May 14, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The global death toll in the coronavirus pandemic has reached 300,000, with 85,000 fatalities in the U.S. alone. The new numbers were posted as federal vaccine expert Dr. Rick Bright, in congressional testimony, levied grave criticism of the White House's crisis response. Meanwhile, nearly 3 million additional Americans filed for unemployment amid a crippled economy. Yamiche Alcindor reports.

Governing in a crisis like the novel coronavirus pandemic can define a presidency. What lessons does history have to offer as a guide? Judy Woodruff reports and talks to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was President Obama’s chief of staff during the Great Recession, and the National Endowment for Democracy’s Andrew Card, who served as President George W. Bush’s chief of staff after 9/11.

Colleges and universities across the country are wrestling with how and when to reopen for classes in the fall. While some are planning to bring students and faculty back to campus, others feel such a move would be unwise and will conduct only online learning. Judy Woodruff talks to Timothy White, chancellor of California State University, about his institution’s shift to mostly remote classes.

COVID-19 is sweeping the country’s jails and prisons. They have proven to be breeding grounds for contagion, with close quarters and a lack of protective gear. Some have released inmates early to free up space -- but people inside say it is too little, too late. Yamiche Alcindor reports, and William Brangham talks to Dr. Homer Venters, former chief medical officer of the New York City jail system.

As millions more Americans file for unemployment amid an economy crippled by COVID-19, many states are lifting restrictions and reopening businesses. But is that the correct approach to reviving the U.S. economy? Paul Solman talks to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer about weighing costs and benefits and why “there are no good alternatives” to making COVID-19 testing ubiquitous in the U.S.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we all have questions, and the NewsHour is bringing them to experts for answers. This week, we consider the challenges parents are experiencing as they try to help children navigate an unfamiliar world. Dr. Sarah Vinson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.