♪ goeff: good evening i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i am amna naw >> the fda proposes using restrictions on gay and bisexual men. and they have -- easing on longest room and orrie tar -- long discriminatory laws. amna: and w go to schools to see -- we go to schools to see how teachers are dealing with the paws of the pandemic. >> is interesting to see how

they solidified their reading skills. ♪ major funding for the pbs has been funded by pediatric surgeon volunteer. [indiscernible] if you live your life. life well lived. >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals. and institutions. including nancy and paul anderson. >> the landscape has changed. the roles of business reinvented with a more flexible workforce. by him basing -- by embracing innovation. looking ahead to future innovations as well.

it is the ability to pivot again and again regardless of what happens. people who know, no bdo. >> the john s and james -- james l knight foundation founding communities. more at our website on the screen. ♪ >> and friends of the newshour. ♪ the program was made possible by the corporation -- and your pbs station for viewers like you. thank you. amna: welcome to the newshour.

authorities in memphis and other cities are urging peaceful protest tonight as they release a graphic video of the fatal police meeting of tyre nichols. goeff: that is a 19-year-old that died earlier this month after a arrest. police beat and tased him for three minutes at a traffic stop. the police officers are now charged with his murder. my friends, family, and supporters turned out for a vigil at his favorite skateboard park. the police chief said there was no possible -- probable cause for his arrest. many of the city's top officials have described the video of his arrest horrific and difficult to watch. his mother has said -- said she could not watch the full video of whahappened to her son. and there is some documentation on the video that is said to b him calling out for his mother's help. she spoke with us.

>> h loved to talk with me. he was his own person. he did not follow what everybody else was doing. i talked to him one time and he said mama i do not want to go. he wants to dance. you know. so, i am just telling you guys, my son was a beautiful person. he was a good boy. no one is perfect. but he was dam near it. goeff: we are looking at the -- closer at his killing and how the community is responding to it. we spoke with the senior pastor of the missionary baptist church in memphis. thank you for being with us. >> tnk you for having me, i appreciate it. >> i imagine there is a heaviness in memphis, a deep sense of outrage, anger, hurt, how are people processing what

has transpired? >> that is a difficult question. all of the emotions you articulated are powerful but there is a sense of anxiety and hope there are a few steps that have taken -- that have been taken for justice. true justice would be that he is still bathing and our heart goes out to the family and we stand in solidarity for them, it remains to be seen, that i do not think anybody can reveal what the next few days will hold >> what makes this case of police violence different is that all officers involved are black. and what also makes it different is how quickly they were arrested and charged. people find a direct connection between those two things. and i want to hear what your reaction about his attorney had to say today. >> this is the blueprint going forward.

because any time any of us whether they be black or white [indiscernible] no longer can you tell us that we have to wait six months to a year. >> what about that is justices a new standard and that is meant this case, the tragedy proves that it can be done? >> i definitely agree with him and i believe the support is go into context. the developments that led to what we have seen over the last few days i do not think anyone should be caught up in a ojected benevolence of people within the system. just doing the right thing. this is the byproduct of several years of righteous and aggressive advocacy -- activism work where stewart was killed in 2015 for bridge demonstrations in 2016. the rule of confederate -- in

2017 the list goes on and on. but i apprecia what attorney from said. he said unique as this case may be, as far as the heinous and egregious video is can earn what we know is this is still part of a larger system and construction of policing. and we been trying to advocate for righteous reforms for quite some time on the ground. they been resistant and they have been reduced. which i think contributed to the moment we are faced with now. our heart goes o to the family of tyre nichols and i believe his mother and father believe this is not just about this isolated incident. it is not isolated it is connected with what is happening. and police are concerned along with the country. >> let me ask about that because he was pled over blocks away from his home from a specialized poli unit known as scorpion which was set up a little more than a year ago. two police this surge in violent

crime parts of memphis. these specialized crime time -- crime fighting groups have been scrutinized for targeting people of color. what is the level of concern about this team of -- before the fatal assault? >> a few things come to mind. the offices involved had been on the force for five or less years. d he would wonder how they would be able to get in a specialized unit with such a short time span of experience. not only that, when you think about the level of oversight and supervision that should have been provided to them. i do not think anybody is being objective to what we are seeing that this is their first time engaged in this heinous behavior. you do not start out with this level of brutality in your first rodeo you have to graduate to this point. our question again is who was responsible for the management and oversight that should have been provided to them. they are connected to the other

