PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E63

57m 46s

Schools turn to 4-day week to cope with staffing shortfalls

5m 34s

Across the country, more school districts are making the change to a four-day school week. NewsHour Communities Correspondent Gabrielle Hays traveled to one of those districts in Missouri to see how teachers and parents are adjusting.

Political experts examine America's divisions ahead of 2024

8m 11s

All this year, Judy Woodruff has been exploring the deep divisions we see playing out every day in the country. She’s distilled much of that reporting into a special airing Tuesday night on PBS. For that, she recently sat down with a panel to talk through their concerns heading into another contentious election year. It's for her series, America at a Crossroads.

Why Sandra Day O'Connor fought to end elections of judges

7m 12s

Sandra Day O'Connor, who died in December at 93, will lie in repose Monday at the Supreme Court. The retired justice of the nation’s highest court spent her last active years working to end the election of judges, which she saw as incompatible with an independent judiciary. John Yang speaks with Rebecca Love Kourlis, a former Colorado Supreme Court justice, to learn more.

What to know about upcoming changes to FAFSA

6m 42s

The road to college financial aid usually begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. After years of delays, a new version of the form will be released at the end of December. While it promises increased access to aid, the delays could put universities and students in a bind. The Washington Post’s Danielle Douglas-Gabriel joins John Yang to discuss what’s changed and why.

How Arizona is responding to a record surge of migrants

6m 8s

White House officials and Senate Republicans resumed talks Sunday aimed at a deal on new border security measures. A record number of migrants on the southern border could push President Biden to consider restrictions he’s previously denounced. John Yang speaks with Arizona Public Media’s Danyelle Khmara for a look at the situation on the border.

The issues driving a growing rift in the Catholic Church

7m 30s

Efforts by Pope Francis to make the Catholic Church more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people and women, alongside urging vaccination against COVID, have been creating a growing chasm between the Vatican and traditionalist American Catholics. David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

The risks and rewards of ketamine as prescriptions surge

6m 24s

A coroner’s finding that actor Matthew Perry died from “acute effects” of ketamine is drawing new attention to the drug, a powerful anesthetic intended for use during surgery that has also become a popular treatment for chronic pain and mental health conditions. John Yang speaks with epidemiologist Dr. Caleb Alexander to learn more about a rise in ketamine prescriptions and its effects and risks.

Meet Northwestern’s 1st class of incarcerated graduates

6m 13s

The men in Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program have been called many things — mostly inmates. But these residents of a maximum security state prison in Illinois have been adding new titles: student, scholar, author, and now, college graduate. Chicago PBS member station WTTW’s Brandis Friedman reports.

Israeli forces mistakenly shoot and kill 3 hostages in Gaza

2m 51s

There is a fresh tragedy in the war between Israel and Hamas. Israeli troops mistakenly shot and killed three hostages Friday in Gaza City. That news came as Israel kept up an unrelenting bombardment of Gaza and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan pressed them to curtail the combat. Amna Nawaz reports.

Military experts discuss Israel's use of unguided bombs

7m 23s

According to reports from CNN and The Washington Post, the U.S. intelligence community believes that up to 45 percent of the bombs Israel has dropped in Gaza were unguided, a tactic that Israel’s military has defended. Geoff Bennett discusses those weapons with retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula and Marc Garlasco, former chief of high value targeting at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Giuliani ordered to pay for defamation of election workers

4m 19s

A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former campaign attorney, to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers for distress caused by lies he spread following the 2020 election. Geoff Bennett discussed the case with NPR's Miles Park.

Critics discuss their favorite books of 2023

8m 26s

With the holidays upon us, you may be hunting for gifts for book lovers in your life. To help narrow down the list, Jeffrey Brown speaks to two NewsHour regulars for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

How medical providers navigate shifts in reproductive rights

6m 34s

The Supreme Court will weigh in on reproductive rights again as the justices agreed to hear a case about access to mifepristone for medication abortions. The court's decisions have immediate, real-life implications and put medical providers on the frontlines of interpreting legal language while caring for their patients. Amna Nawaz discussed that with Dr. Amna Dermish, an OB-GYN based in Texas.

Report gives inside look at decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

4m 40s

The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade upended the landscape of reproductive rights and made it a central issue in some elections. A story from The New York Times explains some of the internal dynamics of the court, from how the justices decided to hear the case, to how the decision was drafted and when it was ultimately handed down. Geoff Bennett discussed the report with Jodi Kantor.

Brooks and Marcus on impact of Biden impeachment inquiry

11m 56s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the $148 million verdict against Rudy Giuliani, the debate in Congress over Ukraine aid and border security, the House's formal step toward impeaching President Biden and where the GOP race stand with the Iowa caucus less than 30 days away.

How some evangelicals are combating political radicalization

8m 4s

Evangelical Christian leaders have sounded the alarm in recent years about problems of polarization and radicalization in their churches. Laura Barrón-López spoke to one pastor trying to shift the conversation.

Putin vows to press on with Ukraine invasion despite losses

9m 4s

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first press conference that included international media in more than two years and insisted that he would continue to wage war in Ukraine until all his goals were met. Much of what he had to say bears directly on how the U.S. and Europe help Ukraine going forward. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Thomas Graham of the Council on Foreign Relations.

News Wrap: Authorities arrest 7 accused of plotting attack

3m 25s

In our news wrap Thursday, authorities in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands arrested seven people accused of plotting terror attacks, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a defense policy bill today worth $886 billion, Kenya's military intensified efforts to evacuate hundreds of people trapped by flooding and retail sales rebounded in November in a surprise start to the holiday shopping season.

Israel says war will continue 'more than several months'

3m 14s

With global pressure on Israel growing over the war in Gaza, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top lieutenants Thursday. U.S. criticism of Israel's operations, which have killed more than 18,000 people, is growing, but Netanyahu said after the meeting that Israel would continue until "absolute victory." William Brangham reports.

What needs to happen to pass Ukraine aid, border funding

5m 59s

In a sign that a deal on border security and Ukraine funding could still emerge by Christmas, the U.S. Senate is staying in town next week instead of going on its scheduled recess. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins and White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López discuss Thursday's developments.

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