PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 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 Latest: S2024 E323

26m 45s

Why renting might be the favored choice in today's market

6m 6s

Buying has almost always been favored over renting when it comes to housing. For generations, the prevailing wisdom has been that renting is a waste of money. But what about now, with a tough real estate market characterized by elevated listing prices and interest rates? Geoff Bennett discussed that with David Leonhardt, author of, “Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream.”

NYC looks to amend right to shelter rule amid migrant surge

7m 22s

Over the weekend, several buses carrying migrants who'd recently crossed the southern border were headed to New York, but they were diverted instead to New Jersey. It's the most recent effort by officials to manage a crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants arrive in northern cities. William Brangham reports.

How airline passengers managed to survive fiery runway crash

8m 9s

A fiery runway collision at a Tokyo airport stunned the world Tuesday with dramatic imagery. All of the airline passengers survived, but five crew members on a Coast Guard plane involved in the accident were killed. Neil Connery of Independent Television News reports, and Geoff Bennett discusses how passengers managed to make it out alive with aviation correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Harvard president resigns amid testimony controversy

5m 57s

After weeks of intense scrutiny, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday. It comes after she was criticized for testimony during a congressional hearing on rising anti-semitism on campus and alleged plagiarism in her academic writings. Gay was the first Black leader of Harvard and now has the shortest tenure. William Brangham discussed more with Hilary Burns of the Boston Globe.

Freed Israeli hostage: 'Stop the war and bring them home'

13m 29s

For 40 years, Aviva Siegel lived at kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza Strip. During the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Siegel and her husband were both taken hostage. After 51 days in Gaza, Aviva was released on Nov. 26, but her husband is still being held. In her first interview, Aviva Siegel spoke with Amna Nawaz about surviving Oct. 7, her time in captivity and what she wants to happen next.

What the ruling against Netanyahu's judiciary overhaul means

6m 59s

Israel opened 2024 with what could be a major shift in the war, announcing it's withdrawing several thousand troops from Gaza. Amid the fighting, Israel's Supreme Court rejected a key part of Prime Minister Netanyahu's judicial overhaul. The plan sparked deep divisions, but they've largely been put aside since Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Geoff Bennett discussed more with NPR's Daniel Estrin.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on the 2024 campaign

9m 38s

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the efforts to keep Trump off of ballots and Republican presidential candidates making their case to early primary states with the first votes just weeks away.

Child migrants put to work in unsafe and illegal conditions

7m 4s

Migrant children in the U.S. are working some of the most dangerous jobs in the country and private auditors assigned to root out unlawful labor practices often overlook child labor. The most common job for migrant children is also one of the most hazardous, roofing and construction, despite laws prohibiting anyone under 18 from doing so. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Hannah Dreier.

Doctors unionize as healthcare services are consolidated

7m

As recently as the early 80s, about three of every four doctors in the U.S. worked for themselves, owning small clinics. Today, some 75 percent of physicians are employees of hospital systems or large corporate entities. Some worry the trend is leading to diminished quality of care and is one reason doctors at a large Midwestern health provider decided to unionize. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

Airlines scrutinized over frequent flyer program devaluation

6m 54s

Frequent flyer miles are one way airlines try to coax travelers to repeatedly fly with them. However, the Department of Transportation is examining whether airlines have been making promises about the value of the miles but then later tweaking the fine print and making them worth less or harder to use. William Brangham discussed the programs with David Shepardson of Reuters.

A look at 2023's discoveries in space exploration

6m 47s

In 2023, we saw incredibly detailed images from the most advanced telescope in space and the 25th year of a global partnership sending astronauts to orbit Earth. Digital video producer Casey Kuhn delves into the major discoveries from last year with our science correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Vigilantes fight vandalism along Rhode Island shore

5m 37s

Spray-painted words and pictures, usually clandestine and often illegal, are getting erased by a group of New Englanders who have tagged themselves the anti-graffiti vigilantes. But the method they employ against the perpetrators is an art in itself. Pamela Watts of Rhode Island PBS Weekly reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Critics weigh in on the best podcasts of 2023

6m 55s

As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at — or better yet, a listen to — some of the most engaging, enlightening and entertaining podcasts of the year. Vulture podcast critic Nicholas Quah and The New Yorker’s Sarah Larson, who pens the column Podcast Dept., join Lisa Desjardins to discuss.

What to know about Iowa’s school book ban halted by a judge

5m 58s

A federal judge in Iowa has temporarily blocked key parts of a state law that would ban books from school libraries if they depicted a “sex act.” The law also bars teachers from discussing gender identity and sexuality before seventh grade. Lisa Desjardins speaks with University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black and The Gazette’s Des Moines bureau chief Erin Murphy to learn more.

Critics look back at 2023’s epic year in music

8m 39s

2023 had it all when it came to music: record-breaking tours, unique songwriting and new artists on the rise. The Root’s senior writer Candace McDuffie and freelance music writer and critic Maura Johnston join Stephanie Sy to discuss the music that made 2023.

How a former police officer found direction rescuing horses

6m 7s

For more than two decades, Mark Kirwan served the people of Washington, D.C. as a police officer. But a few years ago, feeling lost amid the COVID pandemic and after the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, he made an unusual choice — moving from fighting crime to rescuing horses. With a mix of purpose and poetry, he shares his story.

The images that defined the historic and tumultuous year

4m 48s

As 2023 comes to an end, we take a look back at some of the images that have defined this historic and often tumultuous year and hear from the photojournalists who captured them.

Research links severe morning sickness to hormone

10m 14s

The extent to which women experience morning sickness can vary, and those with extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy often face stigma when trying to receive care. While the condition is notoriously understudied, new research is giving hope for better treatment. Amna Nawaz spoke with several women impacted by the condition and one researcher working to understand the cause.

How the economy upended expectations of a recession in 2023

5m 56s

It was a year in which many experts got a lot of things wrong about the economy. Many economists believed the Fed's battle to tame inflation with interest rate hikes would trigger high unemployment and a recession. Instead, inflation was cut in half, the economy added more than 2.5 million jobs and the S&P 500 rose to near record highs. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Roben Farzad.

Supported by