PBS NewsHour - Politics

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled it could upend a central pillar of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The question at the heart of arguments is whether lawmakers can use race as a factor when drawing congressional districts. Ali Rogin discussed the case's potential to reshape electoral maps with News Hour Supreme Court analyst and SCOTUSblog co-founder Amy Howe and David Wasserman. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The government shutdown has far-reaching effects for federal workers. Hundreds of thousands have been furloughed and many others are working without a paycheck. Some may be out of work permanently after the Trump administration announced plans for mass layoffs. We hear from dozens of federal employees, and Lisa Desjardins reports on how many workers are off the job. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

It's Day 15 of the federal government shutdown, one of the longest lapses in funding in U.S. history. To discuss the politics of the shutdown, Geoff Bennett spoke with Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir and Republican strategist Doug Heye. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Tuesday marks the deadline for journalists to decide whether to comply with the Pentagon's new rules for keeping credentials. Virtually every news organization, including PBS News, has refused to sign it, arguing that it infringes on First Amendment protections. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Nancy Youssef of The Atlantic and David Schulz of the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy served on the nation’s highest court for three decades. He was often described as the swing vote in landmark decisions from marriage equality to campaign finance. It’s a label he’s long resisted, even years after his 2018 retirement. He explained why when he sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss his new memoir, "Life, Law & Liberty." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said today the U.S. is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns” in history. That stark warning on the 13th day of the shutdown comes as impacts are starting to ripple across the country, with federal workers facing their first week without a paycheck. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports. 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 taking a victory lap abroad after the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East and the government shutdown enters another week with no clear end in sight. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Saturday, Trump directed the Defense Department to ensure U.S. troops are paid on time as the government shutdown continues, authorities said there are no survivors from Friday’s blast that leveled a Tennessee explosives plant, and actor and producer Diane Keaton died at age 79. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As the federal government shutdown heads into its second weekend, the Trump administration has begun what it calls “substantial” layoffs of federal workers. President Trump and his team had suggested this would be coming, but it was Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought who made it official. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports on the agencies affected. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As the government shutdown continues and the Trump administration begins mass layoffs, Geoff Bennett spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for reaction from the Democrats. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

An unlikely partnership between a utility and climate activists managed to convert a community to geothermal heating and cooling. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports on this project for our energy and climate series, Tipping Point. 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 Jonathan Capehart of MSNBC join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump celebrating the Gaza peace deal while targeting political enemies at home and the government shutdown entering its second weekend. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Formal negotiations are at a standstill on day nine of the government shutdown. But Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered his Democratic colleagues a potential off-ramp. Amna Nawaz spoke with Sen. Thune about a potential vote on extending health care subsidies. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Former FBI Director James Comey was arraigned on Wednesday after federal prosecutors charged him with lying to Congress five years ago. The charges were brought against Comey by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsay Halligan. Halligan’s predecessor was ousted for refusing to charge Comey. Amna Nawaz discussed more with NPR's Carrie Johnson. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Thousands of flights have been delayed this week as the government shutdown enters its eighth day. It’s hard to know exactly how many delays are due to staffing shortages from the shutdown, but reports of air traffic controllers calling out sick in large numbers have surfaced at major airports. Controllers are required to work during a shutdown, but are doing so without pay. Miles O’Brien reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Even as the Trump administration continues to insist that its immigration policies are just targeting the worst of the worst, many other immigrants in America are being detained as well. William Brangham spoke with Leslie Gonzales, whose husband was arrested by agents near Boston. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Tuesday, National Guard troops from Texas arrived at an Army training center near Chicago ahead of an expected deployment, President Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, three U.S.-based scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in quantum mechanics and a medical helicopter crashed onto a highway in Sacramento. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee today underscored the deep partisan divide over the state of justice in America. In tense exchanges, Bondi and committee members clashed repeatedly, with each side accusing the other of politicizing and weaponizing the Justice Department. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins has this report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As the government shutdown hits the one-week mark with no end in sight, President Trump issued a new threat, saying that furloughed federal workers may not be reimbursed with back pay once the government reopens. It reverses what's been a long-standing policy and possibly goes against a 2019 law that ensures back pay for federal workers. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Monday, lawmakers appear no closer to reopening the government as the shutdown approaches the one-week mark, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned just a day after announcing his cabinet and Israeli authorities say they've deported more than 170 activists who took part in a flotilla aiming to take aid to Gaza. 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 the federal government shutdown reaching day six with no signs of the stalemate ending, President Trump's attempt to send troops into U.S. cities and California's redistricting election. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Sunday, Trump is sending California National Guard troops to Oregon after a federal judge blocked him from deploying Oregon’s National Guard to Portland, Russian strikes across Ukraine killed five people, Syria held its first election since the fall of Assad, and Speaker Johnson said the House won’t be back in session until the Senate passes a bill to end the government shutdown. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