issues. to be fair to law enforcement [indiscernible] because of the your responsibilities there may be covert elements involved but at the same time, there has to be enough transparency and accountability to ensure these development do not reach a different level because we did not have to be here today we are here today because of th competing philosophies and ideologies about how to make the city safer. chief davis, mayor strickland, they put this together in the fall of 2021. it did not take even 1.5 years to have a body and we have more bodies that have been brutalized by the grace of god that had not died. >> his family says he was beaten beyond recognition. the police chief says this video shows and conscionable acts that define humanity. the director was appalled by what he saw. how do you expect the city of

memphis will respond to this? >> that is beyond my pay grade. i [indiscernible] because of past protests, we have shown all manner of poise and passion. if there has ever been any escalation in past protests in memphis it was the police that initiated it and escalated it. i trust the people [indiscernible] i ue the citizens to look out for each other. if somebody is there and see somebody doing something i would hope that they would intervene with the highest level of love and appreciation not only for each other but also the family of tyre nichol area i also think it is not the wisest thing to release a video that you know is going to be insightful and inflammatory on a friday evening. i think there could have been deeper discussion and dialogue about this -- better

ways to introduce this to the public. those of us who have been on the ground for the last several years will be here for the long haul. we are hoping for the best and still trying to prepare for the worse. and lastly i would say i think the error of the city has been impacted by the way 9th street -- weight mainstream media has couched this. -- way mainstream media has couched this. when they started reporting at the beginning of the week i was looking around because i felt like i was missing something. it had not been what i felt and were wet my calling spell. and we had -- or what my colleagues felt. we should prepare for the worst and hope for the best. >> he was considered to be a free spirit enjoying skateboarding and photography. he was a father and deep love his mother. we were at the vigil last night

and could speak to the fily members. what did the world want them to know about their son? >> what they said the last several weeks as they want people to know how human he was. how much he loved sunsets and skateboarding, how faithful he was in his work and his relationship with his mother, palmer -- father, family, his child, anytime we can humanly ice -- humanize this is great. and i want to encourage to lift up those that have's suffered similar injustices to stand with these families after the smoke clears. because people continue to bear the burden and trauma of these instances. as his mother was saying, we should not have to do what we are doing now. we will do the best with what we have.

>> pastor of a church in memphis in i -- memphis tennessee. thank you for speaking with us. ♪ amna: in today's other headlines new violence erected in the middle east wh the palestinian government killed seven people in jerusalem before someone killed him. it was one of the most deadly attacks on israelis in years. they swarmed the synagogue. it came after troops kille 10 palestinians in the bank. -- west bank. and then they fired rockets overnight and israel's military responded with airstrikes. there were no reported casualties in the exchange. russian artillery fighter -- fire has claimed more lives. it killed at least 10 people today.

a mild ahead of the un's refugee agency accused russia of the -- kidnapping ukrainian children. we he one man that said russians are taking children from occupied areas, giving them passports, and putting them up for adoption. >> you cannot determine if children have families our guardianship. until that is clarified you cannot give them another nationality or have them adopted by another family. >> the russian said they categorically reject the allegations. and auckland-based torrential rains and flooding today. they had water waist deep in some areas. submerged cars were abandoned as drivers struggled to get to safety. officials warned residents to be ready to evacuate. in this country, the justice department accused three men of plotting from orders of iran to kill a journalist in nework.

-- she has spoken against abuses and she confirms this. attorney general mary gardens as -- merrick garland >> we will not undermine these protections and the rule of law on which our democracy is based. we will not tolerate attempts by foreign power, threaten, silence, or harm americans. >> they are accused of money laundering and murder for hire. mike pence says he takes full responsibility for classified document founded his indiana home. in florida today he said the document should not have been in my residence mistakes were made. the former bryce president said he never knew the material was there and that was no excuse. republican -- elected mcdaniels

to -- for two more years. they voted today in southern california. former president trump said that some of his lies supported a challenger. president biden made it official today that -- will be his new chief of staff. [indiscernible] national economic counc under president obama. stepping down after [indiscernible] wall street stocks -- the dow jones industrial average was up 28 points. then the nasdaq rose 10 nine points and the s&p 500 added 10. [indiscernible] the s&p rose 2.5 percent. still to come on newshour, remembrance day, white americans know so little of its history.

[indiscernible] weighing on the week's political headlines. inside the acclaimed new theater production in life of pi. ♪ this is a pbs newshour in washington and in the west from the school of journalism at arizona state university. [indiscernible] >> potential donors who have a no sex in the last three months new multiple partners would not be allowed to donate. those taken -- taking

medications for hiv will be deferred for a time for more on this i am joined by cool william he founded the organization ride and plasma last spring to help this issue. welcome tnk you for joining us. we have to point out that for over a generation bisexuals have been cut -- shut out [indisrnible] when you think about this moment, how important is it right now? >> this is the biggest reduction we have seen since 1985. every time they cut it back there is still [indiscernible] policy this is the first time for the fda to look at individual donors. >> you came to this work during a personal experience they were experiencing a blood supply shortage and your whole family wanted to donate what happened? >> [indiscernible] family decided that they wanted

to go give blood. but i knew because of the [indiscernible] i was not eligible and that led to an awkward conversation where i had to say i cannot, i wish i could, but that is the reality of the situation. >> there's a number of exclusions in place with the policy. you're taking oral medications for the injectable prep -- [indiscernible] >> i will say yes and no. i am not sure of their results of the 1800 participants. they looked at the safety of individual risk -- [indiscernible] i think we still need [indiscernible] while using [indiscernible]

because hiv is not the only thing we are looking for when we are testing flood donations. we are also looking at hepatitis and other sexually transmitted diseases that transmit through what is donated. so we see the results of that. and we have studies on the specific issue. i cannot say -- [indiscernible] >> we spoke with the researcher at the fenway institute. he is fighting for the right for 15 years. [indiscernible] fda was haunted in the 1980's when thousands of people were getting -- [indisrnible] they said they were very hard to balance these two things. they were protecting [indisceible] blood supply. he said they were doing a good job, do you agree? >> i do agree. the testing that we have in the

1980's is decades different -- very different decades later. i'm glad the fda is taking steps forward to discriminate a little bit less. >> there's been incremental steps over the years but when you look at when they been taken and why they have been taken why do you think it has taken the years that it has for the changes to be made? >> one of the reasons is -- when we saw the reduction in 2015 and 2020 from my understanding there was no research data. it was groundbreaking from the number of participants but also what it was talking about we did not have that beforehand area most of them were based on

public opinion. so when we do not have a policy that looks at individual sexuality and sexual orientation, we had not asked the question before. >> when we are looking at these restrictions and putting them in place is this just about blood donations to you? >> it is not they also handle tissue donation which includes your heart valves and your ski and bones and ligaments. a bunch of tissues that people are waiting for in hospitals. patients are in desperate need of and there is a five year policy for any man who had sex with man regardless of if it was protected or safe. and regardless of if that person was tested for stds. >> thank you for joining us tonight. ♪

>> this is international holocaust remembrance day it comes at a moment where there is growing worry about anti-semitism in the u.s. and around the world. and there is concern that too many people do not know what happened during the holocaust. we look at the concern starting with ceremonies around the world . >> at the site of one of the worst atrocities in human history a call to never forget. [speaking foreign language] >> survivors and mourners gather for prayer and reflection. today marks 78 years since soviet troops liberated the nazis biggest death camp in the world war ii. this was the last stop for 1.1 million people most of them jewish. among the attendees, douglas emhoff who was jewish, vice

president kamala harris. the camps ironclad entrance bearing the ominous words work makes you free. and paused at the death wall where thousands were executed. just a few hundred miles away, a conflict in ukraine on the minds of many president volodymyr zelenskyy who is jewish lace a candle on a memorial. [speaking foreign language] >> today we emphasizetronger than before never again to hatred or difference. [speaking foreign language] >> for the auschwitz museum -- the comparison was clear. [speaking foreign language] >> similar sick lust for power and similar sounding myths about uniqueness, greatness, supremacy only written in russia. >> on a day to mark pass -- past

mass suffering growing concerns about what is happening now. despite the pledge to never forget, never again. there are signs that americans knowledge about the holocaust may be waning. a survey from the american jewish committee found only 20 -- 20 6% of americans can correctly answer four questions about the magnitude of the holocaust and its origins. and about 6 million jews were killed -- 34% say that hitler's came to power by overthrowing the german government. but he was democratically elected. and only 39% were aware of that. the american jewish committee's director for antisemitism is with us. what do you take away, what do the numbers in the -- in your survey tell you? >> if you take a step back, it

tells you why we ask the questions. the american jewish committee has been doing studies on american jews and the u.s. general public for the past few years. on the state of antisemitism in america. how we experience and slice images a. if the public is even aware. this year for the first time we are in a question about the holocaust to the general public to see what they knew and if what they knew corresponded with how they answered questions about anti-semitism. >> and is there a link between the knowledge of the holocaust and anti-semitism views? >> there is. and while the full report will be released in a few weeks, i can share you a few things now. americans answered three or more of the questions correctly. they knew something about the holocaust but they were more likely to know what anti-semitism was and to know it

has increased in our country in the past five years and stated it is aroblem in the u.s. which is not something that those who answered less of the questions were able to do. >> what do you think your town, this lack of knowledge about the holocaust that the survey found what is this show? >> there are a few issues we are working with. the holocaust -- are being addressed by many communities around the world. and one in the netherlands this week show how many young people in the netherlands think the holocaust is a myth. but we are up against is the passage of time. today marks 78 anniversary of the liberation of it. and the time is working against us and many of the survivors were probably only within the next decade will have eyewitnesses to the atrocity with us. secondly there are more genocides and atrocities that

have happened since the holocaust. we say never again, but it has been again and again. some people may not connect back to learn the lessons from the holocaust to know that hitler's was democratically brought to power. how that can apply today. they need to make those connections. i think the final piece with the younger generation we know no less about what happened have grown up on social media and the internet and unfortunately we see the most holocaust denial and distortion and anti-semitism today. >> how is teaching for the holocaust being improved? >> we see some improvement as we speak there is a bill in congress right now on encouraging states to mannitol -- maintain holocaust education. right now only 28 states mandate holocaust education. about 39 u.s. states are doing something that ensure the holocaust is talked about more but more can be done.

more resources can be provided including training on how to teach holocaust age-appropriate materials. but i think the venue we are entering and now is how do we stay innovative with teaching the holocaust? how do we make sure it is not a book but it can be a survivor in a three dimension. the foundation is doing that right now speaking to survivors that may not be with us anymore but their testimonies live on. with a reality we have holocaust survivors taking -- from their own homes in the u.s. to the concentration camps of the holocaust and exposing them in more technologically advanced ways. >> the director of the museum compare the holocaust with what is going on in ukraine, is that a fair comparison? >> we are careful with our comparisons but what i can say is what happening ukraine, the illegal invasion by russia the holocaust distortion is happening frothe very

beginning when they said they were going into ukraine to occupy, that is completely inappropriate that as an attack on jewish memory and identity. so you can see some of the comparisons. that is why it is important for the rest of the world to call it out if you do not name it you cannot have it. >> thank you for joining us. amna: if you're looking for ways to learn more abo the history of the holocaust this week our very own judy woodruff and others are part of a discussion of how the anti-semitism spread leading to the holocaust a the relevance of the circumstances today you can watch it online at ebs.org/newshour. -- pbs.org/newshour. >> it's been more than a year since most american schoolchildren return to class full-time. now school districts are working to recover learning that was

lost while they were home during the pandemic. researchers say students in low income neighborhoods lost for most. i recently visited a school in baltimore that investigated innovative ways to help students catch up. >> are we ready to listen? >> a typical morning for fourth graders at the academy and southeast baltimore. next right hand only area next after announcement teacher maia led the students through a 50 minute mental health check in. collects their minds are not ready to learn. the instruction is harder for us but also for them. >> this started before the pandemic but it is taken on new importance after students return to the classroom. one way baltimore city public schools is helping students catch up on unfinished learning from the pandemic. >> because they left at a younger grade, it is like they are picking up where they left off even wi us trying our best to catch them up. >> not just academically but socially and emotionally.

>> i think they sometimes struggle even with communication skills like talking to each other during recess instead of being on theirhone because they are so used two having technology in front of them. starting with the mindset of how are you a check in allows them -- we want to know them beyond instruction. >> thiis a neighborhood kindergarten through eighth grade school where 100% of students are on free urban dos -- reduced lunch. >> they had problems dealing with the socioemotional skills. >> the principles as it is crucial. >> we want to be intentional about building the capacity and students including self-awareness and responsible decision-making. and ensuring that our students are able to demonstrate empathy for onanother in a real way. >> they have expanded emphasis on mental health through

community partnerships and additional training for teachers. using an infusion of sterile and state -- federal and state pandemic funding. they received funding from the federal government to address the effective covid-19. >> we have expanded -- expanded our opportunities quite a bit. >> we speak with the coordinator for programming of 75 thousand students across 150 schools. >> this school like most school districts experience extended virtual instruction how has the pandemic affected students? >> the students had limited opportunity in virtual learning and we now see that as we come back in person. we see we have work to do to bring those students back on track. and to accelerate their learning so we can ensure that they are ready to do well at the grade lel and beyond. >> staffing is a key part of the

strategy. additional funding allowed them to add 15 positns for teachers. that allows students -- schools to put two teachers in most classrooms. and offer things like this on environmental sustainability area next you concede see the organic material. >> today they help earthworms support ecosystems. >> the school district also partners with that provide one tutoring is correction. and this is for -- is -- one-on-one tutoring for students that need additional instruction. >> this help students with reading fundamentals. >> it's been an uphill battle.

they solidify the foundational reading skills. >> fourth-grade teacher melissa. >> they do not get reading instruction anymore in the general education classes. small group is a time where kids that need extra practice can get instruction with a teacher. >> half of the students at this school are english language learners. >> when they were at, doing virtual learning they did not have any family members that speak english. many of them that are new to the country had to relearn english if they already knew it or they had to take extra steps when they got back to school to solidify their english. >> what is your favorite subject? >> these fourth-graders benefit from being back in the classroom. >> was the greatest thing about

school? >> i like going to school it is the best we can play with friends and find more friends at school. it makes me happy to see my friends again. to see people doing better. >> are there certain areas where you feel like you have to do more work to catch up maybe is math or reading? >> i think i have to do more work on math to catch up. >> is it because of the pandemic and being got home for one or two years? >> yeah. >> how is the small reading group helping you? >> i was having a tough time reading words and when i go to just words it helps me sound out the words and learn words and i learned to read it. >> parents like joanna can see the difference of personalized learning. >> he was in pin -- her son was

in -- he was in kindergarten when the pandemic happened. now he is in school i can see the progress and him thriving. >> helping students thrive is a big deal for underperforming schools prior to the pandemic. they took a step back after the pandemic. >> we know prior to the pandemic our school had important learning needs and the pandemic intensified that. our energy is forward tnking and around using our data to inform instruction in service of getting the students back on track. >> the fourth-graders in these classes say that they noticed and appreciate the help they are getting. >> i was nervous because i did not know if it was going to be new people or new teachers.

now i'm happy to see my teachers helping us. >> tomorrow we take a look at the national implications of the log connected -- law connected to the pandemic and how the country can best help their students. that is on pbs weekend. ♪ amna: after the police beating in memphis and the mass shootings in california americans let's deal with holding the powerful accountable. let's turn to marcus abernathy. and her post-colleague gary. welcome to you both. thank you for being here. i want to begin with the video that we lead the show with. the pending release of the video showing the death of tyre nichols. the police beating tyre nichols.

as we speak now, it has not been released, but before we begin to cover it in the days ahead i would like to get your take on where we are right now. with how graphic the video is, and identifying what happens next. gary, why don't you began? >> that is the strike on it. very quickly, it has only been three weeks and quickly police chief determined that this was a failing of basic humanity. they are preparing people for a horrible video but what happened by everyone who has seen it it is a horrible thing. it strikes to a culture but still exists. they did not wait to suspend these officers they fired them. they did not say they suspended them based on a pending investigation they just fired them.

this is a horrific thing apparently you do not want to rush to too much judgment because we do not know the details. and the culture in this case may not be a race-based issue. the officers involved were also black but there is obviously something -- wouldn't engage in this brutality. that is something that is still that departments everywhere need to address. >> how you look at this moment? >> it is horrifying but i will start with the question. this terrible video may feel a little bit better. before him in 1971 there was a young man named elton hayes he was 17 years old and he was beaten to death by officers in memphis. in that situation, it was covered up.

it took two years to charge the officers and all eight of them were acquitted. as my worker was suggesting, very interesting details about the racial conditions involved but the officers were quickly fired. these charges were filed at fast -- record speeds. i am glad we are not seeing it in a time where we cannot -- i really do not want to look but they are being charged. the response after the fact is very healthy. what happened before the fact is obviously really disturbing. in some ways, more disturbing on a certain level. when it is black officers involved, it is horrifying when a white officer shoots and kills. or is responsible for the death of a black man -- man.

like the situation with floyd. but in those situations the police department may have a way to improve themselves. they can integrate their ranks and bring in people that theoretically will not treat members of the community that way way. but when you have officers involved in the violence you have to question if there is something harder to move out of police culture. that is the scary part of this. >> we will follow this in the days ahead. i want to ask you about the incident we began with at the beginning of the week which is the mass shooting in california. when it comes to gun violence in america i want to share statistics. every day in the country 124 people die every day from nonviolence. the leading cause of death for children 18 and under is now gun violence.

so far this year there's been 42 mass shootings. more mass shootings than days of the year. i was on the ground in monterey park, california i spoke with congresswoman judy chu the mayor they are. it is also h hometown. and she is now a congressperson and i asked if this is the moment that your fellow workers of congress asked what will it take? this is what she said. >> those congress members could be the next ones with theass shooting in their district. their constituents could be the victims, their neighbors, family members, loved ones. and till we stop this proliferation -- until we stop this gun violence -- >> was she wrong? >> until we stop this which is

disturbing, whether is mass shooting or individual shooting, we are suffering from an epidemic of gun violence. she did not answer your question about whether this was going to be the moment that would catapult and galvanize congressman into action. best that with mothers who lost their children in the sandy hook shooting with the hope of being able to get a filibuster of efforts to pass an assault weapon ban. they could not do it. this congress is unable t get itself into action. so we will need to see action on a state level. on a state-by-state basis. the scary part is that the united states supreme court has made it harder for the state. we wl find out in the coming years of how hard.

>> as you all know and experts told us depending on where the rules are applied. if california had restrictive gun laws in california but you can buy a weapon in arizona and carry it across it takes federal law to fix our gun problem. >> that's an excellent point. california has one of the most strict gun laws in the country but this still happen. the question is -- i would like to hear what is the gun laws that needs to be passed to prevent this. i don't think anyone can answer that. >> i have specifics. >> ok, i cannot wait to hear them but what is it that makes people pick guns up and commit the crimes. what is the culture? what is the sickness of us souls that make someone say i will

pick up a gun and massacre these people. let's acknowledge that they do not get up and do this themselves people pick this up and do it. why do we -- what do we need to address to preve people from wanting to carry out these actions? >> i would suggest, we are good friends so we can disagree, the sickness of the sole is not --soul is not us. it is america where we have more guns than people. when you have more guns th people you will not be able to eradicate them but there are thgs you can do witches limit the size of magazines and raise the age of people who ar eligible for weapons from 18 of 221. you can have trigger locks in place or other fingerprint technology so young children and other people who should not have guns including a six-year-old who shot his teacher in virginia

recently near us are not able to get two guns. and you can enact red flag laws and respond in a quick way. there are people out there who have had guns taken away from them or should not have guns. i could keep going. will this stop gun violence in america, no. what will it reduce it. yes. >> i want to give your friend a chance to respond. >> sorry, i think california has some of the restrictions the magazine restrictions. joe biden signed into law a bill that they called the biggest gun bill and 30 years that has read flag laws expanded. so i think they are always looking at every issue. but let's not do this or point fingers at each other saying you care more than i do or you care

