PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch Latest: S2024 E313

57m 46s

Harvard embroiled in controversy after president resigns

9m 48s

The resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay has hardly settled any of the debate surrounding her tenure. While Gay did admit to several mistakes, she argues she's been unfairly targeted because of her race, ideology and push for diversity. William Brangham has two perspectives from Khalil Gibran Muhammad of Harvard’s Kennedy School, and Tom Nichols of The Atlantic.

Remembering the art and energy of tap legend Maurice Hines

2m 35s

Maurice Hines, a legend of tap dance for seven decades, has died. He gained fame with his brother Gregory as the Hines Brothers, delighting audiences on stage, television and film. Jeffrey Brown has this remembrance for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Mayorkas on immigration system strains, border negotiations

9m 3s

The U.S. government is set to partially shut down in 15 days unless a funding agreement is reached. But immigration is a key sticking point in those talks, and it’s an issue that has plagued Congress and the White House for years. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the Biden administration’s point man on those negotiations and joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest.

2024 brings new gun restrictions in several states

4m 3s

New gun safety laws are taking effect in a handful of states in the new year. While the country ended 2023 with more mass shootings than days in the year, new laws in California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington are aimed at preventing gun violence. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Adam Winkler, an expert tracking these new laws.

House Republicans visit border amid immigration negotiations

5m 17s

Tuesday, dozens of House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border as negotiations continue over immigration policy between senators and the White House. In a news conference, Johnson attacked the Biden administration’s approach to the border and called for change. Lisa Desjardins reports on the border funding negotiations.

Chicago leaders ask White House for help with migrant surge

6m 40s

Chicago is dealing with a surge of migrants from the southern border. About 27,000 migrants have arrived in the city since August 2022. It’s proving to be a serious burden and city and state leaders have often been at odds over how to respond. William Brangham reports.

Killing of Hamas leader deepens concerns of war spreading

9m 59s

Fears of a widening war in the Middle East are back on boil after Tuesday's killing of a top Hamas leader in Beirut, Lebanon. Israel has not acknowledged any role in the drone attack, but it spent Wednesday awaiting possible retaliation by Hezbollah, the powerful, Lebanese militia backed by Iran. Amna Nawaz discussed what this means for the region with Randa Slim of the Middle East Institute.

A Brief But Spectacular take on the future of the internet

3m 11s

Vint Cerf is known for his pioneering work as one of the fathers of the internet. He now serves as the vice president and chief internet evangelist for Google where he furthers global policy development and accessibility of the internet. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on the future of the internet.

How GOP campaigns are courting Iowa and New Hampshire voters

8m 37s

In less than two weeks, Republicans in Iowa will be the first to cast their votes in support of a presidential candidate. That's followed by New Hampshire’s first-in-nation primary a week later. Geoff Bennett discussed how the campaigns are shaping up with Radio Iowa News Director Kay Henderson and New Hampshire Public Radio Senior Political Reporter and Editor Josh Rogers.

Citizen investigators help FBI track down Jan. 6 rioters

10m 28s

The Jan. 6 investigation is the largest FBI operation in history. More than 1200 people have been charged and over 900 convicted. But it has stretched the bureau’s resources and has often had to rely on the work of citizen investigators who came to be known as 'sedition hunters.' Judy Woodruff spoke with one of these anonymous sleuths as part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

Marine tilt-rotor aircraft set for deployment despite issues

11m 48s

The V-22 Osprey, a new tilt-rotor aircraft, is expected to be deployed to Iraq in several months, but critics say it has operational and design problems. Correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on the controversy surrounding the new aircraft.

Tommy Prine on finding his voice in the shadow of his father

6m 40s

Singer-songwriter Tommy Prine recently made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. But his artistic journey that would bring him there was by no means assured. Special correspondent Tom Casciato has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Why renting might be the favored choice in today's market

6m 6s

Buying has almost always been favored over renting when it comes to housing. For generations, the prevailing wisdom has been that renting is a waste of money. But what about now, with a tough real estate market characterized by elevated listing prices and interest rates? Geoff Bennett discussed that with David Leonhardt, author of, “Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream.”

NYC looks to amend right to shelter rule amid migrant surge

7m 22s

Over the weekend, several buses carrying migrants who'd recently crossed the southern border were headed to New York, but they were diverted instead to New Jersey. It's the most recent effort by officials to manage a crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants arrive in northern cities. William Brangham reports.

How airline passengers managed to survive fiery runway crash

8m 9s

A fiery runway collision at a Tokyo airport stunned the world Tuesday with dramatic imagery. All of the airline passengers survived, but five crew members on a Coast Guard plane involved in the accident were killed. Neil Connery of Independent Television News reports, and Geoff Bennett discusses how passengers managed to make it out alive with aviation correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Harvard president resigns amid testimony controversy

5m 57s

After weeks of intense scrutiny, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday. It comes after she was criticized for testimony during a congressional hearing on rising anti-semitism on campus and alleged plagiarism in her academic writings. Gay was the first Black leader of Harvard and now has the shortest tenure. William Brangham discussed more with Hilary Burns of the Boston Globe.

Freed Israeli hostage: 'Stop the war and bring them home'

13m 29s

For 40 years, Aviva Siegel lived at kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza Strip. During the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Siegel and her husband were both taken hostage. After 51 days in Gaza, Aviva was released on Nov. 26, but her husband is still being held. In her first interview, Aviva Siegel spoke with Amna Nawaz about surviving Oct. 7, her time in captivity and what she wants to happen next.

What the ruling against Netanyahu's judiciary overhaul means

6m 59s

Israel opened 2024 with what could be a major shift in the war, announcing it's withdrawing several thousand troops from Gaza. Amid the fighting, Israel's Supreme Court rejected a key part of Prime Minister Netanyahu's judicial overhaul. The plan sparked deep divisions, but they've largely been put aside since Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Geoff Bennett discussed more with NPR's Daniel Estrin.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on the 2024 campaign

9m 38s

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the efforts to keep Trump off of ballots and Republican presidential candidates making their case to early primary states with the first votes just weeks away.

Child migrants put to work in unsafe and illegal conditions

7m 4s

Migrant children in the U.S. are working some of the most dangerous jobs in the country and private auditors assigned to root out unlawful labor practices often overlook child labor. The most common job for migrant children is also one of the most hazardous, roofing and construction, despite laws prohibiting anyone under 18 from doing so. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Hannah Dreier.

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