for the pbs newshour, i am john yang instead jenny a. judy: so wonderful. is the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and aere tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newsur, thank you, please stay safe d we will see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour h been provided by -- >> architect. bee keeper. mentor. a raymond james financiil advisor tas advice to let you live your life. lifeell planned. sumerr 25 years, c cellular has offered contracts designed to help people do more of what they like. our u.s.-based customer service team can help find the plan that fits you. to learn more, visit consumer cellular.tv. >> johnson & johnson. bmsf railway. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. ♪ >> the alfred p sloan foundation. ♪ >> andith the ongoing support of these institutions. and friends of t newshour. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs news station from viewers like you. thk you. >> this is pbs newshour

john yang begins our coverage. >> the hearing to confirm judge amy barrett to the supreme court will now begin. >> yang: in an appropriately distanced senate hearing room, supreme court nominee amy coney barrett appeared before a divided senate judiciary committee and a divided nation. wearing a mask, barrett was backed by her husband and six of their seven children. in her first public rerks since being nominated, she told senators her judicial philosophy was inspired by her mentor: the late justice antonin scalia, for whom she was a clerk. >> it was the content of justice scalia's reasoning that shaped me. his judicial philosophy was straightforward: a judge must apply the law as written, not as the judge wishes it were. >> yang: she said making policy belongs to lawmakers, not judges. >> courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. the policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the people. the public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try. >

for the pbs newshour, i am john yang. with a week to go before the election, covid cases are rising, and economic stimulus talks in washington appear to have stalled. kelet's bring in brollin, l.usmest poly coun welcome thews " tne owe know the president has been saying he wants a covid relief package. ryhe sent treaecretary mnuchin to negotiate. in october, the president said, no, the talks are off. then he said, they are back on with certain conditions. or>> thank youaving me. i think there is no doubt. i'm not sure there is anyone in america who wants a stimulus package deal more than president trump. he has been hyperyi focused on to make sure that americans have what they need to get through this pandemic. what i will say also, the table and back to the table, and i think we've come up a few times, and i'm not sure speaker pelosi has been willing to be as flexible and willing wo negotiate have. aleonce partners will come back to the table, and we will have a dealhat will benefit all americans, especially those that n

and it's been working so far. >> yang: john rrell is in his chth season with the theater. >> we trust ther. we all know at this point, the entire enterprise depends on our being responsible to a larg group. but that is a condition that ensemble actors are used to.id whether it's cr other things, we all know, you know, actors are always on time. and we always know our lines. >> yang: from the stage, cast members keep an eye on whetherey audiences he requirement to keep their masks on. they can stop a perfe at any time. >> it adds a certain level of anxiety. it's like, well, she's taking a deep breath and going to put it right back on. do need to stop the show? what's-- you know, what do i do, too? i alert the age management. it's just one more thing to be paying attention to and to be juggling. but so far, weaven't had-- everybody's been really compliant with our rules. >> yang: seating capacity in the indoor theater has been ort by more than 50%, and the mask requirementudiences has meant some adjustment for actors. >> you're used to looking at that person smiling. ok that person on t

be, basically, a legal pundit, and i don't think we want judges to be legal pundits. >> yang: republicans like john cornyn of texas strongly defended her. >> attacking somebody for their faith and suggesting that disqualifies them from holding public office is the attack that is being made on judicial independence. >> yang: tomorrow, barrett is to face another long day of questions from senators. for the pbs newshour, i'm john yang. >> woodruff: we hear now from two prominent senators on the judiciary committee. and we begin with democratic senator dick durbin of illinois. senator, thank you for being with us. tell us what your overall impression is so far of judge barrett? >> we on the democratic side have tried to make it it as clear as can be as that what the president promised in this nominee would be a big problem for north america, the notion we would lose coverage under the affordable care act or she would somehow be the president's affect cat when it comes to an election contest are really serious charges. so today would have seen a series of questions asked of judge barrett about those two

john yang reports on how millennials, voters in their mid-20's to late 30's, could play a big role inction and beyond. john: with the voting already underway across the country, political strategists are keeping an eye on voters like these. >> allie. >> melissa. john: millennials, born between the early 1980's and mid-1990's. there are more than 72 million of them in america. this year they became the nation's largest adult generation, surpassing baby boomers. stella at the university of maryland, is an author of the politics of millennials. >> given the size of that generation, we could see them displacing baby boomers, generation x, which is a small generation in comparison, and being at the forefront of influence in terms of political, social and economic factors. john: research shows millennials tend to be liberal and are not becoming more conservative as they get older. political scientists say it is because most of their lives they have known economic insecurity. >> not only where they hit with the great recession on the side of entering the job market, but now they are dealing

