captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, steering the economy-- president biden nominates jerome powell to a second term as chair of the federal reserve, amid increasing concerns over rising prices. then, parade tragedy-- new details emerge on the man suspected of driving through a christmas parade in wisconsin, killing five and injuring dozens, many of them children. and, the pandemic in europe-- protests erupt across the continent as countries struggling to contain the virus implement new restrictions. >> europe at the moment is certainly seeing a big upsurge in cases and deaths th autumn. we are certainly the epicenter of activity at this point in time.

>> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fidelity is here to help you work through the unexpected, with financial planning and advice for today, and tomorrow.

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and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: president biden has ended weeks of speculation over who will chair the federal reserve, amid mounting economic dangers. he nominated jerome powell today, to a second, four-year term. and, he chose lael brainard for vice chair. we'll get details, after the news summary. a town outside milwaukee is in mourning after a sunday holiday procession took a sharp turn into tragedy. a vehicle ran over marchers, killing five and injuring 48. stephanie sy has our report. >> sy: a child dancing on main street-- a red s.u.v. hurtles by, just missing her.

this was the moment everything changed at the christmas parade in waukesha, wisconsin. that s.u.v. stormed past barricades, plowing through a crowd full of little kids, grandmas, and parade performers celebrating the return of the beloved tradition that covid had cancelled last year. this year's theme-- “comfort and joy.” >> people were crying. i'm sure-- i saw some people who saw their family members get hit. that really shook me too. because i can't imagine having to see that. >> sy: cell phone videos captured the panicked moments. >> he got hit? >> he got hit, yes. >> oh my god, okay, take care of him. there's paramedics outside. >> sy: 19-year-old jaden singsime and his mother jodi are still in shock. >> it happened so suddenly and so quick and the truck came out of nowhere and all of the sudden you just hear the sound of people getting hit-- >> the sound was crazy. >> the sound was scarring and so was the image of it and just seeing that happen to innocent people and seeing the aftermath,

just what goes through your mind is just really pure confusion and anger. >> sy: a police officer opened fire on the vehicle, but then stopped when he realized he was shooting near a crowd. >> sy: police arrested darrel brooks not far from the scene. >> i want to dispel some rumors. there was no pursuit that led up this incident. this is not a terrorist event. >> sy: they say he was fleeing a domestic disturbance when he careened through the parade. brooks faces five counts of intentional homicide, for each person that died. the victims range in age from 52 to 81. virginia sorenson, leanna owen, tamara durand, jane kulich, and wilhelm hospel. waukesha mayor shawn reilly faced his grieving community. >> i saw all the happy children

sitting on the curb. i saw all the happy parents behind their children. today our community faced horror and tragedy in what should have been a community celebration. >> sy: tonight, a number of children are in hospitals, in critical or serious condition. and main street is a crime scene. for the pbs newshour, i'm stephanie sy. >> woodruff: a jury in georgia has begun debating murder charges against three white men accused of chasing down and killing ahmad arbery last year. deliberations started after prosecutors painted the shooting as racially-motivated. the defense insisted it was self-defense, as the two sides spoke in closing arguments. >> all three of these defendants made assumptions. made assumptions about what was going on that day, and they made their decision to attack ahmaud arbery in their driveways, because he was a black man

running down the street. >> it is absolutely horrific and tragic that this happened. this is where the law is intertwined with heartache and tragedy. you are allowed to defend yourself. >> woodruff: once the state murder case is resolved, the three men also fe federal hate crimes charges. a congressional committee wants to hear from more allies of former president trump, as it investigates the january assault on the u.s. capitol. longtime supporter roger stone was subpoenaed today. so was alex jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist of "info- wars." former president trump's longtime personal lawyer completed his three-year prison sentence today. michael cohen served most of it in home confinement after admitting he broke campaign finance laws and lied to congress. he said he will continue

cooperating with investigations related to mr. trump. another major investigation has concluded that former governor andrew cuomo sexually harassed multiple women. the findings, by a state assembly panel, reinforce those by the state attorney general. the investigators also say that, despite his denials, cuomo made heavy use of his staff for a book he was writing. this was the deadline for the federal work force to be vaccinated, at president biden's directive. white house officials announced this afternoon that the vast majority of federal workers complied. >> the federal government has achieved 95% compliance. and 90% of the 3.5 million federal workers are already vaccinated. so ware successfully implementing vaccination requirements for the largest workforce in the united states, with federal employees in every part of the nation and around the world.

