For the sixth day in a row, the enemy has been bombarding the city with all possible weapons and munitions. Rockets, artillery, and bombs. Geoff and a look at the transmission of bird flu to cows, and why scientists are concerned were not watching the virus spread closely enough. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by consumer cellular, this is sam. This is a pocket dial. Somebodys pocket, thought i would let you know that with consumer cellular, you get nationwide coverage with no contract. That is kind of our thing. Have a nice day. Successful Business Owner sells his company and restores his fathers historic car. A raymondjames Financial Advisor gets to know you and the way you bring people together. Life well planned. The judy and peter bloom copeland foundation, upholding freedom and strengthening democracies at home and abroad. Certified Financial Planner professionals are proud to support pbs news hour cfp professionals are committed to working in their clients best interest. More information at lets make a plan. Org. The Walton Family foundation. Working for solutions to protect water during Climate Change so people and nature can thrive together. Supported by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant, and peace the world peaceful world. More information at macfound. Org. And with the ongoing support of these institutions. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Geoff welcome to the newshour. President biden and former President Trump have agreed to debate, oneonone, but without the involvement of the commission on president ial debates, which has run those debates since 1988. Amna their agreement came after bidens campaign laid out terms and dates in a letter this morning, and biden issued this challenge. Pres. Biden well, make my day, pal. Ill even do it twice. So lets pick the date, donald. I hear youre free on wednesday. Amna to which mr trump replied online, lets get ready to rumble. Both have accepted offers from cnn and abc to take part in june and september debates, respectively. For more on this im joined by republican strategist kevin madden and democratic strategist faiz shakir. Great to see you both. Thanks for being here. Before we jump into the conversation it is worth reminding everyone what it was like when these two faced off back in september in 2020 in their first debate. Here is a clip. Biden the question is trump you want to put a lot of new Supreme Court justices. Radical left. Biden will you shut up, man . Trump listen, who is on your list, joe . What is on your list . Gentlemen, i think we have ended this biden this is so unpresident ial. Amna why did the Biden Campaign decide to do this now . Faz theres a lot of reasons. When is that i think they have a sense that they are behind at the moment. You have to reremind people all about trumps record and engage him, what would you do on the economy . What is your tax plan . Those basic questions, they have to do sooner rather than later. They wanted to happen faster so they can bring intensity and energy back into this race among the democratic coalition. Amna the Biden Campaign has laid out terms, we dont know if trump has agreed that the terms are no audience, in a tv studio with the moderator, and the mics get cut off after an allotted time. Will mr. Trump agree to those and stick to those . I think he will. He does want to debate. But one of the important things about campaigns and debates in campaigns is managing expectations. I think we have to manage the american publics expectations around whether or not this will be a very substantive driven debate. You see it with the candidates, the way they are framing the terms of it. It has a little bit more of the wwf match quality to it than a real, substantive debate but rump really wants to demonstrate that he has better command, better control over the issues, and he can put joe biden, in his view, on the defensive and also draw the age contrast which he thinks works in his favor. Geoff we will see. In the meantime, there are primary results this week that shows us with the race could look like, some of the issues and where biden then trump could face challenges ahead. If you look at nebraskas results in particular, they show mr. Trump the clear winner, 80 of the vote, but nikki haley pulled nearly 8 and she dropped 18 and she dropped out in early march, kevin. She has been racking up sizable numbers in gop primaries since then. 22 in indiana, 16 in pennsylvania. Who are those voters and why dont they like mr. Trump . Good question. Its an interesting trendline that she keeps holding this 20 line late in the game. These are Conscientious Objectors within the republican party. They are not happy with donald trump as the nominee and they our offering protest votes for that. This should be an alarm bell for the Trump Campaign, but it is not necessarily a deathknell. This is his charge from here on the way through to november. He has to figure out a way to get these voters back. The good news for the Trump Campaign is the issues that are really motivating these voters are issues like inflation and immigration so he has a message frame that i think is still going to be able to bring these voters back into his fold by election day. The big risk is that they stay home. Amna mr. Biden faces some and with black voters. In particular, there was new numbers from the New York Times poll that showed in key battleground states, 60 3 of 63 of black voters went for President Biden and 23 for President Trump but while mr. Biden has the clear majority, the analysis showed 23 would be the highest level of black support for any republican president ial candidate since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. What does that say about the campaign right now . It is not only concerning about black voters. If you look at latino voters in nevada, it is also a concern. Young voters, we know that theres some challenges there. Biden has to Start Performing more strongly. I use that word advisedly, strong. At this moment, one of the challenges trump has on biden is the question of who is a strong leader. I think for all of the progressive policymaking you have seen President Biden do, it has not been coupled with the politicking. If you look at the fact that the ftc, the doj take on these big cases, we have people going after airlines, but do you see the fact that this policymaking is taking on powerful interests, that this president is strong to take them on, big pharma, you name them . Hes got the agenda but the politicking doesnt match that agenda yet and he has not to has to dial up the question of, mi a strong leader with a strong, firm hand on the Steering Wheel and a vision for the next four years in the politicking, not so much on the agenda, just reassuring that voting base that is largely driven by an economic narrative, that this president is strong and ready to take them on. Amna theres a few Senate Primary results i want to put to you, too. Currently a 5149 split with democrats in the majority. In maryland, angela beats david in the democratic primary and shes going to face republican governor larry hogan for a seat that a democrat is freeing up. In west virginia, meanwhile, jim justice, the governor, won the republican Senate Primary and that will be an open seat, being vacated by Joseph Manchin. When you look at those results, maryland is particularly interesting. Hogan is popular because he has kept things local and focused on his state. He will surely be pulled into National Politics and how will he fare there . So its tough challenge for National Democrats when they look at that state. That should be a Traditional Democratic stronghold but you have a very popular governor, somebody who is seen as more of a moderate, somebody who is focused on a lot of the pragmatic issues that really drive suburban voters that i think are going to be important in that state so i think one of the big challenges for the democrats is how much resources do they really put into that state . And if those resources are going into maryland, are they not going to a state like ohio or a state like montana which is really going to affect the balance of the senate map. I feel like it has advantaged republicans when you look at the Overall Senate map. Maryland is a traditional tough democratic state. This is going to be a race that is pretty hardfought but the fact that youre are taking resources from other state i from other states i think bodes well for the republicans. Could democrats lose control of the senate . Im not too worried about maryland. They have a strong democratic contender. I would have been worried if it was david who spent his own money and did not win people over so i think you have a stronger candidate, biden will over perform. Beat trump by a lot. In order for hogan to win, he would have to over perform trump, but he will be dragged by his own problems to defend trumps record. Its hard to maintain the majority for democrats but it is lined up where you have a very strong chance to maintain a status quo. If you look at ohio, montana, the races that republicans were hoping for pickups, democrats are in strong positions there. You look at wisconsin. Bob casey in pennsylvania continued to maintain strength. Ruben gallego, a good candidate who will maintain that seat against kari lake and i think it is still set up but the fact that you are losing Joseph Manchin in west virginia, it is not clear where the pickup for a democrat would be this cycle. Theres some outside the box candidates and one is in nebraska. Dan osborne, independent, unclear who he sides with but a prounion guy, that is my outside the box race. Amna we will take that any time. Always great to see you both. Thank you. Thank you. Stephanie im stephanie sy with newshour west. Here are the latest headlines. Slovakias Prime Minister was shot multiple times today in an assassination attempt that has shocked his country, and the region. Robert fico had been attending a meeting of his government before the shooting. A 71yearold suspect is now in custody. The countrys interior minister said the attack was politically motivated. Slovakias president expressed her outrage. I am shocked, we are all shocked, by the terrible and vicious attack on Prime Minister robert fico. A physical attack on the Prime Minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy. Stephanie ficos antiamerican position has made him a divisive figure both at home and abroad. Hes called for an end to funding for ukraine, which has worried european leaders ahead of Regional Elections in three weeks. The number of Drug Overdose deaths in the u. S. Fell last year. Initial data from the cdc shows there were around 107,000 such fatalities in 2023. Thats down 3 from the year before. But experts warn the decline is relatively small, and that its too soon to determine what was behind the fall. The trial of senator bob menendez got underway in a new york courtroom today, after more than two days of jury selection. In their opening salvos, prosecutors called the new jersey democrat corrupt, while his lawyers called the prosecutors dead wrong. Menendez is charged with accepting bribes of gold bars, cash, and a car in exchange for helping the governments of qatar and egypt. He has maintained his innocence. Congress has passed a broad aviation bill aimed at increasing air safety and protecting consumers. The measure requires the faa to hire more air traffic controllers. It also prohibits airlines from charging families to sit together, and it mandates refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights. The bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law. The u. S. Supreme court is ordering lousiana to hold Congressional Elections this year using a house map with a second, mostlyblack district. Thats despite a lowercourt ruling that called the map illegal, based on racial gerrymandering. The ruling is seen as helping democrats chances of gaining control of the closelydivided house. Further appeals are possible. In the middle east, theres been intense fighting across the gaza strip, including in the Southern City of rafah. An Israeli Government spokesperson said today that israel will eliminate the four remaining hamas battalions there, but not necessarily every hamas fighter. Separately, an israeli airstrike hit a residential building in the jabaliya refugee camp near gaza city. Medics say at least three people were killed and 20 injured. This all comes as palestinians marked 76 years since the nakba, or catastrophe, which refers to their mass expulsion from what today is israel. Some displaced gazans say the current war is even more unbearable. My mother and father told me about the nakba, but this here is worse. This is destruction. What we have seen, no one else has seen. Every day is a catastrophe, the catastrophe of hunger, the catastrophe of illness, every day we move from place to place. The children are sick. I dont know what to say. Stephanie experts in brazil are warning that flood waters in the countrys southernmost state could take weeks to recede. Parts of rio grande do sul have been walloped by 25 inches of rain so far this month. The flooding has killed 149 people, and forced more than half a million brazilians from their homes. Forecasters say the timeline depends on rainfall, but it might not ease completely until midjune. Back in this country, the number of reported sexual assaults within the u. S military decreased last year, according to a new report. And a Confidential Survey found a 19 drop in Service Members who said they experienced unwanted sexual contact. While the new figures suggest a reversal of an eightyear trend in the military, still more than 8500 sexual assualts were reported last year. And, its part tradition, part challenge, part spectacle. The u. S. Naval academy hosted the annual herndon climb this morning. Dozens of freshmen, known as plebes, worked together to climb the 21foot herndon monument, which had been coated in 200 pounds of lard. It took 2 hours and 19 minutes, and a lot of slipping, for one to reach the top and replace a plebes cap with an upperclassmans hat. The annual event marks the end of their first year at the institution. Still to come on the newshour, a key indicator shows inflation cooling, but worries about rising prices still dominate americans view of the economy Judy Woodruff has another installment of her crossroads series. And, a south african Musical Group continues to spread Nelson Mandelas message of reconciliation and healing. This is the pbs newshour from weta studios in washington and in the west from the Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona State university. Geoff israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu pushed back today against criticism of his gaza strategy from within his own government. Israels defense minister accused netanyahu of indecision and leading israel down a, quote, dangerous course. The public infighting comes as the Biden Administration this week said israel did not have a political plan for whats next in gaza. Nick schifrin has been following this, and is here with me now. What happened today in israel . It looks like the private infighting has burst into public view. Nick for months the Israeli Military has been pushing netanyahu to look beyond individual military operations and lay out a political plan for the future of gaza, lay out the goals the military operations that he has ordered are designed to achieve. Today, the defense minister said since october, he and military commanders have been pushing for a plan to have governance in gaza led by palestinians with International Actors and that would presumably require the Palestinian Authority to participate and today, he said that his proposal was never even debated and no alternative had ever been proposed. Indecision is in essence a decision and this leads to a dangerous course which promotes the idea of Israeli Military and civilian governance in gaza. This is a negative and dangerous option for the state of israel, strategically, and from a security standpoint. We must make tough decisions for the future of our country, favoring National Priorities above all other possible considerations. Even with the possibility of personal or political costs. Those personal or political costs hes speaking about is a direct reference to netanyahu. There are senior u. S. Official officials i spoke with who are increasingly concerned that netanyahu is prolonging the war in order to remain Prime Minister. Netanyahu of course denies that and said today his plan was to install gazan families unaffiliated with either hamas or the Palestinian Authority, but the plan was blocked by hamas. Therefore all of the talk about the day after, though hamas remains intact, will remain words devoid of contact content contrary to what is being claimed. We have been engaged in efforts to resolve this problem for months. There is no alternative to military victory. The attempt to bypass it with this or that claim is detached from reality. There is one alternative to victory, defeat, military, diplomatic and national defeat. Nick detached from reality, he is speaking about his own defense ministries. Netanyahu is worried about his coalition staying intact, members of which have called for the reoccupation of gaza and they were punishing military operation. The National Security minister tweeted that gallant failed on october 2, continues to fail now and must be replaced. Geoff is the Biden Administration view this . Nick they have been pushing netanyahu to accept the Palestinian Authority to run gaza after the war and that would unlock some of the larger proposals that the biden team has been pursuing especially unlocking air participation in the day after plan. And this week, Jake Sullivan made another criticism public. He said that netanyahu needed to embrace some kind of political strategy. Those goals that he wanted to achieve in order to win the war and u. S. Officials tell me that call has not been heeded. Geoff Israeli Forces are expanding their operation in rafa. Is this the same in operation that the Biden Administration has been advising israel against . Nick Officials Say the operation so far has been targeted at the border to prevent hamas from smuggling and smuggling weapons and people in. Officials said they have been doing that, as well as the eastern part of rafah. Half a Million People from your rafah has fled and he said that the humanitarian catastrophe that has been spoken of has not been realized nor will it. We spoke with one of 10 american doctors who has been stuck there in rafah since Israeli Forces seized the border and closed the border. He served in iraq and he helped save the life of senator Tammy Duckworth in 2004 when she was injured. That injury cost her both her legs. He said today that conditions in his hospital were both dire and tragic. The hardest thing for me is honestly the little children that are coming in with lifechanging injuries. The boy i took care of today that lost an arm, two legs, and part of his remaining hands. I took care of both u. S. Military, iraqi military, i took care of contractors, i took care of civilians that were injured in the fight, but the degree and the level of casualties that are innocent civilians, most of my patients have been young children, women, and elderly people that are in their 60s and 70s. Geoff israel blames hamas for the civilian casualties and duckworth says she is appealing to the israeli and u. S. Government to try to help. Geoff we appreciate that. Thank you. Geoff inflation cooled somewhat last month, according to new numbers from the bureau of labor statistics. The Consumer Price index rose at an annual rate of 3. 4 , in line with expectations. But overall, inflation hasnt yet come down quite to the levels that many people have been hoping for. Our economics correspondent paul solman has the story. Paul the latest cpi data, prices of goods and services did rise last month, but at a slightly slower pace. Chris i think this is good news, particularly because what the Federal Reserve generally looks at is core cpi, and thats down to 3. 6 year on year, which is actually the lowest level since april 2021. Paul core cpi, in other words, explains new york universitys chris conlon, everything but food and fuel prices. Chris one of the things thats been pushing up cpi this month has been the increase in gasoline prices. Paul but we shouldnt necessarily be looking at that. Chris yeah, i think there are a lot of reasons why gasoline prices tend to be volatile, particularly this time of year. That have nothing to do with sort of overall inflation. Crude prices are actually been heading downwards. Paul and food prices can be similarly jumpy, for shortterm reasons, in contrast to the longerterm causes of, say, the great covid inflation that started all this. Though by now, you may be as tired of hearing them and seeing the foage as we are. Backedup supply chain ships due to the stuckathome spending spree, stimulus checks, labor shortages, firms hiking prices above their own costs, but today, thats pretty much behind us, according to the Harvard Business schools alberto. Alberto goods inflation has come down significantly. And we are back to prepandemic levels. What still remains is the impact of shelter inflation or rents, which is a category that tends to lag a lot. Paul shelter costs, measured mostly by rents, are more than a third of the cpi and a clear source of lag, says cavallo. Alberto landlords putting their houses, for rent. They dont have a very good idea of whats happening with supply, with demand. They may test, you know, high rents for a while, and it takes longer for them to internalize and realize that the conditions will require lower rents. And naturally, that, you know, makes the inflation rate take longer to come down. Go nasa paul economists have a phrase to describe this, says conlon, rockets and feathers. Chris when costs go up, prices go up like a rocket. They go up really fast. And when costs go down, prices fall like a feather. That is, they float to the ground really slowly. Paul but though inflation has swooned since peaking above 9 in 2022, we remain preoccupied. Why . Stefanie people tend to associate inflation with a bad economy. We feel like it is eroding our living standards. Paul Harvard Universitys stefanie stantcheva. Stefanie when i ask people what emotions, you know, do you feel when you see rising prices . Predominantly, its very negative emotions such as anger, fear, and stress. And while theyre quite widespread, theyre especially concentrated among lower income respondents. Paul and crucially, thats because inflation hits different folks differently, says cavallo. Alberto we all tend to focus on what we call average inflation for an average consumer. But each one of us experiences an actual different inflation based on the products we do buy. We have, for example, low income households consuming a lot more food, than high income households if theyre suddenly a lot of inflation in food. The low income households actually experience more inflation. Paul so yes, the data show price hikes tapering, but not for everyone equally, echoes stantcheva. Stefanie we know theres inflation inequality where the basket of goods that people consume will vastly shape the inflation experience. I think this is very important to bear in mind when thinking about peoples, you know, stress responses, reactions, lived experience that might just not well be captured by our official statistics. Paul which may help explain why Consumer Sentiment sank in may. Many americans worried that inflation hasnt dropped fast enough, and could even get worse. For the pbs newshour, paul solman. Amna today ukrainian troops fell back to defensive lines amid one of russias largest offensives since the beginning of the full scale invasion more than two years ago. President Volodymyr Zelensky has postponed all foreign travel, and the u. S. Secretary of state announced new weapons deliveries while in ukraine. But as Nick Schifrin reports, in northeast ukraines kharkiv, the front is fragile. Nick along the border, ukrainian troops try to hold the line. This is the Kharkiv Region where ukraine long ago pushed russia out. Now, it needs reinforcements to hold russia back. City is just 2. 5 miles from russia and the center has been ripped apart. A ukrainian soldier fighting in the city sends us videos of russian shelling and Russian Troops on the citys edge. He says, with the help of drone attacks on russian tanks today, they push Russian Troops back but he still fears russia could take the city. The situation is very dire. For the sixth day in a row, the enemy has been bombarding the city with all possible weapons and munitions rockets, artillery, and bombs. He is the regional administrator. He says the defensive lines built in other areas including trenches and antitank dragons teeth arent as robust near the city. After the occupation in september 2022, military and engineers built defensive lines but because we are so close to the russian border and because of the constant fighting and shelling, perhaps we were not as successful in putting these defensive lines again as in as we were in other areas. Nick the russian offensive has captured more territory than any went since february 2022. Usn ukrainian Officials Say russias goals are to push far enough into the Kharkiv Region to be able to reach kharkiv city with artillery and to draw Ukrainian Forces away from fierce fighting in the donbas. Inside the city, soldiers go doortodoor to convince villagers to evacuate including natalia, who has been in hiding. For five days, we never left the house. We did not see anyone. We were so afraid to go out, we never even opened the door. It is pretty hectic and you no, a lot of schillings shelling and it is everywhere. Nick this humanitarian worker with the rescue committee. Age groups provide medical and psychological support to thousands of newly displaced, including the most vulnerable. Some of the children, their moods are up and down and they might start crying straightaway without any reason from the sound of the door closing, kind of very loud, they get fright reactions. You know, some of them burst into tears and you would have to calm them down, say you are safe and ok. Nick kharkivs city scars from the 22 campaign have not yet healed. But today, the buildings bear new wounds and residents flee with only their most precious belongings. There was an explosion and then a cloud of dust. This is what our life looks like. Our building was hit but we will get over it. Nick in kyiv today, the foreign minister and Antony Blinken paid tribute to ukrainians killed fighting russia since its initial invasion in 2014. And blinken announced 2 billion of additional weapons deliveries. Ukrainian officials watched russias buildup on the kharkiv border, frustrated by u. S. Demands not to fire u. S. Weapons into russia. Today, blinken said that policy would not change. We have not encouraged or enabled strikes outside of ukraine, but ultimately, ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it is going to conduct this war. Nick u. S. Officials have faith that ukraine can protect kharkiv city but weapons and manpower shortages means it remains vulnerable, and russia is determined to keep inflicting pain. For the pbs newshour, i am Nick Schifrin. Geoff the continuing outbreak of bird flu in the u. S. Has alarmed researchers, and prompted new efforts to track the virus thats already caused the deaths of tens of millions of birds from europe to antarctica. But as William Brangham reports, as h5n1 continues to jump into mammals, most recently into dairy cows, many scientists are concerned that were not watching closely enough as this virus continues to spread. A warning, this story contains scenes of animals in distress. William evolutionary biologist Michael Worobey at the university of arizona is one of many scientists around the world trying to untangle bird flus latest twist, how and when it spread to dairy cows. Michael the jump into cattle probably took place between midnovember and midjanuary, and so were months into this already. William and since then, its spread like wildfire, infecting dairy cows in at least 46 herds across nine states. Michael it seems to be spreading cow to cow in some fashion, but we dont know exactly how that is. For example, it could just be mechanical transmission as one cow leaves a milking machine, leaves virus on it, and then the next cow comes in. Or is this going respiratory like flu does with humans . William in late april, the usda mandated that milking dairy cows being transported across state lines need to be tested for bird flu. Do you think we have got now enough surveillance out there to know what this virus is doing and where its moving . I think we still have a long way to go, honestly. We are still sort of dealing with a pretty limited number of samples from a limited number of farms. And that limits exactly how much we can understand, for example, you can actually figure out, just like we did with covid, you know, the number of people infected is doubling every two days. We still dont know that with cattle. William but even the initial discovery that bird flu had jumped species and was now circulating in cows was thanks to a bit of epidemiological work by a handful of veterinarians. The main common denominators with the cattle were a sudden decrease in feed intake, a sudden decrease in milk production, variable fevers, variable manure consistency. William doctor drew magstadt is a veterinarian at iowa states vet diagnostic lab. He was helping colleagues in the texas panhandle and kansas who were dealing with a bunch of sick cows, but then a new clue emerged. On these same farms where cows were sick, a lot of cats had gone missing, gotten sick, or had died. So you thought we have to check h5n1, the bird flu, because its been in this area, but you really didnt think that was going to be the case. Well, yeah and we didnt end up ruling it out, we ended up finding the virus. The intriguing part here is that this virus in cattle doesnt seem to be causing any mortality. After several weeks, the animals recover, so its very different from the infection in other mammalian species. William in fact, unlike cows, this bird flu has been deadly to the nearly two dozen other mammal species thatve been infected in this u. S. From a polar bear in alaska to a Mountain Lion in colorado. To racoons and foxes, many of those animals were likely infected by eating dead animals that were carrying the virus. But by far, the biggest impact here in the u. S. Has been on birds. Since this strain of Avian Influenza first arrived in the u. S. In early 2022, brought here by migratory birds, more than 90 million domestic birds, mostly chickens and turkeys, have died or been intentionally killed across 48 states. And unlike previous outbreaks, this variant has affected more wild birds, and spread across a wider geographic area, crossing down into south america at the end of 2022. Dr. Vanstreels i think the alarm really went off when it reached peru, and thats a massive seabird community and we saw ju unprecedented mortality in the seabirds there. William uc davis dr. Ralph vanstreels is a wildlife veterinarian based in argentina, and he watched as the virus arrived and decimated bird populations, and then made another jump into mammals. An estimated 24,000 sea lions died from the outbreak. It was one of the earliest known mass mortality events from bird flu in mammals. Dr. Vanstreels at first, we werent sure if each of those sea lions was getting infected by eating a bird. But it became pretty obvious pretty quick that this was spreading from mammal to mammal. William in argentina, dr. Vanstreels estimated that the virus killed 17,000 elephant seal pups and an unknown number of adults, a blow to that population that may take decades to recover. Dr. Vanstreels its definitely very distressing. I can say weve worked with these animals for many years. So weve known these populations, weve seen these colonies. And on the one hand, we are prepared because we expected it. On the other, nothing can prepare you for it. William earlier this year, researchers confirmed that bird flu had spread all the way to antarctica, primarily affecting birds known as skuas, but so far, antarcticas iconic penguins havent been affected. Dr. Vanstreels but this virus can mutate quite quickly, right as it did when it started infecting mammals, so it could mutate again and start infecting penguins. So were not quite out of the woods yet. William and its that possibility of mutation, where the virus adapts and becomes better suited to spreading from mammal to mammal, that has many on edge. Particularly now that h5n1 was discovered spreading in all those dairy cows. While experts stress its still very unlikely that this outbreak will lead to the next human pandemic, and government Officials Say pasteurization kills the virus in milk and dairy products, there are real risks for those who work in close contact with cows. In march, a farm worker in texas was infected, but had mild symptoms and recovered. The cdc says its monitoring people exposed to infected cattle, but admits that only 33 people have been tested. What we have is a situation where the virus, in a sense, has more shots on goal to jump from a related species, mammal like us. And now, people are no doubt being exposed on a daily basis in pretty large numbers. William worobey says its a stark reminder that we have not learned as much as we hoped from the covid pandemic. Michael we need to be spending billions more to do things like routinely monitor not the tip of the iceberg of cattle who are visibly ill, but routine monitoring to just fine, ok, is there something that shouldnt be spreading in this animal species or in humans . And we are still not doing that. William and with more than 9 million dairy cows in the u. S. Alone, getting eyes on where this virus may go next remains a monumental challenge for animal and human health. For the pbs newshour, im William Brangham. Amna latino americans make up nearly 20 of the u. S. Population, and this year are expected to be a critical constituency for both republicans and democrats in swing states. And yet, as Judy Woodruff reports, the very idea of latinos voting as a block betrays the diversity of history, culture, and perspectives within that community, which may also help strengthen it against the polarization we see in the country more broadly. This report is part of her ongoing series, america at a crossroads. Flex this is your parents. My mom and my dad. Judy Sylvia Gonzalez andersh is a 67yearold United States air force veteran. Well, we we were considered mexican americans. Thats what everybody, you know, called us. I am getting promoted to lieutenant commander. Judy raf polo is a 73yearold United States navy veteran. At home, we spoke spanish. We drank the cuban cafecito. Have you ever had that . When we left the house, from the moment we stepped out, we were americans. Judy they both live in tucson, arizona. They consider themselves latino, and they are both politically active. But when it comes to the issues, like undocumented immigration, they simply dont see eye to eye. How do you view the people who are trying to come into this country without documentation . Sylvia they must be pretty desperate to walk thousands of miles to to get here and to go through all that agony. But as far as being on the border, ive been down there. I mean, were 100 miles from nogales, from the border. Were not getting overrun by millions of immigrants. Judy thats not how polo sees it. Raf i think they need to come in legally. A lot of the folks that are coming through, theyre not good people. Rapists. Murderers. And im pretty convinced that terrorists are here. Judy when it comes to former President Trump, who famously launched his campaign by denigrating mexicans they are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime. They are rapists. And some, i assume, are good people. Judy he has repeatedly disparaged