After another day of deadlock, the Senate adjourned for the weekend, extending the government shutdown into next week. Democrats are holding out for Republicans to make health care concessions to their spending bill. But until lawmakers figure out a way forward, thousands of federal workers are left worrying about their paychecks and mass layoffs. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Roughly 750,000 federal employees were furloughed when the government closed its doors. Not included in that number are the air traffic controllers who will continue to work, without pay, as long as the shutdown continues. That has raised concerns about the strain on an already understaffed and overworked cohort. Geoff Bennett spoke with Nick Daniels of the air traffic controllers' union. 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 Jonathan Capehart of MSNBC join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the government shutdown showing no signs of ending quickly, President Trump taking the opportunity to further dismantle the federal government and Pete Hegseth's vision for the U.S. military. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

There were no signs of progress between lawmakers on Thursday. That ensures the government will remain shut down for another day as Democrats dig in on protections to health care. President Trump is also digging in and warning of far-reaching consequences. He even invoked the name of Project 2025, a policy blueprint he distanced himself from on the campaign trail. Liz Landers reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Congress did not meet on Thursday in part due to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. But when the Senate returns Friday, the question is, what is the way out of this shutdown? There are some in the Senate trying to talk across the aisle and find a way forward. One of those is Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. He joined Lisa Desjardins to discuss those efforts. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

On the second day of the government shutdown, party leaders are not budging, and President Trump is increasingly threatening Democrats and taking aim at Democratic-led states. To discuss the Democratic perspective on the shutdown, Geoff Bennett spoke with Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Biden and now a distinguished scholar at NYU Law. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Two COVID-era Medicare programs, telehealth benefits and in-home hospital care, have ended abruptly for millions of Americans as a result of the government shutdown. Funding for both expired on September 30, and Congress failed to pass a new budget plan for either. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Kyle Zebley of the American Telemedicine Association. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Attempts to end the government shutdown that began overnight have been unsuccessful. Democrats are refusing to vote without ensuring health care subsidies and Republicans say they won't negotiate until funding is secure. Federal workers are either on the job without pay or temporarily furloughed and President Trump has threatened to make some cuts permanent. Lisa Desjardins and Liz Landers report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

To discuss the government shutdown and the potential for negotiations to end it, Geoff Bennett spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For the Republican view on the federal government shutdown, Amna Nawaz sat down with Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows that nearly a third of Americans believe that political violence may be necessary to set the country on track. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a professor who studies polarization and extremism, said the rising support for political violence is translating into real acts and is deeply alarming. Geoff Bennett discussed more with NPR's Domenico Montanaro. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The federal government is barreling toward a shutdown at the stroke of midnight as Congress remains in a deadlock. Democrats are demanding a bill that reverses cuts to Medicaid and prevents health insurance premiums from going up at the end of the year. President Trump has threatened to use a shutdown to reduce the size of the federal workforce permanently. Lisa Desjardins and Liz Landers report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

With a federal government shutdown looming, Geoff Bennett spoke with Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland about his party's demands in negotiations with the Trump White House. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For a Republican perspective on the negotiations to keep the government funded, Amna Nawaz spoke with GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Tuesday, Pfizer agreed to cut prescription drug prices as part of a deal that spares the company from certain tariffs on its imports, Hamas says it will review a peace plan for Gaza and consult with other Palestinian factions before responding and a second detainee has died following last week's shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A federal government shutdown in less than a day and a half appears unavoidable after a meeting between President Trump and congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle failed to produce a deal. White House correspondent Liz Landers and congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins report on the impasse. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Millions of Americans who rely on health plans under the Affordable Care Act could see their premiums increase if Congress doesn’t expand key tax credits. Some could lose their insurance altogether. William Brangham discussed what this means for coverage and costs with Cynthia Cox of KFF. 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 the looming government shutdown and President Trump’s expanding use of executive power. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The battle lines are drawn for Monday’s high-stakes Oval Office meeting between Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders, one day before the deadline to avert a government shutdown. Adding to the uncertainty are the Trump administration’s plans to use a shutdown to fire more federal workers. John Yang speaks with Eric Katz, who covers federal agencies for Government Executive, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury, an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s campaign to prosecute his political rivals. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports and Amna Nawaz discusses the developments with Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy