to learn more, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight: ballot battle. should voting be more or less accessible? the u.s. senate takes on election reform in a contentious fight. then, rebuilding iraq. much of mosul remains in ruins amid sluggish reconstruction efforts, years after the battle to retake the city from isis. and, rethinking college. tribal universities begin to recover from the pandemic that exacerbated their unique struggles to reach students. >> we were far behind, in terms of the underlying infrastructure, the operating infrastructure, because the federal government has never lived up to its responsibility to adequately fund our tribal

colleges. >> woodruff: all that and more, on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provid byde >> c.f.o. care-giver. eclipse-chaser. a raymond james financial advisor tailors advice to help you live your life. life, well-planned. >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service that helps people communicate and connect. we offer a variety of no-contract plans, and our u.s.-based customer service team can help find one that fits you. to learn more, visit www.consumercellular.tv. >> johnson & johnson. >> bnsf railway.

>> fidelity wealth management. >> the john s. and james l. knight foundation. fostering informed and engaged communities. more at kf.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and individuals. >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: a major battle over election reform is underway in the u.s. senate. this comes as republicans in

some states push to enact more restrictive voting laws, while democrats in the senate aim to override those efforts at the federal level. lisa desjardins is following tonight's senate vote on capitol hill. she and yamiche alcindor join me now. lyssa, the voting is under way. tell us where everything stands. >> this is a procedural vote, a vote to even start the debate on the idea of election and voting rights reform. the truth is we expect this vote to fail. it needs 60 votes, but it only has 50. it is important it does have 50 because this issue, judy, i can't stress enough, is one that both sides believe is critical to our democracy itself, the future of voting rights in this country. who can vote and who decides who can vote. in fact, vice-president kamala harris is in the

chair right now for this vote. what democrats are kind of corraling around, all 50 of them for opening debate, is a compromise by west virginia senator joe manchin. he is proposing -- i'll show you in a graphic what he is proposing. he is saying in his deal, in his proposal, he would like voter i.d. to be required across the country. that could be something that includes even a utility bill or a driver's license. 15 days of early voting. also automatic registration of ting. in addition to that, it would ban partisan gerrymandering. so in that idea are things to both sides like. republicans would like more voter identification requirements, but democrats want to make sure those aren't too stringent so that they ban access, especially to people who are lower income or marginalized. judy, here is the thing to understand: democrats want to work out their own

agreement with manchin. they know this entire agreement will be blocked, then they will have to figure out their next steps. they want to show they believe that voting rights in this country are in trouble and republicans are on the other side. >> woodruff: yamiche, we know that president biden has taken a lot of interest in this issue. what are the white house officials telling you about all of this? >> yamiche: they are saying that this fight over voting rights is not over with this vote that is under way. they're saying that the president will do everything he possibly can to protect democracy, and they mean pushing back on the g.o.p.-backed voting laws. that comes as progressive democrats have been pushing the president to do more. today the president tweeted out a few hours ago this photo of him speaking to senate majority leader chuck schumer. this is the president in the oval office. he is stressing the idea he has a strategy call going on. this is underscoring the ea that the president

wants to be seen as engaged in this fight over this voting rights bill. the biden administration also released a statement, and it says: "democracy is imperil here in america. this landmark legislation is needed to protect the right to vote, ensure the integrity of our elections, and repair and strengthen american democracy." i want to go back to this idea of the pressure that the white house is facing. progressive democrats are saying president biden is not doing enough, he is not using his bull pulpit in a way that could have more impact. they are saying they want to see more speeches, more action. the white house, though, says the president is doing l he can. he gave a speech in tulsa, oklahoma, talking specifically about this issue of voting rights. they're saying at the white house we are trying our best. and i was talking to civil rights leaders all day. they want to see two things. the first is the department of justice, and they want them to see them pass these laws to take some kind of action in the

states. they want to see president biden accelerate nominee mating judicial nominees on the courts because they see that has the first line of defense. all of this is happening, and the white house is watching this very closely and staying engaged with the president and the vice president. and they'll be working with voting rights groups, i'm told, by multiple sources. >> woodruff: given that stance by the white house, lisa, what are democrats going to do if they lose this vote, as they're expected to do, and what affect could this have on the filibuster, which requires them to get 60 votes, which they don't have. >> this is the big question weighing on the democrats and the republicans. democrats are talking about potentially breaking it into smaller pieces, taking separate votes on different chunks of this very extensive proposal. again, having their democrats vote yes, in some way forcing republicans to vote no. the republicans have no problem with that. they see this as a state versus federal, as a

