May 20, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

A tropical cyclone is blasting India and Bangladesh, killing at least 14 people and destroying homes by the hundred. The storm surged out of the Bay of Bengal Wednesday into a densely populated area that has been beset by the COVID-19 pandemic -- and the millions of people forced to flee their homes are taking refuge in crowded shelters where social distancing is impossible. Judy Woodruff reports.

All 50 states have now taken some steps to reopen after COVID-19 shutdowns. Their approaches vary, with only minor restrictions remaining in states like Texas, while New York still has strict limitations in place. Federal guidance from the CDC was released quietly, but its recommendations aren't mandatory. Meanwhile, WHO officials warned that the pandemic isn’t going away. Stephanie Sy reports.

State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was actively investigating Sec. of State Mike Pompeo when he was fired by President Trump recently. It was the latest in a series of IG dismissals sending shockwaves through the watchdog community. On Wednesday, Pompeo answered questions about the move, denying he knew Linick was investigating him. Nick Schifrin joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In our news wrap Wednesday, nearly 10,000 people in central Michigan have been ordered out of their homes after flooding breached two dams. A river and connected lakes have topped record levels, and they’re still rising. Also, U.S. marshals in Massachusetts have arrested two men accused of helping former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn flee Japan, where he faces charges of financial misconduct.

The Trump administration is saying increased security on the U.S.-Mexico border is necessary to prevent the coronavirus' spread. As a result, more than 900 migrant children were deported in March and April shortly after they reached the border -- much more quickly than normal, and without standard safeguards observed. John Yang talks to Caitlin Dickerson of The New York Times.

Brazil’s coronavirus crisis is one of the world’s most dire. The country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has long minimized the pandemic and the seriousness of COVID-19. Now, a popular former president is re-emerging on the Brazilian political scene -- and levying criticism at Bolsonaro for his handling of the situation. Amna Nawaz spoke recently with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

For months, scientists and public officials have relied upon computer-based models to try to predict the trajectory or the coronavirus outbreak. But models are not crystal balls, and all of them involve human assumptions. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on how the efforts that go into making these models -- and their ultimate purpose -- are more complicated than many of us realize.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, questions have been raised about why the U.S. federal government was not better prepared for such a crisis. Scrutiny of President Trump has been intense, but questions extend beyond him to the efficacy of government and civil service more broadly. William Brangham talks to the American Enterprise Institute’s Yuval Levin and The Atlantic’s George Packer.

Married couple Chante and Ron Drew are truck drivers transporting groceries and other essential supplies across the country. They take turns driving and sleeping. But when they came down with COVID-19, their ability to hit the road -- and earn an income -- vanished. They offer their Brief But Spectacular take on living through coronavirus.