captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening. i'm judy woodruff on the "newshour" tonight, the crisis intensifies-- the u.s. moves its embassy from kyiv as russia aggression toward ukraine destabilizes the region before an expected invasion. then, a controversial decision-- the olympic committee allows a russian figure ster to compete despite testing positive for a banned substance, but withholds medals until further review. and courting justice-- we examine the life and career of one of the judges on president biden's short list for the supreme court vacancy. >> her experience as a public defender, and that is an unusual addition, and i think a valuable

perspective, that could be on the court. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's "pbs newshour." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: with tax sensitive investing strategies, planning focused on tomorrow while you focus on today. that's the planning effect from fidelity. >> consumer cellular.

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thank you. >> woodruff: today in moscow, russia hinted that diplomacy could continue over the crisis in ukraine. and the german chancellor visited kyiv, ahead of a meeting with russian president vladimir putin tomorrow. but could any of this diplomacy forestall a russian invasion? the russian military is still increasing its preparations for war. again tonight, nick schifrin has our report. >> reporter: near the belarus- ukraine border, russia is preparing its troops. jets. and tanks. u.s. officials say those troops are in a heightened readiness compared to even a few days ago, and fear a military campaign could start any day. until then, there's still diplomacy. in kyiv, president volodomir zelensky hosted german chancellor olaf scholz. >> ( translated ): further

military aggression against ukraine would have serious political, economic and geo-strategic consequences for russia. >> reporter: on monday, germany sent additional soldiers and vehicles to lithuania, to bolster nato's eastern flank. but germany has refused to provide ukraine weapons. and in public, scholz will not threaten the russian/german gas pipeline nd stream 2, if russia invades. >> he should sanction north stream 2, so putin would not be able to blackmail europe with energy. >> reporter: scholz will meet russian president vladimir putin tomorrow. today, russian foreign minister sergey lavrov told putin diplomacy was still possible. >> ( translated ): but still, probably, being the head of the foreign ministry, i must say that there is always a chance. the german chancellor is coming tomorrow. it seems to me that our options are far from exhausted, but they should not continue indefinitely. >> reporter: but the u.s. is still preparing for the worst. today the u.s. closed its kiev embassy entirely, and moved operations to the western city of lviv, a decision zelenskyy criticized.

>> ( translated ): it's a big mistake that some embassies moved to western ukraine. it's their decision, but "western ukraine" doesn't exist, it's a united ukraine. >> reporter: zelensky has taken pains to urge calm, but there are signs of ukraine preparing for invasion. and ukraine's military launched its own exercises. u.s. officials fear moscow will use that training to claim a ukrainian attack on russian troops or russian allies. >> the russian media has been laying the groundwork for this publicly by trying to condition their public that some kind of attack by the ukrainians is imminent. >> reporter: that is evident on the website of "rt," formerly known as "russia today." stories about british-trained“ saboteurs” planning attacks, and american mercenaries preparing a “provocation using chemical weapons.” "rt's" campaign is global. "rt spanish" reports similar stories. in december, putin said anti- russian sentiment in eastern ukraine, could kill russian allies.

>> ( translated ): i must also spak about russophobia as the first step towards genocide. >> reporter: and that leads to discussions on russian media about the military needing to ght a defensive war in ukraine, including by "rt's" editor-in-chief, margarita somonyan. >> ( translated ): russians will not fight ukrainians. russians will defend other russians and ukrainians like them. >> reporter: in a sea of kremlin-influenced media, "tv rain" is an island of independence. masha burzunova hosts the show“ fake news,” that calls out russian state media propaganda. >> ( translated ): it is different speculations and manipulations around the topic of ukraine. that russia is the most harmless country in the world-- and that if anything happens, russia is ready to respond. >> reporter: russian media portrays the ukrainian government as american-funded nazis, an attempt to rally russians with nationalist pride against a common enemy. >> ( translated ): these are constant parallels with the

second world war, that right now there are nazis in charge of the ukrainian authorities and it's them, not ukrainians, that the russian military will fight if something happens. >> reporter: manipulated russian media stories that help make the case for war aren't new. in may, 2014, dozens of pro- russian separatists died in odessa, ukraine. russian media exaggerated the attack, even using an actress to play a victim. we know she was an actress because she appeared in unrelated pro-russian stories as three entirely different people. >> the kremlin has made sure "tv rain" isn't even on tv anymore, after cable providers stopped airing its content. in all, the kremlin has targeted more than a dozen critical newsrooms. >> ( translated ): by diverting attention from domestic problems to problems in ukraine, it is as if the state tv presenter is asking us, “do you want the same thing here?” almost all independent media in russia have been declared foreign agents. yes, it is getting harder, but "tv rain" is still an independent channel, and i hope

it will stay that way. >> schifrin: for more on all of this we turn to andrew weiss. he worked on russian affairs in both the george h.w. bush and clinton administrations. he is now vice president for studies at the carnegie endowment for international peace. welcome back to the fushour, we'll get to this information in a second but let's talk about the troops on the border. u.s. officials tell me that those troops are increasing their redness even in the last few days. but does lavrov's diplomatic reference today provide any kind of offense. >> the russian government has been negotiating perform tiffly, the issues russia put on the table are ideas and assurances that it knows it can't get. and the west for its part is also acting perform tiffly because we are in a situation similar to where you have a person taken hostage inside a bank, you want to keep them talking, you want to keep them on the phone, so in the west view, the best outcome here would be endless dim lo mattic

discussions, i wldn't focus on what lavrov said but on what a put inside. he repeated something today that he said back in december where he basically said if all the west is trying to do is draw us into an open-ended conversation that goes nowhere, that's a ral problem. >> and certainly we've seen a lot of calls, a lot of visits from western leaders. as far as you can tell that is more about buying time than actually ongoing negotiations? >> so i am all in favor of having as many western emissaries going to russia all the time. that would be great. and tomorrow will be the ger man chancellor shuts' turn. the issue here is that what russia wants is he want-- what putin wants is he doesn't want an independent sovereign ukraine. and what we're seeing through all of this discussion about nato and why was nato ever expanded and there are threat to russia, it say really good reflerks of how effective the russians have been in making us talk about these issues on their

terms. we haven't been talking about that incredible hardship and pain that russia has caused through its military activities and other pressure against ukraine over the last years. we've only been talking about whether this kind of theoretical idea of ukraine joining the alliance sometime in the far distt future is a threat to russia. that is framing this event-- for russia and completely cancels out the things russia has done toafer the last eight years. >> u.s. officials have been warning about a russian false flag, essentially a richan fake story or even an act in eastern ukraine that could create the provocation for war. and we've highlighted sme examples of disinformation that is currently in the russian media. are those stories in the russian media effective at conditioning the russian public perhaps ahead of wr? >> so i'm concerned that the sort of general argument that people are focused on is the whyed that there is sth drum beat in the russian media

pulling the russian people towards this war frenzy. most average russian have tuned out the ukraine issue and long ago basically decided this say horrible issue, they would rather not learn more about it. or they bought into this kremlin idea that russia is being surrounded and victimized and that the u.s. is using countries like ukraine to put pressure on russia. i have no tout that in the event of a provocation we would see some of these outlandish claims like the ones you mentioned in your report earlier. for example the idea that americans are bringing chemical weapons. all those ideas are completely transparently false but it doesn't mean the kremlin won't try to use something equally flimsy to justify military action. >> as we've seen the kremlin do in the past. their messages aren't new but what is new to a certain extent is the u.s. trying to highlight them. trying to call out these plans for false flags, for example, which the u.s. has called out multiple times. does that have an impact? calling out what the u.s. says

are the russian plans? >> there is no doubt that by trying to put vladimir putin a little bit on the hot seat he may adjust his plans. he may make some sort of tactical adjustment. but vladimir putin is the person who has all the leverage. he has the military tools, the geographical proximity and this kind of personal quest to take over ukraine. so the united states has only a limited amount of capability to either slow him down or disrupt what he is doing. it is an admirable effort. but it's really hard to embarrass someone like vladimir putin who after all is responsible for so many problems, whether it was the shootdown of a civilian jet airliner in 2014, or the use of a military-grade nerve agent to try to assassinate russia's leading opposition figure in the summer of 2020. it is really hard to embarrass the kremlin. they have a tendency to outbrazen and to basically deny everything. i don't expect that to change in

this very serious crisis. >> andrew weis, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, the government of canada declared an emergency, targeting demonstrators who have tied up the capital city of ottawa and critical border crossings. john yanreports. >> reporter: after weeks of disruption across canada, prime minister justin trudeau invoked rarely used powers late today in a bid to halt anti-vcine protests. gving the authority to prohibit public assembly and some travel. >> the federal government has invoked the emergencies act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity t address the block aids and occupation.

the police will be given more tools to restore order in places where public assemblies can constitute illegal and dangerous activities. such as blockades and occupations as seen in ottawa, the ambassadorbridge and elsewhere. >> the >> reporter: the move comes after police cleared on sunday the ambassador bridge between detroit and windsor, ontario, towing vehicles and arresting dozens to re-open the crucial link in cross-border commerce for the auto industry. but from ottawa to british columbia, truckers and others still block crossings at major trade routes and closed businesses in city-centers. >> the government's been mis- stepping this entire time. they have been enforcing tyrannical measures on people. they've destroyed their families, they've destroyed their income, people have lost their home. >> reporter: what started as a protest against a requirement that canadian truckers to be vaccinated has spiraled into a larger movement voicing a more general frustration against pandemic-related restrictions.

it's also been a hotbed for more conservative and far-right activism. just today, police seized guns a recent poll shows the demonstrations are a “vocal minority” in canada with almost two thirds of those surveyed saying they oppose them. >> it's just, i feel like i'm living in a different country, like i'm in the states. it just makes me really sad to see all these people waving canadian flags, acting like patriots when really it's kind of the most sad and embarrassing thing i've ever seen. >> reporter: today, ontario's premier announced the province would no longer require proof of vaccination to enter indoor spaces beginning in march, but insisted it had nothing to do with the protests. >> we're moving in this direction because it's safe to do so. today's announcement is not because of what's happening in ottawa or windsor, but despite it. >> reporter: but the demonstrators' persistence has moved trudeau to invoke sweeping, rarely used powers,

which some fear could further inflame anti-government sentiments. for the pbs newshour, i'm john yang. >> woodruff: in new york today, a federal judge announced he will dismiss sarah palin's libel suit against "the new york times." he said the former alaska governor failed to show "the times" acted out of malice, when it falsely linked her statements to a mass shooting. still, the judge will let the jury continue deliberating. he said the panel's verdict will likely play into any appeal by palin. federal prosecutors in minneapolis rested their case today in the trial of three former police officers accused of violating george floyd's rights. the government argued the men did nothing to prevent floyd's murder by a fourth officer, in may of 2020. the defense now begins its case. the federal hate-crimes trial of three white men for killing ahmaud arbery got underway with opening statements today in georgia.

prosecutors alleged the men chased and shot arbery because he was black. the defense argued they focused on potential theft, not race. the defendants have already been convicted of state murder charges and sentenced to life in prison. a legal ruling dominated the winter olympics today. a sports arbitration body cleared russian figure skater kamila valieva to go on competing while her doping case proceeds. the 15-year-old tested positive for a banned drug last december. today, the president of the world-anti doping agency voiced outrage that no one is being punished. >> this is my opinion: that the doping of children is evil and unforgivable. and the doctors, coaches and other support personnel, who were found to have provided performance enhancing drugs to minors should be banned for life. >> woodruff: the international

olympic committee says no medals will be given for any event that valieva medals in until her case is resolved. meanwhile, in today's competition, american kailey humphries won gold in the inaugural "mono-bob," a one- woman bobsled event. there's word that the 22-year drought in the american west is now the worst in at least 200 years. yes, you heard that right: 1,200. a study published today in the journal "nature climate change" finds last year in particular was one of the driest ever recorded in the west. the authors conclude that human- caused climate change accounts for more than 40% of the dry conditions. and on wall street today, jitters over ukraine kept investors on edge. the dow jones industrial average lost nearly 172 points to close at 34,566. the nasdaq was virtually unchanged. and the s&p 500 slipped 17.

still to come on the "newshour," tamara keith and amy walter break down the latest political news; the super bowl halftime show sparks more conversations about the n.f.l. and race; a new museum exhibit chronicles how love has been depicted in art through the ages, plus much more. >> woodruff: despite being allowed to compete in more events this week, russian figure skater kamila valieva finds herself surrounded by controversy and criticism at the beijing olympics. a drug test in december that she failed has jeopardized russia's gold medal in the team figure skating, and a final decision on all of this could take months. william brangham has more. >> brangham: for more on this entire scandal, i am joined

again by christine brennan from "usa today," who helped break some of this most recent story. christine, always great to see you. i wonder if you could start at the beginning here. this young skater who is, by all accounts, one of the greatest ice skaters of all time. she tests positive back in december for a banned drug. and yet, we all haveeen seeing her on our tv screens performing at this incredibly high level. how is it that that happened? >> well, william, that's a great question, and a question the russians will be answering, because the test was december 25 and it is not announced until february 8. that's just extraordinary. you would want to make sure you knew if your athletes were positive or negative for doping before you send them to the olympics, but that's what happened. she competed and was a star in the team competition that russia won the gold medal last week. and then this news comes out and that all of a sudden there's no medal ceremony because they everyone now is starting to investigate this. this whole case goes to the

court of arbitration for sport. it's kind of like the supreme court for the olympic games sets up shop at every olympics. and today, c.a.s. ruled that she would be eligible to compete. so, kamilaeyva is, then gets that opportunity to compete in the olympics in the women's competition where she's favored to win. as you alluded to, tuesday and thursday, one last little piece of news today the international olympic committee comes back and says, well, if you're competing, there's not going to be a medal ceremony, which of course, calls into question her eligibility and the ct that the i.o.c. thinks that it may well be the case that when all is said and done, we find out that that doping violation is enough, that they would have to reord the medals. so, no, no medal ceremonies for her, which is highly unusual. >> brangham: and as you wrote in your column today, this certainly, i mean this whole, sort of, strange kabuki of where she competes, but if she medals or she wins that, we have to pretend that that's not happening until this other court rules. that this does an incredible

disservice to all the other athletes who aren't in any way tainted by a drug doping scandal. >> oh, without a doubt. and, of course, this russian issue has been haunting the olympic games since 2014, andthe i.o.c. has never really punished the russians. and so, now, it is exploded on them. russian doping once again front and center. so, the u.s. team, in the team competition, won the silver medal, which was a tremendous achievement. they will not be able to celebrate that on the medal stand here. that same with japan winning the bronze. the concern of officials who i've talked to, william, is that if they went ahead with that ceremony, russia getting the gold, u.s. in silver and then japan bronze, well, when the court of arbitration for sport takes us up again, which they will on the entire merits of the case, again, it gets very involved-- it could well be that the russians would lose that gold medal and the u.s. would move up to the gold. so, instead of having the ceremony, the international committee does not want to have

that embarrassment. but then what happens is, nathan chen and all of his teammates don't get a chance to be on that medal stand, and that is a real shame. the u.s. olympic and paralympic committee called it“ devastating,” but that is where we are because of russia's misbehavior. >> brangham: can you help us understand the drug that she testedositive for, that's a banned substance. what is it and what does it, theoretically, help an athlete do that gives them an unfair edge? >> yes, it's called trontazadine or t.m.z., and it is a banned substance. it is. you cannot get it in the united states. it's banned both in competition and out, it increases blood flow to the heart, and it is seen as something that can really help with endurance for the athlete and also prevent fatigue. they're supposed to treat angina and heart issues. and, of course, the question would be why would a 15-year-old need a drug for angina? and so, and then there's the other part of this that i think it's importa to mention she

is, she is 15, and there's a lot of sympathy out there for her and the fact that, of course, now the adults in her life, her coach and her-- the doctors and others are going to be investigated by both the world anti-doping agency and the russian anti-doping agency for this very reason. what were they doing? and then they in fact, gave this illegal, banned substance to a 15-year-old? >> brangham: i noticed today that sha'caari richardson, the fabulous american sprinter who was banned from the tokyo olympics for admittedly using marijuana after her mother died. marijuana, i have-- my understanding is, has no performance enhancing benefits, and yet she was banned is asking: how is this-- how is this possible that that this woman, this young woman, is competing while i get banned for doing something that doesn't even help me? >> it's a huge issue, and this is a conversation that's happening all around the world with athletes as they react so negatively to this decision,

allowing valieva to be able to continue to compete. the one, one certain point here would be that the u.s. anti- doping agency, with richardson, followed the rules. it was heartbreaking to them, but they followed the rules. with what's going on with valieva, the russians basically aren't following the rules. they just decided, hey, we're going to let her skate. most of these countries would be sending the athlete home in shame. not russia. they are trumpeting her and again, using the 15-year-old for their purposes, which is shameful and, and truly awful to see. but that's russia, and that's why they get in trouble. i think really, you can safely say, william, the worst state- sponsored doping since the east germans of 50 or 60 years ago. and yet here it was russia. it looks, at least for right now, getting away with it again. >> brangham: christine brennan of "usa today." thank you so much for your time and for your journalism. >> thank you, william.

>> woodruff: president biden plans to personally interview potential nominees to the supreme court this week, and likely among them will be federal judge ketanji brown jackson. jackson isn't new to supreme court consideration. she was seen as a long-shot pick back in 2016 when former president obama was looking to fill a vacancy. this go round, she's seen as a leading contender. geoff bennett has this report on how she got here. >> i'm even handedly applying the law in every case. >> reporter: ketanji brown jackson has a resume seemingly tailor-fit for the moment. harvard grad, supreme court clerk, and a federal judge with a deep history in public service. >> there is a direct line from my defender service to what i do on the bench. >> reporter: d.c. born and miami raised, jackson stood out early, excelling in high school as class president and on the

debate team. even then her goal was clear: she's quoted in her senior yearbook saying, “i want to go into law and eventually have a judicial appointment.” her teenage years were key to achieving that, as she put it in 2017: >> i have no doubt that of all the various things i've done it was my high school experience as a competitive speaker that taught me how to lean in despite the obstacles. >> reporter: with honors degrees from harvard and harvard law, jackson scored three federal clerkships including one under the justice she may now replace: >> justice breyer plucked me from obscurity and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. >> reporr: she is adored among the breyer clerk family. "she made a lasting impression," said fellow breyer clerk and former acting solicitor general neal katyal: >> she is fearless and also she's a real person. and sometimes that's not always true with supreme court justices who live in an elite, rarefied atmosphere. but she's a judge who's never

forgotten the human side of judging. >> reporte she'd seen that human side up close, with family on both sides of the justice system: her brother working for the baltimore police, and her uncle serving life for a cocaine conviction. >> justice demands this result. >> reporter: she worked to understand and improve the system as a public defender and as vice chair of the u.s. sentencing commission. >> that is an unusual addition and i think a valuable perspective. >> reporter: margaret russell is a constitutional law professor who says jackson's criminal defense background sets her apart. >> there are many former prosecutors who are already on the bench. but what's interesting about a public defender, and really quite rare on the court-- it's been a couple of decades, is that focus on the indigent defendant, someone who is really lacking an opportunity, often despised, often overlooked. >> reporter: on the sentencing commission, she continued that

work, fighting for more equitable drug penalties: >> there is no federal sentencing provision that is more closely identified with unwarranted disparity and perceived systemic unfairness than the 100-1 crack-powder penalty distinction. >> reporter: that was the first of three senate confirmations for jackson. in 2012, she was nominated to the federal bench in washington d.c., introduced by then- congressman paul ryan, who's related to jackson by marriage. >> my praise for ketanji's intellect, for her character, for her integrity-- it's unequivocal. she's an amazing person. >> reporter: she earned a reputation on the district court for being thorough and methodical. >> you can tell she has that speech and debate background because she likes to engage. >> reporter: sanchi khare and neha sabharwal clerked for jackson, and say they were

struck by her work ethic. >> one thing that she would tell us when i was working for her is that, you know, you can't always expect to be the smartest person in the room, but you can promise to be the hardest working. and she truly lives by that philosophy. >> she came out of her office. huge smile, give me a huge hug and told me how excited she was that i would be working for her and that sort of set the tone for the rest of my clerkship experience. >> there's this relay race in which several d.c. circuit and d.c. chambers participated. and at the judge's suggestion, we made matching t-shirts and set up a training schedule and lined up everyone in chambers to participate because she just has so much spirit for everything that she does, and her diligence is really contagious. >> reporter: it was there on the district court that jackson sentenced more than 100 people and penned some of her best- known opinions. in 2017 she presided over the so-called “pizzagate” conspiracy case, delivering a four-year

prison sentence for a man who fired his gun in a d.c. pizza shop wrongly believing it was home to a child sex ring. and in 2019 she ordered that former trump white house counsel don mcgahn comply with a congressional subpoena during the russia investigation. siding against the trump administration, she plainly wrote, “presidents are not kings.” >> one thing is clear: the 120- page ruling had a purpose. >> reporter: it came up at her third senate appearance, this one for the d.c. court of appeals, seen as a try-out for a supreme court hearing. >> i am both humbled and very grateful to be here once again. >> reporter: republicans took aim at jackson's public defender clients. >> have you ever represented a terrorist at guantanamo bay? >> about 16 years ago when i was a federal public defender. >> reporter: and her identity... >> what role does race play, judge jackson, in the kind of judge that you have been and the

kind of judge that y will be? >> i don't think that race plays a role in the kind of judge that i have been or that i would be. >> reporter: behind her at those hearings her husband, dr. patrick jackson, and one of their two daughters. the pair met in college and were, as she says, an unlikely match at first. >> he and his twin brother are, in fact, six-generation harvard. by contrast, i am only the second generation in my family to go to any college and i'm fairly certain that if you traced my ancestry back past my grandparents, who were raised in georgia, by the way, you would find that my ancestors were slaves on both sides. >> the nomination is confirmed. >> reporter: she was ultimately confirmed with 53 votes. all 50 democrats, plus republican senators susan collins, lisa murkowski and lindsey graham. that put jackson, now 51 years old, in the seat formerly held

by another supreme court hopeful... >> today i am nominating chief judge merrick brian garland to join the supreme court. >> reporter: before then- present obama made that decision in 2016, jackson's 11-year-old daughter wrote in with her own suggestion. >> dear mr. president, while you are considering judges to fill justice scalia's seat on the supreme court, i would like to add my mother, ketanji brown jackson of the district court, to the list. >> reporter: six years later - it seems president biden might be listening. for the pbs newshour, i'm geoff bennett. >> woodruff: a supreme court vacancy, an intra-party fight for control of the g.o.p., and a potential crisis in ukraine. as we do every monday, let's look at the political stakes of this busy week with amy walter

