christopher: this is dw news live from berlin. one of music's most distinctive voices has fallen silent. ♪ ["freedom" being sung. christopher: aretha franklin became an music alike on in the 1960's and 70's after launching her career at her father's church in detroit.

also, news outlets across america take a stand against the president's attacks on the media. >> i call the fake news the enememy of the people, and they are, the enemy of the people. christopher: nearly 350 newspapers criticized donald trump's battle cry, saying it is a threat to democracy. and hopes fade of finding survivors in the genoa road tragedy. 20 people are believed to be missing and there is mounting anger over the collapse's cause. ♪ hello and welcome. my name is prescription occurrsd -- my name is christopher springate. aretha franklin died today at the age of 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. franklin shot to stardom in the

19 60's and 1970's with singing so powerful it became part of the american psyche. she sang at martin luther king's funeral in 1968 and in 2009 at barack obama's presidential annan duration. above all, she earned immense respect is one of the defining voices of the american civil rights movement. ♪ ["respect" being sung] reporter: her song ground the airwaves. respect. aretha franklin's imprint on soul music was enormous. her vocals provided the soundtrack for the civil rights and women's rights movements half a century ago. the daughter of a mississippi preacher and a mother who sang and played piano, aretha franklin grew up in detroit. singing at her father's church

services at an early age, she was influenced by the gospel sound. she signed her first recording contract in 1960 and enjoyed limited success. her breakthrough came when she switched labels several years later. she soon earned the title, "queen of soul," she performed for president-elect bill clinton in 1993 and 16 years later, at the inauguration of president barack obama. among many accolades, she was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, the first woman to receive the honor.r. ththat was in 1987. she received the presidential medal of freedom and two dozen five and 118 grammys, the music industry's highest -- and 18 grammys, the music industry's highest award. last year she announced she

would reduce appearances. declining health forced her to cancel a concert earlier this year. with a career spanning more than 50 years, aretha franklin made an indelible mark on american music and influenced generations of singers. ♪ christopher: let's talk to entertainment journalist k.j. matthewsws who joins us from los angeles. whatat a loss for t the world of music. isis there any wayay of puttingt dimension on this ls?s? k.j.: there is an. she represesented americica anda waway no other singer has. shshe started in gospel, she mod to soul, she did our and b and she did a little opera and she did a little jazz and she moved into pop. she has inspired jennifer hudson, bette mididler, so many

others out there. the tributes will be pouring in today. there is one genre of music she didn't approach. and she also had an indelible mark on politics. she was at martin luther king junior's funeral. she sank before jimmy carter and president barack obama. she received a presidential medal of honor. she won 18 grammys spiritual was the first woman induducted i ino the rock 'n roll hall of fame, and the list goes on and on and on. christopher: indeed, we e have a slightly difficult link up with you but we will continue anyway. aretha franklin wrote in her autotobiography, she aretha-ized the song's shshe sank. what i is the essence of virginia's? -- essence of her genius? k.j.: you have to live orr she

had a four-octave range in her voice. that is distinctive. whether it wass popop, even couy music, she had a way of doing something and when you heard the song, immediately you knew it was an aretha franklin saw. you could be in the supermarket and hear a song and say yes, that is aretha franklin, i can just tell by the voice. christopher: she inspired d a whole gerarationf femamale singers, dididn'tt she? kk.j.: absolutely. jennifer hudson just gone on twitter sank she got to know aretha franklin as a person, and aretha franklin gave her a lot of advice, not just about the music industry but life in general. she talked about men and relationships, and a lot of people looked up to her, not just for music talent and her longevity in the record industry, but also about life in

general. and in the time she came up, in the 60's, a lots of people -- lots of people were still segregated in the next state and there was a lot of civil unrest. she was able to transcend all of that. christopher: she was definitely one of the defining voices of the era. you memet her persosonally. whwhat was she l like? k.j.: it was a little more than seven years ago. i was working for a media outlet. her people invited us backstage to do a one-on-one interview. i was a little bit intimidated, because it wasn't a red carpet interview, there wasn't all these other reporterers there, t was just me, the cameraman, her assistant, her publicist at the time and her. and i was really intimidadated t she really saw my nerves. she was so professional and was not diva-like. and she was really funny.

there was something i said about her receiving an award in a certain year, and it was actually the year before. and she was on her peas and cues , and i loved it. she didn't really bring all that up, she waited for me to bring it up. she was in all of all the people -- in awe of all the people who have given her love around the world and always wanted to give back. she never showed that she was this huge, international singer, a supeperstar.r. christopher: k.j. matthews in los angeles, thanks for talking with us. as you can imagine, tributes have been flowing in on social media from fans, politicians and fellow musicians. elton john tweaking, she sang and played magnificently, and we

all wept. we were witnessing the greatest solo artist of all time. i adored her. god bless her. my condolences to all her family and friends. we shared the same birthday and that meant so much to me. this also from diana ross, i am sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit of aretha franklin. former president barack obama, also paying tribute, aretha helped define the american experience in her voice. you could feel her history, our power, our pain, our darkness, our light and our hard-won respect. made queen of soul rest in eternal peace -- may the queen of soul rest in eternal peace. the rev. jessee jackson new aretha franklin for 60 years and was reportedly at her bedside in her final days.

he tweeted this. a lot of music left ear of the day but heaven rejoice. rest in peace. we are going to stay in the u.s., because around 350 news outlets across the country have been running editorials today and defense of press freedom. the initiative was launched by "the boston globe" using the image behind me, a rebuke of president trump's attacks on the media, and his suggestion that some journalists, in his words, are enemies of the people. reporter: the press and the president. in the u.s., it is a tense relationship. one of his labels for the press relays -- press raised alarm bells. >> i call the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are, the enemy of the people. reporter: his claim leading journalists are a danger to society drew widespread

international criticism. >> i think it would be a good thing for you to say right here at this briefing that the press are not the enemy of the people. reporter: the trump administration only doubled down. >> i have addressed my personal feelings. i'm here to s speak on behalf of the president. he has made his comments clear. reporter:: now the press has fired back. more than 350 newspapers have published editorials to counter the president's attacks. "the boston globe" which coordinated the effort said, to label the press the enemy of the people is as important as the civic compact we have had for the past two centuries rebut the washington post did not participate, saying mr. trump enjoys free speech just as his media adversaries do. trump has responded to the nationwide wave of editorials saying, the press is free to write and say anything it wants. that he has shown a no interest in making amends.

>> what about the shootings in annapolis? christopher: joining me now is david bain, former digital content editor at "the washington post." thanks for being with us. more than 350 news outlets across the u.s., all running editorials on n the same day in defense of press freedom. what is your take on thihis action? david: if yoyou add broadcastst ououets there e are dozens more. therere are hundrereds of repor, maybe more than 1000, amplifying ththe message today o on electrc media. and within the last hour, the u.s. senate just passed unananimously, that is the u upr housuse, a resolution that declares the press is not the enemy of the people and efforts to systematicacally undermine te credibility of the pressre an

attack on our democratic institutions. unquote. so thehe has been all kinds of reaeaction today to ths pair one newspaper in the state of virginia had a newubscriberr bring in donuts and bagagels alg with a letr r that said, #not spactheenemy. and others have joined the effort, whether it is assosoations or ngo's o or the newspaper guilild, which represesents a lot of unionized journalistss, it has s said this atrocious behavior has to be seen for what t it is, reckless and endangering. yet, there are crcrics and there are people w who said this move just shows that theheedia workss together as s a unit, and has a

sort of group think against the president. andd there have bebeen a lot off responses s to thaas well. christopher: david, sorry to interrupt, but what you seem to be describing is that what this is achieving as a wave of solidarity. you mentioned the vote in the u.s. senate, you mentioned people bringing signals of their personal commitment to a free press. does that mean you think this kind of action, despite the criticism you mentntioned, is achieveving somethihing, the waf solidarityty? david: yes. i might say that it was never, according to thee editorial page editor at "thehe miami herald," this was neverntended toto change the mind of the, say y % of america, that represents what trump calls his base. this i is to change thehe mindsf

deepep in the awareneness ofeope who take ththe press rights, whh are enshned d in the firirst amendment of our nation's constitution, more seriously. they may have taken them for grgranted before and now understand they may be i in per. so i think it was a broader education supplement. christopher: david beard, talking to us from boston. david: thank you, very much. christopher: now, business news starting with two countries trying to mend their trade relations. >> china and the united states will hold low level talks later this month in a bid to resolve their escalating trade dispute. china's markets and currency have suffered losses in recent months, with inspectors spooked

by washington and beijing's tit-for-tat tariffs. reporter: the chinese economy has lost steam in recent months. the washington tariffs have put a damper on investor sentiment. since the last trade talks between washington and beijing in may, shanghai composite has declined more than 10% in the yuan has been falling. the chinese currency has slumped over the past few months, falling 8% against the greenback since may. but the yuan fall has cushioned the impact of tariffs by making chinese goods cheaper, another sore point of washington. washington has called on china to strengthen the yuan and lessen its trade imbalance with the u.s.. so whilele this is welcome news, it may take some time before the two countries come to a truce. >> our financial correspondent is standing by in new york.

sofi, talk is cheap. does anyone expect anything to come out of this? sofi: talk is cheap and investors s are makiking money. the market was in a rally mode on thursday because this is a modest breakthrough, that is a phrase i read a lot today and i think that is a good way to put it. there is nothing hard but wall street is all about emotions and how investors feel about the future. and i feel like some are feeling their -- some are seeing their hopes come true in the way that trump strategy that they -- that the trump strategy of threatening trade partners appears to be working. trust disputes have taken a toll on the other parts of the economy, and trump can literally bend their will. and now china amongst others has lost some of their leverage. so the u.s. could come out of these talks on top of this situation. in an interview on thursday, trump's top economic advisor

larry kudlow said talking is better than not talking, but the timing of the stocks is crucial and investors believe trump just hit the sweet spot in regards to timing. >> i have been reading there are stellar retail results. u.s. consumers aren't spending mode? sofi: yes, absolutely. and that by the way contributed to the three digit gain on the dow jones. walmart was up more than 10% in intraday trading. walmart may see that the best buy fight against amazon is not done yet. walmart has remarkable growth in its online business last quarter and also strong guidance. this is a positive development for this retailer. >> sofi, thank you. now, german rail operator deutsche bahn and telelecom giat

of both endingng neck cavities n iran as a result of u.s. sanctions targeting that country. iranian subsidiaries of both countries say they will cease operations. the u.s. says any company doing business in iran can be banned from doing is this in the u.s.. many companies are unwilling risking being sanctioned by washington. to italy. the italian government is considering different options to fine the infrastructure group that operates the motorway on which a bridge in genoa collapsed. investors have already punished the company, bringing shares close to 22% down, even though trading was twice suspended during the day. the firm is a parent company that some are blaming for the disaster. the italian government is threatening the company with heavy fines and is demanding

that it contribute to bridge reconstruction. the company says it conducted regular safety checks. investigators have not yet established the cause of the collapse. turkey's finance minister has assured international investors the country will emerge stronger from its currency crisis, insisting its banks are healthy and strong. and while there is no denying the perilous position of the lira, the minister can rely on unusual support. here's more. reporter: as the lira s struggls at all-time l lows, many turks e rallying i'm president erdogan's call to exchange the lira for u.s. currency. one restaurant to her hit upon his own novel scheme to rescue the lira. >> the aim is to support the state and support the government. therefore, we launched a campaign to offer one portion of free fish and bread to anyone

who converts $100 or more. the restaurant you're came up with the idea in partnership -- the restaurant you are came up with the idea -- the restaurant him up with the idea in partnenehip with t the foreign exchange office. >> of course i support these campaigngns to protetect their currency. a lilieve everybodody needs to e sensitivive to t these matters.. for a currency rates have risen but we didn't have any dollars left to convert today. reporter: think it sounds fishy? some might say it is good publicicity for this popular restaurant. the turkish lira hit a record low this week erie now, 40% down this week. erdogan's influence over money policy and a better dispute with the united states have spooked investors, sparking turkey's worst currency crisis in two decades. >> that's it from the business desk. back to you, christopher, and more out of italy. christopher: that's right.

