PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch Latest: S2024 E324

57m 46s

How Trump's alleged hush money payments led to his charges

7m 58s

Donald Trump’s defense team rested its case Tuesday in the trial brought against the former president by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Next week, both sides will make their closing statements to the jury and then deliberations will begin. While this case is often called a hush money trial, the charges against the former president are more complicated. William Brangham explains.

Bill Maher on book reflecting on his comedy and commentary

8m 58s

Bill Maher is often a controversial figure in the world of politics and culture. He’s positioned himself as the ultimate truth-teller who takes equal pleasure in punching at the left and the right. Maher is taking stock of his decades of commentary in his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.” Geoff Bennett sat down with Maher for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Lorraine O'Grady on her long path into art world acceptance

6m 37s

Some 50 years into her career and at almost 90-years-old, artist Lorraine O'Grady has her first-ever museum retrospective at Wellesley College's Davis Museum. If that sounds like an honor delayed, much of O'Grady's career has played out with a slow burn. She looks back at her long path into art world acceptance with Jared Bowen of GBH in Boston. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Rapid AI advancements spark wonder and concern

7m 10s

Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence continue as companies roll out new products sparking wonder and concern. OpenAI unveiled its next-generation chatbot, GPT-4o, which can respond to voice, text and visual commands in real-time. Google also unveiled a new AI-powered search function. Amna Nawaz discussed these developments with Nilay Patel of The Verge and the Decoder podcast.

How Trump’s legal team is trying to ruin Cohen's credibility

4m 55s

Cross-examination wrapped up Monday for Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, who is a central witness in the hush-money trial against the former president. Trump’s lead defense lawyer portrayed Cohen as a serial liar and someone who profited by turning against his former boss. William Brangham reports.

Deaths leave Iran without key leadership at crucial moment

9m 15s

The deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister left the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. The deaths mark yet another blow to a country beset by pressures at home and abroad. Reza Sayah reports from Tehran and Amna Nawaz discusses what this means for Iran’s future with Suzanne Maloney.

Can the ICC arrest Israeli, Hamas leaders? Experts weigh in

6m 49s

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leadership. To get perspectives on this case, Geoff Bennett spoke with Adil Haque, a professor of law at Rutgers Law School, and Yuval Shany, the chair of international law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a former chair of the U.N. Human Rights Committee.

ICC seeks war crimes charges for Israeli and Hamas leaders

2m 58s

In an unprecedented announcement, the International Criminal Court said it was seeking warrants to arrest the leaders of Hamas and the elected leadership of Israel on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. President Biden called it “outrageous” and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called it “blood libel.” But prosecutor Karim Khan defended his decision. Nick Schifrin reports.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on GOP leaders at Trump's trial

8m 52s

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including Republican allies continue to make appearances at the courthouse to show their support for Trump and why Democrats wanted an early presidential debate.

‘Stop the Steal’ flag at Alito’s home raises concerns

7m 6s

The lie that President Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election, which led to the violent January 6 insurrection, is alive and well. This week, we learned that a “Stop the Steal” flag was flying at the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January of 2021. The New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor joined Laura Barrón-López to discuss.

The dangers of Lyme disease

6m 51s

As many as 476,000 people in the U.S. contract Lyme disease each year, according to the CDC. For most people, symptoms go away after two to four weeks of antibiotics, but five to 10 percent of patients have debilitating, long-term symptoms. To discuss, Ali Rogin is joined by Lindsay Keys, who’s been battling the disease for years, all while advocating for more awareness and research.

The impact of reversing Roe

6m 40s

It's been nearly two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the federal right to abortion. Shefali Luthra, a health reporter at The 19th News, spoke to a variety of Americans about how their lives have been upended by the court's decision for her book, "Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.” She joined Laura Barrón-López to discuss.

Popularity of Japanese comics and animations in U.S.

7m 26s

Japanese animation and comic books have exploded in popularity in the United States over the last few years. From floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to a win at this year's Oscars, the genre has seen an increasing amount of visibility in American culture. Ali Rogin reports.

Improving the U.S. transplant process

6m 55s

Nearly 115,000 people are currently waiting for a new organ. But the shortage crisis is nothing new, as 5,600 people die each year waiting for an organ. Ali Rogin spoke with Barry Friedman, the former executive director of the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, about what can be done to revamp the nation’s organ donation and transplant process.

Young Americans push for climate change education

6m 47s

As the planet warms and sea levels rise, eighty-five percent of Generation Z is concerned about climate change, according to a January Marist poll. In response, states like California, Connecticut and New Jersey are teaching kids about climate change in the classroom. Lauren Madden, a professor of elementary science education at the College of New Jersey, joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss.

Methodist pastor on shift in church over LGBTQ inclusion

8m 15s

There has been a seismic shift within the United Methodist Church after it voted to lift bans on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriages. The move led some 7,600 conservative Methodist congregations, located mostly in the South, to leave the church. Geoff Bennett discussed the changes with Rev. Valerie Jackson of Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver and the Reconciling Ministries Network.

News Wrap: Intense storms slam Houston area

8m

In our news wrap Friday, Houston and other parts of the Gulf Coast are dealing with the aftermath of intense storms, the Israeli military says troops in Gaza found the bodies of three people killed by Hamas at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, Russia carried out multiple strikes on Ukrainian territory and employees at two Mercedes facilities in Alabama voted against joining the UAW.

What's behind the record stock market highs

4m 19s

This has been a big week for the stock market. The Dow Jones, the much broader S&P 500 and the NASDAQ all reached record highs with the Dow crossing the 40,000 threshold for the first time. The markets have rallied back from the recent lows of 2022 and the Dow is about 40 percent higher than when the pandemic started. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Roben Farzad of Full Disclosure.

What led to Texas pardon of man who killed protester

5m 44s

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pardoned a man convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester in the summer of 2020. Daniel Perry was serving a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of Garrett Foster, an armed white man who was attending a racial justice protest with his Black fiancee. Abbott had faced pressure to issue the pardon from conservative media figures. Stephanie Sy reports.

'World on the Brink' argues U.S. failing to deter China

7m 2s

This week, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin inaugurated a “new era” of partnership, just before Taiwan inaugurates a new president on Monday. The new book, "World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century," argues Taiwan is at the center of China’s challenge to U.S. power and influence in Asia. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Dmitri Alperovitch.

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