PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 8 Seasons

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Watch: S2024 E362

57m 46s

Heat waves break records and disrupt life across world

9m 23s

The record heat across the world has been unrelenting and the World Meteorological Organization says it could last into August. The extreme weather is not limited to the heat, there is also torrential rain in some places. Special correspondents in four major cities across the world sent us these reports.

Texas women testify in lawsuit against abortion restrictions

7m 15s

Texas women seeking to block a portion of their state’s abortion law are in court this week testifying the strict restrictions put their lives in jeopardy. The lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by women directly impacted by abortion bans that went into effect after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Stephanie Sy discussed the case with Sarah Varney of KFF Health News.

RFK Jr. comments spreading misinformation draw scrutiny

10m 43s

All eyes are on the Republican primary this election cycle, but one Democratic underdog has been getting attention for his controversial comments spreading misinformation on a range of subjects. Lisa Desjardins reports on how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. captured the attention of some voters and Geoff Bennett discusses Kennedy's vaccine stances with Dr. Paul Offitt.

Millions flee homes in Sudan amid reports of war crimes

6m 21s

The conflict in Sudan has entered its fourth month with no end in sight. The fight between the Sudanese military and a rival paramilitary force has killed thousands and more than 3 million have fled their homes. As William Brangham reports, the West Darfur region is the worst hit with allegations of war crimes being committed. A warning: images and accounts in this story are disturbing.

Stanford president resigns after report on flawed research

5m 24s

Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne will resign next month over the questionable handling of flawed scientific research. The investigation began last year after the campus newspaper “The Stanford Daily” investigated claims of research misconduct in past academic papers. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Theo Baker, the student journalist who first published the allegations.

Why ACL injuries are more common in female athletes

8m 8s

As the World Cup kicks off, many of the big names in women's soccer are notably absent from the international competition because of knee injuries, specifically ACL tears. It’s part of what some are calling an epidemic among female athletes from the professional level down to youth sports. Amna Nawaz reports from Los Angeles.

Iowa Republicans on hopes for overcoming divisions

11m 17s

Throughout this year, Judy Woodruff has been examining divisions in the country. Recently, she listened in on focus groups in Iowa with two-time Trump voters as they discussed how they feel about the state of the nation, the divisiveness they see and who they feel is responsible. This story was produced with Iowa PBS and is part of the series, America at a Crossroads.

New book 'The Right Call' reveals life lessons from sports

8m 2s

Elite athletes tend to hold a special place in America's imagination. It's almost as if sports stars are mythical figures capable of executing greatness at critical moments when stakes are high. But the book "The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life" debunks that and reveals the rest of us can learn a lot from the sports greats. Amna Nawaz discussed that with writer Sally Jenkins.

Germany's role as economic powerhouse at tipping point

8m 26s

Germany's economy was the envy of Europe for many of the 30-plus years since reunification. But now the country is officially in recession and its people, used to decades of prosperity, are now losing confidence. Much of its current troubles have been caused by the war in Ukraine as Germany has turned its back on Russia, its former trading partner. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

Whistleblowers claim DOJ meddled in Hunter Biden case

5m 15s

A pair of IRS whistleblowers testified before the House Oversight Committee about alleged meddling in the Justice Department investigation of Hunter Biden. The president's son reached an agreement to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes and agreed to abide by a set of conditions to avoid a separate felony gun possession charge. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Brief But Spectacular take on using craft to fight injustice

2m 59s

Tanya Aguiñiga is a Los Angeles-based artist, designer and activist who grew up as a binational citizen of Mexico and the United States. Much of her work speaks of her divided identity and tells the larger and often invisible stories of the transnational community. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on using craft to push back on injustice for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Trump to massively expand power if elected, report says

5m 53s

Donald Trump and his allies are preparing for a possible second term in office that would massively expand the power of the president, centralizing control under the Oval Office. Laura Barrón-López spoke with Ruth Ben-Ghiat about what this would mean for our democracy and the power of the executive branch.

Jurors weigh death penalty for Pittsburgh synagogue killer

6m 17s

The 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh that killed 11 people is considered to be the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. A federal jury convicted the gunman of 63 charges, including 11 counts of hate crimes. Now the same jury is deciding whether to recommend the death penalty. John Yang discussed the case with David Harris of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.

American Academy of Poets head on bringing poetry to people

5m 53s

Founded in 1934, the Academy of American Poets is one of the nation’s leading literary organizations and the largest funder of poets. Its new leader wants to emphasize and expand the linguistic diversity of poetry and boost interest in poetry by average Americans. Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Slow pace of Ukraine's counteroffensive prompts questions

12m 24s

U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley described Ukraine's effort to retake territory in the east and south as a tough and difficult fight. Forces have been slowed by minefields and intense Russian resistance. To learn more about the offensive and its prospects for success, William Brangham spoke with retired Army Col. Gary Espinas and Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War.

U.S. women's team prepares to defend World Cup title

6m 52s

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is hoping to bring home its fifth World Cup and its third straight title, something no team, men's or women’s, has done before. Despite being the favorites, the U.S. has a tough road ahead in the tournament that kicks off this week in Australia and New Zealand. As Amna Nawaz spoke with some of the players and found out they are not taking anything for granted.

Fran Drescher on actors’ strike and future of Hollywood

8m

For the first time in 63 years, actors and writers are striking at the same time, bringing movie and TV production to a halt. The Writers Guild has been on strike since May and SAG-AFTRA joined them last week. Key issues include how streaming and artificial intelligence are upending the industry, affecting income and profits. Geoff Bennett discussed more with SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.

Trump says he's target in 2020 election investigation

6m 26s

Former President Donald Trump says he's been notified he's a target in the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, signaling that he's likely to be charged with federal crimes. Special counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump’s actions in the aftermath of the election, including the Jan. 6 insurrection. Geoff Bennett discussed the development with Carrie Johnson of NPR.

Despite owning river water rights, tribes largely cut off

9m 27s

A little-known fact about the Colorado River is that American Indian tribes own rights to about a quarter of the river. In reality, for most tribes, they are only “paper rights” not amounting to water they can use. Stephanie Sy reports on the opportunities and impediments ahead as a megadrought afflicts the Colorado and other watersheds in the West.

Bipartisan group makes case against third-party candidates

7m 55s

A new bipartisan organization is opposing the effort by the group No Labels to run a third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential race. That's with concerns growing among Democrats and Republicans opposed to Donald Trump's candidacy that a third-party candidate could serve as a spoiler. Former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt discussed more with Geoff Bennett.

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