JUDY WOODRUFF: Good evening.

I'm Judy Woodruff.

On the "NewsHour" tonight: The infections increase.

A rise in COVID cases across the South and West continues unabated.

We talk to Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia about the troubling surge.

Then: hunger crisis.

The head of the World Food Program discusses feeding the expanding number of people in need.

And Rethinking College.

The pandemic forces colleges and universities to reconsider their plans for in-person classes this fall.

CELESTE GONZALEZ DE BUSTAMANTE, Associate Professor, University of Arizona: We're very concerned about whether there are enough procedures and policies in place to keep everyone safe.

JUDY WOODRUFF: All that and more on tonight's "PBS NewsHour."

(BREAK) JUDY WOODRUFF: COVID-19 infections and deaths are still climbing tonight in much of the nation.

And now President Trump says the pandemic will probably get worse before it gets better.

That, in turn, is fueling negotiations on an economic rescue package.

Our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, begins our coverage.

LISA DESJARDINS: At the current epicenter of the nation's COVID-19 battle, dire news of caseloads becoming death toll.

For the first time, Florida reported more deaths than any other state.

In Tallahassee, Governor Ron DeSantis tried to ease concerns.

GOV.

RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Floridians, I think there's a lot of anxiety and fear out there, and I think that folks just -- it's going to be -- we're going to be able to get through it.

LISA DESJARDINS: This as Washington shifted from summer recess to sudden high gear on the next COVID relief bill.

All sides agree on the urgency.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: We're making a lot of progress.

I also know that both sides want to get it done.

We will call it phase four.

I think we're going to get it done.

LISA DESJARDINS: But there is deep divide over what to do.

Republican senators don't yet agree on their plan, but have said it would be about a trillion or more in spending.

A few, like Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, say the spending has gotten out of control.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): They're talking about spending another trillion dollars.

It's fiscally irresponsible, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

LISA DESJARDINS: Democrats in the House already passed their proposal in May, the sweeping $3 trillion HEROES Act.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): The coronavirus is a once-in-a-century pandemic that requires a once-in-a-century, meaningful congressional intervention.

That is what we did when we passed the HEROES Act.

That is the type of agreement we need to come to at this moment.

LISA DESJARDINS: A solid deal is still far off, with additional sticking points between Republican senators and the White House, which sent Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to the Hill for talks today.

Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany outlined some of the president's priorities, add a payroll tax cut and block any additional testing money for states.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, White House Press Secretary: We're willing to put in money for targeted testing that makes sense, not just dumping money into a pot that already contains $10 billion.

LISA DESJARDINS: Some Republicans on the Hill voiced concern over that.

SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I think we want to be sure, in dealing with the administration , that the money we have put into testing already is still available, if it hasn't been spent.

We want to continue to focus on tests.

LISA DESJARDINS: And Majority Leader Mitch McConnell again marked his red line moving forward in negotiations.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): I won't put a bill on the floor that doesn't have liability protection in it.

Don't mischaracterize what this is about.

This is not just for businesses, for hospitals, doctors, nurses.

LISA DESJARDINS: He said a bill will come in the next few days, and that there will also be another round of direct payments to Americans.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And Lisa was at the Capitol today, as you can tell, following these negotiations all day long.

And she joins me now.

So, Lisa, set the table for us.

We understand there's disagreement up there, but talk about first where there's agreement.

What do we think is going to be in this bill probably for sure?

LISA DESJARDINS: It's important to talk about that, because this is a bill that could get the American economy through the next however many months.

We don't know how many.

First of all, there is agreement -- let's look at a graphic quickly on a few things - - one, that there should be another round of small business funds known as PPP.

That's the program that has kept so many small businesses going during this part of the pandemic.

That looks like it will be renewed.

We don't know what degree.

Another round of stimulus checks also.

Again, not sure how large those checks should be, and it's possible those stimulus checks may go to fewer Americans.

They may be more targeted.

But it looks like that is something that most of Congress agrees on.

Also helps for schools, Judy, that's a new item that is now entering discussions and is creating a great deal of urgency on both sides.

As schools are trying to reopen in just a few weeks, Congress is now figuring out how to try and fund schools that want to open and those that want to go only online.

It's a very large debate.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, let me ask you now about some of the difference.

As you pointed out, the House passed their version of this back at the end of May.

What are the main difference between what the House wanted and what the Senate is likely to do?

LISA DESJARDINS: You know, I have to say, this negotiation is maybe more complicated and has more issues in it than any other I have ever covered.

But there are a few that we can point to as sort of top-level issues.

Let's look at what the priorities are that the two sides disagree on.

First, for Democrats, are one of their priorities is that expanded unemployment benefits, $600 per week for each person on unemployment above what they would normally get.

That -- Judy, that benefit runs out July 31, in just a couple of weeks.

Democrats want to extend it through the end of the year for everyone on unemployment.

Republicans, their priority, as you heard from Leader McConnell, liability protection for businesses.

Now, this gets a little bit complicated, but he essentially wants to make sure that no business can be sued for someone getting the virus or being harmed by the virus who used that business.

And that is something they say is critical to them.

He says some 3,000 lawsuits have been filed over the pandemic so far.

Others say they're not sure if this is that priority that it needs to -- that he is saying it should be.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, Lisa, what about what's next?

The Republicans had said that they might have a draft plan as early as today.

What it's looking like now?

LISA DESJARDINS: Well, we are in extraordinary times.

And it was an extraordinary day at the Capitol today, Judy.

I stood outside the Senate Republican luncheon, where Senate Republicans were meeting with the chief of staff and the Treasury secretary.

The idea was, they were supposed to all get on board their plan for what to do about this virus, what to do about our economy.

And, instead, Judy, they walked out with less agreement than they had going in.

When you talk to people in the room, they said that there were, instead of one or two ideas, 50 ideas, many senators bringing up billions of dollars in requests here, maybe for the hotel industry, maybe for another industry in their state, that they are divided amongst themselves.

And, Judy, they are also divided with their president.

The president is asking specifically for the payroll tax cut.

That is something most Republicans and most Democrats disagree with, but for Republicans behind closed doors, difficult to break with the president, even though they're starting to publicly state that.

And one other area, Judy, where there is a disagreement amongst Republicans with their president, on testing.

Let's look at a graphic on where everyone stands on that critical issue.

Right now, in this relief bill, the White House has sent mixed signals, saying it supports more testing, but not a great deal of it.

They feel like there's money already that could be used for it.

Most Senate Republicans disagree with that.

They say there is no more money left, and they are proposing right now about $25 billion for testing to help states get more tests out to you and I, everyone in this country.

House Democrats, they have proposed $75 billion for testing and tracing.

They say Republicans don't go far enough.

Judy, Democrats met with some Republicans, including the White House chief of staff late today.

And to tell you where things are for Republicans, Democrats walked out of that meeting saying, Republicans have no plan.

They are in disarray, was the word that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used.

She said: We can't negotiate with them.

We have a plan.

They don't.

We need Republicans to tell us where they stand.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So much important material here to follow.

Lisa, so, given all this, when can Americans look for something final to come out?

LISA DESJARDINS: Well, this is all part of the legislative process, of course.

We have been through dramatic ups and downs like this on many issues.

But, Judy, the deadline that many are watching is that July 31 deadline for unemployment benefits to end.

That is when millions of Americans will see $600 less per week.

That could affect things like rent immediately in August.

Also, Judy, schools planning to reopen in those first weeks of August are waiting for money.

They're saying to Congress that they need some -- at least some guidance on what's going to happen.

Congress had hoped to act by the end of next week.

Now, because of the Republicans still seeming to form their plan, I have to say it looks like early August is when I think we could see this whole package get through Congress.

But who knows.

Things change day to day.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, a lot of people watching this very, very closely.

Lisa Desjardins, we thank you.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And we will speak to a leading Republican lawmaker in just a moment.

But, first, let's hear from some of the people who stand to be affected by the legislation that Congress is considering.

Two of the major sticking points that Lisa just mentioned, extending unemployment benefits beyond the end of the month, and protecting businesses from COVID-related lawsuits, those are at the top of many minds.

STACIA FAMILO-HOPEK, Brewery Owner: So, I own a small taproom-focused brewery just outside of Atlanta in Avondale Estates, Georgia.

And we have been open just a year now.

So, it's been quite an interesting year going through a pandemic.

We have not been able to hire people to come and work in the kitchen, because they are making more money now with the additional $600 that's coming from the federal government than they were making previously.

So, they don't have an incentive to come to work.

And they are happy to stay at home, while they're able to collect this paycheck, vs. looking for employment.

LATRICE WILSON, Furloughed Worker: I currently live in Louisville, Kentucky.

I actually had a full-time and part-time job.

I worked in the hotel industry as my part-time job and in the health care industry as a payroll team supervisor, when I became furloughed as of May 2.

To simply stereotype us as being that we all are sitting at home and we just want to collect a check and eat bonbons, that is not right.

There are some people that are getting paid more.

I can't speak for them.

But, for me, my check, the extra $600 is comparable to what I was getting paid prior to being furloughed and laid off.

So, the $600, I'm not sitting at home getting paid extra.

I wish that was the case, but I'm not.

And I would love to go back to a job and be more stable.

ADAM ORMAN, Restaurant Owner: I own and I'm the general manager of with my business of L'Oca d'Oro restaurant, an Italian restaurant in Austin, Texas.

We need access to more jobs.

We need grants and/or loans.

We need tax rebates and tax credits.

Liability protection puts no money in my pocket, puts no money in my employees' pockets, does not create any work for our restaurant or for the people who work in our restaurant.

And I know that Senator McConnell has said he will not pass anything that doesn't include liability protection.

And if he's going to sacrifice all of the things that all the small businesses in this country need to be able to make it through this reduced-revenue, reduced-capacity world to protect employers who are taking risks, that is a wildly misplaced priority.

STACIA FAMILO-HOPEK: I think having some stated protections would help any business.

And, in particular, as a small business owner, I can't imagine how I would defend a case if a staff member did try to sue us because they had contracted the virus while working.

So, yes, I would definitely be in favor of seeing some sort of liability protection put in place for businesses, obviously, with the stipulation that the business was following the current guidelines.

JUDY WOODRUFF: As we can hear -- and we appreciate everyone who contributed to that -- thank you, all four of you.

And, as we have been hearing, all eyes are now on the Congress and what it's going to do about COVID relief.

So, we turn to Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia.

Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

We just heard reporting from our Lisa Desjardins about disagreement still among Senate -- members of the Senate among Senate Republicans about what to do.

Speaker Pelosi, Senator Schumer say, Republicans are in disarray.

Are you in disarray?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE (R-GA): Well, I listened to most of that report.

And I love Lisa, but that was pretty much a gross misrepresentation of what happened in that room today.

Go back and look at first CARES Act, the different components that we have had there, Judy, I mean, $2.9 trillion.

And, by the way, only about $2 trillion of that has been fully allocated.

We still have almost a trillion dollars yet to flow into the economy.

There are several key points right now.

We want to see how that has been received and how it has impacted the business world and also our hospitals and schools.

We produced seven million new jobs between the last half of May and the month of June.

The economy is beginning to open up again.

We need to follow the protocols.

And what we're talking about right now are the priorities to support not only the opening of our businesses, but also the reopening of our schools, more help for our hospitals.

But what we don't want to do is turn this into a binary conversation between liability protection and bailing out our most financially troubled states.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Well... SEN. DAVID PERDUE: So, you're going to see this plan roll out.

Leader McConnell talked about parts of it a day -- $105 billion, he talked about today for education.

And there will be some other things coming in the next few days.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you're saying in the next few days.

But let me just ask you.

You know the House voted its plan out, $3 trillion, at the end of May.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Yes.

JUDY WOODRUFF: You're still debating this in the Senate.

It's almost the end of July.

Why is it that Republicans, that the Senate hasn't been able to come together with the majority Republicans?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Judy, I just said that the reason that we purposely did this, we said it back then when we talked about it a month ago, we want to see how this first round of CARES Act, the $2.9 trillion, is impacting not only the economy, but our schools and our hospitals and so forth.

We're beginning to have a better vision of that right now.

But we still -- like I said, we have almost a trillion dollars that has not flowed through the economy yet.

Now, we know that a lot of the money to the hospitals in our communities have already been dispersed.

So that's one we're looking at right now as a high priority.

Reopening schools is such an emotional issue that we're looking at that very carefully.

And also PPP, we still have almost $140 billion that has not been allocated of the 660 that went to that.

The Main Street program is just now going out.

So, there -- this -- the fact that this looks like and is being reported as an artificial delay or we can't get our act together is a gross misrepresentation of what we're doing here.

What we're doing is proper, prudent oversight of what we have already allocated.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, what about something that is about to run out?

And that is unemployment benefits, including additional benefits of up to -- of $600 a week.

Those run out at the end of July.

That's 10 days from now.

Where does that stand?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Well, first of all, Judy, the representation that unemployment benefits run out is not correct.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The additional amount.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: What happens to run is the premium -- the premium, the $600 premium.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Right.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: And I can tell you, in my state, the number one thing that's holding us back from opening up a lot of small businesses further than they are is the fact that they're having trouble getting people to come back to work because of this premium.

In our state, they do get a premium at much - - many of the people who are working get that premium.

I believe that, going forward, we have got to reopen the economy, follow the protocols, and, in my state particularly, that doesn't include a premium that we have just done to help in the worst time.

We're moving past that now.

And the thing we're focusing on is putting the money where it needs to be.

And we're looking at maybe reprogramming some of the money that has already been used in the first round of CARES.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Two very quick questions about this COVID relief.

And I do want to ask you about schools.

But one is, the president wants to cut payroll taxes.

Are you in favor that?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Well, I think, in sending people right now through payroll -- payroll tax is one way to do.

And I do support that, actually.

I support that better than giving just a direct payment, like we did in the first round of CARES.

I really oppose that, because we didn't see the impact back in '11 and '12, when that was done.

But this thing of incenting people through the tax structure, I do support.

As a business guy, I think that does work.

It needs to be targeted.

It needs to be short-term.

And it needs to be focused on the immediate needs of the next few months.

JUDY WOODRUFF: I want to ask you about your proposal on schools, K-12 schools, to help them come up with the best plan for reopening.

As you know, a number of teachers are saying they are concerned about the rush to reopen.

How much does your plan take into consideration the needs of teachers?

I know both of your parents were teachers.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Well, thank you, Judy.

Yes, I -- this is very sensitive to me.

I know it's a tough decision by local administrators.

I believe the best decision is made by the local parent, teacher and administrators.

And so does President Trump.

And that's why he's pushing this down to the state level.

Look, we know this is a very emotional thing.

I have just been on the phone with superintendents and principals today, talking about this for our state.

And what we're really trying to do in my act is give them some help.

Right now, we have about $105 billion coming in this next round, potentially, for K-12, and also our colleges.

In K-12, though, if we're opening the economy, and these working parents are going back to work, we have got to find a way to safely take care of the education of our children.

About half the schools -- so far, many schools are doing a hybrid program right now, until they get more clarity, but more testing, PPE, integration with health care, getting a database to know what's going on in those schools, and getting a summary of best practices, these are all things that makes common sense to try to help these administrators make good decisions about protecting our kids and, oh, by the way, the families they go home to.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Many of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia are saying they are not going to go back, start the fall semester with in-person classes.

Are they making a mistake?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Well, I certainly couldn't judge that, Judy.

And I don't think anybody can.

I trust the local administrator and parents and teachers to make those decisions.

And it's going to vary county by county.

We talked to several superintendents today.

And they all have a little different formula about how they're doing it.

I don't want it politicized.

And I don't think it's being politicized right now in many of those counties.

These people are trying to make an earnest and thoughtful decision.

The priority is protecting our children and their families, and also reopen the economy, and make sure that we don't have these kids lose significant portions of this year in terms of education.

Look, this full-court press we're making on regimen treatments and a vaccine are all integrated into this effort to open the economy, get our schools moving again, and get us back to some sort of normalcy here as soon as possible.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Very quick final question.

Now, you mentioned testing in schools.

Some members of your Republican colleagues think there should be more money spent on testing.

What do you think?

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Well, we were told today by the secretary of Treasury that, right now, we have got plenty of money that's available to do that.

I do not resist spending more money on testing.

Look, we have got two groups out there, two control groups, the U.S. military and our essential workers.

The military is following general order number one right now, which is a biohazard protocol.

And we know it works.

Their infection rate and the infection rate of essential workers is a little bit lower than the rest of us who have been sheltering in place.

So, I believe in more testing, whatever it takes.

We have been told the money is there.

If it's not, we will appropriate more money for it.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator David Perdue of Georgia, thank you very much for talking with us.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE: Thanks, Judy.

JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: The U.S. Justice Department charged that hackers working with China have targeted U.S. firms doing research on a COVID-19 vaccine.

Two Chinese nationals were indicted as part of a broader scheme going back 10 years.

They're also accused of stealing weapon designs, drug information and even Chinese dissidents.

JOHN DEMERS, U.S. Assistant Attorney General For National Security: China has now taken its place, alongside Russia, Iran and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provide a safe haven for cyber-criminals, in exchange for those criminals being on call for the benefit of the state.

JUDY WOODRUFF: These are the first criminal charges involving attempts to steal COVID vaccine data, but they are mainly symbolic.

The Chinese suspects remain at large, and federal officials concede they are not likely to be arrested.

The European Union approved a plan today worth $2.1 trillion to help member states through the pandemic recession.

After a marathon four-day meeting in Germany, the bloc's strongest nations agreed to share the debt.

Weaker states will get grants that do not have to be repaid.

The package must still be ratified by all 27 E.U.

members.

In Ohio, the speaker of the Statehouse, Republican Larry Householder, and four of his associates have been arrested in a $60 million bribery scheme.

Federal prosecutors say that an unnamed company paid them to push through a billion-dollar bailout for two nuclear power plants.

The bailout added new fees to every electricity bill in the state.

President Trump's threat to send federal agents to Chicago and other cities is still reverberating tonight.

He says big cities with Democratic mayors have let protests turn violent.

And acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf vowed today that -- quote -- "We will not retreat."

But New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will fight back, if it comes to that.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), Mayor of New York: This president blusters and bluffs and says he's going to do things, and they never materialize on a regular basis.

So, first, we should not overrate his statements.

They are so often not true.

Second, if he tried to do it, it would only create more problems, it would backfire, it wouldn't make us safer, and we would immediately take action in court to stop it.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Federal agents are already in Portland, Oregon.

And, last night, they fired tear gas at protesters who pulled down fencing at the federal courthouse.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a defense policy bill that would drop Confederate names from military bases.

President Trump has threatened to veto over that provision.

The president is also trying to block the 2020 census from counting people who are in the U.S. illegally.

He signed a memorandum today that says they should be excluded.

The U.S. Supreme Court already blocked efforts to add a citizenship question to the census.

Opponents of today's move say that they will go to court again.

The Democratic presidential nominee-to-be, Joe Biden, has rolled out another big piece of his economic recovery plan.

He called today for spending $775 billion over 10 years on elderly care, preschool programs, and other priorities.

He said that it would create three million jobs, and that President Trump has no plan of his own.

JOSEPH BIDEN (D), Presidential Candidate: For all his bluster about his expertise on the economy, he is unable to explain how he will actually help working families hit the hardest.

You know, he's quit on you, and he's quit on this country.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The former vice president is also warning of swift retaliation against any nation that tries to meddle in the 2020 election.

In Britain, a committee of Parliament reports that the government largely ignored possible Russian interference in the Brexit referendum.

It says that officials refused to investigate the allegations.

The 2016 vote approved the breakup with the European Union.

The report acknowledges that it is -- quote -- "difficult, if not impossible" to prove that Russian meddling influenced the outcome.

And on Wall Street, investors focused on hopes for more economic recovery -- recovery aid from Congress.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 159 points to close at 26840.

The Nasdaq fell 86 points, but the S&P 500 added five points.

As the pandemic tears across the globe, the toll exacted in lives lost and ruined grows by the day.

But for those already in need, the hungry and starving, COVID-19 is accelerating their nightmares.

Here's Amna Nawaz with the head of a global agency on a mission to help.

AMNA NAWAZ: The World Food Program is warning that, by the end of this year, it could have to feed the most people in the agency's history, nearly 140 million.

That's 40 million more than they expected pre-COVID.

In a new report, it warns that COVID-19 has exacerbated already existing crises, like climate change and displacement from war.

To help keep up with the increased need, the WFP is calling on developed nations to provide $5 billion over the next six months.

David Beasley is the WFP's executive director.

And he joins me now from South Carolina, where he was once governor.

David Beasley, welcome back to the "NewsHour."

Thanks for making the time.

And we should remind people, even before the pandemic, you were warning world leaders there was a coming disaster, that 2020 could be the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.

We're more than halfway through 2020 now.

What can you say the effect of the pandemic has been on world hunger?

DAVID BEASLEY, Executive Director, World Food Program: Well, you're exactly right.

Before COVID hit the scene, I was telling world leaders that 2020 was going to be your worst humanitarian crisis, disaster since World War II.

And many of the leaders were like, wow.

And I began -- to begin to break it down from Yemen, to Syria, to Lebanon, to the desert locusts, to the Sahel, and Sudan, and Ethiopia, and DRC, and let me keep going.

So we had seen literally in the last couple of years -- and I'm not talking about people going to bed hungry.

I'm talking about people that are on the brink of starvation.

That number has gone from 80 million to 135 million people as of last year.

That's pre-COVID.

Now, with COVID -- and we were feeding about 100 million people last year.

Now, with COVID, we're looking at the people going from -- I mean, on the brink of starvation going from 135 million to 270 million people around the world.

AMNA NAWAZ: Help us understand a little bit about what exactly is unfolding on the ground.

You have continued to travel in recent weeks, as safely as you can, to see those WFP operations on the ground.

What are you seeing?

What does that, sort of people on the brink of starvation, look like on the ground?

DAVID BEASLEY: Well, it was already pretty bad in many locations, like Yemen, devastated from years of war, as well as Syria.

Then you have economic collapse inside Lebanon.

So, we were seeing the hunger rate just spiking in these regions, with the pricing of food and the unavailability of food.

And the list goes on.

But let me just give you a good example.

Take Ethiopia, a very sizable nation with a lot of poverty, a lot of hunger.

But COVID has just dynamically impacted, on top of desert locusts, which was already devastating certain parts of that country.

Well, you wouldn't think about it, but Ethiopia, 50 percent of their export revenues is tourism.

That is completely shot and gone.

Well another major part of their economy is remittances from their families, friends and loved ones that live and work, let's say, in the United States.

That's gone.

And I could keep going from country to country.

Nigeria, 94 percent of their export revenues is oil.

Oil prices have tanked.

Compound that with Boko Haram and militancy, the Sahel.

And so, as you start breaking it down country by country, and then now understanding, like in the Caribbean and Central America, we're coming into the hurricane and cyclone season.

We're heading into the lean season in South Sudan now, which means flooding and droughts, already on top of a very desperate situation.

And so the numbers are beginning to spike.

We're seeing economic deterioration.

We're seeing supply chain disruption.

You remember, just a few months ago in the United States, people were panicking just trying to get toilet paper.

You can imagine, if that happens in one of the most sophisticated supply chain systems in the world, what do you think is happening in Chad or DRC or Somalia?

Just imagine the disruption of the availability of food.

And these people don't have a pantry full of food.

They live literally day to day from hand to mouth.

And so, if you do a lockdown in an area, it is devastating.

So, if we're not there with a safety net program for people in this situation, you're talking about mass starvation.

You're talking about potential of mass migration and/or you're also talking about destabilization, political unrest, violence in an extraordinary way.

So, the cost will be a lot more than it will if we come in and address it on the front end.

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned those supply chain disruptions.

Of course, people are seeing that around the world.

But you rely on those.

Getting the food in means you have the planes to fly them in, that you have healthy workers on the ground to move the supplies, you have got trucks to drive them around and deliver them.

Every supply chain has been disrupted.

Have yours?

Even if you get the money coming in now, can you get it where it needs to go?

DAVID BEASLEY: Yes, in fact, this is a significant and very serious issue.

We have got the supply chain system to move our food, and we're doing that very well.

But because the airline industry has all but shut down with passengers and cargo, you can't move COVID supplies.

So, while we have been able to move our food supplies in a pretty good way, though there are hiccups and issues, the COVID supplies can't get there from testing kits, to ventilators, to masks, and PPE, and let me just keep going.

Well, we are picking up that logistics service.

So, we are now the logistics humanitarian backbone for the entire United Nations systems, from WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, et cetera, and all the NGOs.

And if we don't have the money for that -- and that's money that WFP needs to help all agencies around the world.

It is critical that we have that money, and we have it now.

And, quite frankly, we run out of that money in about three weeks.

AMNA NAWAZ: David Beasley, you're asking for billions of dollars to help keep those tens of millions of people from starvation.

The U.S. is facing a deep recession.

Economies around the world are contracting.

How do you convince world leaders right now that this is something they need to invest and turn their resources towards?

DAVID BEASLEY: You know, the response so far has been amazing.

Quite frankly, it's been shocking.

In the United States Senate and the House.

I have been talking with Republicans and Democrats, and though they're fighting on everything, when it comes to food aid and international foreign support and these types of issues, because they understand it's in the national security interests of the American people.

But many countries are strapped.

And I know the European community is.

We're making the case, if you don't help us now, it's going to cost you.

And let me give you an example of what happened in the Syrian war that's ongoing.

We would feed a Syrian for about 50 cents a day, and that's almost double the normal rate, but it's a war zone, and the logistics of costs are higher.

That same Syrian, who does not want to leave Syria, but if they don't have food and any degree of peace, they will do what any mom and dad would do.

They will get their children to a place where they can feed their family.

So, if that family ends up in Berlin or Brussels, it's not 50 cents a day.

The humanitarian support package is 50 to 100 euros per day.

