captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> wdruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, on the record: new audio recordings reveal the president admitting to misleading the american people about the severity of covid-19. then, the west coast is burning. high winds fan the flames of uncontrolled fires across the region as all national forests more power outages are expected pltters of justice-- the federal government moves to defend the president against a 25 year olrape allegation, ving the case to federal court. and, the racial divide-- covid- 19 hits communitess of color hain the u.s., furthering already stark inequalities.

>> they have higher risk because of the work that they're doing. they have higher risk because they have to take publ transport. they have higher risk because they're living in crowded conditions. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for years. bnsf, the engine that connects us.

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possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: a new political firestorm has broken out at the trump white house tonight, as wildfires ravage much of the west coast. first, to what the president knew, and what he said publicly1 as the covpandemic began. it's recounted in a new book by b woodward. our john yang begins our coverage. >> yang: in a recorded interview effect of the coronavirus in the united states was publicly clear, president trump told "washingtopost" editor bob woodward that he knew it is deadlier than the flu. >> the air, you just breathe the air. that's how it's passed. and so that's a very tricky one. and that's a very delite o.

it's also more deadly than your, you know, your even your strenuous flus. this is more deadly. i thfive per you know, this is five percent versus one percent, and less than one percent. you know, so this is deadly stuff. >> yang: that stands in contrast with his public statements at the time. this is the president three days after that interview. >> looks like by april, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away. >> yang: in march, president trump told woodward he was deliberately downplaying the coronavirus's seriousness. >> i wanted to-- i wanted to always play it down. i still like playing it down. >> yes. >> because i don't want to create a panic. y >>g: campaigning in warren, michigan, democratic nominee joe biden weighed in. >> he knowingly and willingly lied about the threat posed to the country for months. he knew how danger was.

while this deadly disease ripou througnation. he failed to do his job on purpose. it was a life and death betrayal of the american people. >> yang: president trump e fended his comments at a white house event to nlist of potential future supreme court nominees. >> the fact is, i'm r cheerleader is country, i love our country and i don't wa people to be frightened don't want to create panic and certainly i'not going to drive this country or the world into a frzy. we want to show strength we want tohow strength as a nation >> yang: according to a new nbc news/marist polln ut today, bi leading president trump in pennsylvania by nine points, and in florie two are in a virtual tie. and today, the trump campaign with the republican nationallion committee in august, their best

that's still wove their date but well below biden's $364 million in august. onhursday, president trump ts on thursday, president trump hits the trail himself, heading to michigan. for the pbs newshour, i'yajohn . >> woodruff: and for more details about bob woodward's new book, we're joined by "washington post" reporter and a.derator of pbs's "washington week," robert co bob costa, thank you so much for talking with us. you were telling me you've read the book, you've listened to the audio recordings provided by bob woodwardhe how much doeay the president knew about this virus in late janua, early february? woodward recounts how president trump was told on january 28 this year by roberto brine and mathew pottinger that the pandemic, the coronavirus security threat he has yet seen in his presidency.

pottinger compare to the 1918 flu pandemic which kille millions worldwide. a few days later the president who had been continuinto be briefed, he told woodward thas the vi very deadly, and you saw that in the clip shown john yang. t> woodruff: and we jus showed, bob, a portion of what the president was saying ina public at time, but what was the contrast then betwe what the president knew, what he was sharing with bob woodward and what he was saying to the american people? t >> so onehing that comes through in woodward's bookha "rage" is it's dr. fauci, it's dr. redfield at the c..c., mathew pottinger, roberto brine a whole gal national security and health officials are telling the president of the united states in january, february and march that this pandemic is dealdly, it's ony going to grow in scope, it's not going to disappear, and they're urging drastic action,ramatic

and sweeping action. yet, as we all kn, that action is not taken really until march in many states inms terf shutting down businesses and having people stay in their the president was even thinking about having rallies at the same time he was being briefed about the seriousness of the vi,r and he kept telling the american people that this virus would go away. it's comparable or even not thae bad, comto the seasonal flu. yet off sicials behind thenes were telling the president a different story, and woodward was talking to the president simultaneously and hearing that real story from president trump. >> woodruff: and, according to woodward's book, the president was also relatinhis conversations with china's president xi jinping who was shing some of the seiousness. of course, the presidenlater went on to be very critical of president xi. bob, what about the president's defenstoday, that he was dong this for a reason, he didn't want to frighten the american

people? >> well, that was the president's defense. he said he did not want to create anic. the presidents told woodward in march of this year that he has deliberately played down the pandemic as a threat for that exact reason he stated day, does not want to create a panic. to say how the american people will judge this. this comes less than two months before the presidential election, and you now have a president on tape, it's unprecedented to have this kind of woodward style interview, a series of presidential interviews on tape this close o an election about the biggest issue of this presidential season, the pandemic. and the book goes on in many other ways about north korea, about the president's flippantma s, woodward's terms, in terms of how he discussed race, president obama, senator harris, et cf:era. >> woodrt is remarkable and we don't have time to get into all of that, but you're right, bob, stunning comments from peoplgwho were hih up in

the trump administration before they left, mattis, dan coats, the former hetad of naional intelligence, all of this heads up to a fairly dam pnicture. >> it's a picture woodward con concludes shows president trump in his words is the wrong man for the job. woodward, who spent a year reporting on the presidency and often has distance, he still has distance in the way he writes this book, but he hs an assessment at the end of the book saying the president based on his own experience of interviewing him and watching him is the wrong man for the job. that's bob woodward's statement, the final sentence, actually, of his own book, thibook so late in his career he is saying to the american people here's what i know and think and he's also providing the tapes, something going back to water gate withth woodward nixon era, so famous for the tapes inside the white house. the tapes once again becong an issue in american politics. >> woodruff: and just again, so many things to bring out, but, bob, one other thing tha stood out to me was his comments

praising the north korean leader kim jong un, describing how smart he was, far beyond smart. it stands out how heaises someone like the north korean leader. >> and we've seen, in your own reportindy, and others at pbs, the relationship between kim jongn and president trump, but what woodward does is add detail, and he shows how kim jong un, this dictator is writing about -- to president trump about their relationship calling it akin to a fantasy film that it's this wonderful thing, it's a precioun they want to preserve, and woodward challenges to a point president trump on these issues, d he says, well, what's this all about, all this flowery language? and president trump curses in the course of several interviews saying, its no big deal, and you can guess the phrase he used, and he said i wa just trying to keep the peace.

but it's unusual to say the least rap for between a dictator and the president of the united states on page through letters. >> woodruff: just a lot of material here that i know we'll continue to report on. but, bob costa, thank you very much for being with us tonight. >> thank you. it. >> woodruff: now, to the west coast, where blowtorch winds blasted flames across more of the landscape today. oregon's governor warned of record loss of life and, properter hundreds of homes burned. and california struggled to corral scores of fires, up and down the state. stephanie sy has our report. >> sy: heavy winds and low humidity. e day's forecast brought fresh dangers to much of california,

where smoke from two dozen active fires blotted out t sun in the bay area, turning the skies an eerie orange. >> it's the middle of the day, all the windows are open in my house and look how dark it is. >> sy: in central california, the "creek fire," among the biggest in the state, is still raging completely unchecke through more than 360 buildings and is threatening 5,000 more around the siesta national foeast of fresno. all national forests were closen tatewide today, to prevent other fires from erupting. farther north, another fire rapidly exploded overnight, n butte counich led to evacuation orders and warnings including for the town of paradise, whh was decimated by the state's deadliest wildfire in 2018. more than two million acres have been burned in fires across californ, an unprecedented amount this early in the season.

but the national weathni service is w of elevated fire risk in much of the western u.s. oregon is dealing with at least 35 active fires. thousands have bn ordered to evacuate and a state of emergency was declared overnight. satellite imagery shows the fires there and inornia.ke from in washington state, wildfires burned more acres in a single day than normally seen in a full n ar. crews in washingttled through the smoke-filled skies overnight.th much odevastation, centered around the small farming town of malden in then eastrt of the state. >> everything gone.cl hes, beds, everything. >> sy: about 80% of homes and structures were destroyed. strong winds are also driving fires in other parts of the drought-stricken west, from arizona to montana. nsstill, crews in some regot a moment of respite.a astic temperature plunge around denver, colorado

yesterday brought withow, helping contain fires there. >> we had a little bit of unexcted weather roll in. weather in the 80s yesterday and now in the 20s today. >> sy: extreme weath extreme fires, but back in california, there's reason to hope for a break-- thetrongest >> the wind activity appears to be dyi down and the rest of the weeks looks a little more favorable from a wind perspective. >> sy: for the pbs newshour, i'm stephanie sy. >> woodruff: in the day's other newsmore than 3,500 people were left with virtually nothing, after much of their refugee ca i b overnight. the camp, on the island of s lesbos, house 12,000 asylum seekers, and alreadyce an outbreak of covid-19. a new round of fires broke out we'll get details, later in the

