April 1, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

An unusual college in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a four-year liberal arts education while students also earn certification in one of eight artisan trades. The blended approach enhances students' capabilities -- and helps replenish the domestic pipeline of craftspeople. Jeffrey Brown visited the school's campus for Canvas, our arts and culture series, before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

As coronavirus has spread across the U.S., so have reports of violence against people of Asian descent, and the FBI warns a surge in hate crimes could be yet to come. These fears have led to the creation of a website for reporting such attacks -- and it has registered more than 1,000 incidents in less than two weeks. Amna Nawaz talks to Cynthia Choi of Chinese for Affirmative Action.

New York’s death toll from COVID-19 is nearing 2,000, and experts warn it will continue to rise. But many other areas of the country are also seeing cases climb and taking steps to try to limit them. President Trump sounded a grave warning during a Tuesday Coronavirus Task Force briefing, saying the virus is projected to kill at least 100,000 Americans in the months to come. John Yang reports.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is a public official who has battled COVID-19 on a personal level. Recently out of quarantine, Suarez is now trying to lead his city through the coronavirus crisis. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss ramping up testing for the virus, trying to increase hospital capacity quickly and why he feels mortgage and rent relief are critical to avoiding an “apocalyptic” scenario.

COVID-19 is a huge challenge for many U.S. hospitals, from large cities to rural areas. The next few weeks are expected to be especially difficult, as critical supplies dwindle and health care workers are stressed. William Brangham talks to Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer for Georgia’s Augusta University Health System, and Michael Dowling, president and CEO of New York's Northwell Health.

In our news wrap Wednesday, U.S. intelligence believes that China vastly understated its own death toll in the COVID-19 pandemic. Two senior U.S. officials say the true number of dead in Wuhan, where the outbreak began, could be 10 times what was reported. Also, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the U.S. is missing a historic opportunity to ease tensions with sanctions relief.

Face masks are critical protection for medical workers caring for COVID-19 patients, but should everyone else also be wearing them? So far, federal health officials have warned against the general public wearing face masks when outside the home, but that guidance could be changing soon. Amid a global shortage of these masks, William Brangham reports on the conflicting debate.

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, Taiwan seems to have it under control. The island is only 80 miles off the coast of mainland China and very near to where the virus originated; plus there were many daily flights to it from Wuhan. But Taiwan has only 329 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and only five people have died from it. Nick Schifrin reports on this COVID-19 success story.

President Trump was in the White House briefing room again Wednesday evening for what has become a regular discussion of his administration’s response to COVID-19. He was joined by other political leaders and health officials -- and this time, by prominent national security figures, as well. Yamiche Alcindor was there, and she joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced people to change how they interact with each other and seek out new ways to connect and celebrate. Lisa Desjardins shares a few stories of Americans’ new normal.