Over the past six months, we have tried to capture and convey the heartbreaking loss of American life due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the country passes a somber threshold, with 200,000 people killed by COVID-19, Amna Nawaz talks to Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, and Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Brown University.

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The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. is nearing the 200,000 mark, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center. Even though the death rate is lower than it was in the spring, 850 people on average are dying every day of the disease in the country, according to the New York Times. ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen joins to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

COVID-19 vaccine development continues to be the subject of political jostling, with President Trump contradicting top U.S. health officials regarding timeline and efficacy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they expect to distribute vaccines publicly at no cost to the patient. But what will the government pay, and how much could drug companies profit? Paul Solman reports.

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In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro has presided over an economic and societal collapse. The country's health care system was already coming apart even before the coronavirus pandemic struck. Now, COVID-19 patients are filling ICUs that lack supplies, and doctors are dying. But criticism of the government's pandemic response is grounds for arrest. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After months of distance learning, students around the world are returning to the classroom -- even though many countries are bracing themselves for a second wave of coronavirus infections. What does the pandemic mean for children, parents and teachers this academic year? We take a global look, with special correspondents Olly Barratt, Lucy Hough, Patrick Hok and Michael Baleke reporting. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Every year, hundreds of thousands of spectators attend the U.S. Open at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. But like other sports, the men's and women's finals this weekend are being played without an audience. Michael Dawse, CEO of U.S. Tennis Association joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss how the pandemic has hit the sport. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congressional efforts to pass a new pandemic relief bill remain stalled, and a slimmed-down proposal from Senate Republicans failed to clear procedural vote Thursday. Democratic and Republican leaders both blamed the other side for the gridlock. Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the bill and why the prospects for passing legislation before Election Day are grim.

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A new book by legendary journalist Bob Woodward has sent shockwaves across the country -- and the 2020 presidential campaign. Woodward's reporting includes audio recordings of on-the-record conversations with President Trump in which he admits he intentionally misled Americans about the danger posed by the novel coronavirus. The Washington Post's Robert Costa joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

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Millions of children returned to school Tuesday, many of them through virtual learning. At the same time, some colleges and universities are struggling with the consequences of reopening their campuses. And concerns over public trust in a potential coronavirus vaccine prompted a safety pledge from chief executives of nine drug companies. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the NIH joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

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Our series on universal health care, The Best Health Care? America and the World, was filmed before the novel coronavirus pandemic exploded. How have the three countries we explored -- the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Australia -- responded to this global crisis? And what lessons might they offer the United States? William Brangham reports and talks to Dr. Ashish Jha, our series collaborator. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders