October 6, 2020 - PBS NewsHour full episode

President Trump is telling Americans not to be afraid of coronavirus, as the national death toll from the pandemic tops 210,000. Cases are again climbing in much of the country -- but attitudes about the threat posed by COVID-19 vary greatly. Amna Nawaz explores why so many Americans feel fears about the virus are overblown.

The United States’ experience with the coronavirus pandemic has been marked by misinformation and disagreement. What do we know for sure about the risks of COVID-19 -- and where incorrect information is originating? Former CDC director Tom Frieden of Resolve to Save Lives and Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council’s digital forensic research lab, join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

In our news wrap Tuesday, Florida extended voter registration to tonight after its online system crashed Monday. The failure may have prevented thousands of people from enrolling to cast ballots. Also, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny says the Kremlin had him poisoned to head off losses in next year’s parliamentary elections. Navalny made his first video appearance since leaving a German hospital.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed life for almost everyone in the United States. But it has also significantly disrupted the efforts of those seeking to become American citizens -- some of whom are eager to vote in the November election. John Yang reports on how COVID-19 has made the already challenging path to citizenship even more difficult.

President Trump’s decision Tuesday to break off talks on a coronavirus relief bill affects millions of Americans who are finding it difficult to afford their basic needs. Nearly half of the 22 million jobs lost during the pandemic have yet to be recovered. Hunger, food insecurity and need remain constants as a result. Stephanie Sy reports and talks to Michael Ledger, CEO of Feeding the Gulf Coast.

President Trump is back in the White House after a hospital stay for COVID-19 treatment -- and he’s again making headlines, announcing virus relief talks are tabled until after the election. He also repeated misleading claims about the severity of the illness, likening it to the seasonal flu when it is in fact much more deadly. Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss.