PANDEMIC - Latest Consequences and Response

"‘No question’ slow federal pandemic response cost lives, Gov. Hogan says" PBS NewsHour 7/20/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  American governors are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 -- and the economic collapse it prompted.  Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, is chairman of the National Governors Association, and he has spoken out recently about failures in the federal pandemic response.  Hogan joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the crisis, his forthcoming book, “Still Standing” and his political career.

"Can Italian tourism industry survive the pandemic?" PBS NewsHour 7/20/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Italy is emerging from its COVID-19 nightmare into what is usually its busiest season for tourism.  The industry normally brings in 13 percent of the country’s $2 trillion GDP.  But there is no normal this year, and most tourists are not coming -- sparking fears that the pandemic will cause lasting economic damage.  Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Rimini, on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.

"Why the U.S. still doesn’t have control of COVID-19, 6 months after pandemic began" PBS NewsHour 7/20/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  It was just about six months ago that the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the U.S. Since then, the pandemic has exacted an enormous toll in terms of both human lives and economic harm -- with no end in sight.  Amna Nawaz marks the moment with two people focused on solving the pandemic: Dr. Rajiv Shah of the Rockefeller Foundation and John Barry of Tulane University School of Public Health.

"How the pandemic is making a global food crisis worse" PBS NewsHour 7/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As the coronavirus pandemic tears across the globe, the toll exacted in lives lost and ruined grows by the day.  But for those already in need, especially the hungry and the starving, COVID-19 is accelerating their nightmares.  David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the pandemic supply chain and how to keep 270 million people fed in a year of crisis.

"Colleges and universities grapple with decision to return to campus" PBS NewsHour 7/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  U.S. colleges and universities are scrambling to finalize their fall plans as coronavirus infections continue to rise in much of the country.  While some students, faculty and staff are looking forward to returning to campus, others are raising serious health and safety concerns.  Hari Sreenivasan reports on how schools are approaching the decision, as part of our Rethinking College series.

"U.S. must collect this data in order to contain pandemic, former CDC director says" PBS NewsHour 7/22/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  More than 1,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 were reported Tuesday.  As many states struggle with outbreaks, Dr. Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the country desperately needs improved data collection to understand how the virus is spreading -- and to contain it.  He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss critical metrics and how to obtain and learn from them.

"What we know about the search for a COVID-19 vaccine — and what we don’t" PBS NewsHour 7/22/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The question of when a COVID-19 vaccine might be available is perhaps the most pressing in the world.  There have been a number of recent headlines on this front, including early but encouraging results from trials.  And on Wednesday, the Trump administration awarded a contract to Pfizer and a German biotech firm to potentially deliver doses this year.  Miles O’Brien joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"Can MLB play ball and still avoid an outbreak?" PBS NewsHour 7/23/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Months after the start of spring training, the first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season will be thrown Thursday night.  Opening Day gets underway with the Washington Nationals hosting the New York Yankees.  But the season will be very unusual, with no fans present at stadiums, and many questions about it remain unanswered.  Amna Nawaz reports and talks to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

"In Alabama, racial disparities in health outcomes predate the pandemic" PBS NewsHour 7/24/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In Alabama, doctors and nurses are seeing record numbers of hospitalizations associated with COVID-19.  The state has reported more than 1,300 deaths since the pandemic began.  But certain regions and populations within the state are faring far worse than others -- and huge health disparities among Black residents are causing even more dire results.  Stephanie Sy reports on a tragic legacy.

"Honoring 5 more victims of the coronavirus pandemic" PBS NewsHour 7/20/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As we have every Friday for the past several months, we take a moment to remember some of the lives lost to the novel coronavirus pandemic, including a high school English teacher and a 39-year-old mother of six.

"How structural racism is magnifying the public health crisis" PBS NewsHour 7/25/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As coronavirus cases disproportionately impact communities of color, several local and state officials have declared racism a public health crisis.  Rhea Boyd, a public health advocate, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the structural racism in America’s healthcare system and how this ongoing pandemic of racial and economic inequality is compounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

PANDEMIC FALLOUT - Update 5/25/2020

"As restrictions are lifted, how to apply lessons from health care workers to daily life" PBS NewsHour 5/18/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In all but two U.S. states, stay-at-home orders are being lifted, and businesses are reopening.  But can the lifting of restrictions be safe, when COVID-19 is still increasing in many parts of the country?  Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and chair of the joint health care venture Haven, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss how to control virus spread as daily activities resume.

"As Fed plans new lending program, Senate is divided over coronavirus aid" PBS NewsHour 5/19/2020

The 'money is more important than people's lives' Republicans are the problem.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Trump joined a Republican Senate luncheon Tuesday, where he defended his reported use of controversial antimalarial medication hydroxychloroquine.  He also said he would temporarily waive regulations that could complicate business openings or slow economic growth.  Meanwhile, senators from the two parties diverged on when and how to provide more pandemic relief.  Yamiche Alcindor reports.

"Newsom: California reopening ‘driven by evidence, not ideology’" PBS NewsHour 5/19/2020

You tell 'em Governor!

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  California was one of the first U.S. states to see a significant outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but in the past few weeks, the curve of infection there has flattened.  As a result, Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced plans to loosen some restrictions.  He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss COVID-19 trends in his state, the data he’s using to make decisions and what he needs from the federal government.

"In Putin’s Russia, health care workers treating COVID-19 pay a deadly price" PBS NewsHour 5/19/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Russia has announced nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 infections in just the last day, bringing its national total close to 300,000.  Half of the cases are in Moscow, where health care workers say protective gear and training for how to treat the disease are lacking.  Meanwhile, there are questions about why Russia's official virus deaths are relatively low.  Special correspondent Julia Chapman reports.

"Why American nursing homes have been hit so hard by coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 5/19/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Nursing homes across the country are facing a desperate situation during the coronavirus pandemic.  In 17 states, more than half of reported COVID-19 deaths have been at these facilities.  Chronic staffing shortages, made worse by the virus, and inadequate infection control procedures exacerbate the threat amid the population that is the most vulnerable.  Lisa Desjardins reports.

"All 50 states partially reopen as CDC quietly releases its guidelines" PBS NewsHour 5/20/2020

The Trump Administration edited (stunted) version that is.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  All 50 states have now taken some steps to reopen after COVID-19 shutdowns.  Their approaches vary, with only minor restrictions remaining in states like Texas, while New York still has strict limitations in place.  Federal guidance from the CDC was released quietly, but its recommendations aren't mandatory.  Meanwhile, WHO officials warned that the pandemic isn’t going away.  Stephanie Sy reports.

"How the Trump administration is leveraging COVID-19 to tighten immigration" PBS NewsHour 5/20/2020

More 'stop the criminal brown people' attitude from Trump.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Trump administration is saying increased security on the U.S.-Mexico border is necessary to prevent the coronavirus' spread.  As a result, more than 900 migrant children were deported in March and April shortly after they reached the border -- much more quickly than normal, and without standard safeguards observed.  John Yang talks to Caitlin Dickerson of The New York Times.

"What computer-based models can tell us about coronavirus — and what they can’t" PBS NewsHour 5/20/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  For months, scientists and public officials have relied upon computer-based models to try to predict the trajectory or the coronavirus outbreak.  But models are not crystal balls, and all of them involve human assumptions.  Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on how the efforts that go into making these models -- and their ultimate purpose -- are more complicated than many of us realize.

"How a disdain for government undermined U.S. pandemic response" PBS NewsHour 5/18/2020

Thanks to lying, self-serving Trump.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, questions have been raised about why the U.S. federal government was not better prepared for such a crisis.  Scrutiny of President Trump has been intense, but questions extend beyond him to the efficacy of government and civil service more broadly.  William Brangham talks to the American Enterprise Institute’s Yuval Levin and The Atlantic’s George Packer.

