PBS News Updates

Community colleges have long been seen as an opportunity for students of all backgrounds to earn a degree. But those same students, especially the students of color, have been some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And many have had to drop out. But schools are hoping to bring students back with new initiatives. Hari Sreenivasan reports for our new series, Rethinking College. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

India is battling a devastating COVID-19 wave as the case count continues to break records, overwhelming resources including medical supplies. As foreign aid pours in from around the world, the nation has opened up vaccinations for all adults. NewsHour Weekend Digital Producer Pavni Mittal joins Hari Sreenivasan from New Delhi to discuss the mass cremations, scramble for vaccines and the possible political fallout. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

India's health system is collapsing amid a tsunami of COVID-19 cases--the highest in the world. As patients struggle to find hospital beds, doctors are sounding the alarm on dwindling medical supplies, including oxygen, on Twitter. Meanwhile, the Modi govt., which expanded vaccination criteria, is facing the heat for its response to the crisis. NPR Correspondent Lauren Frayer joins from Mumbai. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Four people who lost a loved one in the pandemic tell us about what they remember, how they're grieving and how they're trying to move forward. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

One year after the first COVID-19 shutdowns began in the U.S., over 500,000 people have died from the disease, businesses have opened and closed, and several vaccines have emerged. President Biden has set a May 1 deadline for universal vaccine access; currently, over 10 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Caroline Chen of ProPublica has been reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic since its earliest days. She joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the latest. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Take a second to remember what your life was like one year ago. For most of us, it all feels like a distant memory. From how we work to how we learn, who we see and where we can go, our day-to-day has changed drastically. And some of those changes have lasting consequences. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the first episode of a series we're calling "The Longest Year," which tells the stories of the isolation, uncertainty, fear, loss and new understanding that have spread alongside the virus, we focus on the people on the front lines. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

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