♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. tonight on "pbs news weekend." as the nation grapples with the fallout from the supreme court decision to overturn roe v. wade, a look at whether the historic decision could put otherights -- including gay and same-sex marriage -- at risk. then, investigations into "toxic" workplace pracces, and sexual misconduct claims against a star quarterback put the nfl's ability to govern itself back under the spotlight. and a non-profit works to address the lack of playground access for millions of children living in low income neighborhoods. mayor scott: developing a playground is like allowing and developing a child to grow into their full self. and that's what you need to grow healthy and safe communities.

geoff: those stories and more on tonight's "pbs news weekend." ♪ announcer: major funding has been provided by -- >> for 25 years, consumer cellular has been offering wiress plans designed to help people do more of what they like. our customer service tm can help you find a plan that fits you. ♪ announcer: and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the "newshour." ♪

this program was made possible by the corporation and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. geoff: it is good to be with you. democrats on capitol hill are urging president biden to take immediate action to protect abortion rights around the country. in a new letter, 34 senate democrats implored him to use "the full force of the federal government" to mitigate the ruling's impact. today, democratic senator elizabeth warren said pregnant women need help now and that more resources should be sent to states where abortion is still legal. senator warren: it also means asking the president of the united states to make abortion

as available as possible with the tools he has, including medication abortion, including using federal lands as a place where abortions can occur. geoff: many are worried that other landmark court decisions could be overturned next, including the righto contraception and the legality of same-sex marriage. the supreme court legalized that seven years ago today. republican senator lindsey graham today brushed off those concerns. senator graham: alito i think set the right tone. he said nothing in this decision puts those cases at risk. the reason he decided that roe v. wade was wrongly decided is because it deals with the potential for life. these other privacy issues like contraception do not deal with the potential for life. geoff: but in his concurring opinion, justice clarence thomas said that the roe decision should prompt the court to "reconsider all of this court's substantive due process precedents," and named the three landmark decisions that

established those rights. joining me now to discuss the prospects for those cases, and the rights they established being overturned, is kenji yoshino. he's a professor of constitutional law at the nyu law school. it is great to have you with us. there are rights we, as americans, exercise on a regular basis that are not spelled out in the text of the constitution. help us understand more about the unenumerated rights in the constitution. >> thanks so much for having me. it is a wonderful place to start. many americans feel like if it is not written down in the constitution as the right, we don't have that right. but in fact, the ninth amendment says that there are unenumerated rights in the constitution, and those include things that we take for granted every day, like the right to vote, the right to marry, the right to travel. these are all rights that are no where enumerated explicitly in the constitution, but that we nonetheless take for granted as

americans. geoff: the words history and tradition are mentioned over and over in this week's supreme court decisions not just on abortion rights, but also gun control. and that raises the question of who's history, who's tradition? , how does the roberts court interpret those two issues? >> yeah one of the most shocking , things about dobbs opinion was that it said that these unenumerated right will only be respected if they are deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions. and so, it essentially said that if the framers of the 14th amendment in 1868 didn't recognize the right and question that the right didn't have constitutional existence. and so, that's what the eighth justice thomas in that concurrence to see an opening to say well maybe we'll get rid of not just the right to abortion, but also the right to same sex marriage, the right to sexual intimacy in the privacy of your home, and even the right to contraception.

geoff: lots of people have looked at that occurring opinion and read it as justice thomas inviting legal challenges on both of those issues, contraception and gay marriage. how do you view it? >> that is exactly right. and in fact, justice thomas has a track record of doing this that he seems like he's speaking , to his colleagues. but in fact, what he's doing is speaking to thlower court and to the litigants filed the suit that's happened in the abortion cases. and then the lower courts take up those claims and write opinions that the supreme court can then kind of peg off on. so many of the lower court judges are former thomas clerks themselves. and so there is a kind of system that he's got going there in order to invite litigation to bring these tough cases before the court. geoff: big picture, then, what does overturning roe v. wade mean for other unenumerated rights that have been protected by other supreme court decisions? >> yes. i think that the magnitude of

this cannot be overstated, because if the formula that the court is advancing here is the test of it, be recogzed and unenumerated right has to be deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions same sex , marriage is not deeply rooted in thination's history and tradition. contraception is not so deeply rooted. and so all of those rights are now imperiled geoff: are there cases sort of making their way through the legal system now on both of those issues, contraception and gay rights, that could reach the court in the next term or the term after that? >> i don't think so because it's so unimaginable right prior to this decision that those cases would be challenged. so, there may be a case that was not brought with the intent to overrule same sex marriage, but was intended to create a religious exemption from having to, say, celebrate same sex marriage by supplying a cake or by supplying services of that kind. right.

but those cases can now quickly be converted to say we want to actually get at the heart of same-sex marriage itself. geoff: kenji yoshino is a professor of constitutional law at the nyu law school. thanks again for your time and for your insights. in the face of the ruling, americans are facing obstacles. women's health clinics in a number of states are already canceling appointments for fear they could violate state laws that now restrict or completely ban abortion. i recently spokeo dr. jamila perritt, an obgyn based in washington d-c and president and ceo of physicians for reproductive health, and asked her what she has been hearing from doctors across the country, including those in states where abortion is now illegal. >> many of our providers in our network are just devastated. devastated as the folks who are seeking care, who have a need for abortion care, are you know, we weren't surprised by this

ruling. we have seen the previous administration really work to aggressively stack both the federal and the state courts with judges who are openly against abortion access and with the leaked draft opinion, we knew that this was coming, but it's still quite a blow for many of us. geoff: unpack more of the sort of medical and health implications, especially for even pregnant women who don't want an abortion, but now live in states where it is illegal. as i understand it, you know, their health care options are imperiled, too. [13.9s] >> it is important that we understand that abortion is just the tip of the iceberg. you're absolutely right. reproductive health across the board is going to be impacted in areally devastating way. you know, for folks that are seeking abortion care, the inability to obtain that care results long term economic, social, emotional outcomes that are negative as compared with

those who who have been able to obtain that care. we know that for folks who are undecided about their options, as opposed to being able to see their health care provider, to see their doctor, and to get unbiased counseling about what possible next step's exist. we know that now, depending on where you live, depending on the state you reside in, your zip code, your care may be vastly different. and so, these implications are really long and far reaching, not to menti the implications that we're going to see for things like infertility care, management of pregnancy loss and maternal mortality and morbidity. we already have abysmal rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in this country, particularly for black women who are seeking seeking care that we know are three or four times more likely to die during childbirth in the postpartum period.

and so, continuing to not make space, not make a way for folks to get the care that they need. we know that the impacts on maternal morbidity and mortality are going to be great as well. geoff: i want to ask you about something you tweeted. you said there is no mandate to report someone you suspect or know has self manage their abortion. in fact, it's a violation of privacy laws, antithetical public health and human rights frameworks and causes harm. is that something that doctors like yourself are concerned about, your own sort of legal exposure? >> absolutely. you know, people have been managing their abortion outside of the formal health system for a really long time. and we've seen them being arrested, jailed, punished, criminalized for doing so. and so, what is important for both patients and providers to know is that there is no mandatory reporting law tied to suspicion of self-managed abortion. and so, we want health care providers to know that. we also know that when doctors and other health care providers are turned into agents of the state and asked to interrogate people about what they've done

prior to seeking care, it keeps people out of care. so, these laws suggesting that doctors should be acting as as the police, interrogating the patients when they're seeking care it's misaligned with public health and community health principles. absolutely. geoff: dr. jamila parrott is an ob-gyn and president and ceo of physicians for reproductive health. i appreciate your time and insights. ♪ in tay's headlines, russia shattered weeks of relative calm in the ukranian capital of kyiv with a series of missile attacks early this morning. explosions hit at least two residential buildings, killing at least one and injuring four. a seven-year-old girl was rescued from the rubble as the

search for victims continues. the strikes also damaged a nearby kindergarten. the russian defense ministry says it also carried out attacks on ukrainian army nters in three other regions. russia was stepped up bombardments happened as leaders from seven western nations gathered for the g7 summit in germany. german chancellor olaf scholz condemned the attacks. german chancellor: this is a brutal war that putin is waging. we have now once again seen with rocket attacks on houses in kyiv that shows it is right that we stand together and support ukrainians to defend their country, their democracy, their freedom of self-determination. geoff: g7 leaders are considering new bans on imports of gold from russia and possible price caps on russian oil in response to the war on ukraine. the group also announced a $600 billion infrastructure project designed to counter china's influence in the developing world.

meantime, hundreds of protesters marched in the town where the leaders are meeting, demanding more action on ukraine, climate change, and inflation. rway is morning -- e noa rwpoaypular aygay club in oslo that left 2 dead and more than 20 wounded. the prime minister and members of the royal family paid their respects at a memorial service at oslo cathedral. authorities say the suspect has been on their radar since 2015 and believe he joined a norwegian network of islamist extremists. at least 22 young people were found dead in a south african nightclub in the coastal town of east london. a local newspaper reported that bodies were strewn across tables and chairs without any visible signs of injuries. police are investigating, but so far the the cause of death is unknown.

still to come, the nfl faces criticism of mishandling the accusations against the washington commanders and star quaterback, deshaun watson. and building playgrounds in low income neighborhoods. announcer: this is "pbs news weekend," home of the "pbs newshour." geoff: roger goodell testified this past week as part of a congressional investigation into the washington commanders' workplace practices. the commanders have been criticized by more than a dozen former employees who said it was a "toxic" environment that included sexual harassment of female workers. for more on this, i spoke yesterday with sports journalist and espn contributor howard bryant. howard, it's great to have you with us. these allegations, as you know, against the washington football

team, they date back 20 years. and at the house oversight hearing this past week, roger goodell said that the team's negative culture no longer exists, but he said that the environment under owner daniel snyder was unprofessional and unacceptable. so, why then does goodell and the rest of the team owners continue to stand by dan snyder? >> number one, roger goodell simply cannot say that a certain workplace culture doesn't exist anymore. that's his opinion, whether it works or not. if you talk to the people who work at that place, they're still talking and they're still talking off the record to many pele in the media. the biggest reason why they abide by it is because they're part of a private club. once you're an insider, you don't criticize other insiders. it is part of that club. and because they all know that if you turn on them one day, they may turn on you. that's exactly what this sort of this ownership group is.

it is a private club. they decide who's in it and they keep it as private as possible. the short answer really is that the owners do not want to break ranks, even if it includes enabling someone like daniel snyder. [9.1s] geoff: what does that all then mean for goodell's credibility? because the other thing that struck me was that in that hearing, he confirmed many of the claims about the the commanders culture found in that investigation by attorney beth wilkinson, but he still refused to release the full report. he only released a summary of its. >> i think the biggest mistake that we make and we do it in all sports is not simply the nfl, but especily in the nfl, because it's the biggest sport out there financially is that the commissioner is some sort of moral arbiter, that the commissioner is a moral guide for the sport. he is not. he is the mouthpiece for the owners. he works for the owners. they pay his salary. and so, in terms of credibility, his job is to protect them.

he gets that $50 million a year for that to appear for that very type of testimon to protect this team, to protect every team, whether it's washington or whether it's the patriots or the eswboys or any of the other geoff: i also want to ask you about what happened this past week. you had browns qb deshaun watson settling 20 of the 24 lawsuits against him over allegations that he sexually harassed and even assaulted massage therapists in the houston area. four of watson's accusers didn't settle. so that could be bad news for him, not only in court, civil court, criminal court, potentially, but also in the court of the nfl. what kind of punishment is he looking at? >> well, the way that it's been described so far is that he's probably looking at a year suspension. clearly, the browns are expecting a year suspension. and the reason why i say that with such certainty is when you look at deshaun watson's contract, when he was brought in to cleveland, that contract was structured to essentially mitigate a suspension. and instead of deciding whether this is the sort of character that you want in your franchise, that you want this person to

represent you, you've decided to protect his money by structuring a contract that essentially protects him and his salary from a potential suspension. geoff: howard, as you well know, i mean, in the years after the ray rice scandal, the nfl said it was going to redouble its efforts to look at its culture across the board. i think these two instances, incidents, what's happening with the commanders and what happened with deshaun watson, i mean, it's clear that the league has much more work to do. >> one othe things with the nfl is the question as to whether or not you can have a financial juggernaut and a moral decline happening simultaneously. and people enable the nfl simply because it's a $15 billion machine. revenues are going to balloon out to $25 billion over the next decade. and it's essentially a too big to fail operation. but that doesn't mean that it's an honorable operation. geoff: howard bryant, appreciate your insights as always. thanks for being with us.