"As 2.4 million file for unemployment, Trump insists economic recovery is near" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As U.S. businesses prepare for gradual reopenings, the number of Americans filing for unemployment seems to be leveling off.  Still, the Labor Department says more than 38 million people sought jobless benefits in the past nine weeks.  But as he departed for Michigan to tour a Ford factory now making ventilators, President Trump insisted that economic recovery is imminent.  Yamiche Alcindor reports.

"New COVID-19 model shows why early action matters" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A newly released analysis of coronavirus' spread in the U.S. suggests a haunting hypothetical: that if social distancing and stay-at-home orders had been implemented only a week earlier, more than 30,000 lives might have been saved.  But that alternate scenario relies upon computer-based modeling that has its limitations.  Miles O’Brien joins Judy Woodruff to discuss how this data can be useful.

"How the pandemic has pushed U.S. retail toward the brink of collapse" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  For more than two months, the toll of unemployment in the U.S. has grown each week.  The retail sector, which was already struggling before the pandemic, is among the hardest hit, with stores closed or at reduced capacity and consumers nervous about spending money.  And many economists believe these lost jobs will not be returning anytime soon.  Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

"Can U.S. transit workers be kept safe on crowded buses and trains?" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  U.S. transit workers have been hit hard by the coronavirus.  More than 120 have died from the disease just within New York City Transit, and drivers and transport workers represent the second-largest share of work-related cases, according to a Harvard study.  Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit, joins William Brangham to discuss reducing risks for these essential workers.

"A virologist answers viewer questions about coronavirus transmission" PBS NewsHour 5/21/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  During this unprecedented crisis, we all have questions -- and the NewsHour is turning to experts for answers.  In this edition of Ask Us, virologist Angela Rasmussen of Columbia University joins Amna Nawaz to take viewer questions on transmission of the novel coronavirus, including whether it can be contracted from swimming pools and street surfaces.

"How virus research has become a point of tension for the U.S. and China" PBS NewsHour 5/22/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Trump administration has emphasized the possibility that the novel coronavirus was accidentally released by scientists at a Chinese lab.  While that accusation remains unproven, China’s oversight of such scientific research has come under scrutiny in the past, and now, an area in which the U.S. and China previously collaborated has grown fraught with tension.  Nick Schifrin reports.

"What we know about COVID-19 antibodies — and what we don’t" PBS NewsHour 5/22/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Scientists say antibody testing could be a key tool in the fight against the novel coronavirus.  Still, many questions remain about the accuracy of antibody testing.  The Food and Drug Administration has tried to crack down on inaccurate tests, but scientists aren’t even sure yet what a positive test means for immunity.  John Yang reports.

"Remembering 5 more victims of the COVID-19 pandemic" PBS NewsHour 5/22/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has climbed past 95,000 this week.  As the staggering numbers reverberate, we take a moment to remember five people killed by the disease, including an opera singer, a father of six and a 25-year-old budding therapist.

"Thousands lost medical coverage as pandemic approached" PBS NewsHour 5/23/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Since President Trump took office the number of people without health insurance in the U.S. has risen by nearly 2 million, joining tens of millions of others without coverage.  Health professionals now worry some coronavirus victims may avoid visiting doctors, helping COVID-19 to spread.  Simon Ostrovsky reports on a new federal policy that's driving thousands of immigrants to give up insurance.

OUTBREAK - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update, World and America

"Amid virus outbreak, U.S. communities brace for disruption" PBS NewsHour 3/9/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As U.S. cases of COVID-19 rise, officials are stepping up efforts to control the outbreak's spread.  Communities across the country are bracing for disruption, with many schools closing or holding remote classes.  Also, two GOP congressmen who were with President Trump recently are self-quarantining after a conference attendee with whom they met tested positive for the virus.  Amna Nawaz reports.

