PBS News Updates

For people whose COVID-19 symptoms linger for months, the effects can be devastating and debilitating. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Biden has set a goal to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days even as federal and state officials grapple with logistical challenges and the absence of a national inoculation plan. ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the confusion surrounding the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in the nation. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are using all kinds of models -- virtual, in-person or some hybrid inbetween -- to try to keep kids on track and engaged. Parents and teachers say sometimes it feels like none of them are working. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Coronavirus is spiking in parts of the U.S. spared the worst of the pandemic in its early days, as well as in states that already suffered. With an average of 75,000 new daily cases over the past week, hospital admissions are rising, straining health care systems and forcing very difficult decisions. William Brangham talks to Dr. Edward Stenehjem of the Intermountain Healthcare system in Utah. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Coronavirus is spreading across the United States more widely than it did in previous waves. U.S. hospitalizations rose 40 percent in the past month and increased across 38 states during the past week. The country saw more than 75,000 new cases Thursday; over 41,000 people are hospitalized with the virus. Judy Woodruff talks to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a stronger recommendation for passengers and employees to wear face masks on buses, planes and trains. The guidance, more specific than previous statements, comes as infections are surging. Also, a NASA robotic spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx swooped down on an asteroid 200 million miles from Earth to collect samples. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are soaring in areas that have previously been relatively unaffected -- including rural, less populated states in the West and Midwest. Dr. Bridget Brennan, chief medical officer of Benefis Health System in Great Falls, Montana, and Renae Welhouse, a nurse practitioner at Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, North Dakota, share what they are seeing. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

There are more than 50 million caregivers in the United States, from in-home providers to family volunteers. For these essential workers, the pandemic has represented a crisis on a different scale. We hear some of their stories about what the past few months have been like, and Dr. Jennifer Olsen, executive director of The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As we do each Friday during this pandemic, the NewsHour remembers five special people who lost their lives to COVID-19. Judy Woodruff shares their stories. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After returning to the White House from the hospital, President Trump continued to downplay the severity of COVID-19, telling Americans, "Don't be afraid of it." He also said he was "feeling great," although he remains on a powerful combination of drugs. Meanwhile, negotiations for additional pandemic relief are on hold amid a standoff with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Yamiche Alcindor reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The nation awoke Friday to the stunning news that President Trump and the first lady had tested positive for COVID-19. As the day went on, officials acknowledged that Trump is experiencing mild symptoms, and by evening, he was being transported to Walter Reed National Medical Center, reportedly as a precaution. Yamiche Alcindor reports and joins Lisa Desjardins and Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

More than 1 million people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, with a total of 33 million confirmed cases. How do we make sense of such staggering numbers, and what can we do to change this tragic trajectory? Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization joins William Brangham to discuss the magnitude of this global catastrophe -- and how we can minimize more harm. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The past few weeks have represented a back-to-school period like no other in recent memory. How are students, teachers, parents and administrators adapting to an academic year reshaped by the pandemic? We hear directly from some of them, and Daniel Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the tough questions about reopening. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Our understanding of how the novel coronavirus spreads is still evolving. Early in the pandemic, there was great concern about the potential for infection from surface contact. But since then, evidence has pointed to human-to-human transmission as the primary vehicle of infection. Yet this research is not necessarily being broadly communicated to the American public. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Over the past six months, we have tried to capture and convey the heartbreaking loss of American life due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the country passes a somber threshold, with 200,000 people killed by COVID-19, Amna Nawaz talks to Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, and Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Brown University. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. is nearing the 200,000 mark, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center. Even though the death rate is lower than it was in the spring, 850 people on average are dying every day of the disease in the country, according to the New York Times. ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen joins to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

COVID-19 vaccine development continues to be the subject of political jostling, with President Trump contradicting top U.S. health officials regarding timeline and efficacy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they expect to distribute vaccines publicly at no cost to the patient. But what will the government pay, and how much could drug companies profit? Paul Solman reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro has presided over an economic and societal collapse. The country's health care system was already coming apart even before the coronavirus pandemic struck. Now, COVID-19 patients are filling ICUs that lack supplies, and doctors are dying. But criticism of the government's pandemic response is grounds for arrest. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After months of distance learning, students around the world are returning to the classroom -- even though many countries are bracing themselves for a second wave of coronavirus infections. What does the pandemic mean for children, parents and teachers this academic year? We take a global look, with special correspondents Olly Barratt, Lucy Hough, Patrick Hok and Michael Baleke reporting. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congressional efforts to pass a new pandemic relief bill remain stalled, and a slimmed-down proposal from Senate Republicans failed to clear procedural vote Thursday. Democratic and Republican leaders both blamed the other side for the gridlock. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the bill and why the prospects for passing legislation before Election Day are grim. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders