her storeys it starts with parents who raised her with a sense of honor. >> my parents were at the

civil rights movement. my mother used to say -- i think she was basically ying, you've got to get up and stand up and don't give up the fight. [cheerin >> reporter: harris was , rn in 1964, in oakland, californ immigrant parents. her mother, shamala, came from india to study ,cience at u.c. berkeley and her father, donald, immigrated from jamaica to teach economics at stanford. >> they p came inursuit of a dream. and that dream was a dream for themselves, forc for me, and for my sister maya. row she was an early participant in a school busing program, and when she was 12, with her parents separated, she moved to montreal with her mother after decades of attending schools, harris ae change. in 1983, she enrolled at

howard university an historically black college in washington, d.c. it waat howard that harris explored her nnterest in politics. she for student counse joined a sorority, and demonstrated against apartheid in south africa. >> howard university is one of the most important eppects of my life. >> rorter: harris returned to the san francisco bay area for law sct the university of california hastings. back home her career took off. in 2004, she unseeded the top prosecutor to win an electi at california first black district attorney. >> this is a celebration f t just about me, but about all o, and about our great city. >> reporter: it was the start of a decade-long career in law enfot, that has come und under increased scruny as she seeks higher office. >> it is one of the most

noblest professions. >> in san francisco, it is the will, i lieve, of a majority of people, that the most severe crimes be met with the most severe consequences, and that life without possibility of parole is a severe coequence. >> reporter: as the city's top prosecutor, she promised to never impose it, even in a high-profile case about the death of a police officer. >> yea you did commit a crime. accept it, own up to it, and then let's talk about at we can do to change the circumstances going forward. >> reporter: she also pioneered a program to give non-violent first-time offenderios educatnal and job skills to prevent them from reoffending. >> when we're talking about serious and violent crime, lock them up. but when we're talking about non-violent crime, that is the crime that is resources and beds in our state prison system. and we need to have a meaningful system to reduce the likelihood thath revolving door will continue. >> reporter: at the same time, harris had some get-tough policies,

including on families who >> when they don't receive the benefit of a good public education, the odds on favorite is they will not lead a p life.tive >> reporter: and she opposed decriminalizing sex work. some say that disproportionately hurt people of color. >> this is not about being compassion. and t about that movie "pretty woman." you're going to have the exact opposite affect, which is you're going to give a green light the sexual exploitation of women and girls. her next move and inmade 2011was elected california attorney-general. >> justice will be swift and certain the state of california. >> reporter: during tat time, she gained national recognition for her prosecution of gangs and for pursuing predatory for-profit colleges. he the people of our state should not be ubject of other people trying to make money off of them

simply because they want to get an education. >> repter: she also tofficiathe first same-sex wedding in the state. >> by the ate of california, i now declare f you spouses life. [cheering] >> reporter: her a.g. tenure coincided with the rise of the black lives matter after the death michael brown in ferguson, missouri. [yelling] >> reporter: amid national calls for police accountability, harris refused to take a position on a bill that would ve required her officto launch an investigation into any officer-involved shooting. but she did mandate implicit bias training for california's officers in 20. >> we have developed and implemented a policy on implicit as and racial profiling. >> reporter: during her six year stintas attorney-general, she befriended a fellow a.g. from across the country, nelaware's bo biden, so of then vice president joe biden. now a recognized name inth

democratic party, harris was a clear choice senate seat in california. >> i intend to fightfor truth and transparency and trust. >> reporter: she on in a landslide and was sworn in by biden in 2017. she has sponsored bills on race and federal justic department, including a bill to call lynching a hate crime. >> call it what it is, it is a crime that should be punishable with accountability and consequences. >> reporter: but her most shining moments have come in hepr secutorial questioning, first of attorney-general nominee jeinff session017. >> are you aware -- >> a lot of the people were at the convention. it is conceivable -- >> sir -- >> well, will you let me qualify it. if i don't qualify it, you'll accuse me of lying. i need to ctbe cors best i can. >> i do want you to be honest. >> i'm not able to be rushed this fast. >> reporter: and in the

supreme court confirmaon hearings for justice brett kavanaugh. >> have you discse mueller with anyone at the law firm founded by mark castle, president trump's rsonal lawyer. >> i -- >> be sure about your answer, sir. it reporter: all of set up what seemed inevitable, a run for the white house in 2020. >> i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president a the united s. >> reporter: by her side in that campaign, her husband of six years, douglas, who amassed a social media followin based on never-ending support for his wife's career. in the campaignharris fired some of the first shots at primary opponent joe biden. over hi opposition of the school busing programs in the 1970s. >> it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations two united states senators who built ndeir reputations a

career on the segregation of race in this country. and it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. and, you know, there was a little girl in cafoia who was part of the second chass to integrate her publicls. and she was bused to school every day. and that li ttgirl was me. >> reporter:ut that ral moment was not enough to grow a moent in iowa, especially as shd e fielestions on her prosecutorial record. >> when you were attorney-general, you opposed legislation that would have required your office to investigate fatal shootings involving police officers. why did you oppose that bill? >> we used oppose the legalization of marijuana, and now you don't. you used to oppose outside investigations of police don't.ngs, and now you you said you changed because you were, quote, ing against the currents and thankfully the currents had changed."

but when you had the power, why didn't you try to affect change then. >> i made a decisionf i was going to have the abilit reform the system, i would try to do it from the inside. r reporter: she dropped out of tce in december. >> i will keep fighti every day for what this campaign has been about: justice for the people. >> reporter: harris eventually endorsed her former opponent biden in march, joining him at a rally in michigan. and immediately entering the most-watched list to be den b.p. >> woodruff: for more on what the choice of kamala harris means for joe biden, i'm joined by ian sams. he served duringechis current on cycle, as the campaign press secretary for senator kamala harris's presidential mpaign. and aimee allison. she's the founder of "she the atople,", an organization advocates for women of color in politics. we welcome bo h of you

backe "news hour." aimee allison, to you first. what does kamala harris bring to this ticket, thto campaign? >> i can't say enough about how exciting and historic this moment is. it is a spark of hope, and it is a strong indication that the democrats are poisedo win the white house in november. i think for millions of women of color, who had for generations foughto make this country better for decades, have been the backbone vote for democrats and the ground.ions on the this is quite a moment for us. we've never been here before, where a woman of color is on the ticket. and it's whenat w of color, we hear in sbattlegroutes, places like arizona, texas, georgia and florida were looking for two deepen enthusiasm and to really dig in. i think this is a really amazing moment and really thinng that the godmothers of our movement, people like

irley chism who laid the way, and women of color all over the country who fought for t only a recognition of the power of women of color, some 38 million, an impressive political force as voters, but our readiness to govern. ,> woodruff: ian sa tell us as someone who has worked behind the scenes, you worked with kamala harris very closely, what is it about her that you think is going to be a boost to joe biden this campaign? president had to in vice this process was look for the best partner to both win this campaign and serve as the next president and vice president of the united states. those are two very vast se of qualifications that you're looking for in a candidate. and really on both fronts kamala harris is a homerun in evermark, really, i'm sorry. in the campaign she is tough, she eis doggd. you can imagine her in a debate with mike pence

really affectively making the case against this administration and the way they've governed the country. and she is a really same time.eader at the i wastanding by her over and over again in 2019, and kids would come uto her, and she would talk to them like they were adults, ta to them about their problems. that's a trait she shares with joe thden. e is a lot of overlap that vice president biden and senator harris have that make them a dymic and successful ticket. i think she brings to the table at amy wasust talking about, a lived experience that really repr so many people in this country, for honestly too long have been left outof positions of leadership and away from the table of itcision-making. speaks to vice president biden's commitment not just to bring the part together, but represent the entire country by picking someone who has the background and life experience that senator harris does. aimeoodruff: allison, the republicans are coming after her

saying she is going to bring joe biden even further to the left, that she has taken extreme positions on a number of ings. they're looking at her record as a prosecutor, on medicare for all,sition which, by the way, isdi erent from joe biden's. but what about that? what about her record that could make her >> well, you're talking about two different things. one is that we saw, joe biden was vetting, an historic number of black women and women of co r, racid sexist attacks that were coming right, front and center. trump set the tone. the whole time in the white hoe he has been specifically name calling and attacking the leadership and the voice of women of color and black women. what the republicans are sayings borne frothat. i want to point out that in- since the pandemic began, quarantines began,

ople started falling ill and dying, people started losing ireob, senator harris has showed up in really important ways. she has been an advocate for cash pments, $2,000 a month to help people through this difficult time. she has been an advocate for essential workers who make sure that services continue, like health e.r she has advocated to increase spending on health care that -- and health issues that impact, say, black women, for example, fibroids and that kind of research. these things make a diffblence. the reans are going to call names, they're going to denigrate women of color, like they'v been, but really theruth of the matter is, and we hear it all across the countrythat a woman of color on the ticket is deepening enthusias is motivating, and we've got more voters than men. this is a turnout operation from here on out. what the rublicans say doesn't matter to us. >> woodruff: i want you

to pick up on that, ian, because we hear it from the republicans already. go chapterf you and verse on her position, she is taking this ticket to the left. and they'rgoing to continue to harp on that. how will she handle that? >> she has faced ttacks before and she has come out just fine. what is remarkable about ese attacks by trump, they're so logically inconsistent, and the voters just aren't buying them alrad they've been trying to paint joe biden as past three months, and all that has happened in the same period of time is j biden building his lead. the voters are going to go to the polls thinking abouthe coronavirus, ich is raging across this country with reckless abandon, aey're think about the economic families and theye in.y're you have a terrible record on the president of the united states, and an administration that has completely failed to get the pandemic under control and his decisions a making the economy worse. i would love to see them

try to brand thec democracket as somehow out of touch with everyday people's experiences and struggles ment like this i don't think it will be successful. ian,oodruff: quickly while i have you, remind us why she dropped out when she did la.st decemb she was in the campaign, and she was letting joe biden have it in , that deba we remember very well, when she went after him on his bacing positionin the '70s, but then her campaign faded away. enwhat had? >> well, look, as you know, and everybody will remember, even though it seems like a million years ago at thoint, given everything we've been through, the countryat 2020it was a history clee large and crowded and kamala harris was in that race to win it. when it barecame apt she wasn't going to be able to win the contest, she didn't want to continue on just being a pandidate for president. she knew that thth was narrow and decided to

leave the race. ultimately, vice president won it handily in areal blowout. every since the early days of march, when he secured the nomination, she has been such an enthusiaersm campaior his campaign, and doing everything she can to make sure that the democratic g ticket wng to be successful, even if she wasn't picked to be on it. i think what came out of that primary was a really strong, unified, democratic party. there could only be one winner, and it was joe biden. and now we see them joining together as a ticket, which i think is a huge testamento joe biden's values as a leader, to be willing to turn yesterday's rival into today's allies. that's a really rare characteristic and character trait, and it is such a difference from the other side that we have right now, whch is basically just the cult of donald trump. >> woodruff: we are going to have to leave it there, but we thank both ofou for joining you

literally on the spur of the moment. aimee allison, thank you so mch. ian sams, thank you. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, worldwide covid-19 infections have topped 20 million, after cases doubled over the past 45 days. meanwhile, russia claimed victory today in becoming the first country to approve a vaccine. but, withnly two months of human testing and no large-scale trials yet, global health experts sounded alarms. still, president vladimir putin insisted it was safe for use. proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, and i would like to repeat that it has espassed all the necessary. one of my daughters has been vaccinated.

in this sense, she has t part in the experiment. number of antibodies.d has high n woodruff: meanwhile, the u.s. recorded fewer t,000 new cases for the second day in a row. in college sports, two major they are pulling the plug on fall football amid covid-19 concerns. the big teand pac-12 are postponing all sports until the spring, citing potential medical risks to student athletes. the decision takes two of college football's five power conferences out of an y collapsing season. hundreds of thousands of people across the midwest are still without electricity today, after a powerful storm ravaged the region. winds of 100 miles an hour downed trees from nebraska to indiana yesterday. in iowa, the governor said at least 10 million acres of crops reamaged. >> it will be a number of days

offore we know the full impact esterday's storms but one thing is for certain, many of our neighbors have had their lives drastically impacted whether it's through injury or damage to their livelihoods. >> woodruff: the wind storm isat responsible foeast two deaths; one in indiana and another in iowa. in belarus, more than 2,000 people have been detained in violent anti-government protests over sunday's disputed election. amid therackdown, the top opposition candidate said today she had fled the countryerand urgedupporters to stop the srest. niifrin has our story. >> belarus!b elarus! >> schifrin: on the streets of the capital, minsk, a national uprising, after what demonstrators cala stolen election. in response, authorities arrested thousands, and shot this protestor in the back. translated ): how much longer will we tolerate this mess?

i just don't understand at all. >> schifrin: president alexander lukashenko says he won more than eighty percent of sunday's votal no internationitor agrees. but overnight opposition candidate sviatlana tsikhanouskaya fled to lithuania. and from the election commission offices, recorded this video. t ( translated ): i ask you not to confre police, not to go to the square. >> svetlana tsikhanouskayaid not leave by her own free will. she was forced to leave. >> schifrin: joerg forbig is the german marshall fund's director for central and eastern europe. he says the ntotests will ue, even without an opposition leader, because the resistance is born of lukashenko's authoritarianism: years of stifling diss arbitrary arrests, and manipulated elections. >> barussians by now are because they are following svetlana tsikhanouskaya or they they're defending their rights to deterhe leadership of that country, which was taken away from them clearly on sunday.

>> schifrin:oday the european union blamed lukashenko's government for the unrest. >> the incble harassment and repression against the candidates, again, against their teams, against the journalists, >> schifrin: tsikhanouskaya's forced departure, d to a second, emotionally raw video. >> ( translated ): i thought this whopaign toughened me a lot and gave me so much strength that i can endure anything. but perhaps i am still a weak woman. people, please be careful, no life is a worthwhile price for what is happening now. >> schifrin: lukashenko seems to be willing to exact any price, and accused protestors of violence. >> ( translated ): the police were deliberately hit, so they responded. why are you crying now? the response will be adequate. we will not allow you to tear the country apart. >> if protests continue, if there's even more strikes in companies than we have seen already toy, then basilly the last resort for alexander ofkashenko is some form of state mergency or even martial law.

>> schifrin: lukashenko is now fighting for his survival. there's no telling how far he will go. for the pbs newshour, i'm nick schifrin. >> woodruff: the state department's internal watchdog has determined that secretary of state mike pompeo acted legally in bypassing congress to approve massive arms sales to arab nations. pompeo declad an emergency bist year to push some $8 ion to saudi arabia, the united arab emirates, and jordan, citing taneats from nee findings come after former inspector l steve linick testified that state department officials pressured drop the investigation. president trump fired linick in seattle's police cs retiring. carmen best made the announcement last night, after the city council aeed to slash the police force budget, and eliminate about 100 jobs. the cuts were largely suppord by anti-racism demonstrators in seattle.

today, the city's first black police chief said the council's actions undermined progress made at the department >> it really is about the overarching lack of respect for the officers the men and womenwo wh so hard day and day out, and honestly the idea of letting after we've worked so incredibly hard to make sure our department was diverse, that reflects the cty that we serve, to turn that all on a dime and hack it off without having a plan in placeve forward is highly distressful for me. >> woodruff: best's retirement will go in effect next month. a federal appeals court in washington today seelod inclined to former national effort to immediately dismisss flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the f.b.i. during the special counsel's russia investigation. e justice department requested

the case be dismissed, after determining the f.b.i. did not have a valid reason to question him in the first place. primary and run-off elections were held today in five states: minnesota, connecticut, vermont, wisconsin and georgia. minnesota progressive democrat ilhan omar is fighting for the first time to keep her congressional seat. while in georgiaone republican run-off pits far-right "q-anon" taylor greene againstarjorie neurosurgeon john cowan. and, stocks tumbled on wall street today. lost 104 points to close aterage 27,687. the nasdaq fell 185 points, and the s&p 500 slipped 27. still to come on the newshour: lebanon grapples with multiple crises in the wake of last week's cataclysmic explosion plus much more. >>

oodruff: it's been one week since a earth-shatteringos exn ripped through beirut. a week of sadness and ndief; of rageecrimination, from lebanese who blame the blast and its dead and wounded on the corruption and incompetence that has plagued its government for decades. special correspondent jane ferguson returned for us to the uty she lived in for many sars, and sendsthis report. >> reporteen days after the explosion in beirut, and still, the days here are filled with sorting through the wreckage-- what can be salvaged from what some are still overwhelmed with shock.

the concrete shell behind mona bahut used to be a jewelry shop, where she was working when eeverythiloded. >> i saw like 500 people were stjured. i was tanding here, i didn't know what to do. i called the owner. she didn't know what happened. she told me just to close the door and go home. i told her, there are no more doors in the shop. >> reporter: down the street, jean obaji makes a sta clearing up. he grew up in this apartment and lived here with his parents. it's an overwhelming task to hrough the ruined objects th make up a home, an entire life. by a miracle, he says, they were who do you blame for this? >> who runs lebanon? the government of leba

all of them. all of them. they have to be changed. it's enough. it's time to change. >> reporter: nearly 3,000 tons of the highly explosive chemical fertilizer ammonium nitrate were copiscated from a russian s six years ago, and left to sit in a shed in beirut's port. when it detonated, at least 220 people were killed, 6000 injure 300,000 made homeless. just to illustrate how intense here, this building, is about half a mile away from the port which is in that direction. the way he road behind me okr several hundred meters, buildings loxactly like this. despite top government officials knowing abouchemicals, noing was done to remove them. th week, frustration spill over into anger, and amid the growing outrage, the prime minister and his cabinet resigned. that move is unlikely to be

enough to quell thanger. entrenched political elites, including president michel aoun, still hold thepolitical and economic power here. aoun refused the prospect of an international investigation, claiming a lebanese probe would be more efficient: has refused >> ( translated ): the judiciary has to be fast in dealing wit this because, as they say, delayed justice is not justice at all. >> reporter: nearly a year ago, massive protests broke out across the country, calling for an end to the corruption and dysfunction that def lebanon's government institutions. since en, an economic crisis has exposed the country's banking system as li fle more thanudulent ponzi scheme. many people have lost their life s and investments, and t economy has collapsed. to these people, the government first took their financial security, then their jobs, and now eir homes. in recent months, hyperinflation has taken hold and the value of lebanon's currcy has plummeted. in a country that imports most of its goo, people are

struggling to buy food. >> i'm told the "news hour," the country's precious rees have been decimated. >> unbelievable. the silos were just decimated. all of the grains, completely gone. so it is not just a food situation in beirut, or the people impacted by the immedipact of this explosion, the entire country has enough bread for two and a half weeks. >> reporter: negotiations with th >> reporter: negotiations with the internatiol community for billions of dollars in bailout money stalled weeks ago, after lebanon's lemaers resisted s from donor countries for major reforms. >> they would rather sink the ofcountry than give an inc power, or be found out to be as corrupt as we know them to be.