program. the united nations has issued a new climate warning that could mean more natural disasters and extreme weather. a new report says the world is now nearly two degrees warmer d thing pre-industrial times. the targeted ceiling is 2.7 degrees, under the 2015 paris climate accord. the report says the world may pass that ceiling within a decade. the head of the u.s. national institutes of health insisted toy there will be no compromise on the safety of a coronavirus vaccine., just yesterdug-maker trials for a leadicinete-stage candidate, after one participant developed an unexpla illness. at a u.s. senate hearing today, n.i.h. director franciins said the pause proves safety overrides everything, including politics. >> i can't say strongly enough that the decisions about how this vaccine is going to be evaluated and assessed is going

to be based on science. and i know i speak for myea coes in the government and certainly for the scientific community broadly that that can be the only basis upon which this decision is made, otherwise the publ would not be expected to trust us. >> woodruff: president trump has talked of getting a vaccine before the november election, but collins said no one can predict that. the united states is withdrawing more than 40% of its remaining troops from iraq this month. the top american commander in the middle east, marine general frank mckenzie, said today theer nuill drop from 5,200 to 3,000.ai heiraqis are now able to deal with islamic state militants on their own.gh istan's first vice president narrowly escaped being assassinated in kabul today. at least 10 others died, and cialsawahi30 we wo a in a cart along the roadside an exploded as ce president's convoy passed.

about the attack. video message >> ( translated ): a huge and horrific explosion targeted oury cowhile we were driving to work. a number of my brave bodygrds were wounded. me and my son stained some minor burns on our faces and my hand was slightly injured, because the wave of explosion was very strong and melted the windows of the vehicle. >> woodruff: the taliban denied it carried out the attack, as ip gets ready forted peace talks with the afghan government. back in this country, a former homeland security official, brian murphy, says he was told to manipulate intelligence to benefit president trump politically. he says top homeland security and white house officials wanted to play down russian interference in u.s. elections, and play up chinese and iranian meddling, among other things. the claims are in a whistleblower complaint released by the house intelligence committee.wa

and, o street, tech stocks least for a day, and the broader market rallied.th dow jones industrial average gained 439 points to close at 27,940.ne the nasdaq rosly 294 points, and, the s&p 500 added 67, its best day in three mont. still to come on the newshour: the justice department gets involved in the case of a rape allegation against the esident. a major fire destroys europe's largest migrant camp on the greek island of lesbos how to teach a new generationl practiills, working with their has. plus much more.

>> woodruff: last night's move by the department of justice to intervene in a lawsuit against president trump has critics of the administration crying foul. coverage of the unusual filing. >> brangham: in chicago today, attorney general william barr defended the justice department's latest move to shield the president from legal exposure. ca>> this was a normal appon the law is clear. it is done frequently. >> brangham: last night, the d.o.j. asked to take over as president trump's defense in a defamation lawsuit filed by a woman who accused the president of raping her many years ago. in 2019, advice columnist e. jean carroll alleged that in the 1990s, then-businessman donald trump raped her in a new york city department store dressing room. the justice department move

would shift the venue from new york's supreme court to federal court and substitute in the u.s. t,government as the defend instead of mr. trump. that would mean e federal government, rather than the president, would be on the hook to pay any financial dages the president's accuser might be awarded. for his part, president trump has repeatedly denied carroll's allegations. >> it's a total false accusation and i don't know anything about her. >> brangham: but carroll says the president's words harmed her reputation and career, and so she sued for defamation. carrol's lawyer called last night's filing by the d.o.j." shocking." today, barr argued the law entitles elected officials to a federal defense when they make tblic comments, even if the comments concernheir personal life. attorney general has inserted himself into a politically fraught investigation connected to the president.ul barr overr prosecutors and to reduce the prison sentence of trump ally rogeron stone, who wvicted of

lying to congressional investigators. president trump later commuted and this year, the d.o.j. also moved to dismissaits own case t former trump national security adviser michael flynn. for a closer look i'm joined by david laufma he held senior roles at the u.s. the george w. bush and obamah administrations. he's now an attorney in private prtice. david laufman, very good to have elu here. could you just us understand how unprecedented is this move that we saw from attorney gener barr last night? >> i mean, i can't think of anything hiscatoy that is department of justice is coming to the rescue of the president in connection with his public comments about private behavior manyears ago, an alleged sexual assaul in and of itself, it ought to shock the conscience of all americans who care abt department oabouttju departments

