JUDY WOODRUFF: I'm Judy Woodruff.
On the "NewsHour" tonight: campaign controversy.
The president denies allegations he referred
to fallen U.S. troops as losers, as Joe Biden
escalates his criticism of the administration.
Then: ongoing outrage. Protests continue in
Rochester, as the suspect in last weekend's
fatal shooting of a protester in Portland
is killed in a confrontation with police.
Plus: health care and the pandemic. We compare
the impact of COVID-19 on the American medical
system to other systems around the world.
DR. ASHISH JHA, Director, Harvard Global Health
Institute: Leadership's been pretty central
across the world. When I look at countries
across the world, how seriously leaders have
taken the virus, how effectively they have
mobilized forces has had a very dramatic effect.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And it's Friday. David Brooks
and Jonathan Capehart break down the presidential
candidates' responses to social unrest and
government's push for a coronavirus vaccine.
All that and more on tonight's "PBS NewsHour."
(BREAK)
JUDY WOODRUFF: The U.S. economy is clawing
its way back from its losses at the height
of the pandemic. Employers added 1.4 million
jobs in August.
It was less than previous months, but, even
so, the nation's unemployment rate dropped
almost two full percentage points to 8.4 percent.
We will have more on the economy later in
the program.
But, first, William Brangham reports on the
fallout intensifying today over an article
that alleges President Trump made disparaging
remarks about U.S. troops.
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:
It's a fake story, and it's a disgrace that
they're allowed to do it.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: President Trump is firing
back, after a report "The Atlantic" magazine
and later confirmed by multiple news organizations,
said the president several times called fallen
American service members "losers and suckers."
In the Oval Office today, the president again
flatly denied ever making the comments, and
instead touted military spending under his
administration.
DONALD TRUMP: There's nobody that considers
the military, and especially people that have
given their lives in the military -- to me,
they're heroes.
JOSEPH BIDEN (D), Presidential Candidate:
Who the heck does he think he is?
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: His Democratic opponent,
former Vice President Joe Biden, whose own
son Beau served in Iraq, called the reported
comments deplorable.
JOSEPH BIDEN: When my son volunteered and
joined the United States military, as the
attorney general, and went to Iraq for a year,
won the Bronze Star and other commendations,
he wasn't a sucker.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, who was on a 2018 trip to Paris when
the president allegedly made some of these
comments, told FOX News he doesn't remember
them.
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. Secretary of State: I have
never heard the president use the language
that assertively is said in that article.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: But going back to his 2016
campaign, Mr. Trump has had a complicated
relationship with the military.
DONALD TRUMP: Amazing people. These are amazing
people.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: He's often praised those
with military experience, and has had many
working with him in the White House.
DONALD TRUMP: Because I don't like losers.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: But, other times, he's questioned
their service, like his widely criticized
comments about Senator John McCain, who was
tortured and imprisoned for more than five
years during the Vietnam War.
DONALD TRUMP: He's a war hero, because he
was captured. I like people who weren't captured.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: President Trump overwhelmingly
won among veterans in 2016, but, since then,
his approval rating among members of the military
has dropped to 38 percent in a new poll from
Military Times.
With two months until Election Day, Mr. Biden
has a four-point advantage with these voters.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm William Brangham.
JUDY WOODRUFF: There continue to be protests
and outrage in the U.S. over police response
and how demonstrators are responding to each
other, including a pair of deadly incidents.
Amna Nawaz has an update on what's happening
in Rochester, New York, and Portland, Oregon.
AMNA NAWAZ: New Yorkers today awoke to more
details, but still many questions, months
after the death of another Black man, Daniel
Prude, after an encounter with Rochester police.
PROTESTER: Which side are you on?
AMNA NAWAZ: The renewed focus follows more
protests, after video emerged Wednesday showing
Prude in police custody in March. Police handcuffed
Prude after he ran naked into the street.
Officers say he was spitting, and put a hood
on his head as part of new statewide COVID-19
safety rule.
They then pressed his face into the pavement
for two minutes. Prude died a week later.
The county medical examiner ruled his death
a homicide caused by asphyxiation, and listed
acute intoxication from the drug PCP as a
contributing factor.
His family says Prude had struggled with mental
health issues.
The head of the Rochester police union said
today the video misrepresented what happened
and that officers followed protocol by using
the so-called spit hood during the pandemic.
MICHAEL MAZZEO, President, Rochester Police
Locust Club: An officer does not have the
ability to go or disregard what they're mandated
to do and what they're trained to do.
AMNA NAWAZ: Prude's family is calling for
the officers to be fired and charged.
JOE PRUDE, Brother Of Daniel Prude: That was
a full-fledged lynching. I don't care what
nobody say.
AMNA NAWAZ: On Thursday, the mayor suspended
seven officers involved, with pay, and apologized
to the family.
LOVELY WARREN (D), Mayor of Rochester, New
York: Mr. Daniel Prude was failed by our police
department, our mental health care system,
our society, and he was failed by me.
AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, across the country
in Portland Oregon, protests took a deadly
turn, after the Saturday shooting of a man
associated with a right-wing group.
The shooting suspect, who self-identified
as a left-wing anti-fascist, last night was
himself shot and killed by law enforcement,
who'd tracked him to neighboring Washington
state.
Protests in Portland are expected to continue
this weekend, as the nation marks 100 days
since the death of George Floyd.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Amna Nawaz.
JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: Authorities
in Cleveland Ohio are investigating the fatal
shooting of a police detective who had just
joined the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force.
He was killed last night in his car, along
with an informant, during an undercover drug
operation. Officials arrested three people
and are looking for more suspects.
The U.S. has now recorded more than 187,000
COVID-19 deaths. That comes amid fears of
a rise in new cases going into the Labor Day
weekend.
In Geneva, the World Health Organization warned
that vaccines may not be widely available
until mid-2021. The agency warned that it
would not recommend any until proven safe,
and stressed their distribution must be a
global effort.
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WHO Director General:
The first priority must be to vaccinate some
people in all countries, rather than all people
in some countries. Using vaccines as a global
public good is in the national interest of
each and every country.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Also today, scientists in Russia
belatedly published results from early trials
of their COVID vaccine. Its developers said
it appeared to be safe and triggered a sufficient
immune response. The government approved it
last month without undergoing large-scale
trials.
The Department of Homeland Security has warned
that Russia is working to undermine the American
public's trust in voting by mail. A new intelligence
bulletin said that the Kremlin is spreading
false claims that mail-in ballots are vulnerable
to fraud and manipulation.
Many of those unfounded claims have been echoed
by President Trump and his attorney general,
William Barr.
In Massachusetts, former Marine Jake Auchincloss
won the primary to be the Democratic nominee
to fill the seat of U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy
III. Results from Tuesday's election were
delayed after cities were inundated by nearly
a million mail-in ballots.
Kennedy decided not to seek reelection, so
that he could challenge incumbent Senator
Ed Markey, but Kennedy lost that race on Tuesday.
Crews in Beirut spent the day searching for
a possible trapped survivor one month after
the devastating blast. Rescue workers painstakingly
removed debris after a search dog flagged
a possible body and rescue teams detected
a pulsing signal from beneath a destroyed
building.
The massive explosion killed some 190 people
and injured 6,000 others.
And on Wall Street today, stocks added to
their losses on the heels of yesterday's sell-off.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 159
points to close at 28133. The Nasdaq lost
145 points, and the S&P 500 shed 28.
Still to come on the "NewsHour": Americans
continue to feel the financial stresses of
COVID, as the economy struggles to recover;
Hong Kong adjusts to life under a draconian
national security law imposed by the Chinese
government; we compare the impact of COVID-19
on the American medical system to other systems
around
the world; and much more.
The economy is continuing to climb back from
the worst depths of the pandemic. Today's
unemployment report did contain good news
about more workers returning to the labor
force, but hiring in August slowed compared
to the previous few months.
The U.S. economy has now recovered about half
of the 22 million jobs shed during the plunge.
Before we look at the latest, let's hear from
a few Americans about the huge struggles they
are facing.
UMUT BAYRAMOGLU, Kansas: My name is Umut Bayramoglu.
I live in Lawrence, Kansas.
MICHAEL DORSEY, California: My name is Michael
Dorsey. I'm in San Diego, California.
SHAWN NANNEY, Tennessee: My name is Shawn
Nanney. I'm from Martin, Tennessee.
MICHAEL DORSEY: My weekly unemployment benefits
is $317 a week. My rent is $290 a week. It
doesn't take much math, man; $317 minus $290,
that's $27 a week. So, that's -- that's it.
UMUT BAYRAMOGLU: This is the first time in
my life that I have applied for any sort of
assistance at all. I started going to the
food bank in March. And that was a difficult
adjustment to make. It was a food bank that
I actually previously had volunteered for.
SHAWN NANNEY: I was pursuing my Ph.D., and
I was in the last year of that.
We didn't qualify for unemployment insurance.
So, I had to, unfortunately, make the call
last week to sell my house. And I guess I
was fortunate enough that it happened pretty
quickly.
But it was -- you know, it was my house. And
I had to give that up in order to -- so that
I could have health insurance, so that, you
know, that I could pay my bills. I'm in debt,
maxed out on my credit cards, and not really
a lot of options.
MICHAEL DORSEY: We are one people, one country.
So, if one of us is hurting -- it's just like
in your family. If your brother is hurting,
you're hurting. And you help your brother
out.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And we thank each one of you
for sending in what is going on in your life.
Millions of Americans, we know, are enduring
exactly the sort of profound economic hardship
we just heard about. Given that, what do today's
jobs numbers tell us?
Diane Swonk is the chief economist with Grant
Thornton. She's back with help to with some
answers.
Diane, welcome back to the "NewsHour."
So, 1.4 million jobs added last month. What
does that tell us?
DIANE SWONK, Grant Thornton: Well, the good
news is that we generated over a million jobs
in the private sector, but 240,000 of those
job gains were temporary census hires that
will go away at the end of September.
So we still had a million job gains, over
a million job gains in the private sector.
The problem is, that is not nearly enough
or fast enough to get us out of this deep
hole we are still in, which is more than 11
million from the peak we saw in February.
That is a huge number compared to the 8.8
million jobs we lost during the Great Recession.
