captioning sponsored by nehour productions, llc >> nawaz: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. judy woodruff is away. on the newshour tonight: targeted killing. a key scientt behind iran's vert nuclear program is murdered, as officials there call it an "act of state terror." then, alarming numbers. ans are now amer hospitalized for covid, breaking yet another coronavirus record. and, "desperate journey." migrants are putting their lives at even greater risk now to cross the open atlantic in hopes of reaching european soil. plus, staying alive.in hopendent bookstores are weathering these tough economic times, and their message to shoppers before small business saturday. >>f you love your local businesses, you really have to support them with your money.ju you can' love them and think everybody else is taking care of them.

o nawaz: all that and mor tonight's pbs newshour. >> maj newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving ourconomy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> fidelity wealth magement. >> consumer cellular. >> financial services firm

raymond james. >> johnson & johnson. >> the john s. and james.n. knight foundat fostering informed and engaged communities. more at kf.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and friends of the newshour. possible by the corporation for nsblic broadcasting. and by contributo your pbs station from viewers like you.th k you. >> nawaz: this black friday unofficially ushers in holiday shopping season-- but this year, under the pall of the pandemic. the nation is now averaging

well over 100,000 new infections daily. today is usually one of the busiest in-person shopping day but instead, there was reduced foot traffic nationwide. capacity in storesran limited temperature checks on customers. crowds were also smaller at the mall of america in minneapolis, where a mask mandate was in place. >> we want everybody to wear their masks. actually, we have dedicated staff, they'll be wearing red shirts as you enter e building, ensuring that you have your mask on and are wearing it properly. and then you'll also see our staff throughout the mall ensuring that you keep it on.us wewant to make sure everyo has a safe holiday season. >> nawaz: despite the smaller, crowds in storalysts are forecasting an increase in holiday sales due to a boom ing. online shopp president trump has lost yet another legal round in his bid to challenge the election results. a federal appeals court today rejected his lawsuit innn lvania. the court said the claims of fraud were devoid of any specifics, or any proof.

president-elect biden woy pennsylvaniare than 80,000 votes.mp the trump gn said it will appeal to the u.s. supreme court. in ethiopia, meanwhile, prime minier abiy ahmed again rejected talks with leaders of the defiant tigray region.ce but his ofaid he would talk to representatives it says are "operating legally" there. abiy met with african union peace envoys, as thousands more refugees fled tigray's capital, before t ethiopian army launches an assault. thousands of farmers in india marched to new delhi today, protesti new laws that will end guaranteed prices for grain. they were opped at first by police, who blocked their way and used tear gas. demonstrators condemned the use of violence against peaceful protests. >> ( translated ): india is my country, and delhi is the capital of my country. i am not even allowed to enter my capital city. this is in spite of farmers never doing any hooliganism. our whole movement has been peaceful.

they also showered us with water cannons and we were also beaten. >> nawaz: the government says it wants to give farmers moret freedom to mareir produce, and boost production through private investment. an all-out brawl erupted in taiwan's parliament today over lifting a ban on imported u.s. pork. lawmakers opposed to the policy threw pig guts when the premier tried to speak. then, fistfights broke out between ruling party and opposition legislators. taiwan has seen mass protests against u.s. pork that contains residue of a drug promoting lean meat. back in this country, the u.s. justice department formalan d its policy to allow federal executions by gas e chambectric chair or firing squad. currently, lethal injelyions are the uthorized method. federal executions resumed this yene after 17 years without at least five more executions e planned in december an january. the trump administration is also moving, in its final days, to

reduce protections for migratory birds. the change finalized today decreases federal prosecution of industrial operations, from power lines to wind turbines to toxic waste pits, that y kill birds. the new rule could take effect within 30 days. and on wall street, the dow jones industri average gained 37 points to close at 29,910. the nasdaq rose 111 points, and the s&p 500 added eight points. still to come on the newshour:es frontline nurs battle increasing hospitalizations and shortages ofrotective gear. ghting to reclaim land in one of the nation's most impoverished places. and, capehart and abernathy ansyze the latest developme in the presidential transition. plus much more. :

>> nawan's most promint scientist, the man described byi u.s. and isrntelligence as the architect of that country's covert nuclear weapons program, s killed in an apparent assassination today. nick schifrin reports on who he was, and why his death is so significant. >> schifn: amna, iranian media reports that mohsen fakhrizadeh was driving east of the capital, tehran, when a car bomb exploded near his car, and gunmen shot and killed him. analysts say fakhrizadeh was the j. robert oppenheimer of iran's nuclear program-- its lead scientist, coordinator and manager. western intelligence assessed but in 2018, israeli prime 200 minister benjamin netanyahu unveiled a stolen archive of iran's nuclear plans, and said fakhrizadeh was responsible for continuing the program secretly. >> a keyart of the plan wa to form new organizations to continue the work. this is how dr. mohsen

fakhrizadeh, head of project amad, put it. remember that na: fakhrizadeh. >> schifrin: nobody has taken responsibility for his death, but today, iranian officials accused israel. to talk about this, i'm joined by normaroule, who had a 34-year career at c.i.a., nncluding as station chief the middle east, and was the national intelligence nager for iran until september 201 >> norman roule, welcome to "newshour". what's the significance to his killing and the impact on iran's nuclear program. >> good evening. the killing of the 59-year-old iranian official removes from iran its greatest institutional memory on its weaponization program. it will be very diricult fo iran to replace this, and it will actually impair their ability to reestablish a weaponization program, should they decide to do so. >> reporte what's the message being sent byhoever killed him, and not only day but the recent death of a top

al quaida figure reported in tehran and mysterious explosions throughout iran, including atof onran's top nuclear s,cilities? >> these incides well as the killing of i.r.g.c. force soleimani earlier this year, message e iranis that thir most sensitive individuals, personnel and issues are not beyond the reach of western security services. ideally, it would tell iranian officials they should not undertake a covert nuclear program or terrorist activities or maintain a broader relationship with al quaida because doldng so wouuickly come to the attention of western institutions and intelligence organizations and wetern governments would ake immediate action, which iran cannot prevent. >> reporter: criticof these kinds of killings have an argument that they don't stop iran's nuclear program, in fact they can create an incentive for

iron to pursue a nuclear paragraph and assassinations can have belong-term negative consequences what do you think about those criticisms? >> i think it is questionable as to whether or not his assassination will encourage iran toertake a nuclear weaponization program. i think in tehran right nowan ne they might put in his place is probably wondering at what point he or she would fall under the focus of western institutions who might undertake a similar assassination. >> reporter: vice president biden and team want to enter a nuclear deal. what do you think oft that. >> an attackf this nature would have taken a lot of time to plan, so this is not something that would havite ted in the recent few weeks. at the same time, i think its sends a mesage to the irnians that regional players will take

security into their own hands il theyve the u.s. is unable or unwilling to do so. >> reporter: does shve an impact, do you believe, on president-elect biden's plans to return to the iran nuclear del. >> for iranians the primary interest to return to a nuclear deal is they need to bolster their reserves toaiain the health of the currency banking the institions. for the biden administration, looking at this deal, they will have to respect thetyecu concerns of regional actors to a greater extent to avoid other incidents such as this upsetting other nuear negotiations. >> reporter: you mentioned iran's goals, given those goals, how likely it iran responds in a major way? >> there is certainly going to be a heated dicussion with iran regarding a response. there would be some who thought

the response to the ath ofim qasem soi -- iran will need to reestablish deterrents d show national priis being protected. at the same tint, they won't o undertake an reaction that upsets the prospect of financial relief to the return of the nuclear deal. so iran is going to have to w decide exactt they do that >> reporter: norman roule, thank you very much. >> mr. my pleasure. >> awaz: there are now more than 90,000 people hospitalized iththe country ovid-related illness, the ghest number since the pandemic began. hospital i.c.u.s are nearly filled in some places. the u.s. currently averages more than 1,500 deaths a day-- a number that could rise once reporting resumes after the holiday weeken

all of this is putting enormous strain on healthcare workers,. including nurs here with more on that is bonnie castillo. she's the executive director of national nurses united, the country's largest nunion, representing 170,000 registered nurses. bonnie castillo, welcome to the "newshour". as we see cases surging, the graphs are astounding. you see the number of new recor daily high infections growing. when you look at the map across thcountry, you see no corner of the nation is untouched. the darker thee shading, worse the surge. so when you look at the nurses do the front line, whahey not have right now that they need to do their jobs and do them safely? >> they are still lacking adequate protectionsd when i say protections, i mean a comprehensive national plan of protections that include the

p.p.e., personal protective equipment, adquate numbers of staffid even measures such as simple isolation testing. we are going without and we have been nine months into this and have had enough tito prepare. we know what we need but we still don't have it. >> nawaz: i think it will surprise people that after all the calls to have p.p.e. and personal protective equipment, nurses still don't have it. put this question to the american hospital association, they share your concerns and say they have serious concerns about the availability of p.p.e. ando they aid, in reference to the trump administration's efforts, that they appreciatef those orts, but that the demand continues to outpa production. so bonnie, at this point, how do nurses get what they need to what could be done today or this week to get them the supplies that they neel, >> we need both the hospitals to be mandated to

provide nurses adequate protections because we actually know that we're still dealing with having p.p.e. locked i waym umberses when they need it currently at the bedside. so we also need a natna plan. we need the -- we've called for the trump administration to gruel invoke the defense production act, d we need that now. now, obviously, we are working with president-elect biden, and we hope hat we will have that in place soon. as i said, we need it now, though. literally, what we are seeing is unprecedented amounts of hospitalizations andeaths, and we're seeinghat the employers clearly are not prepared for this, and they've had more than enough time to prepare.

