July 31, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., chairs the Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which heard testimony Friday from top U.S. health officials about the status of the pandemic. Clyburn joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the hearing, plus his views on providing additional economic relief to struggling Americans and the importance of having a Black woman as Joe Biden's running mate.

The U.S. is countering China on several fronts, including economic, military and diplomatic. The Trump administration is also making a major push to challenge China through legal action, over allegations of intellectual property theft and spying. Nick Schifrin reports and talks to Assistant Attorney General John Demers, who leads the national security division at the Department of Justice.

The coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, bringing with it immense economic damage. So far, Congress has been unable to deliver another pandemic relief measure, prompting House Democrats to cancel a planned August recess. But there were signs of hope on Capitol Hill, as top U.S. scientists spoke of encouraging progress toward developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Stephanie Sy reports.

The United States passed another devastating milestone this week, with more than 150,000 dead from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Judy Woodruff takes a moment to remember a few of them.

In our news wrap Friday, Hong Kong postponed September’s legislative elections by a year, citing the ongoing resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was a setback for pro-democracy forces, who hoped for an overwhelming win at the polls. Also, a federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, convicted in the 2013 bombing attack at the Boston Marathon.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the question of whom Joe Biden will choose as his running mate, congressional failure to deliver another pandemic aid package and President Trump’s rhetoric about mail-in voting.

As the coronavirus continues to rage, logistical questions remain about August’s scaled-back and mostly virtual Democratic National Convention. But the biggest unknown is who will share the stage with former Vice President Joe Biden when he accepts his party’s 2020 nomination. Lisa Desjardins reports with the latest on the women who are favored to become Biden’s running mate.