PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch Latest: S2025 E10

56m 45s

What it takes to save some of Earth’s most threatened plants

8m 6s

According to scientists, 80 percent of the Earth’s living species are unknown to humans. Even as more are identified, more are disappearing — and sometimes, we don’t know what’s being lost until it’s too late. This Earth Day, we begin our series “Saving Species” with a look at the world of plants.

Okla. county officials recorded discussing killing reporter

5m 59s

Calls for the resignation of county officials in southeastern Oklahoma continued after they were recorded making racist remarks, including explicit comments about murder and invoking violence harking back to the Jim Crow era. Stephanie Sy discussed the backlash with Deon Osborne. A warning: this story includes a snippet of the recording with graphic depictions of violence.

Playwright explores pandemic in 'Plays for the Plague Year'

7m 53s

Is it too soon to explore the pandemic through art? Not if you’re Suzan-Lori Parks, who wrote a short play a day while sitting at home for 13 months and has now turned those into a full-length performance at New York’s Public Theater. It’s part of a very big year for one of the country’s most acclaimed playwrights. Jeffrey Brown has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Ukraine national security head on U.S. intelligence leak

6m 52s

The American and NATO commitment to help Ukraine defend itself was reinforced with the announcement of a timetable for training Ukrainian troops with American tanks. But there is tension in the relationship over the amount and kind of weapons supplied and recent revelations of American spying. Volodymyr Solohub sat down with a top Ukrainian security official to discuss these matters and more.

War in Ukraine threatens Britain's historic steam engines

8m 11s

The war in Ukraine has had an effect on many aspects of life all around the world. Inflation, especially in the price of coal, is jeopardizing the future of some of Britain’s living and breathing museums, the country’s heritage railway lines. From southwestern England, special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

Brooks and Capehart on Biden's chances for reelection

13m 33s

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the state of abortion rights in America, Biden's chances for reelection as he prepares to announce his 2024 run and if DeSantis will attempt to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination.

Supreme Court preserves access to abortion drug, for now

3m 45s

The Supreme Court decided Friday to preserve access to the abortion drug mifepristone, for now. The pill will remain on the market while the Biden administration appeals a lower court ruling that would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone. John Yang breaks down the case and the decision.

India to pass China as the world's most populous nation

8m 49s

India will overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by the middle of this year, according to United Nations data. Alongside its population of 1.4 billion, India's geopolitical and economic footprint is also growing. But as Fred de Sam Lazaro reports, fears are mounting that it's all coming at the cost of the liberal democracy the country has enjoyed since independence in 1947.

Republicans push more measures targeting transgender people

4m 25s

Republicans moved on state and national levels to restrict transgender young people. North Dakota’s governor signed a bill banning gender-affirming treatment, including hormones, for anyone under 18. In Washington, House Republicans passed a ban on transgender girls playing in women's sports in school. Democrats said they will block that from becoming law. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Muslims in Turkey and Syria mark holy month amid destruction

5m 57s

Friday is Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. But in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, festivities have been muted by a mood of mourning and calls for help months after twin earthquakes killed at least 56,000 people there and left a trail of devastation. Amna Nawaz reports.

SpaceX Starship test flight ends with explosion

6m 7s

Thursday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched the first test flight of Starship, its 400-foot rocket meant to one day send people to the moon, and eventually, Mars. The most powerful rocket ever built blasted off from its launch base in Texas but exploded roughly four minutes into its flight. Musk says the next launch attempt will be in a few months. Science Correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.

Diabetes a major factor behind rural life expectancy decline

8m 28s

Over the past two decades, life expectancy in rural areas has declined. One major reason is the prevalence of diabetes. With support from the Pulitzer Center and in collaboration with the Global Health Reporting Center, special correspondent Dr. Alok Patel reports from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas for our series Rural RX.

'The Wisdom of Morrie' tackles the issues and joy of aging

7m 27s

America was introduced to Morrie Schwartz nearly 30 years ago when he spoke with Ted Koppel about his battle with ALS, sharing his unflinching and thoughtful reflections on dying. In the years after Schwartz’s death, his son found a manuscript. Rob Schwartz edited his father's words into "The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully." He discussed the new book with Geoff Bennett.

Ice sheets melting faster than anticipated, study shows

5m 29s

New research shows that the massive ice sheets at the top and bottom of our planet are shrinking much faster than previously thought. The international study compiled satellite measurements over time and depict what one researcher described as a "devastating trajectory." William Brangham discussed the implications of the analysis with Twila Moon of the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

House Democrats say they will fight for abortion access

7m 15s

The Supreme Court is allowing full access to the abortion drug mifepristone for at least another 48 hours. The justices issued that order Wednesday and promised a new ruling by Friday night. Geoff Bennett discussed the debate over abortion access with Rep. Katherine Clark, the second-highest ranked Democrat in the House.

Ukrainian company uses social media to counter Russia

6m 43s

Espionage in wartime is as old as war itself, and the protection of vital information is a key component of an effective military. But it may be time to update the old adage "Loose lips sink ships" for the digital age and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Jack Hewson reports, Ukrainians are using social and news media posts to cull information about their Russian adversaries.

Tyre Nichols' mother sues Memphis, officers who beat him

7m 45s

The family of Tyre Nichols, who died in January after being severely beaten by five Memphis police officers, has filed a $550 million federal lawsuit against the city of Memphis over his death. The five officers charged with second-degree murder have pleaded not guilty. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest with Nichols' mother RowVaughn Wells and attorney Ben Crump.

Home-grown extremism and lessons learned after Oklahoma City

13m 4s

Wednesday marks 28 years since the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which remains the largest act of home-grown terrorism in U.S. history. Judy Woodruff reports on how that act of political violence is remembered now, and on the shockwaves of extremism still being felt today. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

Who's eligible for new COVID boosters and when?

5m 25s

The government approved a second dose of the COVID booster for the elderly and immunocompromised. The bivalent booster shot targets the omicron variants. Seniors 65 years and older can now receive the updated booster four months after their first dose. Amna Nawaz spoke with Dr. Jeremy Faust to understand why this is a significant move in the fight against COVID.

Providence Art Club a haven for diverse artists since 1880

4m 8s

The Providence Art Club is one of the oldest in America, founded nearly 150 years ago in the nation’s smallest state. Pamela Watts of Rhode Island PBS Weekly looks inside at the founding members’ talent and tolerance, which informs the club’s approach to this day. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

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