July 9, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

In our news wrap Friday, vaccinated teachers and students will no longer need to wear masks inside school buildings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Police in Haiti have arrested 17 men in connection with Wednesday's assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Search crews pulled the remains of 15 more victims from the rubble of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida.

The coronavirus' delta variant is battering many low vaccination areas in the U.S. Missouri is among the top five states in terms of new cases and hospitalizations, with nearly 7,600 new confirmed or probable cases and seven deaths the past week. Hospitals are straining to respond. Erik Frederick, the chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss.

New York Times columnist David Brooks and deputy opinion editor for The Washington Post, Karen Tumulty, join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the return of congressional earmarks, withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the latest on the New York City mayor's race and what it means about the Democratic Party.

After Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced a 15 day state of siege. But a new prime minister appointed by Moise — Ariel Henry — says he's the rightful ruler. John Yang discusses the Haiti's power succession and assassination investigation with Pamela White, a former U.S. ambassador to Haiti, and Garry Pierre-Pierre, founder of The Haitian Times.

Extreme heat and drought are baking the Western U.S. and Canada again this week, following hundreds of heat-related deaths in the Pacific Northwest last week. Record-breaking temperatures are expected to return to California over the weekend, including in the San Joaquin Valley. William Brangham, currently reporting from the city of Visalia, joins Judy Woodruff with the latest on the heat.

A congressional provision both relished and reviled that benefits lawmakers' constituents is making a comeback — the earmark. An earmark is congressional funding for a specific local project. As old as the nation itself, they have often been pet projects of powerful lawmakers, and sometimes the source of scandal. Lisa Desjardins explains.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously extended the sole humanitarian crossing into Syria — one day before it was set to close — after a deal between the U.S. and Russia. The White House said Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin discussed it on a phone call. But some humanitarian groups say the deal doesn’t go far enough for the millions of Syrians in desperate need. Nick Schifrin reports.

Zaila Avant-garde made history Thursday as the first African American student to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The word she spelled correctly to win was "Murraya," which is a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees. Her victory during the final round also means she is the first Black champion since Jody-Anne Maxwell in 1998. Lisa Desjardins reports on her life and accomplishments.