As yet another devastating week comes to an end, we take the time to honor individuals who have fallen victim to the novel coronavirus, including a 29-year-old father and a 60-year-old flight attendant. Judy Woodruff shares five stories. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Some of the federal government's top health officials are suggesting a vaccine for COVID-19 could be released in less than two months. The move would be made through a special emergency authorization of the Food and Drug Administration. But the accelerated speed of the process is also raising questions. Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard's School of Public Health. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The pandemic has created immense challenges for people around the world. In Malawi, an extremely poor country in southern Africa, the situation is complicated by the fact that many residents don't have access to services and supplies that Americans tend to take for granted. Nonprofit worker Gertrude Kabwazi shares her Brief But Spectacular take on working to break Malawi's cycle of poverty.

PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Iowa is dealing with a surge of coronavirus cases that has turned the state into a hot spot for the disease. The increase has been driven in part by the return to school, with virus clusters developing around the state's major universities. But Gov. Kim Reynolds has resisted measures like widespread bar closures and mask mandates. Amna Nawaz talks to O. Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been growing interest from parents in homeschooling their children after schools across the nation abruptly shut down and transitioned to remote learning. Ivette Feliciano caught up with two parents in Georgia who have homeschooled their kids for many years to find out how the pandemic has impacted them and what advice they have for parents looking to make the leap to homeschooling. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

When schools across the nation shifted to remote learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the change exacerbated several inequities between students including class, race, access to technology, and learning abilities, indicating which students may or may not succeed. Wayne Lewis, former Kentucky Education Commissioner, and Dean and Professor of Education at Belmont University, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In accepting his party's nomination on the final night of the Republican National Convention, President Trump characterized the United States' response to the coronavirus pandemic as a success that saved American lives. But the metrics he referenced create an inaccurate impression. William Brangham joins Judy Woodruff to discuss how the U.S. response compares to that of its peer nations. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As another difficult week for our country comes to a close, we want to take the time to honor a few of the more than 180,000 people in the U.S. who have lost their lives to the coronavirus. Judy Woodruff shares the stories of five individuals. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Questions are again being raised about whether the Trump administration is injecting politics into science -- and the national pandemic response. Recent moves by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appear to conflict with the medical community's consensus on handling COVID-19. William Brangham talks to Dr. Thomas Frieden, former head of the CDC. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Monday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has returned to all-remote learning after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus. It was one of the largest schools in the country to bring students back to campus. Also, Afghanistan's government paused its freeing of the last batch of 320 Taliban prisoners, wanting the militant group to release more government soldiers first. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders