March 29, 2021 - PBS NewsHour full episode

With 9.5 million Americans, or 17 percent of tenants, in the U.S. still behind on their rent according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Biden administration on Monday extended a federal moratorium on evictions through the end of June. There are no changes to the rules, which, as John Yang reports, can be complicated and confusing for judges, landlords and tenants behind on their rent.

President Joe Biden urged state and local officials Monday to keep or reinstate mask mandates amid some of the most urgent warnings yet about new COVID-19 surges. Judy Woodruff talks to Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University, about the latest developments in the fight against the virus, which has killed almost 550,000 Americans.

In our news wrap Monday, a Michigan judge ordered three more men to stand trial for allegedly plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last October. The FBI says they were anti-government extremists angered by COVID restrictions. The U.S responded to Myanmar security forces killing at least five more protesters after 114 were shot dead Saturday, and the Suez Canal was finally cleared.

The murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin opened in Minneapolis with dramatic video of his fatal encounter with George Floyd. It showed Floyd pinned by Chauvin's knee on his neck - for nearly nine and a half minutes. Lawyers for the prosecution and defense began to lay out their cases, with the latter arguing drugs and health problems caused Floyd's death. Yamiche Alcindor reports.

For almost two months, Amazon workers have been voting on whether to unionize at one of the company's major warehouses in Alabama. The voting concludes today. Since Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the country, the stakes are high and the battle is being closely watched. Paul Solman reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including the recent mass shootings, the resulting actions towards gun control, and the latest on the government's efforts to fight COVID-19.