Washington Week with The Atlantic

News and Public Affairs Series / 22 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: S2024 E46

26m 45s

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.

Soaring prices, tanking markets and the political fallout

8m 48s

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates this week by three-quarters of a percent to fight inflation, the largest hike in 28 years. Fed chair Jerome Powell also indicated that a similar rise could come in July if the economy doesn’t improve. Stocks tumbled in response to the historic action and Wall Street fell into bear market territory amid increased concerns that a recession may be looming.

Will the Senate take bipartisan action on gun control?

10m 42s

Gun reform efforts on Capitol Hill continued this week following the high-profile mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. On Wednesday, survivors and parents of recent mass shooting victims testified before Congress. Amid all this, a bipartisan group of senators say they are optimistic that their negotiations over a narrow package could get the 60 votes needed to pass.

Biden calls for new gun laws amid ongoing debate in Congress

11m

Since the massacre in Buffalo three weeks ago on May 14, there have been at least 37 mass shootings in the United States, including in Uvalde, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. In an address to the nation this week, President Biden called for action to contend with the spate of gun violence, as a bipartisan group of lawmakers tries to hammer out a deal on a gun reform bill.

White House shifts messaging on inflation ahead of midterms

9m 14s

Inflation is at a four-decade high and rising prices at grocery stores and gas stations are hitting Americans hard. With six months to go until the November midterms, the Biden administration is trying to shift its messaging on inflation and the economy. But despite fears of an economic slowdown, the May jobs report was better than expected.

Jan. 6 committee is set to begin public hearings after probe

10m 18s

The select House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will begin public hearings next week. For the last 11 months, the committee has spoken to nearly 1,000 witnesses, some from former President Trump's inner circle. They are looking into at least five areas related to the attack, including efforts to pressure federal, state and local officials to overturn the election.

Georgia's primaries, political implications of Uvalde attack

13m 1s

It's too early to tell if the Texas school shooting pushes gun control up the list of issues voters care about. But Georgia's primaries offered a glimpse into voters’ thinking, including a rebuke against former President Trump. Gov, when Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger defeated his favored GOP candidates. Kemp will now face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the general election.

Grief and anger in Buffalo as nation mourns racist attack

15m 1s

In Buffalo, an alleged gunman driven by white supremacist ideology murdered 10 people and injured three more at a supermarket. Most of the victims were Black, making it one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent American history. President Biden traveled to Buffalo to grieve with the community as the House passed a bill to tackle domestic terrorism that has yet to gain Senate approval.

Primary elections spotlight Trump’s hold on the GOP

7m 58s

Critical primary elections were held this week in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. In the Tarheel state, candidates endorsed by former President Trump had mixed results. In Pennsylvania, GOP Senate candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz and David McCormick are locked in a tight race to challenge Democrat John Fetterman as election denier Doug Mastriano won the Republican primary for governor.

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