Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour Weekend 20240713

We try to live in the moment, to not miss whats 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. Consumer cellular offers no contract wireless plans that are designed to help you do more of the things you enjoy, whether youre a talker, texter, broer, photographer or a bit of everything. Our u. S. Based Customer Service team is here to find a plan that fits you. To learn more, go to www. Consumercellular. Tv. Additional support has been provided by and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a privat 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. There are now more than five million confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide. More than 1. 5 million of them are people in the United States. This memorial day weekend is about reopening how people are managing social distancing, wearing face coverings, and getting back to business. Globally, during this month, russia and brazil both saw cases increase to more than 300,000, as the pandemic continues. Lets get started with todays top stories. With every state lifting some restrictions, President Trump began the memorial day weekend with his first visit to one of his golf clubs since march 8. Leaving the white house for his Virginia Club this morning, the president was not wearing a face mask. Secret Service Agents with him were wearing masks. Around the country, officials prepared for the Holiday Weekend at newly reopened parks, campgrounds and beaches. With predictions of a heat wave over the next few days, big crowds are expected at Southern California beaches where only active recreation is being allowed. We dont allow any sunbathing. You cant lay out on the beach. You have to be engaged in walking, running, swimming, surfing, anything where youre moving but actual sunbathing or using the fire rings right now is prohibited. So, its active use only on the beach. Sreenivasan the United States still has the most confirmed cases of covid19 worldwide, and the death toll is nearing 100,000 people, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource center. The Trump Administration recently discussed carrying out a nuclear test, in what would be a first for the nation in nearly 30 years, according to the washington post. Quoting several anonymous sources, the paper reported that Senior National Security Officials discussed a nuclear test during a meeting last week, as a response to administration concerns that russia and china are conducting lowyield nuclear tests. Both countries have denied the accusation. An unnamed u. S. Official said the move could put pressure on the two countries to agree to a trilateral arms control deal with the u. S. No final decision was made about conducting a nuclear test, according to the report. But, another source familiar with the discussion said the administration will take other stepto respond to russia and china. The Car Rental Company hertz filed for bankruptcy protection last night. The nations number two rental car company ld off 12,000 employees and furloughe thousands of othin late march. Hertz, which also includes the dollar and thrifty car rental brands, lost almost all of its revenue when travel shut down due to the coronavirus. The company was unable to make payments to creditors on its estimated 24 billion in debt, triggering the chapter 11 filing. A massive predawn fire on san franciscos Fishermans Wharf destroyed a warehouse and sent plumes of smoke and flames across the waterfront. More than 130 firefighters used aerial ladders and a fireboat to keep the fire from spreading to nearby historic areas. The warehouse is usually unoccupied at night, and there were no injuries reported. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze. In russia today, president Vladimir Putin says the coronavirus outbreak there has stabilized, and that restrictions will continue to ease. Moscow streets were busier after almost two months of lockdown in the countrys capital. With more than 335,000 confirmed cases, russia currently has the second worst outbreak after the United States. The number of reported covid19 deaths in russia has been relatively low, leading some outside Health Experts to suspect that officials are undercounting the mortality rate. Russian officials reject that claim. The World Health Organization has identified south america as the new center of the global coronavirus pandemic, and no country on that continent is as hard hit as brazil. There are more than 330,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in brazil, and more than 21,000 deaths, according to the countrys Health Ministry. Amid the crisis, brazils president , jair bolsonaro, has downplayed the threat, and clashed with local officials who have imposed lockdowns to try and slow the spread of the virus. For more, i recently spoke to New York Times reporter Ernesto Londono, who is in rio de janeiro. Ernesto, weve been hearing quite a bit about latin america and how covid19 is working its way through south america, as well. Where is brazil at right now in terms of infections, deaths, how people are affected . Brazil is now clearly the epicenter in latin america. Were seeing upwards of 80new deaths each day, and contagion is growing. So, Health Officials here and local officials are warning that the next few months are going to be very, very hard. Theyre looking at a breakdown of Health Care Systems in areas where the virus has struck pretty ferociously. And, unfortunately, the approach has been rather erratic. On the one hand, you have the president telling people, get back to work. You know, with these shut downs and these lockdowns, dont make good sense. Let the virus burn out while local officials and doctors are pleading with people to stay indoors if they can. Sreenivasan and this disagreement has gone all the way up as high as the health minister. That is correct. Brazil has has seen two Health Ministers leave pretty abruptly over the past over the past month. The first one, minister mandetta, had a very acrimonious relationship with the president. You had a really surreal situation where the Health Ministry was telling people these lockdowns measures, these quarantines make sensef you adhere to them. It will allow us to keep the system from being overloaded, and it will prevent deaths. And at the same time, his boss, the president , was encouraging people to take to the streets. He himself was walking around, you know, spurring people to gather around m, shaking hands and essentially saying that this virus was not a big deal if people wanted to make it out to be and that these lockdowns would be ruinous for the economy. Sreenivasan where is the health care inastructure of brazil, especially considering some of the incredibly dense urban areas . Whats the likelihood that someone that living in one of these favelas that has accs to a hospital . How expensive is it to get treated if they do come down with symptoms . Brazil has a fairly Robust Primary Health Care system, and in the past it has risen to health care challenges, and in a way that has won it praise abroad. However, there have been cuts in funding over the past couple of years as the economy has been struggling, and were really feeling the effects of that. So, it really varies on where in the country you are. Sreenivasan also, put this in the context of what else is happening in braziright now. I mean, how severe of an impact is this to the brazilian economy . It has been a huge blow to the brazilian economy, but i think it also has to be looked through the lens of whats happening, politically. You have a predent who has become a pariah abroad on the global stage as a result of other policies such as his approach to the environment. And now, there are growing calls for his impeachment. And there are criminal investigations into his conduct and those of people around him, including his children. So, president bolsonaro is very much a politician in survival mode who has not been able to mount a coherent and robust response to the Coronavirus Crisis as weve seen other World Leaders do in recent weeks. Sreenivasan s that shaken his base of support . Do the people who love president bolsonaro agree with his views on, well, Public Health in this case . It does seem to be changing. The nature of his support and his popularity numbers appear to be dropping, although not dramatically. You know, i think theres a lot of people in the population who are very worried about their job prospects, their ability to put food on the table. So, i think its early to know just how the president s stance on this is going to play out politically. Some analysts say that at the end of the day, when the econom takes a huge hit some months from now and the unemployment numbers go through the roof and you really start feeling the pain that is building building up slowly right now. The governors who have been calling for quarantines and lockdowns may pay a bigger price than the president , who could be able to sort of bill himself as the one who was looking after the working class and the poor. Sreenivasan Ernesto Londono of the New York Times joining us from rio, thanks so much. My pleasure. Sreenivasan in spain today, there were protests against the countrys continued coronavirus lockdown. Thousands of supporters of the farright vox party paraded in cars and on motorbikes to protest the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Spains leftwing Coalition Government declared a state of emergency and imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in europe on march 14 and only loosened some restrictions in the last few weeks. Today, spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced more openings. In july, spain will welcome foreign tourists, and starting in early june, the top tier spanish professional soccer league, la liga, will be allowed to resume games without fans. Spain has suffered more than 28,000 covid19 related deaths in the pandemic. And in karachi pakistan today, mourners attended the first funerals for the victims of yesterdays plane crash. The Pakistan International Airlines Flight was traveling from lahore to karachi when it crashed into a crowded neighborhood, while attempting a second landing. Of the 99 people on board, only twoassengers survived. One of them reported turbulence before the pilot told passengers to prepare for a troublesome landing. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. Sreivasan for more on how states are easing restrictions, and all of our coverage of the coronavirus, visit www. Pbs. Org newshour. Sreenivasan since march, more than 38 million peoplin the u. S. Have filed for unemployment insurance. Most are also at risk of losing employeesponsored Health Insurance, with nearly 13 million still eligible for publiclysubsidized coverage. Thats according to a recent report from the Kaiser Family foundation. But back in february, the Trump Administration did something that caused thousands to give up their Health Insurance just as the pandemic was gathering steam. Special correspondent simon ostrofsky has our report. A note this report was produced before stayathome orders went into effect, for our ongoing initiative, chasing the dream poverty and opportunity in america. speaking in spanish reporter Norma Martinez is whats known as a volunteer health promoter. Shes handing out fliers and plaining to members of this mainly immiant Latino Community in takoma park, maryland, that they dont need to give up their Health Insurance. translated when you go apply for a green card, they tell you, ah, you are a public charge to the government, i will deny it, i will not give it to you. Well, this is the strategy that the new administration is using. It hopes to terrify us. Reporter in 2018, the Trump Administration announced plans to expand regulations governing whether immigrants receiving government benefits are eligible for permanent residency. The new rule which came into force in february involves what is known as public charge and expands the list of government assistance that will count against a permanent residency application. Formerly, only those receiving cash from the government were affected. But now, benefits like medicaid are also taken into consideration. The more forms of assistance an applicant receives, the worse their chances of getting a green card. The changes have been sprding fear in immigrant communities nationwide, causing one in seven to avoid Public Benefit programs, according to the urban institute. Many immigrants in the country legally, including those who arent applying for residency and are not affected, have taken the public charge rule to mean th receiving any type of government assistance could get them deported. speaking in spanish translated well, according to what they say on the news, if you are labeled a public