>> bonnie, when you say that stuff is locked away and no making its way to the nurses, what does that men? i think people will have a hard time understanding, is it just there and not getting to the front lines where it's needed? >> for instance, what we've of p.p.e.reports coming in and, yet, nurses are given one n-95 mask for an entire shift. these are edesigned for sigle use only. we still hear reports of hospitals expecng nurses not only to wear it for one whole shift but oftentimes for muiple shifts pe weeks. this is going to result in infections, infections of the healthcare workforce. when we're infected, we're not there to care for all th patients coming in. >> nawaz: what about things like regular access to testing,

contract tracing, early notification of exposure. we see professional athletes,h college aletes getting access to those kinds of things. do nurses have easy access to >> no, they don't. when you think about it, we're coming into direct contact with the covid patients. they need our expertise, and, yes,yet, we are not given testi. so we have had nurses who have been caring for patients since february, march, and who stil ve not been tested. this is one of our central demands is thad in orer for us to be safe and for our patients to be safe, we need to know if we are infected. so, you know, we -- as i said, we're fighting state by state but we really need a ntional plan. we need leadership that is going to take a national approach. you can't just have one state

enact masking orders, staying il e, social distancing, and yet have other states completely flout that and not have an impact from that on all of us. >> nawaz: we are soateful for the work all the front line nurses and healthcare workers are doing every day. that is bonnie castillo, the alecutive director of nati nurses united. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. s>> nawaz: president trum visit this year to mt. rushmore drew new attention to a decas-long battle between native americans and the u.s. government ovemillions of acres of land inhe area. we now, look at the campaign to f claim that native territory and repair yearsglect. special correspondent fred

de sam lazaro reports from the pine ridge indian reservation in south dakota.is it's part oferies, "agents for change." >> reporter: it is an icon of thamerican west, and here on the vast pine ridge indian reservation, buffalo rancher bamm brewer says it is hard to overstate the animal importance. >> the buffalo was significantnc to ourtors because it provided everything. the buffalo was like-- like the walmart. food, clothing, medicine. and also a sacred being, a symbol of power for our people. >> reporter: also a symbol of loss. buffalo, or bison, were hunted to near-extinction after european settlers arrived, and the animal's revival in smallrd like brewer's is a metaphor for a campaign to reclaia native culture and land taken in violation of treaties the u.s. government signed with sioux tribes in the 1800s. >> i lived here all my life, and it's always been the same. poverty. i don't want that for my

grandkids. i want us to come away from that. and i believe that the black hills is the answer. >> it's t just about physical of our societies athe rebuilding communities. >> reporter: activist nickls says that rebuilding begins with the land-- milons of acres of the black hills. the u.s. supreme court upheld the tribal claim 40 years ago, but only ordered restitution-- about $1.5 billion in today's dollars. tribal leaders rejected the money. they wanted the land. some of it now in private hands, but much of it now owned by the federal government. nick tilsen and about 150 others loudly renewed that demand when the president held a rally at mount rushmore last july. demonstrators blocked the road, drawing counter-protesters headed to the trump rally, and exacerbating long-simmering tensions between tribal and

south dakota political leaders. 20 people were arrested, but only tilsen was char facing an array of misdemeanors and felonies including simple assault and robbery for taking a shield from a law enforcement office >> these are all just a bunch of lies.ep >>ter: emerging from three days in jail, tilsen flatly denied the charges and remained defiant.>> he work that i've committed my life to, of building indigenous power, it's an honor to be in this moment. >> reporter: prosecutors did not respond to our request for comment on the charges against tideen, who, at 38, is regar nationally as an emerging indigenous leader. his noprofit, n.d.n., raises millions in philanthropic funds and makes ants to indigenous groups and causes, from fighting mining and pipeline interests to starting businesses ian lands, and taking back the lands they view as their own. >> we're not trying to burn people out of their houses or tell them, you know, remove people, or perpetuate and