And so we really are still sort of chasing
a moving target here. And the pace of job
growth is slowing, and our ability to pull
workers back in from the sidelines is starting
to diminish.
In fact, we have lost 3.7 million workers
in the labor force since that peak in February.
So, if you included those as the unemployed,
you would have an unemployment rate closer
to 10 percent or higher than what we have
today, the official rate of 8.4 percent.
Also, the ranks of the permanently unemployed
are rising right now, and that is something
that we don't want to see happening right
now. The people that are on long-term unemployment
and that have figured out they are not going
to be recalled to their jobs in a still socially
distant world is rising.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And, as we said, fewer jobs
added in August than have been added in June
and July.
Which sectors, Diane Swonk, are doing well,
are robust, and which ones are struggling?
DIANE SWONK: Well, there's really no robust
sectors out there. The finance sector has
lost the fewest number of jobs. But every
major sector has lost jobs since February.
And that is important to remember as we look
at this data.
Of course, the leisure and hospitality sector
lost the most jobs and has regained the most
jobs, but they are still 4.4 million down
from their peak in February. And that really
gives you a sense of, even as we reopen, how
much it is a struggle for restaurant and bars
to be able to fully restaff, when you still
need to socially distance. The same is true
of hotels.
So, I think that is really what the moral
of the story is. Those hardest hit, those
low-wage jobs hardest hit, are the hardest
to bring back. And, of course, there's still
many workers that are working from home, or
they are at home and being paid, but not working.
Those workers, 11.4 percent of the unemployed,
those workers are important -- of the employed
-- are important, because they are the most
vulnerable for additional layoffs as we go
into the fall. And that includes high-wage
workers as well.
So, even though low-wage workers continue
to get hit the hardest, and women have sort
of not even come back into the labor force
-- we got a nice uptick in labor force participation,
but it wasn't by women, because, of course,
their kids are still online and at home, and
that makes it harder for them to rejoin the
labor force.
That's really compromising many households'
ability to pay for food and rent, as you noted
in your earlier segment by all of those voices
of people that are still struggling.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So quickly, Diane Swonk, the
reason that jobs aren't coming back faster
than they are, it all goes back to COVID?
DIANE SWONK: You can't -- actually, we cannot
-- the course of COVID will determine the
course of the economy.
As viruses surge again on the heels of colleges
and schools reopening, you see again people
pull back. And we really have seen a plateau
in job growth, a slowdown in the pace of job
growth, and a plateau in spending at the places
we need to see job growth most, restaurants,
bars and hotels.
So that really is hard going into what will
be a colder season and an inability to also
have outside service at many of these establishments.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So tough hearing this and hearing
these stories of real Americans.
Diane Swonk, thank you so much. Good to see
you.
DIANE SWONK: You too.
JUDY WOODRUFF: A letter released by U.N. human
rights officials today blasted a new national
security law in Hong Kong imposed two months
ago by China.
And with its now customary fire, Beijing shot
back, telling the U.N. to -- quote -- "stop
meddling."
Special correspondent Divya Gopalan tells
us now what has changed in Hong Kong and what
has not.
DIVYA GOPALAN: This is one of the few places
where evidence of months of anti-government
protests last year is still displayed openly.
The Yau Lei Fong restaurant is known for its
traditional roast meats and a timeline of
the 2019 protest movement. But look a little
closer, and you will find black tape covering
the slogans that became the anthems for the
protests.
Restaurant owner Jerry Chong says they have
obscured anything which could be defined as
subversive, after China's Communist Party
imposed a wide-ranging national security law
on July the 1st.
JERRY CHONG, Yau Lei Fong Restaurant (through
translator): Not a single person could tell
us or define what was against the law. What
can you say? What can't you say? It's really
hard to say how I feel, but there's fear in
everyone's hearts.
DIVYA GOPALAN: Beijing says the law is necessary
to bring stability, after months of sometimes
violent anti-government protests last year.
It targets crimes of secession, subversion,
terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers.
One of the leaders of the democracy movement
here, activist Joshua Wong, says he is in
the crosshairs of the law. He disbanded his
pro-democracy political party hours before
it came into effect.
JOSHUA WONG, Pro-Democracy Activist: My life
is in risk. And I am not sure, will Hong Kong
police knock on my door at 5:00 a.m., storm
into my house, and arrest me suddenly?
DIVYA GOPALAN: Also raising fear, the newly
set-up Beijing- controlled security agency,
which operates outside of the city's legal
system.
Officers can investigate and extradite suspects
to the communist-controlled courts of mainland
China.
GRENVILLE CROSS, Law Professor: There is a
particular clause which, in very rare circumstances,
will enable a case which occurs here to be
transferred to the mainland for trial.
DIVYA GOPALAN: Grenville Cross was Hong Kong's
longest serving chief prosecutor and is now
an honorary professor at two of the city's
top universities.
GRENVILLE CROSS: Now, as I understand it,
that will only happen extremely rarely and
in very clearly defined circumstances, circumstances
where Hong Kong itself is not able to handle
the case.
DIVYA GOPALAN: The law marks Beijing's full
takeover of Hong Kong, which was promised
50 years of relative autonomy after the British
handover in 1997.
In response, the Trump administration removed
the special trade and economic privileges
granted to Hong Kong, saying it's now just
like any other part of China.
FELIX CHUNG, Leader, Liberal Party: We have
our independent legal systems. We have our
independent currency. We have -- we are using
common law as our legal system, the rule of
law. It's still very different from China.
DIVYA GOPALAN: Pro-Beijing legislative councillor
Felix Chung, who represents the textile and
garment industry, says the United States is
complicit in stripping away the city's highly
regarded international status.
FELIX CHUNG: I don't think Hong Kong is changed
by that law. Hong Kong is changed by the international
conflict, especially between the U.S. and
China.
DIVYA GOPALAN: But, according to the American
Chamber of Commerce, the national security
law is affecting the business environment.
Forty percent of U.S. companies surveyed had
plans to move capital, assets or operations
out of the city.
Police can raid premises without a court warrant,
and they can order Internet firms to remove
content or seize their equipment. Online media
giants like Facebook and Google say they have
stopped responding directly to data requests
from the Hong Kong police.
A number of activists, students, and protesters
have already been arrested for social media
posts. And with no clear wording of what exactly
is illegal, any activity, secessionist, demanding
independence, saying Hong Kong is not China,
could be prosecutable.
At stake is the city's freedom of speech and
vibrant media industry, which doesn't exist
anywhere else in China. According to the Hong
Kong government, the national security law
only targets a small minority of lawbreakers,
but it has triggered widespread unease.
We have certainly felt it while putting together
this report, with a number of previously outspoken
figures on both sides of the political divide
refusing our interview requests, due to concerns
that what they say could potentially be used
against them, although it is here in the local
press where the most chilling effect of the
law can be felt.
The Apple Daily is the city's most-read pro-democracy
newspaper. On August 11, 200 police stormed
the newsroom in a raid that was livestreamed
to a shocked city. They arrested top executives,
including the paper's billionaire owner, Jimmy
Lai, who has strong ties in Washington.
He faces charges of colluding with foreign
countries, a charge he's told the "NewsHour"
late last month that's open to interpretation.
JIMMY LAI, Founder, Next Digital: They are
very strict about collusion with a foreign
power. Even now, accepting your interview
could be collusion with foreign power. So,
I have to be cautious of what I say, you know,
so, this is the fact of life here now.
DIVYA GOPALAN: The political landscape is
also rapidly changing, after a dozen democratic
candidates who do not support the law were
disqualified from legislative council elections.
Then, in an unprecedented move, the September
vote was postponed for a year, authorities
say due to the pandemic, but the opposition
says it's to wipe out democratic support.
Art, culture and academics are also under
pressure to become more Beijing-friendly.
Public libraries have pulled books by democracy
advocates, while many publishers and bookstores
have started self-censoring.
Bookshop owner Daniel Lee says there's still
demand for books about the protests, and he
will keep them on the shelves as long as he
can.
DANIEL LEE, HK Reader Bookstore: The greatest
worry is surely that they come in one day
and tell me that those books -- even there
has not been on the book list banned from
being sold, and I have already breached the
law.
DIVYA GOPALAN: But on the streets of Hong
Kong, there are still pockets of defiance,
even as it's adapting to the law.
Lennon Walls, named after the singer for their
messages of solidarity and democracy, were
a distinct feature of the protests which disappeared
when the law came into effect. They are now
sprouting again in many places across the
city, this time as a blank mosaic.
JOSHUA WONG: I would say that national security
law tried to kill Hong Kong, but it can't
kill Hong Kong people. With the spirit of
Hong Kongers, we will continue to resist and
fight back.
DIVYA GOPALAN: A message that, while Beijing
can force the city in line with the rest of
the country almost overnight, it will take
a lot more than a law to change the people
of the city.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Divya Gopalan
in Hong Kong.
JUDY WOODRUFF: We turn now to our series on
universal health care in three different nations,
and concerns in our own country.
William Brangham filmed this series before
the pandemic exploded. Tonight, he looks at
how those countries have responded to COVID
since then, and what lessons they may provide.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: We started this series in
Houston, Texas, looking at the U.S. health
care system.
And then we visited the United Kingdom, Switzerland
and Australia, asking: How is it they have
managed to do what we haven't, achieve universal
health care?
But one thing we didn't address is how those
nations dealt with this novel coronavirus.
Does a universal health system give inherent
advantages when a pandemic occurs?
To answer that, I spoke again recently with
our collaborator on this series, Dr. Ashish
Jha. He's the newly appointed dean of Brown
University's School of Public Health.
Ashish, very, very good to see you again.
I wonder, could you start off by just giving
us a quick synopsis of how these three countries,
Australia, Switzerland and the U.K., how did
they handle the pandemic?
DR. ASHISH JHA, Director, Harvard Global Health
Institute: Yes.
So, William, the bottom line is, I think all
three of those countries have done a much
better job than we have. There's a lot of
variation. They're not all the same.
U.K. probably has handled it the worst of
the three. They had quite a bad outbreak in
the beginning, and a lot of people got sick
and a lot of people died. But they're in much
better shape now than we are. And the other
two countries, both Switzerland and Australia,
I think, have really been exemplars of how
you handle this pandemic.
We saw in Switzerland not just really good
messaging that led to a pretty substantial
lockdown, but then also government engagement
in buying protective equipment that helped
protect doctors and nurses.