♪ geoff: 28 million children in the u.s. do not have a playground within a 10-minute walk of their home. children in lower income neighborhoods tend to have less access to parks than those in high-income areas. but special correspondent cat wise reports, a nonprofit is working to end those play space inequities. >> what did you do at school today? reporter: after a long day at work, the longtime baltimore resident often takes her kids to one of their favorite places in the neighborhood, harlem park elementary and middle school playground. it is a fun place to beat says her son jordan. >> i like to play with my friends and family. reporter: this colorful playground was not always so fun. >> in previous years, the

playground was pretty sad. the playground did not allow activities to build motor schools. reporter: many baltimore playgrounds are in need of a makeover. a citywide assessment found many are in poor condition. most are in neighborhoods with dominantly low income communities of color. >> people of color are disproportionately impacted. reporter: lisa ratliff is the ceo of a nonprofit started in 1996 that helped build or improve more than 17,000 playgrounds around the country, inuding harlem park's in 2016. >> historical and racialized disinvestment in our communities, kids do not have place to play in their schools were near their houses. people of color have suffered. people of color have experienced lower budgets, lower resources, and quite frankly, lower

prioritization in making sure they have what they need to thrive. reporter: she says now more tha ever play spaces are needed as children cope with mental health issues due to the pandemic. >> science tells us our physical and mental well-being and health is affected by having great places to be outdoors to connect with the earth and fellow human beings. theris no stronger remedy to physical and mental health and what we call a sense of belongg in communities. reporter: she recently visited a playground about to get a makeover with officials from baltimore's public school district and the recreation and parks department. kaboom partners with local organizations to identify neighborhoods in greatest need of a playground and helps find funders and facilitates the planning and building of the playground. members of the community,

including kids, also play an important role, providing input on designs and helping on build days. earlier this year, they received $14 million from mackenzie scott. playgrounds have recently been built at butterfly park in milwaukee, chinatown in philadelphia, and in san francisco's park where kids now play in a nature inspired space. but baltimore has been a big focus. more than 40 playgrounds have been built for improved over the last two decades. >> as a young person who grew up here in baltimore, i know how much parking facilies can help young people. reporter: the baltimore mayor says he appreciates kaboom's partnerships with the city and wants to do more. 40 $1 million from the american rescue plan have been designated for updating parks and recreational facilities.

>> developing a playground is like allowing and developing a child to grow into their full self. they will be in a safe place and enabled to be healthy. it allows their family to experience things. there's a sense of community they get from being with other folks. that is what is needed to grow healthy and safe communities. reporter: in april, kaboom launched a new initiative with the goal of ending playspace inequity in 25 communities in the nextivers that looks like a high quality playground near every child's home and school. baltimore was the first city selected for the new program. more than 50 playgrounds will be built or improved in t next few years. >> this is a solvable problem. it is fairly low cost and high impact. we can make significant advancements that do not just

ver rha communities and kids. porter: back in harle park, she says her neighborhood's rebuilt playground has helped her kids and her. >> when we com to the playground, i feel safer and i'm able to relax before going home and starting our evening. geoff: such a great story. that is " pbs news weekend" tonight. on the next "pbs newshour," americans' views on abortion and the supreme court's decision to overturn roe v. wade. i'm geoff bennett. join us live online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at pbs ns weekend, thanks for spending part of your sunday with us and . announcer: major funding has been provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.

♪ th program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs statn from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪

announcer: funding for this program provided by aids healthcare foundation, california institute of contemporary arts, dwight stuart youth fund, the city of west hollywood, los angeles lgbt center, california community foundation, and by these additional funders.

alexei romanoff: i was sitting in my apartment in new york city.