February 20, 2019 – PBS NewsHour full episode

On Thursday, Pope Francis opens a historic four-day summit on clerical sex abuse in the Catholic Church, following a year of explosive allegations from Catholic dioceses around the world. Although the pope has vowed not to tolerate misconduct or its concealment moving forward, critics say he isn’t doing enough -- and that his legacy is at risk. Special correspondent Christopher Livesay reports.

In our news wrap Wednesday, various news organizations report that the special counsel’s office may be ready to present its findings in the Russia investigation. A report would go first to Attorney General William Barr, who would submit a summary to Congress. Democrats want the report made public. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. against deploying new missiles in Europe.

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to limit civil forfeiture laws allowing law enforcement to seize property from those suspected of committing a crime. In the unanimous decision, the high court sided with a low-level drug offender who argued that the seizure of his $42,000 Land Rover by law enforcement was an excessive fine. Amna Nawaz talks to the National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle for more.

A major Andy Warhol retrospective exhibit, the first organized by an American museum in decades, is on display at New York's Whitney Museum. Titled “Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again,” the show contains over 350 works. As Jeffrey Brown reports, it explores tensions between conformity and innovation, celebrity and privacy, and examines how Warhol expressed commentary and desire in his art.

Health care continues to be a major issue on Americans' minds, and as Democratic presidential candidates launch their campaigns, it's also a policy priority for them. Lisa Desjardins reports on the contenders' various proposals and talks to Dylan Scott of Vox about terminology and branding, political calculations and how Americans view an expanded government role in health care.

Sharon Bottoms, who died recently at age 48, made headlines in the 1990s when she lost custody of her son to her mother, who argued that Bottoms' homosexuality made her an unfit parent. Judy Woodruff talks to Donald Butler, the attorney who represented Bottoms during her failed legal challenge, and Lambda Legal's Sharon McGowan about how Bottoms' courageous fight sparked a battle for gay rights.