PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch: S2025 E56

57m 46s

What to know about a surge of walking pneumonia in children

5m 38s

A rise in cases of a contagious lung infection across the United States is causing alarm, especially for parents of young children. Walking pneumonia usually sickens school-aged children and teens, but this year, toddlers are being hit the hardest. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Donald Dumford, infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic, to learn more.

Former ambassador on challenges to rebuilding Syria

7m 35s

American diplomats were in Syria for the first time since the U.S. shut its embassy in Damascus in 2012. They met with Syria's new ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and announced the $10 million bounty the U.S. placed on him would be removed. For perspective on the latest developments, Geoff Bennett spoke with Theodore Kattouf, the U.S. ambassador to Syria during the George W. Bush administration.

House votes to avoid government shutdown, approves funding

7m 6s

Days of chaos and uncertainty on Capitol Hill appear to be winding down. A bill backed by President-elect Trump to keep the government open was rejected by the House Thursday night. But on Friday, an apparent breakthrough was announced by Speaker Mike Johnson. Lisa Desjardins is tracking it all on Capitol Hill.

Schweikert says Musk's political influence is 'wonderful'

6m 10s

The back-and-forth on the stopgap spending bill has created fault lines among House Republicans. Many were unsatisfied with the original text, but some also rejected the revised bill, which included President-elect Trump’s demands to suspend the debt limit. One of those members is Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona. He joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.

How life in West Bank has become brutal and unpredictable

10m 15s

Overnight in the occupied West Bank, a mosque was vandalized and set on fire by Israeli settlers. Attacks against Palestinians there have increased greatly since the Oct. 7 terror attacks. Israel describes the West Bank as one of seven fronts it is fighting on, stoked by Iranian support of militants. Nick Schifrin reports from the Jenin refugee camp, the epicenter of much of the violence.

Brooks and Capehart on Trump's role in the funding battle

10m 27s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including yet another chaotic, down-to-the-wire funding battle in Congress, how President-elect Trump will govern during his second term and the political influence of Elon Musk.

Court weighs who owns a 'vibe' after influencer sues another

5m 16s

Who owns a vibe? That question is at the heart of a lawsuit where one online influencer is suing another for copyright infringement. Sydney Gifford claims that Alyssa Sheill knowingly replicated Gifford’s aesthetic and her posts on social media. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Sandra E. Garcia, a reporter at The New York Times who has been covering this first-of-its-kind case.

What was in the rejected GOP proposal to avoid a shutdown

5m 52s

House Republicans are pushing a new proposal tonight to avoid a government shutdown in an effort to meet President-elect Trump’s last-minute spending demands. It's all unfolding after Trump rejected the original bill earlier this week with billionaire Elon Musk leading the charge against it online. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Rep. McHenry on Washington dysfunction as he leaves Congress

7m 17s

Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is retiring after 20 years in Congress. He has the distinction of being the only person to serve as speaker pro tempore of the House, a job that was forced on him for three chaotic weeks after the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy a year ago. Lisa Desjardins sat down with Rep. McHenry to discuss his time in office and the current state of Capitol Hill.

Willis disqualified from Trump's Georgia interference case

3m 58s

A Georgia appeals court has disqualified the top prosecutor overseeing an election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump and his allies, a decision that could upend the case. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified because she had a romantic relationship with an attorney she hired to help run the investigation. William Brangham reports.

A look at legal tactics Trump is using against media outlets

5m 58s

Donald Trump is following through on threats of legal action against the media. After ABC agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump, his legal team filed a suit against Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register for a poll showing Kamala Harris leading. Trump's suit called the poll “election-interfering fiction.” Geoff Bennett discussed more with Clay Calvert.

High-profile rape case sparks conversation in France

5m 16s

In France, a panel of judges found dozens of men guilty of raping a woman whose then-husband had drugged her unconscious over a decade. The scale and brutality of the abuse prompted thousands to take to the streets and sparked a nationwide conversation about consent. Ali Rogin discussed more with Catherine Porter of The New York Times. A warning: the following conversation is graphic.

Farms face calls to protect workers as virus spreads in cows

8m 29s

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to bird flu that's spreading among the state's dairy cows. The virus has already caused the deaths of more than 120 million birds across the country since 2022. Stephanie Sy reports on efforts in Colorado to keep the dairy workforce safe.

Leading researcher on viewing addiction as a brain disorder

6m 41s

This week, we are reporting on some promising treatments for two of the deadliest drugs in America: opioids and alcohol. William Brangham sat down with one of the nation’s leading researchers who is studying America’s addictions and how we can better address them.

Syrians face horrors at site of Assad's chemical attack

8m 34s

Syrians are celebrating their hard-won freedoms throughout the nation, but that joy is tempered by the absence of so many imprisoned and never heard from again. In some ways, Syria is a land of ghosts, and the job of speaking for the dead falls to their loved ones and the new Syrian government. Leila Molana-Allen reports from the suburbs of Damascus. A warning, images in this story are disturbing.

Fed lowers interest rates again but future cuts in question

5m 34s

The Federal Reserve lowered rates for the third consecutive time but also suggested there won’t be as many interest rate cuts in the year ahead as it once planned. Chairman Jerome Powell said the cut wasn’t an easy decision because of higher inflation in recent months. Geoff Bennett discussed the decision with Nick Timiraos of The Wall Street Journal.

Trump tells GOP to reject government funding bill

5m 56s

Not even 24 hours after congressional leaders released a 1,500-page bill that would keep the government funded for the next three months, the threat of a shutdown at the end of this week is back. Republicans in Congress are being pressured by President-elect Trump to block the bill. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Rep. Casar on progressive caucus effort to rebrand Democrats

6m 15s

There are a few weeks left until the Democratic Party faces Republican majorities in Congress. After a decisive loss in the presidential election, Democrats have been at odds over their future and direction during the new Trump era. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas was elected as the new chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and discussed his vision for the party with Lisa Desjardins.

Why a promising treatment for alcohol abuse is barely used

10m 21s

In our ongoing look at treating substance abuse in America, we turn to the most commonly used drug, and one of the deadliest: alcohol. Drinking kills more Americans every year than opioids or any other illegal drug. But promising treatments that could help people curb their drinking are barely being used. William Brangham reports.

Syrians attempt to uncover fate of Assad's prisoners

3m 36s

As we learn more about the atrocities committed by the Assad regime, investigations are underway at sites across that country. Authorities and relatives are trying to uncover the fate of the many thousands detained and feared murdered during Assad's rule. Simona Foltyn visited three mass grave locations and reports.

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