PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E19

26m 44s

Trump returns to office and kickstarts ambitious agenda

16m 52s

Donald Trump has returned to office as the 47th president of the United States. His second term kickstarts an ambitious, and controversial, agenda that will bring mass deportations, aggressive tariffs on imports from competitors and allies alike, and a promise of 'retribution' against political foes that led to last-minute pardons from outgoing President Biden. Laura Barrón-López reports.

The power of presidential executive orders and their limits

4m 29s

President Trump promised a record number of executive orders on his first day in office. For a closer look at the power of these orders and their limits, Amna Nawaz spoke with Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College and author of "The New Imperial Presidency.”

Biden issues preemptive pardons on his way out of office

6m 11s

President Trump is reportedly planning to issue a sweeping series of pardons for defendants charged in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. That's as Joe Biden, in one of his final acts as president, issued preemptive pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated Jan. 6. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Mary McCord.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on how Trump changed Washington

6m 2s

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including how the perception of President Trump has changed over four years, who Trump has surrounded himself with for his second term in office and how much Congress has changed since 2016.

Stoltenberg on how the world is responding to Trump's return

6m 6s

President Trump vowed that the State Department will have an "America first" foreign policy. Nick Schifrin discussed how the world is responding to Trump's inauguration with Jens Stoltenberg, the most recent secretary general of NATO who will become the chairman of the Munich Security Conference next month.

News Wrap: 3 Israeli hostages released as ceasefire holds

4m 18s

In our news wrap Monday, Israeli hostages have been reuniting with loved ones as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be holding, humanitarian aid trucks are flowing into Gaza as part of the agreement, a British teen pleaded guilty to murdering three girls at a Taylor-Swift-themed dance class in England and rare winter storm warnings are in place along a large part of the Gulf Coast.

'New Prize for These Eyes' details 2nd civil rights movement

7m 31s

In 1987, journalist Juan Williams helped illuminate the Civil Rights Movement with "Eyes on the Prize," a groundbreaking book that brought history to life and became an essential chronicle of the fight for racial equality. Nearly four decades later, he returns with "New Prize for These Eyes," a powerful update looking at the 21st-century movement. Geoff Bennett discussed the work with Williams.

Father of U.S. hostage hopeful for son’s release by Hamas

5m 29s

Three women are back on Israeli soil for the first time in 15 months since they were kidnapped in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and held captive in Gaza, as a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect Sunday. Two U.S. citizens are on Hamas’ list of hostages to be released in the deal’s first phase. John Yang speaks with the father of one American hostage who is not on that list.

News Wrap: Biden thanks supporters on last day of his term

2m 18s

In our news wrap Sunday, Biden spent the final full day of his presidency visiting supporters in South Carolina, Trump laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, TikTok restored service to U.S. users after temporarily going dark due to a federal ban, a polar vortex is bringing dangerously cold conditions south from the Arctic, and Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey.

Tech and AI leaders make big donations to Trump inauguration

5m 42s

President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee has smashed fundraising records, racking up more than $200 million in pledges. Donations have come from some of the world’s biggest companies, and top tech CEOs will be front and center at the festivities. Ali Rogin speaks with ethics and campaign finance expert Craig Holman and New York Times technology reporter Cecilia Kang for more.

Sen. Wyden offers way forward for progressives in new book

5m 30s

As Trump returns to the White House with Republicans in charge of the House and Senate, Democrats are searching for a way forward. Ron Wyden, the second-most senior Senate Democrat, offers strategies in a new book, “It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change.” Amna Nawaz recently sat down with Wyden.

The history and tradition of presidential transition letters

4m 20s

Monday’s change of Oval Office occupants is a ritual full of traditions and customs. One of the more modern ones began in 1989, when Ronald Reagan left a note for George H.W. Bush on stationery with a whimsical bit of advice. John Yang speaks with Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library, to learn more about this tradition.

Israel announces last-minute snag in hostage deal with Hamas

4m 16s

Just 12 hours before the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is supposed to go into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said it would not go forward until Hamas made good on its agreement to provide a list of hostages they’re going to release. John Yang speaks with Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist, for the latest.

News Wrap: TikTok plans to go dark in the U.S. on Sunday

3m 3s

In our news wrap Saturday, TikTok says it will go dark for its U.S. users on Sunday as Trump signaled he may give the app a 90-day reprieve, crews are working to move Trump’s inauguration into the Capitol Rotunda due to sub-freezing temperatures, Russia launched a deadly attack on Ukraine’s capital overnight, and the wildfires in Los Angeles continue to burn despite improving conditions.

Why Ethel Rosenberg’s family is pushing for her exoneration

7m 48s

In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed after being convicted as Soviet spies in a sensational Cold War espionage case. Now, a recently declassified document is seen as the strongest evidence yet of Ethel’s innocence. As Biden leaves office, he’s being asked to exonerate her and right a historic wrong. John Yang speaks with the Rosenbergs’ younger son, Robert Meeropol, for more.

How hormone therapy for menopause got a bad reputation

7m 27s

Menopause is a chapter in women’s lives that brings a myriad of sometimes debilitating medical issues that can last for more than a decade. It’s an area of medicine that for years has been overlooked and underfunded. Rhode Island PBS Weekly’s Isabella Jibilian reports for our ongoing series, “Unequal Treatment.”

Amanda Gorman pens tribute to crews battling LA wildfires

4m 30s

Renowned poet and Los Angeles native Amanda Gorman has penned a heartfelt tribute to first responders battling the wildfires and helping those in need. In "Smoldering Dawn," she expresses her fears and hopes and celebrates how the community is coming together to face this trauma. Amna Nawaz spoke with Gorman about how the poem came to be and her new children’s book, “Girls on the Rise.”

Brooks and Capehart on Biden's legacy, Trump's expectations

10m 3s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including how the ceasefire agreement affects President Biden's legacy, his warning about an oligarchy in America, the confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet and what to expect in his second term.

How businesses are preparing for Trump's tariffs

9m 22s

Countries and businesses around the world will be watching to see just how quickly President-elect Donald Trump imposes new tariffs and just how steep they may be. News Hour special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell reports on how some companies are already preparing.

News Wrap: Noem questioned about Trump's immigration policy

7m 54s

In our news wrap Friday, Department of Homeland Security nominee Kristi Noem faced questions from senators at a confirmation hearing, President-elect Trump says he and Chinese President Xi Jinping will 'solve many problems together' after the two leaders spoke on the phone and Russia and Iran deepened their ties with a “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty.”

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