immigrants as he calls for more restrictive policies. Sylvia his first comment was that all mexicans are rapists and murderers. Am i supposed to have open arms . Thats not true. My family is nothing like that, and most immigrants are nothing like that. Im not going to stand by and let them say mexicans are terrible or, you know, latinos are terrible. Thats not acceptable. That is not american. Raf you know, im from new york, so i grew up with people like donald. So it doesnt bother me. Judy and do you think hed be a good president . Raf i think hed be outstanding. Judy that division reflects one playing out across the country. And while latinos have long been a key constituency of the democrats, recent polling shows that the gap between the parties is tightening, with 44 of registered latino voters favoring donald trump and 52 supporting joe biden. Dr. Klar the Latino Community is so diverse that we want to look at every group really based on their country of origin more than anything else. Judy samara klar is a professor at the school of government and Public Policy at the university of arizona. She tells us these differences of opinion should not come as a surprise. Dr. Klar so, you know, to say, how do cubans compare with mexicans is almost saying, like, how do canadians compare with japanese immigrants . Because youre from two completely different countries, people who come here at different times under different circumstances. Judy she studies how an individuals personal identities and social surroundings influence their Political Attitudes and behaviors, and says because of common experiences among latinos, she sees less partisan hostility. Dr. Klar so for white democrats and white republicans, theres not a lot that really bonds them. For latino democrats and latino republicans, we see linguistic ties. We see religious ties. We see experiences with discrimination. We see experiences as in the as a minority or as an immigrant. Judy so as you think about latinos as a voting bloc now, what should we think about it . Dr. Klar well, first, i would not think about latinos as a voting bloc. Latinos are an incredibly Diverse Community of people. We have latinos who come from dozens of countries all over the world. Different nationalities, different backgrounds, different histories, different immigration patterns, different immigration eras. It can be a little confusing because it makes it harder to understand voting patterns within this very Diverse Group of people. Judy at the same time, the sheer size of the Latino Community hasnt always translated into political power or representation. Marie were very often not, not made to feel that we fit in. Were not in the school books. Were not in the textbooks. So this is really wonderful representation. Judy marie arana is an Award Winning author, journalist, and the former inaugural literary director at the library of congress, where we met. In her new book, latinoland, she has taken on an admittedly difficult task by attempting to cover 500 years of Latino History in the United States. Marie even though there are we have a great number of millions of eligible voters, we do not necessarily register to vote. And that is a problem for us. That is a real problem. Judy where does that come from . Marie it comes from the fact that you are prejudiced. Discrimination, a sense of not fitting in. And there is this sense that, you know, why should we vote . Were not paid attention to anyway. Judy she believes that during this polarized period in our country, a diverse Latino Community can help moderate american politics. Marie there is within the latino population itself, we represent diversity within us because of the many races that we are. And i think in general, we are a moderating force. Judy back in tucson, professor klar says her Research Bears that out, showing a key difference between most latinos and nonlatino white voters. Dr. Klar we find that for latinos in arizona and elsewhere across the country, they express much warmer feelings toward the other party. Their feelings toward their own party are about the same. So its not like theyre cheerleaders for every party, but theres much less affective polarization or personal dislike between the parties within the Latino Community. Judy and what is this over here on the left, upper left . 2020 . That is true for raf. He says he hasnt let politics get in the way of his relationships. Can you talk to your friends who are democrats about your issues . Raf yeah. Yeah. Were all educated. We are experienced, successful people that dont need to use short words to express themselves. Judy you havent built a wall between your house and the neighbor who is a democrat or a liberal . Raf no, no. We have a bunch of liberals right down the street. [laughter] judy but Sylvia Gonzalez andersh prefers to steer clear of politics with her republican neighbors. She told us she has family members who support former President Trump, and that she struggles with the fact that other latinos have a more negative view than she has towards new immigrants. Sylvia well, i could get really dark about that. I could really think, well, if you are willing to turn against your own people and pull up the ladder behind you, that means that you have the same traits as you know, somebody that just wants to get ahead at any cost. Its just a lack of empathy, a lack of i got mine and i dont care if you get yours. Judy its anyones guess how this will break in such a hardfought election year. But what is clear is that both campaigns will be making their case to the 36. 2 million eligible latino voters. For the pbs newshour, im Judy Woodruff in tucson, arizona. Amna south africa recently celebrated 30 years since its first raciallyintegrated elections, marking the official end of apartheid and making Nelson Mandela the nations first black president. Here in the u. S. , a south african Musical Group continues to spread mandelas message of racial reconciliation and healing, while also reminding us that the fight for equality in both nations is far from over. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports for our arts and culture series, canvas. Megan dance lines, whistles, electric guitars, and the full Minnesota Orchestra. The house was packed with School Children at this recent performance in minneapolis by the south African Group 2911 international exchange. The country of south africa was ruled and governed by a system of Racial Discrimination and segregation known as apartheid. Megan todays themes also included inequality, resistance, and reckoning with history. We stand for truth, we stand for transparency. We stand for openness to speak about difficult topics like race. We are here initiating forgiveness and reconciliation. Not to just look at each other in color, but look at each other as a human race. Megan 29 11, whose name comes from a bible verse, has been working with the Minnesota Orchestra since it toured south africa in 2018. Musician and 29 11 cofounder Brandon Adams grew up in a poor cape town neighborhood during apartheid, not even able to enter a music hall. As a child, i have seen a lot which any child should not see. Megan when he was eight years old his best friend was killed in front of him by white soldiers. It was that time where i realized that my skin color is a sin. Megan apartheid ended in the early 1990s, and adams eventually met and married an american, gaylene. He moved to her home state of minnesota in 2000. Megan adams wanted other south African Musicians to have the opportunities he had in the u. S. So he and gaylene started 29 11 international exchange. 29 11 was founded to create hope where there seems no hope. And its also to make sure that people understand africans from a deeper place. Lets go. Megan adams now spends four months a year in cape town rehearsing with the group, which is as diverse as south africa itself. Members hail from five different tribes and there are two refugees from congo. The group arrived in the u. S. In january for four months of performances and workshops around the midwest. One, two, three. Megan including visits to more than 60 schools. X celebrate africa megan at cityview, an Elementary School in a lowincome section of north minneapolis 29 11 partnered with the university of minnesota to provide an afterschool music and movement program. There we go. Saying megan adams sees himself in these students, and aims to instill a sense of connection and pride, even buying them drums with money the group raised for its tour. Africa to america we are the drum that excites us, the opportunity to actually tell the truth better than any history books. Megan in addition to african songs, the group performs original pieces about their lives, struggles, and lessons learned. I thought america was free. Megan adams says it didnt take him long to realize he had not escaped racism when he came to the u. S. More than 20 years ago. He wrote the song still love about his fury at the killings of black men like george floyd at the hands of police. Through the fire and smoke megan and the unity he witnessed at the peaceful vigils that followed floyds death. It wasnt a thing of black and white. It was one tribe, one culture. There is forgiveness happening. Still all i can say is, still love, still peace, still have your joy. Your joy, your joy, your joy megan this daily work of singing and talking about forgiveness has helped the s members heal. Growing up, they experience trauma during childhood that led to alcoholism as an adult. As i was spreading the word of reconciliation to different people in america, i felt the forgiveness in me and i felt the peace. Megan she says 29 11 has kept her sober and the monthly 500 stipend she earns on tour helps support her three kids back home. Shed never traveled outside south africa before she joined the group five years ago. Now, shes soloing in front of a major american orchestra. Shosholoza 29 11 has helped me know my selfworth. Shosholoza megan the final piece was shosholoza, a song of unity sung by protesters during apartheid. And here it is, years later, still a joyous occasion, and you see other cultures singing it. Not only singing, but celebrating it. That is a good feeling. Shosholoza megan for the pbs newshour, im Megan Thompson in minneapolis, minnesota. Amna take a little music and hope as we say goodbye and that is the newshour for tonight. Im on none of us. Im amna nawaz. Geoff for all of us here at the pbs newshour, thanks for joining us and have a good evening. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. And friends of the newshour including jim and nancy build their and the robert and virginia schiller foundation. Certified Financial Planner professionals are proud to support pbs newshour. They are committed to acting in their clients best interest. More information at lets make a plan. Org. Cunard is a proud supporter of public television. On a voyage with cunard, a world awaits. A world of flavor, diverse destinations, and immersive experiences. A world of leisure and british style. All with cunards white star service. The ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. Funding for america at a crossroads was provided by and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. ] this is pbs newshour west from w eta studios in washington and from our bureau at the Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona State university. Wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. Its to die for. Now you wont mi a thing. This is the way. Xfinity internet. Made for streaming. bright music birds chirping i know cooking can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it doesnt need to be. To be honest, its all a bit stressful. [mary] so, in this series, im joining some wonderful familiar faces mary [mary] each with their own dilemmas in the kitchen. Would you like some turkey dinosaur . [mary] not a lot. Im going to show them how its done with easy new recipes im your souschef. I love this. 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