Australia, I think, has been terrific at building
up their testing infrastructure. They are
testing widely with very, very low percentage
of positive tests.
So, the strategies look different in each
country, but each of them did different things
really well.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And how much of the actual
structure of their health care systems contributed
to that response?
DR. ASHISH JHA: So I would say, a little.
There's no doubt about it that there are features
of their health care system that gave them
certain advantages over us and over ours.
But, overall, the big difference is really
about the public health response, which has
been very different in each of those three
countries compared to the U.S.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: You touched on this, but
how much does a nation's political leadership
rely on how well they respond?
I'm thinking, in particular, of people who've
talked about the fact that the U.K. has Boris
Johnson. And his Cabinet was as influential
in the U.K.'s response, as compared to having
their National Health System.
DR. ASHISH JHA: I would say leadership's been
pretty central across the world.
When I look at countries across the world,
how seriously leaders have taken the virus,
how effectively they have mobilized forces
has had a -- has had a very dramatic effect.
And so even Boris Johnson, who I think initially
did not take the virus as seriously, really
struggled with what the U.K.'s response should
be, eventually got on board with a much more
science-driven process.
Of course, he himself ended up getting infected
and quite sick, and I suspect that probably
helped shape some of his thinking about the
seriousness of this virus.
But, certainly, both in Switzerland and Australia,
we saw very different types of leadership,
much more engagement, much less misinformation
coming from political leaders.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: When you look at the U.S.
response, are there aspects of our health
care system and the way we structure health
care in America that impacted our ability
to respond?
DR. ASHISH JHA: You know, there are.
I mean, there are obviously a lot of strengths
of our health care system, fabulous doctors
and nurses, really good hospitals. But some
of the payment issues, I think, have really
hindered us.
There are examples, like, in nursing homes,
when we wanted to start testing health care
workers, we couldn't figure out who was going
to pay for it.
The bigger issue, in my mind, has been, even
though the policy response has been, we will
pay for COVID care, the truth is, Americans,
especially with high-deductible health plans,
or people who don't have insurance, are deeply
worried about costs, and rightly so.
And that has really prevented them from seeking
care. And, you know, that kind of fear in
the middle of a pandemic really makes it hard
for people to do what is necessary.
And so I think, as we emerge from this pandemic,
we're going to really have to look at our
payment system and ask, do we really want
people to act like consumers in the middle
of a pandemic? Do we really need people to
feel that extra set of stress, or can we find
a better way?
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: At the risk of sounding
a little too general, is there something about
the way those three nations have responded
to the pandemic that you think we could learn
if, God forbid, we have to go through this
again?
DR. ASHISH JHA: Yes, absolutely.
So, those three countries have all done it
a little differently, right? There's a lot
of variation among them. But when you look
at the consistent themes, there are two or
three things that I think really stand out.
One is consistent public health messaging.
You did not hear their leaders undermine scientific
guidance. I think that's been really critical.
Second is, all of them have had much more
substantial investments in public health.
The U.K. has built up this fabulous testing
and tracing infrastructure. They don't think
it's as fabulous as it could be, and maybe
it's not, but it's certainly much better than
ours.
What you saw with Switzerland was this incredible
investment in making sure that the health
care workers were protected through PPEs,
again, the government getting much more engaged.
So, it strikes me that messaging is really
important, investing in the things that are
outside of the health care system is important,
and then a central role for government to
coordinate all of this, because this is not
something the private sector can figure out
on its own. This is not something a fragmented
system can figure out on its own.
It's a pandemic. It requires that kind of
concerted response.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of
the Brown School of Public Health, as always,
thank you so much for your time, and thank
you for all your help on this series.
DR. ASHISH JHA: It was my pleasure. Thank
you for including me and for being part of
this.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And now it's time for the political
analysis of Brooks and Capehart. That's New
York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington
Post columnist Jonathan Capehart. Mark Shields
is away.
So, hello to both of you on this Friday night.
I want to start with something both candidates
did. They went to a city, David, that is -- where
people are truly in anguish over the shooting
of a Black man. His name is Jacob Blake. It
is Kenosha, Wisconsin.
We saw both of them go, make statements. What
did you make, David, of their different approaches?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, they were both very true
to their core mission, what they have been
running on, especially this year, but maybe
since the beginning of their political careers.
Donald Trump has been running on a sense of
menace, a sense that there is a lot of danger
out there in the world and that he is the
one to restore order. And so the keystone
of his visit was the image of him standing
behind -- in front of a burned-out buildings,
and he wants to convey that message.
Joe Biden has run as a uniter. And so he went
to speak to the Blake family. He pleased them
very much with his sensitivity of what they
were going through.
And you would have to say the evidence so
far is that the law and order campaign that
Trump has been running since the convention
has not shown much impact on the polls. He
is still down seven or eight points.
If you ask people on a whole range of measures
which candidate makes you feel safe, Biden
wins on -- any way you ask that question,
Biden wins. If you ask people, is Donald Trump
making it worse, 55 percent say Donald Trump
is making it worse.
So, the law and order message, at least so
far, and as expressed through Kenosha, not
working.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Jonathan, how did you see this?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, Judy, I look at it
as -- at the two trips like this.
One was a political -- both were political
trips, but one was political; the other was
presidential.
President Trump's trip was strictly political.
To David's point, it was all about law and
order. It was all about stoking fear, white
grievance, white fear of Black people, standing
with law enforcement, which, on its face,
is not -- is not wrong or bad or problematic,
but in a city where a 17-year-old shot -- allegedly
shot at three people, killed two of them,
and those same police officers rolled right
by him, the president has had nothing but
good things to say about that person, who
was part of a militia, right-wing militia.
And so the president goes to Kenosha to buttress
that.
Joe Biden, on the other hand, I think, did
a presidential trip. He went to the Kenosha
community to meet with the community, met
with the Blake family, apparently talked with
Jacob Blake. But the community meeting he
did at a local church, where he heard from
all sorts of folks from the community, was
him sitting, listening, responding in kind.
And a young woman, Porsche Bennett, who decided
not to read the list of demands from her organization,
but instead decided to talk from the heart,
and talk to Vice President Biden about how
-- quote -- "heavily angry" she and her community
are about not being treated fairly, and the
way Joe Biden responded to that, I think,
was sort of a balm over the entire situation,
because, in situations that happen, as have
happened in Kenosha, people look to the president
for calm, for leadership.
They got that from Joe Biden. But Joe Biden
isn't the president.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we -- both candidates
during this past week have released TV ads
that address racial unrest, address protests
around the police.
Here is just a short clip from each one.
JOSEPH BIDEN (D), Presidential Candidate:
Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not
protesting. It's lawlessness, plain and simple.
And those who do it should be prosecuted.
Fires are burning, and we have a president
who fans the flames. He can't stop the violence,
because, for years, he's fomented it.
NARRATOR: Lawless criminals terrorize Kenosha.
Joe Biden takes a knee. Biden and the radical
left's weak response has led to chaos and
violence, and their calls for defunding police
would make it worse.
JUDY WOODRUFF: David, what are these messages
telling you?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, Biden did something he
-- his party failed to do during the convention,
which was to acknowledge there is disorder
in the country, crime really is rising, and
there has been rioting and looting. It is
not the mainstream of the protests, but it
has been an element of the protest.
Maybe about 8 percent of the protests have
turned violent. That is still a lot and it's
still on people's minds.
And so, with that speech and then the ad they
have cut out of it, he is acknowledging that,
and he is making it a clear statement, which
we talked about last week, of setting a boundary
that rioting and looting are not protesting,
and that he is going crack down on that.
And that was acknowledging a real flaw in
the Democratic approach at the convention,
where they just didn't see that reality. And
so I think he helped himself.
I mean, his team -- the downside of his team
is, they are really experienced. They have
been a part of the Democratic Party for a
long time. The upside of his team is, they
are really experienced and they know how to
run a campaign.
And so I think they have run a very effective
campaign straight through. And it showed again
this week.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Jonathan, does that ad help
Joe Biden?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: I think that ad helps Joe
Biden, because he makes a clear line, which
is obvious to folks on the ground, that there
is a distinct difference between the peaceful
protesters, who are out there wanting their
voices heard about what happened to Jacob
Blake being shot in the back seven times by
a police officers.
That young woman I just mentioned, Porsche
Bennett, she even in her remarks said she
was there speaking not for the protest -- not
for the rioters and the looters. No, she is
there speaking on behalf of the protesters,
who want equity.
And I do think it -- I agree with David. It
is important and good that Vice President
Biden put that ad out there and made it clear
that he draws a line and a distinction.
And I don't think he is reacting to President
Trump, as much as he is reflecting the reality
on the ground and the reality as the protesters
see it. They are not part of the rioters or
the looters either.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Two other quick things I want
to ask you both about.
And, one, David, has to do with several announcements
from the administration in recent days about
rapid testing for COVID, the president talking
about we are going to have a vaccine this
fall, maybe in October.
Is all this likely to be effective in changing
the minds of voters who are skeptical about
his leadership or just don't know what to
think?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, willing a vaccine into
existence like a week before the election,
probably not going to work. That's not the
way science works.
But I have to give the administration some
credit on the rapid testing. And Abbott Labs
apparently come with a breakthrough that gives
you a chance to do testing fast. And the administration
has poured a lot of money toward that, to
get 150 million of these tests.
And for all the flaws of the administration's
COVID response, they have done a decent job
of pouring money, both toward a vaccine and
toward testing.
And so I give them some credit at that. The
-- from what I understand of this test, it's
not the ultimate solution for a testing. You
want to be able to test at home and et cetera.
But if we could do rapid testing, you could
test as people go into schools and conferences
and buildings.
If that could be effective, that is a step
back toward normalcy. And I have to give them
some credit where credit is due. They have
put a lot of money into this.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Clearly, everybody wants vaccine
as soon as possible.
Jonathan, what about the political effects
of this?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, what is unfortunate
about what the administration is doing -- I
mean, great on the rapid testing.
A vaccine coming before the election, not
so sure about that. But it seems that all
of these moves are being made not because
of compassion for the sick and for the infected
and for those who died, but as a political
maneuver, to shore up a political problem
that the president has.
He has not been handling the response to the
coronavirus pandemic well at all. And I think
what the American people have been looking
for is, where is the national plan? What are
you doing to safeguard our health, but, by
extension, safeguard our livelihoods?
Because the pandemic has hit us in our health,
but it also is hitting us in the pocketbook
and our livelihoods.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Finally to both of you, this
article that raised a lot of eyebrows that
has just come out in "The Atlantic" overnight.
David, Jeffrey Goldberg reporting from anonymous
sources, but, in his words, credible sources,
that the president used words like suckers
and losers over the course of his presidency
talking about people who served in the military,
people who died in war.
He's -- the White House completely denies
this. Do you see something like this having
an effect?
DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I mean, A, Jeffrey Goldberg
has had a whole series of scoops coming out
of the Pentagon and the Defense Department
in administrations going back for decades
now. So, he's a high-credibility journalist.
This story has now been confirmed by several
other news organizations, including FOX News.
And so we can fully expect that he -- he did
call -- he dishonored the war dead by calling
them losers and suckers. And it is no so far
out of reach of what he's said in public about
John McCain and others. So, I find it completely
credible.
And that the idea that a guy who is offended
by Colin Kaepernick taking a knee, he says
that dishonors the country, but calling the
war dead losers, that is an absurdity.
And so people are rightly offended. I mean,
we get offended by this guy on an hourly basis,
but this is an offense that goes to the core
of the conservative value system, the military
value system.
And what has been shocking to me this year
is, already, even before this happens, according
to surveys of active military personnel, they
were already for Biden, which is extremely
rare, for the active military to be for Democrats.
And so he was already in trouble with this
group, and it has got to trouble everybody
who is in and out of uniform.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Jonathan, what are you thinking
about this?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: It -- I didn't think I
could be shocked anymore, particularly since
Charlottesville, about what the president
says or thinks about things or individuals.
I was horrified by what I read attributed
the president of the United States, where
Jeffrey Goldberg got basically -- on four
sources. And the fact that, to David's point,
that it has been corroborated by other news
organizations, including my own, The Washington
Post, tells you something.
And it is shameful. But I think what is even
more shameful is the silence from Republican
leaders around the nation and on -- and from
Capitol Hill.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Tough subject, tough -- tough
everything right now. It is hard to think
of something uplifting.
But we appreciate both of you. Thank you for
being here. Jonathan Capehart, David Brooks,
thank you.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Judy.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Stay with us. We will reflect
on some of the lives lost due to COVID-19.
But, first, take a moment to hear from your
local PBS station. It's a chance to offer
your support, which helps to keep programs
like ours on the air.
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a huge
blow to the music industry. Concerts as we
knew them were one of the first things to
be canceled and will be among the last to
start.
We take a second look at Jeffrey Brown's report.
This encore presentation is part of ongoing
arts and culture series, Canvas.
JEFFREY BROWN: Derrick Jones, better known
by his stage name, D-Nice, calls it Club Quarantine,
a creative response born of necessity in March,
when COVID-19 brought live music performances
to a stop.
DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES, Musician: I'm used
to interacting with people and feeling energy
from people. I mean, you can drop a hot record,
and you can watch the crowd go crazy. Well,
how do you do that online?
JEFFREY BROWN: A prominent hip-hop producer,
rapper, and deejay who's used to playing live
in clubs around the world, he now performed
from home on Instagram Live, spinning records
for hours, mixing in conversations with fellow
artists.
WOMAN: I cannot believe this.
DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: What's up?
JEFFREY BROWN: Watching the digital crowd
swell from a few hundred to more than 100,000
around the world.
DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: Oh, my gosh. Michelle
Obama is in here. Michelle Obama is in here!
JEFFREY BROWN: That includes celebrities as
eager as everyone else for a dance party.
What does it do for you in terms of reaching
an audience? Because it's really a totally
different way of interacting with an audience,
right?
DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: Oh, totally.
Initially, it was strange. I just started
reading the comments. I would just pay attention
to what they were saying and the energy that
they were feeling. And, also, there's a feature
on Instagram where if someone is -- if someone
is appreciating what you're doing or saying
or enjoying that conversation, they will constantly
hit the heart button.
I just kept seeing hearts flying every time.
I would play a song, hearts were just flying.
And that was the energy that I was feeling.
Honestly, it is one of the most exciting feelings
that I have had recently in terms of deejaying.
JEFFREY BROWN: The pandemic has devastated
the world of the arts, with concert halls,
clubs and theaters shut down, and forced a
different kind of survival mode creativity.
More recently, live has returned in limited
ways, including at some drive-in shows, the
audience in or near their cars, distanced
from one another.
The rock band Spafford was one of the first
to try a drive-in concert in the U.S., in
Mesa, Arizona, in May. COVID-19 had cut short
the band's nationwide tour in March. In the
months following, they held Zoom calls, practiced
in their homes, and came up with plans for
the drive-in show.
Brian Moss is Spafford's guitarist.
You were probably worried about when you would
get up there at all, right? So, there you
were. And what happened?
BRIAN MOSS, Spafford: It felt totally new.
I was playing a G, chord and I was like, man,
this is just the best-sounding G chord I could
ever play. Like, every note had a different
feeling. It felt like I was relearning how
to play in a band like all over again.
