February 21, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our news wrap Friday, the World Health Organization warns the window of opportunity to contain the international spread of novel coronavirus is closing. South Korea has become the latest front in the outbreak, with officials declaring a health emergency there after cases quadrupled. Also, Russian warplanes backed by the Syrian government targeted the last rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria.

A week-long “reduction in violence” between the U.S. and the Taliban represents a potential breakthrough for peace in Afghanistan. If it holds, the two sides will sign the first phase of a peace agreement that could pave the way to ending the 18-year-long war. Nick Schifrin reports and talks to New York University’s Barnett Rubin, a former State Department official in the Obama administration.

Multiple news outlets report that U.S. intelligence officials told House lawmakers recently that Russia is actively trying to help President Trump be reelected. In response, Trump has lashed out at Democrats, saying they are starting a “rumor” about Russian election interference. Yamiche Alcindor talks to Laura Rosenberger of the Alliance for Securing Democracy about what’s at stake.

The Nevada caucuses officially begin Saturday, but a massive number of voters has turned out already for early participation. Because the demographics of the diverse state more closely resemble those of the Democratic Party overall, this contest is attracting particular attention. The stakes are also higher due to the confusing results of the previous 2020 caucuses, in Iowa. Amna Nawaz reports.

Amid Venezuela’s political and economic upheaval, millions of children are facing hunger, preventable diseases, lack of education and violence. Chronic poverty and food shortages drive kids and their families to desperation, whether sifting through garbage for scraps or joining a gang -- and facing brutal consequences. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports on Venezuela's lost generation.

The fallout from a major cheating scandal in Major League Baseball continues. After investigators found that the Houston Astros used an elaborate sign-stealing scheme in 2017, when they won the World Series, members of the team's front office were disciplined. But players, and the championship title, remain unscathed, prompting resentment within the league. John Yang talks to ESPN’S Jeff Passan.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including how the Las Vegas debate changed the 2020 Democratic race, new reports of Russian election interference and President Trump’s response to them, the sentencing of Trump ally Roger Stone and the outcry over Trump’s flurry of pardons and commutations.