PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

Millions of Americans turn to PBS for the solid, reliable reporting that has made PBS News Hour one of the most trusted news programs in television.

Watch: S2025 E29

57m 46s

Why fewer young men are choosing to pursue college degrees

7m 13s

College enrollment among young Americans has been declining over the past decade. That decrease is mostly driven by fewer young men pursuing degrees. A Pew Research study finds about one million fewer young men now enrolled in college compared to 2011. Geoff Bennett took a closer look at why for our series, Rethinking College.

Surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis

5m 42s

An advisory from the U.S. surgeon general says gun violence is an urgent public health crisis. Citing rising deaths of young people and mental health impacts, the report argues for an approach to stem gun violence similar to tobacco-related and motor vehicle deaths. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Dr. Emmy Betz, an emergency room physician and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative.

News Wrap: Israel court says ultra-Orthodox can be drafted

7m

In our news wrap Tuesday, Israel's Supreme Court ruled the military must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men for mandatory service, Kenya's president vowed to maintain calm after protesters stormed the nation's parliament, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two Russian officials and a New York judge partially lifted the gag order on Donald Trump from his hush money trial.

UNICEF chief on the hunger crisis afflicting children

5m 32s

A high risk of famine persists across the Gaza Strip with 96 percent of people there facing high levels of acute food insecurity. In Sudan, there is growing evidence that the civil war, now in its second year, is creating the world’s largest hunger crisis with an estimated 24 million children left especially vulnerable. Geoff Bennett discussed more with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

A look at how the PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll is conducted

8m 29s

The presidential campaign has kicked into high gear as President Biden and Donald Trump prepare to meet for their first 2024 debate on Thursday. The two men have been locked in a tight race for months and no other candidates reached the required polling threshold to be on the stage. Lisa Desjardins takes a closer look at how polls work with our partners at the Marist Poll.

Assange pleads guilty in U.S. case in deal to gain freedom

11m 5s

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a brave whistleblower to his allies and a national security threat to his critics, is on the verge of being a free man. Assange is pleading guilty and will be sentenced to time served, allowing him to return to his native Australia. Nick Schifrin reports and has two views on the plea deal from Jamil Jaffer and Trevor Timm.

Netanyahu says 'intense' phase of Gaza war will end soon

6m 38s

Israel indicated it's close to ending what it called the “intense” phase of its operations in Gaza, and would soon transition to a new stage of the war. That word came as Israel’s defense minister met with senior U.S. officials in Washington and as the U.S. and Israel continued a public spat over weapons deliveries. Nick Schifrin reports.

Loss of major water source threatens Great Plains farming

8m 16s

In the heart of the country, Great Plains farmers and ranchers produce a quarter of all U.S. crops and 40 percent of its beef. But they rely on a resource that has been slowly drying up, water. Stephanie Sy reports from Kansas for our series on the impact of climate change, Tipping Point.

Cyberattack disrupts business at thousands of car dealers

6m 25s

Thousands of car dealers across North America have been forced to revert to pen and paper after a software company they rely on was hit by several cyberattacks. The outage has not only caused delays and inconveniences for customers, but has also raised major concerns about whether sensitive data was compromised. William Brangham discussed more with Chris Krebs of Sentinel One.

Trump vows to defund schools requiring vaccines for students

6m 28s

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump again vowed to shut down the Education Department and endorsed a Louisiana law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. He has also pledged to cut funding to schools with vaccine requirements. Laura Barrón-López discussed that with Dr. Paul Offitt, a pediatrician and a professor of vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania.

N.Y. primary reflects Democratic divide over Israel support

2m 49s

As voters head to the polls in three states Tuesday, the Israel-Hamas war has become a key issue in one New York congressional primary. It’s a race that reflects the divide in the Democratic Party over U.S. support for Israel. Geoff Bennett reports.

Amy Walter and Francesca Chambers on debate expectations

8m 8s

Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Francesca Chambers of USA Today join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including a look ahead to this week's presidential debate between President Biden and Donald Trump, a preview of Democratic primaries races in New York and the political stakes of what has happened in the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

'Monuments of Solidarity' highlights activism in art

7m 11s

An artist, activist, community builder and teacher. LaToya Ruby Frazier's art-making ideas come together in her first retrospective exhibition. Jeffrey Brown has a look for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and for our ongoing arts and culture coverage, CANVAS.

How private firms profit from veterans’ disability claims

7m 6s

In the two years since the PACT Act brought about a landmark expansion of veterans’ benefits, more than 1 million disability claims have been approved. But a number of for-profit companies are also reaping benefits, even though what they do is against the law. Patrick Murray, legislative director at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss.

Ninth grader helps restore Mississippi’s oyster reefs

4m 17s

In the past two decades, the oyster population in Mississippi’s Gulf waters has been devastated by both natural and manmade disasters. Among those working to restore oyster habitats is ninth grader Demi Johnson, who was recently recognized by the National Geographic Society for growing more than 1,000 oysters, which are likely to spawn millions more. John Yang speaks with Johnson about her work.

Why little is known about what causes many miscarriages

4m 4s

Every year, about 1 million pregnancies in the U.S. end in a miscarriage. In as many as half those cases, doctors are at a loss to explain why, and experts say stigma and shame are hampering efforts to learn about what causes miscarriages. PBS News Hour’s Courtney Norris reports.

How to reduce the number of teens aging out of foster care

5m 7s

More than 400,000 children in the U.S. are living in foster care. Each year, nearly 20,000 become adults and are left without the support of a guardian or the government. John Yang speaks with Darcy Olsen, CEO of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, about a pilot project in Arizona designed to help teenagers in foster care find safe and permanent homes before they age out of the system.

Bowel cancer is on the rise. How immunotherapy could help

6m 8s

Bowel cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, killing nearly 1 million people per year, and cases of colorectal cancer have been on the rise. But there are glimmers of hope after two studies found that using immunotherapy drugs before surgery dramatically increased the chance of curing bowel cancer in certain patients. John Yang speaks with Dr. Vikram Reddy to learn more.

The big environmental costs of big data for the internet

6m 27s

The rise of artificial intelligence is requiring faster and bigger computations for even simple tasks compared to, say, a Google search. It’s adding to the demand for more internet data centers, but these facilities come at a big environmental cost, especially for the communities that host them. Science journalist Sachi Kitajima Mulkey joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

Why Austin renters are struggling to find affordable housing

6m 36s

Rents nationwide have cooled from historic highs, according to the latest inflation figures. Austin, Texas, is one of the places where rents are showing a downward trend, but lower-income families say their rents are often staying the same or even increasing. Blair Waltman-Alexin of Austin PBS reports.

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