July 21, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Coronavirus infections and deaths are still climbing in much of the nation, and Florida has become the new national epicenter. With Congress back in session after recess, continuing COVID-19 increases are fueling urgent negotiations on an economic rescue package. But lawmakers are deeply divided about what the legislation should include. Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In our news wrap Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice charged that hackers working with China have targeted U.S. firms researching a vaccine for COVID-19. Two Chinese nationals were indicted as part of a broader scheme that also involved stealing weapon designs and drug information. Also, the European Union approved a $2.1 trillion plan to help member states through the pandemic recession.

U.S. colleges and universities are scrambling to finalize their fall plans as coronavirus infections continue to rise in much of the country. While some students, faculty and staff are looking forward to returning to campus, others are raising serious health and safety concerns. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how schools are approaching the decision, as part of our annual Rethinking College series.

The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the music industry. Large in-person concerts were among the first events to be cancelled and will likely be among the last to resume. And in a recent survey of small U.S. music clubs, 90 percent said they would have to close permanently without government support. But as Jeffrey Brown reports, there are also signs of musical life.

President Trump returned to the podium Tuesday afternoon to resume briefings about the coronavirus pandemic. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss Trump’s “mixed messages” about the extent of the national COVID-19 crisis, plus what the Department of Homeland Security is saying about its controversial response to protests occurring in cities like Portland, Oregon.

As the coronavirus pandemic tears across the globe, the toll exacted in lives lost and ruined grows by the day. But for those already in need, especially the hungry and the starving, COVID-19 is accelerating their nightmares. David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the pandemic supply chain and how to keep 270 million people fed in a year of crisis.

With Congress back in session, lawmakers are considering another round of coronavirus relief. Two of the major sticking points are prolonging increased unemployment benefits and protecting against coronavirus-related lawsuits. What do Americans think about these two issues, as they grapple with the pandemic’s economic fallout? We hear some of their opinions.

Senate Republicans are considering legislation to sustain a country struggling with the pandemic’s economic fallout. The House passed its own proposal in May, but there is still dissent within the GOP about how much new money to allocate to the trillions that have already been approved. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., joins Judy Woodruff to discuss that, virus testing, reopening schools and more.