judy: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, the road ahead. the president and a bipartisan group of senators agree on a nearly $1 trillion pl to update the nation's critical infrastructure. then, a tragic collapse, at least 99 people are missing after a condominium building crumbles near miami beach. plus, covid stole. the pandemic causes the largest drop in life expectancy since world war ii, with communities of color disproportionately hit. and critical race theory. one of battle in one virginia school district illustrates the

growing national controversy over teaching race in public schools. all that and more on tonight's "pbs newshour." ♪ >> major funding has been provided by -- >> johnson & johnson consumer cellular financial for -- financial services firm raymond james

carnegie corporation of new york , supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security, at kornegay. org. -- carnegie.org. and with the support of these institutions. ♪ >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. judy: we have two lead stories

tonight, the tragic collapse of a residential building in surfside, florida. next to miami beach, has rescuers scrambling to find at least 99 unaccounted for people in the rubble. while here in washington, president biden pushed for a sweeping infrastructure bill has taken a giant step forward today. white house correspondent yamiche alcindor begins with that story. yamiche: at the white house, a rare presidential appearance in the driveway to announce a big bipartisan deal. the agreement came after president biden and a bipartisan group of senators settled on a framework on infrastructure built in a compromise both sides are praising. >> this is not non-infrastructure items, without new taxes, and with the

commitment from republicans and democrats and not -- alike to get it done. >> we all gave some to get some, because what we did was put first the needs of our country. >> the total price tag of the package is $1.2 trillion. over eight years. over five years, it's $973 billion. overall, there's $579 billion in new spending, as republicans wanted, it poses -- focuses on traditional items like roads, ridges, and broadband. the scope is more narrow than president biden's original proposal but the president insists democrats will pass a separate bill. president biden: if this is the only one that comes to me, i'm not signing.

it's in tandem. yamiche: from childcare to climate change to anti-property efforts. progressive's are demanding those items be addressed simultaneously in a separate bill. the process known as reconciliation requires only a 50-50 majority in the senate. sen. blumenthal: i think it is way too small, paltry, pitiful, and i will insist on a second package that not only addresses roads, bridges, and other tangible infrastructure but also human infrastructure. yamiche: speaker nancy pelosi was equally blunt. >> there will not be an infrastructure bill unless we have the reconciliation bill passed on the senate floor. yamiche: -- senator mcconnell

said he was encouraged but insisted the bipartisan bill be passed with the democrat back reconciliation bill. sen. mcconnell: lesson two hours after publicly commending our colleagues and endorsing a bipartisan agreement, the president took the extraordinary step of threatening to veto it. yamiche: but a real assessment of whether it can get the 60 votes to pass is unlikely until after the senate returns from a two-week recess that begins tomorrow. judy: lisa, to you first. we know senators who were part of this have spent many weeks trying to come up with this deal. give us some of the details of what exactly is in here. >> judy, this is a huge moment. this bill does have a long road ahead, it hasn't crossed the

finish line yet. but this is a big victory for bipartisanship in an age of divide. this would be the largest single transportation bill in american history. let's talk about what is in it, really quickly. some of the biggest categories, roads and bridges. another $100 billion plus four rails in public transportation. there is also in this bill a number of categories on climate, and it depends on how you add up the math, between 15 billion dollars and $60 billion, everything from electric vehicle charging stations to mitigation for coastlines, dealing with ecosystems, addressing the effects of climate change, and $55 billion for clean water and pipes. that's for things like changing out lead pipes that are still in so many parts of america. i could go on and on. the bill has a lot of money for the power grid, for airports, fairies, broadband. it is a massive bill.

judy: ayou and others are pointing out, it is not as much as the president originally wanted, but there is still a lot of money in here. how are they going to pay for it? >> this was the toughest part of reaching this point in the deal. just got the official release from centers laying out how to pay for it. there are no dollar figures attached to the categories. one senator saw that, and some of theiggest are things like taking unspent covid money and using that. also changing how the irs operates, helping boost the irs so it can collect more taxes. lisa murkowski put it well, it's a smorgasbord of pay for's, there are no tax increases as republicans wanted. a lot of things are in a gray

area, questionable math, that we will be looking at for a long time to come. i want to get us since of the scope of the bill. if you look at the most recent large transportation bills, the last three, for example, look at the one today. it is almost twice as much as the biggest bills previous to this. how did this come together? i'm told that yesterday things were so tense it almost fell completely apart. senator jon tester of montana went in the room, put his hands down and said, guys, we have to get this big boy done, and then everyone sort of took a breath and did find a way to get it across this initial finish line. judy: we heard a lot from president biden on the campaign trail when he was running for president. he wanted infrastructure past. tell us more about his role in getting to where we are today and where this goes from here. yamiche: this bipartisan

infrastructure bill come this huge bill, is like president biden catching his white whale. he had sd he would be working across the aisle, and now you have this mood here at the white house today, a feeling like president biden was proving people wrong. a few feet away from me is the white house driveway. we never see the president come up to the microphones set are usually stationed there, but this time he swaggered up with republicans and democratic senators and announced there was a deal. you could see the happiness in his face. then he held an impromptu press conference explaining all the different things that were in the bill. white house sources underscore that the bill they think is transformational. to put it into even more context, 1956, under president eisenhower, the interstate highway system was constructed. today's dollars, that would be

over $500 billion. this bill tops that. when it comes to the president's role, he was very engaged. for he left for europe, he underscored that he wanted to get a deal done. white house officials said the prospect was better than when he left. that tells you the white house was on capitol hill doing the work. judy: is there an early since at the white house of what this could mean for the rest of the president's agenda? yamiche: that is the big question, the question i put to the president today. i ask him, what does it mean for voting rights or police reform? what have you learned in working with republicans that informs the way forward? he tell me it's really about the idea to push forward all the agenda items. he also said he was focused really on voting rights, saying he will be touring the country on voting rights. white house officials say

caution when it comes to whether other bipartisanship will come through this. but when you look at this deal, we have to remind people that the timing is still in flux. there was talk of it ringing in september or possibly in the fall. so there is a real question on how he will get them on the reconciliation bill. but bipartisanship lives today, and that is something that is rare to see here. judy: a head turning day at the white house. we thank you both. for the view from inside the west wing, i spoke a short time ago with white house press secretary jen psaki. welcome back to the newshour. thank you for being here. why did the president agree to this? it is a lot smaller than the package he originally proposed. jan: it is, because he believes

that compromise is not a dirty word and it is important to find ways to work together where there can be agreement, even when you preserve the option of moving forward alone where there is an agreement. but he likes the package because it is a historic investment in infrastructure, the largest investment in rail since the creative amtrak -- creation of amtrak. it will make sure that kids have asked the -- access to clean drinking water, that broadband is expanded across the country. there is a lot to be excited about here. and he made clear that he wanted to see this package move forward in tandem with the budget reconciliation package which will include the american families plan. key priorities that are also vitally important to him. judy: but in doing that, he is taking a risk because is not clear you will get 50 democrats on board for that so-called reconciliation big spending plan. you have environmental advocates

saying we were counting on president biden to be with us on some of these environmental measures that didn't make it into the final bill. what do you say to that? jan: i would say first that this bill has a lot that will help protect her climate in it. it has investments in charging stations, tax credits, it will rebuild and lead from pipes in drinking water around the country. he believes good paying union jobs can be created in a way that is good for our climate. he also made clear today that he wants to do more that he is going to be a climate president, continue to be, and they can rely on him. he wants more in terms of tax credits. that something he will keep pushing for and keep fighting until he signs both of them and has them on his desk. judy: is he also risking the strengthening of home care workers, which is something he said was essential originally in

the package? jan: it is absolutely essential. is going to be in the reconciliation package. he will work every day to get it passed and get it done. it's something we will keep working on. judy: in terms of how it gets paid for, you are looking for the irs to lean a lot harder on people who haven't been paying all their taxes. looking to get $100 billion. why are you confident the irs can do this? they have been asked to do this before. jan: we need to invest in them and make sure they have the resources to do it. they are underfunded, and we know from working closely with experts in the area that if we give them additional resources and support that they need, that they can recoup funding that will help us pay for these important investments. judy: what is the president going to be saying to democrats who are reluctant to sign onto to that other so-called

reconciliation bill? a lot of money for his other priorities. jan: the president will say that there are key priorities that should be seen through a parties -- should not be seen through a partisan lens. it's important that we have interpersonal pre-k, that two years of community college are made possible, that we extend the child tax credit for an additional five years to make sure we are giving families the help they need. these are things the american people support and want. this is an important discussion that will happen among democrats about the final package. the president will keep fighting for the key components in the budget he proposed a few month -- a few months ago. judy: what are the prospects that this will lead to more bipartisan agreement, or is this a one-off? jan: here is to hoping, judy. the president believes the american people elected him to vote for him. see where you can find common

