PBS News Hour

AMNA NAWAZ

This Memorial Day has been both a day of remembrance and a day of hope. The lifting of pandemic restrictions saw a resumption of major public events and a return to time-honored observances. At Arlington National Cemetery, a solemn Memorial Day tradition, as President Biden laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Addressing a small, socially distanced group at the site, he issued a call to remember and honor those who died in service to the nation. JOE BIDEN,

President of the United States

Remember those who gave their all in the cause of unity, in the cause of a nation that endures because of them. We must honor their sacrifice by sustaining the best of America, while honestly confronting all that we must do to make our nation fuller, freer and more just.

AMNA NAWAZ

Today's event punctuated a weekend of nationwide memorials, from Sacramento, California, where Boy and Girl Scouts placed flags at veterans' headstones, to Watertown, Massachusetts, where one group visited a dozen sites to pay tribute. The holiday weekend also marked a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic, with vaccinations up and gatherings getting safer. In Harahan, Louisiana, on Sunday, thousands came out for the Krewe of Kings Parade, the first Mardi Gras-style march since the pandemic began. PHYLLIS MATTHEWS,

Parade Attendee

I'm feeling free. No mask. It's so good to be out and it's a beautiful day. Thank you, Jesus! (LAUGHTER)

AMNA NAWAZ

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 135,000 people gathered for the Indianapolis 500, the largest sporting event crowd in over a year. An estimated two million people passed through airport checkpoints on Friday alone, the most since March 7 of 2020. JOE TOBY,

Traveler

I remember last year it was, like, empty. And now it's all seats are full.

AMNA NAWAZ

AAA forecast some 37 million people would travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday. That's up 60 percent from last year, but still down compared to 2019.

MAN

All right, ready?

AMNA NAWAZ

More than 50 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and new daily infections are now down to about 6,000. Total deaths nationwide are nearing 595,000, but the pace has slowed sharply, with just over 120 deaths on Sunday. New signs of hope ahead, as America today pays tribute to the hundreds of thousands who've died in defense of the nation.