Washington Week with The Atlantic

News and Public Affairs Series / 23 Seasons

Washington Week with The Atlantic is the longest-running primetime news and public affairs program on television. The show features a group of journalists participating in a roundtable discussion of major news events and can be found at 8pm ET on most local PBS stations.

Watch Latest: S2025 E9

24m 10s

How separating kids became part of Trump immigration policy

4m 53s

An 18-month investigation into the Trump administration’s traumatizing policy of family separation at the U.S. border has been published in The Atlantic. Reporter Caitlin Dickerson, who covered the story, joins Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.

Investigation highlights impact of family separation policy

10m 11s

We're taking a deeper look at The Atlantic's investigation into the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant children from their families. Reporter Caitlin Dickerson spent 18 months reporting on the issue and found that separating children was not just a side effect of the policy, but the intent. She joins Yamiche Alcindor to discuss.

Democrats close in on tax, climate and health bill

9m 58s

It’s been a successful week for President Biden after a U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaida's top leader, and with celebrations on the CHIPS and PACT acts and job numbers exceeding expectations and calming recession fears. But he is also one step closer to reaching a landmark achievement on a bill tackling climate, health care and taxes -- legislation Republicans oppose but have no path to block.

Lessons learned from this week’s primaries

13m 17s

Primary elections this week held vast implications for November. Voters in conservative Kansas overwhelmingly chose to protect abortion access in the state's constitution. And in the battleground states of Michigan and Arizona, multiple Republican primary candidates were victorious after amplifying former President Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate.

Democrats strike deal on climate change and health care

13m 49s

The range of President Biden’s political fortunes this week was on full display. While the president dealt with grim economic reports that showed a slowing economy for a second straight quarter, he was also handed key legislative victories that included a reversal by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who backed a $739 billion deal to tackle climate change, health care costs and other initiatives.

Justice Department investigates former President Trump

9m 18s

The Jan. 6 committee's public hearings may be on hiatus but new details about their investigation continue to emerge. On Monday, video of unseen testimony from former President Trump's inner circle revealed more about his actions in the days around the Capitol attack. This came as Trump continued perpetuating the lie that the 2020 election was stolen amid a Justice Department probe.

‘The Big Lie' explores Trump's denial of election results

10m 19s

There were several notable developments this week related to the Jan. 6 investigation and former President Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. Jonathan Lemire, POLITICO's White House bureau chief and host of MSNBC's "Way Too Early," takes a look into those topics in his new book, “The Big Lie." He joins Yamiche Alcindor for our Washington Week Extra.

Jan. 6 panel focuses on Trump's inaction amid Capitol attack

16m 31s

The Jan. 6 panel centered much of Thursday's public hearing on the 187 minutes it took former President Trump to tell his supporters to go home after a violent mob broke into the Capitol. According to the committee, Trump chose not to act as part of a deliberate plan to delay certifying the vote and only told the rioters to leave after it was clear to him that they failed to stop the proceedings.

Biden tests positive for COVID as his approval rating drops

6m 13s

President Biden this week tested positive for COVID-19, but he is experiencing mild symptoms and is working in quarantine from his residence. At age 79, the president is at a high risk for severe illness though he is vaccinated and twice boosted. This comes as the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll shows his approval rating at the lowest point in his presidency.

The mystery of the Secret Service's missing text messages

12m 26s

This week, as the Jan. 6 committee held its eighth public hearing on the investigation into the Capitol insurrection, there were new revelations about the panel's search for missing text messages sent by the U.S. Secret Service members in the days surrounding the attack. Also, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was convicted Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas.

Biden visits the Middle East as domestic agenda takes a hit

12m

A high-stakes dance on the world stage is underway as President Biden meets with Saudi Arabia’s controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who reportedly approved the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Meanwhile, Biden's domestic agenda on climate change and taxing the wealthy is shut down by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin as the U.S. sees historic inflation.

Alarming new details from the latest Jan. 6 hearing

11m 24s

The Jan. 6 committee this week held its seventh public hearing, charging that former President Trump planned in advance to call on his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol. The panel also shared descriptions of an unhinged Oval Office meeting with discussions about declaring martial law and the federal government seizing voting machines, as new evidence continues to emerge.

Biden takes executive action to protect abortion rights

14m 14s

Yet another high-profile and deadly mass shooting took place in the United States, this time in Highland Park, Illinois. This as the nation faces myriad challenges and debates over gun laws, abortion, historic inflation and high gas prices. As pressure mounts on President Biden to to more, he signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion medication and emergency contraception.

Trump’s White House counsel speaks to the Jan. 6 committee

8m 21s

Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone on Friday testified behind closed doors before the Jan. 6 committee over former President Trump’s actions surrounding the Capitol attack. It follows grand jury's subpoenas that were issued to several of Trump top allies as officials in Georgia investigate their roles in attempting to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results.

Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia

11m 34s

This week saw a number of startling headlines from overseas. The former longest-serving prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was assassinated, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office plagued by scandal, and the fate of WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner remains uncertain after she pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court.

Fallout from Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade continues

13m 2s

It’s been a week since the Supreme Court handed down its historic decision, striking down Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to an abortion. President Biden on Thursday called on Congress to make the right to an abortion law, and expressed his support for suspending the filibuster to get it done, as Republican celebrated and tried to shift the focus to inflation and rising prices.

Surprise Jan. 6 committee hearing offers explosive testimony

9m 18s

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified on Tuesday before the Jan. 6 committee that former President Trump demanded armed protesters be allowed into his morning rally and that he insisted on joining the crowd at the Capitol, among other details. But some have pushed back on parts of her story and many Republicans have dismissed her testimony as hearsay.

Landmark decisions cap historic term for the Supreme Court

10m 41s

The Supreme Court this term made several significant decisions in addition to overturning Roe v. Wade, and on Thursday the justices limited the EPA's power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. This is a major setback for the Biden administration's efforts to combat climate change. But in a win for President Biden, the court upheld his authority to end the "Remain in Mexico" policy.

Jan. 6 panel lays out Trump efforts to change 2020 election

19m 15s

The Jan. 6 committee this week offered chilling new details on how former President Trump pressured Vice President Pence to overturn the 2020 election and even put Pence’s life in danger by enraging the mob. The committee also accuses Trump of scamming his supporters and lying about election fraud.

The Fed takes aggressive action to prevent a recession

3m 33s

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percent. This was the central bank’s biggest rate hike since 1994, an aggressive step to try and control the rapid rise in inflation.

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