September 16, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our news wrap Wednesday, dozens of wildfires are still burning across the Pacific Northwest and California. President Trump declared a federal disaster in Oregon, where several small towns have been razed. But improved weather is helping fire crews, some of whom stopped a blaze just 500 feet from the famed Mt. Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles. Also, jazz expert Stanley Crouch died at age 74.

The fatal crashes of two Boeing 737 Max jets that left 346 people dead resulted from multiple failures throughout the aircraft’s production and approval process. Now, a new and blistering report from Democrats on the House Transportation Committee reveals just how extensive those failures were -- and underscores what needs to change. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

How do you break a stalemate? Congress and the White House remain at odds over providing relief for economic casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. But a group of House members from both parties is trying to spark progress by unveiling a proposal of their own. John Yang reports and talks to Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Tom Reed, R-N.Y., co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

As the November election approaches, we continue to look at how Americans across the country are thinking about it. Patricia Lopez, an editorial writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Daniel Garza, president of the LIBRE Initiative and a former George W. Bush administration staffer, join Judy Woodruff to discuss what they’re hearing from voters about mail-in ballots and the candidates.

Due to the pandemic, tens of millions more Americans plan to vote by mail than in past elections. But there has been a lot of misinformation around that process, with President Trump making baseless claims about fraud and tampering. William Brangham reports on the current status of voting by mail, how to make sure your vote is counted and why we should readjust our timeline for election results.

The United Kingdom is planning tough new legislation to facilitate the deportation of undocumented migrants. Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised the action after more than 6,000 asylum seekers crossed the English Channel this summer from the French port of Calais. But human rights groups warn of the threat from right-wing anti-immigrant sentiment. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that much of eastern Oklahoma remains Native land. The decision granted jurisdictional control for most criminal justice cases to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and four neighboring tribal nations. Now, members of Congress and tribal leaders are meeting to discuss issues facing Native Americans. Jeffrey Brown reports on the momentous impact of McGirt v. Oklahoma.

How do you picture a pandemic? Photographer Philip Montgomery documented New York City funeral homes and health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis this past March. His images appeared in the New York Times Magazine, capturing the stark divide between “before COVID” and after. Montgomery shares his Brief But Spectacular take on covering the pandemic.