for the pbs wshour, i'm john yang in washington. >> woodruff: with a week to go before the election, covid cases arrising and economic stimulus talks in washington appear to have stalled. let's bring in brooke rollins. she is the acting director of ice white house domestic p council and she joins us now. welcome to the "newshour", brooke rollins. so we know that the president wants a covid relief package. he sent treasury secretary mnuchin to negotiate, then at the beginni october the president said, no, the talks and said, no, they're back on with certain conditions, ten we've heard from the senate majority leademitch mcconnell that there shouldn't be any agreement until after the election. so is this still ariority for the president? >> well, i think there's no doubt -- judy, thank you for having me, by the way -- i think there's no doubt. i'm not sure there's anyone in america who wants a deal -- stimulus package deal more than president trump. he has been hyperfocused on trying make sure that americanse have what theyd to get through this pandemic. what i will say, also -- and,u

as john yang reports, that was the subject and tone of a highly charged hearing on capit hill today >ng: social media plays a g role in shaping modern political discourse. toda senate commerce committee republicans pressed their case that big platforms are biased, against th they questioned the c.e.o.s of facebook, twitter and google. senator john thune of south dakota. >> are the democrats correct that you all are the legitimate referees over our political speech? mr. zuckerberg, are you the ref? >> senator, i certainly think not and i do not want us to have that role. >> yang: republicans' complained about twitter's treatment of founded tweets from president trump. senator cory gardner ofs colorado, wh a tough re- election race, questioned twitter c.e.o. jack dorsey. >> mr. dorsey, do you believe the holocaust really happened? yes or no? >> yes. >> so you would agree at someone who says didn't happen is spreading misinformation? s or no? >> yes. >> it's strange to t that you flet from president, but haven't flagged ayatollah's tweet on holocaust denial or wiping israel off that map.

have fun john yang. the capital city of north korea is reinventing itself but only a few people can enjoy the benefits. an insidious reward system coerces people into loyalty towards the regime. those who don't make it into the fun metropolis live in poverty. have fun in john. 15 minutes on d w. 77 percent on this show me talking a lot about african music and asking ourselves what it is like for women to play the traditional instruments. of white africa and my name is he's going to raise the 1000000 is a suit and in general how big is it especially in times. the 77 percent. 90 minutes w. . it was the 1st international tribunal in history. the number the trials. 75 years ago a high ranking officers of the nazi regime were indicted by the allied forces. they were the 1st war criminals to be held accountable for their crimes. and our 2 part series the strike in the dark starts nov 12th on t.w. . it's their obsession for spectacular pictures. it's their passion for nature. it's their complete devotion that m

john yang has our report. >> yang: on catol hill, a final day of questioning for supreme court nominee coney barrett. senars pressed barrett on issues like voting rights, abortion and the future of the affordable care act, or a.c.a. >> this hearing has been more about obamacare than it has you. >> yang: the court is to hear a challenge to former president barack obama's health care law next month. republicans pushed back against democrats' arguments that barrett would help a 6-3 conservative court overturn the a.c.a. >> democrats' strategy continues to be to use scare tactics, distortions, and speculation. >> it's not fair, is it, to suggest that by confirming you to this position you're somehow going to adversely impact the lives of these individuals? >> as i said yesterday, what i can say is that i have certainly no agenda, i'm not on a mission, i'm not hostile to the a.c.a. at all. and if i were on the court and if a case involving the a.c.a. came before me i would approach it with an open mind just like i do every case. >> what we want to do is terminate it and give great health ca

john yang reports on how millennials-- voters in their mid-20s to late-30s-- could play a big role ins year's election and beyond. >> reporter: with voting already underway acrosthe county, political strategists are keeping an eye on voters like these. >> my name is francisco marquez. >> ally henny. >> melissa munn. >> reporter: they're millennials-- born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s. there are more than 72 million of them in america, and this year they became the nation's largest adult generation, surpassing baby boomers. stella rouse of the university of maryland is author of "the politics of millennials." >> in the next ten years, given the size of that generation, we can certainly see them displacing baby boomers, generation x, which is a pretty small generation in comparison, and really being the generation that is at the forefront of influence in terms of political, social and enomic factors. >> reporter: research shows that millennials tend to be liberal-- and unlike their predecessors, they aren't becoming more conservative as they get older. political scientists say

