How does a country mobilize to fight COVID-19 when its own president says the virus isn't a serious matter? Brazil is in the process of finding out, as President Jair Bolsonaro prioritizes Latin America's largest economy in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Nick Schifrin reports.

The scourge of COVID-19 is even more severe in less-developed nations -- and the presence of military conflict makes it worse still. Afghanistan is among the countries facing this heightened threat, as thousands of cases of the virus collide with a politically fragile moment. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson reports.

NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including protests against government COVID-19 restrictions, polling on how Americans more broadly feel about reopening the economy amid a public health threat and China's role in the 2020 campaign strategies of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase "essential workers" tends to bring to mind first responders and hospital staff. But a key function of American society is collecting garbage to keep our communities clean. PBS station WTTW in Chicago is producing a series of conversations about individuals' pandemic experiences, and they share the story of sanitation worker Sammy Dattulo.

Thousands of New Yorkers have responded to pleas from animal shelters looking to find homes for pets amid the COVID-19 crisis. And it turns out, fostering animals also has emotional and physical health benefits for the humans taking care of them, especially during self-isolation. Newshour Weekend's Melanie Saltzman reports.

Congressional leaders and White House officials say an additional $400 billion to aid businesses, hospitals and communities could be approved as soon as this week, as the coronavirus continues to shut down much of the country's economy. NewsHour Correspondent Lisa Desjardins joins Hari Sreenivasan for more on the debate over the latest relief package and what it means for small businesses.

The coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S. along with the economic ripple effects of the nationwide shutdown. In Utah, a state that relies heavily on tourism, thousands of people have applied for unemployment benefits. Liz Adeola, host and producer for PBS Utah, joins Hari Sreenivasan from Salt Lake City with more.

Last week, NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker shared a portrait of what the new normal looks like for his family, and we asked viewers to share with us what their new normal looks like during the outbreak. In the coming weeks, we'll highlight some of those experiences. Today, a father and son from West Virginia are using their social distancing time to build a windmill behind their house.

More than 22 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks due to the novel coronavirus. And those record numbers are taxing decades-old unemployment systems in states across the U.S., many which use a legacy programming language called COBOL. State governments are now trying to find more programmers qualified to fix the systems. NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker reports.

As the battle between the federal government and states heats up over reopening the economy, antibody testing is being touted as one way to get people back to work. But some researchers at the forefront of developing an accurate antibody test say it's too early to pin all our hopes on the technique. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports.