PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

Millions of Americans turn to PBS for the solid, reliable reporting that has made PBS News Hour one of the most trusted news programs in television.

Watch: S2025 E50

57m 46s

Mass firings sweep federal agencies amid court challenges

2m 59s

Courtrooms across the country are hearing challenges to President Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest as the administration defends itself in five separate cases.

News Wrap: Key instruction missed before DC crash, NTSB says

5m 11s

In our news wrap Friday, NTSB investigators shared new details about the moments before last month’s deadly aircraft collision in D.C., a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to lift its funding freeze on foreign aid, Hamas named three more Israeli hostages it plans to release Saturday, and heavy rains caused mudslides in Los Angeles.

Brooks and Capehart on Trump’s challenge to the judiciary

9m 33s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the ongoing challenge to constitutional guardrails and the position of the United States on the global stage.

Vance lectures European allies on democracy at Munich summit

5m 2s

In Munich on Friday, Vice President Vance met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and with German political leaders, including the head of the far-right AfD party. The latter meeting came after Vance critiqued America’s European allies at the Munich Security Conference, which is usually focused on Western adversaries. Nick Schifrin reports on the latest.

EU official on future of Ukraine amid shifting U.S. support

6m 12s

Europeans have been receiving mixed messages on Ukraine from the Trump administration all week. Ukraine’s defenders say Russia is not serious about peace, pointing to a Russian drone that hit a radiation shield protecting the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Friday. Nick Schifrin speaks with Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, for more.

Constitutional scholar discusses Trump’s executive authority

7m 22s

The first weeks of the Trump administration have brought dramatic changes to the shape, scope and function of the federal government. Geoff Bennett speaks with constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro about President Trump’s expanded view of executive authority for our new series, On Democracy.

Jane Austen fans honor novelist 250 years after her birth

7m 42s

This year, fans of the British romantic novelist Jane Austen are celebrating 250 years since her birth. In her homeland of England, residents are expecting a tourist boom. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Senegal group finds success in stopping genital mutilation

8m 38s

It's a taboo topic and an age-old practice across several countries and religious traditions in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. An estimated 230 million women and girls are subjected to genital mutilation. One group in Senegal has had success in getting thousands of communities to abandon the practice. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports. A warning, this story has references some may find disturbing.

Krugman on political attitudes changing with economic shifts

7m 55s

We're getting a look at how the public mood and political attitudes have changed over time thanks to economic shifts and dislocation. Paul Solman sat down with Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman to discuss polarization, globalization and the potential financial risks ahead.

What Trump voters think about his first weeks in office

8m 23s

There's new insight into a group of voters that helped swing the 2024 presidential race, those who voted for Democrats in prior elections but for Donald Trump this November. The analysis comes from recent focus groups conducted by Republican strategist Sarah Longwell. She joined Geoff Bennett to discuss what led these voters to shift political allegiances.

Tariffs would raise inflation and cost U.S. jobs, Zandi says

6m 27s

President Trump ramped up his trade battles with countries around the world today after he announced a plan for new reciprocal tariffs that could take effect this spring. The tariffs would match the tax rates that other countries charge on American-made imports. Amna Nawaz discussed the concerns and questions about the president's goals with Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

McMahon pressed on Trump's plans for Education Department

6m 5s

It was a big day for President Trump's team and some of his most controversial choices. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Kash Patel took a big step forward on his way to be the next FBI director. Meantime, Linda McMahon was pressed about Trump's plans for the Department of Education during her confirmation hearing. Lisa Desjardins reports.

News Wrap: Indian PM Modi visits White House

7m 17s

In our news wrap Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited the White House hours after President Trump signed a plan to impose "reciprocal" tariffs on many of America's trading partners, a federal judge paused Trump's executive order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth and Hamas said it will release three Israeli hostages on Saturday allowing the ceasefire with Israel to hold.

European allies demand Ukraine support, seat at negotiations

6m 52s

European leaders pushed back against what they describe as concessions and shifts by the Trump administration on Ukraine. On Wednesday, President Trump discussed ceasefire negotiations with Putin while his defense secretary doubted Ukraine’s future in NATO. Ukrainian and European officials are demanding continued support and a seat at the negotiating table. Nick Schifrin reports from Munich.

Musk's influence grows as Trump hands him more power

6m 19s

President Trump handed more power over to Elon Musk on Tuesday, giving his team oversight over hiring decisions across every government agency. Musk has also continued to post misleading or false accusations against government agencies on his social media platform X, despite his government and private sector work potentially serving as a conflict of interest. Laura Barrón-López reports.

Trump's vision for dismantling the Department of Education

6m 11s

The Department of Education is on the Trump chopping block. Details have not been fully released yet, but the president has signaled plans to dismantle it and move some of its key functions elsewhere. The department oversees student loans, federal funds for lower-income students, special education programs and more. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Laura Meckler of The Washington Post.

Hegseth tells NATO Ukraine membership unlikely

4m 15s

President Trump spoke to the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and announced that talks to end the war would start immediately. Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined major U.S. shifts on Ukraine, saying Kyiv should not expect to recapture all territory occupied by Russia and that its bid for NATO membership is unrealistic at this time. Nick Schifrin reports.

Experts on what U.S. policy shifts on Ukraine mean for NATO

8m 11s

It was a day of major diplomacy and policy statements from the Trump administration about the war in Ukraine. Amna Nawaz has two perspectives on the developments from Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute and the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Eurasia, and John Mearsheimer, author of "The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities."

News Wrap: U.S. frees Vinnik in Russian prisoner swap

6m 35s

In our news wrap Wednesday, President Trump says the prisoner exchange with Russia that included American Mark Fogel could be an 'important part' in ending the war in Ukraine, eight government watchdogs are suing the president for abruptly firing them last month and the Kennedy Center's new board of trustees made Trump its chairman and fired the institution's famed president Deborah Rutter.

House Republicans reveal their budget blueprint

5m 22s

House Republicans release their long-promised budget outline as they seek to fulfill President Trump’s agenda while cutting both the deficit and taxes. But it remains unclear whether the plan will achieve those goals, or if it even has the votes. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports.

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