June 1, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

For analysis of the deeper systemic issues that are underlying the country’s civic unrest, Judy Woodruff talks to Roxane Gay, a noted essayist and author whose work frequently addresses issues of race, identity and privilege; Anna Deavere Smith, award-winning playwright and actor; and Tay Anderson, a Denver school board member and activist who has been leading protests in that city.

Demonstrations that began in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd in police custody on Memorial Day have spread to dozens of cities across the U.S. over the weekend, and thousands of protesters have been arrested. Amna Nawaz talks to special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro, Rickey Bevington of Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta and Cerise Castle of KCRW public radio in Los Angeles.

Peaceful protests around the U.S. continue Monday night, but there will likely also be charged confrontations and more looting and destruction. How can law enforcement defuse these fraught situations and minimize violence while acknowledging protesters’ voices? Judy Woodruff talks to Sheriff Christopher Swanson of Genesee County, Michigan, and Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia.

In our news wrap Monday, U.S. health officials voiced fears that mass protests could fuel new COVID-19 infections. The warning came as deaths nationwide neared 105,000, including some 26,000 nursing home residents. Also, the artist Christo, known for his massive public art displays, has died in New York. He was 84 years old.

The problems with criminal justice in Minnesota’s Twin Cities extend beyond the George Floyd case. Of the 100 largest metro areas in the country, Minneapolis’ income gap between black and white families is the second largest, at nearly $50,000, and the city has a long history of discriminatory housing practices. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the context behind this crisis.

Cities across the U.S. are bracing for unrest as protests continue. Outrage over police killings of black victims, most recently that of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day, has fueled demonstrations, and in some cases, destruction. In response, President Trump called for stricter policing, telling governors they must “dominate” protesters. Yamiche Alcindor reports.