>> woodruff: meanwhile, a nationwide lockdown took effect in austria to slow a spike in infections. other parts of europe are facing violent protests over new covid restrictions. we'll return to this, later in the program. in sudan, reinstated prime minister abdalla hamdok said today he will be allowed to form an independent government. he's signed an agreement with military leaders after they ousted him last month. sunday's deal drew pro-democracy protesters into the streets. they said it just provides a cover for the military power grab. chile now faces a december run- off in its most polarizing presidential racin decades. ultra-conservative congressman antonio kast placed first in sunday's election, pledging to crack down on crime and illegal immigration. leftist candidate gabriel boric, a former student protest leader, came in a close second. the international olympic committee is defending a video

call between president thomas bach and chinese tennis player peng schwei. the i.o.c. says she confirmed in the sunday call that she is safe and well. peng had disappeared from public view aer accusing a former top chinese official of sexual assault. and, on wall street today, the dow jones industrial average gained 17 points to close at 35,619. the nasdaq fell 202 points, more than one percent, as climbing interest rates hurt major growth stocks. the s&p 500 slipped 15. still to come on the newshour: why the rittenhouse and arbery cases are sparking questions about self defense laws. former new jersey governor chris christie discusses the state of the republican party. singer-songwriters robert plant and alison krauss reunite for a new album. plus much more.

>> woodruff: as we reported, president biden has nominated jay powell for a second term as federal reserve chairman. and his decision comes at a tricky moment. job growth has been better than expected, even as the country grapples with covid, but inflation is at its highest in decades concerns powell, and lael brainard as fed vice-chair, will have to balance if confirmed. david wessel is with the hutchins center on fiscal and monetary policy at the brookings institution. and joins us now. david, welcome back to the newshour. so we know that chairman powell was reported to be looking seriously at both-- i'm sorry

president biden was looking seriously at both jay powell and lael brainerd, why is it thought he went with powell. >> i think the president said it clearly in his press conference this afternoon. he said he was looking for stability and independence. stability in that given the tricky time of the economy as you pointed out, having a familiar face, someone with a track record now was a plus. secondly, jay powell stood up to donald trump and president biden made a point of saying that this was popular with both democrats and republicans, powell was confirmed as chair 84-13, with nine democrats voting against him and four republicans voting against him. >> first go round. >> the first go round. >> this time i suspect the white house knows that they're not going to get all 50 democrats, but they'll get enough republicans to push him over the edge. >> so thinking about getting him, one of them confirmed. >> correct. >> there has been this air of uncertainty hanging over the fed, if you will, wle we're

waiting to see what president biden was going to do. how is it now expected that policy is going to change or stay the same? >> well, i think the fed is under a lot of pressure to change policy to move more quickly to pull back on their bond purchases. it's known as the taper in the trade and raise interest rates some what sooner than they anticipated. because as you pointed out inflation has been high. i think that the fed has been a bit paralyzed by indecision at not knowing who the chair was going to be, now they know the team will be powell is chair, brainerd is vice chair. it gives them more flexibility if they want to speed up the process of tightening policy or taking their foot off the accelerator, if you will. but i think that both powell and brainerd have made clear that they are going it to be very patient. they're not panicking about this increase in inflation. they're not taking larry summers advice, they're sayk we are going to wait and see because we

believe inflation pressures will abate. >> woodruff: and what gives them that confidence because we know several months ago the administration and the fed were saying okay no, inflation is not going to last. >> i think they are a little less confident than they were, you are beginning to see them change their words. the current vice chair rich clar i hada made a comment the other day that suggested that maybe they would speed things up. i think they look at the data and they are thinking that much of the inflation is covid related. and they expect it to abate. and they're willing to be patient and take a risk. but there is pressure from both inside the fed and outside to say how much more do you need to see before you begin to tighten. >> and what effect is that likely to have on ordinary americans? >> i think that the brainard powell team is likely to go very slow on raising interest rates, and be very much aware of the fed's maximum employment mandate. so i think it means that the economy will run hotter.

but i think that it also means that now that they know that they have their secure positions, they're not confirmed but they have the president's blessing, it gives them the freedom to pull back on the accelerator a little more than they had planned because inflation s been so tough. and they know, you can see both powell and brainerd said in their comments today they know there is a lot of public attention on inflation, it is not just some bond market vigilante, it is ordinary americans. >> so if you are mr. or mrs. or misamerica sitting at home looking at this thinking how is this going to feak me. >> i think it means there will be very little abrupt change at the fed. it means that they will probably be raising interest rates in 2022, but they will do it very, very gradually. >> let's talk about lael brainerd, nomination, been on the fed since 2014, a lot of speculation as you said about whether president biden would make her the chair. she has been named the vice chair.

she is known to have stricter, to be in favor of stricter bank regulations. >> right. >> what role is she expected to play? >> so monetary policy, i think the biden administration decided the most important thing the fed does is manage the economy, manage interest rates. and in this new role lael brainerd will be one of the three people who really coordinate's monetary policy, the chair, the vice chair and the president of the new york fed. it it looks like she chose not to take the other vice chair job, that for bank supervision, so i suspect that when the president announces his choice for that job, it will be some one who is similarly tough on banks the way lael brainerd would have be about. and the fed will have the two vice chairs, one responsible for banking supervision and one really backing up that person being tough on the banks, so there was some relief among bank stocks, they are relieved lael brainerd isn't going to be the vice chair for supervision, i think that is a mistake, biden is going to appoint somebody

tough on banking, they will have to. >> but all in all, david wesselk a move that sends a message to people who watch the markets, who watch the economy of continue out. >> continue out. the fed is operating under a new framework and it's one that brainerd and powell both wrote. the fact that they come up together, a leadership team, looks to me like both of them wi be confirmed. i think it gives people, it removes one big uncertainty that has been looming over the market. and in fact the economy. and it gives the feds a little more confidence that they can make the move they need to make. >> david wessel, with the brookings institution, thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> woodruff: a stark warning today from outgoing german chancellor angela merkel on the fourth wave of covid-19 sweeping her country: it's "worse than anything we've seen", she said. winter is coming across europe,

and with it a spike in infections, alongside a spe in anger at restrictions put back in place, again, to slow the spread. special correspondent trent murray reports. >> reporter: rolling up the welcome mat today in salzburg. in mozart's birthplace, silence filled the air, as austria went into its fourth covid-19 lockdown. the virus is surging again on the continent, leading to renewed restrictions, and across europe this weekend: renewed resistance. in the run-up to lockdown, austria's main far-right party drew tens of thousands into the capital, vienna, to denounce the measures saturday: >> ( translated ): i want my freedom back. one would think we live in a democracy but now, this is a coronavirus dictatorship. >> reporter: sunday was no day of rest in the belgian capital, brussels. riot police ringed the headquarters of the european union, and used water cannons on

protesters. and for a third night straight, violence last night in the netherlands, a week into a new, modified lockdown, and restrictions on covid passports to only the vaccinated. prime minister mark rutte bluntly denounced the rioters “" idiots.” all this, as many in europe try to make this new abnormal livable. it loo like business as usual at the lur cha blanc restaurant in central paris. lunch service is well underway. like many venues across the french capital, the restaurant is seeing a return of regulars after a tumultuous year of taxing lockdowns and forced closures. but between serving diners and polishing silverware, manager jeremy thanh's shift comes with a new set of responsibilities: making sure the business doesn't breach covid-19 control measures.

that includes using government software to confirm diners are safe to be seated. >> ( translated ): during the week, we are losing a bit of time to check everyone in. we need to have it all set up, get the app and check every qr code. >> reporter: forming part of france's health pass app, those qr codes indicate one of three things: whether a person is vaccinated, has previously been infected with covid-19, or tested negative in the past 24 hours at an official testing site. but with almost two thirds of the european union's population of nearly 450 million now fully vaccinated, those types of rapid tests have become much less common. testing facilities which once swelled with crowds now largely sit empty, as authorities move away from subsidizing testing costs. but as covid-19 mounts a major

resurgence across the e.u., member states are now rethinking that strategy, a reassessment backed by the world health organisation's richard pebody. >> europe at the moment is certainly seeing a big upsurge in cases and deaths this autumn. we are certainly the epicentre of activity at this point in time. >> reporter: for many regions, the recent resurgence of covid- 19 can be directly linked to lower than anticipated vaccinion ras. and as cases rise, convincing those who are vaccine hesitant to comply with new restrictions remains a challenge-- forcing in germany, the government has now backtracked on its decision to remove free rapid tests and returned to a policy of actively encouraging testing to help monitor infection levels in the population. health workers say government subsidies can be a big influence

on whether people make appointments to get tested. >> ( translated ): we've had a whole rollercoaster of ups and downs. but in the past few weeks it's rising back up again. we are now fully in the a new wave of the pandemic >> reporter: the return of free testing has been a politically divisive issue with criticism directed towards unvaccinated people using the negative result certificates to circumvent vaccine passport requirements at bars and restaurants. but german lawmaker dirk weisse says now is not the time for that debate, given the crisis unfolding across the country. >> ( translated ): it had been thought that people might consider getting vaccinated because of the financial burden of regularly paying for tests. it did not happen that way. >> reporter: the back and forth over testing policies comes as governments across europe brace for a potentially long and difficult winter ahead.

already some hospitals say they're having to cancel elective surgeries because of the pressures being faced in intensive care units - and in some regions with particularly high case numbers, lawmakers are rolling out a raft of new restrictions designed to safeguard the hospital system against the resurgence. germany has extended its coronavirustate of emergency into early next year, paving the way for fresh rules like the newly announced ¡vaccine passport plus'-- a measure that will require citizens to show both proof of vaccination and a negative test before being allowed entry to many public spaces-- it's a policy criticized by some business and hospitality groups as unworkable, but one many politicians say is needed. >> ( translated ): this is a if i know i have been double vaccinated and i have a negative test at the same time, then i can go on with my activities with peace of mind. >> reporter: as europe fast approaches the two year

anniversary of its first covid- 19 restrictions, it's becoming increasingly challenging to persuade people of the dangers still presented by the pandemic. for the pbs newshour, i'm trent murray in berlin. >> woodruff: even as many are still assessing the kyle rittenhouse trial verdict, another closely watched case went to the jury today: three men charged with the murder of ahmaud arbery in georgia. the homicide trials are different in many ways, but as william brangham reports, both touch on crucial issues for the country. >> brangham: claims of "self- defense" are central to the defense in both of these high profile cases. but what exactly constitutes a "self-defense" claim; when can you legally use lethal force against another person?

stephen salztburg is a law professor at george washington university. in his career, he's served as both a prosecutor for the department of justice, as well as a defense attorney. professor saltzburg, very good to have you on the newshour, obviously these cases are both very different. but as i mentioned they both have central to their defense a claim of self-defense. when someone makes that claim, what in essence are they arguing? >> they are arguing that they have a right under the law to protect themselves when they believe that their own life is in danger. and if they don't act th y could, in fact, be killed. >> brangham: so as i mentioned there is some similarities in these cases, both of the shooters made that claim that they felt that they were threaterned and had to use deadly force. but there is also meaningful differences in these two cases, could you explain those differences?

>> sure. the similarities in some ways outweigh the differences but in both instances kyle rittenhouse injected himself into a demonstration knowing there could be violence. he brought a high-powered rifle with him. he said he did it for self-protection even though he didn't expect to use it, he said. but he had it there because he knew he might have to. and then he got into a situation in which he thought that the first of his victims was trying to take ta way that gun and if that happened, the victim would use it against him. and so he fired. and he continued to fire and kill one more person and wound another, all because he said he feared for his own life. and the arbery case, the shooter, mr. mcmichael who testified in the case basically said that they were-- he was trying to make a citizen's arrest which came out for the first time really at trial. and that in the very end, when

he struggled with mr. arbery they were both struggling for a gun. and mcmichael feared that if mr. arbery gothe weapon, mr. mcmichael would be the one shot, so he too feared for his own life. >> brangham: so it it sounds like in both of these cases, it is the person who uses the force, it is their testimony that says i felt threatened, thus i acted. >> they do not have to testify in their own defense. but when they raise self-defense as a defense t is much harder to make out that kind of a defense if if you don't get on the stand and explain how scared you really are. and that is why at least the shooters in both cases, mr. rittenhouse and mr. mcmichael both chose to testify. >> brangham: does the circumstances that got you into those circumstances matter at all? does it matter that you're a teenager and took a semiauction weapon and went to what was a

violent protest. does it matter if you were trying to execute a citizen's arrest against someone? does anything about those circumstances that gets you to the point of a conflict matter in self-defense case? >> if you are the first aggressive. if you put yourself in a position where the person that you shoot is acting because that person really has no choice, you put that person in such danger, you basically can't make a valid self-defense case. in the rittenhouse case, he basically said he was there to do good. he was there to protect a car dealership. and so he wasn't trying to do anything wrong, he said. and therefore when he felt under attack, he fired. in the arbery case, the defendants claim is that they thought that there might have been a burglary. and that they were also responding, not intending to put anyone in dang taker, mortal

danger. >> brangham: sme people have argued that the rittenhouse decision while it may fall under wisconsin self-defense claim, that it could create something of a slippery slope where more people feel emboldened to go into tricky, potentially violent circumstances armed knowing that the law has their back, in some ways. do you agree that that is an issue, a concern? >> i regret to say that i do. my belief is that the rittenhouse verdict is going to have ramifications regardless of what happens in the arbery case, and that means that there are more people ho are going to say, i'm going to it be like kyle rittenhouse, i'm going to protect the community. and if i have to shoot somebody to do it, i will. i don't think they will say that about arbery no matter what happens because it is a very different case. it really looks like three white men going after a black jogger. and whatever happens, people will never accept that as being a reasonable thing to do.

