♪ >> good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, investigating the insurrection. nancy pelosi rejects two republican nominees to serve on the committee reviewing the capitol assault. summer surge. a spike in cases raises new concerns. we try answering basic covid questions at this critical moment. searching for justice. a unique summer camp aims to maintain connections between daughters andheir currently or formerly incarcerated mothers. >> the love between the mothers and daughters in our program is unconditional. they are our moms.

much more than a seven digit prison number. judy: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. ♪ ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- ♪ >> bnsf railway. consumer cellular. johnson and johnson. financial services firm raymond james. >> supporting social entrepreneurs and their solutions to the world's most pressing problems. skoll foundation.org. the lemelson foundation, committed to improving lives through intervention in the u.s. and developing countries.

on the web at lemelson.org. supported by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committed to a just, and peaceful world. 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. judy: the special congressional committee tasked with investigating the january sixth at the capitol is embroiled in a new partisan firestorm. an issue republican members will be allowed to participate. house speaker pelosi has the final say over who sits on the panel, and announced she would

reject two of the five members suggested by minority leader kevin mccarthy. in her statement, pelosi cited objections raised about representatives jim banks and jim jordan, and the impact of their opinions may have on the integrity of the investigation. mccarthy hit back saying if they could not serve, none of them would. he charged pelosi and democrats with an abuse of power. >> house democrats must answer this question. why are you allowing a lame-duck speaker to destroy this institution? this is the people's house, not pelosi's house. judy: now the sole republican on the select committee, congressman liz cheney, condemned her party's leader, but said it would not deter the remaining members from completing the work. >> every opportunity, the minority leader has attempted to

prevent the american people from understanding what happened, to block this investigation. this investigation must go forward. the idea anybody would be playing politics with an attack on the u.s. capitol is despicable and disgraceful. judy: here to piece together the events are lisa at the capitol now. you spoke to all of the players involved in this. take us through the decision -- surprising decision made by the speaker on such a high-profile issue. >> quite an unusual decision and unusual day. pelosi was able to do this because she herself set up this committee as a select committee of the house. and in the bill that set up this committee, it gave her the power to veto any republican choices from mr. mccarthy. she used that power today. i want to look at who we are

talking about. leader mccarthy made five appointments. look at the five faces of the people he wanted on the committee. two of them, jim jordan and jim banks were the ones she had issues with. the other three were going to be allowed to remain on the committee, but said they will not participate. so why them specifically? that is a question we have all been asking. jordan isn't someone who is seen as a potential material witness, because he worked with president trump's legal team on questions about the certification of the election. as for these two men, one reason it is raising eyebrows is because of their positions within the house. jim jordan, as many viewers will know, is the number one republican, the ranking republican on the judiciary committee. jim banks, also someone behind the scenes who is very important. he chairs the republican study

committee, the largest caucus. the majority of. republicans are in that group. both voted to object the election results on january sixth after the insurrection. but there are others named who also objected that pelosi did not remove. why was jim banks rejected? he is someone who is not seen as throwing punches the way jim jordan is. i'm told it is because of a statement representative banks made earlier this week about the committee itself. this was a statement becoming the ranking member on the committee. "make no mistake, nancy pelosi eated this committee solely to malign conservatives." on the one hand, it is normal partisan rhetoric in these very heated times, but talking to those around speaker pelosi, they say it was her call. they really want a serious investigation. their conclusion was representative banks and representative jordan would not be serious, would not lead to a serious investigation.

however, they say it is partisan tactics. democrats will use the issue in the next election. and they say it is a sham by pelosi. i asked how she responded to someone calling it playing politics. she said "perhaps you've mistaken me for someone who cares about that." so she doesn't really care about what republicans are saying about her. she's focused on what this committee is right now and what it will do. judy: where does it leave the investigation into january sixth? there is such high tension are ready between the parti over that. >> there will now be two investigations. republican leader mccarthy said his group will lead their own investigation. we don't know details. the other group, including ms. cheney and the democrats with her, will go forward. no timeline on that. the first hearing is next week. but all of this really inflames

the tensions that are just between the surface -- beneath the surface. i spoke to democrats who are angry. rank-and-file members are disappointed, both know it is a fragile time where they want to talk about infrastructure. but this kind of day leads to problems on almost every issue. judy: thank you, lisa. >> i am stephanie sy at newshour west. we will return to judy woodruff and the full show after the latest headlines. republicans in the u.s. senate blocked debate on a bipartisan infrastructure plan. the bill is not finished, but would fund roads, bridges, broadband, and other projects. republicans argued it was premature. democratic leaders said a procedural vote would speed things up. >> we are now in the fourth week

of negotiations since the bipartisan group of senators reached an agreement with the white house on an infrastructure framework. four weeks. according to the negotiators, spurred on by this vote this afternoon, they are close to finalizi their product. >> there is no outcome yet, no bipartisan agreement, no text. nothing for the congressional evaluate. and certainly nothing on which to vote. not yet. >> the bill could be ready by early next week, and there could be another vote then. the global computer chip shortage is forcing general motors to cut back most of its full-size pickup truck reduction in north america. the plants in the u.s. and one in mexico will start this month with plans to resume production in august. more than a dozen states have reached a legal settlement over opioid abuse worth 26 billion

dollars, with major u.s. distributors and drugmaker johnson and johnson. today's announcement says the companies would pay over 18 years. they would not admit to any wrongdoing. we will take a closer look later in the program. huge wildfires grew in oregon and california, spewing giant plumes of smoke --. the bootleg fire in southern oregon is half the size of rhode island. strong winds have blown smoke from the fire and others to the east coast. several major cities have issued air-quality alerts. pacific gas and electric, the large california utility announced it would bury 10,000 miles of power lines underground in an effort to prevent more wildfires. it could ct up to $20 billion. the company previously maintained it was too expensive to bury the lines. pg&e was found criminally liable for california's deadliest wildfire in 2018 and its equipment has been linked to the dixie fire, which is currently

burning. in central china, the death toll rose to at least 25 in catastrophic flooding. chinese troops blasted open a dam west of hard-hit junk joe, hoping to lower water levels. more video emerged of subway tunnels being inundated in the city a day earlier. three trains were at a standstill for more than 40 hours. the biden administration agreed to a plan for finishing the controversial nord stream 2 gas pipeline from russia to europe. previous u.s. administrations argued it would give moscow control over european energy supplies. today's agreement with germany means there will be no further u.s. sanctions to block the pipeline. >> to potentially undermine our relationship with germany, and send a signal to our allies and partners the world over that the u.s. is willing to throw us under important relationships,

that is not something that we were eager to do. >> critics of the deal said it amounted to giving russia a new geopolitical weapon. russia successfully launched a new science lab bound for the international space station after a decades long delay. the module will expand the space available for experiments and the cruise aboard the iss. russian space controllers will begin removal of an older module friday to make way for the new arrival. it is scheduled to dock at iss july 29. former movie mogul harvey weinstein pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault in los angeles. he's accused of attacking five women over nine years. he's already serving a 23 year prison term in new york for similar charges. he was extradited yesterday. a federal judge in arkansas has temporarily blocked a state ban on gender confirming treatments for transgender youth. the law says no one under age 18

should receive hormone therapy or related procedures. the ruling freezes the law until -- in court. covid-19 infections in tokyo hit a six-month high just before the summer olympics officially opened. several athletes also tested positive. the head of the who says the number of infection its is less imrtant than the response. >> in the coming tonight, is not zero cases. and i know that some cases have already been detected. the access is making sure any cases are identified, isolated, traced, and cared for as quickly as possible. >> olympic competitions also began, so a spoiler alert. we have the results of the u.s. women's soccer match, the first eventst these games. top-ranked americans were upset at sweden in their opening

match. it ends a 44 game unbeaten run for the u.s. team. they will try to rebound saturday against new zealand. an all-female announcing crew worked again last night. baltimore orioles play-by-play announcer and melanie newman and sarah lang's called the game between baltimore and tampa bay. there were joined by three female colleagues. still to come, a critical legal settlement for major drug companies for their role in the opioid crisis. we preview the next global climate meeting and the goals that must be met. a summer camp aims to maintain connections between daughters and their incarcerated mothers. much more. >> this is the pbs newshour, from weta studios in washington, and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. judy: the rise of new covid

infections is prompting evermore questions about how people should respond. the cdc added to the sobering picture of the pandemic impact in u.s. life expectay has fallen by 1.5 years. the largest one-year decline since world war ii. black and hispanic americans were hit the hardest. at times, dropping by more than three years. a big decline is mainly due to the pandemic. john yang looks at some of the key questions people are asking as the delta variant spreads. reporter: while new cases are rising in all 50 states, the heaviest concentrations are being reported in the deep south and a few other states, like missouri. more than a 99% of new hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated. even though deaths remain very low, there is new anxiety about where the pandemic could be headed in this country.

a professor of family medicine at georgetown university, and senior medical advisor to physicians for human rights, also advises weta, which owns the newshour. thanks for being with us. how concerned should people, especially people who are fully vaccinated, how concerned should they be about the current situation? >> i think we should not freak out, but we should be concerned, the pandemic is not over. it is not over globally. it is not over in the u.s. i think some caution, even if you are fully vaccinated, is warranted, given how fast and wide the delta variant is a spreading. >> explain how someone who is fully vaccinated could get infected right now. and once infected, how likely is the chance they will transmit or pass the virus along? >> i think what you are talking about is the so-called breakthrough infections. i want to make sure people

recognize that they are normal and expected, and it is not unusual to have breakthrough infections. there is nothing different about the covid vaccine than other vaccines in that regard. the vaccines, however, work how they should, prevent hospitalizations, as you mentioned. i would liken it to perhaps wearing a seatbelt in a car. you're in a car with your seatbelt on, you can still get involved in an accident, bump against somebody, but the seatbelt would protect you. you will not fly through the windshield. thinking about the covid vaccine in the same manner, it is very protective, it does a good job preventing you from getting sick, dying, being hospitalized. but you can still be infected. most likely if you are infected, you will either have no symptoms, or very light symptoms. >> should people who are fully vaccinated go back to wearing mas?

a lot of people stopped once they got the full vaccine. the cdc guidelines are if you are outdoors and indoors, you can go without. >> i think it depends on one's personal characteristics and the setting. i don't wear a mask, i'm fully vaccinated. i don't wear a mask in the house, when i'm with friends, we are fully back unaided. or when i go -- fully vaccinated. or when i go outside, many people who may not be vaccinated, or i don't know their vaccination status, i wear a mask inside restaurants, stores. any time there is a gathering, and you don't know the vaccination status of the people around you, it is prudent to wear a mask. if you have family members who are more at risk, children who cannot be vaccinated, or sick family members, or you yourself, are at a higher risk, because you are older, immunocompromised. . i think all of these situations and settings are when i would recommend wearing a mask.

even if you are fully vaccinated. >> talked about if your immune system is somehow compromised. should those people be thinking about getting an extra shot, a third dose if you got the mrna vaccines? along those lines, are -- what is the latest thinking about booster shots? >> this is one of the most common questions i have gotten these days. with a 50% vaccination right around the u.s. -- rate around the u.s., the delta variant spreading, there is an urgency to get more people vaccinated. but i'm not convinced a third dose is what we need. first of all, the science is not really there about whether it is warranted for the general population. perhaps it is for vulnerable people, or those who are immunocompromised. i also want to point out

something, looking through a public health lens or a health equity lens, we need more people in the u.s. and across the world get there first and second shot. not to start worrying about getting a third shot. so if you think globally, for every one person being vaccinated in a low income country, about 117 people get vaccinated in a high income country. this is the type of inequity that is hurting all of us. if we want to slow down the pandemic, and i think we all do, the priority should be to get people to get there first and second shots as soon as possible , rather than start worrying about providing a third dose to some people who already had a full dose of the vaccine. >> thank you very much. >> absolutely, thank you for having me.

judy: the consequences of extreme weather are here and unmistakable. a human because climate change -- a human caused climate change is making it more severe. we examine a pivotal upcoming moment in addressing the climate crisis. it is part of our collaboration with covering climate now. a consortium of media organizations reporting on climate change. reporter: there is a new cop on the climate beat. he is pushing hard to hold the usual suspects accountable. he's president of the 26th nference of parties, or cop 26. cops are the summits where the real heavy lifting gets done to mount a global campaign to arrest the climate emergency. cop 26 will be held in glasgow,

scotland this november. he calls it a last chance to avoid the worst effects of climate change. what do you consider your biggest challenge as president of cop 26? >> the biggest challenge is ensuring we are persuading countries to come forward with ambitious commitments. >> nearly three quarters of nations, framework convention on climate change, have now pled net zero carbon emissions by 2050. >> everyone needs to play their part. the overall -- the overarching message i would like to come out is that we have done enough as a world to keep 1.5 within reach. >> 1.5, as in degrees celsius, or 2.7 degrees fahrenheit. it is the amount of warming above preindustrial levels set as a desired goal in the 2015 paris climate agreement, which

the trump administration reneged on and the biden administration rejoined. >> i am very pleased we have an administration on the front line in the fight against climate change. it was telling onef the first executive orders president biden gned was on rejoining the pas agreement. i think it was a real message to e world the u.s. is back, and the u.s. will work alongside other countries in tackling climate change. reporter: the climate has already warmed more than one degree celsius in the industrial era. the evident effects are multiplying. the heat wave in the pacific northwest, and flooding in germany just two of the most recent deadly events linked to a warming pnet. >> the last decade was the hottest on record. that is why it is vital the world comes together in november, so we can reach an agreement, consensus, and we can say with credibility we have kept one point five alive.

>> rich nations promise to provide $500 billion over five years to the developing world, produce emissions, and help them adapt to the consequences of a fast changing climate, which they shoulder disproportionately for lack of resources to adapt. but so far, the promise has been largely empty. only a small fraction of the money has been sent. >> as i say to all donor countries, if they are able to do more, they certainly should. what the u.s. does will be vitally important. i was impressed with the summit president biden organized, where he saw further commitments from countries around the world. >> i'm curious if it is part of your strategy to persuade not just thexecutive branch, but the legislative branch of government? >> i think across the u.s., in states, both democrat and

republican, you are seeing a desire for climate action. when i began in the u.s., i looked forward to meeting a range of people and do my bit to try and persuade them of the need to tackle climate change head-on. >> it seems to me public opinion is ahead of politicians. >> i think on the basic conversations i've had, we have reached that inflection point. there is a shared view. i think climate has gone mainstream. there are countries i visit where -- in fact, the business community will behave for the government policy. and i say please tell your government you are ready to change. reporter: in many cases, change is happening, in spite of political apathy or antipathy. in 2012, 40% of the electricity in the u.k. was generated by burning coal.

today, it is less than 2%. wind turbines, many of them offshore, now created a quarter of the electricity here. that number is on the rise fast. >> the world is moving, in terms of a clean energy transmission. all g-7 nations have stepped forward and will not finance any more coal in countries, internationally as well. >> he's convinced at cop 26 they will consign coal to history's ash bin. he sees it as a key goal for the last chanc summit. for the pbs newshour, miles o'brien. judy: it has taken more than two years of negotiations, but a number of states have now agreed

to a settlement with three large drug distributors and johnson & johnson for their roles in the opioid epidemic. half a million deaths over two decades are attributed to the growth of opioids and fatal overdoses. the settlement would release these companies from legal liability. william brangham has details. >> the three distributors, cardinal health, amerisourcebergen, and mckesson, are accused of turning a blind eye to enormous suspect shipments of opioids. they will pay 20 $1 billion over 18 years. johnson and johnson, which made an opioid component, was accused of downplaying the addictive properties of their drugs. it will pay 5 billion dollars over nine years. many states must review the settlement, determine how much they will get, and decide if they will sign on. johnson & johnson is a funder of the newshour, for the record. let's get perspective on one of the attorneys general involved

in these negotiations. william tong of connecticut. great to have you back on the newshour. you have been a strong critic of other negotiations and settlements with regards to the opioid crisis. why do you think this is a strong one? >> this one goes to a significant degree to putting necessary funding for treatment and prevention out to cities, towns, states, families, victims across the country. and people need help right now. other than the pandemic and the covid crisis, the worst public health crisis in america is the opioid and addiction crisis. it claims almost 100,000 lives every year across the country. more than 1000 people, 1000 families in connecticut wrecked every single year by the opioid and addiction crisis. it does more than $10 billion in damage tour state alone.

so we need help now. this is a huge down payment for the coming years for every community to manage our way through this crisis. >> you touched a bit on what some of the money would be used for. tell us more on how that would be spent, and just as importantly, how do you protect against it getting diverted to non-addiction related sources? >> by its very terms, this very large settlement wl go towards abatement. this $26 billion deal represents the second largest cash settlement in history of any litigation in american history, exceeded only by the big tobacco settlement over 20 years ago. we wanted to make sure the money goes directly to treatment, prevention, addiction science, victims, and their families, and helping people through the long road to recovery.

by its terms, it directs that money to treatment and prevention. it makes sure that money gets to not just states, but the agreement for cities, towns, and municipalities on the front lines of this battle. >> the companies themselves still argue they did not do anything wrong, they were making and distributing a legal, authorized product. >> the implication is this avalanche of lawsuits is what forced them to the negotiating table, and now this settlement. what do you make of that argument? >> this settlement provides for a good amount and a good deal of accountability and justice for victims and their families. there's not enough money in the world to the race the pain -- to erase the pain and suffering those who have endured an opioid and addiction crisis. there is not enough justice we can produce for each of these families.

but this goes a long way to honoring their pain and suffing by funding treatment and prevention, and doing everything we can to provide as much justice as we can. the truth is, the three major drug distributors distribute almost all of the prescription drugs in this country, including all of the opioid and prescription pain medication. they played a central role in moving these pills across the country that were often diverted and over prescribed. johnson and johnson played a central role in providing material for producing opioid pain medications and producing their own opioid products. so the facts are there for everyone to see. the 26 billion dollars settlement is a recognition of the responsibility of the responsibility the distributors and johnson & johnson must take for their role in this crisis. >> the states still need to look

this over and approve it. that is not a guarantee. do you think this amount will be enough to persuade them all two and affirm this deal? >> i know all of the states know this is the second largest cash settlement in history. they know we've only done better once before, that was with tobacco. we know how hard thihas been to negotiate this over several years. there have been many times when it wasn't clear that this would happen. the states persevered. cities and towns -- there are more than 4000 cases pending now in a federal courtroom in cleveland, ohio. it is the multidistrict litigation court, where al of the opioid cases are managed. to resolve the cases with 56 states, territories, districts, cities, towns with their own

claims, it is such a huge undertaking that only with the full cooperation of almost all of the states and their attorneys generals, democrats, republicans, cities and towns, plaintiffs, victims across the country, all of everyone's hard work and combined effort could we get to this point. i have a lot of confidence from this point forward, everyone will see how important a deal this is, and people will embrace it and ratify it. >> as you well know, purdue pharmaceuticals, the maker of oxycontin, is in separate negotiations, where they will declare bankruptcy, reorganize their corporation, and pay upwards of $4 million. some states have said where do you feel on that? >> i am a hard know on this deal. i'm joined by eight other states who reject the deal because it does not provide enough justice.

the sackler's take no responsibility for their role -- their singular role in the opioid and addiction crisis. this money just isn't enough relative the amount of pain and damage they have caused. >> attorney general william tong, thank you for being here. judy: estimates show more than 5 million children in the u.s. have had an incarcerated parent. the number of women behind bars in america source, little is known about the impact on the children the women leave behind. -- went to texas to meet some of those children, and reported how one organization is keeping young girls connected with their mothers. it is part of our ongoing series, searching for justice. >> how was your day, mom? >> it was good, how was yours?

>> it was good. >> for one hour every month -- >> you better show me your outfit -- reporter: this is her only contact with her mom. >> you look beautiful today. . thank you, mom. reporter: she was only two in 2011 when her mom was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder. she now lives in dallas with her grandparents and nine other family members. her mom's prison is two hours away in texas. she has not been able to visit during the pandemic. >> do you know when you will see her next? >> no. >> is it hard to think about sometimes? >> yeah. >> it is ptty. reporter: staying connected over video causes hard. but on this day, lila was all smiles. excited to talk about a unique camp she has been attending for the last few years. >> i'm really excited. >> how long ago did you start

packing? >> two weeks ago. >> wire you so excited for camp? >> because it is really fun over there. >> organized by the nonprofit girls embracing mothers, it brings together about 20 girls, all of whom have mothers who are either currently or formerly incarcerated. >> children with incarcerated parents are the most at risk, yet least visible, population of children. reporter: brittany barnett is an attorney in dallas. her own mother spent two and a half years in the texas state prison system on drug charges. what are these girls missing while their mothers are imprisoned that you are helping them get? >> love, empowerment, encouragement. i remember visiting my mom for the first time in prison and not being able to touch her. we had to visit through the glass. i was devastated of my mom being so close, yet so far away. reporter: across the country,

women ke up the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population. over the last 40 years, the number of women behind bars has skyrocketed by more than 700%. in texas, which locks up more than any other state, more than 80% of inmate females are mothers. despite the numbers, little is known about the children of incarcerated mothers. >> we don't hear a lot about them. there is a lack of data. even the number of children who have a parent incarcerated in texas, we don't know. i don't understand how this country can invest $80 billion a year in incarceration and not track the outcomes, the data, the collateral consequences of mass incarceration, which are children. reporter: the camp is a refuge held in the woods just outside of dallas. the goal is to show these girls, some as young as seven, that they are not alone.

>> i have been in gem since i was about six. >> i'm 14. i'm going to the 10th grade. >> experts say this kind of support is crucial to breaking the cycle of incarceration. children with incarcerated parents are at greater risk of dropping out of school, experiencing mental health issues, and homelessness, all factors that put them at greater risk of being incarcerated themselves. but every year for three summer days, this camp is their home. in many ways, the camp is like any other summer camp. the girls bunk in cabins. >> due to the right. >> they do trust building exercises. they go swimming. there is a camp fire and s'mores. when i sat down with a group of girls, they shared with this family means to them. >> i have been in gem for three

or four years. reporter: when her mom went to prison five years ago, the program kept them connected with regular visits pre-pandemic. her mother was released in 2019. >> we were really close, then she went to prison and fell apart. i was able to get back with her. now we are really close. >> this is chloe, she is 14. how old were you when your mom went to prison? >> three. >> how long was she inside? >> until i was 12. on the outside, when you tell people your mom is in jail, they think she is a bad person. but everybody here understands. >> what do they understand? >> that just bause you did something bad doesn't mean you are a bad person. >> the counselors here understand, too. they are all volunteers, many formerly incarcerated, including britney's mom, now a nurse at a drug rehabilitation center kweilyn: she was released -- . she was released nearly 13 years ago, but to this day, she still

remembers the inmate number given to her by the texas department of criminal justice. >> a bittersweet number, 1374671 . no matter what my number was, it is great to have support. it is great to not feel alone. and we watched the girls when they came into the program, when they meet other girls going through the same thing, we watch them not be so timid, or shy, or ashamed. reporter: sharonda jones runs the camp kitchen. she has been volunteering since she was released more than five years ago after 16 years of a life sentence for a conspiracy conviction. >> it made me think of my daughter and the terms, when i left she was eight. that is a different feeling. these are little girls. a lot of times at school, you are ashamed, you are not talking about this.

to bring them together like this and make it complete, understanding each other, makes my day. >> she is free now because barnett fought for her, advocating for six years to get her released, until president obama granted her clemency in 2015. barnett documented that fight in her memoir last year, "a knock at midnight." in total, she has helped free more than 30 clients facing life sentences for drug crimes. >> i see her, and i have such a mixed batch of emotions. happiness that she is free, sadness to even think the laws of this country would allow her to be sentenced to life. and to think about what that means. sharonda jones was serving the same amount of time in prison as the unabomber. what sense does that make? reporter: the camp is a source of comfort for the girls. counselors push them to consider what they are capable of.

over an hour after her first attempt at archery, lilo learns what she can do. and 17-year-old natalie pens her first lines of poetry ever. >> i'm strong, i'm not an object to be locked away, but a woman who pushes through these challenges and comes out stronger. reporter: natalie's mother served six months in prison and was released in 2016, just two months before she passed away. >> my mom went through a lot of things raising us. she raised five kids alone. she really had to find strength in herself to be able to take care of us. >> she passed it down to you. >> you know that about yourself. does it feel good to write this on paper? >> yes. i have been through a lot of hard things in my life. i would like to believe i'm stronger than before i had to go through them. reporter: barnett knows camp is an escape.

after three days, the girls go home. the struggle to stay connected to their mothers continues. >> we can only do what we can to help reduce the trauma that is a result of maternal incarceration. and the bond and the love between the mothers and daughters in our program is unconditional. they are our moms. there are much more than a seven digit prison number assigned by the texas department of criminal justice. reporter: for the pbs newshour, in dallas. ♪ >> with a summer in full swing, you may be wondering what books to take along on vacation, or enjoy at home. jeffrey brown talks to two writers who have answers to that question. it is part of our arts and culture series, canvas.

>> books helped many of us get through the last year. to help us keep up the reading into summer, we are joined by gloria adam, founder of the book club well red black girl. her new anthology comes this fall. and -- corrigan, professor at georgetown university. it is nice to see both of you. gloria, you want to start with fiction? >> right now, i am obsessed with liberty. it is a great book. full of ch historical detail. it is inspired by the first black docrs during the reconstruction era. she takes us on this beautiful ride learning about the young woman who is trying to find herself, full of great detail. when it comes to fiction, i'm loving rom coms. jasmine milroy has a new book, and so does tia williams. "seven days in june" is the kind

of story you feel you are talking to your best friend. a little bit of cringing moments, but a lot of heartfelt laughter. >> give us a few fiction novels. >> the writer i hope everyone will read, especially if they have never read her before, is a lorry:. she died in the 1990's. she wrote five novels, two short story collections, and two collections of food writing. she is wonderful, smart, so funny, and droll, emotionally complex. two of her publishers are reprinting everything she wrote. so i would grab family happiness and any of her other wonderful novels to celebrate what we hope is the end of the pandemic. the other book i recommend is the final revival by donnie walton. it is a wonderful simulacrum of a rock oral history.

it is fun to read, because of a lot of different styles, and people trying to pursue their dreams and what they do to achieve those dreams. >> how about a couple of nonfiction picks? >> i'm reading somebody's daughter by ashley ford right now. it is really insightful. it looks at ashley's life as she is trying to understand what has happened between her and her father. her father was incarcerated, and she's like coming-of-age trying to amend their relationship. i am also reading goodbye by johnny son. it is a collection of essays and reflections. he has stories looking at plans and thinking about what they mean and where they are in the world, and being in another space and what it means to welcome others in your home, what you call home. he does a great job of welcoming the reader in. >> before we start, you told me

you were immersed in fiction. how about a couple of nonfiction picks? >> i have a few picks. republic of detours just came out. it is about the federal writers project during the great depression. government wanted to put broke writers to work, and came up with this idea of putting people to work, writing guides to all of that then 48 states. people like ralph ellison, john chivers, they were put to work on this project. it is an amazing story, tons of wonderful anecdotes and vivid writing. i would also recommend the notes on grief for people who want to get in touch with some of the heavier emotions that we have just been through. she is writing about the death of her father. she is a spectacular writer.