ground. that's how he approach this and how we ended up at this historic day today. he would look for opportunities to do that with priorities moving forward. judy: jen psaki, press secretary to president biden, thank. democratic senator mark warner of virginia was one of 21 senators to negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure framework. it was announced today. senator warner was also at the white house meeting today with the president and the senat joins me now. it is so good to see you again. it is not often that we see republicans and democrats agreeing on anything. how significant was this announcement? sen. warner: i think it was very significant. it showed that joe biden knows how congress works. his white house team was involved, there were 10 of us that were really engaged on a daily basis for the last couple of weeks, and both sides had to give up certain things they wanted, but the product we have,

$576 billion of new federal spending on infrastructure, is a record investment. we are not just talking about roads and bridges. we are talking about broadband, resiliency from coastal communities, from rising sea levels. we are talking about making our grid a lot smarter. we are including investments for electric vehicle charging stations, electric buses, the whole bus industry is going to go electric. think about all the school bus is being made in china, they can be made here. i would point out quickly that this is a big deal, but just two weeks ago, the senate in bipartisan fashion put together a $250 billion deal to deal with china and take on issues like

semiconductors. i will remind your viewers that i came on your show back in november or december when there was the last covid package. at least on this item, i think we have made some great progress. judy: we just spoke with jen psaki, the white house press secretary, the president is insisting that he's only going to go along with this bipartisan plan if he also gets a big package of spending through the so-called reconciliation method. that means 50 democratic senators will have to sign on to that. we are already hearing from the republican leader mitch mcconnell who is saying the president has reneged on what he originally sai what do you say to republicans who are looking at this? sen. warner: as somebody who sat in the white house today with the president, the president made absolutely clear that he

supported this package and wanted it done. he also made very clear to all of us, and i'm on the budget committee, so i will be in the middle of this one as well, that there were a whole lot of things that the president wanted on issues like childcare, on human capital investment, on cleaner energy tax credits, that he didn't get in this legislation and that he was still going to fight for those. so there was no mystery that there was going to be another issue to be dealt with. and that there are certain things, like the fact that american businesses now pay the lowest percentage of corporate taxes of any of the 35 industrial nations. i was a business guy for a long time before i went into politics. but we are the bottom of the barrel in terms of some businesses paying their fair share. that's not right. so i'm ready to roll up my sleeves and say where can we

make our tax code fairer, and what are some of the other items that did not get included in the infrastructure package that will come back and reconciliation? it was an acknowledgment of reality. i would love to have some of my republican friends deal with the reconciliation issues as well. we went into the infrastructure conversation where they had already said we are not going to touch taxes in any way. it's a little hard to talk about new spending when you don't touch taxes. judy: do you believe there will be 50 senators to support the spending package that the president says he has to have or this doesn't go forward? sen. warner: i think there will be 50 senators that will support a plan to raise additional revenues and take on parts of the president's agenda. i don't think maybe 50 senators will agree to some of the numbers being thrown around by some of my more progressive colleagues. but i think they understand that.

that is part of the next negotiating process. judy: in terms of republicans, are they going to stick with this agreement once they see that it has to be accompanied by this big spending measure that is passed only with democratic votes? sen. warner: judy, i have been at this for weeks on end. it's been a lot of hours. there has never been any doubt that we were going to come back with reconciliation. one of the arguments that the republicans made was, let's do this in a more reasonable fashion, let's do this with the kind of policy agenda that they can agree to, because if they don't, as one republican senator said, my negotiating position was a little bit tough. if i say no, you guys will just go off and do it on your own in a much more extreme way. so there was no lack of understanding that there wou be a second step. whether leader mcconnell will

torpedo the effort, i hope not. going forward, i think we will have many more than republican senators signed up. i think it is important for the american public. president biden made this point today and senator collins and i reaffirmed it. the rest of the world, our adversaries, like putin in russia, president xi in china, argue to the rest of the world that american democracy just doesn't work that well anymore. i would argue this put points on the board in a broad bipartisan way, it's important in terms of echoing president biden's message that america's leadership is back and that we can be counted on. judy: senator mark warner of virginia, thank you so much for joining us. ♪ judy: our second major story

tonight is in the miami area where rescuers searched the ruins of a beachfront condominium building after it collapsed before dawn. at least one person was confirmed killed, but nearly 100 are missing. john yang reports. john chaos early this morning in : miami-dade county when part of a 12-story condo building suddenly collapsed. it happened around 1:30 a.m. in surfside, florida. emergency crews rushed to the scene to search for potential -- for people trapped in the rubble. the catastrophic destruction became more apparent as daylight broke. this is what part of the building looked like before, housing about half of the building's 130 units, now, just a pile of rubble. >> the building has literally pancaked. there's just feet in between stories where there was 10 feet. that is heartbreaking because it

doesn't mean to me that we're going to be successful, as successful as we would want to be to find people alive. john: search operations continued as many residents remained unaccounted for. a reunification site for residents and relatives was set up at a nearby community center. some embraced one another. others wept. nicholas fernandez has friends who live in the building. >> i came running here and i'm trying to see what's going on. and when i saw the building like , i'm just hoping that i'm dreaming. john: florida governor ron desantis toured the scene. >> the tv doesn't do it justice, i mean it is really really traumatic to see the collapse of a massive structure like that. john as the search for survivors : and victims continues, the search for the cause of the collapse begins. for the pbs newshour, i'm john yang. judy: for the latest on this, were joined by phone with the mayor of surfside, charles

burkett, who you just heard in john's report. mayer, thank you so much for talking with us. please tell us, what is the very latest on the search for survivors? and again, we are so sorry for the loss. >> thank you. the latest is we have all our resources focused on pulling people out of the rubble, and we will continue to do that until the job is done. there is no time limit on that. we will contue to do that until we finish. without a couple of setbacks, the weather has not cooperated as we would like, but we are back on track and running in full force. judy: there have been news reports of sounds coming from the rubble. can you confirm if that is the case? >> i was out there at 2:00 this morning, so it has been a long day of stops and starts. the dogs got here around 4:00 in the morning. we did have some hits, which is

good, but not enough. we did find a little boy in the rubble, which you probably are aware of. we have had other meaningful hits, although the work continues right now. judy: a little boy alive? and mr. mayor, is there a sense, do you have the materials you need, the people you need to pursue this as a rescue? >> i've had a call from the president of the united states. both of our united states senators have called me, the governor has been here. debbie wasserman schultz is here, and the mayor of dade county has been here on scene. the resources are unbelievable. we are not short of resources. we are just more short on luck right now, and we are hoping that is going to change. judy: is there any information

on what might have been the cause? >> this is the united states, we are a first world country. buildings do not fall down like this. these two buildings went down, notnlike what we saw in 2001. it was just a riffing. --t was horrific. there are no words for it, except we are dealing with it and we are going to stay on it until the job is done. the answer to your question is, no, we don't have any information on why this happened, other than a couple of theories. now is not the time for those theories, now is the time to save lives, and that is what i intend to do. judy: in connection with that, there are also reports that the building was about to undergo refurbishing, having to do with the structure. can you add anything to that? >> i don't know if that is

completely accurate. i know they were reroofing the building. as you know, buildings are reroofed all the time and they don't fall down. there was obviously something seriously wrong here, and we need to get to the bottom of it, and we will. but right now we are focused 100% on saving lives and pulling people out of that rubble, because that is all that matters. we will do it around the it is done. judy: no question about it, that is the priority. mayor charles burkett of surfside, florida. our thoughts are with everyone in the community. >> thank you for your help. ♪

vanessa: we will return to judy woodruff and the full show after the headlines. a moment of reckoning in canada grew even darker. indigenous groups announce investigators have found some 600 graves where a school once stood. the roman catholic church ran the school for indian children in saskatchewan am 1899-1990 seven. last month, two hundred 15 sets of remains were found at a sewer site -- similar site in british colombia. president biden pledge that thousands of interpreters will be evacuated as american forces leave. some 50,000 afghans could be relocated to other countries pending entry to the u.s. it is feared their lives could be in danger once a u.s. withdrawal is completed. the associated press reports the pullout will be largely finished in two weeks, after which roughly 650 troops are expected to remain to provide security for diplomats.

speaker of the u.s. house of representatives nancy pelosi has officially announced a select committee will investigate the january assault on the u.s. capitol. democrats had wanted a bipartisan commission, but senate republicans blocked that. today pelosi said congress cannot wait any longer to get the full story of january 6. >> it is imperative that we establish the truth of that day and ensure that an attack of that kind cannot happen and that we root out the causes of it all. the select committee will investigate the facts and the causes of the attack and make recommendations for the prevention of any future attacks. >> estate appeals court suspended rudy giuliani from practicing law in new york. the court condemned his false claims as president trump's attorney that the 2021 election was stolen. president biden hit the road today to push covid

vaccinations. his visit to raleigh, north carolina followed word that the nation will miss his goal of vaccinating 70% of u.s. adults at least partially by july 4. meanwhile, san francisco has become the first u.s. city to require that municipal workers be inoculated. the mandate takes effect once a vaccine has full federal approval. right now vaccines are being dispensed on an emergency basis. and hawaii will drop all testing and quarantine rules for vaccinated domestic travelers during -- starting two weeks from today. the biden administration has extended a ban on evictions for another 30 days to july 31 to help those unable to pay rent during the pandemic. but the cdc said today this is to be the final extension. on wall street today, stocks got a push from the news of the bipartisan infrastructure agreement in washington. the dow jones industrial average

gained 322 points to close at 34,196. the nasdaq rose to another record high. the s&p 500 added 24. still to come on the newshour, how the pandemic caused the largest drop in life expectancy since world war ii. the national growing controversy over teaching race in public schools, and much more. ♪ judy: troubling the 2018-20 20, u.s. life expectancy decreased i the biggest margin since world war ii. and the covid-19 pandemic took an outsized toll in the united

states, compared to other similar high income nations. >> as a whole, life expectancy in the u.s. dropped by nearly two years, but for black and brown amerins, the toll was even worse. among white americans, life expectancy dropped by 1.4 years, but for black americans it fell by 3.2 years. for latino americans, lifespans dropped by almost 3.9 years. what is more, when you compare these declines to similar nations like france, israel, or the netherlands, the drop in the u.s. was more than eight times higher. the lead author of the study just published in a british mecal journal director emeritus of the center on society and health at virginia commonwealth university at richmond. very good to see you. a striking study you have put out. for people who don't follow longevity trends the way you have, a nearly two year decline

in lifespan, how significant is that? >> is massive. that level of decline for people like us who study these data is so large that we haven't seen this kind of decline since world war ii. to gives people -- give people some perspective, a few years ago there was a fair amount of press coverage about declining life expectancy in the united states. for three consecutive years life expectancy was declining at the same time it was rising in other countries. this is considerably more. as you said, it's about 8.5 times the average decrease we've seen in." country's. >> as i mentioned, racial disparities in this report, what do you attribute that to? >> we've been tracking racial

disparities in health for generations. we anticipated a difference in the decrease in life expectancy for people of color, but we were really horrified by the magnitude, 3.3 years in african americans, 3.9 in hispanic americans. what jumps off the page when we see data like this is systemic racism. this is at the heart of why it is that generation after generation, people of color have experienced different health outcomes. skin color is not a biological reason for people to have higher death rates. race is really a social construct. what we are seeing is the effect of decisions and policies society has produced that limit opportunities for good health among people of color. >> certainly we saw that play out during the pandemic. even prior to the pandemic. about those comparisons to other

countries, these are countries that have similar health systems. they are wealthy, affluent, comparable to us in so many ways, and yet we are doing so much worse than they are. how do you explain that? >> is a trend that has been underway for many years. it is not for lack of spending on health care. we spent an enormous amount on health care in this country compared to other countries and have so for a long time. as a doctor, i will tell you that health care only accounts for 10-20% of our health care outcomes. we are falling short compared to other countries. our health care system could be better, but what is really driving the gap between the u.s. and other countries is really a lack of investment in our people, in social capital. >> can you tease that out a little bit more? that is a connection that people

often forget. what do you mean by that? >> things like access to education, income, stable jobs, a livable wage, stable housing, and being in a neighborhood environment that is good for your health. that matters far more to our health and what doctors and hospitals do. the public doesn't tip of the think of those is public -- typically think of those as public health issues. infrastructure, human capital investments, even housing instability or public health policies. >> it certainly seems that remedying those is more than just a vaccine that will help us with this particular virus at bay. talk about getting back to normal all the time, but it sounds like maybe normal is not the best way to be. >> we are delighted to see the pandemic receding into the rearview mirror, but normal is not a good place for us.

