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 E51

57m 46s

The potential consequences of Trump’s Pentagon shakeup

5m 34s

Trump’s shakeup of Washington reached the Pentagon on Friday as he fired several top military leaders, including Air Force Gen. CQ Brown as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump selected retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine to be the new Joint Chiefs chairman, a job that requires Senate confirmation. John Yang speaks with Eric Edelman for more.

News Wrap: Trump touts administration’s achievements at CPAC

4m 10s

In our news wrap Saturday, Trump spoke at the final day of CPAC, new FBI director Kash Patel is shifting agents away from the D.C. area, Hamas released the last six living hostages promised in the first phase of its ceasefire with Israel, Pope Francis is in critical condition, the West Texas measles outbreak is getting worse, and a cholera outbreak has killed about 60 people in southern Sudan.

The Project 2025 policies Trump is already implementing

6m 52s

In the first month of his second term, President Trump has reshaped the government with a flurry of executive orders. A recent analysis by Politico found that many of those actions have closely aligned with Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint he once disavowed. William Brangham speaks with Politico White House reporter Megan Messerly for more.

Psychologist discusses how generational trauma affects Black women

6m 41s

Most people experience a traumatic event some time during their lives — losing a loved one, being the victim of violence or surviving a natural disaster. But what happens when the impact of trauma is the indirect result of the experiences of family and caretakers? As part of our series, Race Matters, Ali Rogin speaks with Inger Burnett-Zeigler about the effects of generational trauma.

Ex-ranger on how Trump's firings affect national parks

4m 21s

At the direction of the president, Elon Musk and his team are firing federal workers at a breakneck pace. This week, some 6,000 employees are expecting termination notices at the IRS along with more than 5,000 across agencies at Health and Human Services. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López spoke with a former federal worker who recently found herself out of a job and career.

News Wrap: Trump levies new barbs at Zelenskyy

6m 46s

In our news wrap Friday, President Trump levied new shots against Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, a federal judge adjourned the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass dismissed the city's fire chief over her handling of last month's deadly wildfires.

The potential impact of a Trump takeover of USPS

7m 18s

President Trump reportedly plans to fire the board of the U.S. Postal Service and place the independent agency under the control of the Commerce Department, a move that could be the first step in privatizing the service. The White House denied that an executive order to make the change is in the works. Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post reported on the issue and discussed more with Geoff Bennett.

German election dominated by concerns about immigration

7m 50s

German voters go to the polls this weekend in an election dominated by concerns about immigration. The country is expected to reject the incumbent left-leaning Chancellor Olaf Scholz in favor of a center-right candidate, followed closely by an anti-immigrant party that has the backing of the Trump administration. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Berlin.

Syrian minorities concerned new leaders won't protect them

7m 43s

When Sunni rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad last December, they vowed to form an inclusive Syrian government by March. Sunnis comprise around 75 percent of Syria with the remaining 25 percent made up of minorities like Alawites, Christians, Shiite Muslims, Kurds and Druze. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn met with members of some of these communities and reports from Damascus.

Brooks and Capehart on Republicans facing backlash over cuts

11m 9s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including fresh tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine, town hall backlash to major cuts to the federal workforce and how inflation could sink Republicans.

Exhibit showcases struggles and triumphs of Black travel

6m 11s

The “Negro Motorist Green Book,” a guide for African Americans first published in 1936, was a valued resource at a time when travel held the promise of adventure but was also perilous. It is now the subject of an exhibit showcasing the history, struggles and triumphs of Black travel in America. Communities correspondent Gabrielle Hays reports for our series, Race Matters.

Bodies of youngest kidnapped Israelis returned by Hamas

5m 37s

Near Tel Aviv, three buses exploded in a parking lot in a suspected attack that further rattled Israel after the return of the remains of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. A U.N. official called the taunting display during the handover "abhorrent and cruel." While it sparked outrage in Israel and beyond, the emotions of many are tempered by the return of hostages still alive. Geoff Bennett reports.

Michael Knowles on Trump's power and conservative movement

11m 16s

During its first month, the Trump administration has brought dramatic proposals and unprecedented changes to the government, including an effort to remake the executive branch. Amna Nawaz discussed that with conservative commentator Michael Knowles for our series, On Democracy, looking at questions about laws, institutions and norms that have shaped America and the challenges they face today.

Cimafunk on bringing Cuban music to the world

8m 9s

Cimafunk, a 35-year-old musician dubbed a "global ambassador" for Cuban music, has earned Grammy nominations three years in a row. Blending genres from Latin rock to Afro-Cuban funk, he creates his own unique sound. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown and senior arts producer Anne Azzi Davenport report the final piece in their series from Havana for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

News Wrap: N.Y. governor will not remove Adams from office

6m 41s

In our news wrap Thursday, New York Gov. Hochul decided not to remove NYC's mayor from office, six prison workers in New York were indicted for murder in the beating of a handcuffed inmate, South Korea's president appeared in court and the former head of Spain's soccer federation was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing a player without her consent.

How Musk gained so much power in the Trump administration

10m 14s

President Trump has tasked Elon Musk with an enormous job of searching the federal government and rooting out inefficiencies and waste. But Musk’s initial, often chaotic, infiltration of various departments has set off alarm bells. It’s also put the tech entrepreneur at center stage of the conservative movement. William Brangham looks at the history of the man behind this effort.

A look at Trump's first month in office

9m 24s

President Trump has been on the job for one month and the pace of his administration has been unrelenting. Thursday, a federal judge ruled the administration could continue firing federal workers by the thousands and the Senate confirmed one of the president's most polarizing nominees to lead the FBI. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Robert Putnam on how U.S. became polarized and how to fix it

9m 36s

For over two years, Judy Woodruff has traveled the country exploring the roots of America’s divisions over race, religion, culture, wealth and more for America at a Crossroads. The series returns with political scientist Robert Putnam, who has spent decades studying these divides and how we might find our way back to a more unified nation.

Reality of Panama Canal control as Trump threatens action

7m 51s

Since returning to office, President Trump has made repeated claims that China operates the Panama Canal and threatened to take it back from the Panama Canal Authority, which has controlled it since 1999. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the canal’s history and the facts surrounding its operation.

Navy commander fights Trump's trans military ban

6m 59s

The Trump administration’s efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military has come under hostile fire. One of those who could be affected by Trump's ban is Commander Emily Shilling, a decorated Navy pilot with over 60 combat missions and high-risk work as a test pilot. Lisa Desjardins spoke with Shilling about her legal challenge to Trump's executive order.

Supported by