>> tonight on pbs news weekend. we look at the serious global health threats posed by the increasing interacaction between humans and bats. and how am radio reaches concerns about political discourse in public safety. a new documentary examines the life and legacy of one of rock 'n' roll's founding fathers, little richard. >> what i had done in the film to actually present him as stardust. as someone who is a supernova from another planet that -- and all of the stardust comes to the earth. ♪ >> majorunding for pbs news

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like you. thank you. >> good evening, i'm john yang. for millions of americans across the south and west, it is a very hot fourth of july weekend. the national weather service warning of a dangerous combination of heat and humidity. texas has been the nation's hotspot. the wet blanket of heat and humidity is moving east to places like montgomery, alabama and jackson, mississippi. high temperatures and high humidity made it feel like 110 and 120. on the streets of nashville, tourists did not mince their words. >> it is hot. -- hot. very humid. the humidity makes the difference. it sticks to you. >> over manhattan, another day of hayes and unhealthy air. the smoke from canada's wildfire lingers. conditions the same in new england and michigan. skies could clear when rain is

forecast to move in. among those people dealing with the heat and hayes, a record number of americans heading out of town for the holiday weekend. more than 50 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home. more than 43 million projected to hit the highways. another 4 million will fly. those numbers would set new records for fourth of july travel. french president emmanuel macron canceled a state visit to germany after the fourth night of riots. protesters set fires, turned vehicles over, and looted businesses. they named more than 1300 arrests overnight. protests were smirked by the police killing tuesday of a 17-year-old boy of north african dissent identified only as nigel . he was buried in the paris suburb of nontariff, where he lived and were police shot him during a traffic stop. in hollywood, the actors union

has agreed to keep talking with the major movie and television studios past last nights expirati of their contract. the agreement to extend the deal until july 12 averted at least temporarily. a second hollywood strike. screenwriters have been on strike since may. there are no negotiations between the writers guild and producers. more than 300 actors including marquee names like meryl streep, jennifer lawrence, and ben stiller said their union leaders a letter talking about a transformative deal rather than compromising too soon. for both actors and writers, the shift to streaming has meant less work and less pay. still to come. why the decline of am radio was raising concerns beyond the communications industry. a new film looks at little richard's legendary life and rock 'n' roll legacy. >> this is pbs news weekend,

from weta studios in washington, home of the pbs newshour weeknights on pbs. >> the search for the exact origin of covid-19 is highlighted the risk of viruses transmitted by certain species of bats. in the wild, they can withstand viruses that kill other animals. the viruses can incubate in bats and spread to other animals and humans. today, humans and bats are interacting more than ever. >> global industrialization continues to reduce the amount of the world untouched by humans. species like bats are no longer insulated by human attraction as they once were. they have been traced as the source of outbreaks of rabies, dnieper virus, and ebola. to discuss why it is happening, i'm joined by a physician with conservation international, a nonprofit environmentalist group or it he works on pandemic

prevention. thank you for joining us. tell me what you when your colleagues found out about human and bat interaction in recent years, and decades. >> it starts off understanding emerging effective diseases. infective diseases are increasingly emerging around the world since the 1940's. most of the infectious diseases originate in animals and jump into people. spillovers are increasing around the world because of what we humans are doing to nature and how we are interacting with animals around the world. bats are getting stressed as we are disrupting their habitat and affecting their food supply. we are stressing out bats in a variety of ways, making them more prone to illness and likely to shed viruses. just like when we are stressed, we are morlikely to get sick, same goes for bats. >> why are they so unique in their ability to carry viruses th can affect humans?

>> a variety of reasons. might have to do with different immune systems comparing to humans, allowing them to tolerate some viruses differently than humans. they are able to fly over large distances. allowing them to carry viruses from one area to another. similar to how humans, we jump in a plane, we can carry the virus to other parts of the world. these are factors that may explain why they are able to transmit a number of viruses to humans but not the affected by them. >> tell us about the vital role they serve in the ecosystem. >> it is important we don't leave this conversation with a feeling they are bad and we should be killing bats. they are critical for pollinating plants controlling insect populations. we should be doing what we can to preserve bat habitats and keeping a safe distance and allowing them to live their lives while we go on to live our own lives and minimize the disruptions to their habitats. >> what are your policy

recommendations for mitigating these risks? >> to reduce these spillovers, we need to address deforestation. deforestation and other changes in habitats may be the biggest driver of these spillovers of viruses from animals such as bats and people. number two is wildlife, legal and illegal, needs to be regulated and monitored closely. we've had a number of outbreaks associated with wildlife, such aspo mx 2023, also the original sars outbreak associated with wildlife. the covid pandemic was related to the wildlife trade. we have to improve how we raise farmed animals. we have to do it in safe conditions to minimize animals we are raising such as cows and pigs from getting infected with wildlife viruses. >> you mentioned covid-19. the origin has not been definitively linked. there are two revealing theories, it is the result of a

spillover. the other linked to a laboratory in wuhan, china, where the virus was originally detected. if we talk about a multifaceted approach to mitigation, we need to be looking at lab safety. >> we need to be looking at all of the different places in which pathogens can arise and start infecting people. in the past 105 years, we've had five other pandemics besides covid. all five of the other pandemics, four flu plandemic's and hiv, were related to spillover events. the sixth we are emerging from, covid, it is still up in the air as to the origins of the covid pandemic. leing theories are either spillover or -- lab leak. a lot of experts are leaning towards the covid pandemic having started from a spillover event related to wet markets. we have to be clear about the peer-reviewed evidence.

it is not conclusively identified covid started from a spillover event. it is the bottom line that we also know we have to take action to address spillover because of human actions towards the environment. >> the biden administration contains a natural and natural linked origin. in both should be fully investigated. as we discussed, numerous viruses have been traced to newly deforested areas. but wuhan, where the covid-19 virus originated, is not one of them. how do you explain that? >> through the wildlife trade. even though the area may not have been recently deforested, we know there are thriving markets and we might not ever find out what the cause of covid

was. we need to be taking actions to stop spillover and be improving laboratory safety. in all of the above approach is necessary. >> there is a lot that should be discussed when it comes to the wildlife trade. the bets being studied in the wuhan china institute of virology originate 2000 kilometers away. are you saying that they made it 2000 kilometers without infecting anybody until they arrived? >> there may have been an intermediary animal in between. it may have jumped over to an intermediate animal and jumped into peoe. when a virus passes from one species to the next, it can accumulate mutations that increase the pathogen, meaning it can become more infectious and dangerous. a lot of different possible pathways. the bottom line is we know there are certain high-risk animals

posing public health threats. when you are sold on these markets in urban settings, we have to take actions to improve the public health around it. we don't want to take away the rights of indigenous people and local communities from being able to access the wildlife species. people have a right to access them, but there is little reason wildlife needs to be sold in an urban market. many other sources of protein people can be accessing. >> a physician with conservation international, thank you for joining us. ♪ >> just as television supplanted a.m. radio for drama, comedy, and variety shows in the 1950's, and fm radio became the medium of choice for music by the 1980's, streaming, internet, and podcasts have challenged a.m.

radio for listeners. now there is another threat. carmakers installing radios without the a.m. as standard equipment on electric vehicles, citing interference from electric motors. critics say eliminating a.m. radios reach will have repercussions for politics and public safety. katie thorton is a freelance journalist who searches all things radio and hosts the divided dial. what is left on am radio these days? >> as a lot of people might think of a.m. radio, there is a lot of talk. a lot of conservative talk. that is what i think people know a.m. radio best for. what people might not know about a.m. radio is it is home to a lot of the increasingly rare, locally owned stations, and home to non-english-language broadcasts, as well. there is really a diversity of program and voices on a.m. radio that is unmatched on the fm

band. >> some republicans say it is a plot against the conservative talk shows. there is a bipartisan coalition in congress who want to build to require a.m. radios in cars. they cited public safety. the emergency services announcements on radio. >> certainly. public safety safety is a huge part of a.m. radio. for the folks who may not have reliable self-service or reliable internet access, a.m. radio is a crucial way of getting public safety information, weather information, traffic information. even in times that are not emergencies, a.m. radio plays a crucial role for a lot of folks. specifically in rural areas. the way technology works, it does not have good audio qualities. it is not the best for music, but covers long distances and can penetrate buildings and

mountains in a way that fm cannot. it serves a crucial role for public safety, but also civic engagement in rural areas in particular. also in urban areas, a number of non-english-language programs are on a.m. radio. a.m. radio stations serve a crucial need and provide -- fill a void in terms of diversity. in rural areas and cities alike. >> do we know what listenership is for a.m. radio and how it compares in previous years? >> yes, people talk about radio and am radio as being a dying medium. i think that is a very big oversimplification. a lot of people are still listening to the radio generally. over 80% of americans listen every week. it is neck and neck with social media how americans get their news. with that 80% of americans listening, only about 20% of the listeners say that they are

listening specifically to am. it certainly is a smaller audience. an audience that is aging, getting smaller. but it is still a really large portion of the american public and has a lot of important things. >> the rise of electric vehicles that only have fm bands, no am bands, how big of a threat is it? >> good question. there is a lot of uproar about the fact a lot of automakers are taking these am radios out of electric vehicles because of electric interference. it is even noisier than the a.m. band is because of the drivetrain components operating at a similar wavelength to a.m. radios. but i think if you ask some folks in the am radio world, they don't see that as an existential threat to a.m. radio. a lot of places were a.m. radio

is most vital are not necessarily places there is currently infrastructure. i think since the inception of broadcast, popular broadcast radio that has been rumors of the death of radio, for almost 100 years. people said the commercials on the radio were going to kill radio. they said fm would kill a.m.. the internet would. these are still -- they give a.m. a run for their money. it really holds its own. it is influential. while i don't think electric vehicles are going to be the nail in the coffin of a.m. radio, it is the hurdle. i think it will get people thinking about what the future might look like for those stations that find a home on the a.m. band and the listeners who rely on it. >> katie thorton, thank you very much. ♪

