PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch: S2024 E316

26m 45s

The hidden history of the Cold War-era Lavender Scare

7m 31s

On this final day of Pride Month, the next installment of our “Hidden Histories'' series isn’t about an individual, but a phenomenon: how the anti-communist paranoia that gripped Washington at the dawn of the Cold War led to an often-overlooked chapter in LGBTQ+ history. John Yang speaks with Marc Stein, a history professor at San Francisco State University, to learn more.

How gun violence outside of schools harms millions of kids

6m 18s

From 2014 to 2023, communities across the U.S. saw more than 188,000 shootings within 500 yards of a school, an average of 57 shootings per day, according to a new analysis by The Trace. The report found that in 2023 alone, 6 million students had a shooting occur near their school. Olga Pierce, one of the journalists who did this analysis, joins William Brangham to discuss the findings.

How climate crisis is changing family planning in Bangladesh

6m 16s

Few places in the world are suffering more from the effects of climate change than Bangladesh. Most of the country is no higher than 50 feet above sea level, making it vulnerable to severe flooding after monsoon rains. As a result, women in Bangladesh are changing the way they think about having children. John Yang speaks with Sally Dijkerman, a senior researcher for Ipas, to learn more.

The debate over public funding for religious schools

8m 16s

According to an analysis by The Washington Post, the vast majority of school voucher money nationwide is going to religious schools. John Yang speaks with Robert Enlow of EdChoice and Richard Katskee of Duke University's Appellate Litigation Clinic for two perspectives on the debate over religion in publicly supported schools.

Fact-checking the claims Biden, Trump made during the debate

5m 14s

Thursday night’s debate may be the first time millions of Americans have paid attention to the presidential race this year. They heard a lot of claims that have been familiar refrains on the campaign trail and not all of them true. To help put it in context, Geoff Bennett spoke with Samantha Putterman of PolitiFact.

Minnesota Gov. Walz on Biden's debate performance

7m 35s

After President Biden’s debate performance, there has been discussion among Democrats about whether Biden should be the nominee. To discuss the fallout, Amna Nawaz spoke with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a surrogate for the president’s campaign.

The fallout from a debate full of fumbles and falsehoods

8m 55s

Over a 90-minute presidential debate, former President Trump repeatedly made false claims and President Biden repeatedly struggled to dispel concerns about his age. It opened new concerns over the stakes of a possible Trump presidency and sparked discussion about whether Biden should be his party's nominee. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.

Supreme Court decision curbs federal regulatory power

6m 31s

The Supreme Court has swept aside long standing legal precedent in its ruling overturning the Chevron doctrine, majorly curtailing the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they regulate. The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications on everything from the environment to healthcare. Geoff Bennett took a closer look with Andrew Mergen.

Breaking down the latest decisions from the Supreme Court

6m 17s

With just one day left in its term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a trio of major decisions Friday. The justices upheld a law making it a crime for unhoused people to camp in public areas like parks, sidewalks and plazas, narrowed the scope of a law being used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters and weakened the rule-making powers of regulatory agencies. John Yang reports.

Brooks and Atkins Stohr on the debate shaking up the race

11m 19s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including how Thursday night’s debate is shaking up the race for the White House, if panic among Democrats after President Biden's performance is warranted, if Trump's lies matter to voters and the latest Supreme Court rulings.

Detroit showcases queer art in pioneering exhibition

5m 50s

This pride month, the city of Detroit plays host to a pioneering exhibition thought to be the first queer international art biennial. "I’ll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer,” showcases more than 800 works from 170 artists from across the world. Special correspondent Christopher Booker has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Rising sea levels threatens farming along Chesapeake Bay

8m 4s

Near the Chesapeake Bay, farms have flourished for hundreds of years on the rich, fertile soil of coastal Maryland. But as sea levels rise, driven in part by climate change, encroaching saltwater is disrupting the livelihoods of many farmers. It's a preview of what other areas near saltwater may soon confront. William Brangham reports for our series on climate change and water, Tipping Point.

Study: Infant mortality spiked in Texas after abortion ban

6m 17s

A new study focused on Texas looks at the year after its law banning all abortions after six weeks with no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities. The research found a significant increase in infant deaths, much higher than the rest of the country. Amna Nawaz discussed more with one of the authors of the study, Suzanne Bell of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

2m 1s

The Supreme Court ripped up a controversial bankruptcy deal that would have provided billions of dollars to states devastated by the opioid epidemic and shielded the controversial family accused of pushing pharmaceutical painkillers in search of profit. Amna Nawaz explored the details and impact of the Purdue Pharma case with Brian Mann.

Supreme Court majority takes aim at 'administrative state'

6m 55s

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down several high-profile decisions Thursday morning. One case blocked a controversial bankruptcy deal involving the opioid crisis, another reinstated access to abortions for those facing medical emergencies in Idaho and a third blocked an EPA rule regulating air pollution from taking effect. John Yang reports on the significance of the rulings.

How Biden and Trump are approaching debate preparations

7m 37s

It’s the biggest night of the 2024 presidential campaign so far. President Biden and former President Trump will square off in Atlanta for their first debate of the year. Laura Barrón-López is covering the Biden campaign and Lisa Desjardins is covering the Trump campaign. They joined Geoff Bennett for a preview.

Strategists on what Biden, Trump need to do to win voters

8m 42s

The candidates are in Atlanta for CNN’s Presidential Debate. To discuss the showdown between President Biden and former President Trump and what to expect, Amna Nawaz sat down with Amy Walter from The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Republican strategist Kevin Madden and Democratic strategist Guy Cecil.

Biden pardons veterans convicted under military gay sex ban

5m 43s

President Biden announced pardons for former U.S. service members who were convicted under a military law, repealed in 2013, that banned gay sex. The move would potentially cover thousands of veterans who were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Geoff Bennett discussed the decision with Lindsay Church, executive director of Minority Veterans of America.

Christian communities face growing political divide

11m 48s

More than a quarter of Americans now claim no religious affiliation, a finding from the Pew Research Center. That makes the so-called “nones” the largest bloc of Americans. Judy Woodruff reports that for white Christians, the once-dominant group by far, there’s also been a growing political divide within communities as faith has receded. It’s for her latest installment of America at a Crossroads.

Draft opinion mistakenly posted by the Supreme Court

3m 37s

The Supreme Court handed down two opinions Wednesday but left some of the most politically fraught cases for the final days of its term. One left undecided for now is focused on abortion and a ban in Idaho. But we may have clues about how the justices will decide the case after a document was mistakenly posted. John Yang reports on how the mistake happened and what it could mean for the court.

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