"How economic effects of global virus outbreak ripple beyond stock markets and travel" PBS NewsHour 3/9/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Monday was a tumultuous day in the global battle against coronavirus.  Italy’s government banned travel nationwide after new spikes in infections and fatalities.  Meanwhile, U.S. stocks had their worst day in over a decade.  Special correspondent Christopher Livesay reports from Rome, and Judy Woodruff talks to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics and Ben Mutzabaugh of air travel website The Points Guy.

"Why clear, consistent communication is so important during a public health crisis" PBS NewsHour 3/9/2020

Which we are NOT getting from the Trump Administration.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Amid the growing U.S. coronavirus outbreak, some experts have criticized the way President Trump, his team and top public health officials are communicating information to the public.  For example, Trump made inaccurate statements Friday about the availability of virus tests.  Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"As impact of COVID-19 deepens, U.S. officials debate economic response" PBS NewsHour 3/10/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The impact of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. is deepening.  On Tuesday, new cancellations, closures and quarantines were announced and President Trump and lawmakers huddled about potential measures to soften the crisis’ economic impact -- but the stock market rallied back from Monday’s major losses.  Amna Nawaz reports and Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"How this school district is educating students at home during coronavirus outbreak" PBS NewsHour 3/10/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A growing number of U.S. schools, including several colleges and universities, are shutting their doors to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  Although only a small fraction of public elementary and high schools have closed, more than 430,000 students are affected already.  John Yang talks to Michelle Reid, superintendent of Washington state’s Northshore School District, about the decision to close.

"British government worries about virus outbreak, but residents carry on" PBS NewsHour 3/9/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In the United Kingdom, novel coronavirus has killed six people as of Tuesday, with another 370 infected and quarantined.  The British government is watching how the illness spread quickly and pervasively in Italy, fearing the same could happen in the UK.  But as special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports, the current attitude among the British is very much to keep calm and carry on.

"What WHO doctor says Americans should do in face of COVID-19 pandemic" PBS NewsHour 3/11/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak to be a global pandemic.  The illness has infected about 120,000 people worldwide and claimed 4,400 lives, and public health officials both within the U.S. and abroad are warning that the crisis will get worse.  Amna Nawaz reports, and Judy Woodruff talks to WHO’s Dr. Margaret Harris about how people should be preparing.

"Why UVA joined scores of other colleges in asking students to stay off campus" PBS NewsHour 3/11/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As the U.S. novel coronavirus outbreak worsens, colleges and universities around the country are asking students to stay off campus -- and essentially shutting down.  Though some classes are migrating online, the closures may still represent a hardship for students who rely on school for housing, meals and other services.  Amna Nawaz talks to James Ryan, president of the University of Virginia.

"Pandemic’s ‘unique uncertainty’ creates market shockwaves" PBS NewsHour 3/12/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The economic consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic are growing even more severe.  Stocks logged their worst day of trading since the 1987 market crash, cancellations and closures rippled across the globe and the fallout from President Trump’s decision to ban most travel from Europe became evident.  Nick Schifrin reports and Charles Schwab’s Liz Ann Sonders joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"Can Congress, Trump put pandemic response ahead of politics?" PBS NewsHour 3/12/2020

Answer, no, at least not at first.  Republicans will see anything from Democrats as a threat.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are working on a multi-billion dollar novel coronavirus aid package to help the Americans hit hardest by the pandemic.  They, along with Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, also weighed in on President Trump’s response to the crisis.  Lisa Desjardins reports and joins Nick Schifrin, Yamiche Alcindor and Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"Why Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency — and what he denied responsibility for" PBS NewsHour 3/13/2020

Note the "and what he denied responsibility for."

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Friday was another day of mass closings and cancellations as schools, sports and travel shut down amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.  President Trump also declared a national emergency to increase funding for a federal response, and he appears to have a deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for related legislation.  Amna Nawaz reports and Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff.

