January 29, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Terese Marie Mailhot, author of our January pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions on “Heart Berries,” and Jeff announces the February book selection.

When Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops in early January, there were no fatalities, but weeks later, the Pentagon said 50 U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries in the attack. Now questions are being raised about their condition, as well as the information's delayed release. Nick Schifrin talks to psychiatrist Stephen Xenakis, a retired Army brigadier general.

Senators have now begun asking questions in President Trump’s impeachment trial. Georgetown Law School’s Victoria Nourse, who previously served as special counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Jamil Jaffer, former chief counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and associate White House counsel, join Judy Woodruff to discuss questions of calling witnesses and Trump's motives.

Chinese officials have now confirmed over 6,000 cases of novel coronavirus -- and the pathogen is nowhere near contained. On Thursday, the World Health Organization will determine whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. Yanzhong Huang of the Council on Foreign Relations and Southwestern Medical Center’s Trish Perl join William Brangham to discuss China's response to the crisis.

Australia’s bushfires have devastated the country’s wildlife and habitats. Experts say the very existence of some species whose populations were already at vulnerable levels may now hang in the balance. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports from Australia on the country’s efforts to rescue animals, why it will take so long for their ecosystems to recover and the role of climate change.

In our news wrap Wednesday, President Trump has signed the USMCA, the new North American trade agreement among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. At a White House ceremony that excluded top Democrats, Trump declared the deal will bolster growth and keep jobs in the U.S. Also, Israel’s ruling cabinet delayed voting on annexing parts of the West Bank, saying it needs more time to make arrangements.