PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E55

57m 46s

The scope and potential pitfalls of Trump's spending cuts

6m 15s

Among President-elect Trump’s promises for his second term is a pledge to slash federal spending. He appointed Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech company founder, to run an advisory commission. This week, the pair said they’re aiming to cut $500 million in annual spending, but there are big questions about that. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Maya MacGuineas.

Brooks and Capehart on Trump’s anti-institutionalist Cabinet

10m 30s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including President-elect Trump's initial pick to serve as attorney general backs out of consideration and other controversies surrounding Trump’s potential Cabinet.

Boys forced into gangs, girls face sexual abuse in Haiti

10m 17s

Gang warfare in Haiti has displaced about 700,000 people, more than half of them are children. The fighting has sent poverty and hunger skyrocketing and children are caught between the gangs and their tenuous futures. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs and videographer Eric O'Connor report. A warning, accounts of abuse and sexual violence in this story may disturb viewers.

Gaetz ends AG bid amid sex trafficking allegations

5m 33s

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the running as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz fueled intense scrutiny, threatening his chances of being confirmed. Laura Barrón-López reports.

World’s top war crimes court issues warrants for Netanyahu

5m 11s

The world’s top war crimes court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court said they committed crimes against humanity for intentionally depriving Gazans of food and directing attacks against civilians. Israel called it an anti-semitic attack on democracies trying to defend themselves from terrorism. Nick Schifrin reports.

Sen. Brown says Democrats must focus on workers to win

10m 20s

With Republicans winning the White House and both chambers of Congress, there's been much discussion within the Democratic Party about what went wrong and what it should do to win back voters. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio is one of the incumbents who came up short this year and has argued the party needs to do more to champion the issues of the working class. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss more.

Trump team defies norms of presidential transfers of power

5m 48s

As President-elect Trump prepares for a return to the White House, the aides and allies running his transition team have avoided many of the rules guiding the process. So far, the transition has not collaborated with the General Services Administration, the government agency tasked with handing power from one administration to the next. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Max Stier.

Feds push Google to sell Chrome to break search monopoly

7m 19s

The Department of Justice asked a federal judge to force Google to sell off its popular web browser, Chrome. It comes after an antitrust case this past summer that found Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search. William Brangham discussed the potential impacts both for the company and the internet with Bobby Allyn of NPR.

Osprey crash victims' families question its safety

10m 28s

The Osprey aircraft was grounded for three months across the military after a crash in Japan last November killed all eight airmen on board. That crash was the fourth by an Osprey in the last two years. The military says it mitigated the problem that caused these accidents, but families of those killed are not convinced. Nick Schifrin and producer Dan Sagalyn have the story.

Ethics Committee fails to agree on releasing Gaetz findings

5m 5s

President elect-Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill Wednesday. The meetings come amid mounting pressure on the House Ethics Committee to release a report looking into several allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Claudia Grisales of NPR.

Ethics committee member says Senate needs Gaetz information

5m 36s

The House Ethics Committee largely operates in secret. Democrats and Republicans are equally represented on the panel regardless of which party is in power. They conduct investigations behind closed doors and generally avoid sharing details outside of finalized reports. The probe of former Rep. Gaetz is straining those norms. Amna Nawaz discussed more with committee member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier.

What McMahon is likely to prioritize as education secretary

6m 32s

President-elect Trump’s pick of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education is already raising alarm bells among critics who feel the role should go to someone with more experience in education. But it has also been met with praise by supporters of parental rights and school choice. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jon Valant of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution.

How gang warfare in Haiti has devastated daily life

10m 11s

Despite a UN-approved security mission that deployed in June to try and restore some order, large swaths of the country remain under gang control and violence is endemic. Special Correspondent Marcia Biggs and videographer Eric O'Connor traveled there for a look at the depth of the crisis.

Transgender Americans share concerns about rights rollback

10m 16s

President-elect Trump made rolling back transgender rights a key issue in his campaign. He promised to limit access to gender-affirming care and to prevent trans athletes from participating in school sports. His election has communities of trans people and allies fearful of widespread discrimination and a loss of health care access. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Orion Rummler of The 19th.

Leonard Cohen's music and poetry celebrated at festival

7m 3s

In death, Leonard Cohen is having a rebirth. The legendary singer is being remembered by older and younger generations alike for his timeless music. Special correspondent Mike Cerre went to the annual Leonard Cohen festival to hear why. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

A look at Dr. Oz's health care record

5m 59s

President-elect Trump has named two more people to his administration: investment banker Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The noted TV personality and heart surgeon will oversee programs that provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lev Fasher of STAT News.

Peggy Noonan explores what U.S. could be in new book

8m 24s

In her new collection of columns from The Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Peggy Noonan takes readers on a journey through the essence of our nation’s character. With her trademark blend of storytelling, historical insight and journalistic rigor, Noonan explores what unites us as a people even in divisive times. She sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss “A Certain Idea of America.”

After hurricane, Grenada demands action on climate change

7m 55s

Delegates at the U.N. climate summit are frantically trying to strike a deal that would provide as much as $1 trillion per year for developing countries to help them withstand the impact of climate change. No country is watching the talks more closely than Grenada. Hurricane Beryl, energized by warmer waters, caused catastrophic damage there in July. Special correspondent Laura Trevelyan reports.

Federal workers brace for Trump's civil service plans

10m 9s

President-elect Trump has vowed to make wide-scale changes to the federal workforce by cutting jobs, replacing career civil servants with federal appointees and relocating government offices. We hear from federal government employees across the U.S. and Laura Barrón-López reports on this key part of Trump's policy proposals.

Texas border county breaks from Democrats and votes GOP

7m 32s

Two weeks ago, many parts of the country saw dramatic political shifts to the right. Even places that were once considered democratic strongholds flipped red. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports from one such area in Texas near the southern border.

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