>> brangham: stephen saltzburg at george washington university, thank you so much for your time. >> thank >> woodruff: debate over the future of the republican party is underway ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. and while both parties are formulating their midterm strategies, former new jersey governor chris christie has some advice for the g.o.p. he says it's time to do away with tactics like focusing on grievances and believing in conspiracy theories-- strategies that also helped to propel donald trump to the top of republican party leadership. governor christie's new book is called "republican rescue" and he joins me now. thank you very much for joining us. the book is a prescription for the republican party, as you put it, to recapture its glory. and win elections again. but this is a moment when the

republican party looks to be doing well, analysts are saying it is probably going to pick up, the house of representatives next november, pick up speed in the national,-- seats in the national, president biden's poll numbers are down, at this moment are you trying to save the republican party? >> we lost the house of representatives, the united states senate and the white house in a two year span, from 2018 to 2020. it is the only time that it ever happenedded in our party's history except for the first time which was 1930 to 1932 under herbert hoover. and then the democrats took the white house for 28 of the next 36 years. we're still a year away from this election, 2022. and we have to make sure we are laying out a smart, positive vision for the future. we've got to not be dwelling on the past. we've got to move forward and lay out an alternative vision to what joe biden and kamala harris are doing in washington on behalf of the democrats. and that is not going to change

in the next yer and we're not going to win those seats by magic. we better have an alternative to put out there because if you run the last election in the next one you're bound to threus. >> you do, in fact your central point is that republicans theed to let go of this allegiance to former president trump's argument that he lost the 2020 campaign because there was a lot of fraud. and that it was unfair and he should shall president. you say the party needs to move on but when you look at the polls right now, what is it, 60 percent of republicans today believe former president trump. they say they agree that he should have-- be in the white house. how do you persuade tens of millions of republicans that former president trump is wrong? >> i think that you lay out the facts. and that is what we do in the book. we lay out the facts and the facts do not support that allegation and that is why over 60 courts have rejected the argument over the course of time, since the election. but here's the bigger issue,

judy. is that you know, no political party wins campaigns by talking about yesterday. you have to talk about tomorrow. if donald trump wants to talk about those future issues and critiquing the biden administration and laying out a thoughtful plan for what we do next, he will be a very powerful voice in the debate going forward. but if we continue to look backwards, that is not whawe need to do. >> one question out there, governor, is why is chris christie the right person to be making this argument. because after all you were one of the first people to endorse former president trump. you stuck with him through what, the 2016 access hollywood scandzal. you were with him even after he was impeached in early 2020. you helped him in the debate. and yet you are saying you are the person to argue that he's making the wrong argument? >> exactly the right person, judy. look, trump voters are not going to listen to this argument from someone who was never trumper. who never thought that donald trump did anything well.

i think donald trump did a lot of good things for this country. on taxes and affordability. on regulatory state, on conservative justices an judges to our courts. and on trade. and so i think there is a lot of good things to talk about and i think, you know, we need to give the president, the former president crit in addition for operation warp speed. but you know, i think what someone who has been a biggest supporter of president trump as i have been says look, this has to stop. this grieveance politics and looking backwards have to stop, and we have to move forward as a party, so that we can help our country. i think someone like me has even more credibility saying it than someone who never thought that donald trump did anything good. i don't buy that, i believe he did a lot good for this country. but what he is doing right now, the argument that is being made is not good for our party and as a result that is not good for the country. >> so i hear you saying you think done all trump was ad good president when he was in office. do you think the country would be better off if he had been re-elected? >> well, i voted for him, judy.

