August 14, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our news wrap Friday, firefighters in Southern California faced an uphill battle against three raging wildfires. A statewide heat wave, bone-dry conditions and gusty winds made for a difficult task, and more than 5,400 homes are at risk. Also, the death toll from a powerful wind storm that slammed the Midwest earlier this week has risen to four people. Millions of acres of crops were damaged.

In Belarus, tens of thousands of protesters marched through the capital of Minsk, angered over a disputed election and the brutal police crackdown that followed. Police have freed about 2,000 people arrested during demonstrations, but reports of widespread torture of those in custody are driving fresh rage. The European Union is considering sanctions over the crisis. Nick Schifrin has the story.

The U.S. Postal Service is warning that it may not be able to deliver all mail-in ballots in time for them to be counted for the election. That message was communicated in letters sent to state officials around the country, and it raised the prospects of big problems in November. William Brangham reports and talks to The Washington Post’s Erin Cox about the challenges and what voters can do.

Nearly 10 months after the NBA season began, the professional basketball league will hold its first playoff games. Teams and their staff are playing in a so-called bubble in Orlando, Florida, where they are required to stay. Meanwhile, the league is publicly supporting Black Lives Matter, printing the message on the court. Commissioner Adam Silver joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the unusual season.

The summer job is a rite of passage for many teens and younger adults. Because of the pandemic, however, traditional roles such as camp counselor, lifeguard and waiter, are scarce. But as John Yang reports, some local governments are providing these young people with other unemployment options, from computer coding to coronavirus test coordination.

It has been two weeks since the federal government’s previous coronavirus relief package expired, and Democrats and Republicans appear no closer to a new deal. That means $600 less per week in unemployment benefits for many Americans, and millions of renters at risk of eviction. We followed up with viewers we spoke to at the pandemic's start about how these new developments are affecting them.

As we do at the close of every week during this pandemic, we want to take a moment to honor a group of individuals who lost their lives to the coronavirus. Judy Woodruff shares their stories, from a 21-year-old baseball enthusiast to a 75-year-old pharmacist.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including former Vice President Joe Biden’s choice of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, the legislative stalemate over federal coronavirus relief and President Trump’s ongoing campaign against mail-in voting and the U.S. Postal Service.