PBS News Hour - Politics

After a standoff with U.S. Attorney William Barr, top NYC prosecutor U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, agreed to step down. Meanwhile, President Trump's Tulsa rally -- his first since March -- had hundreds of empty seats partly because TikTok teens and K-pop fans reserved seats and did not show. NewsHour Weekend Jeff Greenfield joins Hari Sreenivasan for the political roundup.

PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, there have been reports of anti-Asian discrimination and racism, including in schools. Now, as schools across the country weigh in on reopening in the fall, parents of Asian-American children fear they may not be a safe place. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Paycheck Protection Program or PPP provides federally-backed forgivable loans to businesses whose revenues may be impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, little of the $659 billion fund has made it to Latino and Black-owned businesses, despite being the communities hit hardest by the crisis. NewsHour Weekend's Ivette Feliciano reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As several states experience surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the debate over wearing face masks is creating a sharp divide. Nearly everyone in the public health community says masks worn in crowded places can help slow coronavirus spread -- but for some Americans, they are perceived as an affront. William Brangham reports and talks to Dr. Ranit Mishori of Georgetown University. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including major Supreme Court decisions on LGBTQ employment protections and DACA, the claims from John Bolton's new book about President Trump's interactions with foreign leaders and whether Joe Biden will pick a woman of color as his running mate. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Fallout continues from the forthcoming book by John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Trump. Bolton portrays Trump as corrupt, self-interested and in thrall to authoritarian figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Yamiche Alcindor reports and Nick Schifrin gets reaction from two former ambassadors, Gérard Araud and John Negroponte. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Stacey Abrams was Georgia's Democratic nominee for governor in 2018. Since her defeat, she founded Fair Fight Action, an organization that works to protect voting rights. Now she is under consideration to be former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 running mate. Abrams joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why she sees the current political moment as a critical one for American democracy. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is one of many state officials across the country weighing the trade-offs between public health and a functioning economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the COVID-19 trends Ohio is seeing, the challenge of supporting so many unemployed residents and how he would like to see police reform implemented. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The U.S. is facing multiple competing and simultaneous challenges at home and abroad. How has the country dealt with similar periods in the past? Former defense secretary and CIA director Robert Gates has a deep familiarity with the topic. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss that and his new book, "Exercise of Power: American Failures, Successes, and a new Path Forward in the Post-Cold War World."

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed an act that provides funding for national parks and public lands. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the details of the legislation, including where the money will come from, and what else Congress is considering when it comes to action on protecting the environment.