PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E72

57m 46s

Iranian-backed groups raise threat of wider Mideast conflict

5m 19s

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s military response in Gaza, Iranian-backed militias in the region have escalated attacks. Hezbollah and the IDF have traded barrages while the Houthis have lobbed missiles and attacked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Amna Nawaz discussed Iran’s objectives and influence with Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Arctic blast grips much of U.S. bringing brutal temperatures

2m 20s

The same deep freeze that's put Iowa on ice has millions of other Americans in its grip as well. Most of the country shivered through a long day of power outages and flight cancellations, with at least six deaths blamed on the weather. William Brangham reports.

Iowans face freezing temperatures in 1st contest of 2024

10m 33s

Republicans are enduring frigid weather to participate in the Iowa caucuses. An Arctic blast brought record-setting snowfall, powerful gusts and wind chill readings 40 degrees below zero. It choked campaigns to a near-halt at one point. When candidates did return, the storm still took center stage. Lisa Desjardins reports from West Des Moines.

Inside Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian disaster

6m 36s

Since the Taliban reclaimed control of Afghanistan in 2021, the country has plummeted further into political and economic instability. Frequent natural disasters and shortfalls in donor funding make the dire situation one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Dayne Curry, the Afghanistan country director for Mercy Corps, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

How communities are tackling a suicide crisis among farmers

9m 9s

More than 50,000 Americans took their own lives in 2023, the nation’s highest yearly rate of suicide on record. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Wisconsin on the burden farmers often deal with and what’s being done to help them.

What Iowa voters are thinking on frigid eve of 2024 caucuses

5m 43s

On the eve of the 2024 presidential election’s first contest, GOP candidates are making last-minute appeals in a bitterly cold Iowa. The National Weather Service warns of wind chills as low as 45 below zero Monday night, when Iowa Republicans are gathering for caucuses. Lisa Desjardins reports from Indianola, Iowa, with the latest updates.

The rise of impeachment as a weapon of partisan politics

7m 1s

House Republicans are pressing ahead with efforts to impeach both President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. Only one cabinet official has ever been impeached, in 1876. Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University, joins John Yang to discuss whether what was intended to be a check on presidential power has become a modern-day political weapon.

Why you may be ingesting more microplastics than you thought

6m 24s

From takeout containers to water bottles, plastic seems unavoidable in our daily lives. Now, two new studies have found that we’re eating and drinking more plastic than we might have realized. George Leonard, a co-author of one of the studies and chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy, joins John Yang to discuss the findings.

How Taiwan’s presidential pick affects relations with China

6m 48s

The results of Saturday’s Taiwanese presidential election has big implications for both Beijing and Washington. President-elect Lai Ching-te, who is also known as William Lai, rejects China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan. Ali Rogin speaks with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, the China reporter for Axios based in Taiwan, about the election and what to expect next.

Brooks and Capehart on Iowa expectations, Biden's campaign

10m 8s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, the dynamics of the GOP race and expectations heading into Iowa and Democrats concerned about the Biden reelection campaign strategy.

What's at stake for China and U.S. in Taiwan's elections

6m 23s

In Taiwan, voters head to the polls on Saturday for presidential and parliamentary elections. The results will be as closely watched in Beijing and Washington as they will be in Taipei. China considers Taiwan a breakaway republic, and President Xi Jinping often speaks of reunification with the island. Nick Schifrin looks at the candidates and the stakes for the vote.

New COVID variant responsible for latest wave of infections

6m 55s

The U.S. and other parts of the world are in the midst of another COVID-19 wave. Infections and hospitalizations are on the rise this winter and a new variant is responsible for most of those cases. John Yang discussed these current trends and if the approach to the virus needs to change with Dr. Eric Topol.

Iowa 'kingmaker' on the GOP race and white evangelical vote

8m 54s

The Iowa caucuses are now just three days away, which means the candidates are making their final pitches to a coveted group of voters: white evangelicals. Bob Vander Plaats is perhaps Iowa’s most recognizable and influential evangelical leader and is often called a kingmaker in Iowa politics. Lisa Desjardins sat down with him in Des Moines to discuss the GOP race.

UN agency describes dire humanitarian situation in Gaza

5m 49s

Friday marks 97 days of the war in Gaza and the humanitarian toll on its population has been devastating. According to the U.N., 90 percent of Gazans are displaced, more than one in four are starving and there’s not a single hospital in the strip that is fully functional. Ali Rogin spoke with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency to get an update from the ground in Gaza.

How U.S. strikes on Houthis could alter Middle East conflict

5m 23s

The U.S. strikes against Houthis in Yemen mark a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The world is now waiting to see whether the strikes will accomplish their goal to stop the Houthis from harassing ships in the Red Sea or raise the risk of a wider conflict. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Houthis vow revenge after U.S. and U.K. airstrikes in Yemen

3m 17s

Houthi militants in Yemen promised retaliation after U.S. and U.K. airstrikes. U.S. officials said the strikes were not intended to widen the war in Gaza, despite Houthi claims that their missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea were designed to target Israeli-affiliated shipping. As Nick Schifrin reports, the U.S. said it could strike again if the Houthi campaign continues.

What the Epstein documents reveal about his sex trafficking

4m 30s

Thousands of court documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein have been made public as part of a settled lawsuit involving one of his victims. The records detail Epstein’s sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls and include the names of 150 people who were in contact with him. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Julie K. Brown, author of “Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story.”

A Brief But Spectacular take on dance as activism

2m 49s

Joya Powell is an award winning choreographer, activist and educator whose work focuses on community and the African diaspora. She is the founder of Movement of the People Dance Company, a group that addresses socio-cultural injustices through dance. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on dance as activism.

Experts give views on genocide accusations against Israel

12m 43s

Before an international court, South Africa is accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. So how strong is the case and what will be Israel's defense when it presents its side on Friday? Nick Schifrin has two views from Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, and Yuval Shany, chair of international law at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

South Africa accuses Israel of genocide at top UN court

4m 39s

The International Court of Justice in The Hague heard arguments from South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It's a rare case and could drag on for years. But as Nick Schifrin reports, South Africa is requesting a preliminary ruling, which could have far-ranging implications for Israel and the United States.

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