PBS NewsHour; January 16, 2021, 5:30pm-6:00pm PST

- Captioning sponsored by WNET - >> Sreenivasan: ON THIS EDITION - FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 16: - STATES BRACE FOR POTENTIAL - PROTESTS IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE - INAUGURATION. - >> I THINK THIS WAS THE END OF - THE BEGINNING. - >> Sreenivasan: CAPITOL HILL - SIEGE. - THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT, AND THE - VIOLENCE FERMENTED ONLINE. - NEXT, ON PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKD. - >> PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND IS MADE - POSSIBLE BY: - SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III. - THE ANDERSON FAMILY FUND. - BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ. - THE CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN - FAMILY. - BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG. - THE LEONARD AND NORMA KLORFINE - FOUNDATION. - WE TRY TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT, - TO NOT MISS WHAT'S RIGHT IN - FRONT OF US.

- AT MUTUAL OF AMERICA, WE - BELIEVE TAKING CARE OF TOMORROW - CAN HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF - TODAY. - MUTUAL OF AMERICA FINANCIAL - GROUP, RETIREMENT SERVICES AND - INVESTMENTS. - >> FOR 25 YEARS, CONSUMER - CELLULAR'S GOAL HAS BEEN TO - PROVIDE WIRELESS SERVICE THAT - HELPS PEOPLE COMMUNICATE AND - CONNECT. - WE OFFER A VARIETY OF - NO-CONTRACT PLANS, AND OUR - U.S.-BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM - CAN HELP FIND ONE THAT FITS YOU. - TO LEARN MORE, VISIT - www.consumercellular.tv. - ADDITIONAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN - PROVIDED BY: - AND BY THE CORPORATION FOR - PUBLIC BROADCASTING, A PRIVATE - CORPORATION FUNDED BY THE - AMERICAN PEOPLE. - AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR - PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE - YOU. - THANK YOU. - >> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING, - AND THANKS FOR JOINING US. - AS THE NATION COUNTS DOWN TO - INAUGURATION DAY, AND STATE - CAPITALS AND WASHINGTON, D.C. - LOCK DOWN IN ADVANCE OF POSSIBLE - VIOLENCE, PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE - BIDEN ANNOUNCED MORE MEMBERS OF - HIS INCOMING ADMINISTRATION - TODAY. - MR. BIDEN AND VICE-PRESIDENT - ELECT KAMALA HARRIS ALSO - OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED KEY

- MEMBERS OF THEIR SCIENCE TEAM, - AT AN EVENT IN WILMINGTON, - DELAWARE. - IN A FIRST, MR. BIDEN WILL - ELEVATE THE DIRECTOR OF THE - OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - POLICY TO A CABINET POSITION, - AND NAMED GENETICIST ERIC LANDER - TO THE POST. - IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE NATIONAL - GUARD AND LAW ENFORCEMENT - AGENCIES ARE PATROLLING THE - MOSTLY LOCKED DOWN CITY, WITH - FOUR DAYS TO GO BEFORE MR. - BIDEN'S INAUGURATION. - UP TO 25,000 NATIONAL GUARD - TROOPS, WITH SERVICE MEMBERS - FROM EVERY STATE AND TERRITORY - AND D.C. ITSELF, WILL BE - DEPLOYED BY NEXT WEEK. - THE NATIONAL MALL AND 13 RAIL - STATIONS IN THE D.C. AREA WILL - BE CLOSED UNTIL THE DAY AFTER - INAUGURATION. - STATE CAPITALS ACROSS THE - COUNTRY ARE ALSO INCREASING - SECURITY AFTER SUPPORTERS OF - PRESIDENT TRUMP ATTACKED THE - U.S. CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6. - LAST NIGHT, A VIRGINIA MAN WAS - ARRESTED AT A SECURITY - CHECKPOINT NEAR THE CAPITOL. - ACCORDING TO A COURT FILING, - WESLEY ALLEN BEELER TRIED TO USE - AN UNAUTHORIZED INAUGURATION - CREDENTIAL, AND HAD A LOADED GUN - AND 500 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION IN

- HIS TRUCK. - BEELER WAS ARRESTED FOR - POSSESSION OF AN UNREGISTERED - FIREARM AND POSSESSION OF - UNREGISTERED AMMUNITION, AMONG - OTHER OFFENSES, ACCORDING TO - CNN. - >> Sreenivasan: TODAY, - COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF - REPRESENTATIVES OPENED A REVIEW - OF THE INSURRECTION AND - REQUESTED DOCUMENTS FROM FEDERAL - LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. - DOZENS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH - CRIMES FOR PARTICIPATING IN LAST - WEEK'S ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL. - THE F.B.I. SAYS IT HAS - IDENTIFIED AT LEAST 270 MORE. - SOME OF THE RIOTERS WERE - FAMILIAR FIGURES TO AUTHORITIES, - BUT MOST WERE UNKNOWN, AND AS - NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S CHRISTOPHER - BOOKER REPORTS, THEY CAME FROM - ALL WALKS OF LIFE. - >> Reporter: WHILE THE - COMPLEXION AND GENDER OF THOSE - WHO ATTACKED THE CAPITOL WAS - OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE AND - OVERWHELMINGLY MALE, THE - PROFILES OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE - EMERGING FROM THE GROWING LIST - OF ARRESTS PAINTS AN UNSETTLING - PORTRAIT OF JUST HOW WIDE - AMERICA'S HATE HAS SPREAD. - 52-YEAR-OLD BRADLEY RUKSTALES - WAS, UNTIL LAST WEEK, A C.E.O. - OF A CHICAGO-AREA DATA AND - MARKETING COMPANY. - CAPITOL POLICE ARRESTED HIM FOR - UNLAWFUL ENTRY.

- 49-YEAR-OLD CHRISTINE PRIOLA, IN - THIS PHOTO ON THE SENATE FLOOR, - RESIGNED FROM HER JOB AS AN - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST FOR - CLEVELAND SCHOOLS. - AND, 38-YEAR-OLD KLETE KELLER, A - TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST, - WAS IDENTIFIED BY HIS U.S. - OLYMPIC TEAM JACKET IN A VIDEO - TAKEN DURING THE ATTACK. - FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LONG STUDIED - EXTREMISM, THE DISPARATE - BIOGRAPHIES INDICATE AN OMINOUS - TURN IN AMERICA. - >> WHAT'S SO FRIGHTENING ABOUT - WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, AS I - WOULD SAY, IT REPRESENTS THE - NORMALIZATION OF EXTREMISM. - >> Reporter: FOR MORE THAN - 100 YEARS, THE ANTI-DEFAMATION - LEAGUE HAS BEEN FIGHTING AGAINST - HATE AND ANTI-SEMITISM. - JONATHAN GREENBLATT IS THE - C.E.O. - >> IT'S NOT GREAT WHEN HATE - IS A GROWTH BUSINESS, BUT OVER - THE LAST, YOU KNOW, FOUR, - REALLY FIVE YEARS, THE CLIMATE - IN THIS COUNTRY HAS CHANGED - DRAMATICALLY. - I THINK THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY - WILL BE BOOKENDED, REMEMBERED BY - HISTORIAN STARTING WITH - CHARLOTTESVILLE AND ENDING WITH - CAPITOL HILL. - IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, YOU HAD A - HARDCORE GROUP OF ABOUT 150 TO - 200 WHITE SUPREMACISTS WHO

- CONVERGED IN THAT COLLEGE TOWN - FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. - FLASH-FORWARD TO CAPITOL HILL - AND INDEED, AGAIN, HAD A WHO'S - WHO OF RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS. - AND YET WHEN THOSE MILITANTS - STAGED THEIR ATTACK ON THE - CAPITOL, THEY BURST FIRST - THROUGH THE DOORS, BUT THEY WERE - FOLLOWED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. - TEACHERS AND FIREFIGHTERS AND - POLICE OFFICERS AND ORDINARY - PEOPLE. - >> Reporter: GREENBLATT ARGUES, - THE WAY THESE PEOPLE FOLLOWED - THE MILITANTS HAS UNSETTLING - HISTORICAL ANALOGIES. - >> WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS NEW TO - THE U.S., BUT CERTAINLY NOT THAT - NOVEL. - THIS IS HOW WE'VE SEEN ISLAMIST - EXTREMIST MOVEMENTS DEVELOP, FOR - EXAMPLE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST. - AL-QAEDA AND ISIS ARE HARDCORE - TERROR ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THEY - RELY ON THE RADICALIZATION OF - ORDINARY PEOPLE TO RECRUIT AND - SWELL THEIR RANKS. - THIS WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR - THE WHITE SUPREMACY MOVEMENT IN - THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY WILL - USE IT TO RADICALIZE AND RECRUIT - EVEN MORE PEOPLE. - AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS IS

- SO TROUBLING, BECAUSE I DON'T - THINK THIS WAS THE END. - I THINK THIS WAS THE END OF THE - BEGINNING, AND I THINK WE'RE NOW - MOVING INTO A DANGEROUS NEW - PHASE. - >> Reporter: DOES THIS CHANGE OR - ALTER YOUR ORGANIZATION'S - APPROACH? - >> THIS WILL CERTAINLY ALTER THE - WAY THE A.D.L. THINKS ABOUT THE - PROBLEM. - OUR ANALYSTS HAVE BEEN STUDYING - EXTREMIST MOVEMENTS FOR DECADES - AND DECADES, BUT WHAT'S - WORRISOME IS, WE ARE MOVING INTO - A NEW PHASE WHERE MORE AND MORE - PEOPLE ARE BEI RADICALIZED AND - WILLING TO DO THE KINDS OF - THINGS LIKE COMMIT A CLEAR - CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. - >> Reporter: ARE THERE ANY - STORICAL MARKERS THAT YOU'RE - LOOKING TO-- TO ESSENTIALLY - DEPROGRAM-- NOT JUST THE - HARDCORE, BUT THINKING OF THAT - GROUP THAT WAS BEHIND THE-- THE - PUSH. - HOW DO WE REACH THOSE PEOPLE? - >> WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE - THINGS WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS - THAT WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK - HAPPENED IN THE CONTEXT OF A - VERY COMPLICATED SOCIO-ECONOMIC - CULTURAL MOMENT.