arbiter of the law.n independent >> reporter: attorney general barr said this happens all the time. he says othnt presi vice presidents have done this and that this is not unusual at al >> this is not a case of the likes of which he's probably referring where an issue is whether a president or executive branchrufficial has tly acted within the scope of their official duties. the preside, you know, comments about a rape assault allegation don't squarely come within the scope of his official duties. it's shocking that the departmentf justice and the attorney general would say so, and i would be stunned if a .district court found s >> reporter: yeah, this was one to have the arguments that the department of justice was making, which was that, when the president said those things denying thessault allegations and the things he said about mrs. carroll that he was acting in his role as pre, sideus it's appropriate for the d.o.j.

to make this move. do you think that assertils is >> i don't think that that is a version of the president's protection from liability that will square with how the courts have historically addressed these issues. >> reporter: so are there other historical comparisons? i mean, i think back to, say, when bill clinton was in office and he was going through the paula jones case, iertainly don't remember the department of justice stepping in and saying we will handle youser defnd we ought to take this on as the u.s. government. >> it would never hav entered bill clinton's mind or the atrney general's mind. he had private counsel tore esent him throughout that debacle. this is the latest in a allery of other examples where the department of justice particularly in the hands of this a weaponized and further into the president's personal and political ends and not i hs essential role as an independent arbiter or the rule law.

>> reporter: you worked in the department of justice, you know a lot of the rank and file ther we know the president has had a very complicated, is probably the mos tgenerous wayput it, relationship with the d.o.j. ad the justice department. what are staff lawyers and attorneys and people within the d.o.j. feeling aut this? they think this is appropriate? do you hear fr y them? what au hearing? >> i will just say it's reasonable for the american people to lieve these types of events are jrring, jaring to the rank and file men and women of the department of justice, career attorneys, f.b.i. agefos, law ement agents across the country who, day to day, put their nose to the grindstone to carry out the rule of law in an ouimpartiality fashion wi fear or favor and without the need to fear improper political influence. it doesn't make their jobs any easier, and if you think about trials and proceedings across the country that take place in urts across this country, when

an assistant u.s. attorney stands u b onehalf to have the united states, when an f.b.i. agent takes the witness stand, what are jurors to tnkiow? what credibility can they attach to the government? is it always going to behe same? is that credibility and trest going to b eroded? that's among the greatest fears that i and other department of justice officials have. >>eporter: can we back to the carroll case at hand here? what does it meathat the president -- again, this is if the d.o.j.'s movement is successful, and we don't know that yet -- but the president is no longer the defendant, now,er the u.s. gent is the defendant. that means the d.o.j. lawyers will now be wor presidt's defense. what happens if they're successful? >> if there sucycessful, in essence will bring the caseaw to an end because the united states government can't be sued for defamation so it will have the de facto effect of briisngig ase to an end, protecting

embarrassment and the potential liability he could incur if the president moves forward on its previous course. >> reporter: we knew the president lost his appeal in t new york sta delay this case and he was on the cusp perhaps of havinto do a sworn interview about this case, perhaps even give a dna sample do you think the timing is suspect in that sense, that that's clearly why the attorney general has stepped forward to act w? >> i can't speak to any motives or int hentions ms. carroe with respect to the timing of this lawsuit but that should have nothingo do with the appropriate use of the department of justice as an instrument of the president's p persetty, you know, political or personal ievances. it's just completely inapprteriate. >> rep david laufman who used to hold senior positions at the d.o.j., thank yr very much foyour time and helping us wade throh all of thi >> thank y for having me.

>> woodruff: fire ripped through the moria refugee camp on the greek island of lesbos last night and reignited today. the camp was overcrowded and unsanitary, but it was the only place its thousands of inhabitants called home. special correspondent malcolm brabant visited moria earlierha this year and s this report on the blaze. >> reporter: along with his fellow asylum seekers, fahim ibrahimi from afghistan, lost everything in the flames. >> me-- house this finish, all finish. >> reporter: moria was europe's largest and most notorious refugee camp. it was supposed to house, bu13ed isqualid conditionsanide e barbed wire. now, they are all more destitute >> our house is va, our

food is vanished, everything. our money is gone. we don't know what is going to happen. ( translated ): now? we will sleep on the street. what can we do? we don't have food, we don't ything. what can we do? >> repor the true extent of this catastrophe. the fire beg before midnight when a group protested against new coronavirus restrictions. so far 35 migrants have tested positive for covid. thnd were obliged to isolate there were fears that other migrants could end up in detention. >> they thought, okay, everything is a mess right now, they wanted to put us all in jail, all of us, the camp, they want to put fence arou don't want to be there, and they start burning things. and i thk it started maybe with one fire and it went crazy. orteam aldt got enough. non profit called teamanity that helps moria's occupants.

aldeenays his volunteers went into the camp to help save people. so far no deaths have been reported. there was anger that police stopped the refugees from reaching nearby myllin the greeks have effectively placed the camp in quarantine because they don't want the virus spreading.>> he police had blocked the road, the entry, actually the road to the city. they blocked it in front of mynt er. they didn't want the refugees to go there. >> reporter: the relationship between islanders and refugeesha frequently been fractious. there's been a campaign to remove the asylum seekers to the mainland. the conditions in moria have consistently condemned as inhumane. greece has long complained that it is unable to cope with tens be thousan of asylum s some of whom hav stuck in the country for years. it has appealed l r internatiolp after the fire. and germany has responsld. >> ( tred ): now is the time to define together with the

greeks what kied of help is . we will then evaluate this icrequest and then assist y and straightforwardly. we have helped greece many times in the past and of course we will do so now. >> reporter: this disaster has exacerbated tensions between the islanders and their unwanted neighbors. the u.n. refugee agency has appealed to the grants to stay close to the remains of the camp while efforts are made to find them new accommodation. for the pbs newshour, i'm malcolm brabant. >> woodruff: a new poll ofam ica's four largest cities underscores just how the economic impact of this pandemic is hurting bck and latino americans disproportionately. the poll of residents in new lyrk, chicago, los angeles and houston found nealf of all

residents either lost a job or but those percentages of impact soared above 70% for bnd latino residents in some cities. the poll was conducted by the d bert wood johnson foundation, npr and the harvhool of public health. the foundation is a wsnder of the ur. yamiche alcindor has a report on the role economic factors are playing for black and tino americans. >> alcindor: in april, after a trip to a crowded local supermarket in northern viinia, maria zelaya felt sick. the 45-year-old came down with symptoms that sounded a lot like the ones she'd heard about ontv >> the symptoms i got were headache, body aches, and the following day my throat hurt. it was hard to swallow and i lost my appetite and just wanted to stay in bed.er >> alcindor: hest came back desitive for covid-19, and she

was told she neeto self- isolate. that was easier said that done for zelaya, who immigrated from el salvador in 2003 and works as a dishwasher.es she shar a two-bedroom daughters as well as a friend, and her friend's daughters. >> (anslated ): i was afraid- - afraid for myself, for myve girls, forone who lives in the house. we live in an apartment that's very small and there's seven of us. that's a lot, but thise reality we latinos and l immigrane with right now. >> alcindor: just across the river in southeast, ashington, d.cil brown and his fiancee, shanreika, who didn't want to use her last name, are just now recovering from covid- 19. both have lost family members and friends to the vus and say ere were some dark moments along the way. >> i'm a diabetic. i have hypertension. so i was seeing myself on a ventilator. i was just thinking the worst,

>> alcindor: shanreika works at the front desk of a mental health center in washington, and says there weren't enough protections to keep her from catching the virus there in july. soon after, cecil began showing symptoms too. >> i just didn't feel that she was in aafe environment. then she gets it. and then she brings it to me. so i was angry. i was really, really angry. >> alcindor: together, these twe storie explain what's driving a national trend. according to a recent new york times analysis of federal data, african americans and latinos have been disproportionately hit by covid-19. they're three times as likely to contract coronavirus as whites, and arly twice as likely to die from it. >> ultimately, economic issues d are whatving the impact of the virus in low income and minority communities. >> alcindo dr. basim khan isth executive director of neighborhood health, a chain ofc clin northern virginia serving 30,000 residents.

many of them are immigrants who lack health insurance. since the outbreak, his clinics have ramped up free testing to try to identify and contain the spread. they have seen this startling pattern play out: whilhispanic residents make 50% of their patient population, they account for 90% of the positive tests. >> they have higher risk because of the work that they're doing. they have higher risk because they have to take public ansport. they have higher risk because they're living in crowded conditions. and the reason they're living in crowded conditions is they can't afford enough to live in areas like northern virginia or the district of columbia. >> alcindor: in this area, the median home price is about double the national average. so many low-wage earners, who work in fields like construction, healthcare, grocery stores and restaurants, also live in crowded homes wher infection spread more easily. >> that's at's really driven the epidemic in these communities. >> alcindor: while latino residents have been hard hit in northern virginia, in

washington, d.c., african- americans are getting slammed by the virus. the district has seen more than 14,000 positive cases of covid- 19. half of those have been africann amer making them more than twice as likely as white residents to catch it. and despite making up less than half of the city's population, they've accounted for three- quarters of the city's deaths. >> if the pandemic was looking for the perfect place to strike to ravage throke a wildfire, it found us. >> alcindor: troy estwood neighborhood commissioner for ward 8, in southeast washington, where a third of famlive below the poverty line. ate ward leads the city in of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other contions. and now, it has the highest number of deaths from covid-19 too. one of them s curtis orr, a 55-year-old immigrant from trinidad who started his own dental business. he was troy prestwood's cousin. >> he simplyas a working man. he had a staff tt was also working and he was doing the right thing, living the american

dream. and he got sick like s other people. >> alcindor: why do you think more black people are dying of the coronavirus, especially here in southeast d.c.? >> it's because southeast d.c. has ofn been left behind. >> alcindor: he says that, like latinos in northern virginia, many african americans here work depend on public transit to get, around, and live in and that some in the community have become complacent about wearing face masksnd social distancing. with only one grocery store in the entire ward, many depend on corner stores and fast food--su high in saltr and fat. infection tes aner rateser of underlying health conditions has been deadly. >> in addition to all the other challenges i've mentioned, weea alsothe ty in violence and homicides. right now, homicides are up in our neighborhood and in our communitieif so, you knowhat's if that is an example of how we're

coping, we're not coping well. e alcindor: back at her h northern virginia, maria zelaya managed to keep everyone else from getting sick by pushing all six of them in the other bedroom. her main ccerns now are economic: she hasn't been working since the restaurant cut back its hours. she can't pay the rent and worries about getting evicted. while her children are u.se citizens, esn't have legal status. as a result, she is not eligiblm for oyment benefits or federal stimulus checks.tr >> ( slated ): it's sad when you go to apply and they tell you, you don't have a social security card. i'm sorry, i can't do anything for you. tit's like they're shutti door in your face. it's sad, but that's the reality we latinos are living with. >> alcindor: can you afford it to not work? >> no, no. i can't afford not to work. >> alcindor: cecil brown and shanreika have been arguing about whether shanreika will go back twork. the mother of three says she needs the money and has heard there are more protections in place no but they don't want to go

through this again. >> but wre not sure that you get it one time and that's it. so our mindset has to be now never to get it again. n thatber one. >> alcindor: f the pbs newshour, i'm yamiche alcindor in washington. e >> woodruff: as ection moves into the final stretch, we want to regularly see how things are playing out across the country. tonight, we turn to gary abnathy. he's a columnist for the "washington post," based in oh. and sarah smarsh. she's a kansas based journalist and author of the book "heartland." hello to both of you. you were with us for the conventions and it's greac to have youwith us again. we just heard yamiche's report about the pandemic, the diroportionate effect on people of color. i want to start out by asking

you about bob wodward's book, "revelations out today," gary aberthy, that the president knew in late january how serious it was. told woodward he knw it was much more deadly than the flu yhe public that it would go awa for many weeks after that. i know it's early, this has just come ot, but what's your sense of how voters where you are going to react to this? >> thanks, judy. ah.d to be with you and sar i read several stories today abthe book. i like bob woodward's books, have read several and look rward to this one. i don't know that there's a big opntradiction like some p are saying. i know the president said early on it was a deadly situation.ar he did coit to the flu. of course, the flu can be deadly, o. but i think the president's motives, you know, and w ty a lot of people here will look at it, he wanted to keep the economy rolling.