as john yang reports, covid-19 has made the already-strenuous path to citizenship in the u.s.er. >> yang: in texas, registered nurse vanessa solomon is on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus. she was born in st. martin in the caribbean, and came to the united states with her family when she was 11 years old. they entered on visitor's visas, and stayed illegally when they expired. she says that wasn't a problem until she was in high school. >> i wanted to attend college, and that's when i realized that i was pretty much stuck in a situation that i had absolutely no control over. >> yang: solomon married a u.s. citizen and became a permanent resident-- a foreign citizen authorized to permanently live and work in the united states. last june, she applied to become a u.s. citizen through a process called "naturalization." >> once trump came into office and all these immigration issues came around, policy started changing, i realized that i was not as stable as i thought i was. >> yang: her in-person interview and required civics test with the u.s. citizenship and

for the "pbs newshour," i'm john yang.durbin of illinois is the second highest ranking democrat in the senates also a member of the senate judiciary committee. and he joins us now from capitol hill. in senator duthank you very much for talking with us. as you know, republicans are on the verge of confirming president trump's third appointee to the supreme court. she will be -- judge barrett will be sitting on the court as early as tomorrow. how -- and this is over the fierce objection of you and every other democrat. how dig a -- how big of a setback is ts for democrats? >> well, it's a disappointment, because we as you said, we are appointment on the highest court of the land. the authority to fill three of those slots with people of his choosing is a troubling development, particularly at this moment in te. judy, if anyone was coursing through the channels today and looking, finding the broadcast of the united states s they would be shocked to learn that we weren't talking about the coronavirus. here we are, with an infe

john yang has more. >> yang: judy, late yesterday, the court said new deadlines for mail-in ballots could take effect in north carolina and ballots can arrive as late as friday, the 6th; in north carolina, it's thurshe 12th. lirlier in the week, the court blocked a new de in wisconsin. amy coney barrett di't participate in any of the cases, but that doesn't signal her resal in future election cases. the newshour's dan bush has been focusing on the important state of pennsylvania. dan, the wayhings are shaping up, pennsylvania could be 55ical. oven what the curt did yesterday, what does that mean? what do mean for voters in pennsylvania? >> john, this could have a big impact in a critical battleground state. so what the cort did was allowed voters who postmarked 8eir mail-in or absentee ballots by0 p.m. on election day, those votes can be counted if they're received by 5:00 p.m. on friday. so three days later. that could potentially be significantly more votes. though, john, and that is that the supreme court ruling left the door wide open for a legal challenge after the election. so while

he wrote a graphic novel about thatxperience, and had just rebuilt his house when john yang visited himdespite anxious moments in this past week, he does feel safer in his current house, which was built with new codes in place. >> i still think rebuilding was worth the risk for us. and our new house is sort of a testament to that. i'm not going to say it's fireproof. nothing is. but i think a repeat of 2017 in my neighborhood is unlikely, although i wasn't that confident last sunday night, when i was packing up in case we needed to evacuate. stephanie: scientists say climate change is making conditions ripe for larger and more intense wildfires. forest management practices have also left too much fuel for the fire. but people continue to bui in areas that abut wildlands. fies says the events of just the past years are leading some people to rethink their assumptions. >> a lot of our neighbors and friends are talking about trying to find somewhere safe. but with climate change safe and , risk are moving targets. where is safe? >> people can have the debates they want to have about climat

for the "pbs newshour," i'm john yang.y: le's dive deeper into concerns around spreading misinformation, its consequences, and securing our votes. some of the most pointed attacks during today's senate hearing included examples of how the leading social media platforms have been used to spread misinformation. william brangham explores how that misinformation can be transmitted easily by american voters and influence thinking. afterwards, he has an interview with one of the top officials from theepartment of homeland security. wiiam: have you heard that voter fraud is rampant in the u.s.? well, it isn't. or that bi gates is going to microchip americans using the covid-19 vaccine? that's also false. or that president trump didn't really have the coronavirus. wrong. he did. none of these are true, but they have been read and spread by millions and they represent just drops in a vast ocean of misinformation. >> good morning, everybody. we have a busy day. william: it's become such a pervasive problem thmall industry of fact ch

just this week, the court has tended down rulings on abs ballot deadlines in three key battle john yang has more. >> yang: judy, late yesterday, the court said new deadlines for mail-in ballots could take effect in north carolina and pennsylvania: in pennsylvania, friday, the 6th; iorthlate as carolina, it's thursday the 12th. rlier in the week, the court blocked a new deadline in wisconsin. amy coney barrett didn't participate in any of the cases, but that doesn't sigr recusal in future election cases. the newshour's dan bush has beeh focusing oimportant state of pennsylvania. dan, the way things are shaping up, penylvania could be 55ical. given what the court did yesterday, what does mthan? what does the court's action mean for voters in pennsylvania? >> john, this could have a g impact in a critical battleground state. so what e court did was allowed voters who postmarked thei or mail-inr absentee ballots by 8:00 p.m. on election day, those votes can be counted if they're received by 5:00 p.m. on friday. so three days later. significantly more votes. now, there is a big caveat, thoug

as john yang reports, she willui ckly have a chance to make her imprint on some big issues. >> mr. president... >> reporter:e senate apped up debate on amy coney barrett's nomination to the supreme court today, there were bold predonicabout what she would do as a justice. >> almost 50 years of precewont upholding n's right to control her own body are in jeopardy. >> judge barrett will uphold our gherished constitutional , >> reporter: replacing the late with barrett-- a protege of theg hete conservative icon antonin scalia-- would biggest ideological shift in decades. marcia coyle is chorf washington spondent for "the national law journal." >> the court went 11 years thout a change in justices until 2005, when chief justice william rehnquist died and now that was the longest period in modern history without a celnge in person the court. in just 15 years, only four years more, the court has sn seven new justes. the court itself has to adjustng to as well. >>r: repornce sworn in, barrett could consider reques for the court to review mail-in ballot deadline changes for next week's ele

have fun in john yang. the capital city of north korea is reinventing itself but only a few people can enjoy the benefits of. an insidious reward system coerces people into loyalty towards the regime of. those who don't make it into the fun metropolis who live in poverty. have fun in john. 15 minutes on d. w. . from always young. statistically speaking non-local has the oldest population in japan. but it's not going to die out. a program is trying to attract the young people it's been so successful that the country's oldest village has now become a trendsetter. find him in a w. i was issued when i arrived here i slept with 6 people in a room. it was hard. i even got white hair. learning the german language and now that all of this gets me a little bush maybe 2 in trucks would say if you want to do their story to muslims fighting for a little information for margaret. where i come from we have to fight for a free press and was born and raised in a military dictatorship with just one t.v. shadow and a few new

but as john yang reporul, the voting in many states are still the subject of court cases. >> yang: judyst of the disputes are over mail-in ballots-- who gets them, what voters have to do to verify their identity and how and when they're turned in. in general, democrats are trying to make them easier to use because of the pandemic and republicans don't want the rules laxed. tammy patrick is senior advisor for democracy fund, a non- partisan foundation who's stated aim is to improve the democratic process. tammy patrick, thank you so much for joining us. i want to walk through the to turning in yoallot andration talk about what's being fought over in the courts at each ofth e steps and the significance of them. let me begin with voter registration. in arizona, which you know ll, u were an election official in maricopa county which includes phoenix, the judge just on monday extended the vot registration deadline from monday by abo three weeks. early voting actually began today. what's the significance of that fight over when voting registration ended? >> so it's true that many states allow

john yang gets an insider's perspective from olivia troy.er a former advo vice president pence who previously work on the white house coronavirus task force. she left the administration in gust and has since been working with republican groups opposing the president's re- election. >> john: olivia, let's start off with t question that judy just posed. what procedures were in place when you were in the white house, in terms of testing the staff, in the west wing and the executive fice building? >> well, certainly we had guidelines posted in measures in place. we had masks available, especially upon entering the west wing, for immediate staff. they wnnecting testing, for example, for me, who saw the vice president on a dailyba s, or any senior staff, who were interacting with the presidt and the vice president. but the truth is, the these masks wereven though available, nobody was really following the protocols internally. the west wing is a very small space. people sit in very close proximity to each other, and people were not following these guenelines. we w wearing the masks all of the time.