August 2, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including progress on the infrastructure negotiations in the Senate, former President Donald Trump’s fundraising efforts

The Taliban’s surge is threatening major urban centers across Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the sense of panic is growing as more Afghans were granted permission to resettle in the United States. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson joins John Yang with updates on this fast-evolving situation.

Vast stretches of the Western U.S. are suffering under scorching temperatures, rampant wildfires and a years-long drought that's depleting lakes and reservoirs. The water scarcity is tearing apart one southern Oregon community where farmers, native tribes and endangered species are all struggling to survive this summer. Stephanie Sy has the story.

The long-awaited Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was officially introduced in the Senate Sunday night. The $1.2 trillion bill — over 2,700 pages long — is the product of weeks of negotiations among a bipartisan group of 10 senators and the White House. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest and follow the money.

In our news wrap Monday, firefighters in Oregon finally have the upper hand against the giant Bootleg Fire after they made major progress over the weekend. More than 80% of the fire has been contained. Federal health officials in the U.S. said average daily vaccinations for COVID-19 jumped 70% last week. The president of Afghanistan blamed the U.S. for rapid gains by the Taliban.

Over the weekend, Florida reported more than 21,000 cases in a single day — its highest one day total since the start of the pandemic. The CDC says schools should require masks as they reopen. But Florida governor Ron DeSantis said he will block efforts to require masks. Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency physician at Kendall Regional Medical Center in Miami, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Americans athletes at the Tokyo Olympics have had great wins so far: Jade Carey's gold medal in the gymnastics floor exercise, many medals for swimmers Caleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky. Simone Biles is expected to compete in Tuesday's balance beam finals. The losses include the women's soccer team losing to Canada. USA Today's Christine Brennan joins Amna Nawaz to discuss America's prospects.

The U.S. is on the verge of massive housing instability after a federal ban on evictions expired last weekend. Congress failed to extend the ban and President Joe Biden declined to use emergency order. Gene Sperling, the White House coordinator of pandemic recovery funds, said his hands are tied after the Supreme Court in June ruled another extension would not stand. Yamiche Alcindor reports.