PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch: S2024 E320

57m 46s

Hard-hit cocoa harvests cause chocolate prices to soar

6m 45s

If you’ve shopped for chocolate recently, you may have noticed your favorite items are either smaller or more expensive, or sometimes both. The price of cocoa — the key ingredient in chocolate — is the highest it’s ever been after nearly doubling in the last four months. As Ali Rogin reports, this worldwide shortage has been years in the making.

How a super-active sun can affect electronics on Earth

6m 48s

To most people, the sun is a steady, never-changing source of heat and light. But to scientists, it’s a dynamic star, constantly in flux, sending energy out into space. Experts say the sun is now in its most active period in two decades, causing potential disruptions to radio and satellite communications. John Yang speaks with Bill Murtagh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to learn more.

‘H Is for Hope’ explores the landscape of climate change

6m 25s

Data shows that global levels of the three main heat-trapping greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — all reached record highs in 2023 for the second year in the row, and experts say there’s no end in sight. But a new book, ‘H Is for Hope,’ says there is reason for hope in the fight against climate change. William Brangham speaks with its author, Elizabeth Kolbert.

How Noboa’s fight against violence in Ecuador is playing out

7m 12s

Not long ago, Ecuador was a beacon of stability in a region known for political unrest and drug trafficking. But now, it’s become one of Latin America’s most violent countries amid a rise in organized crime. Many Ecuadorians are looking to President Daniel Noboa to turn things around. Carolina Jimenez Sandoval, president of the Washington Office on Latin America, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

What to know about the FTC’s ban on noncompete agreements

6m 48s

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that about 1 in 5 American workers are restricted by so-called noncompete agreements with their employers. The agency voted this week to bar companies from using such clauses to keep employees from taking a new job with a competitor or starting a competing business. John Yang speaks with The Hill’s business and lobbying reporter Taylor Giorno to learn more.

Israelis mark Passover amid conflict, loss and trauma

6m 37s

This week, Jews around the world are observing Passover, the festival of liberation that marks the historic exodus from ancient Egypt. But this year, joy is tempered with loss and trauma. More than 160,000 Israelis will mark the holiday while displaced from their homes. Still, others have empty chairs at the dinner table as their loved ones are still held captive by Hamas. Ali Rogin reports.

North Koreans forced to work in China's seafood factories

7m 34s

In the interconnected, globalized economy, goods produced in one nation end up on shelves and in stores halfway around the world. Some American companies have recently come under scrutiny for alleged links to forced labor. William Brangham spoke with Ian Urbina, the journalist behind a new investigation documenting the forced labor behind Chinese seafood that ends up on American plates.

Jon Bon Jovi on docuseries capturing band's highs and lows

8m 14s

Few musical acts have enjoyed the success and long run of the legendary band Bon Jovi. A revealing new documentary series on Hulu tracks the highs and lows of the Grammy Award-winning band’s four decades together. Geoff Bennett spoke with frontman Jon Bon Jovi about “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Brooks and Capehart on Supreme Court and immunity for Trump

11m 31s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including legal cases involving former Donald Trump and associates playing out in state courts, the Supreme Court and the court of public opinion, as foreign aid begins to arrive in Ukraine and the Middle East, protests boil over on campuses across the U.S.

How Gaza protests compare to demonstrations of the past

11m

As protests of Israel’s war in Gaza spread to campuses across the country, some see parallels between today’s demonstrations and college protests of the past. Amna Nawaz discussed that with University of Texas history professor Steven Mintz and professor and historian at the City University of New York, Angus Johnston.

New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction

5m 56s

New York's highest court overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, a stunning reversal in the landmark case of the #MeToo movement. The court said the judge's decision to allow witnesses to claim Weinstein assaulted them, but not include those allegations in the charges, precluded Weinstein from having a fair trial. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Jodi Kantor of The New York Times.

Protests against war in Gaza spread across college campuses

9m 28s

Campus protests are continuing to grow across the U.S. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested over the past several days at multiple schools. The protests have also reached Vanderbilt University where dozens of students have faced suspension, expulsion and even arrest for their participation. Amna Nawaz discussed Vanderbilt's approach with Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.

Analyzing Supreme Court hearing on Trump's immunity claim

9m 13s

The Supreme Court heard debate over one of its most consequential cases, whether a former president is immune from prosecution for actions taken while in office. Arguments were heard on an appeal brought by Donald Trump, who’s being prosecuted for attempting to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. John Yang discussed more with William Brangham and Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.

Book reveals Barbara Walters' personal cost of success

6m 45s

Barbara Walters became an icon of the industry, rising through the ranks to become one of the country’s first and most successful female television journalists. But her enormous professional success often came at great personal cost. It’s the focus of a revealing new book, “The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters.” Amna Nawaz discussed more with author Susan Page.

Emissions rules could hasten coal power plant retirements

6m 34s

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a long-awaited set of regulations regarding proposed limits on fossil-fueled power plant emissions. But these new rules could mean the end of the coal industry as a source of electricity generated in the United States. Stephanie Sy discussed these rules and the reactions to them with Jennifer Dlouhy, Bloomberg’s energy and environmental reporter.

Kharkiv's children continue education below ground

7m 28s

In recent weeks, Russia has ramped up its airstrikes on Kharkiv. The eastern Ukrainian city has already faced nonstop bombings since Russia's full-scale invasion started more than two years ago. This latest campaign has left the 1.3 million residents of Ukraine’s second-largest city worried about what comes next as the war reaches a critical juncture. Amna Nawaz reports.

Father's fight for change persists 25 years after Columbine

6m 9s

It’s been 25 years since 12 students and one teacher were killed in the Columbine massacre in Littleton, Colorado. It was the largest mass killing at a high school in U.S. history at the time. But since then, school shootings have grown to higher levels. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Tom Mauser, whose son, Daniel, was killed at Columbine that day.

Ukrainian pastors show resilience while facing persecution

9m 22s

After Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, some 20,000 Ukrainian children were forcefully transferred to Russia. As the city of Mariupol was being surrounded by Russian troops, the head of a Christian orphanage decided to take matters into his own hands to get 19 children to safety. With support from the Pulitzer Center, special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports.

Fragments of bird flu virus detected in cow's milk

5m 44s

The FDA says samples of milk taken from grocery stores have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows. But the agency says it's confident the milk in stores is safe. It suggests the virus is spreading more prevalently among dairy herds than previously thought. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo of the Pandemic Center at Brown University.

Supreme Court weighs federal law on emergency abortions

6m 30s

It was a charged atmosphere at the Supreme Court as justices heard arguments in a major abortion case. The court looked at whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide abortion care in emergencies would apply to states with strict bans. More than two dozen states ban or severely restrict abortion and six states have no health exceptions. Geoff Bennett discussed the case with Sarah Varney.

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