of "the cook political report with amy walter," and tamara keith of npr. hello to boft you, i do want to begin with jeff bennett's report just thought on judge ket agei brown jackson, this is one of three we believe she is one of the three finalists, president biden talking to this week. as the white house thinks about who the pick is going to be, aside from clearly what kind of justice they're going to be, what are the political considerations? >> think it is timing and impact. so how quickly does this get through the process. obviously there are a lot of democrats who say we need this to go as quickly as possible. we can't waste any time. as we've seen already there is one democrac senator for who for health reasons is out for the next couple of weeks. democrats can't afford any other things like that happening. having any vacancies among their

own party. so that is one reason for the speed. the other is to get a win. the president would really like to have something to be able to say as quickly as possible that they get it done. for risking going too quickly is that you maybe don't do as good of vetting as you could have or should have. and there are gaps there. but i think then the next thing as i said about the impact, what impact is this going to have on the election. the fact that this takes place as quickly as possie also means th by the time we hit election day this is probably really far back in the rearview mirror. not right on voters' minds which a lot of democrat was like it to be on voters mind so if the president followed through on a promise he made on the campaign trail. but we also know that republicans run a risk too of overreaching, that the impact of going after her, whoever this

woman may be that gets appointed, could end up back firing and really engaging and enraging democratic partisans and turning off swing voters. >> so tam, how do you look at what, and based on your reporting, at what the white house is thinking about as it makes this very quengs decision? >> the white house is being very public about being deliberative, about the president meeting with members of the senate from both parties to talk about it. about considering a wide range of candidates. the white house putting out there that he was considering a wider range of candidates than much of our reporting indicated they actually were. and part of that is simply no white house wants to make a mistake on what is one of the bigger decisions that a president makes in terms of a nomination, the biggest nomination a president can make.

nobody wants, no president wants it to blow up. but the numbers are such that it is unlikely that this is going to be a big fight, republicans signaled they aren't really in for a big fight. and so it truly is just a function of finding someone who will, you know, handle herself well in meetings to senators and in hearings. and most of the people that are being seriously considered have already been confirmed. to lower court judgeships. >> woodruff: and quickly to both of you, amy, how much does it matter to the white house whether republican votes are part of this final vote? >> well, i think it would be helpful for a president who campaigned on being a unifier and has seen in the last year or so opinions about that union if i kaition or his ability to unify really trendk very far down from where he started. and i do think it likely

benefits republicans as well, getting in a big ugly fight over a supreme court nominee doesn't necessarily help republicans and it could help engage as i said, engage the democrats in terms of election year enthusiasm. >> tam, i want to turn you to one of the other big questions we had today, what we are seeing in the republican party, what has been former president trump's parent firm unquestioned hold on his party, now we're seeing a rift open between him, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell, in particular, on who should be the republican nominee in some of these key races for 2022. is one side or another clear shall can-- is it clearly going to have the advantage this year? >> in terms of the rift in the republican party, i think the

mid-term could begin to settle it only if the trump pick, the people that he has endorsed. and he has endorsed people up and down the ballot. not quite down to dog catcher but just about, depending on the state. and the big question is will the trump pick, will the people that he said he wants, will they ultimately get the republican nomination in these various races? and will they win in november. and if the people who have endorsed don't perform well, that might give an opening to people like mitch mcconnell, the senate minority leader who could then say maybe trump isn't all powerful. but right now trump's power is in the belief of everyone in the republican party that he is really powerful. and that power stays in place if his endorsements mean something. and so far someone like herschel

walker-- in gorge georgia got a trump endorsement and has been raising money blockbuster even though he wouldn't have necessarily been the obvious choice as a candidate. but in other races the trump picks haven't had great fund raising. >> woodruff: how do you see the, i guess the political viability of the candidates, the more moderate republican, more moderate side of the republican party, amy, is backing by mch mcconnell and others versus former president trumps wick picks. >> trump as been winning these last few years either by intimidating candidates from running or for running for re-election. and it has had a real impact. somebody like jeff flake, senator from arizona doesn't run for re-election. democrats pick up that senate seat in 2018. his decision in the georgia runoff elections in december of

202-- 2020 ended up costing republicans two senate seats and the majority snt senate. and we're already seeing mitch mcconnell, minority leader mcconnell trying to encourage governors, moderate governors like larry hog or chris-- in new hampshire, we saw doug ducey in arizona to n, all of them or most of them have been personally attacked by the president for not doing his bidding or for criticizing him, or he has been less than enthusiastic about them rather than deciding to run, they all said no, i will take a pass. that takes three seats, three really important seats, they're not off the table but their best candidates are on the sidelines. >> some of the still to play out tam, but what we are watching right now is micked results. we have to say on the part of

the leader, leademcconnell. amy, we all sim pathize with the ringing phone. >> i'm very sorry. >> can you hear my screaming children? what is going on. >> woodruff: only the eq owe of your beautiful children-- echo of your beautiful children, tamara keith and amy walter, thank you. >> you're welcome. >> woodruff: the super bowl was a close and compelling game last night. but, as always, there was also a lot of attention around the halftime show. that was especially the case this year with the show built around hip-hop legends, coming at a time when the n.f.l.'s record on race is under fire. amna nawaz looks at the message, optics and contradictions of that show.

>> nawaz: judy, those icons were dr. dre, snoop dogg, mary j. blige, eminem, and kendrick lamar, with a special gues appearance from 50 cent. their performance put race, justice and the n.f.l.¡s handling of those issues center stage. to discuss that, i'm joined by“ new york times” culture critic and pulitzer prize winner wesley morris. welcome back to the newshour, thanks for making the time am among the many reacts to the halftime show i saw, some people said it it was like a battle between enthusiasm and cynicism, that you could all of these hip-hops assembled, a fantastic show, a really good show, at the same time the stakes are on, hosted by the nfl which is facing years of allegation of racism, a lawsuit from a former coach, a a black man a sergt he was discriminated against. >> the thing about the halftime show, everyingle year it at least, at least since 2004, i

believe that's the justin timberlake year, the halftime show has become this crucible of not only what the nfl is about but what this country stands for when it comes to the treatment of women, the treatment of african-americans. this year obviously was a big deal for a lot of music fans and you know, for music historians in some way, hip-hop music historians because hip-hop has been given its own show, instead of being an additivelement to someone else's show where part of aarger pop music-oriented spectacle. and so that raised a lot of questions about what responsibility these artists had to bring up the nfl's questionable racist hiring practices. it put a lot of pressure on these artists, you know, in this case dr. dre, kendrick lamar and snoop dogg who are all from south los angeles, and you know, in the one sense these are

artists playing their hometown, right, eng elwood isot terribly far from where they grew up. and so there is this sort of sweetness to what they're being asked to do. but you know, all of these artists in some ways intersect with the american political moment, especially kendrick lamar. and so they all knew what they wereealing with. and so in that sense i'm for a good halftime show but i'm also for the reality that is the ground upon which these shows take place has gt a lond-- a lot of landmines ton. >> so how do you reconcile the two, this is the conversation, the heart of the question, you have to go back in time, 2016 is when kol inkaepernick took a knee in protest of yes, raiks injustice but police brutality against black people, he goes as a free agent, never plays a day again in the nfl and new you have the headliner of the halftime show, dr. dre, his lyric is still not loverring the police, eminem takes a knee during the performance.

so people are saying okay, protests are okay in the nfl but not if you are one of the players. >> i hear the complaint that people have about like the discrepancy between what can happen in a halftime show and what can happen on the field. i think the nfl, the idea that you and i are having this conversation, amna and the nfl is really answering for-- isn't really answering for much of anything, they get to like half people like that, have these conversations about what it is or is not doing. and i think the interesting thing and the important thing about this floorest lawsuit gensz the league is that it will force the league to explain why it is not following its own guidelines when it comes to hiring, the racism in the league and the sexism in the league. i think it is up to the criminal justice system. i think it is up to players to continue to speak out against things happening in the league

naz so i-- . >> nawaz: so i will put to you defenders say it is snot just the halftime show, critics are saying it is the league, 70% of the players are black, only one coach, i believe, is a black man. >> mike tomorrow lynn, yep. >> nawaz: that's right. they will point to the ensire super bowl of this cultura moment where they had end racism messages in the end zone. and it a lot of folks will look at that sand say it is perform tiff, needing to do better s that criticism fair sth. >> absolutely yes. i do think though that the criticism kind of, i don't know, it is an ongoing enduring criticism it is as old as american popular entertainment in some ways, but i think the real question that the league has to answer, because black people don't have to taken for anything in this situation, as far as i'm concerned.

i think the league has to answer whit can be mostly black players and you know, the people doing the work on the field can be mostly black but yet that can't be translated, you're telling me that nobody is good enough to run strategy on these teams. that no black person is good fluff to run strategy on these teams. i don't believe that. and if the league believes that t should stay that instead of doing this smoke and mirrors with having people-- we know exactly what happened to bryin an flores being called into an interview for a job already filled by someone else. >> that is wesley morris, culture critic of "the new york times" joining us tonight. thanks so much, always good to see you. >> thanks for having me, amna, it is a pleasure to be here. >> woodruff: we haven't mentioned it yet, but as i'm sure everyone watching knows, today is valentine's day. and while you're thinking of

your valentine, we wanted to share something that london's national portrait gallery has, for the first time, put on international tour: some of its works depicting love and desire. special correspondent jared bowen of gbh boston shares these love stories with us for our arts and culture series, "canvas." >> reporter: at the worcester art museum, love abounds. romance is romticized. this is what love looks like. even what it sounds like. >> how do i love thee? let count the ways. you know, and i'm not even an english major. i know that one. >> reporter: the hand of elizabeth barrett browning, who wrote that sonnet, is cast here in bronze-- held by that of her husband, fellow poet robert browning. >> we have not just the clasping hands, with them we have the paired portraits of robert and elizabeth, both in their separate spheres, both independent minds, but inclining gently towards each other reflecting their continuous

support. >> reporter: these galleries could also be described as love on the run. the art here represents centuries of some of the greatest holdings in london's national portrait gallery. but with the museum temporarily closed as part of a $47 million renovation, they're out onn international tour. it's launched in worcester, massachusetts, under the banner "love stories." lucy peltz is the show's curator, speaking to us from london. >> touring shows some of our absolutely cherished highligs and masterpieces that otherwise would rarely go on loan. and it's also been an intellectual project because for the first time, the largest and most important collection of portraits in the world, i.e. the national portrait gallery has considered from the point of view of the role of love and desire. >> reporter: it's love in the time of the renaissance. love among the ruins. and everlasting love. perhaps i'm asking you to play psychologist here, but can you

tell me why i and so many others are just so mesmerized by a sleeping david beckham? >> i can tell you why i'm mesmerized by it. he's very beautiful. i might imagine myself lying in bed just contemplating him, as i might do my own partner. and so, the intimacy. and just enjoying that sense of his ease. >> love has many facets, and it expresses itself in different ways, and the ways in which people form connection are unique. >> reporter: claire whitner is the worcester art museum's european art curator. >> we see very intimate moments and our own interests, sort of, as a pop culture for the love of celebrities and how do we consume the love of others. >> reporter: she says john lennon and yoko ono cultivated their love for an eager public. while audrey hepburn positioned herself as a muse. >> you see this kind of multiplication of her public image in one particular photograph.

getting at that point of becoming a public muse. you know, someone that is the projection of mass desire. >> reporter: her love is manufactured and it's messy. mary wollstonecraft ran away with the married poet percy shelley, finding both love and the inspiration for "frankenstein." then there's wallis simpson and edward, duke of windsor, who renounced the british throne. thiss cecil beaton's wedding day photograph, so why the long faces? it was taken just as he likely learned she uldn't receive a royal title. and then there's the love saga of lady emma hamilton. known for dancing nude at private house parties, she was the muse of 18th century portrait painter, george romney. she had numerous affairs with aristocracy, including, charles greville. >> but ultimately greville becomes tired of emma, and he sends her to live with lord hamilton, his uncle. he falls in love with her and they get married. and all is going well until

horatio nelson shows up and begins this torrid love affair. she bears his child and lord hamilton, rather than separating with emma, decides that they're just gonna all thr of them live together in this sort o menage a trois. >> reporter: and that's not even the love that dare not speak its name. that was lord alfred douglas writing about his affection for oscar wilde, a love that landed wilde in prison recalls lucy peltz. >> there's a lovely quotation by wilde, from a letter to a friend after he comes out of prison, saying, the very fact that he's ruined my life makes me love him more. >> reporter: this being a british show, the fitting finale is the façade of the fairy tale, the ongoing one that has played out within the royal family. but, says peltz, it's one that implicates us all. >> the final section, love and the lens, which ends with harry and meghan looking absolutely besotted with each other and

wh we know evolved and whatever we may think of their decision, we think back to diana and the terrible events that befell her as a result of our desire as consumers of images of celebrity life and especially celebrity romance and heartache. >> reporter: just one of the many love stories you'll find here-- for better or for worse. for the pbs newshour, i'm jared bowen in worcester, massachusetts >> woodruff: and if you can't get to worcester that exhibit will next be at the baker museum in nape els, florida, but you have to wait until early 20236789 and on the newshour online, as companies consider returning to the office, employees have not only health precautions to consider but also office dynamics, including bias and hostility around race. our digital anchor nicole ellis

talked with an author about what everyone should know about talking about racism at work. you can watch that conversation at pbs.org/newshour. and that is and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us on-line 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: >> for 25 years, consumer cellular has been offering no-contract wireless plans, designed to help people do more of what they like. our u.s.-based customer service team can help find a plan that fits you. to learn more, visit www.consumercellular.tv. >> bnsf railway.

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♪ hello, everyone. and welcome to "amanpour & company." here's what's coming up thers been an awakening of the population. and i think there is a significant change. worldwide. >> democracy in focus. first a conversation with one of the last of the civil rights warriors. former mayor andrew young on his extraordinary life fighting for equality then and now plus. the pture for journalists and journalism is pretty grim. >> press freedom under attack i speak to jodie ginsberg and nyu journalism professor jay rosen about the war on truth around the world then china under scrutiny with the eyes of the world on beijing