>> a new documentary, little richard, i"m everything, tells the story of one of rock 'n' roll's founding stars. it per murder at the sundance festival. -- it premiered at the sundance festival. we sat down with the director. it is part of the arts and culture series canvas. ♪ >> the rollicking innuendo filled tutti-frutti first sent little richard erupting across american airwaves in 1955. born richard penniman in macon, georgia. ♪ >> little richard became known for his explosive stage presence and larger-than-life persona. a new documentary "little richard i am everything," by

film maker lisa cortez, explores the impact of the iconic musician. >> what i've done in the film is present him as stardust. as someone who is like a supernova from another planet that just -- burst. and all of the stardust comes to the earth. that is the essence of richard. part of my thesis, we all have a little bit of his dna in us. >> that dna, she says, is most clear in our music. one of rock 'n' roll's founding fathers, little richard bridged the world of rhythm and blues, gospel, and soul with soul and ship that was all his own. >> i am an atom bomb. eyes wide open. and he jumps off of the balcony. ran out to the side.

i wasn't -- anymore. >> his performance rooted in black and queer tradition. kicked out of his home for being gay, little richard found a safe space in a local speakeasy. >> then he begins to find his other family. he finds his tribe. he goes on the road and performs as a dried queen -- drag queen. it is a really special way that he comes into the world. >> i'm the king of rock 'n' roll. >> his energy and music went on to inspire generations of performers. >> the rollingtones, a bar band who opened for him for 30 days in a row. mickj agger shared, i sat on the side of the stage for 30 days and learned i could own a stage and be performative because of little richard. >> a then little-known band

called the beatles toured with him. >> little richard is the king of shade. one of the best lines in the film is talking about the beatles, and he says "ain't nobody know them but thei mothers." but wait a minute, they are the beatles. >> every great artist brings something on their own. every great artist also samples a little bit from somebody who came before them. ♪ >> but many white artists simply copied his work wholesale. often with gat success. >> when you see the influence he had, in particular on white artists and bands who went on to be much more successful, there is a voice in the film that says it goes beyond appropriation and more like obliteration. >> obliteration means a negation of what someone has contributed. it also means by negating them,

they don't have the opportunity to make money off of what they have contributed. >> little richard phot that erasure. here is speaking at the otis redding's induction to the rock and roll hall of fame. >> one of the greatest composers who ever lived, that is including me. and everybody else. jimi hendrix and all of them who have been with me. james brown, the beatles, mick jagger. you remember that. he knows. he was sleeping on the floor. b they didn't have a bed for him. >> he's at the point in his life he sees so many others have benefited from what he started and how he's never received any recognition. never received a grammy at that point in the film. we have all gone on the journey with him. we have seen where that cosmic

dust of creativity has landed and influenced others. but we've also seen the lack in many ways that it's given to richard. >> he's owned internal tension between the church in which he was raised and the stage where he could be uninhibited is laid bare in the film. >> my main thing in life is to be a messenger. god loves them. >> he existed in contradiction. he can be openly gay, probably to his circles, it happened for decades. >> there is a pendulum between the sacred. -- community today. >> he had a lot of complexities

about his queerness. what i do love >> he existed in contradiction. he can be openly gay, probably to his circles, it happened for decades. >> there is a pendulum between the sacred. -- community today. >> he had a lot of complexities about his queerness. what i do love is someone like a billy porter, who in her film says regardless of all of that, his very being gave me permission as a gay black man to express myself completely. he introduced into culture this sense of fluidity that so many artists then picked up on and have amplified. >> cortez, who started her career as a hip-hop music executive, says that fluidity can see in today's stars like lil nas x. the little richard sound she wishes she could have included. >> keep knocking but i can come in. that is like richard's story. he keeps trying to get in there, keeps trying to access it all. but he could not get in there.

at the same time, there is so much joy and leration in the music he gave to us. >> the film "little richard i am everything" is available to stream on apple tv and amazon prime video. for pbs news weekend, i'm on none of oz. -- ♪ >> that is pbs news weekend for this saturday. for all of my colleagues, thanks for joining us. see you tomorrow.

♪ (dave) chili peppers always had an aura of mystery about them. there are so many different varieties of chili peppers, and so many different cuisines that have chili peppers in them. and there's more chili peppers that are being grown now than ever before in the history of the world. ♪ (basket thumping) (leaves rustling) ♪ (ivette) it's something that carries personality. it's something that makes people smile, it makes people laugh. it's something that causes people to have physical reactions. ♪ (troy) what is more rock and roll than hot peppers?