less than i do let's work together on this. >> we appreciate your time we could talk more about this topic. thank you for being with us. ♪ >> the play life of pi open in cambridge massachusetts. you may know the story from the best selling boo or the film, but the creative scene behind the play wants you to reconsider what you thought you knew. jerry bono ogbh boston takes a look as the play heads to broadway this spring. it is part of our art and culture series. canvassing. >> the life of pi on broadway shows the test of survival,

will, and belief. and we are impressed to believe that we are watching a 17-year-old boy adrift in the ocean with a tiger. canadian author became -- book became an inspiration for the 2012 film. >> had i not known john parker i would have died right now. >> it centers on pi who along with an orangutan, hyena, and tiger are cast into the sea after a ship carrying his family and zoo animal sinks. it is pi telling his story or stories. that he either survived with the animals of or th manacles were merely medical examples of nash for the animals were merely examples of -- or the animals were merely examples of what really happened.

>> when playwright lou rita met with the author as she started the project, his only advice was to not lose the animals. >> he left we with a dilemma because it made me fulfill what he said. he said it is the ambiguity. so we had the animals from the book and yet it is an alternative story. we follow what we know so we like to rely on what we know and can prove. it is up to you you can watch the play. and see which one you believe. >> she says she believes the ambiguity goes to the heart of who pi is. and his story can be construed as a mechanism for resilience. >> i think we never know who we are until we are tested. and out of great suffering comes wonder. i think pi in the extraordinary story he engages

through the story -- narrative he engages through the story i can only explain as enlightenment. >> it is an optimistic space to reflect on what we can bring forward. does pandemic i feel the story is becoming better. >> max webster directed the movie that had a slew of awards. [indiscernible] >> we met as he rehearsed a new ensemble. much of his castor puppeteers animating the animals alongside pi. it is a concept that plays directly into the theme of imagination. >> we know the pieces of wood over there, it is like a game you invite the audience to play with you. just as a child plays in a way. >> here it is a darker play. >> it is not a fantasy story in

which the animal is cute and nature -- it is more of a source of an animal that you would -- not want to hug from. >> the director for an caldwell has sent -- spent considerable amount of time to study mannerisms and behavior. like in this scene, where the wounded zebra was attacked by hyena. >> we look back and say we -- this is what we think zebra would do if it was stressed or tried to stand up. we build the details up so we have a convincing picture. >> one of the peppertree -- puppetry mines behind this comes with a simple biosis between puppeteer and cast.

>> area experiencing what is happening in the -- they are experiencing what is happening in the puppet. >> and it must all happen together the animals are trained by multiple puppeteers. in london, all seven performers played the tiger with best supporting actor award. and the connective tissue among puppeteers. >> we risk our breath to give you emotion so i could be breath physically upset fro they i am breathing. the great thing about breath is that also we allow puppeteers to communicate with each other without hang to talk. we are connected together and operating a puppet. the way we are breathing in response to that may tell us

what we might do next. so i take it into a journey of being surprised down to being calm without planning it. >> it is the life of five that in this struggle and story of perseverance leaves the audience struggling to catch its own breath. >> that is the newshour for tonight i am geoff bennett. >> on behalf of the entire newshour team thank you for joining us. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by ♪ >> moving our econo for 160

years. bs -- bnsf the engine that connects us. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions and friends of the newshour including the cafe of paul anderson and camilla and gorge smith. the walton family foundation working for solutions to protect water during climate change. so people and nature can arrive together. the william and flora hewlett foundation for more than 50 years advancing ideas and supporting institutions to promote a better world. at our website. >> -- at hewlett.org. ♪ >> and friends of the newshour. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute,

which is resnsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and views to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪

hello, everyone. welcome to "amanpour & co." >> i'm educated. i'm working. there's nothing in my religion that stops me doing that. >> working to reverse the taliban's crackdown on women's rights. i speak with two of the united nation's most senior officials just back from afghanistan. i struggled a lot with the sense that i was somehow broken or damaged and that i belonged at the margins and i would never have the basic satisfactions of l life. >> tandrew sullivan and his boo.

the