So it's 100 times the normal cost.

And, quite frankly, when we feed about 100 million people, we survey people all the time.

They don't want to leave home.

They really want to be in their home area.

It doesn't matter whether it's Guatemala, or whether it's in Nigeria, or whether it's in Syria.

People generally don't want to leave home.

And so, if we're there for them with a safety net program in this time of crisis, I believe we can avert famine, we can avert mass migration, and destabilization.

But we need the money, not next year, but we need it right now.

AMNA NAWAZ: It's a crisis on top of another crisis.

That is David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program.

Thank you so much for your time.

DAVID BEASLEY: Thank you.

JUDY WOODRUFF: We call our series on higher education Rethinking College for a number of reasons, but, this summer, colleges are literally rethinking everything.

Hari Sreenivasan reports on a pair of schools currently taking different approaches for the fall.

HARI SREENIVASAN: College administrators and their legal teams have spent months crafting reopening plans, carefully spaced seating charts, daily temperature checks, frequent testing, and threats of expulsion for those hosting large parties.

Full stadiums cheering for the home team this fall?

Unlikely.

But most of America's higher ed institutions are pushing ahead with plans for some form of in-person instruction.

DR. ROBERT ROBBINS, President, University of Arizona: I'm pleased to publicly announce today our intention and plan to return to in-person classes.

HARI SREENIVASAN: That's Dr. Robert Robbins at the end of April.

Dr. Robbins is a cardiothoracic surgeon, but also the president of the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The public university typically enrolls about 44,000 students.

It has been promoting its test, trace, and treat plan, and a high-profile reopening task force led by former U.S.

Surgeon General Richard Carmona who is a longtime faculty member.

DR. RICHARD CARMONA (RET.

), Former U.S.

Surgeon General: Make no mistake.

The cases and deaths are increasing.

HARI SREENIVASAN: But last week, during a virtual briefing, Dr. Carmona and Dr. Robbins raised serious concerns about the huge spike in Arizona's COVID-19 cases and indicated current plans to offer a mix of in-person and remote learning may have to change.

DR. ROBERT ROBBINS: How many in-person interactions are we going to have?

It may be zero.

HARI SREENIVASAN: I spoke with Dr. Robbins soon after that briefing.

DR. ROBERT ROBBINS: I'm very, very concerned about having our university open.

Certainly, today, we wouldn't do it.

HARI SREENIVASAN: What's the level of responsibility that the university has, right?

I'm a parent right now.

I'm about to send rising sophomore, freshman to your campus.

They get sick or worse.

What happens?

DR. ROBERT ROBBINS: Yes, that's a good question I don't have an answer to.

We're not different than any other university who's trying to balance the risk of bringing students back to their campus vs. the benefit of continuing their education and getting the ability to do that with their colleagues.

HARI SREENIVASAN: The university says nearly 70 on campus have tested positive for the coronavirus since testing began in March.

Dr. Robbins hopes as many as half of the faculty will voluntarily return to in-person instruction, but some staff who keep the university running have less flexibility to remain at home.

Those and other concerns are causing some on campus to push back on reopening plans.

CELESTE GONZALEZ DE BUSTAMANTE, Associate Professor, University of Arizona: We're very concerned about whether there are enough procedures and policies in place to keep everyone safe.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Journalism associate professor Celeste Gonzalez de Bustamante says a small group she represents, the Coalition for Academic Justice, did a survey that showed most of faculty, staff and grad students who responded were uncomfortable returning to campus.

Many faculty are older, which puts them at greater risk for serious complications from COVID.

Bustamante says she and her colleagues share concerns raised at other schools that universities are prioritizing the wrong things.

CELESTE GONZALEZ DE BUSTAMANTE: The decisions that are being made are being driven by the finances, the financial situation, and keep - - trying to keep the University of Arizona financially solvent, which it is.

It has a AA Moody's rating.

HARI SREENIVASAN: The school's tuition will remain the same next year.

Dr. Robbins admits money is a factor, but not the only factor.

DR. ROBERT ROBBINS: It's very clearly one of the drivers.

There's no question about it.

We're the largest employer in Southern Arizona.

We have already had a few layoffs here, a couple of hundred, as a matter of fact.

And so the economics of things drive it, but not primarily.

HARI SREENIVASAN: But it's not just faculty raising concerns.

ARMANDO GAVIN RAMIREZ, College Student: I am stressed.

I am full of anxiety.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Incoming senior Armando Gavin Ramirez is a Tucson native.

Four members of his extended family have died of COVID-19.

He says he has underlying health issues and can't afford health insurance, so he will likely stay home.

But he feels the school hasn't provided enough support for students who have struggled with remote learning.

ARMANDO GAVIN RAMIREZ: I have a computer that the audio sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

But I have the Internet that crashes at least twice a day, right?

Will the university be offering computers?

Will they be helping establish better Internet connection?

Will they provide the technological needs for these students to be able to succeed in an online environment for an entire semester?

HARI SREENIVASAN: Another question that looms large, beyond the University of Arizona, for those who do decide to return to campus, will social distancing work?

Infections have already started spreading at different campuses across the country.

Recent coronavirus outbreaks at several schools, including the University of Washington and U.C.

Berkeley, have been tied to fraternity houses.

But there are schools not planning to return to campus at all.

One of them is Paul Quinn College, a small, religiously affiliated, historically black college in Dallas, Texas, another state grappling with coronavirus.

MICHAEL SORRELL, President, Paul Quinn College: I think the first thing that you have to ask yourself honestly is, can you keep your students and your staff safe?

HARI SREENIVASAN: Michael Sorrell is the school's president.

His school is keeping the same tuition as last year, but lowering other costs by more than $2,000, as students continue with remote learning.

He says the risks of the new virus outweigh the benefits of students returning to campus, especially for the community of students he serves.

MICHAEL SORRELL: To the extent that something to the tune of 98 percent of our students are of color, and those are the communities that are being ravaged at a disproportionate amount by this virus, then, absolutely, we feel that we owe an additional level of concern and care.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Are you concerned that people who are writing the checks are going to say, you know, this online education doesn't seem like what I signed up for and what I paid for?

MICHAEL SORRELL: Yes, I'm absolutely concerned that people will make a different decision.

If you're making a different decision, then here's what you are rejecting.

You are rejecting an institution that put you first, that said your health and safety and well-being was of such concern to us that we were willing to change our economic model to ensure your safety.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Incoming senior Carnealus Manning says, like many students, he'd to return to campus for his last year, but, beyond personal health concerns, he also worries what an outbreak would do to the college he loves.

CARNEALUS MANNING, College Student: For a small institution like Paul Quinn, even a small COVID outbreak, right, could be detrimental to our brand and really just the mission of the institution.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Back in Tucson, preparations continue for some students, staff, and faculty to return to campus in late August.

Dr. Robbins will be announcing his final decision what that reopening will look like by the end of this month.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Hari Sreenivasan.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the music industry.

Concerts as we knew them were one of the first things to be canceled and will be among the last to restart.

Jeffrey Brown has our look.

It's part of our ongoing arts and culture series, Canvas.

JEFFREY BROWN: Derrick Jones, better known by his stage name, D-Nice, calls it Club Quarantine, a creative response born of necessity in March, when COVID-19 brought live music performances to a stop.

DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES, Musician: I'm used to interacting with people and feeling energy from people.

I mean, you can drop a hot record, and you can watch the crowd go crazy.

Well, how do you do that online?

JEFFREY BROWN: A prominent hip-hop producer, rapper, and deejay who's used to playing live in clubs around the world, he now performed from home on Instagram Live, spinning records for hours, mixing in conversations with fellow artists.

WOMAN: I cannot believe this.

DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: What's up?

JEFFREY BROWN: Watching the digital crowd swell from a few hundred to more than 100,000 around the world.

DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: Oh, my gosh.

Michelle Obama is in here.

Michelle Obama is in here!

JEFFREY BROWN: That includes celebrities as eager as everyone else for a dance party.

What does it do for you in terms of reaching an audience?

Because it's really a totally different way of interacting with an audience, right?

DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: Oh, totally.

Initially, it was strange.

I just started reading the comments.

I would just pay attention to what they were saying and the energy that they were feeling.

And, also, there's a feature on Instagram where if someone is -- if someone is appreciating what you're doing or saying or enjoying that conversation, they will constantly hit the heart button.

I just kept seeing hearts flying every time.

I would play a song, hearts were just flying.

And that was the energy that I was feeling.

Honestly, it is one of the most exciting feelings that I have had recently in terms of deejaying.

JEFFREY BROWN: The pandemic has devastated the world of the arts, with concert halls, clubs and theaters shut down, and forced a different kind of survival mode creativity.

More recently, live has returned in limited ways, including at some drive-in shows, the audience in or near their cars, distanced from one another.

The rock band Spafford was one of the first to try a drive-in concert in the U.S., in Mesa, Arizona, in May.

COVID-19 had cut short the band's nationwide tour in March.

In the months following, they held Zoom calls, practiced in their homes, and came up with plans for the drive-in show.

Brian Moss is Spafford's guitarist.

You were probably worried about when you would get up there at all, right?

So, there you were.

And what happened?

BRIAN MOSS, Spafford: It felt totally new.

I was playing a G, chord and I was like, man, this is just the best-sounding G chord I could ever play.

Like, every note had a different feeling.

It felt like I was relearning how to play in a band like all over again.

And it was totally vulnerable.

And it's -- that's kind of where I want to be when I'm on the stage, because that's where the risks happen and that's where the fun starts.

JEFFREY BROWN: A magical moment, and maybe more to come.

Earlier this month, the global entertainment company Live Nation put on a three-city drive-in tour with big names like Brad Paisley and Nelly.

But for bands like Spafford, is this a viable solution going forward?

BRIAN MOSS: No, this is not a way to keep the band financially stable.

It won't break us, but the joy of playing music and the joy of bringing music to our fans is the most important part in something like this.

JEFFREY BROWN: But artists aren't the only ones impacted by the lost revenue.

DAYNA FRANK, Owner, First Avenue: It feels like there's a death sentence hanging over our industry.

JEFFREY BROWN: Dayna Frank is owner of First Avenue in Minneapolis, a legendary 50-year-old club where, among much else, Prince performed and filmed "Purple Rain."

Now it sits empty, its 500 employees dwindled to 20.

DAYNA FRANK: It doesn't surprise me that people are out there experimenting and trying to provide this service and value for their community, but it's not -- it's not a revenue stream.

It's not a solve for the industry.

