PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E51

57m 46s

Former ambassador outlines future role of Syria's neighbors

7m 29s

Turkey announced it would reopen its embassy in Damascus after closing it 12 years ago as Bashar al-Assad began the murderous campaign against his own people. Turkey and Syria's other neighbors could play a critical role in rebuilding the country. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Ambassador James Jeffrey. He served during the Trump administration as a special representative for Syria engagement.

Why an investor thinks TikTok will be safer with U.S. owners

6m 42s

Congressional lawmakers told Apple and Google to be ready to remove TikTok from U.S. app stores on Jan. 19. The app is used by 170 million Americans and lawmakers argue the Chinese government’s relationship with TikTok's parent company threatens data privacy and national security. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Frank McCourt, one of the investors trying to buy the U.S. part of TikTok.

Murder reveals simmering anger with U.S. health care system

6m 47s

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has revealed a simmering anger with the American healthcare system in the spotlight. William Brangham discussed more with Wendell Potter. He spent decades working for the health insurance company, Cigna, before leaving and dedicating his career to reform.

Brooks and Marcus on what's next for the FBI under Trump

10m 58s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement that he will be stepping down, what to expect from the FBI under Kash Patel and what Trump voters are expecting from his second term.

Amy Sherald on the gaze and humanity of her portraits

6m 48s

She has painted portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor. But much of Amy Sherald’s work is about filling in absent images of everyday Americans. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown talks with the artist and takes us to the first major exhibition covering her career for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

What Biden's commutations mean for non-violent offenders

5m 56s

President Biden announced he's commuting the prison sentences of some 1,500 people and issuing pardons to 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes. That marks the largest number of commutations by a president in a single day. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis and an expert on presidential clemency.

Daily life returning to Syria as new leaders build nation

5m 47s

Days after Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, Syria's capital appears to be functioning. Streets are getting busier by the day and shops and government institutions are slowly returning to work. Apart from the joy and relief, the mundane but vital work of making a country function is job number one for many. Simona Foltyn reports on that huge task and the mess the Assad family left behind.

Freed Syrian prisoners describe the horrors they faced

8m 20s

The Assad legacy is one of horror with hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced or in exile. Perhaps nothing illustrates the depths of the depravity more than the archipelago of prisons and torture centers where tens of thousands were killed by the regime. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen takes us inside some of these now-liberated facilities as Syrians search for answers.

How Hegseth's religious views could affect U.S. military

7m 17s

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement, all of which he denies. Laura Barrón-López and Brad Onishi discussed something else that’s drawn scrutiny, the influence of Hegseth’s religious beliefs and how they may impact his leadership at the Pentagon.

Colorado community braces for mass deportations under Trump

8m 17s

President-elect Trump said he is willing to enlist the military to deport migrants and is open to new detention camps to facilitate those deportations. The comments are the latest on his key campaign pledge, mounting the largest deportation operation in American history. Stephanie Sy reports from Colorado, a state that found itself at the center of the immigration debate during the campaign.

Experts working to understand why overdose deaths dropped

5m 26s

New data from the CDC shows a drop in drug overdose deaths, down nearly 17 percent compared year-over-year. The annual death toll dropped from approximately 113,000 to just over 94,000. It’s a rare bit of good news after decades of rising fatalities. Overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled since 2002 and spiked to record highs during the pandemic. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Brian Mann of NPR.

Gwen Ifill featured in 'Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum'

2m 27s

The animated PBS Kids series, "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum," follows Xavier as he, his sister and friend meet historical figures portrayed as children. In a recent episode, they meet a person very dear to us, Gwen Ifill.

Longtime court sketch artist Bill Hennessy Jr. dies

1m 28s

Longtime court sketch artist Bill Hennessy, who captured history with his sketchbook for more than 40 years died on Monday at the age of 67. Hennessy took us where cameras could not. He offered the first draft of high-profile legal moments, from the Clinton impeachment, trials at Guantanamo Bay and arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Evidence at CEO murder scene linked to suspect, police say

4m 25s

Police said fingerprints and shell casings collected at the scene of last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson are directly connected to their prime suspect, Luigi Mangione. The fingerprints match the 26-year-old and the casings match the gun found on him when he was arrested earlier this week in Pennsylvania. William Brangham reports.

Can the nation unite after the election? Analysts weigh in

10m 59s

For the past two years, Judy Woodruff has been exploring the deep divisions we see playing out every day in the country. As we wrap up the year, she recently sat down with a panel of noted thinkers to talk through their concerns, and their hopes, following the election. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

Trump nominees visit Capitol Hill to build support

5m 40s

Christopher Wray's resignation comes as President-elect Trump’s pick for the position, Kash Patel, met with senators to gain support for his nomination. He was just one of several Trump nominees on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Stevenson reflects on inequities 10 years after 'Just Mercy'

7m 36s

Bryan Stevenson, the prominent lawyer and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has blazed a trail representing the poor, wrongly convicted and those on death row. Geoff Bennett sat down with Stevenson to discuss his career and the re-release of his best-selling book, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption."

Fall of Assad sparks hope but some Syrians remain concerned

5m 14s

The sea change toward tenuous hope in Syria over the last two weeks has been tempered with a grim accounting of the last 14 years of war and a half a century of authoritarian rule under the Assad family. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen reports from Damascus.

Wray resignation paves way for Trump's new pick to lead FBI

5m 28s

In a highly unusual move, the director of the FBI is stepping down. Christopher Wray announced he intends to leave his position when President-elect Trump takes office in January. It comes after Trump named Kash Patel as his nominee to run the FBI. Wray is serving a ten-year term that wasn’t set to end until 2027. Laura Barrón-López reports.

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