PBS NewsHour - Politics

In our news wrap Tuesday, the Trump administration is fighting to contain the fallout after House Democrats released Jeffrey Epstein case documents that reference the president by name, Nepal's prime minister resigned amid widespread protests after the government imposed a wide-ranging social media ban and a Russian glide bomb struck a small village in Ukraine, killing at least 24 people. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Monday, House Democrats released a letter that Donald Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein for a 2003 birthday book, the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to keep nearly five billion dollars in foreign aid frozen and a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that ordered President Trump to pay $83 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Supreme Court ruled that sweeping immigration raids in California can continue, lifting a lower court ruling. It follows a raid at a car manufacturing plant in Georgia that led to nearly 500 arrests. That raid by ICE at a Hyundai facility marked the largest single-site raid this country has ever seen. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Jasmine Garsd of NPR. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For a legal perspective on new developments regarding President Trump’s immigration agenda, Geoff Bennett spoke with William Banks, professor emeritus of law at Syracuse University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including President Trump making promises to religious voters, Trump denying writing a letter to Jeffrey Epstein, administration officials wearing many different hats and RFK Jr.'s appearance on Capitol Hill. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The U.S. Chemical Safety Hazard and Investigation Board, or CSB, investigates root causes of serious chemical accidents and makes recommendations for preventing similar events. The Trump administration wants to shut the small federal agency down, saying it duplicates the role of other agencies like the EPA and OSHA. Ali Rogin speaks with David Michaels, a former OSHA director, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

New York Times columnists David Brooks and Jamelle Bouie join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including what a weak jobs report says about the U.S. economy, President Trump's push to control the Federal Reserve and Trump's War Department rebranding at the Pentagon. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Darren Walker has spent much of his life fighting inequality. From humble beginnings in rural Texas, he went on to lead one of the nation’s most powerful philanthropic institutions. Walker is now nearing the end of his tenure as president of the Ford Foundation, and joined Amna Nawaz to discuss his new book, "The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled during a combative hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. Senators pressed Kennedy on his views on vaccines and whether he was effectively limiting access and destroying trust in past data and public health agencies. The hearing comes just a week after his decision to fire the director of the CDC, Dr. Susan Monarez. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In a fiery Senate hearing, Robert Kennedy Jr. made a number of questionable or misleading claims about vaccines, COVID and the health of Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed some of these claims with Dr. Richard Besser, the president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the Obama administration. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Thursday, D.C. is suing the Trump administration to end its deployment of the National Guard in the city, President Trump’s nominee to fill an open seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors said he would not resign his position at the White House if confirmed to the role and Gaza health officials say more than 64,000 people have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Women who survived sexual abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein spoke publicly, some for the first time, to demand the release of the federal files in the case. President Trump also responded to the demands for more documents, calling it "a Democrat hoax." Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A federal court rejected the Trump administration's use of an 18th-century wartime law, known as the Alien Enemies Act, to deport Venezuelans accused of being gang members. It's another legal setback for the White House, which has also seen courts curtail its authority to impose tariffs and send troops into U.S. cities. William Brangham discussed more with Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Congress is back in Washington and the clock is already ticking. Lawmakers have less than one month to avoid a government shutdown. Also on the table is a fierce fight over billions in spending cuts and the release of thousands of pages of Jeffrey Epstein case files. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Trump administration will temporarily assign military lawyers to act as judges in immigration cases. Geoff Bennett discussed questions surrounding the move with James McPherson. He was the undersecretary of the Army during the first Trump administration, and also had a 25-year career in the Navy, where he served as that service's top lawyer in uniform. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In President Trump’s continued push for greater control over Washington, D.C., he’s relying more on his close friend and former Fox News host, Jeanine Pirro. She’s the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and as William Brangham reports, she brings her outspoken, controversial style to one of the top law enforcement jobs in the nation's capital. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including President Trump's threats of a federal takeover of Chicago, Democrats' chances of taking the Senate with more seats in play and Trump's connection with working-class voters. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Friday, President Trump is trying to block nearly $5 billion in foreign aid funding already approved by Congress, an emergency hearing on Trump's firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook concluded with no immediate ruling, GOP Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst reportedly won't seek reelection and Trump revoked the Secret Service detail for former Vice President Harris. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

It’s not as well-known as the Federal Reserve or the CDC, but the Surface Transportation Board is the latest agency in the Trump administration’s sights. President Trump abruptly fired Robert Primus, one of only two Democrats on the five-member board, just as regulators weigh the largest railroad merger ever proposed. Geoff Bennett spoke with Primus about the timing of his firing. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the tragic school shooting in Minnesota, the Trump administration's actions to remake the government and the Ukraine war continues two weeks after the Trump-Putin summit. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

There are serious concerns about the Centers for Disease Control and its mission after Susan Monarez was suddenly fired from her position as director. She had refused to resign amid clashes with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy. Her dismissal set off a wave of resignations, including chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the developments. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, the Trump administration is taking over management of Washington's Union Station in its latest effort to put the capital city further under federal control, CDC head Susan Monarez is reportedly being forced out weeks after taking the job, the FDA approved updated COVID vaccines with new restrictions and Kilmar Abrego Garcia says he wants to seek asylum in the U.S. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