i think his policies are much better for this country than the policies that are being pursued by joe biden, kamala harris and the kem krattic congress, that is why i supported donald trump in 2020 and in 2016 over hillary clinton. let's face it, he wasn't my first choice for president in 2016. i was. but you know, that didn't work out. and i thought he was a better choice than hillary clinton, that is why i voted for him, and helped him and i felt he was better than joe biden, that is why i voted for him and helped him. but after the election and said the election was stolen an present nod evidence, and continued that argument, that is not good for the country at all and not good for the republican party. >> woodruff: i know other interviewers have asked you this, governor christie, but the question is are you trying to have it both ways. on the one hand you are saying the country, the republican party needs to move away from former president trump and his claims that he won the election. on the other hand, you are saying you would, you could support him for re-election if

he runs again in 2024 if you are not running. >> look, judy, what i said was i won't say, and can't say who i would vote for in 2024 because i don't know who the opponent would be. i said this the other night. i couldn't vote for bernie sanders, under any circumstances. i couldn't vote for elizabeth warren, under any circumstances. we don't know who those last two people are going to be in 2024, i can't make any decision today not knowing who both those choices will be. >> woodruff: my question is, you left it open that you would, you could vote for former president trump if he-- if he is a nominee in 2024. >> i have of course left it open because one, as i said to you before, i think there were very positive things thatappened during the trump years from a policy perspective. but two, judy, this is not a vote in a vacuum and you present the question as if it is a vote in a vacuum. there is never a vote in america in a vacuum. you have to evaluate who the choices are before you both in a primary and in a general election. and if the choice were donald

trump or bernie sanders, i am not voting for bernie sanders under any sirks. >> woodruff: so if it were former president trump or joe biden. >> not the way joe biden has performed, i couldn't vote for joe biden. the failure in av ban stand, 6 percent inflation. you know, failures on crime. all of these things that have happened so far. and huge, enormous spending. you know, we can go through a whole list, judy. i don't think that is really productive. but the fact of the matter is that elections are choices. and in 2024 i will make whatever choice is available to me and i will choose, but i will certainly not going to predict that in 2021, that is just a trap people like to give you and play polt particulars with it. >> governor crist chris-- chris cristie, thank you very much, the bo is republican rescue saving the party from truth de niers, conspiracy theorists and the dangerous policies of joe biden. governor, thank you very much. >> thanks for having me, judy, appreciate it.

>> woodruff: last week started with a major bipartisan victory and ended with inflamed political divisions on issues like race and gun control. amna nawaz brings us analysis on what to expect this week. >> nawaz: judy, major advancements on the biden agenda in washington, including the house passing the "build back better" act, were almost eclipsed by week's ends after a politically charged verdict was delivered in kenosha. our politics monday team is here with me to take stock of it all. amy walter of the cook political report with amy walter. and tamara keith of npr. welcome to you both, nice to see you. >> thank you. >> let's start where we left off, tam, the interview with governor cristie, a lot for prescripgs forp the way forward, what did you make of that. >> in essence he is tieing himself in a bunch of knots, trying to figure out like so many republicans are, how to navigate a republican party

where donald trump is still a dominant force. he's trying to speak truth to trumpism at the same time, he can't reject trump because he can't be a never trumper, because then he would lose all credibility with the people that he claims he is trying to persuade. it is a quandary that many republicans who could see themselves running for president in 2024 find themselves in. >> a quandary, a balancing act. >> an enigma, so many things, very appropriate for this time of year. >> but in essence, what tam is saying is to the tally correct. that trying to find trumpism is without trump, which is you can keep the policy that everybody loves, just let's leave the conspiracy theories and the tweeting and all of the behavior stuff that people didn't like, leave that on the cutting room floor. except that that is part of who

trump is, is what makes trumpism appealing to ta lot of voters, so that is also the challenge for republicans because it is not just about policy. it's not just well, we like-- taxes and judges and things like that, so as long as i do, but have maybe trump's endorsement and a little bit of what made trump special, i can succeed. but nobody else can fill that lane. and so what we're going to be thinking about for the next few years is not just what a republican is doing but trump, but also what our democrats are thinking as they lead up to 2024 because a lot of the con-- con stern nation going on in that party is also driven by what happens if we once again are facing up against donald trump. >> let's move on to it the president, president biden and where we are right now at this moment. because it is twring, going into the thanksgiving holiday here, huge gains for the biden administration on the vaccination front. i this i that is fair to say when you look at the where the

numbers are right now, at least one dose among all of those eligible, 70 percent among all americans eligible, have at least one vaccination dose and just among children, a 5-11 who only recently became eligible, already 10% have at least one dose, big legislative win too, bipartisan infrastructure bill has passed, build back bet certificate moving forward and yes, take a look at the president's approval rating right now. in the latest routers insurance os pool, 49% disapprove. this came out after frastructure passed but before build back better bld passed the house and is looking forward, and why is that number where it is right now? within it really comes down to voters feeling, americans feeling as if things have not gotten normal. they were given a little bit of a look into normal see, we all were, in the spring and early summer. the mask mandates were lifted, covid vaccines were going out,

