Listen to all of the PBS NewsHour's coverage of U.S. politics, from Yamiche Alcindor's reports from the White House, to Lisa Desjardins on Capitol Hill, to our weekly analysis and discussions from David Brooks, Mark Shields, Amy Walter and Tamara Keith.
Wednesday on the NewsHour, former President Trump says he refused to answer questions in a civil investigation into his real estate dealings, inflation in the U.S. has eased with consumer prices up 8.5 percent in July from a year ago, China says it's winding down military drills around Taiwan, Kenyans await election results, and President Biden signed a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian national with plotting to kill John Bolton, who was national security adviser to President Trump. Federal officials say the suspect was a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, who allegedly tried to hire a hitman for $300,000 that was actually an FBI informant. Nick Schifrin joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The month of August has been full of surprises, from President Biden's recent legislative victories, to the overwhelming victory for abortion rights in Kansas and the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago. But it's unclear if such events will influence the midterms. South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who is up for reelection, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his new book, "America, a Redemption Story." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
While inflation eased slightly last month, it continues to remain high and new data shows it's having an outsized, negative impact on Native American, Black and Latino families in particular, according to a poll out this week from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard University. Alonzo Plough, chief science officer of the foundation, joins William Brangham to discuss the specifics. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
There's a $1 trillion gap between what Americans owe in taxes and what the government collects. The Democrats' budget deal would unleash nearly 100,000 new IRS agents to round up all that missing money. Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss the impact the crackdown on tax evaders will have on the nation's bottom line. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
With less than three months until the midterms, Democrats hope recent legislative successes will help bolster their campaigns. But Republicans are betting they can win back control of Congress. Democratic strategist Joel Benenson, who worked with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and Neil Newhouse, lead pollster for Mitt Romney and John McCain's presidential bids, join Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Tens of thousands of abandoned oil and natural gas wells sit idle across the United States. Known as orphan wells, they pose significant dangers to nearby residents and the environment after being ignored or forgotten by the companies who drilled them. States and taxpayers are often left to clean them up. Roby Chavez, who has been reporting on this from Louisiana, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was searched Monday night by the FBI. Reports suggest the search was a part of investigations into whether Trump took classified records from the White House to his Florida home, marking a dramatic escalation into various investigations swirling around him. Carrie Johnson, who covers the Justice Department NPR, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Tuesday, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the Jan. 6 panel, former President Trump and his former Vice President Pence wage another proxy battle in Wisconsin, Kenya held national elections, President Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law, Serena Williams announced plans to retire from tennis, and legendary Motown songwriter and producer Lamont Dozier has died. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Biden on Tuesday signed the bipartisan CHIPS Act into law, just days before his top health care, tax and climate change bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act heads to the House, where it's likely to pass after proceeding through the Senate along party lines. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who played a key role in getting the bill passed, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Questions are swirling after the FBI searched former President Trump's Florida home. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas under President Reagan, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the political implications. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat who served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under President Clinton, joins Judy Woodruff with some perspective from the Democratic side of the aisle on the FBI search of Trump's residence. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo Tuesday as part of a tour across sub-Saharan Africa to unveil the Biden administration's new strategy for the region. It comes as Russia and China try to raise their own influence. Cameron Hudson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Kholood Khair of Confluence Advisory join Nick Schifrin to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
After working through the weekend, Democrats are on the cusp of passing an historic, half-trillion dollar spending package. It's a mere fraction of what President Biden first sought more than a year ago, but significant nonetheless. Lisa Desjardins is here to unpack what's in the deal and how party leaders managed to shepherd it to the finish line when losing a single vote would have sunk it. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Monday, the U.S. is sending $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine as Ukrainians warn the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is in jeopardy, a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza is holding after Israel killed 44 Palestinians, China is planning more military exercises around Taiwan, and investigators in New Mexico search for a car possibly connected to the murders of four Muslim men. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The Senate's passage of the Inflation Reduction Act is a major legislative victory for the Biden administration and it comes after months of negotiations on Capitol Hill. Brian Deese, chair of the National Economic Council and President Biden's top economic adviser, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
If the House passes the Inflation Reduction Act in the coming days it will lead to by far the biggest investment the federal government has made on tackling climate change. Several estimates have indicated the initiative may mean a 40 percent reduction in America's carbon emissions by 2030 from 2005 figures. Paul Bledsoe of the Progressive Policy Institute joins William Brangham to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Annie Linskey of The Washington Post join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including the Democrats' major legislative victory with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the Senate and what that could mean for November's midterm elections. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Kenyans will go to the polls on Tuesday to select a new president. In a nation with a history of contested and violent elections, this is the first time a member of the politically dominant Kikuyu tribe is not running. And many claim this is Kenya's first election in which class plays a greater role than ethnicity. Correspondent Neha Wadekar and filmmaker Jack Hewson report. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Sunday, a cease-fire in Gaza has gone into effect after days of Israeli strikes and militant counterattacks, the U.S. Senate passed a sprawling bill to fight climate change and lower healthcare costs, Biden cleared from isolation at the White House after a second negative COVID test, and China carried out military drills near Taiwan for the fourth day in a row. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in climate policy in U.S. history, including more than $300 billion to address global warming. It also sets a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent by the year 2030 and creates an electric vehicle tax credit. Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss what the bill offers and what it leaves out. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
48 million Americans get prescription drugs through Medicare Part D, but Medicare has had no ability to negotiate prices. A provision in the Inflation Reduction Act would change that in some cases. The bill would also cap out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare recipients. Stacy Dusetzina from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Friday, Israeli strikes pounded Gaza killing at least 10 including a militant commander, Russia's foreign minister says Moscow is open to discussing a prisoner exchange involving American WNBA star Brittany Griner, deadly house fire in Pennsylvania kills seven adults and three children, and Alex Jones is ordered to pay over $45 million for claiming Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
The U.S. has now regained all the jobs it lost during the COVID pandemic, in spite of concerns about rising inflation and a possible recession. Employers added 528,000 jobs last month, more than double what economists predicted. Meanwhile, unemployment fell to 3.5 percent, the lowest since the pandemic started. Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell joins John Yang to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Senate Democrats are one step closer to passing a sweeping tax, climate change, and health care bill now that Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema voiced her support. The last Democratic holdout agreed to vote for the package after party leaders altered some of its tax proposals, giving Democrats enough votes to pass the Inflation Reduction Act as midterm elections approach. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan Tuesday after days of speculation about her visit, prompting an immediate response from China. Pelosi's late-night landing was quickly followed by news of Chinese military drills all around the island. John Yang reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Tuesday, at least two more people have been found dead in the wake of a massive wildfire in California, the search continues for victims of Kentucky floods, the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain arrived off Turkey as the U.S. hit Russia with more sanctions, the Justice Department challenges Idaho's abortion law, and President Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
A U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri last weekend in Afghanistan raises questioned about where this leaves the terrorist group and the Taliban's role in harboring him. Nick Schifrin returns with a deeper look at al-Zawahri's background and al-Qaida's. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
President Biden on Monday announced a U.S. operation that killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the 71-year-old leader of al-Qaida who was an integral part of the 9/11 attacks. It came as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, escalating tensions with China. Jake Sullivan, assistant to the president and his national security adviser, joins Judy Woodruff from the White House to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Voters in five states headed to the polls Tuesday to pick their nominees in major races. Among them were key congressional primaries in Arizona, Missouri, Michigan and Washington, while voters in Kansas are deciding on the future of abortion policy in their state. Political correspondent Lisa Desjardins breaks them down. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Iraq has been reeling from unrest after the powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for a revolution, taunting his Shiite rivals and demanding sweeping changes to the current political system. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn reports from Baghdad. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Monday, Nancy Pelosi begins Asian tour in Singapore amid reports that she plans to make a stop in Taiwan, Texas man tied to a far-right militia sentenced to seven years in federal prison in Jan. 6 probe, thousands of Iranian-backed protesters filled the streets of Baghdad, and President Biden continues isolating after his COVID case rebounded. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain set sail from Odesa for the first time since Russia's invasion more than five months ago. It followed last month's agreement with the United Nations and Turkey to allow shipments through the Black Sea, with the deal aiming to ease a global food shortage. Volodymyr Solohub reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long been working to pass the PACT Act, a key bill that would expand health care access to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. But what was supposed to be easy passage on a bipartisan measure has turned into political football over spending. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who chairs the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
After the Supreme Court struck down the national right to abortion access in June, the issue was returned to states, which have since implemented a patchwork of protections, restrictions or total bans. Abortion rights will now be on the ballot in at least five states this year. Ali Rogin reports from Kansas, the first state holding a vote since the end of Roe. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Laura Barrón-López to discuss the latest political news, including the Democrats' race to pass the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act before the campaign season heats up and how competitive Republican primaries are pitting candidates loyal to former President Trump up against those who voted to impeach him. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Sunday, the McKinney Fire in northern California forces thousands to flee their homes, at least seven deaths in Oregon are suspected caused by excessive heat, the death toll from flooding in Kentucky rises to 26, Ukraine's president urges civilians to evacuate Donetsk amid fierce fighting with Russian forces, and NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our news wrap Saturday, catastrophic flash floods across eastern Kentucky and wider Appalachia have killed at least 25 people, President Biden tests positive for COVID again in a rare rebound case, protestors storm Iraq's parliament for the second time this week, Pope Francis contemplates early retirement due to physical ailments, and New York declares a state of emergency over monkeypox. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
When Marlena Stell suffered a miscarriage last year in Texas, she says she begged her doctor for help but instead was forced to go for weeks with fetal remains inside of her because of strict anti-abortion laws. It's a story that could become more common after Roe v. Wade was overturned. She joins Geoff Bennett to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
In our new wrap Friday, extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest kept temperatures at or above 100 degrees again with extreme condition expected through the weekend, another major inflation gauge is pointing to price hikes for some time to come, Exxon-Mobil and Chevron reported record profits, and shelling in the eastern Donetsk region killed scores of Ukrainian prisoners of war. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
For the first time, the U.S. government could have the power to negotiate prices for some of the costliest drugs covered under Medicare. The proposed legislation would also help Medicare recipients by imposing penalties against drug manufacturers who raise prices too quickly and removing some copay requirements. Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Arizona voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the state's primaries. Leading Republican candidates in some key contests have doubled down on far-right conspiracies denying the results of the 2020 election. Stephanie Sy reports on how these candidates are shaping the race. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders