PBS News Hour

News and Public Affairs Series / 9 Seasons

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Watch Latest: S2025 E10

56m 45s

Mechanics at Madhouse Motors create masterpieces in motion

5m 7s

Can motorcycles be considered works of art? They are at a place called Madhouse Motors. Jared Bowen of GBH Boston went to see how the mechanics there are creating masterpieces in motion for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

How Hollywood is turning video games into hit shows, films

6m 32s

Video games are a booming industry, raking in nearly $100 billion yearly in the U.S. alone. But turning those games into successful movies and TV shows has been a bit of bust — until recently. Geoff Keighley, gaming reporter and creator and host of The Game Awards, joins William Brangham to discuss what’s changed.

Bangladesh develops innovations to fight climate change

6m 31s

The low-lying nation of Bangladesh suffers disproportionately from climate change, despite producing just 0.5 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. It’s also creating innovative ways to predict and protect against climate-driven disasters, and discovering new ways to build resilience using natural resources. NPR international correspondent Lauren Frayer joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

What we know about the leak of U.S. intelligence documents

6m 27s

More details are emerging about an apparent leak of U.S. intelligence documents onto social media. With a Justice Department investigation underway, The Washington Post is reporting that these files, many seemingly from the Pentagon, provide details about the war in Ukraine and how the U.S. allegedly spies on allies and foes. Washington Post reporter Dan Lamothe joins William Brangham to discuss.

Mifepristone ruling is latest move to curb abortion access

6m 32s

On Friday, a federal judge in Texas invalidated FDA approval of mifepristone, threatening access to the most common abortion pill in the country. Earlier this week, legislatures in Idaho, Kansas and Florida moved to further restrict abortion access in those states. Sarah Varney, senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins Ali Rogin to discuss the latest developments.

California’s reservoirs refill after historic winter storms

5m 16s

After a barrage of severe winter storms, 12 of California's 17 major reservoirs have been replenished — a silver lining for a state suffering from brutal drought. But officials also warn that when the enormous snowpack atop the Sierra Nevada starts to melt, the runoff could cause a new threat to those below. Los Angeles Times reporter Hayley Smith joins William Brangham to discuss.

The consequences of the Supreme Court’s conservative shift

8m 16s

Recent reporting by ProPublica revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took undisclosed, lavish trips funded by a Republican megadonor. This comes as the country waits to see how the justices will rule in a number of contentious cases. Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic joins John Yang to discuss the court's conservative shift, and how that could shape the country's future.

A rare look inside the newly renovated CIA Museum

4m 56s

As the CIA marks its 75th anniversary, it gave us a rare peek into its newly renovated museum. The space is for its own officers, it's not open to the public, and it displays mementos from some of the agency's most clandestine operations. Nick Schifrin got a tour for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Capehart Abernathy on Trump's hold on the GOP

10m 56s

Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and columnist Gary Abernathy join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including Trump's hold on the Republican party as he faces legal issues and the expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee.

Iraq's younger generations feel shut out from economy

9m 8s

Over half of Iraq's 42 million people are under the age of 25 and grew up in the wake of the U.S. invasion. But while this young population could be a driver for growth, many find themselves shut out of Iraq’s oil-rich economy and its political process. Simona Foltyn spoke with three young Iraqis disappointed by the promises of democratic rule.

Incarcerated people face heightened communication costs

4m 57s

For years, advocates argued that incarcerated people in the U.S. are overcharged for basic phone calls. A new law aimed at capping those costs recently went into effect, but a new report is sounding the alarm about the escalating costs of other essential services like video and electronic messaging. Communities Correspondent Roby Chavez reports for our series, Searching for Justice.

Biden proposes using Title IX to stop trans athlete bans

7m 17s

A rule change the Biden administration is proposing could make broad bans on competition by transgender athletes illegal, but would still allow restrictions in some cases. The proposal would affect Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools that receive government funding. William Brangham spoke with LGBTQ+ reporter Orion Rummler of The 19th News about the restrictions.

Kamala Harris meets with expelled Tennessee Democrats

10m 33s

It was a chaotic scene at the Tennessee Capitol Thursday as two Black members of the state House of Representatives were kicked out of office by the Republican supermajority. In response, Vice President Harris traveled to Nashville to meet with Democratic lawmakers, including the ones who were expelled. Laura Barrón-López spoke with Tennessee's House Democratic Caucus chair about the expulsions.

Study shows parents overestimate student academic progress

7m 46s

Research shows the vast majority of K-12 parents believe their kids are performing at their grade level when they’re not. To better understand the parent perception gap and how to close it, Amna Nawaz spoke with two former secretaries of education, Arne Duncan, who was secretary during the Obama administration, and Margaret Spellings who served under President George W. Bush.

Peter One's unique style crisscrosses the ocean musically

6m 18s

May will see the release of a new album by Nashville artist Peter One. But to call him simply a Nashville artist doesn’t tell you the half of it. And though he’s known as Peter One, he’s soon to embark on a most extraordinary second act, playing at the Grand Ole Opry. Special correspondent Tom Casciato has the story for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Thomas took lavish trips paid for by GOP donor, report says

5m 24s

Private jets, lavish trips and access to exclusive clubs were provided to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for more than two decades by a Republican megadonor, according to reporting by ProPublica. The trips were valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and went unreported on Thomas’ financial disclosures. Geoff Bennett spoke with Josh Kaplan, one of the reporters who broke the story.

Iran and Saudi Arabia take major step toward reconciliation

8m 31s

Saudi Arabia and Iran took another major step to improve relations by agreeing to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals. So how will the reestablishment of diplomatic relations scramble the geopolitics of the Middle East? Amna Nawaz discussed that with Vali Nasr of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Report outlines sexual abuse by Archdiocese of Baltimore

7m 52s

More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. A long-awaited report revealed the horrific scope of abuse and cover-ups spanning some eight decades. Geoff Bennett discussed the findings with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.

Militants in Lebanon fire rockets into Israel

6m 21s

Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in Jerusalem moved the Middle East closer to a broader conflict. The Israeli military says Hamas or Islamic jihad militants in Lebanon fired 34 rockets into northern Israel Thursday. The Israelis said they shot down 25 of the rockets, but at least two people were wounded in the barrage. Amna Nawaz discussed the conflict with Ronen Bergman.

Afghanistan evacuation review blames intelligence, Trump

5m 51s

The Biden White House put out its long-awaited report on the widely criticized fall of Afghanistan. U.S. forces hastily withdrew in August 2021 as the Taliban re-captured the country. Amid the chaos, a suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and more than 100 Afghans. The 12-page summary blamed the Trump administration, bad intelligence and the Afghans themselves. Laura Barrón-López reports.

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