PBS NewsHour - Politics

Across the Justice Department, there was a wave of resignations from top prosecutors. At least four senior leaders of the division that investigates police killings have resigned in protest over the handling of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. In Minnesota, six other federal prosecutors have left their posts. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Carol Leonnig. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Just weeks into the new year, the Trump administration has rolled out a campaign across departments that draws on images and ideas borrowed from right-wing and white nationalist circles. Liz Landers reports on what some of these images and posts mean, and Amna Nawaz discusses more with Cynthia Miller-Idriss of the Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab at American 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 Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including some Republicans pushing back against President Trump's threats to the Federal Reserve, opposition to military action in Venezuela and tensions continue to rise after the ICE shooting in Minneapolis. 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 MS NOW join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent, the removal of Nicolas Maduro and fresh signals of the Trump administration's emerging vision of U.S leadership. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Congress saw several key votes on Thursday, including ones to address military action in Venezuela, expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and more. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins has been following it all and reports from the Capitol. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Congress has a lengthy list of priorities, but the week has been dominated by the Trump administration's operation in Venezuela and what to do next. Geoff Bennett spoke with Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin for the Democratic perspective. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

While the War Powers Resolution to limit further action in Venezuela advanced in the Senate, its future in the House is less certain. For the Republican perspective, Amna Nawaz spoke with Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For analysis on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shooting and killing a woman in Minneapolis, Amna Nawaz spoke with John Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under President Obama. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling a special session to redraw congressional maps, the House Oversight Committee heard from Minnesota Republicans who claimed that state officials resisted efforts to address systemic fraud and Nick Reiner's arraignment in the killing of his parents was delayed after his high-profile attorney was replaced by a public defender. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

To discuss the deadly ICE shooting in Minnesota, President Trump's military action in Venezuela and his threats against Greenland, Amna Nawaz 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

Geoff Bennett spoke with Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska for his perspective on President Trump's military actions in Venezuela and his threats to take over Greenland. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Tuesday, President Trump warned his fellow Republicans that he'll be impeached if they don't put in a strong showing in this year's midterm elections, abortion will remain legal in Wyoming after the state's Supreme Court struck down two laws and at least 36 people have now been killed amid ongoing protests in Iran over the country's struggling economy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

It's been five years since a mob of President Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to disrupt the certification of the presidential election that he lost. A much smaller but ardent crowd of his supporters returned to the site of the 2021 insurrection, marking the first Jan. 6 since Trump fully pardoned them for their actions on that day. 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 the five years since Jan. 6, there has been a widespread fight over the story of that day. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins was inside the Capitol and witnessed the storming firsthand and reports on the half-decade battle over the narrative. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Five years later, the U.S. Capitol is still living with the aftermath of Jan. 6. Geoff Bennett discussed how the insurrection's impact continues to reverberate in Washington with Lisa Desjardins and Liz Landers. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a letter of censure against Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who retired from the Navy with a rank of Captain, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped his bid for a third term, jury selection began in the first criminal trial over the slow law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting and Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank, has died. 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 lawmakers returning to Washington to face the fallout from U.S. military action in Venezuela, another government shutdown deadline and a health care fight ahead. 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 MS NOW join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including if Russia's invasion of Ukraine will end in 2026, President Trump issuing the first vetoes of his second term and their political predictions for the year. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Many New Year's traditions are meant to bring prosperity in the months ahead, but America's relationship to wealth is complicated. As billionaires' influence has grown, so too has skepticism. In a recent Washington Post/Ipsos poll, 58% of respondents said billionaires' spending on campaigns is bad for the country. Lisa Desjardins discussed the intersection of money and politics with Beth Reinhard. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For the past 15 years, the fact-checkers at PolitiFact have sorted through hundreds of statements by politicians to name the "Lie of the Year." This year, the editors dubbed 2025 the "Year of the Lies." Lisa Desjardins discussed more with PolitiFact Editor-in-Chief Katie Sanders. A warning: some images in this story are disturbing. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

This week, the Trump administration dispatched federal officers to Minnesota amid concerns over fraud. The deployment comes after a right-wing influencer posted a video claiming, without proof, that daycare centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had misappropriated more than $100 million. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Jeff Meitrodt of the Minnesota Star Tribune. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The end of 2025 brings us to the beginning of a midterm election year. That means questions about whether power will shift in Washington. Dozens of members of Congress are heading toward the exit and a handful of states are shaking up their political maps to try to lock in partisan gains. Lisa Desjardins breaks down the numbers. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As work continues on finalizing a peace deal in Gaza, Nick Schifrin discussed the latest with two News Hour regulars, David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Earlier this year, President Trump pardoned around 1,500 people for their involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. As we near the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, there is one high-profile election denier still behind bars. As White House correspondent Liz Landers reports, there is little Trump can do to get former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters out of prison. 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 Lisa Desjardins to discuss the latest political news, including President Trump expanding presidential power in unprecedented ways, the GOP's legislative victories and the political word of the year. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Zohran Mamdani began 2025 as a little-known state legislator, and in the first minutes of 2026 he'll be sworn in as mayor of New York, often called the second-toughest job in America. Campaign photographer Kara McCurdy documented his remarkable rise, capturing images of Mamdani since before his first race for New York State Assembly in 2020. Ali Rogin speaks with McCurdy about her experience. 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 Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe join William Brangham to discuss the year in politics, including President Trump's return to the White House and the significant changes from his first term. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

David Baldacci has written more than 50 suspense and legal novels. His latest is "Nash Falls," a story about a successful businessman recruited by the FBI to expose a global crime network. But Baldacci and his wife are now tackling a major real-world problem: how to combat toxic political discourse. Geoff Bennett sat down with them both to discuss more. 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 William Brangham to discuss the latest political news, including a fractured Republican Party on display and fallout from the partial release of the Epstein files. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In the latest episode of our podcast, "Settle In," Geoff Bennett speaks with Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, an epidemiologist and author of the "Health Nerd" blog. He's spent years helping people understand the data behind the news they see about their health. He spoke about bad science, misconceptions around what we eat and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Late Friday afternoon, the Justice Department began releasing thousands of pages of files and communications related to Jeffrey Epstein. The new documents include photos, call logs, court filings and more. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports on the release and discusses more with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Friday, nine pharmaceutical companies agreed to cut prices on many drugs they sell to Medicaid and sell them directly to consumers through the 'TrumpRx' website, Russian President Putin says he remains committed to achieving goals in Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to its demands for peace and Australia announced a gun buyback plan following the Bondi Beach mass shooting. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Vanity Fair profile by journalist Chris Whipple, built on 11 interviews with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, offered a rare and revealing look inside President Trump's second term. Through Whipple, Wiles delivers unusually blunt assessments of senior officials and even offers a striking characterization of the president. Geoff Bennett discussed the story and reaction with Whipple. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Among the tens of thousands arrested in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, many are convicted of violent crimes. But nearly three-quarters of those held by ICE have no criminal record, according to TRAC, a nonpartisan data-gathering platform. Amna Nawaz spoke with the family of one young woman who was detained by federal immigration officers in North Carolina. 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 MS NOW join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including President Trump’s attempts to address his sinking approval ratings on the economy, the Department of Justice begins to release the Epstein files and the renaming of the Kennedy Center. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night in a politically charged prime-time speech. In front of Christmas trees at the White House, he blamed Joe Biden and the Democrats in general for economic challenges and inflation. White House correspondent Liz Landers has this fact check. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Economic concerns continue to be a top priority for Americans. In a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 57% of respondents say they disapprove of the job President Trump is doing on the economy and just 36% think he’s doing a good job. It’s the lowest approval rating he’s seen on the issue in either of his terms in office. Amna Nawaz discussed more insights from the poll with NPR's Domenico Montanaro. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to run out for millions in just two weeks. But on Wednesday, there was a glimmer of hope that Congress could extend them. A small group of Republicans defied Speaker Johnson to join with Democrats on a possible three-year extension. Lisa Desjardins discusses where things stand with Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

With the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire, we're taking a closer look at one of the main Republican alternatives to help Americans pay for their health care. As Lisa Desjardins reports, the plan is centered on health savings accounts. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Defense Secretary Hegseth rejected calls to release the full video of a boat strike the military carried out in September. That attack was the first of 25 acknowledged strikes that the administration says were operated by so-called "narcoterrorists." At the same time, the Senate is debating its largest annual bill to authorize the Defense Department. Nick Schifrin and Lisa Desjardins report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will not call for a vote on extending enhanced subsidies for people buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act. That effectively guarantees the subsidies will expire at the end of the month and premiums will spike substantially for some 20 million Americans who get their coverage this way. William Brangham reports on the subsidies and alternative ideas. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Sen. Bill Cassidy is a key player in the Capitol Hill debate on health care subsidies, and he's also a physician. The Louisiana Republican joined Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy