July 20, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

American governors are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 -- and the economic collapse it prompted. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, is chairman of the National Governors Association, and he has spoken out recently about failures in the federal pandemic response. Hogan joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the crisis, his forthcoming book, “Still Standing” and his political career.

As U.S. protests continue over police violence and racism, some of them have been met with a federal response. One such place is Portland, Oregon -- where local officials believe the presence of federal agents is doing more harm than good. But President Trump has defended his decision to deploy them, calling the protesters, who have been mostly peaceful, “anarchists.” John Yang reports.

Italy is emerging from its COVID-19 nightmare into what is usually its busiest season for tourism. The industry normally brings in 13 percent of the country’s $2 trillion GDP. But there is no normal this year, and most tourists are not coming -- sparking fears that the pandemic will cause lasting economic damage. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Rimini, on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.

It was just about six months ago that the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the U.S. Since then, the pandemic has exacted an enormous toll in terms of both human lives and economic harm -- with no end in sight. Amna Nawaz marks the moment with two people focused on solving the pandemic: Dr. Rajiv Shah of the Rockefeller Foundation and John Barry of Tulane University School of Public Health.

Kate Brown is governor of Oregon, where ongoing protests over race and police violence have attracted federal attention. Some agents deployed to Portland have refused to identify themselves to protesters, and their tactics have drawn criticism -- and even provoked a lawsuit. Gov. Brown joins John Yang to discuss her concerns about lack of communication and what she considers “political theater.”

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including what President Trump is saying about the coronavirus and competitor Joe Biden, whether those messages are resonating with voters and what pandemic legislation to expect from Congress before the school year begins.