September 8, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Record wildfires are still raging across vast swaths of California. The flames have burned more than 2 million acres, destroying scores of homes and other buildings. Hundreds of people have been stranded by the exploding blazes, requiring rescue by helicopter in dangerous condition. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that the unprecedented fires are proof of climate change. Stephanie Sy reports.

Countries around the world have pursued different strategies to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. While many implemented shutdowns, including Denmark, nearby Sweden took a different approach, trusting citizens to follow social-distancing guidelines on their own and setting an objective of herd immunity. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on how the two responses played out.

Millions of children returned to school Tuesday, many of them through virtual learning. At the same time, some colleges and universities are struggling with the consequences of reopening their campuses. And concerns over public trust in a potential coronavirus vaccine prompted a safety pledge from chief executives of nine drug companies. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the NIH joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Health care is a top issue for voters in this fall's presidential election, with Americans still divided over the Affordable Care Act. Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins explain the policies of President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and William Brangham talks to Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania and the Hoover Institution’s Lanhee Chen for analysis.

The presidential election of 2020 is expected to be the most expensive in history. Both President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are drawing hundreds of millions in contributions -- despite a difficult year for fundraising. What's behind the rising costs of campaigning? Amna Nawaz talks to Campaign Legal Center’s Adav Noti, formerly a Federal Election Commission lawyer.