charge, you have to leave this country if you do not work, if you receive state benefits for housing or food stamps. Reporter experts warn that the growing number of uninsured people in america which is part of a larger trend affecting all demographics, not just noncitizens is especially worrying at a time of increased concern over a viral pandemic. Public charge is definitely a big issue that shoppers here are concerned about right now because theyre worried its going to affect their immigration status. But you can tell from the content of peoples shopping carts that the other thing theyre worried about is the spread of coronavirus. And its at a time like this that Health Professionals say its important for as many people as possible to have medical insurance and coverage. Weve been seeing a decrease in in volume of people looking to renew or enroll in medicaid. We have seen it, local departments of social services has seen a decline. Reporter Michelle Larue is a medical doctor and senior manager for health and Human Services at casa de maryland, an immigrant advocacy and assistance organization. The biggest change is really the fear and confusion that its perpetrating in immigrant communities. I think right now in the environment that were living in with this pandemic, weont want people that are fully elible for Health Insurance to go without Health Insurance, specially young children. You know, right now, in this context, we need all everyone to have access to healthcare in case they need it. Reporter larue says many eligible medicaid recipients are cancelling their plans simply out of an abundance of caution. But the new rules affecting immigrants and the fear theyre generating are only one piece of americas Health Insurance puzzle. Repeal and replace the disaster known as obamacare. Reporter during the 2016 president ial campaign, donald trump repeatedly promised to repeal and replace the affordable ce act; and as president elect, he went a step further, saying hed make sure all americans had Health Insurance. That meant hed have to better the a. C. A. s record. As a result of the Affordable Care act, which was enacted in 2010, 20 Million People gained health coverage, which took the uninsured rate to the lowest it has ever been in the entirety of u. S. History. Reporter aviva arondine is a former Obama Administration health care official and Vice President for health poli at the center on budget and policy priorities, a progressive think tank in washington, d. C. Since President Trump took office in 2016, one million to two Million People have lost coverage, eroding about 10 of those gains. And then, theres a risk that all of those gains could be lost if the administration gets its way in court or in congress and undoes the rest of the law. Reporter the figures arondine cites come from the u. S. Census bureau. Between 2017 and 2018, the uninsured rate increased 0. 5 percentage points, and the number of uninsured people increased by 1. 9 million. Reporter according to the census bureau, this represents the first increase in the uninsured rate since 2009. Arondine worries that the fear of high medical costs could potentially discourage people exhibiting early symptoms of covid19 from seeking medical attention in a timely fashion. Well, if you think about the fear that i think all of us are feeling as we face this unprecedented Public Health crisis, imagine that being compounded byorrying that you cant go to the doctor; that if you do go to the doctor, it could mean medical debt that would compromise your future. One of the things a Public Health crisis drives home is that all of us are better off wh everybody can get the coverage and care they need, and all of us are at risk when people are afraid to seek care. Reporter so, why is the national uninsured rate going up . I certainly think that the decisions that the white house has made havent helped at all. Some of these trends are ongog and existed before trump. And so, certainly you cant say increasing healthcare costs are just because of the Trump Administration. Reporter sarah miller is a researcher at the university of michigans ross school of business, who tracks trends i healthcare. First of all, there was the repeal of the individual mandate. So, there used to be laws in place that you had to purchase insurance. Now, those have been essentially removed. People heard that the mandate was repealed; maybe they werent sure if that meant that other aspects of the law were repealed; maybe they werent aware that they could still get marketplace covera. Then, i think on the employer side, the cost of insurance has been going up. And as the costs go up, you know, it becomes more unaffordable to more people, and that can also discourage people from taking up coverage. Reporter Maria Brodskaya is a recording tist and a music producer who came to the United States from russia seven years ago on a socalled extraordinary ability visa to further her musical career. Like many applicants for permanent residency, she gave up her medical plan most of which was subsidized underhe provisions of the a. C. A. When the Trump Administration announced plans for its new rules. The moment when the public charge rule came out, i was in the process of working on my green card. And, of course, we didnt have any other option except for just the sooner, the better to get off, you know, to show that you are not using it anymore and hoping that theyre not going to punish you, like. Reporter retroactively. Retroactively, exactly, yeah. Reporter and so, your immigration lawyer said that this was the best course of action. Yeah. She said that basically it was the only course of action, otherwise they would just not even consider eligible for for being permanent resident. If something happens to me, i dont even know where to go, you know, and whatind of help i can receive. Reporter shed like to buy a private plan but worries she wont be able to afford one now that all of her performances are being cancelled as a result of social distancing measures that people around the country are now facing. Sreenivasan as the nation opens up, some people are starting to think about cautiously expanding their social circles. Gideon lichfield, the editor in chief of the m. I. T. Technology review, recently broke two months of isolation to form with some friends whats known as a pod, a bubble or a quarranteam thats team with an m. Lichfield wrote a guide about