"What the U.S. health system needs now to fight COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 3/13/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Trump has declared the pandemic of novel coronavirus a national emergency, allowing him to direct additional funds toward the federal government’s outbreak response.  Will it mean faster virus testing and more ventilators?  Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, and The New York Times’ Dr. Sheri Fink join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"South Korea proves pandemic response requires more than money" PBS NewsHour 3/13/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  South Korea’s government is spending nearly $10 billion to fight novel coronavirus, which has infected nearly 8,000 people there.  But the effort to contain the illness requires more than just money -- entire communities must come together, sharing information, volunteering at testing centers and limiting consumption of vital medical supplies.  Bruce Harrison of Feature Story News reports.

"New York launches drive-thru testing site for COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2020

Again, a state responds better than the federal government.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has deployed the National Guard and created a one-mile containment zone around the town of New Rochelle, just north of New York City, where at least 158 cases of COVID-19 have been reported.  And on Friday, the state launched its first drive-thru mobile testing facility in the region.  NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker has more.

"The economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  With businesses shuttering, professional sports leagues suspending their seasons and widespread travel restrictions initiated around the world, the economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak may continue for months.  Vijay Vaitheeswaran, U.S.business editor for The Economist, joins Hari Sreenivasan for more on the financial impact of the virus.

"Outbreak tests Italy’s limits a week after lockdown began" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A week after Italy’s government began locking down the country due to the coronavirus outbreak, new cases are emerging as the death toll climbs.  The scenario is overwhelming a medical system already reeling from an influx of patients.  NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Chris Livesay joins Hari Sreenivasan from Rome with updates on the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

"Coronavirus in the US: things are ‘changing hour by hour’" PBS NewsHour 3/14/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The response to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is changing on an almost hourly basis.  But as health care workers face a volley of new challenges amid an American populace wary of the global pandemic, there has been an increase in testing and guidelines to consider.  Caroline Chen, a ProPublica reporter who is covering the outbreak, joins Hari Sreenivasan with more.

"Coronavirus outbreak is ‘a time of sacrifice for all of us’" PBS NewsHour 3/15/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  To help contain transmission of coronavirus, the CDC has issued guidelines for “social distancing.”  But as the virus continues to spread, many more questions on when to close schools, how to seek day-to-day healthcare and the extent of the outbreak in the coming weeks remain unanswered.  Crystal Watson, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, joins Hari Sreenivasan with more.

LAST WEEK TONIGHT - Coronavirus

Last Week Tonight
with John Oliver
Sadly funny and scary.

OUTBREAK - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

"How U.S. health officials are responding to the threat of novel coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 2/17/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  With the novel coronavirus crisis gripping parts of Asia, thousands of passengers have been quarantined aboard cruise ships.  Among them were several hundred Americans, who are now being evacuated back to the U.S., where they will undergo another quarantine in case they are infected with the virus.  Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Vanderbilt University’s Dr. William Schaffner for insight.

"The big question that researchers are trying to answer about novel coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 2/19/2020

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  There are many unanswered questions about the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, but the Chinese government has released new information about the mortality rate and other important concerns.  William Brangham talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health about whether some patients are catching the virus without getting sick and the global effort to contain it.

ANTIBIOTICS - Stopping Superbugs

"Why overuse of antibiotics is a massive, ‘staggering’ problem in health care" PBS NewsHour 11/14/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that we are losing ground in the battle against so-called superbugs -- the harmful or deadly bacteria resistant to nearly all our antibiotic defenses.  William Brangham talks to Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, who works on infection control at the CDC and helped compile the report, about how we can prevent these dangerous infections.

VAPING WARNINGS - From CDC

"Deaths linked to vaping reveal a complex array of inhaled substances" PBS NewsHour 9/6/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Following several mysterious deaths linked to vaping, the federal government is now warning Americans not to use e-cigarettes.  The Centers for Disease Control also said there are 450 reported cases of lung illnesses tied to vaping, in more than 30 states.  William Brangham talks to Allison Aubrey of NPR about what is known, and what isn’t, about the health risks of vaping.