About two dozen FEMA employees have been placed on leave after they signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration’s cuts and personnel decisions. The letter warns the cuts undermine the progress FEMA has made after Hurricane Katrina, a storm that slammed the Gulf Coast 20 years ago this week. Amna Nawaz discussed the changes with Craig Fugate, the FEMA administrator from 2009 to 2017. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The suspension of FEMA staffers and the FBI raid of John Bolton are just the latest examples of the Trump administration targeting critics or political enemies. That ire is something Miles Taylor knows all too well. While serving in Trump’s first administration, he anonymously criticized the president and has been dealing with the fallout ever since. Amna Nawaz spoke with Taylor to discuss more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump made it clear he is seeking more control of the Federal Reserve. He said he fired Fed Governor Lisa Cook from the bank's board, but she says she's not leaving and will take the administration to court. At stake is the balance of power on the nation's top bank, which could undermine its long-held independence. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lael Brainard and David Wessel. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump spent more than three hours touting what he sees as his administration's achievements at his cabinet meeting. He weighed in on topics from reinstating the death penalty for murder cases in Washington, D.C., to Health Secretary Kennedy's attempt to identify a cause for autism. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump is threatening to send the National Guard into other Democratic-led cities, just days after ordering troops into Washington. One of his main targets is Baltimore. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the threats inappropriate and invited the president to visit to see the progress city and state leaders say they’ve made. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident whose illegal deportation sparked scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, was arrested again during a meeting with ICE. The administration now says he’s being processed for deportation to Uganda. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Monday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at flag burning, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, a dangerous heat wave in the Pacific Northwest is refusing to let up and nearly 200 current and former FEMA employees are warning that changes by the Trump administration could result in a Hurricane Katrina-level catastrophe. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Some of the more than 2,000 National Guard troops on duty in Washington, D.C., are now armed, part of a crackdown that President Trump once again claimed was needed to help curb crime in the city. While he threatened similar actions in other cities, including Chicago and New York, his power to consolidate law enforcement in the nation’s capital is unique. Deema Zein explains. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Democratic Party leaders from across the country are meeting in Minneapolis as the party reckons with its 2024 losses and faces Republican redistricting. In Texas, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett said he would retire if the new congressional maps stand. Lisa Desjardins spoke with Doggett about this significant moment for him and the Democratic Party. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including Democrats trailing Republicans in midterm fundraising, California Gov. Newsom getting attention for pushing back against Trump, how voters are viewing Trump's immigration crackdown and the retribution presidency. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Early Friday, FBI agents searched the Maryland home of John Bolton, the former national security adviser in President Trump’s first administration. Agents were also seen entering a building in Washington where Bolton has an office. Bolton has become a sharp critic of Trump, attacking his foreign policy and national security decisions. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Josh Gerstein of Politico. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Jonathan Capehart of MSNBC and Ramesh Ponnuru of the National Review join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including fallout following the FBI's raid on Trump critic John Bolton, President Trump's deployment of troops in Washington, D.C., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom standing up to Trump. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A New York appeals court dismissed a $500 million civil fraud penalty against President Trump and his companies for overvaluing their properties in financial statements. The judges upheld the fraud judgment, but said the fine was excessive. Geoff Bennett discussed the impact of this decision with former federal prosecutor Jessica Roth. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Trump administration announced that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence would cut 40% of its staff. Tulsi Gabbard claims ODNI is "inefficient" and "rife with abuse." The office was created after 9/11 to coordinate the 17 intelligence agencies. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Sue Gordon, principal deputy director of national intelligence at the ODNI from 2017 to 2019. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump is weighing taking a 10% stake in computer chip maker Intel. If approved, it would mark one of the largest U.S. government interventions in a private company since the auto bailout of 2008. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Peter Harrell of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace. He is a former White House economic advisor in the Biden administration. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, Texas lawmakers are closer to approving controversial congressional maps that sparked a nationwide fight over redistricting, a federal judge temporarily blocked Texas from requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Hegseth visited National Guard troops in D.C. amid protests over their presence there. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump has promised answers soon on a potential shift in national drug policy. Last year, the Biden administration proposed moving marijuana from the DEA's Schedule 1 to Schedule 3, which wouldn’t make it legal on the federal level but would ease federal restrictions. John Yang discussed what that long-anticipated change could mean with Beau Kilmer of RAND's Drug Policy Research Center. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump paints the nation’s capital as a city beset by crime and called in National Guard troops. D.C. leaders contend there is no crisis, pointing to crime rates at 30-year lows. But Charles Lehman of the conservative Manhattan Institute argues neither side is telling the complete truth. Amna Nawaz spoke with Lehman about how both the locals and feds could pursue smarter solutions. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Monday, Hurricane Erin is roaring past the Bahamas as the East Coast braces for dangerous rip currents, more than 150 people are still missing after flash floods devastated Pakistan, a flight attendant strike at Air Canada entered its third day and conservative cable network Newsmax agreed to pay $67 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Residents of Washington, D.C., are still adapting to life under federal control after President Trump seized authority over the city’s police force and deployed the National Guard. Nearly 400 people have been arrested and hundreds more troops from West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina and Mississippi continue to pour in. Geoff Bennett reports on what residents make of the president’s move. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy