PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E126

57m 46s

Christopher Rufo on his push to scrutinize higher education

9m 12s

President Trump is pushing for more control at dozens of colleges and universities, he says to promote free speech, end “wokeism” and clamp down on antisemitism. But many schools are opposing the efforts. Conservative activist Christopher Rufo has been instrumental in triggering the wider response and big changes from the administration. Amna Nawaz spoke with him for our series, On Democracy.

Trump's Cabinet praises policies that have sparked pushback

4m 4s

President Donald Trump crossed the 100-day mark Tuesday with a late-night rally and a heated primetime interview where he defended his controversial mass deportations. Wednesday, he held a roundtable meeting with his Cabinet, who spent much of it touting their own records over the past few months. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.

A look at the partnership between Vietnam and the U.S.

11m 32s

Vietnam marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the unification of the country under Communist rule after decades of war. From the ashes, the U.S. and Vietnam now enjoy close relations, due in no small part to American veterans who sought to revive a country they once helped destroy. Nick Schifrin reports.

News Wrap: Judge releases Columbia protester Mohsen Mahdawi

3m 39s

In our news wrap Wednesday, a federal judge released Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi who led protests against the war in Gaza while a student at Columbia University, a derecho killed three people in Pennsylvania, Israel is asking for international aid as it battles wildfires near Jerusalem and Hawaii increased a tax on hotels and other accommodations to help fight climate change.

Sen. Slotkin says Democrats need to get 'Alpha energy'

7m 6s

As Democrats grapple with President Trump’s first 100 days in office, they also contend with a minority in both the House and Senate. Looking ahead at the long road to the 2026 midterm elections, some Democrats are hoping to shape the party’s messaging and platform well before then. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been laying out her strategy and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss it further.

Economists offer views on Trump's tariffs and trade war

11m 41s

President Trump has made a bold gamble with a fundamental change in economic policy by launching tough tariffs. He argues they will revitalize manufacturing, reduce the national debt and grow the economy. Amna Nawaz has differing perspectives on Trump's claims from Oren Cass of the conservative think tank American Compass and economist Jason Furman, who served as an adviser under President Obama.

Alberto Gonzales on Trump’s willingness to test law's limits

6m 32s

Alberto Gonzales served stints as attorney general and White House counsel under the George W. Bush administration and is now the dean of Belmont University’s law school. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the rule of law and President Trump’s apparent willingness to test its limits. It's part of our series, On Democracy.

Supreme Court hears publicly-funded religious school case

7m 34s

Oklahoma's charter school board approved the creation of a Catholic virtual school in 2023, establishing the nation’s first publicly-funded religious charter school. Oklahoma's Supreme Court blocked it, saying it violated the state constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case on Wednesday and John Yang discussed the arguments with News Hour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.

How Mark Carney led Canada's Liberal Party to election win

10m 4s

Canada's Liberal Party secured a fourth consecutive term after a narrow win in an election that was seen as one of the most consequential in its recent history. Prime Minister Mark Carney flipped his party's fortunes with a campaign focused on combating President Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation. Nick Schifrin discussed the result with Shachi Kurl of the Angus Reid Institute.

Why Trump softened some tariffs on automotive industry

5m 59s

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at softening the blow his tariffs have imposed on the automotive industry and U.S. manufacturers. But tensions with China remain high and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a video saying it would not back down from the trade war with the U.S. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Gavin Bade of The Wall Street Journal.

Where Trump's approval rating stands after 100 days

5m 45s

It has been 100 days since President Trump was inaugurated for his second term in office. The mark is a modern measuring point for administrations and few have seen more action in the first three months than in this White House. But how are the American people taking it in? Lisa Desjardins has insights from the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.

News Wrap: Harvard to review academic offerings and policies

6m 33s

In our news wrap Tuesday, Harvard announced it will review academic offerings and policies in response to internal reports about antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, the Senate confirmed David Perdue as the U.S. ambassador to China and the Trump administration dismissed many of former President Biden's nominees to the board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Salazar pushes citizenship path for undocumented migrants

9m 2s

As new stories of migrants deported without due process garner fresh headlines, the Trump administration continues to defend its actions in court. But there’s little to no apparent momentum for immigration reform on Capitol Hill. GOP Rep. Maria Salazar of Miami is one of the loudest voices for reshaping immigration law on either side of the aisle and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.

Analyzing Trump's immigration agenda in his first 100 days

6m 6s

President Trump ran on closing the border and made promises about mass deportations of millions of immigrants. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López and David Bier of the Cato Institute discussed the first 100 days of the Trump administration enforcing his immigration policies.

PBS CEO on the impact of cutting public media funding

8m 29s

The Trump administration is expected to ask Congress to rescind more than $1 billion of funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the congressionally-created body through which NPR and PBS get federal funding, including for this program. The CPB is also suing the administration saying it illegally fired three members of the board. Amna Nawaz discussed more with PBS CEO Paula Kerger.

People with disabilities discuss impact of Medicaid cuts

10m 19s

Congress is back in D.C. with plans to move forward on a budget framework that could include cuts to Medicaid. About one in three people with disabilities is enrolled in the program which helps them access health care and live independently in their communities. Stephanie Sy reports and we hear from people with disabilities and their caretakers about what Medicaid means to them.

White House touts first 100 days of immigration crackdown

3m 9s

On the eve of President Trump’s first 100 days in office, the White House put the spotlight on his tough stance on immigration. But new poll numbers out this week also give the administration a tough pill to swallow, showing a majority of Americans are not happy with how he's handling the job so far. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Children who are citizens deported with mothers, lawyers say

4m 47s

Nearing 100 days in office, the Trump administration continues to push further on its immigration crackdown by deporting families and targeting sanctuary cities. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports on three deported American citizens.

News Wrap: Massive power outage hits in Spain and Portugal

7m 34s

In our news wrap Monday, a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal brought daily life for millions to a complete standstill, the Vatican announced the conclave to elect a new pope will start on May 7, Houthi rebels say at least 68 people are dead after an alleged U.S. airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants and Canadian voters are deciding who will be the nation's next prime minister.

Russia offers temporary ceasefire, Ukraine wants longer deal

5m 26s

The Kremlin offered a short-term ceasefire in Ukraine to start next week. The U.S., Ukraine and European allies have all been pushing Moscow to accept an immediate month-long ceasefire. Meantime, Russian forces appear to be slowly gaining ground in areas that could end up as part of a land swap. Nick Schifrin reports.

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