i don't think he ever both wanted tshut things down though eventually he kind of had to but i think most who support him will say, yeah, we all kind of knew it was deadly. that's not big news. others will make the case he was hiding this and covering up, but a lot of peoplwill say, ys, he knew it was deadly but he was trying to keep people calm, he didn't want a panic across the country. he wanted things to remain as normal as possible.co >> woodruff: orse, it also meant that he didn't take some of the sweeping steps that some say he could have taken, should have taken, arguably, if he h publicly acknowledged the severity of it. but, is sarah smarsh, what abot you and kansas? what's your sense of how people may react? >> well, i agree with ry that, you know, his existing supporters, the esident's

existing supporters likely will not bail from the trump ship over this, if they haven't thus far over other controversies. so just like with data about the coronavis, we are seeing over and over that, along partisan lines, we can pretty easily predicand track the way that people will respond to news based on their party affiliation or political leanings. so while this misoght holme bearing on independent and swing voters to whatever extent they're still out there, i doubt trump will be moy thisporting news. >> and, i mean, there's so much else to ask you about t boo a number of other derogatory comments about the president by people h in the administration. but i did want to move on to the economy. however people see gary abernathy where you are, e economic message coming from the president versus what they ma m

not be hearing from joe biden. what's your sense of how people are reading that? >> i think that a lot of people, again, kind of goes back to what wefalked about beore, judy, people weren't happy where i live that everything was totally shut down to begin with. theyelt like a more targeted approach was necessary where there were hot spots across the countr yes, more dstic action was needed. but to shut down everything ross the southern ohio area, for example, where i'm at, people generally weren't very happy with it. so to say that means they gave trump credit forhe economy that existed before, everything sh down by the pandemic, and i believe they think his policies worked then and if we can get back up and running, they'll work again. about you?f: and sarah, wh i know you talk to folks a lot and you were sharing with us today. tell us what you are hearing, what people are perceiving as

ugey sense or hear the messages, what's coming thto them about the economy? >> sure. i should start by saying that the state of kansas had a willfully outdated infrastructure in its department of labor when they were sudded y slam a flux of histoc levels of unemployment claims last spring, ad they've spent every day since toiling to sort of update, restructure and address that demand. so, anwhile, while the state is waiting for congress to act with a renewed aid package, we recently wera prved for $63 million in fema funds, so i ink nsans are aware there's help coming from a different revenue stream. but as far as how this relates potically to what's going on with the election and how messages are landing, the ecthomic crisis dovetails the pandemic, and people's essentially belief in or lack thereof regarding the

coownavirus kind of predicts they feel about the economy and whether trump isoing a good job or not. so yesterday, the city of wichita, their city council, that's our largest city in the state of kansas, held a meeting as to whether to extend the city mask mandate. that was passed in response to the broader couy sically revoking the governor's state-level mask mandate. there was been a lot of different jurisdictions bttling here and they're passing yea or nay on mas ks crosses political leanings. yesterday anti. ♪ wearing freedom advocates the economy and economic about imperative to stop imposing sucn measuressmall businesses held forth at this meeting atmi throphone. i think they are a very vocal

minority. most people i see arund here think that the economy is currently a disaster and it's absolutely related to the pandemic, but theessages about questioning the mask weanring ad soal distancing and the validity of the numbers about the virus havoe definitelytten through to a large contingent of people. >> woodruf so much more that i'd love to ask you two about. we will be having y back to continue the conversation. sarah smarsh, gary abernathy, we ank you bth. >> thanks for having me. >> woodruff: finally tonight, al es are starting classes in new ways-- online, in-person or a hybrid-- a familar question is

being asked again: is college worth it? are there jobs on the other end? and othequestions: do you remember shop class? do you know how to make anything with your own hands? a four-year college in charleston, south carolina is connecting those dots, and making its mission to teach traditional skills to carry jeffrey brown shows us this unusual place where students have started the year full-time- -in-person-- and with no cases of covid reported. this piece was filmed before covid and it's part of our ongoing arts and culture series, fnvas. >> brown: iron ae: notic your typal college materials. but all part of the daily life of the american college of the building arts. >> this is a student built staircase. >> brown: retired lieutenant general colby broadwater is its president. >> this school exists l a void that is lacking in the united states.

>> brown: a void? >>e have no one that's teaching these skills and crafts to young men and women who want to become an educated tisan. >> brown: the school, housed in a restored 189trolley barn, is small, under 100 students. this is a place wherthe presidt's dog is named palladio, after the great italian renaissance architect. it's even been the focus of the popular pbs series"this old house." part trade school, part traditionaliberal arts college, it awards a bachelor of applied sciences degree. everyone is required to take a variety of science and humanities courses. students choose from seven areas of concentration, including ston plaster and brick masonry, timber framing and architectural carpentry. the tuition? under $10,000 a semester, with 85% of kind of financial aid.

but most of all, it's hands-on like blacksmith jack brubaker. >> most often i find myself being asked, how do something, but rather than say¡' do this', it's like, well, try this way, or this way, or this way. and so they get a broader experience and yet choose their path. >> brown: another requirement: , architectural preservati study the methods and regulation of restoration. professor christina rae butler >> trades, i know because i went to trade school, are physically and mentally difficult, but... >> brown: you went to trade school? >> i did, yeah, for carpentry and new construction. and then i got a degree in preservation, because this school didn't exist. i would have come here, because it marries two fields that have been separated. >> brown: and the setting in charleston, butler says, is crucial. t

>> it largest historic district in the united states. so it's a eat laboratory for students because we have so much protected, built environment right in the heart of this city. >> brown: in fact, o particular part of charleston's history led to this school's existence. after hurricane hugo battered the city in 1989, local officials and residents foundwe there few craftsmen in the u.s. who knew how to rebuild to proper standards. p a small trainirogramrew into a school and, by 2004, intl e. today, it lures a mix of students: there are fresh-out- of-high schoolers like 18-year- old iris howe, who's learning to carve stone. what did her friends back home in fredericksburg, virginia say when they heard her choice of college? >> they were like, ¡what? you're stone carving? like, how they did it long ago before they figured out how to do other stuff?' i'm like: ¡yeah, exactly that.' >> brown: this is still a

largely male populion, but iris hopes more younwomen will get as excited as she did when she first visited. >> i just saw people working with their hands and kind of creating things that would outlive them. i thought that was really cool. >> brown: there are also older students like 31-year-old ken mccummings, who served eight years in the marine corp. a junior with a concentration in timber framing, he has two small tchildren at home and wan put his artistry to work for a >> that's the beauty about the school. you dip your toes into every aspect of it, the way the craftsmen used to be. the main drive for me, was understanding every aspect of i can go into design work. i can be a laborer that cuts elegant joinery for a structurea i n also be the guy that'ser involved in step of the process, working with the homeowner in order to complete a major project. so i can go anywhere. t brown: clearly this isn't for everyone: you halikein

gettdusty and sweaty. >> wn we started this side right here was about 11 inches sunken down. >> brown: ...eveworking in graveyards. students routinely hone their craft in t community, and senior peter thuronyi was part of a team that restored box tombs in the hisric circular congregational church, dating to 1681. he'd gone to a tradionalan collegdecided it wasn't for him. >> i think with younr people, i think we have a desire for, as things become re and more digital and electronic and, you kn, up in the clou we crave things we can touch and see. and the most amazing thing abo this kind of thing is once you're done with what you do, you can look at it and say, that's what did. >> brown: the question is whether this school is a model for others. the good news here, much touted, is that every graduate comes out with a job. as a student joe whisonant helped restore this gate at a private historic home.

he now works for a local iron design company. having won a prestigious fellowship at a famed french workshop, he saw how artisanship and craft are valued more there. >> i feel like the work over here is more based around the monetary value in getting the money and making it fast instead ly making something that's, you know, unique and great. >> brown: you saw more of that in france? >> yeah. >> brown: do you think that's changing ankall? >> i thi it is. i mean, i feel like the school is a testament to that, thatg mindset of makings by hand and craftsmanship is starting to take america by storm. >> brown: as we close the gate on this story: that's quite a hope. for the pbs nehour, i'm jeffrey brown in charleston, south rolina. >> woodruff: on the newshour

online right now, hurricane laura rapidly grew from a icategory 1 to a categorya day. how do storms build such intensity so fast? and what role might climate change play in increasing the likelihood of that happening? we explore that on our web site, pbs.org/newshour. and that's the newshour for toght. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs safe, and we'll see you soon.tay >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> you can do the things you like to do with a wireless plan designed for you. with talk, text and data. conser cellular. learn more at consumercellular.tv >> when the world gets complicated, a lot grough your mind. with fidelity wealth management, a dedicated advisor tailor advice and recommendations to

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hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour & co." here's what's com tg up. s happens nowhere else other than the united states of america. >> senator chris murphy joins us on violence and the origins of america's gun obsession. then -- >> she's the accidental leader of belarus. tvettlana tikhanovskaya says people will no longer live under adthe ship. and, don't wait for superman it's all up and -- >> a great equalizer. doesn't m