August 23, 2019 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Friday’s new turmoil around the U.S. economy and trade war with China is coming at an important moment for President Trump, immediately preceding his arrival at the G-7 summit in France. Reporting from France, Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why other world leaders are now “even more anxious” about their upcoming interactions with Trump and what priorities are on their agendas.

In our news wrap Friday, democracy advocates in Hong Kong formed a human chain stretching 25 miles to show solidarity and appeal for international support. It was inspired by a human chain in the Baltic states 30 years ago that protested Soviet rule. Also, the Assad regime secured another victory in its long fight to reclaim control of Syria, seizing territory near the last major rebel stronghold.

Large sections of the Amazon rainforest are engulfed in flames, their smoke turning Sao Paolo’s midday skyline to total darkness. Brazilian forest fires are common at this time of year but have spiked since 2018. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has encouraged logging in the Amazon, admits the situation is “chaos” and is mustering the military for a response. William Brangham reports.

Billionaire and conservative mega donor David Koch has died. After expanding the Kansas-based Koch Industries into one of the world's largest privately held corporations, Koch and his brother contributed hundreds of millions to GOP candidates through their Americans for Prosperity PAC. David Koch also supported many philanthropic causes and declined to endorse President Trump. John Yang reports.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and Ramesh Ponnuru of The National Review join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including President Trump’s trade war with China and attacks on the Fed and how they’re affecting the U.S. economy, three recent Democratic departures from the 2020 presidential race and the legacy of billionaire GOP donor David Koch.

In Ethiopia, over a quarter of the population survives on less than two dollars a day. International organizations and foreign governments provide funds to address the rampant poverty in this country and others, but little data is available to assess the effectiveness of such programs. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on one nonprofit’s rigorous, research-driven approach to aid.

Small-town Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the most recognizable characters in American literature. In the recent Broadway update of the classic American story, actor Jeff Daniels plays Finch. Jeffrey Brown talks to Daniels, who received a Tony nomination for the role, about how he got into character for it.