PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch: S2024 E318

57m 46s

Historian discusses Supreme Court's immunity decision

6m 6s

The Supreme Court's landmark decision on former President Trump's immunity from some legal prosecution has the potential to transform the powers of the presidency. Jeffrey Brown and Heather Cox Richardson of Boston College discussed how the ruling fits with history.

Israel launches new assault on Khan Younis

7m 34s

Israel launched air strikes into Khan Younis overnight, a part of Gaza it had already assaulted and left a few weeks ago. A ground operation now seems likely. It's not the first time Israeli forces claimed to clear Hamas from an area, only to return weeks or months later. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Daniel Byman, author of "A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism."

Grateful Dead drummer on the role rhythm plays in his art

6m 6s

Prominent musicians from George Gershwin and Miles Davis to John Lennon were also crossover artists in another medium. The Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is now on that list. He's combining his music and paint and fans are flocking to see his art. Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

A Brief But Spectacular take on dreaming of home

3m 19s

Priyanka Mattoo is an L.A.-based writer and filmmaker whose new memoir, "Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones," chronicles her peripatetic search for home, from Kashmir to England to Saudi Arabia to Michigan to Rome and, finally, to Los Angeles. She gives her Brief But Spectacular take on dreaming of home.

History of reality TV chronicled in new book 'Cue the Sun!'

8m 30s

Reality TV dominates television today. It’s estimated that almost 80 percent of adult viewers watch reality TV shows. But how did we get here? Amna Nawaz spoke with Emily Nussbaum, author of the new book, “Cue the Sun!” that traces the rise of reality television and its broader impact on society.

Oklahoma education head on mandating the Bible in schools

6m 48s

A new directive from Oklahoma’s top education official requires all public schools to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments. It comes weeks after Louisiana mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Ryan Walters, the author of the order and Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public education.

Hezbollah strikes on Israel raise fears of full-fledged war

6m 12s

A drone fired from Hezbollah injured 18 Israeli soldiers over the weekend. It's adding to fears that a full-fledged war could break out. More than 60,000 Israelis are still evacuated from the northern border with Lebanon and Secretary of State Blinken said Israel had “effectively lost its sovereignty” there. Nick Schifrin reports.

French far-right wins big in 1st round of snap elections

6m 6s

France is closer than ever in its modern history to being governed by the far-right. Parliamentary elections are the country’s most consequential in decades and will have implications across Europe and for the United States. Nick Schifrin discussed the first round of voting and what comes next with Celia Belin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on calls for Biden to step aside

8m 43s

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 the fallout from the debate for President Biden and the Democratic Party and Supreme Court rulings benefiting Donald Trump.

Biden allies defend his place as Democratic nominee

2m 31s

The debate over the debate continues. The weekend did little to settle concerns inside the Democratic Party after President Biden's widely-panned debate performance. Questions about whether the president should step aside have only intensified. Amna Nawaz reports.

Supreme Court immunity ruling reshapes presidential power

8m 8s

In one of the most anticipated rulings of the year, the Supreme Court declared that former President Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for any so-called “official act” taken as president, but not “unofficial ones'' taken as a candidate. Amna Nawaz discussed how the ruling reshapes presidential power with News Hour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle and William Brangham.

How climate extremes are changing the world of sports

7m 6s

Organizers of the Paris Olympics have set a lofty goal to generate less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of the last two summer games. The Olympics are not alone — across the sports world, climate change is changing the game. Jeffrey Brown reports.

Historic Midwestern floods put spotlight on aging U.S. dams

5m 51s

Across the country, new weather extremes are testing aging dams. According to the federal government’s most recent climate assessment, the number of extreme precipitation days in the Midwest has increased 45 percent since the 1950s. Del Shannon, former president of the United States Society on Dams, joins John Yang to discuss.

The hidden history of the Cold War-era Lavender Scare

7m 31s

On this final day of Pride Month, the next installment of our “Hidden Histories'' series isn’t about an individual, but a phenomenon: how the anti-communist paranoia that gripped Washington at the dawn of the Cold War led to an often-overlooked chapter in LGBTQ+ history. John Yang speaks with Marc Stein, a history professor at San Francisco State University, to learn more.

How gun violence outside of schools harms millions of kids

6m 18s

From 2014 to 2023, communities across the U.S. saw more than 188,000 shootings within 500 yards of a school, an average of 57 shootings per day, according to a new analysis by The Trace. The report found that in 2023 alone, 6 million students had a shooting occur near their school. Olga Pierce, one of the journalists who did this analysis, joins William Brangham to discuss the findings.

How climate crisis is changing family planning in Bangladesh

6m 16s

Few places in the world are suffering more from the effects of climate change than Bangladesh. Most of the country is no higher than 50 feet above sea level, making it vulnerable to severe flooding after monsoon rains. As a result, women in Bangladesh are changing the way they think about having children. John Yang speaks with Sally Dijkerman, a senior researcher for Ipas, to learn more.

The debate over public funding for religious schools

8m 16s

According to an analysis by The Washington Post, the vast majority of school voucher money nationwide is going to religious schools. John Yang speaks with Robert Enlow of EdChoice and Richard Katskee of Duke University's Appellate Litigation Clinic for two perspectives on the debate over religion in publicly supported schools.

Fact-checking the claims Biden, Trump made during the debate

5m 14s

Thursday night’s debate may be the first time millions of Americans have paid attention to the presidential race this year. They heard a lot of claims that have been familiar refrains on the campaign trail and not all of them true. To help put it in context, Geoff Bennett spoke with Samantha Putterman of PolitiFact.

Minnesota Gov. Walz on Biden's debate performance

7m 35s

After President Biden’s debate performance, there has been discussion among Democrats about whether Biden should be the nominee. To discuss the fallout, Amna Nawaz spoke with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a surrogate for the president’s campaign.

The fallout from a debate full of fumbles and falsehoods

8m 55s

Over a 90-minute presidential debate, former President Trump repeatedly made false claims and President Biden repeatedly struggled to dispel concerns about his age. It opened new concerns over the stakes of a possible Trump presidency and sparked discussion about whether Biden should be his party's nominee. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.

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