June 18, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

Fallout continues from the forthcoming book by John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Trump. Bolton portrays Trump as corrupt, self-interested and in thrall to authoritarian figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Yamiche Alcindor reports and Nick Schifrin gets reaction from two former ambassadors, Gérard Araud and John Negroponte.

Stacey Abrams was Georgia's Democratic nominee for governor in 2018. Since her defeat, she founded Fair Fight Action, an organization that works to protect voting rights. Now she is under consideration to be former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 running mate. Abrams joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why she sees the current political moment as a critical one for American democracy.

The staggering number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits underscores just how many are struggling financially due to the pandemic. While the economic damage from shuttering businesses and staying home is undeniable, public health experts worry that the pressure to reopen will end up driving the spread of COVID-19. Paul Solman reports on weighing the economic and safety risks.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is one of many state officials across the country weighing the trade-offs between public health and a functioning economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the COVID-19 trends Ohio is seeing, the challenge of supporting so many unemployed residents and how he would like to see police reform implemented.

Italy was hit hard by COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Now, prosecutors have begun an investigation into whether the failure to lock down two towns near the northern city of Bergamo contributed to thousands of deaths related to the disease. The campaign for justice, led by bereaved relatives, has quickly ensnared Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.