July 30, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

The PBS NewsHour’s “5 STORIES'' serves up interesting that you may have missed. On this week’s episode: France gives 18-year-olds hundreds of dollars to spend on cultural experiences, Florida grapples with a deadly red tide, chefs push back against gas stove bans, a fake island in Maryland shows promise for restoring seabird populations and eager travelers face long delays when renewing passports.

More than 200 Afghans eligible for special immigrant visas arrived in Virginia Friday. They are the first group of former interpreters — and their families — who worked with American soldiers on the ground. They're being evacuated by the Biden administration just weeks before the U.S. withdrawal is complete and as Taliban violence increases. Nick Schifrin joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and E.J. Dionne from The Washington Post join Judy Woodruff to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure deal, new information about the delta variant's threat, and the Capitol Police testimony during the Jan. 6 hearings.

The World Health Organization said COVID-19 infections are up 80% around the world in the last month, overwhelming health systems in many countries. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a pivotal study showing fully vaccinated people can spread the delta variant as readily as non-vaccinated people. Amna Nawaz gets the details from Brown University's Dr. Ashish Jha.

In our news wrap Friday, newly disclosed documents highlight the pressure from former President Trump on the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election results. On a second front, the Justice Department directed the Treasury Department to hand over Trump's tax returns to Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed to the CDC to take emergency action on the expiring eviction moratorium.

Judy Woodruff and Nick Schifrin discuss the debilitating medical ailments affecting U.S. diplomatic and intelligence officers in Cuba — which have become known as Havana Syndrome. Six months in, what steps has the Biden administration taken to aid those affected?

A pro-democracy protester in Hong Kong was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison, the first prosecution under Beijing's national security law. Now a new amendment to the city’s immigration law takes effect Sunday that China says targets illegal refugees. But as special correspondent Richard Kimber reports, critics say the law's wording is vague and could ban residents from leaving the city.

Fast food is a staple of American culture, but in recent decades there has been a new focus on health and wage inequality. Jeffrey Brown talks to author Marcia Chatelain about the complicated history of McDonalds in the Black community: how the fast food giant supported Black franchise owners, but was a trap for unhealthy diets and low wages. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Jane Willenbring is a geologist who solves problems related to the earth’s surface. In 2020, she was featured in a NOVA documentary called “Picture a Scientist.” She and two other women shared their experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. Tonight, she gives her Brief But Spectacular take on making science more diverse, equitable and open to all.