- WE'VE SEEN THE GAP INCREASE - BETWEEN THE HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS. - WE'VE SEEN MORE AND MORE JOBS - MOVE OVERSEAS. - WE'VE SEEN COVID-19 LITERALLY - DEMOLISH COMMUNITIES, - DESTABILIZE OUR ECONOMY, COST - MILLIONS OF JOBS. - THIS ALL FITS INTO A NARRATIVE - WHERE PEOPLE FEEL REALLY - ALIENATED AND AFRAID. - LAYER ON TOP OF THAT, THE ROLE - OF THE MEDIA, AND I WOULD POINT - OUT SOCIAL MEDIA IN PARTICULAR. - >> Reporter: IT IS HARD TO - UNDERSTAND, THOUGH, BECAUSE - WHILE THE ECONOMIC ARGUMENT AND - UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THERE, - THE OLYMPIC SWIMMER, THE REAL - ESTATE AGENT, THE C.E.O. FROM A - CHICAGO-BASED COMPANY-- I CAN'T - IMAGINE THAT THEY ARE LIVING ON - THE ECONOMIC MARGINS IN THE - SAME WAYS THAT OTHERS WHO HAVE - BEEN DISPLACED BY MANUFACTURING - JOBS LOST. - >> RADICALIZATION ISN'T - NECESSARILY A PROCESS THAT - HAPPENS ONLY TO A CERTAIN TYPE - OF PERSON. - IT MAY BE THAT THE OUT-OF-WORK - INDIVIDUAL IS MORE VULNERABLE TO - IT, BUT WE KNOW FROM THE ANNALS

- OF HISTORY-- WHETHER IT'S - POLITICAL ISLAM IN THE MIDDLE - EAST, WHETHER IT'S NAZISM IN - GERMANY, WHETHER IT'S COMMUNISM - IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION-- - THE INTELLECTUALS, THE - EXECUTIVES, THE ORDINARY PEOPLE - CAN GET SWEPT UP IN THE MADNESS. - THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT PLAYED OUT - LAST WEEK IN WASHINGTON. - SO, HOW DO WE FIX IT? - I DO THINK IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE - A PROCESS OF NATIONAL HEALING. - AND BEFORE YOU CAN HAVE UNITY, - YOU WILL NEED ACCOUNTABILITY. - AND UNLESS WE HAVE A FULL - ACCOUNTING FOR THAT OFFENSE, - THE COUNTRY WILL NEVER HEAL. - >> Sreenivasan: WHILE THE EVENTS - AT THE NATION'S CAPITAL LAST - WEEK CAUGHT MANY BY SURPRISE, - THOSE WHO MONITOR EXTREMISM ON - THE INTERNET HAD ALREADY SEEN A - REBELLION BREWING. - CHARLIE WARZEL IS THE "NEW YORK - TIMES" OPINION WRITER AT LARGE - AND REPORTS ON ONLINE - RADICALIZATION. - CHARLIE, THIS ATTACK ON THE - >> THIS IS A-- A MULTI-YEAR - PROCESS OF RADICALIZATION, OF

- THE CREATION OF A, YOU KNOW, A - PRO-TRUMP MEDIA ENVIRONMENT - THAT BASICALLY HAS CREATED A - DURABLE ALTERNATE REALITY. - AND I THINK WE COULD WATCH THIS, - YOU KNOW, BUILD AND BUILD AND - GET CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, REACHING - AHEAD AND-- AND BUSTING OUT OF, - YOU KNOW, THE ONLINE ECOSYSTEM - INTO REAL WORLD VIOLENCE. - YOU'VE SEEN IT IN SOME ISOLATED - INCIDENTS, BUT THIS WAS SORT OF - THE THINGS WE WERE ALWAYS REALLY - WORRIED ABOUT. - >> Sreenivasan: THERE IS THE - CONTENT, WHICH IS THE - DISINFORMATION; AND THEN, - THERE'S THE PLATFORMS, WHICH - YOU'VE ALSO REPORTED ON IN GREAT - DEPTH. - HOW RESPONSIBLE ARE THEY FOR - AMPLIFYING THESE MIS-TRUTHS IN A - WAY AND-- AND EVEN DIRECTING - PEOPLE TO GROUPS THAT ARE - TRAFFICKING IN IT? - >> IT'S NOT THAT FACEBOOK - CAUSED THIS. - IT'S NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS - ONLY A PLATFORM PROBLEM. - THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM. - THERE'S A SUPPLY ISSUE AND A - DEMAND ISSUE. - AND, YOU KNOW, THE NETWORK-- THE - PLATFORMS ARE A PART OF THE - SUPPLY, BUT THEY MEANINGFULLY - INFLUENCE PEOPLE AND REWARD A - CERTAIN PART OF THEIR

- PERSONALITY, AND THAT PART OF - THE PERSONALITY OFTEN TENDS TO - BE EXTREME. - >> Sreenivasan: WHO IS - MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS? - >> IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO'VE - JUST FALL INTO THESE - CONSPIRACIES OR, YOU KNOW, - CREATE THIS-- THIS COLLEIVE - DELUSION WITH OTHER PEOPLE, THAT - CAN JUST BE NORMAL INDIVIDUALS - O, FOR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER - REASON, FIND COMMUNITY HERE IN-- - IN SOME WAY AND-- AND FIND A - GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, - ARE-- FEEL, YOU KNOW, LIKE - THEIR PEOPLE. - >> Sreenivasan: YEAH. - SO, HOW EASY IS IT TO FALL INTO - THE RABBIT HOLE? - AND H HARD IS IT GOING TO BE - TO TRY TO HELP SOMEONE OUT? - >> THE-- I THINK WHAT WE FOUND - THAT REALLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST - THINGS IS THIS EA OF - COMMUNITY, THAT PEOPLE FIND - INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE THEM FEEL - VALIDATED, WHO GIVE THEM A - REASON. - YOU KNOW, THE QANON CONSPIRACY - THEORY IS REALLY BASED IN PEOPLE - OING THEIR OWN RESEARCH," AND - THAT RESEARCH IS EMPOWERING. - IT GIVES PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, A - FEELING THAT THEY ARE NOT ONLY, - YOU KNOW, PART OF SOMETHING, BUT - REALLY PARTICIPATING AND - ADVANCING THAT CAUSE THROUGH - THEIR OWN WORK, WHICH IS - DIFFERENT THAN A NORMAL, YOU

- KNOWNEWS, WHICH IS PASSIVE - CONSUMPTION TO SOME DEGREE. - IN TERMS OF GETTING OUT, I THINK - IT'S-- I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY - DIFFICULT. - IT TAKES A LOT OF EMPATHY AND A - LOT OF TIME, AND IT'S-- IT'S - JUST SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAN'T - SCALE. - IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE, YOU - KNOW, IN YOUR LIFE HAVE TO HELP - YOU WITH. - THERE'S NO VIDEO YOU CAN SHOW A - BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN - RADICALIZED THAT WILL KIND OF, - YOU KNOW, SNAP THEM OUT OF IT. - >> Sreenivasan: YOU'VE TOUCD - BASE WITH SOME OF THESE PEOPLE - THAT WERE INFLUENCERS THAT CAME - TO WASHINGTON, D.C. FROM NEAR - AND FAR. - I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S JUST THE - PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO, - BUT WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? - WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? - >> THIS SIEGE OF THE CAPITOL WAS - A LINE IN THE SAND FOR A LOT OF - PEOPLE. - I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF - PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING DEEPER INTO - RADICALIZATION. - IS-- IT IS A REAL-- YOU KNOW, - IT IS A TENTPOLE FOR THEM AND - SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, - YOU KNOW, LATCH ONTO AND BECOME - FURTHER COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE. - BUT I DO THINK FOR OTHER PEOPLE, - I-- I THINK-- I THINK THIS IS - GOING TO BE A BIT OF A SORTING

- OF THIS MAGA PRO-TRUMP MOVEMENT. - BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, - AS THIS BECOMES MORE OF A, YOU - KNOW, COMMITMENT TO POTENTIAL - REAL WOR VIOLENCE, THERE'S A - LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING - COMFORTABLE LIVES WHO, YOU KNOW, - ARE SOMEWHAT POLITICAL AND-- AND - MAY NOT BE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, - TO RISK ALL THAT FOR-- FOR THIS - MOVEMENT. - >> Sreenivasan: IS THERE ANY - IDEA OF HOW LARGE THIS - POPULATION IS? - >> IT'S VERY UNCLEAR WHAT THE - ACTUAL FOOTPRINT OF THIS - MOVEMENT IS, YOU KNOW. - AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE TRUE - I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG IT IS. - I DO THINK IT IS-- IT IS LOUDER - ONLINE THAN IT MIGHT BE IN THE - STREETS. - BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE-- LIKE YOU - SAID, A-- A VERY SMALL FRACTION - COULD STILL BE, YOU KNOW, CLOSE - TO 100,000 PEOPLE. - AND IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE - VIOLENT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, - THAT-- THAT'S-- THAT'S A SCARY - THING TO CONSIDER. - >> Sreenivasan: SO, WHAT DOES

- THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DO TO - TRY TO TACKLE THIS? - >> YOU KNOW, THE-- THE IDEA OF A - MASSIVE LAPSE IN-- OF - INTELLIGENCE IS-- IS ALMOST,OU - AS FAR AS WHAT THE BIDEN - ADMINISTRATION CAN DO, I THINK - THERE'S A REAL FINE LINE TO - WALK. - I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TALK - OF A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SORT - OF DISINFORMATION HEAD OR-- OR - CHIEF, I THINK, YOU KNOW, - WORKING WITH TASK FORCES ON, YOU - KNOW, WHITE SUPREMACY AND - POLITICAL VIOLENCE. - I THINK ALL THOSE THINGS ARE - VERY GOOD. - BUT I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, - THERE'S A FEAR AMONG MANY CIVIL - LIBERTIES ACTIVISTS THAT, YOU - KNOW, THIS COULD ALSO LEAD TO - SOME LARGE OVERREACH IN TERMS - OF, YOU KNOW, NEW DOMESTIC - TERROR LAWS THAT THEN WILL BE - LEVIED AT ACTIVISTS AND-- AND-- - AND, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL JUSTICE - PROTESTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. - IT'S-- IT'S A-- IT'S KIND OF A - SCARY TIME. - I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A-- - WE'VE SEEN A TRUE THREAT SPRING - UP, AND WE HAVEN'T TAKEN IT - SERIOUSLY. - AND IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN MORE - SERIOUSLY. - BUT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO - BE CAREFUL, I THINK, AND THE - ADMINISTRATION SHOULD REALLY TRY - TO BE CAREFUL TO, YOU KNOW, NOT - USE THAT AS A-- AS A - JUSTIFICATION TO IMPINGE ON THE - RIGHTS OF INNOCENT AMERICANS. - >> Sreenivasan: CHARLIE WARZEL - OF THE "NEW YORK TIMES," THANKS - SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. - >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. - >> Sreenivasan: TO HEAR MORE - OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH - CHARLIE WARZEL, VISIT - www.pbs.org/newshour. - >> Sreenivasan: THE RATE OF NEW - COVID-19 INFECTIONS CONTINUES TO - RISE ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE TODAY. - ACCORDING TO THE "NEW YORK