federal overreach. but it is opening the door to a bigger conversation abt the filibuster. which is also the pressure on democrats that yamiche is talking about. progressives think it is time for the filibuster to go. when you talk to the senate democrats, there are only 24 of the 50 who openly say they will reform the filibuster. the rest are interested in it, and there are two importantly who are opposed to it, and that's senator joe manchin and kyrsten sinema of arizona. without those two senators voting in favor of filibuster reform, it has no chance. and right now they are both hard-nosed. this is an oening salvo in a long conversation i think we'll all be having. >> woodruff: a long conversation for sure. lisa desjardins covering from the capitol, and yamiche alcindor. thank you. and a short time ago, i spoke with senator john thune of south dakota. he is the second highest ranking

republican in the senate. >> woodruff: senator thune, thank you very much for joining us. so what is your view of this new compromised voting rights measure with so much input from senator joe manchin of west virginia, who has been working relentlessly to come up with something that republicans can support? >> well, i give joe credit, judy, for he is trying his best, but it just starts with a very difficult premise for republicans. and that is that it requires the federal government, essentially, to take over elections from the states. and republicans, i think, as you know, are very supportive of state sovereignty. elections have been run by the states, conducted by the states, since our country's inception. and we believe it works there. we believe this legislation is a solution in search of a problem, that there isn't anything out there. we had record turnout in the last election, highest turnout in a presidential election in 2020 since the year 1900.

120 years in american history. states are, as they always are, most years, looking for ways to improve and strengthen election integrity and security. some of those ways, it sounds like, are, you know, running their own against the grain or democrats here in washington. but i think most states are in the mainstream, and they're making changes consistent with their laws, trying to improve people's ability to vote. we want to make sure every legal vote is counted, everybody has the opportunity to vote, and we want to try to prevent cheating in elections. >> woodruff: senator, there are a number of things you raised i want to ask you about. one, doesn't the constitution give the federal government control over federal elections? >> well, the federal government does have some control over elections, with respect to time, place, and manner, but in terms of conduct of elections, states have always done that. we've always deferred to them. and it has worked well, i think, throughout our nation's history.

the argument here is that we need this massive sort of federal expansion of, you know, when it comes to voting in this country, elections, when, in fact, what you're seeing in a lot of the states across the country are efforts to try, as i said, strengthen and improve their elections process, which is consistent with the way it has always been done. >> woodruff: what we know that what is going on, and voting rights groups have pointed this out, you have states with republican control around the country that are trying to tighten and deny access to voters based on the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent, that actually president trump won. we know that is not true. so why not try to take steps that will undo a falsehood? >> well, i don't -- i don't view it, i guess, that way. i have no -- you know, i've never second-guessed the outcome of the 2020 election. there are voters across

this country who, i believe, do based on statements that the former president has made, and it has created a lot of distrust of our elections. and i don't think that passing a partisan bill that federalizes or consolidates power in washington over elections is going to lessen that mistrust in our elections. frankly, i think the only way we're going to do that, judy, is to maintain clean elections in this country. and i don't know how having washington administer elections does that. >> woodruff: is it fair to say republicans believe in fewer people voting, democrats belie in more people voting? >> no, that is not true. we want everybody who can cast a ballot, we want to encourage people to vote. we want those who are legal to vote to vote legally. we want to discourage people from voting illegally or cheating in elections. but we want everybody to vote. this isn't about fewer people voting. i think the democrats do believe that if they -- if some of the changes they're intending to make tip the playing field to

their advantage. they traded partisan advantage on the f.e.c., for example. they have taxpayer financing of elections. they require, in some cases, the i.r.s. to look at the tax-exempt organizations and determine whether or not they agree with what their objectives are before they allow them to have the tax status they would get otherwise under the law. there are a lot of changes in here that are fundamentally designed to skew the playing field in favor of democrats. >> woodruff: quickly, senator, i want to ask you about infrastructure. is it your sense that you're close to some kind of an agreement on that and how to pay for it? >> i think we are close. i think this is an issue on which there is room for bipartisan agreement. this is an issue that should be bipartisan. the complicated part is the paying for it. the details do matter. i think there is a structure out there that a number of republicans and democrats have endorsed. didirectnally, i think it

is moving in the right direction. and filling in the details is important. and ultimately, we have to work with the white house. it has to be something that the president will be willing to sign into law. but i'm all for putting together a package that could attract a big vote in the senate and the house and get signed into law by the president. infrastructure is something the american people do expect us to be working on, and would rather be working on that than an election bill that puts washington in charge of their elections in this country. >> woodruff: senator john thune thank you very much. >> thanks, judy, good to be with you. >> woodruff: and now for a democrat's point of view, i'm joined by california senator alex padilla. he served as california's secretary of state during the 2020 presidential election. >> woodruff: senator padilla, welcome back to the "newshour." so what do you say to the main republican argument that this voting rights bill would be a federal takeover of elections? >> well, nothing could be

further from the truth. so the first thing i would say is let's speak the truth. with the passage of s-1, we are hoping to establish a baseline of voter protection and access to thballots for all eligible voters in america. the republicans are trying to suggest it is a federal takeover of elections is not true. it will still be state and local governments that are responsible for administering the elections. here is the big question: what are they afraid of? today's vote is simply a procedural vote to allow for discussion for debate about voting rights. and people's participation in our democracy. and they can't even bring themselves to support that. >> woodruff: well, the argument, as you know, they make repeatedly, as we just heard from senator thune, the argument they make is this would be a federal takeover, which they say is traditionally not the way elections are run. but the other argument we hear them making there was the biggest turnout ever

for this last presidential election, why are democrats trying to make it possible for so many more people to vote when so many have already voted, as we saw last november? >> again, plenty of precedent for congress to step in to protect our right to vote and the integrity of elections from the federal voting rights act, to the help america vote act, and more. and as far as compared to 2020, which was by and large a successful election, they're right. but they can't have it both ways. on the one hand they'll say, things worked well in 2020, we don't need to change the laws. yet they stand by while state legislators around the world are changing the rules to make it harder for people to vote or stay registered to vote or to actually cast their ballots. that's why we need these reforms. >> woodruff: we heard at republicans saying this is all about democrats trying to make a partisan move,

that democrats know that what you're trying to do by making it easier for some people to vote, who may be marginally qualified for not, that you believe this will help democrats. in other words, you're driven by politics? >> no. the fact of the matter is this is not about democrat versus republican. this is about voting rights. any eligible voter in america should be able to easily register, stay registered to vote, and be able to cast their ballot. one of the reasons i'm so passionate about this is because for the prior six years, as you mentioned, i served as california secretary of state. the reforms we're asking for, automatic voter registration, same-day registration, more vote by mail, more in-person early voting are reforms i happened champion in california. and where did it lead to? record voter registration, record turnout despite the

covid-19 pandemic, and minimal administrative issues. and let's go one step further: zero evidence of massive voter fraud. this fraud is a pre-text for republicans to make it harder for marginalized communities to be able to participate in our democracy. let's the people vote. let us have a debate. and stop favoring the wealthiest families in america. >> woodruff: senator, let's talk in practical terms, even if you get every single democrat on board for this vote, you have 50 votes, it looks as if all 50 republicans are against it. that means you don't pass it. you need 60 votes, according to the senate rules. you don't have that. what do the democrats do once this goes down, as it is expected to do? >> we have to call it sought for what it is: what are americans afraid of? the americans need to know who is going to fight for their fundamental right to vote and who is going to suppress the vote.

the fight does not end today. we'll continue to try to discuss, try to negotiate, find other ways to advance these proposals because our right to vote is that important. and in the meantime, you know, thank the biden administration and attorney general merrick garland for already committing additional resources to litigate, if necessary, to defend our right to vote and access to the ballots. >> woodruff: and speaking of senate rules, it, of course, is known as the filibuster. in order to change that, democrats would have to come together, even democrats don't have enough votes right now to change that rule. so my question again is: where do democrats go? if you can't get this done in washington, are you looking at going state by state or what? >> we may well be another step closer to either eliminating or at least reforming the filibuster for the sake of our democracy. let's look at what happened this year alone. earlier in the year, after

the deadly insurrection of january 6th, republicans would not stand up to the very important notion of a peaceful transition of power. and now they're ducking the discussion and debate about supporting our fundamental right to vote. so too much is at stake. we're going to keep pressing on. >> woodruff: senator alex padilla of california, thank you very much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, thousands of migrants seeking asylum in the u.s. will get a second chance. the u.s. homeland security department says the shift affects at least 40,000 people whose claims were turned aside in the trump era. the associated press reports that starting tomorrow, they are eligible to wait in the u.s., instead of mexico, while their cases are heard. the white house acknowledged today that president biden will

miss his goal of vaccinating 70% of american adults with at least one shot by july fourth. instead, officials said that they expect to hit that mark a few weeks later. the white house covid task force said younger people-- 18 to 26 years old-- are the biggest challenge. >> the reality is, many younger americans have felt like covid-19 is not something that impacts them, and they've been less eager to get the shot. however, with the delta variant now spreading across the country, and infecting younger people worldwide, it's more important than ever that they get vaccinated. >> woodruff: more than 16 states have vaccinated 70% of their adult populations. but many states, especially across the south and the midwest, are lagging. it turns out that some 900 u.s. secret service employees tested positive for covid-19 from march 2020 to march 2021. records show about half were

agents protecting the president and vice president, their families, and other officials. the group citizens for responsibility and ethics in washington obtained the records. voters in new york city cast ballots today in primary elections for mayor. the campaign focused largely on crime, and recovery from the pandemic. democrats chose from among 13 candidates, while republicans had two. winners will face off in the general election this fall. it could be july before the democratic nominee emerges, due in part to a new, ranked-choice voting system. in california, a federal appeals court panel has blocked a lower court ruling that overturned the state's ban on assault weapons. monday's appeals court action action means the assault weapons ban remains in effect as legal proceedings continue. the chair of the federal reserve acknowledged today that inflation is running hotter than expected-- but he said, again,

it is likely to recede. jerome powell appeared at a hearing of the u.s. house oversight committee, and argued, again, the spike is temporary. >> these are factors that will wane over time, and then inflation will move down toward our goals. and we'll be monitoring that carefully. of course, we're prepared to use our tools as appropriate, if that turns out not to be t case, to guide inflation to 2%. >> woodruff: the fed is now predicting a 3.4% increase in prices for this year. there is word that the united states today seized and took down roughly three dozen websites linked to iran. iran's state-run news agency announced the seizures. u.s. officials reportedly said they are tied to iranian disinformation efforts. they included iran's arabic and english-language state tv channels, among others. regulators in the european union have launched a new anti-trust investigation into google.

they are looking at whether the company favors its own ad-buying services and restricts rivals. the e.u. already fined google nearly $10 billion in three other cases. australia says it will oppose listing the great barrier reef, off of its northeast coast, as endangered. a u.n. committee proposed that change monday, citing climate change. any downgrade of the reef's status could cut tourism revenue. and on wall street today, the dow jones industrial average gained 68 points to close at 33,945. the nasdaq rose 111 points, to a new record high, and the s&p 500 added 21 points. still to come on the newshour: tribal universities begin the long recovery from the pandemic. and, what it means to see the first openly gay active n.f.l. player.

>> woodruff: it has been seven years since the islamic state declared its so-called "caliphate" from a mosque in mosul, iraq's second largest city. a punishing iraqi and american military campaign routed isis from there in 2017, while leveling large swathes of the city. now, special correspondent leila molana-allen and videographer adrian hartrick look at the slow and agonizing task of rebuilding mosul. >> reporter: centuries of history, annihilated in a few short months. it was from this spot in mosul's 12th-century al-nuri mosque that isis leader abu bakr al-baghdadi announced the group's self- proclaimed "caliphate," seven years ago. their reign of terror here, and

the fight to defeat them, claimed thousands of lives and would leave the ancient city pounded into dust. four years after the battle to retake the city, much of west mosul remains in ruins, an known number of bodies beneath the rubble. exactly how many people died in the assault here is still unclear. part of the city is starting to get back on its feet, with work focused on the old city's historic sites. the mosque complex is being rebuilt, as is the neighboring square that's home to four ancient churches-- a reminder that mosul was once famed as a safe haven of religious diversity. this square became famous when the pope came here to preach of renaissance from amidst the ruins. but the visit also put a spotlight on how much work there still is to be done. these moslawis, working with unesco, the u.n. agency that works to preserve culture, are doing everything they can to

restore their home to its former glory and save as much history as possible, starting with nearly 3,000 original stones gathered from the ruins of al-tahera church. so, you're collecting these and trying to save as many of these stones as you can to build them back into the church? >> exactly. >> reporter: isis used this historic christian complex as the headquarters of the al-hisbah, the religious police. the armean church became a jail, with prisoners put on trial by the syriac catholic altar for breaking their draconian laws here. now, those rebuilding the city hope they can bring back peaceful coexistence, too. imad el-ahad fled before isis even arrived, when al qaeda blew up his local church more than a decade ago. now, he's one of the first christians hoping to return to the city where he was born and raised. >> ( translated ): it's evident by the pope's visit that security here got better. hopefully, christians will no longer be persecuted.

>> reporter: around the corner, the reconstructed old city market is coming back to life, too. mohammad abou-saad has run this coffee stand for a decade. as the souq's old stone alleys regain their buzz, he has customers again, though with the city's economy struggling, they've little to spend. >> ( translated ): the market is doing all right. it's developing bit by bit. in time, it'll be how it was. people are still penniless, so it's taking time. >> reporter: a few steps away, it's easy to see why: a jarring contrast to the shiny new souq, much of the old city still lies in ruins. a flurry of action in anticipation of the pope's visit saw rubble that had lined the streets for years finally swept away. but frustrated locals say, as soon as the papal convoy left, so did the authorities. >> ( translated ): there's no reconstruction in mosul. it's all just promises. they claim they'll rebuild, and nothing.

>> reporter: imad and his family fled their home in the old city after years under isis rule, when his son was injured by shrapnel from a mortar during the battle. his son is too traumatized to go back to their ruined neighborhood, where they'd live amongst rubble; imad now works 15-hour days in a pizza parlor to pay the rent on a house in east mosul. >> ( translated ): i can never take my son back to that area again, or else he'd break down. >> reporter: the old city suffered some of the worst destruction in the battle to rid mosul of isis. a lot of time, money, and effort was put in to level this place to the ground. but many who live here say the same can't be said for the efforts to rebuild it. laith still lives amidst the battered stones and broken bodies of the community he has lived in and loved all his life. ( speaking arabic ) >> reporter: the airstrike did all of this? >> ( translated ): all of it due to airstrikes, mortars, and cannons, all of it. ( speaking arabic )

>> reporter: do you believe there are dead bodies here? >> ( translated ): absolutely, i unearthed a few corpses myself. >> reporter: laith and his family, as well as seven other families they took in, only survived the seven-month-long siege and assault that flattened his neighborhood thanks to the solid stones of this ancient cellar. they nearly starved, and they were all badly injured when rockets pounded the house. but unlike so many others here, they lived. laith returned home three years ag after an n.g.o. helped him rebuild his house. heays little has changed here since then, and any work that has been done is by charities and locals, with no help from the authorities. >> ( translated ): it's been four years since we were liberated. four years since isis left. and the government hasn't been here for us. we're all enraged by the government because it's criminal, shameful. >> reporter: reconstruction is just one of the many challenges isis' short but devastating occupation of mosul has left in its wake. while the group may have been pushed out, they left a deadly trail behind them. the u.n. estimates it could take

up to a decade to clear all the explosives isis planted behind them as they left. wayne lomax is an international de-mining expert who's been training local teams to clear leftover explosives. what's the risk as time goes on? >> how long can a battery last? a lot of the i.e.d.s i pull out of the ground still have perfectly viable batteries. one thing we know about isis is they were very clever in their i.e.d. manufacturing. >> reporter: the team says this site is a pinprick in the overall land area they need to clear. it's a painstaking process. but people here, already struggling to rebuild their lives after years of fear and pain, can't wait. they need to return to their homes and livelihoods. families have been maimed and killed by hidden i.e.d.s while picking up the pieces of their destroyed houses, and at work, too. agriculture is the main form of employment in the district, and that leaves workers vulnerable moving over large open spaces perfect for hiding explosives. basel knows what explosives like

these can do to the human body. three years ago, his truck drove over an i.e.d. planted by isis on the road to his crop fields. >> ( translated ): i was in a complete daze. after we got to the hospital, i still didn't realize they had had to amputate my legs. >> reporter: he can't walk far on his painful prosthetic legs. unable to work, he can't support his three young children. they survive on handouts from the community. much of the area still hasn't been cleared. knowing the danger, farmers here only go to their fields when absolutely necessary. the risk is high, but what other choice do they have? >> ( translated ): yes, there is fear, because isis remnants are still all around and waiting to blow up any second. it's so dangerous, when you have to go to the field, you can't guarantee you'll make it out alive. >> reporter: and those remnants are almost everywhere. it took the u.n. de-mining agency 18 months to clear

hundreds of abandoned artillery and explosives just from this one site, al shifaa hospital, which was once the country's second most advanced. >> all these mortars and explosives we found while we were clearing rubble from the site. >> reporter: the explosive threat makes every aspect of reconstruction slow-going, including bringing back essential basic services like water and electricity. >> it's an enemy that will never sleep, that will continue to be there, until removed by someone. >> reporter: rebuilding has now been happening for longer than isis held the area, but there is so much left to do. laith isn't sure his home can ever be what it was. >> ( translated ): it's a horrible sight. it brings tears to your eyes. you used to open the front door and your neighbor would pop in front of you, your brother here, your cousin there. there's no neighborhood anymore. we reminisce about everyone who used to sit out here on these streets. reminisce about the faces of those who died. >> reporter: but after so much

pain, he is home, such as it is. laith knows he'll never leave again. with no help in sight, his memories will have to be enough. for the pbs newshour, i'm leila molana-allen in mosul, iraq. >> woodruff: tribal colleges and universities are often located in remote areas and are more likely to serve older and low- income american indian students, many of whom lack access to basic necessities like internet and running water. that has made learning during the pandemic especially difficult. and, as stephanie sy reports, it has forced school administrators to find new ways of meeting their students' needs. this is part of our ongoing series, "rethinking college." >> sometimes i'll have l.t.e. through here. >> sy: 34-year-old dee james and i are on the hunt for a cell phone connection in northwest

new mexico near her home on the navajo nation. i got one bar, but you get nothing there. >> no. >> sy: definitely not enough for a zoom call. how long are we without signal now? >> until we get a little further up. >> sy: this drive has become routine for james since the beginning of the pandemic, when navajo technical university-- where she studies business administration-- closed its campus and moved classes online. just right here, off the side of the road, at a park. >> yeah. >> sy: all right. she pulls up to the side of the road, not for the view, but for the signal strength-- enough to do her online homework and join zoom calls. >> i've got two bars. >> sy: and that's money for you. >> and that's... yep. >> sy: digital dead zones are a common problem in the remote navajo nation. over 50% of residents lack broadband internet altogether and those that have it, pay between $20 and $40 more per month than in other parts of the country.

james' home internet only works half the time, and one day last year, it all felt like too much. >> i was on my w to work and i got to the stop sign down here. i had called my sister and i told her i'm done. i can't do this, i'm tired. >> sy: james' problems are common among the nearly 22,000 tribal college students in the u.s. in addition to not having internet, half work to support themselves and their families while going to school. a majority are food insecure and more than two-thirds were housing insecure even before the pandemic. that instability contributes to tribal colleges' low graduation rate, just 19%. add in the pandemic, and tribal colleges have seen an 11% drop in freshmen enrollment, with more rural schools seeing drops as high as 30%. >> it was a challenge.

it was sad. >> sy: elmer guy is the president of navajo tech in crownpoint, new mexico, one of the largest of the 37 tribal colleges and universities in the u.s. he says when the pandemic hit, the administration gave students federal aid for to pay for food and transportation. it also scrambled to keep students plugged in. >> we were trying to figure out ways to keep our students connected. we paid for their internet for three months. we made a deal with the telecoms. they gave us a discount. >> sy: they've since installed hotspots in parking lots like this one. students can drive here and log onto their zoom classes in their cars. some students drive hours just to get reliable internet. tribal colleges across the country have been making similar changes. nebraska indian community college used covid-19 funding to set up wifi towers across two reservations. red lake nation college in minnesota gave its students cell phones and hotspots.

and dine college in arizona is building micro-sites off the main campus as a way to reach more students where they are. >> we were far behind in terms of the underlying infrastructure, the operating infrastructure, because the federal government has never lived up to its responsibility to adequately fund our tribal colleges. >> sy: carrie billy, a member of the navajo nation, is the president and c.e.o. of the american indian higher education consortium. she says pandemic relief funding, including $1 billion earmarked for expanding broadband infrastructure in native communities, has been a boon for tbal colleges, but it doesn't close the gap. >> without that sustained investment assistance, families, individual students aren't going to be able to afford internet at home. but there also needs to be an investment in infrastructure and facilities, in dorms and cafeterias and in health centers. >> sy: with many students and

staff now vaccinated, science labs, the innovative vet tech program, and other hands-on learning are restarting at navajo tech, as are some of the traditional gatherings that make native colleges about more than academics. navajo tech recently brought back small healing ceremonies for students. on the campus “hooghan,” which in navajo means "home," a staff member and medicine woman guides twila largo in prayer. during a chaotic time, these ceremonies offer students like largo an opportunity to reestablish harmony with the world around them, a key tenet of navajo culture. >> you can't think negative when you're in a ceremony. you feel that peace, you feel that comfort in your heart. >> sy: navajo technical university provost colleen bowman says this is what makes tribal colleges unique. >> we're responding to the needs of the community.

and as diverse as our navajo communities are, there's brilliance everywhere. there's struggle everywhere. we take it all. >> sy: as for dee james' struggles, she persevered, and now that she's able to go to campus more often to work and study, she's confident she'll complete her degree later this year. she also knows some things will never return to the way they were. >> we did lose my uncle to covid unfortunately. i mean, it really impacted me and my family. >> sy: the navajo nation became an epicenter during the pandemic and students and staff here at navajo technical university were trying to stay on track even as they faced incalculable losses to the tribe. in the final weeks of the spring semester, navajo tech students, including james, gathered to remember the loved ones they lost to the virus, writing their

names on white balloons, then, releasing them. >> at some point in time when you lose someone, you know, you can't hold onto them forever. you have to be able to let them go. >> sy: provost bowman also still grieving the loss of several family members, says the hardships have only fortified the mission of tribal colleges. >> it may have hurt us, knocked the wind out of us for a while, but we're still here. and through education, that's the only way that we're going to get better and understand what happened to us and try to prevent it from happening again. all across the country, all tribal colleges and universities have that. they have that power. they've had it all along. >> sy: always the power to survive-- now, with an infusion of funding and attention, perhaps, a chance to thrive. for the pbs newshour, i'm