the interior minister in italy says it is inevitable the death toll will go up, as crews dig through the death toll on the morandi highghway bridgee that collapsed two days ago. 38 people are confirmed dead but officials believe up to 20 people missed a beat. under the rubble. workers abroad and heavy equipment to break up huge chunks of coconcrete.. meantime, authorities have allowed residents of apartments under the bridge to collect items from their homes. a state funeral for the victims will be held on saturday, as part of a national day of mourning. we are going to get the latest now from genoa. charlotte chelsom-pill is standing by. authorities are talking about these 10 or 20 people unaccounted for. is there hope left of finding this people alive? charlotte: goodd eveningng, chchristopher. rescuers we have spoken to say they are desperately trying to keep faith that survivors will

be found among the wreckage. this is the third night that floodlights are lighting up the wreckage behind me. rescuers are working around the clock, trying to scour the rubble. they say t that they will not ge up untilil thehey are convininct ththere are no survivors bururid underneath. chiefs on their minds is the new figure released here in genoa, that between 10 and 20 people are still missing. they are hoping someone will be found alive, but the reality is that this is now over two days since this collapse. hopepes really are fading ththay survivorors ll be fofound. authororities have searched a lt of the surface area of the wreckage, the easily accessible area of the wreckage, to looook for survivivors. what is left t is what isis deep below w the heavy slslabs of coconcrete and twisted metal. so the chance of finding anybody

in that area is extremely slim. christopher: charlotte, over the next today -- over the past two days shock and sadness have been dominant emotions, but our people starting to get angry over what has happened -- but are people starting to get angry over what has happened? charlotte: there is a political firestorm. ministers are pointing fingers of blame at various authorities. the interior minister, tweeting about the european union . he engaged the european union of not freeing up enough money for infrastructure. blame has also been pointed at the company that operates the stretch of motorway behind me. it has been accused of not keeping up maintenance, not ensuring this bridge was safe enough. that is something the company has fiercely denied. it says its maintenance checks were up to date, but that has not stopped a real feeling of anger here from those government

ministers. having said that t though, a lot of people here are still experiencing this crisis, hundreds who haven't been able to return to their homes. they want to see a lot less finger-pointing and a lot more shots is that authorities are going to do what is necessary to get this city back to normal, for them to be able to return to their homes. they also want assurances not just here in genoa, but across italy, that other bridges are safe and one suffer the same fate. christopher: a key issue there is what actually caused this disaster. our investigators close to finding out what that cause is? charlotte: that's a point that's been raised by the company that operates this stretch of motorway. it has made clear that while it is under fire for ministers, it has not established what happened here on this bridge behindnd me on tuesesday. at the moment, it is purely

just. . ththere is s official infoformation. a numbmber of f eories arere beg put fororward, the idea t tt ths bridge wasn't safe, thahat mamaintenance wasn'n't up t to scratch. but t there are other factors. torrential rain was falling at the moment of crash. there is also the suggestion that bridges like this are simply too old. they were built in the 1960's and were not prepared for the amount of traffic traveling along these. this was a main highway through this city. it was extremely busy. there was a suggestion that it isn't up to it erie -- isn't up to it. christopher: charlotte, many thanks for that. you are watching dw news in berlin. i will be back in a short second with an in-depth analysis on the day's top music stories. and if you are familiar with the voice of aretha franklin who died today at the age of 76, stay with us if you can. >> you have to think about what

you are saying. they could but the consequences of your actions. >> why don't you shut up, woman? ♪ ['s "freedom" being sung] ["freedom" being sung]

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