PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch: S2024 E331

56m 45s

The hidden history of the Port Chicago 50

7m 1s

Eighty years ago, 320 people died in a massive explosion at a Navy munitions depot in Port Chicago, California. About two-thirds of those killed were Black sailors who loaded bombs and ammunition onto ships, and when 50 survivors refused to resume handling the explosives, they were convicted of mutiny. Author Steve Sheinkin joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

The evolution of Bangladesh’s anti-government protests

5m 39s

Bangladesh is under a nationwide curfew and internet blackout after a weekend of violent clashes between security forces and protestors. Almost 300 people have died since the start of the protests, which have grown into a national movement against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her increasingly autocratic rule. Ali Rogin reports.

Study finds night owls have ‘superior cognitive function’

5m 35s

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 adults say they are not getting sufficient sleep. Now, new research suggests it’s not just how much sleep you get, but what time you go to bed and wake up that matters. Laura Barrón-López speaks with Azizi Seixas, associate director at the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Miami, to learn more.

A look at the history of racial identity in U.S. politics

6m 31s

Earlier this week, while speaking at a gathering of Black journalists, former President Donald Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity. Laura Barrón-López speaks with Peniel Joseph, founding director of UT Austin’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, about the history of Black identity, race and racism in American politics.

Takeaways from new report on Secret Service’s Jan. 6 actions

6m 49s

The Secret Service is in the hot seat again, this time over its actions before and on Jan. 6, 2021. A new report from the Homeland Security Inspector General lays out several things the agency could have done better, from detecting a pipe bomb near Kamala Harris to reporting signs of potential violence. Washington Post investigative reporter Carol Leonnig joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss.

How the mineral mining boom endangers Indigenous communities

8m 13s

Minerals extracted from the earth help power many of our devices, from computers to car batteries. But what about the communities whose land is at the center of acquiring these minerals? Ali Rogin reports on the fight between companies seeking minerals from these lands and the Indigenous tribes fighting to preserve them.

Economist says Fed too slow to cut rates, hurting economy

5m 28s

The U.S. labor market slowed down in July and looked weaker than expected, creating 114,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate also ticked up to 4.3 percent. It's raising questions about whether the Federal Reserve has waited too long to cut interest rates. Economist Mohamed El-Erian is among those who have been very vocal about this. He joined Geoff Bennett to discuss his concerns.

Americans freed from Russia reunite with families

3m 25s

Rarely has an airport seen such joy after very long delays. But Thursday night was no ordinary night at Joint Base Andrews near Washington where three Americans held by Russia returned home to a presidential welcome. Nick Schifrin reports.

Kurmasheva’s husband describes reunion after her release

6m 21s

Alsu Kurmasheva is one of the Americans detained in Russia to come home in a prisoner exchange. To discuss the emotional family reunions, Nick Schifrin spoke with Kurmasheva's husband, Pavel Butorin, and their older daughter, Bibi.

Harris campaign, Democrats lean into calling Trump 'weird'

4m 26s

The Democratic National Committee announced Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the number of delegates in a virtual roll call to win the party’s nomination. While on the campaign trail, Harris is calling her opponent Donald Trump “weird.” It's a kind of rhetoric that her supporters and allies are repeating widely. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.

Capehart and Johnson on Harris' running mate shortlist

9m 15s

Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the success of Kamala Harris' campaign launch, Donald Trump's latest attacks on his opponent, the Democratic veepstakes and President Biden securing a prisoner swap to bring Americans home from Russia.

How a formerly enslaved man helped create Jack Daniel's

8m 57s

Jack Daniel's is a famous whiskey brand, but Daniel didn’t create the method for distilling Tennessee whiskey. He learned it from a formerly enslaved man named Nearest Green. Fawn Weaver created Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey to honor and preserve Green’s legacy and it's now the most successful Black-owned liquor empire. Geoff Bennett sat down with Weaver to discuss her book, “Love and Whiskey."

'You Are Here' project celebrates poetry in natural world

7m 52s

A year-long project by the nation’s poet laureate focuses on the natural world and what’s at stake due to climate change. Ada Limon’s "You Are Here" exhibition will take her to National Parks around the country. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Limon for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and for our ongoing arts and culture coverage, CANVAS.

Gershkovich among 3 Americans freed in prisoner swap

5m 40s

The waiting, the worrying and the dreadful wondering are over for three Americans jailed in Russia and their families. Journalists Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan are free after an extraordinary prisoner swap deal struck among the U.S., its allies and the Russian government. Nick Schifrin reports.

White House says prisoner swap took years of negotiations

4m 25s

Three Americans who were held in Russia are free after a prisoner swap between the United States, its allies and Russia. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jon Finer, President Biden's Deputy National Security Adviser.

Analyzing the implications of U.S.-Russia prisoner trade

5m 10s

High-profile Americans held in Russia were released as part of the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. Nick Schifrin discussed the larger implications of the exchange with Andrew Weiss of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department official who served in the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations.

Sister of American still held in Russia discusses his case

5m 30s

One American not released in the prisoner swap with Russia is teacher Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony in 2022. He was arrested in 2021 at a Moscow airport for carrying medically prescribed marijuana. Geoff Bennett discussed Fogel's detention with his sister, Anne Fogel.

Crews struggle to contain rapidly spreading Calif. wildfire

4m 3s

An especially active fire season is exacting a huge toll across several Western states. In California, more than 5,800 personnel, 500 fire trucks and 40 helicopters are battling a fire larger than all of Los Angeles. The Park Fire, as it’s known, is the country’s largest and has ballooned to historic proportions in just over a week. Stephanie Sy reports.

Trump digs in on attacking Harris' racial identity

3m 47s

Former President Trump is facing backlash for calling Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity into question when he addressed a Black journalists convention. That's as the vice president herself wrapped up a series of events aimed at speaking directly to Black voters. Laura Barrón-López reports.

Undecided voters on election shakeups and shifting views

6m 44s

For voters who have not firmly decided which presidential candidate to support, the events of the last month, including an assassination attempt and a new Democratic candidate, have dramatically changed the race. Lisa Desjardins connected with the type of voters likely to decide the election before and after these shakeups.

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