stephanie sy in crownpoint, new mexico. >> woodruff: the pentagon is embracing a major reform aimed at stamping out sexual assault in the military. tonight, defense secretary lloyd austin is issuing a statement endorsing a change recommended by victim advocates that would reduce commanders' iluennf over the decision to prosecute service members accused of sexual assault. nick schifrin has more. >> schifrin: the pentagon estimates there could be as many as 20,000 sexual assaults in the military every year. right now, military commanders decide whether service members under their command should be prosecuted. an independent commission recommended removing the chain of command from that decision- making process. but until tonight, the defense department has resisted that. for more on secretary austin's

endorsement of that recommendation, we turn to retired colonel don christenson, who had a 23-year career as an air force lawyer, and is now president of protect our defenders, an advocacy group. >> schifrin: don christian, welcome back to the "newshour." how significant is this announcement? >> this is huge. it is the first time in american history, in the military, that they're failing at addressing sexual assault, it is a command issue, and we need to take prosecutorial decisions away from commanders. >> schifrin: as you know, this has been resisted by members of the military at the most senior members for many years. what changed and why was that resistance overcome? >> well, what has changed is there has been a decade of more failure. for the last 10 years, at least, the military has promised the commanders would address this issue, and they alone are the solution. but the numbers have not

gotten better. they have gotten worse. sexual assault remains above 20,000 every year. the number of prosecutions and convictions have plummetted. the murder of vanessa geean have highlighted the problems people in the military are facing when it comes to getting justice. >> schifrin: there is prosecution of sexual assault, as well as domestic abuse. there is congressional legislation that calls for the removal of the chain of command for all felonies. is that distinction important? >> well, it's important in the sense that we have to remember the i.r.c. did not look at anything beyond those issues. so we should take -- the independent commission did not look at other issues, such as murder and armed robbery. but i think it's not inconsistent with what senator joe librand have

been pushing in both houses to have all cases taken outside the chain of command. >> and the statement from secretary a austin says they will work with congress to reform the rules. as you mentioned before,the number of prosecution is a fraction of the number of cases, or believed cases. is this likely to increase the number of prosecutions? >> well, i believe it will. prosecuting and understanding how to prosecute sexual assaults is a complex area. it takes somebody years as a prosecutor to understand the best way to evaluate evidence, the best cases to bring forward. the current system of having commanders decide, being advised by jag simply is not getting the right cases to trial. i think this will be a cultural shift, and it will be a legal shift that results in more people going to trial and more convictions. >> schifrin: and that cultural shift, that legal shift, i'm wondering if you could respond to what

many commanders argued in the past, which is that they, and only they, are the best people to judge what is happening in their units? >> well, you have to understand the vast majority of commanders o not have prosution authority anyway. the ability to send a felony-level case is vested in just a small fraction of commanders. there are 14,500 commanders. only about 140 actually send cases to felony level courts. the other thing you have to remember is the senior jags are going to be making these decisions, and they're career military officers who have served in units, who understand what a unit is facing. they are officers just as much as the commander is. >> schifrin: don christianson, tonight's on a major announcement from secretary of defense lloyd aaustin, thank you very much. >> thank you for having me.

>> woodruff: it may be surprising to realize in 2021 that carl nassib's decision to come out yesterday makes him the first active player in the n.f.l.'s history to do so. but, as amna nawaz tells us, that tells us something about what some athletes have faced until now. >> nawaz: judy, other n.f.l. players have come out before-- but after they retired or left the game. some years ago, draft pick michael sam announced he was gay before he made the team, but was cut at the end of training camp. carl nassib, however, is a five-year veteran defensive lineman of the league. he plays for the las vegas raiders. here is part of how he chose to let people know yesterday on instagram. >> i just want to take a quick moment to say that i'm gay. i've been meaning to do this for a while now. but i finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. i just think that representation and visibility are so important. i actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary. >> nawaz: let's talk about the

significance of what nassib has done and what others have faced. l.z. granderson is a sports columnist with the "los angeles times", with espn, and a podcaster. he's a contributor to espn and he's the host of a podcast on abc, "life out loud." >> nawaz: and thanks for being here. i've got to ask right off the bat, when you heard carl's message, what was your reaction? >> i started crying. i've been telling everyone -- ig out, getting ready to host my show, i was going to work out beforehand. i was changing something on my phone, and i saw the bulletin. i made a quick search to make sure it wasn't a joke or he wasn't being hacked. and once i confirmed the accuracy, i wept for 15, 20 minutes, just standing there crying. >> nawaz: why do you think you had such a strong reaction to that message? >> that's what humans are supposed to do when their dreams come true. you're supposed to be

joyous. i was expressing tears of joy. i related to a lot of how people felt seeing vice-president kamala harris, for those of us who have been fighting in this space in terms of dealing with sexism or racism, and seeing the election of president barack obama. for those of us who have been in this area, this intersection of sports and sexual orientation and politician, we've all been waiting for this man to come out in the big pro sports. and it happened yesterday, so i wept because my dreams came true. >> nawaz: we have to mention michael samwho we referenced in the introduction. it was just seven years ago, a highly anticipated draft pick, didn't end up having a career there, and when he left, he said there was too much of a mental health burden, coming out and trying to have an nfl career in that way. would we have carl nassib today if we hadn't had sam seven years ago?

>> it is hard to tell. everyone likes to use the phrase "we stand on the shoulders of giants." but we're not all standing on the same shoulders. we don't know if it was michael sam who created the space. we don't know if he is came from dave's book in the 1970s. he was the first nfl player to come out in retirement, and he did so in his book. without actually talking to him, we don't know which th led him to this space. but to your larger point, it takes a lot of tiny steps in order for us to get down the road to equality. >> nawaz: there are others who have come out after retirement. jeff lure is among them. we had a chance to connect with him earlier today to ask him about this

reaction, and here is what he had to say. >> i thought it was amazingly well-said and spoken. it was very compelling. being the first active player to actually come out in the nfl i a huge step for all of america, actually, because it's a very, very macho sport, and he is helping tear down a wall that has been there for the history of the nfl. >> nawaz: so l.z., jeff lure is calling it a very, very macho sport. he is saying that nassib is tearing down a wall. do you agree with that? >> i think the construction of that wall and the tearing down of that wall is still a work in progress. remember, this is the off-season. and so we still need to go through training camp. we still need to go through regular season. he still needs to go on the road, play games. he still needs to be a part of games in which the raiders lose. and fans may be responding

to that loss in a different way. i'm not trying to downplay the importance of this. i'm trying to put it in context. that this was an announcement, it was very important. i was very emotional. but i also knothw at beyond just getting through the door is staying in the building. and so now we have to help him, be supportive, so that he stays there, now that he has open the door and says he is here. >> nawaz: l.z., when you look at the country, lgbtq identification is up, 5.6% of all american adults, when you compare that to where attitudes are in the sports world, where are they? >> it depends on which gender you're referring to and which sport you're talking about. i'm not trying to split hairs or duck the question, but the reality is being trans is way more accepting of women who come out than men. we expect men in certain sports to be straight more so than in other sports.

if a (indiscernable) came out, we wouldn't have the same response as if an nba or nfl player were to come out. it is still on a case-by-case basis. which let's you know how varied the acceptanceay be in the world of sports, and how masogony place into the conversation of homophobia and transphobia. >> nawaz: what do you think the impact o carl nassib's message is on the nfl and the broader male sports world? >> first of all he's got my cheering for the raiders for the first time in my life. what it certainly does is when you jack juxtapose his coming out to the more than 250 lgbtq bills coming out here in the state level alone, what you're realizing is this fight for equality is far

from over. i'm extremely happy carl has come out. i hope more nfl players join him, if they feel comfortable doing that. but by no means should this be misconstrued as a watershed moment and now we can move on. this is another step in a long journey. >> nawaz: that is l.z. granderson host of the podcast "life out loud." thank you so much. always good to see you. >> woodruff: a news update before we go. republicans blocked efforts in the u.s. senate to expand voting rights. the final vote of 50 to 50 blocks the bill from moving forward under senate rules. and that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online, and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe, and we'll see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fidelity wealth management.

>> consumer cellular. >> johnson & johnson. >> financial services firm raymond james. >> bnsf railway. >> carnegie corporation of new york. supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security. at carnegie.org. >> the target foundation, committed to advancing racial equity and creating the change required to shift systems and accelerate equitable economic opportunity. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

hello everyone and welcome to "amanpour." here is what's coming up. >> regional issues. >> ballistic issues. are not negotiable. >> iran's new hardline president. what does the election of ebrahim raisi mean for the future of the country and reviving the nuclear deal. then, giving space to black artists. the young curator with a mandate to shake up the art world. antwane sergeant joins me. >> as we say mississippi, i found myself looking down the stupid end of too many gun barrels. >> world record renowned astrophysicist on his unlikely journey from the street to the stars.