- TIMES" DATABASE, AS OF - YESTERDAY, THE NUMBER OF NEW - CASES AROUND THE WORLD ROSE BY - 20% FROM TWO WEEKS AGO, BRINGING - TOTAL INFECTIONS UP TO NEARLY - 94 MILLION AND THE DEATH COUNT - TO MORE THAN TWO MILLION. - THE U.S. HAS ALSO SEEN ITS - NUMBER OF NEW CASES GO UP NEARLY - 20% SINCE TWO WEEKS AGO. - YESTERDAY, THERE WERE OVER - 240,000 NEW CASES AND MORE THAN - 3,700 DEATHS. - THE SITUATION IS ESPECIALLY DIRE - IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH AVERAGED - MORE THAN 530 COVID-RELATED - DEATHS A DAY OVER THE PAST WEEK. - FOR MORE ON THE COVID-19 - OUTBREAK IN CALIFORNIA, - I SPOKE WITH SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA, - HEALTH REPORTER FOR THE - "LOS ANGELES TIMES." - SO, SOUMYA, BIG PTURE, WHERE - IS LOS ANGELES, IN TERMS OF - DEALING WITH COVID-19 OVER THE - >> YEAH, WE'RE SORT OF IN THIS - HOLDING PATTERN RIGHT NOW. - WE DID SEE CASES KIND OF CLIMB - AND CLIMB AND CLIMB. - AND THEN EVERYONE WAS REALLY - WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING - TO HAPPEN OVER CHRISTMAS AND

- NEW YEAR'S. - AND SO FAR, WE HAVEN'T SEEN A - REALLY OBVIOUS SURGE. - WERE WORRIED ABOUT THIS SURGE - AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T SEEN CASES - BEGIN TO DROP, WE ARE SEEING A - LOWER NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE - HOSPITAL EACH DAY, WHICH SEEMS - LIKE THE THANKSGIVING SURGE IS - DYING DOWN. - AND WHATEVER WE ARE GOING TO SEE - FROM CHRISTMAS, IT SEEMS EVERY - SINGLE DAY GETS A LITTLE BIT - CLEARER THAT THIS SURGE, IF IT - EVEN IS A SURGE, IS GOING TO BE - BLUNTED. - >> Sreenivasan: SO WHAT IS THE - SITUATION IN HOSPITALS NOW? - ARE THEY STILL AT FULL CAPACITY? - >> YEAH, IT'S-- IT'S KIND OF - ALARMING THAT THIS HAS BOME - NORMAL, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT, I - THINK, 7,600 PEOPLE IN THE - HOSPITAL IN L.A. COUNTY WITH - COVID, AND IN THE SUMMER-- - WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OUR - BIG PEAK, EVERYONE WAS WORRIED - ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN - CALIFORNIA IN JULY-- WE HAD - 2,200 AT OUR PEAK IN JULY. - AND THERE ARE MANY HOSPITALS - WHERE THERE ARE NO I.C.U. BEDS - AVAILABLE. - AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE - SO WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THIS - SITUATION OVER THE PAST SEVERAL - WEEKS WHERE SOMEONE CALLS 911, - THEY'VE GOTTEN AN AMBULANCE, AND - THEN THE AMBULANCE DRIVES AROUND - FOR HOURS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO

- DROP OFF THE PATIENT. - THERE WAS A REPORT FROM THE - COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT THIS - WEEK THAT SAID THAT THERE WAS AT - LEAST ONE AMBULANCE THAT - COULDN'T FIND A PLACE TO OFFLOAD - THEIR PATIENT FOR 17 HOURS. - >> Sreenivasan: OH, MY GOSH. - >> THAT SITUATION, YOU HAVE - PEOPLE-- PARAMEDICS, LIKE, DOING - C.P.R. IN THE AMBULANCE, DOING - PROCEDURES IN THE AMBULANCE. - YOU HAVE DOCTORS COMING INTO THE - AMBULANCE TO DO WHATEVER THEY - NEED TO DO. - AND IN SOME CASES, THE - AND WE ARE, AS THE OFFICIALS - SAY, DECOMPRESSING A LITTLE BIT. - OUR NUMBERS ARE COMING DOWN. - BUT WE'RE STILL AT-- I THINK OUR - PEAK WAS 7,900 OR MAYBE EVEN - ABOVE 8,000. - AND NOW WE'RE AT 7,500. - SO IT'S NOT-- WE HAVEN'T, LIKE, - ESCAPED THIS SITUATION QUE - YET. - >> Sreenivasan: SO THE HOSPITALS - ARE SENDING THE AMBULANCESWAY - BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO FULL. - THAT'S WHY THE AMBULANCES ARE - DRIVING AROUND? - >> IF THE HOSPITAL IS FULL AND - THEIR E.R. DOESN'T HAVE ANY MORE - SPACE, THEY'LL SAY-- THEY'LL - SORT OF MARK IN THE SYSTEM, - LIKE, "WE'RE FULL, YOU CAN'T - COME HERE." - AND IT GOT TO A PLACE IN - DECEMBER WHERE, FOR MULTIPLE - HOURS IN A DAY, EVE SINGLE

- HOSPITAL WAS FULL. - AND SO WHAT HAPPENS WN EVERY - SINGLE HOSPITAL IS FULL, THE - AMBULANCES CIRCLE, AND AT SOME - POINT, THE OFFICIALS LIKE TO SAY - THIS, "WHEN EVERYONE IS CLOSED, - EVERYONE IS OPEN." - AND SO AMBULANCES ARE EITHER - CIRCLING OR THEY'RE JUST - OFFLOADING THEM IN PLACES THEY - SHOULDN'T BE OFFLOADED BECAUSE - THEY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. - >> Sreenivasan: ARE THERE - SPECIFIC POPULATIONS TH ARE - BEING IMPACTED WORSE THAN - OTHERS? - >> YEAH. - WE'VE SEEN THIS THROUGHOUT THE - PANDEMIC, BUT INTERESTINGLY, THE - DISPARITIES THAT WE SEE GET - WIDER WHEN THE CASES SURGE. - SO WE'VE CONSISTENTLY SEEN - HIGHER RATES OF CASES AND DEATHS - AMONG LATINOS PROPORTIONALLY. - SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT CALIFORNIA - AND L.A. IN PARTICULAR IS A - PLURALITY, IF NOT MAJORITY OF - LATINOS. - WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING THE RATES - OF THOSE CASES, BEING MUCH - HIGHER AMONG LATINOS. - AND THAT'S LARGELY BECAUSE - THEY'RE ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THEY - MIGHT LIVE IN MULTIGENERATIONAL - HOUSEHOLDS. - AND THEN, WE COULD SEE IT TRACK - VERY SIMILARLY WITH POVERTY - LEVELS. - THE SORT OF LOWER UR - SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, THE MORE - LIKELY YOU ARE TO HAVE GOTTEN - COVID AND MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO - HAVE DIED FROM COVID. - >> Sreenivasan: HOW IS THIS

- IMPACTING VACCINATIONS? - >> YEAH, CALIFORNIA HAS REALLY - STRUGGLED WITH VACCINATIONS. - WE RANK IN THE BOTTOM FIVE - STATES IN TERMS OF THE - PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION - THAT WE VACCINATED, NATIONWIDE. - AND THERE ARE STATES THAT HAVE - VACCINATED UPWARDS OF 5% OF - THEIR POPULATION, AND WE'RE - STILL HOVERING AROUND 1% OR 2%. - AND THAT SORT OF CUTS BOTH WAYS. - I MEAN, WE ARE VACCINATING MORE - PEOPLE, JUST RAW NUMBERS OF - PEOPLE THAN ANYONE ELSE, BECAUSE - THE STATE IS SO BIG. - BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE - ARE HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO - AREN'T VACCINATED AND A LOT OF - PEOPLE STILL SUSCEPTIBLE TO FUEL - AN OUTBREAK. - SO WE'RE GOING REALLY SLOW. - AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN - TRYING TO LOOK INTO. - WE HAVE REPORTERS ON THIS ISSUE. - AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S - VARIOUS BOTTLENECKS, BUT IT - LARGELY COMES DOWN TO STAFFING, - THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO - ADMINISTER A VACCINE. - IT'S LIKE THE SYSTEMS HAVEN'T - BEEN STOOD UP PROPERLY, AND ALSO - THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE - ADMINISTERING A VACCINE ARE ALSO - OFTEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE - TREATING COVID PATIENTS IN THE - HOSPITAL. - SO CALIFORNIA IS PROBABLY ONE OF