And it was totally vulnerable. And it's -- that's
kind of where I want to be when I'm on the
stage, because that's where the risks happen
and that's where the fun starts.
JEFFREY BROWN: A magical moment, and maybe
more to come.
Earlier this month, the global entertainment
company Live Nation put on a three-city drive-in
tour with big names like Brad Paisley and
Nelly. But for bands like Spafford, is this
a viable solution going forward?
BRIAN MOSS: No, this is not a way to keep
the band financially stable. It won't break
us, but the joy of playing music and the joy
of bringing music to our fans is the most
important part in something like this.
JEFFREY BROWN: But artists aren't the only
ones impacted by the lost revenue.
DAYNA FRANK, Owner, First Avenue: It feels
like there's a death sentence hanging over
our industry.
JEFFREY BROWN: Dayna Frank is owner of First
Avenue in Minneapolis, a legendary 50-year-old
club where, among much else, Prince performed
and filmed "Purple Rain."
Now it sits empty, its 500 employees dwindled
to 20.
DAYNA FRANK: It doesn't surprise me that people
are out there experimenting and trying to
provide this service and value for their community,
but it's not -- it's not a revenue stream.
It's not a solve for the industry. It's like
trying to fill a swimming pool with a drop
of water. You know it's fun. And it provides
some distractions and some meaningful experiences
for people, but it doesn't make a business
survive.
JEFFREY BROWN: Frank is president of the National
Independent Venue Association, which formed
in April and hired a lobbying firm to press
Congress for a lifeline.
The group now has nearly 2,000 member venues,
including many that have made a mark in music
history. She says clubs like hers have enormous
economic impacts on their communities. She
cites a study showing every dollar spent on
a ticket generates $12 of economic activity
for local businesses like restaurants, hotels
and cabs.
But there's even more at stake than dollars.
What's lost if a club like yours or others
go under?
DAYNA FRANK: I can't even -- it's so hard
to think about. You lose an entire subset
of culture. You lose experiences that people
maybe didn't even know they could have.
Our venues, our spaces are where people go
to celebrate the best night of their lives.
They meet their spouses there. They have these
intense emotional and cultural experiences
that can't be held anyplace else.
JEFFREY BROWN: Where will the music go from
here?
D-Nice is still spinning, but also wondering
what's next.
This isn't a substitute for a live performance,
is it? Do you continue on with Club Quarantine,
or what happens?
DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: So, I don't think
this is a substitute at all, because there's
nothing like being in front of a live audience.
That energy is unmatched.
But I don't -- I can't imagine me discontinuing
any of these performances in the future, because
I happen to like this, too. I think this is
a great addition.
I know that the music is ultimately saving
lives. I don't want to think of myself as
an essential worker, but I know that there
are people out here that truly needed this
experience.
JEFFREY BROWN: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm
Jeffrey Brown.
JUDY WOODRUFF: As yet another devastating
week comes to an end, we want to take the
time to honor individuals who have fallen
victim to this deadly virus.
Lilian Teret was a fighter, her daughter said.
Born in Guatemala, Lilian came to the United
States at 22 years old. Life wasn't easy.
She woke up at 3:00 in the morning to start
working, often taking on two or more jobs
to support her two children.
For 20 years, she worked in a Los Angeles
County middle school cafeteria, beloved by
the teachers and students for her cheerfulness.
Lilian was 54 years old.
Sixty-two-year-old James Mahoney was described
by his sister as a supportive father of three
and a caring doctor. He went by Charlie. And
when his desire to play professional baseball
didn't pan out, he turned to medicine. Charlie
spent more than three decades serving his
students and patients in Brooklyn, most recently
as a critical care specialist for two hospitals.
His sister said Charlie was quiet growing
up, but was outgoing with his patients.
Alex Bernard was known as Pastor Alex, an
outreach pastor in Downey, California, who
preached, fed, and helped others, including
Mexican inmates. A program that saved Alex
from drug abuse at a young age introduced
him to the ministry he served for 30 years.
With his wife, he helped others rebuild their
lives. The 57-year-old was silly and compassionate,
his daughter said. He was a father to eight,
including four adopted children.
Dwontreze Lovett was a big guy with a bigger
heart, his mother said. Following in her footsteps,
Dwontreze became a barber. He was known for
the sound advice and mentoring he gave to
anyone in his chair. With his 5-year-old daughter,
he strived to be the father he never had.
They loved spending time with their dogs and
going to the local park in Hazelwood, Missouri.
In February, he wed the love of his life in
a ceremony surrounded by family. Dwontreze
was 29 years old.
Jeff Kurtzman was full of aloha, or love,
his friend said, known for his warm heart
and giving nature. The Los Angeles native
moved to Honolulu when he turned 18. For more
than three decades, Jeff worked as a flight
attendant for Hawaiian Airlines.
Spiritual, an adventurer, and lover of the
outdoors, Jeff was also an avid photographer.
Wherever he went, he had his camera with him.
Jeff was 60 years old.
And we thank all the family members who contributed
to these stories. Our hearts go out to you
and all those who've lost loved ones in this
pandemic.
And that's the "NewsHour" for tonight. I'm
Judy Woodruff.
Have a good Labor Day weekend. Thank you,
please stay safe, and we will see you soon.
