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: S2024 E316

26m 45s

Montana primary proposal could cut down on partisan divides

4m 17s

This November, voters in Montana will be deciding on two ballot measures that would fundamentally change voting in the state if they pass. If they pass, the state would have non-partisan primaries and a majority-winner requirement for future general elections. Stan Parker at Montana PBS reports.

Israeli strikes put Lebanese health workers in line of fire

6m 1s

The Israeli military said it killed the man set to succeed Hezbollah's longtime leader who was also assassinated in late September. As the war between Israel and Hezbollah expands, its toll on civilians in Lebanon is only worsening. Israeli airstrikes around Beirut have increasingly targeted healthcare facilities and healthcare workers. Leila Molana-Allen reports.

'Click-to-cancel' would make it easier to end subscriptions

5m 55s

A proposed rule from the Federal Trade Commission aims to let consumers easily cancel unwanted subscriptions. It would require getting out of those plans to be as easy as it was getting in. But many businesses argue the move is unnecessary meddling that will harm consumers. William Brangham discussed more with Erin Witte of the Consumer Federation of America and a supporter of this rule.

State measures may have national impact by boosting turnout

4m 8s

Ballot measures across the country could have profound effects on people's everyday lives from abortion access to criminal justice to the way they vote. Geoff Bennett explored the measures with Reid Wilson, founder and editor of Pluribus News, a digital media outlet tracking public policy in the states.

Jimmy Breslin remembered in book as 'Man Who Told the Truth'

6m 28s

From JFK's assassination to the Son of Sam, Jimmy Breslin covered major events of the 20th century as a columnist for the New York Daily News. His plainspoken approach captured the country's attention, offering readers a poetic, and blunt, perspective on the issues that mattered most. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Richard Esposito, author of “Jimmy Breslin: The Man Who Told the Truth.”

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Trump's ground game

9m 10s

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 Trump campaign's outsourcing of the ground game in key battleground states, Harris' efforts to win over "Nikki Haley Republicans" and what else to watch for with just two weeks remaining before Election Day.

How strikes on Hezbollah-linked bank could hurt civilians

4m 32s

Israel launched new attacks in Beirut despite U.S. requests to limit strikes in the Lebanese capital. The target was a financial organization that Israel and the U.S. call Hezbollah’s bank. But the bank also provides loans to Lebanese civilians, and human rights groups worry the strikes only worsen the country's financial and humanitarian crises. Nick Schifrin reports.

Navalny's widow reflects on her husband's legacy

10m 51s

In February, Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison camp. Navalny was Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, an anti-corruption crusader who became a political threat to Putin's nearly quarter-century rule. Shepherded by his wife, Yulia, Navalny's memoir is being published posthumously. Amna Nawaz met with Yulia Navalnaya to discuss her husband's life and his work for his memoir, "Patriot."

Purdue works to revive liberal arts as key part of college

8m 43s

Call it “the death of the humanities.” Over the last decade or so, majors in English and history are down by a third and humanities enrollment overall is down by almost a fifth. Now an initiative is working to revive liberal arts as a key part of the college experience. Jeffrey Brown reports from Purdue University for our series, Rethinking College.

What's behind Elon Musk's massive effort to elect Trump

7m 41s

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is now a powerful mega donor for Donald Trump. Musk is using his vast resources to campaign for him in Pennsylvania and taking aggressive measures for Trump in other key battleground states. Some of those moves are raising major legal and ethical concerns as well. Geoff Bennett discussed more with New York Times investigative reporter David Fahrenthold.

News Wrap: Oscar batters Cuba as island deals with blackout

5m 31s

In our news wrap Monday, Hurricane Oscar battered eastern Cuba as the entire island deals with an electrical grid failure that left millions without power, the White House proposed a new rule that would require health insurers to cover over-the-counter contraception and birth control at no cost to patients and Defense Secretary Austin promised Ukraine "what it needs" during an unannounced visit.

Harris campaigns with Cheney as Trump deploys dark rhetoric

4m 48s

Nearly two weeks until Election Day, former President Trump traveled to North Carolina to see the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and urged his supporters to vote early, while Vice President Harris toured swing states alongside former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Laura Barrón-López reports.

News Wrap: Israeli strikes leave 100 dead or missing in Gaza

2m 59s

In our news wrap Sunday, Israel hit northern Gaza and southern Lebanon with more deadly airstrikes, U.S. officials are investigating a leak of intelligence documents describing Israel’s plans for a strike on Iran, Trump campaigned in Pennsylvania while Harris visited Georgia, and seven people died in a dock gangway collapse over the waters of Georgia’s historic Sapelo Island.

Why overdose deaths involving antidepressants are rising

6m 28s

For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sharp drop in U.S. drug overdose deaths. But at the same time, numbers from the CDC show that fatal overdoses involving antidepressants have been on the rise for the past two decades. John Yang speaks with clinical psychologist and behavioral scientist Alison Athey for more.

The effect of anti-trans laws on LGBTQ+ youth mental health

7m 21s

This past week, the Texas attorney general sued a pediatrician for violating the state’s ban on gender-affirming care, enforcing that law for the first time. More than half of U.S. states now have laws targeting transgender people. Ali Rogin speaks with The Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black about a new study that looks at how these laws affect young people’s mental health.

How major storms take an economic toll far from their paths

6m 43s

Massive storms like Helene and Milton can devastate the people and properties that take direct hits, causing billions of dollars in damages. But the economic effects of these events can be felt thousands of miles away and for many months to come. John Yang speaks with Megan Leonhardt, senior economics writer for Barron’s, to learn more.

News Wrap: Israel continues deadly strikes on Lebanon, Gaza

3m 15s

In our news wrap Saturday, Israeli airstrikes killed two people in the Lebanese city of Jounieh and more than 50 people in Gaza, striking Boeing workers will vote on a proposed new contract next week, Trump and Harris campaigned in Detroit, Cuba’s power grid collapsed for a second time after service started to be restored from Friday’s blackout, and Hurricane Oscar formed in the Atlantic.

Why executions are rising in America after years of decline

6m 18s

While the execution of a Texas man was temporarily put on hold this week, more than 2,000 people remain on death row across the country. The Texas case has highlighted a recent increase in executions and prompted questions about how capital punishment is applied in the United States. Maurice Chammah, a staff writer for The Marshall Project, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

A look at Pennsylvania’s key races in the 2024 election

6m 29s

This fall, Pennsylvania is living up to its name as the Keystone State. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns see the state’s 19 electoral votes as key to reaching the 270 needed to win the presidential election, while contests there could also determine control of Capitol Hill. John Yang checks in with Julia Terruso, national political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, for the latest.

Election officials on the threats they’ve faced since 2020

7m 51s

With about two and a half weeks until Election Day, some parts of the country are still looking for people to work at polling places. One reason could be the threats and harassment that’s been aimed at election officials since the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Current and former election officials from across the country share their experiences.

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