and in an efficient way. economic optimism was rising. and then that all kind of got, the rug kind of got pulled out from under us. >> it is really interesting. i was looking at a focus group of voters the other night and the moderator asked the group what makes you hopeful, and one man said there are just too many unknowns right now for me to feel hopeful. so what he is citing is the worries about covid, about vaccinating his young children, the rise in cost for his grocery cart, and filling up his gas tank. and just his overall sense that things are not kind of back in a track that he would like to see, including the dis-- the anger and vitriol playing out online and also behaviorally in all aspects. >> how do you see that, uncertainty, is that what is behind it. >> certainly the pandemic just not being over, the numbers of cases on the rise again, the

white house just today and cdc director dr. fauci were trying to encourage people to have a good thanksgiving, it's not, you know, 2021 is not 2020. but the level of uncertainty is pretty high. and you know, back in, this time last year everyone was looking at these vaccines coming thinking well, maybe the vaccines will be the end. and then the vaccines it it turns out weren't the end. and the biden white house is sort of having difficulty messaging what the future looks like in part because it's really hard to predict what the future is going to look like. and so they haven't-- not everything is about messagingk but a lot of people just want answers and there aren't answers. >> and as i said, we had a look at what normal was going to look like. and that is harder to recover from than just slogging through and saying okay, eventually we'll get to the end.

we had this glimpse and then it was taken back. and i this i that is the bigger, sort of overlying thing. and you can't discount the inflation piece, which is a really, really big piece of all of this. >> before we go i want you to dwikly weigh in on the fact that we had a presidential reaction to a court verdict last week, a lot of people were watching this with kyle rittenhouse on trial for the murder of two people in wisconsin last year. not guilty on all counts. and we had reactions both from the current president and former president biden issued the statement saying the verdict in kenosha will leave many americans feeling angry and concerned. myself included. former president trump issued a statement saying congratulations to kyle rittenhouse, if that is not self-defense nothing is. tam, what does this say about where we are right now, politically. >> the reactions to that verdict, and he was just determined it to be not guilty on the basis of self-defense, the reactions to that verdict really point to just how divided the country is, that democrats look at this verdict anday oh

no, conservatives could all be running around with guns unchecked. and conservatives look at this and say liberals set a narrative that wasn't reality and persecuted this kid without-- without justice. and so it is, it's just another piece of evidence among many that we're pretty broken right now. >> and i think too the question about the stability of our institutions and the lack of faith in institutions so if you are on the right, what you say is police, the justice system, is not working because some of the things tam pointed out because liberal prosecutors or de fund e police rhetoric, have i to protect myself, and the police i have a gun i can go out and do these things. liberals are saying well, the system, yes, the justice system has been block enfor a long time, if you are somebody in this country who isn't white it it has never worked forp you.

and so we have two separate ways americans saying the current system is broken but the answer to it, of course, is very, very far away because the priorities are so very different. >> projecting your own views. >> exactly. >> another high profile child in imornlg ga, closing arguments today in the death of ahmaud arbery, we'll talk about that more another time, i hope, amy walter, tamara keith, always good to have you here. >> thank you. >> woodruff: robert plant and alison krauss, with over 40 grammy's between them, have teamed up again for a new album with plans to tour internationally, for the first time in 12 years. jeffrey brown went to nashville to talk about the magic behind the music-making, as part of our arts and culture series, canvas. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> brown: a visit to “sound

emporium”, one of nashville's most renowned recording studios, where alison krauss and robert plant recorded their new album“" raise the roof”-- and, on this day, got to admire the cover for the first time. it's a musical marriage of two legendary voices from two very different worlds. >> where i come from, the blend is what you're always going for. you know, you try to match how you say your vowels to, to have it be, you know, one voice is the goal. and this is the complete opposite. >> from a vocalist point of view, at the sharp end of the various kinds of adventures i've had, the whole thing is about just ¡go!'-- and we'll worry about it later. >> brown: he, now 73, is rock ¡n roll royalty, the quintessential

howler and bare-chested british growler as lead singer for led zeppelin. he's long since established a solo career, and in a 2017 conversation told me how he learned to keep, but temper, the energy of his youth. >> same thing, but it's bridled. it's contained more. it's a good place to go, and it's a bit of a surprise. >> brown: she, 50, has long been one of the biggest figures in bluegrass, known for her gorgeous voice and multiple-part harmonies. i'd first met krauss with her band “union station” in 2002 when they were part of the ¡“oh brother, where are thou?” phenomenon, a major moment for bluegrass. >> we've walked into some of these places and gone, “who's playing here tonight?” it's been a bit of a shock to see this kind of-- these numbers of people coming out to see this music.

>> brown: in 2007 krauss and plant recorded together: an off- beat pairing that became an unexpected hit. their album “raising sand” sold more than a million copies and won five grammys, including album of the year. and it all began with four songs recorded right here, as a friendly experiment. i'm assuming it was a surprise? shock? >> in this very room, we were shocked. >> there wasn't any expectation about any of it, you know. like, ¡hey, if this is fun, let's do this'. and, you know, if we enjoy it, let's keep going. >> we had to go to a place musically that would challenge me and would challenge alison. the two of us needed to find news paths to something where it's a gamble and it's also incredibly stimulating and quite frightening. >> brown: their musical collaborator and ultimate guide:

t-bone burnett, producer extraordinaire. the man behind so many hit albums for numerous musical stars. >> when t-bone got involved we knew that all bets are off, as far as what we were going to expect then. >> brown: krauss, plant and burnett are together again, backed by a group of all-star musicians, for “raise the roof”" and again, they've found and re- made songs across several genres. here: “can't let go”, written by randy weeks, first recorded by lucinda williams, performed for ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> brown: you'reoming from the close harmonies, right, where you sort of have to stick to the plan? >> yes. >> brown: but that's not him.

>> no, that is not him, not him at all. >> brown: so how was that for you? >> painful! >> i mean, the way you grow up singing in bluegrass, it's very regimented and planned out because you're always singing harmony. and i kind of always make a joke, you know, you didn't have any other life because you were just singing harmony all the time, trying to perfect that to make it sound like, you know one voice. and, you know, his whole life of music is always off the cuff. and i always say it was a bit like, you know, hanging off the edge of a cliff, trying to match him and try to predict where he's going. >> live, that kind of wonderin“" wow then we get going and we're standing side by side singing and i'm looking at alison, she's looking at me and she's going,“ where are you going to go? and i, eyebrows up, let's go! and off we go somewhere that neither of us has planned.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> brown: plant says he enjoys that sense of danger. >> i'm singing alongside a singer who expresses herself in a totally different way. and so for me, the adventure is everything, you know. to get it and to be free to fail and to able to walk away is crucial. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> brown: on “trouble with my the “price of love”, written and recorded by the everly brothers in 1966, surrounds its painful lyrics with upbeat pop energy. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ here, it'sething else. >> you make it lustrous and perhaps a little more occasionally vague, sometimes more dramatic.

so, yeah, the price of love is a great pop song. but by the time these guys have finished with it, it was like, i'm frightened! >> brown: it's a haunting song. >> yeah, i'm really worried about falling in love again. >> i loved how “price of love” turned out, too. i thought that was beautiful. you know, the everly brothers, especially in that time-- such terrible, sad, heartbreaking lyrics along with a really happy melody. and i think the way we presented that, it really uncovered the lyric in a way that i don't >> brown: “uncovered” means what? >> it kind of takes the, it brings the focus out a little more, of that part of it. >> brown: call it a different kind of harmony, from different styles, even in how they approach recording a song in the studio. >> i like to ¡wear it out' in the studio. i like to wear it out-- sing it a million times. >> you like to ¡wear it out'. i like to think thaty take three, it's all done. can't do any better than that, because i real mean it up ¡til about take four.

>> brown: by take four, you've got it, and... >> no, no, i haven't got it-- i think i've got it. >> brown: and somehow, indeed, robert plant and alison krauss together, have got it. for the pbs newshour, i'm jeffrey brown at sound emporium in nashville. >> woodruff: on the newshour online right now, first lady jill biden rung in the holiday season by accepting e white house's official christmas tree. you can watch the festivities at pbs.org/newshour. and that's 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:

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hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour and company." here's what's coming up. >> 24, get that one. >> as inflation starts to bite around the world, we take a wide ranging look at jobs and the economic recovery plan with former obama labor chief economist betsy stevenson. then. >> the investments here will be game changing. it won't add a to inflation. if anything, it will bring inflation down. >> u.s. labor secretary marty walsh tells walter isaacson why the build back better agenda will release pressure on working america. from warsaw with love. i speak to former "washington post" reporter about his new book on the cia's unlikely alliance with polish