- THE STATES THAT NEEDS A VACCINE - THE MOST BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING - WITH THIS TERRIBLE SURGE. - BUT WE'RE ALSO ONE OF THE STATES - HAVING THE HARDEST TIME - ADMINISTERING THE VACCINE - BECAUSE OF OUR TERRIBLE SURGE. - >> Sreenivasan: SOUMYA - KARLAMANGLA OF THE "L.A. TIMES," - THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. - >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. - >> Sreenivasan: LAST WEEK'S - RIOT ON CAPITOL HILL WAS FILLED - WITH SYMBOLS OF HATE. - NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S IVETTE - FELICIANO SPOKE WITH CIVIL - RIGHTS LAWYER AND FOUNDER OF THE - EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE BRYAN - STEVENSON ABOUT THE RACIAL - IMPLICATIONS OF THE VIOLENT - EVENT. - >> Reporter: BRYAN, SOME OF WHAT - WE SAW AT THE CAPITOL RIOT LAST - WEEK INCLUDES WHAT FOR MANY ARE - VERY PAINFUL IMAGES-- NOOSES, - CONFEDERATE FLAGS, VIOLENT - THREATS WRITTEN ON THE WALLS OF - THE CAPITOL BUILDING. - HOW DO VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS - LIKE THIS IMPACT COMMUNITIES OF - COLOR, SPECIFICALLY BLACK

- COMMUNITIES? - >> WELL, I THINK IT IS - PARTICULARLY UPSETTING TO - AFRICAAMERICANS WHO HAVE - WITNESSED VERY DIFFERENT - RESPONSES TOROTESTS THROUGHOUT - OUR LIVES. - I GREW UP WATCHING CIVIL RIGHTS - LEADERS WHO WERE COMMITTED TO - NON-VIOLENCE, PEACEFULLY - GATHERING AND STILL GET BATTERED - AND BEATEN BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. - THERE WAS A PRESUMPTION OF - DANGEROUSNESS ASSIGNED TO BLACK - AND BROWN PEOPLE THAT WOULD - MANIFEST ITSELF DURING CIVIL - RIGHTS DEMONSTRATIONS. - AND, YOU KNOW, BLACK FOLKS WOULD - PUT ON THEIR SUNDAY BEST. - THEY WOULD TRY EVERYTHING THEY - COULD TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AS - NON-VIOLENT, NON-THREATENING, - JUST SEEKING BASIC RIGHTS. - AND STILL, THEY WOULD GET - BATTERED AND BEATEN AND - BLOODIED. - SO, IT'S VERY HARD TO THEN WATCH - PEOPLE WHO ARE ARMED, WHO ARE - TALKING ABOUT VIOLENCE, WHO ARE - COMING WITH WEAPONS, WHO ARE - COMING WITH NOOSES, BE TRUSTED - IN THE WAY THAT THESE PROTESTERS - WERE.

- THERE WAS A PRESUMPTION OF - INNOCENCE ASSIGNED TO THE PEOPLE - IN WASHINGTON LAST WEEK, WHICH - MADE THAT-- THAT SO CHALLENGING - FOR US. - I REMEMB SEEING AMELIA BOYNTON - ROBINSON, A MIDDLE-AGED BLACK - WOMAN, BEATEN UNCONSCIOUS ON THE - EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE. - I GREW UP WATCHING PEOPLE LIKE - JOHN LEWIS GET BEATEN AND - BLOODIED AND BATTERED, AND IT - WAS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. - AND THAT KIND OF THE CHALLENGE - OF-- OF THAT MEMORY WITH WHAT WE - SAW IS REALLY PART OF IT. - AND IT DOES REFLECT THAT THE - PROBLEM THAT MANY OF US DEAL - WITH IN THIS COUNTRY IN-- IN - COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHICH IS - WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN A - NATION WHERE YOU ARE PRESUMED - DANGEROUS, WHERE YOUR LOR, - YOUR RACE CREATES THIS - PRESUMPTION OF GUILT. - >> Reporter: OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S - A LONG HISTORY OF BLACK CHURCHES - AND COMMUNITIES EXISTING UNDER - THE THREAT OF WHITE - SUPREMACIST ATTACKS AND - VIOLENCE. - IS THERE A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF - DANGER IN THOSE COMMUNITIES - RIGHT NOW? - >> YEAH, I THINK THERE IS. - MEAN, I-- I-- I THINK YOU'RE - RIGHT, THAT ACTIVISM FOR-- FOR - EQUALITY AND JUSTICE HAS ALWAYS

- BEEN MET WITH VIOLENT RESISTANCE - IN-- BY-- BY MANY WHITE PEOPLE - IN THIS COUNTRY, AND-- AND I - AND MANY PEOPLE IN THE BLACK - CHURCH HAVE-- HAVE HAD TO DEAL - WITH THOSE KINDS OF THREATS. - WHERE WE'VE SEEN CHURCH - BOMBINGS, WHERE WE'VE SEEN THAT - HISTORY PLAY OUT. - AND SO, WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE - ESPOUSING THESE VIEWS OF RACIAL - ANIMUS AND BIGOTRY AND USING THE - SYMBOLS OF RESISTANCE TO - EQUALITY, LIKE THE CONFEDERATE - FLAG, ARM THEMSELVES AND START - ROAMING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OF - COLOR FEEL ESPECIALLY TARGETED, - FEEL ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE. - BUT THE-- THE FLIP SE TO THAT - IS THAT WE HAVE GROWN UP MANY OF - US AWARE, UNINTIMIDATED AND - UNAFRAID. - WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE KIND OF - EQUALITY AND JUSTICE THAT WE - WERE PROMISED. - >> Reporter: AND SINCE THE-- THE - RIOTS LAST WEEK AND TRUMP'S - IMPEACHMENT THIS WEEK, THERE - HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS CALLS FOR - UNITY AND UNDERSTANDING. - WHERE DOES ACCOUNTABILITY FIT IN - THAT? - BUT ALSO, WHAT DO HEALING AND - UNITY LOOK LIKE FOR PEOPLE WHO - HAVE FELT DIRECTLY TARGETED BY - WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND BY THE

- TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN THE LAST - FOUR YEARS? - >> I-- I-- I REALLY THINK THAT - WE HAVE TO UNDERSTANTHAT WE - CANNOT BE CASUAL OR INDIFFERENT - TO THREATS OF VIOLENCE, TO CALLS - FOR RACIAL HIERARCHY AND - BIGOTRY. - WE'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT OUR - HISTORY THAT WHEN WE TOLERATE - THE KIND OF VIOLENT MOB VIOLENCE - THAT WE SAW IN WASHINGTON, WE - ARE ALL OF THIS. - IT'S A-- IT'S AN APPEAL TO THE - LAWLESSNESS THAT SHAPED THE - LYNCHING ERA. - AND SO, IF WE UNDERSTAND THAT - ERA, THEN I THINK WE UNDERSTAND - HOW VIGILANT IT IS THAT THERE BE - ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT WE - ACTUALLY COMMIT TO THE KIND OF - SECURITY AND PROMISE OF-- OF - FAIRNESS THAT-- THAT WE TALK - ABOUT. - ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, WE - HAVE THESE LONG-STANDING ISSUES - THAT WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED, AND - WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. - I MEAN, THE REASON WHY SO MANY - PEOPLE FEEL THREATENED IN THIS - MOMENT IS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY - FEAR THAT WE MIGHT DO BETTER - WHEN IT COMES TO RACIAL - EQUALITY, THAT WE MIGHT DO - BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER - UALITY, THAT WE MIGHT DO

- BETTER IN TERMS OF INCLUSION AND - DIVERSITY. - AND SOME FOLKS ARE THREATENED BY - THAT. - AND WHAT WE HAVE TO PERSUADE - PEOPLE IS THAT NOT ONLY SHOULD - THEY NOT BE THREATENED BY THAT, - THEY SHOULD BE EXCITED BY THAT - BECAUSE A-- A TRUE COMMITMENT TO - HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL JUSTICE, - A TRUE AMERICA REQUIRES THAT. - IT'S NOT AN OPTION. - IT REQUIRES THAT. - AND THAT'S THE HOPE WE HAVE TO - SHARE. - >> Reporter: BRYAN STEVENSON, - FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - OF THE EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE, - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING - US. - >> MY PLEASURE. - >> Sreenivasan: THAT ALL FOR - THIS EDITION OF PBS NEWSHOUR - WEEKEND. - FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES, - VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour. - I'M HARI SREENIVASAN. - THANKS FOR WATCHING. - STAY HEALTHY, AND HAVE - GOOD NIGHT. - Captioning sponsored by WNET - Captioned by - Media Access Group at WGBH - access.wgbh.org - >> PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND IS MADE

- POSSIBLE BY: - SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III. - THE ANDERSON FAMILY FUND. - BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ. - THE CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN - FAMILY. - BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG. - THE LEONARD AND NORMA KLORFINE - FOUNDATION. - CHARLES ROSENBLUM. - WE TRY TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT, - TO NOT MISS WHAT'S RIGHT IN - FRONT OF US. - AT MUTUAL OF AMERICA, WE - BELIEVE TAKING CARE OF TOMORROW - CAN HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF - TODAY. - MUTUAL OF AMERICA FINANCIAL - GROUP, RETIREMENT SERVICES AND - INVESTMENTS. - ADDITIONAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN - PROVIDED BY: - CONSUMER CELLULAR. - AND BY: - AND BY THE CORPORATION FOR - PUBLIC BROADCASTING, A PRIVATE - CORPORATION FUNDED BY THE - AMERICAN PEOPLE. - AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR - PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE

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- PRESENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM - WAS PROVIDED BY - GENERAL MOTORS. - ANNOUNCER: THE WORLD IS - EVER-CHANGING. - WHAT HASN'T REALLY CHANGED IS - THE WAY WE MOVE AROUND IT. - BUT THAT WAY IS GIVING WAY - TO A WHOLE GENERATION OF PEOPLE - WHO WILL CHARGE THEIR CARS - JUST LIKE THEIR PHONES - AND WHO WILL JUDGE VEHICLES - NOT BY THE REV OF AN ENGINE, - BUT BY THE HUM OF CHANGE. - THE START BUTTON TO AN - ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE - HAS BEEN PUSHED. - DAVID RUBINSTEIN: SO, IF YOU - HAVE A 5-4 PROSPECTIVE DECISION, - DOES ONE OF THE JUSTICES GO - TO THE--ANOTHER JUSTICE AND SAY, - "WHY DON'T YOU CHANGE - YOUR MIND?" - DOES THAT WORK VERY MUCH, OR-- - RUTH BADER GINSBURG: NO. - THERE'S NO HORSE TRADING - AT THE COURT. - DAVID: YOU'VE ALSO GOTTEN - A LOT OF ATTENTION - FOR YOUR EXERCISE, UH, ROUTINE. - [AUDIENCE LAUGHTER]