PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E50

57m 46s

FAFSA overhaul causes delays for students seeking aid

8m 42s

Students waiting on financial aid will have to wait even longer after the Department of Education found a calculation error on hundreds of thousands of FAFSA applications. Laura Barrón-López has reaction from students questioning when and if they will get aid and discusses the problem with Ted Mitchell of the American Council on Education.

U.S. presents alternative to Israel’s plan to assault Rafah

3m 52s

At the Pentagon Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin presented an alternative vision to Israel’s stated plan to assault Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than one million Gazans have fled. The discussion between Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant came as negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage release hit an apparent impasse. Nick Schifrin reports.

Abortion pill access at stake in Supreme Court case

6m 43s

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a major case that could further limit when and how women in America can get an abortion. The case centers on access to the most widely used abortion pill mifepristone. It's the latest in the ongoing legal battle over reproductive rights. William Brangham discussed the arguments with NewsHour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.

Families slip into poverty after child tax credit expires

10m 16s

During the pandemic, lawmakers dramatically, but temporarily, expanded the social safety net, including more money for families with children. The impacts of those changes are still being felt and debated to this day. Amna Nawaz and producer Sam Lane report on that for our series, America’s Safety Net.

Stephen Breyer on new book 'Reading the Constitution'

10m 30s

For as long as America has had a constitution, there's been debate over how to interpret it. That’s particularly true when it comes to hot-button Supreme Court cases. For nearly 30 years, Stephen Breyer served on the nation’s highest court, deciding on cases with ramifications still being felt across the country today. Amna Nawaz spoke with Breyer about his new book, “Reading the Constitution."

Tamara Keith and Susan Page on Trump's legal issues

6m 58s

NPR’s Tamara Keith and USA Today's Susan Page join William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including Trump getting a reprieve and a trial date, Congress steps back from the brink but that might have triggered another speaker fight and the Supreme Court takes up abortion, again.

Fate of abortion pill mifepristone goes before Supreme Court

7m 48s

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday over whether to restrict access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions. The case will be the first the court has heard on abortion since it overturned Roe v. Wade. Special Correspondent Sarah Varney reports on what's at stake.

Trump hush money trial set for April 15

5m 11s

The first criminal trial of former President Donald Trump is set to begin in April after a judge rejected Trump’s claims of prosecutorial misconduct. That comes as a New York appeals court reduced the amount he needs to post in bond for a nearly $300 million civil fraud ruling and granted him 10 more days to secure that money. William Brangham discussed the latest with Andrea Bernstein of NPR.

Rift between U.S., Israel widens over cease-fire resolution

4m 46s

There is a public break between the United States and Israel after the U.S. refused to veto a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of changing its policy on the war in Gaza and canceled a planned visit of his top aides to Washington. Nick Schifrin reports on the latest developments.

How 2024 election could shape the future of abortion rights

6m 34s

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a case challenging FDA rules that make it easier to get mifepristone, the medication that accounts for more than half of all U.S. abortions. John Yang speaks with legal historian Mary Ziegler about the role executive branch agencies can play in a post-Roe world and the potential consequences of the 2024 election for reproductive rights.

How the Israel-Hamas war has devastated education in Gaza

6m 2s

The World Health Organization says the future of an entire generation in Gaza is at risk, with children dying of the effects of malnutrition and disease. Another casualty is Gaza’s education system — more than 800 schools are estimated to have been bombed or destroyed in five months of war between Israel and Hamas. David Skinner from Save the Children joins William Brangham to discuss.

Intense fighting in the Congo sparks fear of regional war

6m 12s

Violent conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening the humanitarian crisis there, the World Health Organization warned this past week. As armed rebels close in on Goma, hospitals are overwhelmed and hundreds of thousands civilians have been displaced. Now, there are fears of a wider regional conflict. John Yang speaks with Jason Stearns to learn more about the situation.

Why D.C.’s beloved Stumpy is seeing its final peak bloom

2m 16s

An annual, celebrated event took place this past week in Washington, D.C., and it didn’t have anything to do with politics. It’s known as peak bloom, the day 70 percent of blossoms are open on Washington’s iconic cherry trees around the Tidal Basin. But for 158 of the trees, this year will be their last bloom. John Yang reports.

What we know so far about the deadly terror attack in Russia

9m 4s

Russian President Putin has vowed to punish those responsible for the terror attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people. In the capital, people are remembering the dead after one of the worst acts of terror in Russia in decades. Journalist Michael Weiss joins John Yang to discuss the Islamic State branch that claimed responsibility for the attack and Putin’s response.

Immigrant workers face harsh conditions on U.S. dairy farms

7m 8s

Advocates of legal immigration say foreign-born workers have long been a key factor in U.S. economic growth. But are they sharing in the benefits of their contributions? For more than a year, ProPublica has been investigating the harsh realities of life for immigrant workers on Midwest dairy farms. John Yang speaks with ProPublica reporter Melissa Sanchez about what she’s found.

How a small Wisconsin city is responding to a migrant surge

5m 38s

Complications resulting from an influx of migrants aren’t limited to big cities like New York and Chicago. PBS Wisconsin’s Nathan Denzin went to the small city of Whitewater in southern Wisconsin and reports on the effects there.

Brooks and Capehart on latest round of chaos in the House

10m 4s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including House Republicans facing yet another fight over who will lead their conference, Donald Trump's trouble finding money to cover bond for his civil fraud penalty and the tensions between the Biden administration and Israel's government.

Lenny Kravitz on individualism and his unique sound

8m 32s

Lenny Kravitz has been busy. He has a new single out Friday from his album set for release in May, an international tour planned for this summer and earlier this month, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Geoff Bennett spoke with Kravitz in Los Angeles and visited some of his old haunts. It's for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Transplant of pig kidney into human marks medical milestone

6m 53s

In a historic first, a kidney from a genetically modified pig was successfully transplanted into a human. Researchers hope for more of this kind of transplant because there aren’t enough human organs for the thousands in need. But putting animal tissue into a human is complicated. William Brangham discussed that with Dr. Leonardo Riella of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Muslim judge nominated to appeals court faces roadblock

7m 52s

President Biden’s nomination of the first Muslim American to a federal appeals court appears to be in peril. Adeel Mangi is a veteran litigator unanimously rated “well qualified” by the American Bar Association, but he’s faced attacks from Republican senators. The White House calls it an Islamophobic smear campaign. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with former federal judge Timothy Lewis.

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