americans are dying earlier than people in other countries. we are sicker than people in other countries. that gap is widening. so not doing anything about it is only going to make matters progressively worse. and the legacy of systemic racism is with us still, regardless of whether the pandemic is over with. >> the role the opioid epidemic plate has certainly receded from the headlines, but we know that continues as a major driver. is it your sense that once we stop focusing on the virus we will realize that is still in ongoing undercurrent in our country? >> it is important to know it did not go away. in fact, it looks like overdose deaths have increased during the pandemic. having said that, although drug overdoses are the leading cause of rising mortality rates and much of our population, there are many other health conditions

where american health status is also deteriorating. it is ace to stemming -- a systemic problem causing us to fail relative to our peers. solving the opioid epidemic will not get the systemic problems resolved. >> is a complicated question, but are there obvious policy remedies that come out of this? it seems like this is another glaring red warning to our society that it is not about just a virus. do you have any suggestions for policymakers as to how we help dent this? >> the solutions relate to policies that people don't think of as medicine or public health. investments in broadening access to education, providing 21st century jobs, especially for parts of the country that have struggled the most with job loss, and where many of these death rates are increasing the

most, and dealing with inequities that people of color and low income communities have been struggling with for many years is going to do far more to address the problem then spending more on doctors and hospitals. >> dr. steven woolf, thanks for coming in. >> it's a pleasure. ♪ judy: critical race theory is a way of thinking and teaching about america's past and present by looking at the role of systemic racism. the very term itself, critical race theory, has become a political flashpoint across the country, especially when it comes to have to teach young people about justice and equity in america. the debate over its potential

role in the school curricula has set off a firestorm. >> next year, jamison maddox will be a senior here in loudoun county, virginia. his favorite subject is history, even though he felt black history was lacking. >> i think there could have been things happening in history that should have been taught. >> did you learn about juneteenth? >> no. >> his mother vanessa agrees. >> this is american history. all of it ould be taught in a certain context, and also age-appropriate. >> she and her husband raised both of their sons in this affluent northern virginia suburb over the last two decades. last year, vanessa joint of facebook route on antiracist

teaching in school. judy: what spurred you to join that group in the first place? >> there is a definite need for a group like this. i like to be surrounded by like-minded, fair-minded, equitable people. you don't have to think like me or be like me, but you do have to be antiracist. >> not everyone in loudoun county sees it that way. >> there are parents who are just sick of constantly being told, if you don't agree with me, you are a racist. >> he is a former trump administration justice department spokesman, now leading a group called fight for schools. pushing back on equity and inclusion measures. >> we are about teaching history in an objective way that is not represented as america is systemically racist. >> when you are looking at

systemic racism that exist within america's in cetacean oral -- institutions,? what are you looking at? >> making sure we are committed to meritocracy, but also when we are trying to figure out how to deal with any kind of social problems, we do not overstep and overreact. >> parents who agree are part of a growing group opposing what is called critical race theory, a graduate-level framework that examines how the legacy of slavery and segregation america is embedded in legal systems and policies. the thing is, critical race theory isn't being taught here. that did not stop dozens of parents from flooding a recent school board meeting to protest it. >> it should have no place in our schools. >> i would do everything i

possibly can to fight to the bitter end until you prove to me that you are not teaching our children that they are racist just because they are white. >> it echoes messaging ricocheting across right-wing media. >> i don't see critical race theory in our declaration of independence. >> much of it can be traced back to a directive by president trump to halt training that suggests the united states is an inherently racist or evil country. on his first day in office, president biden used an executive order to revoke the action. >> when i hear talk of critical race theory, it is an alarm system for me. it is a misrepresentation, a michigan use of the word. >> she is the director of

learning for justice, which offers resources for teachers to create antibias learning experiences. >> we need a classroom set up, we need a space that lets children know, you are welcome here. a space where we all are at the table together. >> the debate over which stories are included and how they are taught has fueled pushback. it's being leveraged as a catchall phrase by opponents of equity and inclusion efforts. in may, house republicans denounced it at a press conference. >> critical race theory is a divisive ideology. >> as did former president trump earlier this month. >> the biden administration is pushing toxic critical race theory. >> nationwide, republican lawmakers are now legislating on the idea. as of june 18, 25 states have

introduced bills or taken other steps to restrict education on racism and bias. texas, idaho, iowa, oklahoma, and tennessee, where bills have already been signed into law. arizona's proposed bill could meet a potential $5,000 penalty for teachers. the texas bill says teachers cannot be compelled to discuss current events, and if they do come they must drive to explore the topic from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference. some educators are holding teach the truth rallies, fighting what they call unwarranted legislation. >> i think we are raising up future voters who will not have a well -- well-rounded perspective on their own value in society. >> in new hampshire, a new bill would prohibit divisive concepts related to sex and race from schools. >> teachers would be under

pressure for severe censorship. it set up for people to report on you. it could have a chilling effect on what people teach in their classrooms. >> we set down with school superintendent scott zigler. >> we have said for months that we are not teaching critical race theory in our schools. we are not using any program to indoctrinate or convert our children. her equity work is all about doing what is best for children. >> outside probes found bla and brown students disproportionately disciplined in loudoun county. >> what was decided at the time was we need to endeavor on a systematic program to help our teachers, to give them the knowledge and understanding so they can have conversations around race, very open and very

honest and sometimes very tough conversations, so that they can make our schools better for students. >> the majority of teachers are white. this group launched this year in 2021. the superintendent says there -- says there is no critical race theory being taught. why are you arguing again something that is not being taught? >> being implemented through teacher trainings, and that ultimately drips down to how they teach our students. is not a subject, but it is a way of viewing the world. >> vanessa maddox says she and other parents will continue to push for equity in schools and more inclusive education around american history. >> opposition groups are saying we don't care if he teach like history or other parts that haven't been taught. we just don't want you to say that all white people are

people. that is not what equity states. that is not what we are saying. we are saying that all history should be taught, regardless of race. >> the school year in loudoun county has just ended. but what makes -- what makes your will look like is far from over. ♪ judy: a black we are poet and first-generation american whose work explores themes of manhood, vulnerability, and joy. his debut collection of poems was recently released and tonight he gives a brief but spectacular take on the call to

write and the world that shaped him. >> sometimes when i'm writing a poem, i don't feel entirely as if i'm writing it alone. i always have on my shoulders, langston hughes, james baldwin. i am writing for untold numbers of people. this poem is called -- the nerve of you, to think you could vesper in the feasts, that hymns could be coaxed into hip hop, that it would rope and lock into something resembling god, that you could stand the late shift without wilting, spirit legacy from the spaces between the words, speak in a voice that booms, not breaks.

fix your face to smile like your teeth wasn't yellow. be better than bitter. the more i read this point, the more i feel i'm channeling the thoughts and feelings of hundreds, thousands, millions of voices that we won't ever hear. i come from a long line from the caribbean who love to tell stories. i am the first person in my family to be born in the united states. since the age of 11 i was also aware that i was something that i wasn't supposed to be. i was gay. i didn't have the strength at 11, 12, 13, 14, to stand up and be my authentic self with my father. it wasn't until i got into

college that i felt like i had any positive role model to sort of show me how i could navigate the world in this queer body. i just was overcome this imperative to write a book. but then poems started coming, and it became a conversation about living in a fat, lack body in the world tries to predator and criminalize that body. how vulnerability is key to preserving your own authenticity inhumanity, that is maybe my definition of vulnerability. taking the risk of being known and hoping to be loved regardless. this is my brief but spectacular take on being me. judy: and you can see all of our brief but spectacular episodes at pbs.org/newshour/brief.

an online, any of the millions of workers forced out of a job by the pandemic have been slowly returning to work. but in many cases, they are looking to new industries all together, either by necessity or by choice. we hear from people across the country about how the pandemic has changed the way they work, and what they look for in a job, and how that might change the market. you can read more on our website, pbs.org/newshour. that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow. thank you, please stay safe, and we will see you soon. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by --

is your family ready for an emergency? you can prepare by mapping out two ways to escape your home, creating a supply kit, and including your whole family in practice drills. for help creating an emergency plan, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com

a little preparation will make you and your family safer in an emergency. a week's worth of food and water, radio, flashlight,

batteries and first aid kit are a good start to learn more, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com batteries and first aid kit are a good start [music plays] butter milk is a beautiful thing. like so many other southern ingredients it comes out of our desire to not waste anything. the avett brothers perform "will you return" i'm vivian and i'm a chef. my husband, ben and i were working for some of the best chefs in new york city when my parents offered to help us open our own restaurant. of course, there was a catch. we had to open this restaurant in eastern north carolina, where i grew up and said i would never return.