April 20, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

While U.S. deaths from COVID-19 have nearly doubled in the past week, coordinated pressure campaigns have spread to try and lift stay-at-home orders. But public health experts say reopening society will require a much higher level of viral testing. William Brangham reports.

Economic damage from the novel coronavirus pandemic has knocked the bottom out of the oil market. The cost of benchmark U.S. crude oil, for delivery in May, actually fell below zero -- dragging down the entire stock market. And in some places, producers are running out of places to store unused oil. Special correspondent Ryan Chilcote joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the unprecedented numbers.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic wears on, debate is brewing over how long the associated shutdowns should last. The New York Times’ Donald McNeil has covered epidemics for close to two decades and reported recently on why American society could continue to be disrupted by COVID-19 for the next two years. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the epidemiological and medical realities of COVID-19.

In our news wrap Monday, authorities are searching for answers after a gunman killed 18 people in Nova Scotia over the weekend. It was Canada’s deadliest mass shooting ever. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and main rival Benny Gantz reached a coalition deal that will end a year-long political standoff. Netanyahu will remain in his role for the next 18 months, followed by Gantz.

COVID-19 is disrupting agriculture on many levels. The Trump administration recently announced it will spend $19 billion to help farmers. But they aren’t the only group in need of support -- undocumented immigrants are roughly half of American farmworkers, and they have been excluded from the federal aid. Stephanie Sy reports and talks to agriculture reporter Amy Mayer of Iowa Public Radio.

How does a country mobilize to fight COVID-19 when its own president says the virus isn’t a serious matter? Brazil is in the process of finding out, as President Jair Bolsonaro prioritizes Latin America’s largest economy in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Nick Schifrin reports.

The scourge of COVID-19 is even more severe in less-developed nations -- and the presence of military conflict makes it worse still. Afghanistan is among the countries facing this heightened threat, as thousands of cases of the virus collide with a politically fragile moment. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “essential workers” tends to bring to mind first responders and hospital staff. But a key function of American society is collecting garbage to keep our communities clean. PBS station WTTW in Chicago is producing a series of conversations about individuals’ pandemic experiences, and they share the story of sanitation worker Sammy Dattulo.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including protests against government COVID-19 restrictions, polling on how Americans more broadly feel about reopening the economy amid a public health threat and China’s role in the 2020 campaign strategies of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.