>> reporter: kim ghattas is a lebanese journalist, political analt and author. she says the people are now turning against all polical parties, including the iranian- backed hezbollah, which holds i much powlebanon's current government. >> there have been insults hurled at hezbollah and at its leader, hassan nasrallah. that is something we didn't see fore because people were either too afraid or still somewhat respectful of what the group had achieved in terms of liberating south lebanon from israeli occupation. that is over, that is ov w. so overallld say that hezbollah feel under a lot of pressure. the problem at this sort of inflection point, is whether they resort to violence to preserve wt they have. >> reporter: while the politicians ruggle to hold on to power, the people of beirut are responding tthe crisis with profound compassion for one another. ev before the dust had settled, many came out of their homes to offer help, medical ai

mfort. now they're taking charge of the clean-up too.sm these hed up streets are filled with volunteers, mostly the younger generation, going house to hou, offering to clear rubble, and handing out food. they know this is something the government will not do. medea azouri runs this center that organizes the volunteers, drawing up lists of which homes need help. >> i feel that it's in our i don't know-- you knew lebanon e d lebanese people before? you w we invite people to eat at our tables? this is how we are. this is who we are. we cannot not help people. >> reporter: these are dangerous times in lebanon, with the dark shadow of possible civil war looming over the country, but they also present an opportunity for the country's people to move yond the polital dysfunction and build a new government. whichever direction it goes in, surviving against all the odds

is in thnese blood. >> we don't fall down. we get up. it's not our thing. we alws get up. >> reporter: for the pbs newshour, i'm jane ferguson, in beirut, lebanon. >> woodruff: as the w academic year gets underway at colleges and universities, students, faculty and residents of college towns are all asking the same questions: will it be safe? should students return to campus? john yang reports on those concerns, and then looks at the larger questions around affordability and cost that ate getting nention during the pandemic. it's part of our special series on "rethinking clege." country, this year's annual the

student move-in has been a little different from the past. much smaller crowds. >> it's just odd not seeing you expected it to be hustle and bustle and all that around. >> yang: and just about everyboding a mask... >> i know i'm going to do my part, i just hope other people do theirs. >> yang: millions of students, parents and college avedministrators een wondering the same thing: is it safe? in may, the 23-campus california state university sysid there would be no in-person classes this fall. johns hopkins and prin universities made that move only last week.to accordinavidson university's college crisis initiative, h tracks higher education's pandemic response, only about three-quarters of s. colleges have a plan. what schools decide affectsre han just classrooms and campuses, it's also felt throughout college towns. like amherst, massachusetts,

home tamherst college, mpshire college and the university of massachusetts amherst, which is kn "u- mass." in a normal fall, their combined enrollments wld double the town's population. in june, u-mass, by far the largest of the three schools, announced that all students could return to campus when the fall semester begins later this month, even if all their classes >> you are going to take this apart without touching it. lower you mask and put it into your nostril. pl>> yang: a system is in e for students to self-admister coronavirus tests twice a week. they must pledge in writing to wear masks in public, not gather in large groups and maintain soci distancing. u-mass chancellor kumble subbaswamy. >> we thought that with all the steps we were taking in terms of testing and contact tracing d all the precautions, well beyond the precautions recommended by the c.d.c. and so forth, that we could safely invite the students back. >> yang: some year-round amherst

residents disaeed. the university's pere ine what their first communications, it was alarming. >>ang: robin jaffin asked people to sign a petition that said returning students "will increase the risk to our communities." a big n: the behavior of students living off-campus. >> how do you tually implement the set that you have set for the same student body that's on campus? >> yang: town officials worried that an influx of students could drive up the area's currently low infection rate. town manageraul bockelman. >> the real fear is the if our local hospital getoverwhelmed and we have worked hard to manage that, we fear that our public safety, emergency medic services and police will get >> yang: students who work in

assistants and peer mentors also voiced their opposition. rising senior james cordero is a leader of their labor union. >> and the fact is, when you put that many pe together in such confined spaces, social ppdistancing is such theite of what those environments are built for. yang: on the other hand local business leaders fear the economic impact of a fall without students. gabrielle gould is executive director of amherst's downtown business improvement district. e will lose more businesses than we already are presented with losing due to the covidem pa. >> yang: amherst books is the town's last remaininarbrick-and- moook store. co-owner nat herold says he felt caught between a rock and a hard place. >> i could probably speak for owmost of the merchants in

thate're looking forward to having business come back to town, but we'ralso terrified that people are going to ing the virus. i mean, i need the business, but i also would just as soon the studts not come back. >> yang: as the academic year approached, and with the pandem u-mass officials realized their plan presented daunting logistical challenges, like regularly testing all students. >> it's easy to say, ¡we'll test everyone twice a week' or something like that. but then you start working out ile details of what that will enthat takes, in fact, a lot of time and a lot of people. >> yang: he wrote the u-mass community late last week, abruptly reversing course: "only students who are enrolled in essential face-to-face classes, will be accommodated in campus residence halls." instead of 15,000 students on

campus, officials now expect d wer than 1200 in u-mass dorms other 3,000 living in town. most are in classes ke science labs, modified for social sistancing. the amherst nts' concerns had been heard. >> we we both drifting in that rection of saying we don want as many students. and so to get to that decision to reduce the number, a lot of deliberation had to go into it. and so that's really a lot of the steps we were learning as we cre going along. >> yang:tinuing education for college administrators across the country. higher education's response to the pandemic, especially the shift away from in-person classes to online learning, is highlighted larger questions about the high price tag for a college degree. scott galloway is a ading voice in this debate. he's a professor of marketing at new york university.

>> he joins us now. scott, thank you so much for joining us. what has this pandemic, this move away, theon re we've seen from colleges, some of them putting entire -- aeill classes online, what has that done that this debate out college tuition costs? >> well, covid-19 isn't as much a change agent as it is an accelerator. we've seen tuiti up two and a half fold over the past 20years of publicti univer. meanwhile, the product hasn't changed much. thy to name an industry increased its prices 150% with no output or innovation. what this has done is what has become ant incredibly unsustainable pricing. used to be a season of nervousness and joy about where you were going to school. now it has become one of financial dispai we have priced ourselv literally out of the market. we remote learning, a lot of parents and students

are deciding it is justh not wot. >> it is not wortit. they don't see the value of paying tuition to sit in front of a computer? ve well, primarily speaking a uity value is from three things: the certification, the education, and the. experien and we have raised prices so quickly that any sort of reduction in any one of those three things has really caused people to decision. rethk their and with the experience so dramatical decreased or disabled, a lot of parents are saying, do i want to pay 58,000 dollars a year or $60,000 a year for a zoom classes. >> i spoke to the american council and education which represents about 1700 colleges an universities and asked them about some of those issues. i want you to listen on what he had to say about this question of thoughts and we'll talk about it >> colleges and

universities were funded about $8 billion in room and board charges alone in it's spring, when they closed early. taken together, lost venue, cost increases, enrollment decline, cuts in state support and increases in stent financial need add up to roughly $120 billion. to put that in context, total reven of colleges and universities in 2018 was $650 billion. so we're dealing with a sudden traumatic shock to every instition ofem of higher education. >> what do you have to say to that? that this is increasing costs or colleges and universities? >> there is no doubt about it. he and his constituents find themselves in a very tough place. the question is: did we have it coming? and how are they responding? instead of cutting costs,

like every other and does on a regular basis, instead of having an open conversation and cutting costs such that sewe can incrhe quality of remote learning while decreasing costs, we have entered into co into hallucinatn that we can have some sort of a normal experience so te can continue to charge these and what is the mother of all tone-deaf institutions, host institution has decided to raise their tuition 3.5%. and mr. hartel has to endure the same pain that every other product does, whether it is sports or restaurants, and that is get to the good work of cost-cuttingnd getting aner and meaner, and instead they entered into an era of denial, which will make the unwinding inwe the fall thatre going to have even more painful. >> and you said you think this will makea change in what higher education looks like.

what do you think higher education wi look like after the pandemic? >> i think it will be a it will be a mix of online and off-line. culty has been embracing technology. it is not either or but ann. it can be taught online with the seame lvel of outcome. it is the off-campus ofperience in terms in-person. the silver lining is as move to the innovation, and the reduction in the cost and a dramatic increase in a supply of freshmen seeds, we might find we can increase the quality of the product and lower the price. and we have done neither of those ineducation. this isn't a debate; it is an i.q. test. it shows we're going to be all remote across every university this fall.

it is just a question, a quell of how many infections we endure and how much pain we levy on universities and communities. universities, john, have been the warriors fighting viruses, not its enablers. we need to close campuses, full stop, ght away. >> scott galloway of new york university's stearn school of business. thank you very much. >> thanks for having me, john. >> woodruff: president trump was out in the briefing room tonight responding to the pick of kamala harris as joe biden's nning mat our yamiche alcindor is here with the latest. >> so, tell us wha president said? t> well, the president wasted no ime going after senator harris, saying she was, as you've bdieen ussing on the show, a radical lefty. he is painting her as someone for socialized

medicine. here is what he said specifically. >> president trump: she is in favor of sociale medicine, where you're going to lose your doctors, you're going to se your plans she wants to take your health care plans away s.om 180 million americ 180 million americans that are very happy with their health insurance.and she wants t away. so she was my nber one pick. >> i should also add that the presidenthree times during that briefing called senator harris nasty, using a term some see as gendered. and the president went after her saying she was someone who would abolish the police. the trump campaign released a video a few ments after she was picked calling her phony kamala harris. and they said she is someone who is against really normalized immigration. and they said she was someone who nwas agst -- who would not be for the

green new deal. and they slammed her on fracking. overall, the president ll be attacking kamala harris, saying she did not treat joe biden with respect. he said this was my number one draft pick, so he is wasting no time going after sequestration. >> woodruff: i have seen some reporting that the president andis daughter had contributed some of kamala harris' compaigns, including when she was runnr attorney-general of california. t,u have covered kamala harris in the pou did a profile of her. what do you think we can look for in terms ohow she is going to approach campaignin fall? >> reporter: well, president trump started off his attacks today by saying she was someone who didn't tell the truth and was essentially a liar. when i t down with senator harris, she said, i'm someone o wants t tell the truth. i feel like my mission is to be someone who is not

grandstanding, but i want to make this country better. she attacked pre ident trump whsat down with her a couple of years ago, saying he was spewing hate and division. i think she is a blunt talker, someone who will be a formidable opponent for mike pence when th debate. and she has a network of african-american women, and she is part of a sorority, the first african-american sorority in this couny to be founded. i talked to a lot of her sorority sisters, and they said she was someone who war serious, she as a debater in college. she wl quickly hit the campaign trail making the case that her and joe this countrynd tillfor move this country in the right direction, and thatt presidump is the wrong person and should not get re-elected. >> woodruff: you're absolutely right about that virtual campaign, miche, entirely different from any of the compaigns she has done

before and has run. we shall say. yamiche alcindor, thank you very much. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe and see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour h been provided by: >> when the world gets complicated, a lot g ms through yod. with fidelity wealth management, a dedicated adviadr can tailor vice and recommendations to your life. that's fidelity wealth management. >> carnegie corporation of new york. supporting innovations in

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hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour & co." here's what's coming up. the enti lebanese government resigns as a fed-up population demands accountability for last week's devastating explosion. i'll speak to the former deputy prime minister who is calling for an international investigation. i n hong kong, a pr democracy media tycoon is arn sted as china throws dow the gauntlet under its tough new security law. mp and former journalist cudia society now under .mocratic plus, covid-19 in america shows the masse implications of private health care.