how to do this safely and spoke recently to newshour weekends megan thompson. Reporter so, y wrote recently about forming a covid pod or a covid bubble. What does that mean . It means theres a handful of friends, some people who i decided to treat as safe. In other words, we all take the same precautions. We agree on what precautions were going to take. We make sure were all on the same page. Were not mixing with other people, but we go to one anothers houses, and we hang out as normal people do. And we do that because its a way to basically have time to spend with other people. Since i live alone, being alone for two months has been pretty hard. Reporter so, youve been going through this period of self isolation totally alone . Yes. I mean, ive done a handful of, like, walks in the park with friends where we, you know, spend are distanced apart, and we wear masks. Ive done a little bit of that. Obviously, i do zoom calls with friends like everybody else. But, yes, i i live alone, and i hadnt hadnt spent normal time in proximity to other people since we all went in to shut wn. Reporter so, you came up with a guide about how to navigate these covid bubbles. What is one of the most important things to keep in mind . Look, first of all, keep in mind that if you decide to share your life with other people, you are adding risk to yourself and to them and also potentially to the rest of society because you could, if you catch the disease, you could then transmit it to other people. So, dont go into it without really thinking about that risk and also really making sure that you meet youre doing it with people that you really trust. The next thing i would say is, you know, communicate in really excessive detail about what precautions you take. How do you wash your vegetables when you come in from the store . Do you take your shoes on or off . Do you change your clothes when you come in or out of the house . Do you clean your keys . Reporter what kinds of things did you discuss with your friends before you decided to bubble up with them . Well, we discussed, for instance, when do you wear a mask . So, when we first started having the conversation, i wasnt wearing a mask when i went outside. I i wore one if i went to the store, but not if i was just walking in the street. And my friends said, actually, wed be more comfortable if you wore a mask when you walked on the street, as well. So, you know, we discussed in detail all of the things we do and all the precautions we take, and we got on the same page about what we were going to do. And then, we waited two weeks because it was like starting quarantine from zero. We wanted to make sure that we were being completely safe and doing it the same way before we actually met up. One of the things that i think is important is, were all making this up as we go along, and were all taking decisions about which precautions to take based on, you know, stuff weve read, our gut, how we feel that day, what weve heard. So, whats mt important is to just be completely on the same page with the people that youre with so that there are no surprises. Reporter you also wrote that you almost want to treat this more like a business transaction than a friend transaction . I think thats important because, you know, all of us have friends, multiple friends, but you can only be in one of these bubbles at a time. Its really not safe to be, you know, bubbling with multiple families, for instance, where, you know, you have no idea what everybodys really doing. And so, feelings can get easily hurt if somebody wants to be with you and you dont want to be with them or vice versa. Treat this as something that youre doing because its good for your Mental Health or whatever whatever your reasons are for doing it, but but dont treat it as a commentary or a judgment on your friendship with someone. Repoer so, now, youve been socializing with your friends for, what, about a week and a half now . Hows it been going . Its been going great. Honestly, for me, one of the besthings is to be able to cook food forther people rather than just for myself. So, its it and to have conversations that dont get ended because somebody has to hop off on another zoom call or that are constrained by the parameters of the screen. You know, that that quality of human contact is completely different from the kind that we have when were talking to people on the phone or on the screen. And even though ive had lots of contact with with friends through zoom, theres theres a point at which it just doesnt its not the same thin it isnt enough. Reporter all right, gideon lichfield, editor in chief of the m. I. T. Technology review, thank you so much for being here. Thank you very much, megan. Sreenivasan have you and your friends or family formed a covid bubble, or are you trying to figure out how to do it safely . Pbs newshour weekend would love to hear about how youre navigating it all. We may even use your story on the broadcast. Send us an email at nhweekend wnet. Org. Sreenivasan thats all for this edition of pbs newshour weekend. For the latest news updates, visit www. Pbs. Org newshour. Im hari sreenivasan. Thanks for watching. Stay healthy, and have a good night. Captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org pbs newshour weekend is made possible by bernard and irene schwartz. Sue and Edgar Wachenheim iii. The cheryl and Philip Milstein family. The jpb foundation. Rosalind p. Walter. Barbara hope zuckerberg. Charles rosenblum. We try to live in the moment, to not miss whats right in front of us. At mutual of america, we beeve 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 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. Youre watching pbs. D d by. Tomorrows breakthroughs start with the determination and inspiration of today. Amd helps solve the Worlds Toughest and most interesting challenges by creating High Performance computing technologies. And by the great courses plus. Hundreds of topics from expert instructors to help you expand your knowledge. Available for streaming anytime, anywhere. And by share more stories, helping Companies Understand humans one story at a time. Uganda is a place of wondrous natural beauty, bustling cities, and idyllic villages. The african great lakes, including lake victoria, pepper its borders. Its also home to a tiny, cramped, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that serves a region with a population of about 4