February 28, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

As the threat of novel coronavirus looms over the U.S. and the globe, the CDC has taken steps to make testing kits available more broadly. But questions remain about the readiness of the government and the health system to cope with a major surge in infections. The Virome Project’s Dennis Carroll, former USAID director for pandemic influenza and emerging threats, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In our news wrap Friday, a federal appeals court in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s “remain in Mexico” policy. Under it, nearly 60,000 asylum seekers have been returned to Mexico while their cases are decided. Also, intense fighting between Turkey and Syria in northwestern Syria's Idlib province prompted urgent diplomacy while setting a new wave of refugees in motion.

On Saturday, the U.S. and the Taliban will sign a provisional peace deal after nearly 20 years of war in Afghanistan. The milestone agreement comes after a largely successful reduction in violence over the past week. But even as hope surrounds the Qatar meeting at which representatives will formalize the agreement, questions remain about Afghan political unity. Nick Schifrin reports.

On Saturday, South Carolina will go to the polls in the crucial last Democratic primary before Super Tuesday. Former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have a solid lead in the Palmetto State, leveraging his support among African American voters. But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and businessman Tom Steyer also look competitive. Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Judy Woodruff from South Carolina.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including whether former Vice President Joe Biden will have a decisive win in the South Carolina Democratic primary, what’s at stake for 2020 Democrats on Super Tuesday and how the Trump administration is responding to the threat of novel coronavirus.

The mantra of the Dallas Street Choir is “homeless, not voiceless.” Some 2,000 singers have passed through the group in the last five years, seeking support, artistic expression and community as they contend with life on the streets. The organization also aims to raise awareness of Dallas’ growing homelessness problem, even as the city’s economy booms. Jeffrey Brown reports.

In northwest Syria, Idlib province has become home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, many of whom sought to escape the regime of Bashar al-Assad by fleeing to Turkey. Now those civilians face a worsening humanitarian situation, stranded outside during winter amid an intensifying conflict, as Turkey supports Syrian rebels fighting the Russian-backed Assad regime. Nick Schifrin reports.