she really probes those emotions of what it means when life feels really fragile. >> i wonder what you see happening now, in terms of reading impact from the last year, or publication impact. >> the last few months have been the most diverse list of books i have seen in my 30 plus years as a reviewer. so i do think there's more of a responsiveness on the part of the publishing industry to begin to try to diversify what has been historically a very white industry. the other thing that is happening that is so interesting, i am a big fan of suspense fiction. i would say almost every suspense novel i pick up these days has a plot line about cultural appropriation, or appropriation of someone else's words. the plot by jean hanft

correlates, a wonderful suspense writer. it takes place in an mfa program, a lot of resentment and bad behavior, but also the plot about a man appropriating a woman's words. the other black girl is also a story about appropriation. it is about a young woman of color in the publishing industry, historically a very white industry. it's got this subplot about stealing someone else's story. i think there is this paranoia about people not having control of their own stories and really filtering into the suspense fiction. >> what trends do you see happening? >> i would agree that there is a wave of diversity happening, and more voices focused on cultural

appropriation, race relations. i'm a huge fan of "the other black girl." it also feels like it is more character driven. there is more essay collections coming out. i feel i have been reading so many great essay collections focused on abstract topics, memoirs that are not linear in fashion, really more experimental and almond guardian nature. i think we can do more experimentation when it comes to publishing the net space. >> thank you both very much. judy: and we close with how the city of milwaukee is celebrating its first national basketball championship in 50 years. it is a delirious moment for a city and small-market team that had finished short of its

expectations for several years. milwaukee last won wh the great kareem abdul-jabbar. luau sender, and oscar robinson. fans are cheering the team and the new superstar leader who became the seventh player in nba history to score 50 or more points in a finals game. stephanie sy has the story. >> it is over. the bucks have done it. the long wait has ended. after a half-century, the milwaukee bucks are nba champions once again. >> a city ecstatic. the milwaukee bucks lifting up the larry o'brien trophy, defeating the phoenix suns in game six of the nba finals. giannis scored 50 points, snatched 14 rebounds, and posted five blocks in a virtuoso performance, earning him the finals mvp award.

on his big night, he remembered where it all began. >> i started playing basketball just to help my family, trying to get them out of the struggle. the challenges we were facing when we were kids. i never thought ever i would be sitting in this chair with these guys right here. >> born in greece to nigerian parents, he and his brother sold trinkets on the streets to survive. he faced racism and hardship. but in greece today, he is a hero. at the cafe where he used to grab juice and a sandwich before basketball practice, they celebrate. >> he has brought not only basketball, but supporting role models back to this generation >> he's no longer giannis from sue polio, he is giannis from the entire world. >> he first made a name for

himself in athens, and became known as the greek seek for his 6'11" inch frame combined with explosive athleticism. a force to be sure, but he did not pull off the championship alone. khris middleton made key plays in the playoff run. middleton and giannis have played eight seasons together after ginanis'initial contract expired, there were rumors he might leave. but the two-time mvp vowed to stay with milwaukee. last night, it paid off. >> eight and a half years ago, i did not know where my next move would come from. my mom was stealing stuff in the street. now i am here on top of the top. don't let anybody tell you what you can't be or what you cannot do. people told me i can't make free throws. i made my free throws tonight. and i'm a freaking champion. reporter: and freaking hungry. >> can i have a 50 piece, not

51, not 49, chicken minis. >> to honor snapping a 50 year title drought with a 50 point performance, a drive-thru meal fothe champ. for the pbs newshour, 'm stephanie sy. judy: you've got to feel uplifted by that, no matter what team you are for. on the newshour online, we look at four sports making their debut at the tokyo olympics, and they aim to draw younger fans to the games. find it on pbs.org/newshour. that is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and here tomorrow evening. thank you, please stay safe, we will see you soo >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service and

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