It's like trying to fill a swimming pool with a drop of water.

You know it's fun.

And it provides some distractions and some meaningful experiences for people, but it doesn't make a business survive.

JEFFREY BROWN: Frank is president of the National Independent Venue Association, which formed in April and hired a lobbying firm to press Congress for a lifeline.

The group now has nearly 2,000 member venues, including many that have made a mark in music history.

She says clubs like hers have enormous economic impacts on their communities.

She cites a study showing every dollar spent on a ticket generates $12 of economic activity for local businesses like restaurants, hotels and cabs.

But there's even more at stake than dollars.

What's lost if a club like yours or others go under?

DAYNA FRANK: I can't even -- it's so hard to think about.

You lose an entire subset of culture.

You lose experiences that people maybe didn't even know they could have.

Our venues, our spaces are where people go to celebrate the best night of their lives.

They meet their spouses there.

They have these intense emotional and cultural experiences that can't be held anyplace else.

JEFFREY BROWN: Where will the music go from here?

D-Nice is still spinning, but also wondering what's next.

This isn't a substitute for a live performance, is it?

Do you continue on with Club Quarantine, or what happens?

DERRICK "D-NICE" JONES: So, I don't think this is a substitute at all, because there's nothing like being in front of a live audience.

That energy is unmatched.

But I don't -- I can't imagine me discontinuing any of these performances in the future, because I happen to like this, too.

I think this is a great addition.

I know that the music is ultimately saving lives.

I don't want to think of myself as an essential worker, but I know that there are people out here that truly needed this experience.

JEFFREY BROWN: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jeffrey Brown.

JUDY WOODRUFF: We turn now to President Trump's agenda.

He returned to the lectern in the White House press room this evening to give a COVID update.

Here now, our Yamiche Alcindor.

So, Yamiche, I know you were watching and listening.

What is the news from what the president said?

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president held a briefing that was filled with mixed messaging.

He had a stark warning about the virus, but he also was sharing some misleading information.

So, the president said that things are going to get far worse before they get better, which is a stark change, because he has been downplaying the virus, saying that it would disappear.

But he said that with using notes.

And minutes later, without notes, he said, actually, it will disappear.

And there's no evidence, Judy, that that will happen.

Another thing is, the president did an about-face when it came to facial coverings.

Here's what he said specifically on the issue of facial coverings": DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: We're asking everybody that, when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask.

Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.

They will have an effect.

And we need everything we can get.

And think about patriotism.

Maybe it is -- it helps.

It helps.

Now, we have experts that have said in the recent past that masks aren't necessarily good to wear.

You know that.

But now they have changed their mind.

If they change their mind, that's good enough for me.

So I wear it, when appropriate.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Now, the president is right that health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, has changed.

At first, they were saying don't use facial coverings.

Now they saying are.

But the important thing is that the president was slower than his health officials to adopt the idea of wearing masks.

And, as a result, he only wore masks in public a few weeks ago.

The other thing to note is that the president said that governors don't need anything, when, in fact, our reporting at "PBS NewsHour" shows that governors specifically asked Vice President Mike Pence for equipment and testing issues.

They also want resources to try to open up schools more safely.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Now, separately, Yamiche, another issue, we have been reporting on the Trump administration sending federal agents into Portland, Oregon, to deal with protests there and some violence.

What are you learning about that tonight?

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: There's been a lot of backlash that from -- that the Department of Homeland Security is receiving because they have been sending federal agents into Portland, Oregon.

People say that this is really targeting peaceful protesters.

I attended a briefing today with the department secretary, Chad Wolf, and questioned him specifically about the governor of Oregon saying that she spoke to him directly and asked him to remove those officials.

Here's what he said.

CHAD WOLF, Acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security: Well, what I would say is, if you did your job from a local perspective, we wouldn't be there, just like we're not in any other city with this type of deployment force having to protect other courthouses.

The fact that we are there is because local officials are not taking action.

They are not protecting.

They're not helping to address the situation.

I think that is the key difference.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: So, there you hear him saying that the governor and local officials are not doing their jobs.

He says that federal officials are protecting federal buildings, and specifically the courthouse there.

But there are a lot of people say that this is really a violation of the law and the Constitution here.

The other thing to note is that he was defending officers not having their names on their uniforms, as well as using unmarked cars.

He said that that's really being done to protect the officers.

But there are a lot of people saying that that is not the behavior that should be happening on U.S. soil, when it comes to largely peaceful protests.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And, finally, very quickly, Yamiche, the White House today threatening to veto the Defense Authorization Act coming out of the House of Representatives.

What are you learning about that?

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This is a major defense bill that sets forth the funding priorities for the Department of Defense.

The White House is threatening to veto because the president has -- is taking issue with the fact that the bill is forcing military bases and military installations to rename bases that are named after Confederate figures.

So, the president is saying that he doesn't want to back this bill.

The House in the last hour passed a veto-proof version of that bill.

And the reporting at "PBS NewsHour" that we have is that that's a veto-proof bill.

So, the president, even if he slows it down, he won't be able to stop it, per se.

JUDY WOODRUFF: All that is very important.

Yamiche, thank you for your reporting.

And that is the "NewsHour" for tonight.

I'm Judy Woodruff.

Join us online and again here tomorrow evening.

For all of us at the "PBS NewsHour," thank you, please stay safe, and we'll see you soon.