recycle the same injustices that were done to us. that's not what we're talking about. >> reporter: what he and others want is indigenous-led development, to reduce the near-total dependence on appropriations from congress, managed by various federal agencies. scott weston is a former tribal president.ve >> that ment process that's holding us down, that doesn't let us live like the st of the world. we don't get to think for we are-- it is basically dictated to us what needs to, happd that's-- that's the frustrating part. >> reporter: a common complainti hethat wealth has always been taken from indian lands, and what's left behind arevi abysmal conditions. unemployment on pine ridge is above 80%, and life expectancy average.2 years below the u.s. non-profits that work on the reservation say more than one-ird of all homes are not hooked up for basic electricity

and sewer services. one of tilsen's efforts to address the crisis is a pilot development of energy efficient homes lled thunder valley, but with just 30 homes and 48 apartments, thunder valley meets a tiny fraction of the vast need. it also took years to navite federal bureaucracies for basic services. >> it was super-daunting, to be a bunch of ragtag guys from the rez and sit across from the u.s. department of agriculture, who hands you a booklet like this thick, and says, this is what you have to learn in order to get access to water and sewer. >> reporter: another big challenge? access to financing. >> the pine ridge reservation, which is 3,500 square miles big, is without a single financial institution. >> reporter: tawney brunschy- heads a communbased lender called lakota funds, which is trying to create wealth so people can afford homes. o it has focuslending to encourage more ranching by tribal members.

vast swaths of pine ridge today are leased to white ranchers.on native customer is former tribal president scott weston. he says his sons and to stay and thriveeave a chance business and on the reservation. >> you see pple coming from other countries into this country, into the united states. and, you know, you see these bit opportunities they have. whereas we're subjected to whatever the government gives, d that's where the lakota fund is starting to come to play. >> reporter: he says it's a tiny step toward self-determination for indigenous people-- a cause that nick tilsen says is particularly timely these days. >> we're having this conversation of, you know, racial reckoning. we-- this country will never achieve racial justice unless it makes it its itself right with >> reporter: tilsen has his own reckoning. a judge ruled there was probable cause for a trial on charges related to the july demonstration.

>> am i worried about facing >> reporter: his trial will likely be held next spring. a petition drive demanding that charges be dropped has gathered 18,000 signatures so far. for the pbs newshour, this pine ridge reservation.n the >> nawaz: the five-year migration crisis, especially inn the mediten and atlantic, continues unabated, withdr ning deaths on the rise. activists blame the european union's policies for the deaths. and there is a plan to reform miation policy, but expert are skeptical that it will save lives. now, a warning before our next report: you may find some imagesisturbing. here's special correspondent malcolm abant. >> reporter: putting faith in the mediterranean has always been russianoulette. this november has been a

particularly wicked month. >> i've lost my baby! i've lost my baby, my baby boy! help! >> reporter: the woman from guinea in west africs crying for her six-month-old son, joseph. they were among a hundred people on board a dinghy that cast off from libya.mo were saved by spain's pro activa open arms, the only non-profit running a rescue service in the med. pro activa's director riccardo gatti. >> the rubber boat, the boat totally divided. the two tubes, the floating tubes, divide one from the other, and all the peoplfell directly into the sea. >> reporter: six people died, including baby joseph. >> the baby was recovered, ort after some hours, the baby started to get w and worse and worse, and he stopped breathing.te >> rep a similar capsize was captured on video by the crew of an aircraft operated by the european border ag

frontex. again, these people had set off from libya towards italy. frontex alerted libyan coast guards, who reued 102 people. o bodies were recovered. these migrants could so easily have suffered the fate of another dinghy, which earlier capsized off the libyan coast with the loss of over 70 lives. speaking from thmilibyan port of ata, steve purbrick of doctors without borders >> we're dealing with survivors of a shipwreck, a number of which have gasoline and salt water burns. so, nasty chemical burns, addition to the mental health needs of people who've seen their loved ones drown in front of them, or who've been fighting for the space on the boat that has collapsed as well, in order to save themselves. >> reporter: some of the victims of the disaster described byrb ck washed up on beaches and were found by libyan fishermen. carrying dreams of a new life in europe, they'd crossed the sahara desert to reach the north african coast. but libya is one of the most

ngerous places on earth. >> we hear numerous cases of abuses, of torture f ransom as well as other forms of violence that's directed towards the migrants, who have little to no legal protection inside libya. >> reporter: 23-year-old mouliom souleman was lucky. he was picked up by doctors without borders earlier this year.m he's fmeroon in west forced half a million people to flee their homes. >> we have decided to leave our home because we don't really feel satisfied with home, ombecause of war, be it ec, social or political problems. at least i think europe should send us a hand, we really need yo hand. >> stay where you are. >> reporter:urope's five-year- long migrati crisis has been punctuated with tragedies that only witnesses remember. this was july 2016 off libyan coast. 22 perished after the dinghy sprang a leak.

in their haste to get off, the migrants were stepping on th corpses of people who'd been alive an hour earlier. nine months earlier, an overcrowded boat went down off the greek island of lesbos. more than 70 people are believed to have drowned. >> ...seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. ( screams and prayers ) >> in the name of god. >> there's no, there's no pulse. >> there was an enormous amount of public sympathy five years ago, but one of the problems was that the sympathy didn't translate into empathy >> reporter: sonya sceats runs freedom from torture, a london based non-profit. >> we are still seeing refugees as "others," you know. " peopt like us," to feel pity for at these particular e moments when otions are heightened. >> reporter: as far as non-profits are concerned, the situation inhe mediterranean s deteriorated. this video leaves no doubt about their nmance. >> govts are doing

everything they can to deny rneir responsibility to those seeking safety, g a blind eye to those in distress, leaving people adrift for hours, even days,ithout food, water or medical attention. >> it's a policy of stopping peoplet any cost. >> reporter: hassiba hadj sahraoui is the manitarian affairs advisor of doctors without borders, or m.s. we first met four years ago during a three-week-long assignment aboard the quarius," the non-profit rescue ship. the italian government forced the "aquarius" out of the mediterranean. it was replaced by anotherel ve"sea watch 4." but that too has now been impounded by the italians. >> m.s.f., since it has been at sea, trying to save people, who are trying to cross the sea, has beenubjected to campaigns of harassment and criminalization of its activities, a campaign of criminalization that is very reminiscent of authoritarian governments and certainly not of

european countries ostensibly committed to the rule of law. >> reporter: doctors without borders and pro activa accusefr the ontex border force of lping libyan coast guards to return migrants to inhumane conditions and possible torturee frdenies participating in illegal push-backs. it says it adheres to internatnal law by alerting the nearest national rescue center when it spots a vessel in distress, and in many cases, that means libya. the european commission, thech executive branf the e.u., has recently outlined plans for a new migration pocy. it proposes fast track screening of potential asym seekers before they cross external borders. it's an attempt to discourage people from setting sail in dangerous craft. but hanne bierens, director of the brussels-based migration policy institute, has little confidence it'll stop people coming.

>> there's so littleoom to move through these legal channels such as resettlement. there are very limited opportunities to come to europe through legal migration. so, these people who are often very desperate, whether it's because they're fleeing persecution or because they're having very lile chance to sustain themselves at home, they will continue to move to rope in the absence of legal and safe channels. smugglers and other. on >> reporter: in a sign of increasing desperation,th sands of africans trying to reach europe by avoiding libya are taking to the atlantic ocean with its storms and currents.un they're ing from senegal in west africa and aiming for spain's canary isl mds, a thousaes away. 17,000 people have made the harrowing journey this year, a ten-fold increase from 2019. been building emergency camps to cope with a recent influx. senegalese activists say clandestine emigration is t nothing new, bs year has

been catastrophic, with nearly 500 deaths recorde this week, eight more people were added to that ghastly toll. found on the shores of the canaries, their remains were crried on retchers, wrapped in emergency blankets. there's little doubt the waves will continue to be mass graves, as long as life is so bad at home that people are prepared to take these kind of risks to escape.s for the wshour, i'm malcolm brabant. >> nawaz: let's tu now to e analysis of capehart and abernathy. that's "washington post" columnist jonathan capehart, and gary abernathy, an ohio-based writer and contributing columnist to the "washington post." both mark shields and davidbr ks are away this week. jonathan and gary, it's good to i hope you both h safe andhere.

happy thanksgiving. let's talk about the transition, shall we? it has been weeks since the election. the race has been calleb i don't knowt where you live, but here in virginia, most to have the yard science are down and, et, the president is still castingoubts on this election, to the point where, yesterday, when a reporr asked him, felt he had to ask him, would you leave the white house, take a listen to what th president said yesterday. >> if the electoral college elects presint-elect biden are you not going to leave this building? >> certainly i will. certainly, i will. and you know that. >> nawaz: just this afternoon then, the president tweeted thie can prove that his ridiculous 80 million votes were not fraulently or ilegally obtained. gary, i'm going to start with you here. why is th president continuing to call the entire election a fraud? who is he talking to here? >> i suppose, amna -- and thank yofor having me tonight

jonathan, good to see you -- i suppose he thinks this plays to a part of his base that, you know, like him, just won't accept the idea of defeat, no matter what. but i'm very disappointed in hi. doing th let's make it clear, on january 20thinjoe biden is to be president, and that happens whether joe biden gets to enter the white house or not. i'm sure he wil. but being into the white house doesn't make you president. the people ofhe united state do that, and that's what they did. but i hope tht, in, you know, short order, i was willing to t give presidemp a couple of weeks to, you know, to his legan challengeser any questions that might really be out there about fraud. i think we've done that. i think we've looked into it. i know there is still some stuff going on out there, but nothing that's going to pan out, really. and, so, it's time foren prestrump to set an example for america, even for his base and for the rest of the world, and say, you know what?

let's gets on with it, and heat did in part, by, you know, agreeing to let the g.a. go ahead with the transition and telling his agencies to cooperate, but he needs to take that last st and say, okay, i acknowledge, it's ne. nawaz: jonathan, what do you make to have the messaging coming from both the president and president-elect biden, who hasn't really engaged on a lot of that fraud conn?versat >> well, what we're seeing between the two of them is a stark contrast. on the onhand, you have an incumbent, outgoing presint who, since the election day and certainly since the election was officially called for president-elect biden, has basically given up on doing the actual job of being president, still lashing out on twittg , lasht yesterday at the white house, no matter what he says, as my friend gary says, he will no longer be president, come noon on january 20th, so just put that off to the side. but by contrast, you have blebt,

who is ignoring the is a shah raid coming out of the white house, ignoring the taunts, ignori the traps that the president thinks he's laying for joe biden, but president-elect biden, just through his thanksgiving day address to thte naion, showed -- reminded the country of what it's like to actually have a president of the united states who puts the care and comfort and concerns of the citizens ahead of his own nee, wants, or objectives, and by moving forward and naming -- starting to name his cabinet, doing theor actualof showing what a biden government would look like, i think the contrast could not be more clear, and also explain why 80 million americans went with joe biden and not with the sitting incumbent president. >> nawaz: well, jonathan, to your point, let's take a look at some of the cabinet pics an th

top administration posts rolled out by the biden-harris teams. a few have beso named far and a few others have been repenort, you look at the top polls and some of the names released,o a d are obama alumni. what do you sato some who say this looks like a third obama term. >> look, i think the folks who are criticizing president-elect biden for this are being a little short-sighted. the last democratic president of obama.tes was president the people who we just saw there secretary of state deignate anthony blinken, he was deputy secretary of state in bama administration. so this is a promotion. there's a wealth of expertise and knowledge an stature among the people you just showed, which is only a small part the cabinett that

president-elect biden is going to announce. and, so, i would say t those critics, you know, settle dowln, bead that there are people government, willin come into the mess that they are about to inherit to turn those agencies around and also to turn the united states around. >> nawaz: gary, when you look at what preeesident trump hasn doing this last week, he has been exercising his prsidential power and considering some pardons. there was this pardon r general michael flynn, right, who had pled guilty to lying to federal agts about his russian. contacts what did you make of that neralion to pardon ge flynn? >> well, i'm not going to act like that was the least surprising event of the week. i think a lot of people have been anticipating tht president trump was going to issue that pardon. you know, this was -- there are strong feelings about this case. i'm on the side where i thought,

you know, how james comey lidtoe ridgy,his day, described how he took advantage of the white house kind of being in disarray early on so he didn't really follow protocols and decided to send an agent into the whithouse to see what they could find out, and then they have this conversation with flynn wh at first, denies have any contact with the russians, which is kind of srange because, based on what we know, what he said to the there was nothing wrong with that. but then, for some reason, i guess he panicked, he denied saying it,e and tre's no doubt about that. but when you look at the history ofntresil pardons and presidents going back four or five or six presidents, often offer pardon or issue clemensy to allies and people close to them, that's what the president has done and however you're going to feel about it, it was not surprising that he did it. >> nawaz: there is a bigger issue i would like to get youth n.

the continued undermining by the president of the entire election say, he's just talking to his base, who may never accept it, it does continue. we move into two runoffs in georgia where the president says he's going to be campaiggrng on theund. jonathan, are you concerned that the longer the president undermines the process, the harder it will be for biden to governor snrn. >> certainly. but there's a time limit on this. a little more than 50 days and then we won't have to worry out president trump undermining the electoral process. but i think it istill incumbent on republicans of conscience and stature out in the country, but particularly on capitol hill, to rise up and speak out against things that are anti-constitutional, aatth , small "d" democratic and undermine the rule of law. >> nawaz: gary, what abo you? >> yeah, i really hate to agree

with jonathan very often tonight, amna, but i have to agree with him on this on the president, for the sake of i've rui've -- of everyone and belief in thcee pr. i was not opposed to investigating these things, but i think for the good of america eand to a signal to world that we have honest elections in this country, we have a acefu transfer of power in this country, i'd like to stay president do teat, and i hope h goes so far, when january 20th m hope donald will stand there to the side of joe bid-e as presidect biden takes the oath of office. >> nawaz: dare i ask you in the few secds we have left both of you, on this thanksgivingeek, if you would like to share a quick thought on what you are thankful for, gary? >> i'm grateful for my family, friends andrtillateful to

live what what i think is the rth with country on ea the greatest opportunities on earth and despite what we're going through right now, somope say, oh, there's a constitutional crisis, and so on, really, our system works, it will continue to work, and this process has shown us thaand january 20th will put a stamp on the results of this election. >> nawaz: jonathan, what about you?>> o be pefectly brunt, i am thankful of the election of joe biden and kamrris, for what it represents. them into office opted for a return to normalcy, decency and putting in a govnment that respects the american people, the constitution and the rule of law.nd >> nawaz: e are thankful to both of you for joining us this week. that's jonathan capehart and gary abernate. good to se you both.

>> nawaz: more than 264,000an amerhave died during this pandemic. as we do eve friday, we look now at some the lives cut short by covid-19. bryan fonseca's personality waso as loud and coul as his shirts. ineigh school, he found a h at the theater, first as an actor, and later as a director and theater owner in indianapolis. he was fearless, known for putting on shows that explored controversial or tab themes, and for prioritizing diversity in his ranks. he was a tough and demanding leader, but a lovable friend, brother and uncle. at age 65, he maintained an insatiable curiosi, especially about his mexican heritage. he collected day of the dead art and enjoyed ending the day with a glass of good tequila.

agreeable, her husband said, but a fierce advocate for students who needed her guidance as a school counselor in manheim county, pennsylvania. their marriage was a fairytale lo story. they met on a school trip in rome, italy.ld they wo on to explore the rest of europe together, try new recipes and restaurants with friends, raise two sons and become grandparents. according to her husband, it was the happiest ten years of their lives. george longoria jrears old. quintessential houstonian, his family said., for 30 yeae security guard edrked every type of event in the city, from cshows to concerts to sporting events. an active sports fan h, george played soccer as a goalie starting at the age of five. the by-year-old was described his family as adventurous, playful and funny; a supportive husband and encouraginther.

peyton baumgarth had an ely,tric personalis family said. he was charismatic, loving, and effortless hilarious. from a young age, peyton had a love for music and video games. the st. louis-area native wante tovideo game developer when he grew up. ttyton's mom described her son as "momma's boy." they enjoyed spending time together, shopping, crafting, or just holding has and watching tv. she said he and his older sisteh loved each fiercely, too. peyton was only 13 years old. spoiling his children and grandchildren brought edwin montanano so much joy, his kids said. edwin came from humble beginnings in the philippines and immigrated to the united career in nursing.o pursue a he worked at new jersey's st. michael's medical center for 36 years with his wifewho was also a nurse. described by their children as a perfect h, edwin and his wife loved to travel together. jovi, funny, loyal and

generous, edwin was 73 years old. >> nawaz: ahead of small business saturday, jeffrey brown takes a look at thpeplight of inent bookstores, struggling to stay afloat in a challenging economy. it's part of our ongoing arts and culture series, "canvas." >> brown: another day in the life of an independent bookstore in the time of pandemic: packing orders, customers at the curb-- and on this day, a few allowed in. and constant phone calls. >> sometimes the first question is, "are you open?" and we say, "well, kind of, sort of, maybe-- what can we do for you?" >> brown: in fact, source booksellers in detroit's midtown is open, just not in the way it used to be. it's a tiny store, 900 square feet, owned and operated by 83-year-old janet webster jones

and her daughter alyson jones taylor. janet had worked in the detroit public schools as teacher and administrator for 40 years. beginning in 1989, she built on her lo of books-- first selling them at local bazaars, fairs and churches, later as o a women's business collective, finally opening the store here in 2013. it's a highly-curated selection. mostly non-fiction: history, health, books by and about ewomen, art-- things they and want to share with customers. you're your own algorith in a wa >> you got that right! ( laughs ) >> we try. we hope that our books, even if it's a storybook or a fictionit bookives a history in a story that you may not get otherwise. >> bwn: this was a place all about personal interaction-- e til march, when the storwas closed and business disrupted. out of necessity, mother and

daughter changed it up. >> we did not have a store online, a website where you could buy things before. and so this is absolutely new. and we had to learn all of the shipping, receiving-- >> the packaging! >> --yes, packaging. different things that we were not doing before. >> brown: by going online, they found a wider audience, with sales as far as maine, washington state, and abroad. they also went old school, taking to the phones to reach individual customers. as a black-owned business, they saw the heightened interest in social justice issues translate into new relationsps with businesses seeking large orders of books for their employees. and it continues to evolve. >> many times, people come in and talk about having a business and they tell me "i dream of this opportunity and coput this business together over a period of time." >> brown: opportunity and courage atny time is required,

right? what about with a pandemic?nd >> with the ic, the opportunity came for us to shut down and chane , and we had urage to just shift, and the possibility, because we had grown in our capacity to do things in the store. >> brown: these are perilous times for independent bookstores. according to a recent study by the american booksellers association, more than one indie has closed each week since the pandemic began, and 20% across the country are in danger of closing. renowned stores like strand in new york and vroman's in los angeles have said their survival is at stake. everywhere, once-popular author appearances and book club gatherings are virtual, and many stores continue to do curbside-only busiss. >> a lot depends on your community and how much they appreciate you. >> brown: at 43-year-old watermark books in wichita, the eafe is closed, but the st itself is open to customers.

owner sarah bagby had to lay off employees and shorten store m hours, bute to online sales has helped make up for other losses. bagby, who bought the store inbe 1996, has in this business long enough to survive past crises, and sees this one as again forcing stores like hers to focus on their coiness. >>t's funny-- when the box stores opened, typically, independent stores became better bud.ness people, or they clo now, with this pandemic, we are better business people again we've limited our ti open. we have taken away the fat, basically,hat wasn't generating revenue. and we are just selling books. >> brown: and they are part of a new effort to take on the elephant in any roomful books: amazon. the fact is, book sales have risen during the pandemic. people are home reading more,

teaching their children. but it's amazon that's benefited most. a mpaign called "boxed out" was launched by the a.b.a. at several stores around the couny, including watermark. >> our messaging is just, "think about where you're shopping." that's the real message, is, think about every time you make a purchase, if you love your local businesses, you really have to support them with your money. you can't just love them and think ev care of them. taking >> brown: source booksellers in detroit is also part of the mpaign, and ther and daughter are hyper-conscious of the "local" role they play in a community that has continued tou ort them-- whether through small development grants or through checks from loyal individuals. >> human beings need relationships on every level of their lives. and so that's why we were very dedicateto having a bookstore that would foster relationships.

i have people coming in the store, oftentime- don't we, alyson?-- saying, "i know can get this from"... i won't say the word. ..."but i wanted to buy it from you." and we're very grateful for that. >> brown: but is it sustainable? in this industry, some books can make a big difference: independent bookstores are counting on barack obama's memoir to kick off a holiday season that could make or break many. as covid cases again explode, stores that are open face new closures, and every small business owner shivers as the cold weather sets in. ab we don't know how susta anything is. we don't e--ven knnd i'll say this as an old person-- we don't even know if our life is sustainable. faso we have to live on thh and the hope and the purpose of serving in the community as best we can. of responding to the needs that come to us because of outside forces, being clear with our own d.n.a. what it is we have decided is our offering to the community. and goinforward. that's the best we can do. >> brown: read a good book lately?ug a good book lately?

if you're lucky, you might find one just down the street. for the pbs nehour, i'm jeffy brown. >> nawaz: on the newshour onne, william brangham tal to a michigan grandmother and her granddaughter about their political diffences and their advice to families navigating similar divisions this holidayon se that's in the latest episode of our podcast, "america interrupted." find it on our website, www.pbs.org/newshour, or wherever you get your podcasts. and that's the newour for the city of los angeles has issued a stay-at-home order prohibiting all pivate and public gatherings with anyone outside household members. goes into effect monday and lasts through at leastce er 20th. that is the "newshour" for tonight. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm amna nawaz. we'll be back, right here, on monday. until then, have a great

weekend, please stay safe, and we'll see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> before we talk abur investments-- what's new? >> well, audrey's expecting... >> twins! >> grandparents. for them, so, change in plans. >> all right, let's see what we can adjust. >> we'd be closer to the twins. >> change in plans. >> okay. >> mom, are you painting again? >> let me guess, ce in plans? >> at fidelity, changing plans is always part of the plan. >> consumer cellular >> johnson & johnson. >> financial services fi raymond jame >> bnsf railway. >> the williamnd flora hewlett foundation. for more than 50 years, oradvancing ideas and suppng institutions to promote a better

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

>> if there will be a vaccine that is effective, it's very important th that vaccine becomes a global, public -- a people's vaccine, something th is affordable and ac if there will be a vaccine that is effective, it's very portant it's out tothe global public. something that's affordable and cessible to everyone on the globe. >> i'm ian bremmer. and today, i'm taking a lo >> welcome to this world. i'm taking a look at the largest intergovernmental organization on e planet. this year, the united turns 75, a diamond anniversary. when it comes to solving the biggest issues today, has the u.n. lost its luster? i'm talking this secretary- general. i will take a look at