April 9, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

COVID-19 has now killed over 16,000 people in the U.S. and caused staggering economic damage. At least one in 10 Americans has lost their job in the past three weeks, putting overall unemployment at 17 million people. In response, the Federal Reserve announced more than $2 trillion in support loans for households and businesses to "provide some stability and some relief." William Brangham reports.

The latest jobless claims reinforce the sense of an emerging U.S. economic crisis -- one that is likely to worsen in the coming weeks and months. To put the numbers in real-life context, we share stories from workers who have been laid off or furloughed and who now face an unexpected array of problems and decisions.

Many Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic are struggling to pay their rent when they have lost income and haven’t yet been able to secure unemployment money. Missed rent, in turn, adds up to landlords who can’t pay their mortgages or property tax. And then cities and states will struggle to provide the basic services that tax payments fund. Paul Solman reports on this “looming cascade.”

Recent moves by the Federal Reserve, including loans to businesses, cities and states as well as interest rate cuts, exceed the entire scope of its response to the 2008 financial crisis. The Brookings Institution's Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve Board, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the “unprecedented” economic blow dealt by the pandemic and how the government is responding.

NEWS WRAP

California was among the first U.S. states to report cases of the novel coronavirus. Despite aggressive efforts to contain the spread, it now has around 17,000 confirmed cases and 450 coronavirus-related deaths. Governor Gavin Newsom joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why his state acted on COVID-19 early, its current levels of critical medical supplies and when stay-at-home orders might be lifted.

In Mississippi, the coronavirus crisis has evolved on a very different timeline than in hot spots like New York and New Jersey. Mississippi was one of the last states in the country to record a known coronavirus case, and one of the most recent to adopt stay-at-home orders. Governor Tate Reeves joins Amna Nawaz to discuss critical medical supplies and troubling racial trends in COVID-19 data.

In April, millions of Christians, Jews and Muslims around the world mark Easter, Passover and Ramadan -- some of the holiest observances of the year. But how are followers of these religions expressing faith and community when the pandemic makes traditional gatherings impossible? John Yang reports.

Restaurateur and chef Jose Andres is well known for his efforts to feed people in disaster areas across the globe. Now, his World Central Kitchen has a new challenge: supporting Americans suffering hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has already served a million meals and hopes to expand even beyond the 100,000 people it feeds daily. Jeffrey Brown talked to Andres about his mission.